New Grad… Not Knowing Where Life Will Lead

I've had two separate conversations recently with relatively new college grads looking for their first jobs. In both cases, they were looking for advice on how to answer a recurring question they were getting in job interviews.

Where do you see yourself in 5 (or 10) years?

Although I've addressed that question in a previous article, I think there are different factors to consider for someone that is seeking their first career related position. In many, perhaps most cases, entry-level candidates don't have enough knowledge of potential career paths, or of the industry, to have a good idea of where they might be in 5 years, much less 10. In most cases, the interviewer knows, and understands that as well.

So why do they ask the question? I believe for multiple reasons…

• To find out if the candidate might have specific goals and objectives for their career
  
• To discern whether the candidates goals fit with what they might be able to do at that company
  
• To see if the candidate has a grasp of what realistic objectives might be
  
• To see whether the candidate is willing to earn their opportunities, or expects them to simply be given

An employer looking for an entry-level candidate is not likely expecting the same kind of defined goals that someone 5 or 10 years into their career might be expected to have. They are primarily looking for someone that…

• Has some related schooling and/or experience

• Has a positive attitude and a sense of professionalism

• Shows enthusiasm for their job / career

• Is ‘on the ball’ / can learn things quickly and understands things quickly / and can communicate well

• And is willing to prove themselves in their current role before expecting promotions / raises / etc.

Unfortunately, the last point is sometimes rare to find.

In the two conversations I had, the individual circumstances were different. Each of them are new grads, however, one had very specific goals he wanted to accomplish in 5 years, and the other had really didn't know where she wanted to be in 5 years.

In the case of the first conversation, he had been sharing his goals in his interviews, unfortunately however, his goals really didn't align with the positions he was interviewing for. He ultimately wanted to obtain a PhD and teach at a University. In the meantime, he was interviewing for entry-level engineering positions at companies now. When they hear his goals, their impression, rightfully so, is that he's looking for a company to pay for his advanced education, and then he would leave. That's not an attractive prospect for most employers.

In the second conversation, although she had exceptional education accomplishments, she wasn't yet clear on what kind of career she really wanted to pursue. Her primary objective was to get a job and pursue what she could. Her various answers to the question made it sound like she was primarily looking for what a company could offer her, rather than any desire to make a real contribution.

When asked the question… if you have a specific goal that aligns itself well with the company you are pursuing, then certainly articulate that goal and what you hope to achieve along the way. However, when your goal is not aligned well with the job, or you're not sure what your long term objective is, a reasonable answer might be something like:

"At this point, I don’t have a specific goal for a role I want to hold in 5 (or 10) years from now. But I want to find an opportunity where I can prove myself to a company and see how far my hard work and abilities can take me. I think that if I focus each day on doing the best job I can, the rest will take care of itself."

That kind of answer sounds realistic, and yet sound ambitious. It makes it clear that you're not looking just for a “job” to settle into for the next several years.  The more your answer can show you’re interested in being of value to them rather than just getting what you want from a company, the better your answer will be received.

It's not a good idea to profess a goal that you don't really have or believe, in the hopes that it makes you sound more ambitious. You won't be sincere, and a good interviewer will see through your ruse. It's not necessary to have a specific goal. It is necessary, however, to make clear you are looking for an opportunity to contribute.

The question is likely to be asked. Practice your answers in advance and imagine how it might be perceived by an employer.

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The Irony of High Unemployment and Candidate Shortages

As a recruiter, who also knows many other recruiters who agree, it's often surprising when it's so difficult to find candidates to fill open positions while we're in the midst of high unemployment rates.

Certainly, unemployment rates are not uniform across industries and fields. Certain sectors, categories, and professions have been much more severely hit than others. People with certain skills have been experiencing no slump at all and are in constant demand. While others are struggling to find appropriate opportunities.

The reality is, that even within hard-hit industries, certain job skills are still in high demand. While there are no easy, or one-size-fits-all solutions… If you find yourself struggling to find your next position, here are some ideas…

Retraining MIGHT help. While it's not always a solution, gaining training or certifications in a new field might help in landing a new position more quickly. Employers certainly prefer prior related work experience over a newly trained candidate. However, in some fields, there are enough jobs for both. If you are pursuing a new career in a field that is in high demand and growing, getting new training may be an answer.

Focus on jobs used universally. There are certain job fields that are needed by virtually every company out there. Accounting, Forensic Accounting, and PC/Network Support professionals are examples. It's pretty rare to find companies that can dramatically cut Accounting or Computer Support staff even when the economy is poor. Those functions have to be completed in good times as well as in bad. Healthcare and other types of positions also tend to continue to be in higher demand during downturns.

Learn what is in demand. Use job boards and sites like LinkUp as a research tool to scan what kinds of jobs seem to be hardest to fill. What jobs tend to be posted for the longest periods of time without being filled? What jobs are posted most often? What industries have the most companies posting jobs? Asking these kinds of questions and more can give you a sense of what is highly sought after.

Maximize the skills you have. Know your experience and abilities well. Figure out what background you've gained in some of the highly marketable skill areas, no matter how little, and be able to articulate your experience in those areas as effectively as possible. Often, people short-change experience they have gained because they believe it was too little to be marketable. For example, an Office Manager of a small company that also had responsibility to update their "Quickbooks" accounting software regularly may not trumpet that marketable skill as much as they should. Do a personal 'inventory' of all the experience you've gained and be sure to emphasize those skills that are widely in demand.

Emphasize the intangibles. Most employers would prefer to hire someone that will fit their culture, have the best attitude, exude professionalism, and exhibit high potential even though their related work experience may not be the strongest fit. As I coach hiring managers… it's usually better to hire the "best overall athlete" over a "benchwarmer" with highly specialized skills. The best athlete will be someone that will be able to learn the necessary skills, perhaps get up to full-potential somewhat slower, however, be a great performer over the long run. Someone that has the 'perfect' prior experience sometimes may get up to speed faster, but be a long term  underachiever. Always show how you can be the 'best athlete'.

It will require networking! The necessity, and the power of networking in your job search can't be over-emphasized. When your background is not a perfect fit for a role on paper / your resume, it requires connecting and making your case directly. Employers will much more likely hire someone they've met, and have gained confidence in, than someone that is only a piece of data they've seen pop up in their online application database or in their email inbox.

Even when the general unemployment rate is hovering near 10%, there are certain fields experiencing negative unemployment rates… there are more available jobs than people. Find out what those jobs are, and creatively find ways you can be solution in those situations. Know, and be able to articulate your related abilities, emphasize your intangibles, and get networking!

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Ya' Gotta be You!

Often, when people read a lot of job search advice and strategies, they come to the conclusion that they have to project something other than what they are when speaking to potential employers.

There's advice about the kind of image they need to project, the way they should answer questions, the way they should look, the way should talk, and the attitude they need to portray. It's easy to look at that, and assume that they don't measure up so they have to take some acting lessons pretty quick! …only to discover that ends up doing more harm than good.

Most employers can spot a phony a mile away.

Authenticity is critical to making a connection. When an interviewer believes what they see is genuine, they are much more likely be interested in pursuing things further.

Ya' gotta be you! So how do you do that and become more 'hirable' at the same time? Here are some observations…

Be honest with yourself… and them. Assess your own performance in interviews, practice with others and get honest critiques. Be willing to take to heart what ever shortcomings you may find. If you have a relatively flat  personality or communication style… where you're not very engaging… realize that may be a factor that's hindering your progress toward a job offer. If that's your natural state, it's pretty hard to fake a more dynamic personality. Your greatest chance of success would be to deal with it honestly and proactively with your interviewer. At some point in the interview, you might say something like:

"I realize that I don't come across with a naturally dynamic or charismatic personality, and there's not much I can do about that without appearing phony. However, I'm passionate about my work and love doing a great job with whatever assignments I'm given. I hope that focusing on my results can be the most important consideration."

That may not help if you're interviewing for a television News Anchor position, however, for most other roles it can turn a liability around. Acknowledging the trait shows that you are self-aware, and understand how the trait might be perceived. A statement like this shows that you are focused on results regardless of the issue, and you are committed to perform your best. All of that is very attractive to a potential employer. Whether your trait is a flat or bland communication style, a nervous tick, an accent that can be hard to understand at times, a stuttering issue, or various other characteristics, dealing it with it directly is most likely to be your best bet.

Be able to articulate your strengths and accomplishments. In order to make the statement above be as credible as possible, it's critical that you can succinctly describe what abilities you do bring to the table. You must be able to tell them what accomplishments you've had related to the role you're pursuing, and what strengths you have that will be an asset to them. Take the time to determine what will be most important to the employer for this particular job, and be able to articulate your related experience to them. It takes some preparation time and effort to determine what is most relevant, and how to communicate it best.

It's about being the best 'you', you can be. At the risk of sounding like a fluffy platitude… "being the best 'you", you can be", is critical. Succeeding in an interview process is not about trying to be like someone else, or becoming something you're not. Rather it's understanding who you are, and presenting yourself in the best light.

Regardless of your natural tendencies or personality traits, there is never an excuse to be unprofessional, disrespectful, or course. Those are actions that can, and must, be controlled. However, other traits that can't be changed without trying to become something very unnatural for yourself, can be practiced and presented as positively as possible.

It won't work every time. Just like most things in life, nothing works every time. Your results will be dependent on the subjective response of the interviewer. Don't try it once, perhaps still not get selected to advance in the hiring process, and decide it doesn't work. Practice and hone your statement, and try it again next time. There are no 'silver bullets' in a job search. However, your odds are likely to improve dramatically if you apply it regularly.

Address your weaknesses head-on and you are likely to find you will turn a liability into an asset!

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What traits make you succeed?

I read an article recently that reminded me how many people try to be something they're not, in their career, their job search, and in other areas of their life.

They believe that in order to be successful in a certain field or in a certain role, they have to have certain personality traits. If those traits aren't natural to them, they often try to fake them, or work to develop them regardless how difficult or awkward it is for them. In most cases, that's a mistake!

The article was written by Bill George, a former CEO of Medtronic Corporation and currently a professor of management at Harvard. It was titled "Leadership skills start with self-awareness".

Some key quotes from the article…

• Traditional leadership development programs have missed the mark for years, as they tried to make leaders into someone different.
  
  
• We've all seen dozens of leaders fail in trying to emulate great leaders.
  
  
• The essence of leadership is not trying to emulate someone else, no matter how brilliant they are. Nor is it having the ideal leadership style, achieving competencies or fixing your weaknesses. In fact, you don't need power or titles to lead. You only have to be authentic.
  
  
• …we learned that the essence of leadership comes from not having pre-defined characteristics. Rather, it comes from knowing yourself – your strengths and weaknesses – by understanding your unique life story and the challenges you have experienced.

Although the article primarily focused on leadership, the principles are true for being successful in virtually any other role as well. While there certainly are limitations people may have to do some things (i.e. not everyone is capable of becoming an Olympic athlete), most people can be successful in roles where their personalities don't fit the stereotyped mold.

My own career is an example. Over the years I've taken various personality and assessment tests. Some on my own, some administered by companies I was interviewing with or working for. My results consistently point to personality traits that typically are not thought of as fitting sales positions. In fact, early in my career, I had an experience where I went through 3 rounds of interviews with a company I was pursuing, then they had me take a personality test. After they received the results, I was turned down for the job because I didn't have the right personality profile for sales. As a recruiter, however, I've had a great deal of success for now over 25 years. Sales is an everyday part of my life, and yet I've been able to succeed even without the right 'profile'.

Knowing and understanding what your natural personality traits and strengths are, and using them fully in order to achieve results in your chosen field is the key. I've been able to succeed, not because I'm the classic "hunter" in sales, but rather because I have strong natural abilities to build trust and long term relationships with my clients and candidates. I tend to build new business at a slower pace than others. However, the business I do build is more sustainable and builds to much larger levels over time. When I've tried to be a more aggressive cold-caller, I've failed. When I use my natural strengths of building relationships and garnering referrals, I've succeeded. I'm motivated by having people trust me. In order to gain that, I need to be trustworthy, and that drives all my conversations and relationships.

Most people, however, don't know who they are very well. They don't really know their natural strengths or weaknesses. They don't know what really motivates them or what doesn't. They see others that they admire in some way and try to emulate them. That is rarely a successful strategy though, and generally leads to a great deal of stress and discouragement.

The Bible teaches this concept repeatedly, that God has endowed each of us with gifts to be used in ways that are unique to us:

1 Peter 4:10 - Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others.

It's terrific that today's leaders are "discovering" this. However, the Bible, written thousands of years ago already laid it all out!

So What? When pursuing a job, building your career, raising a family, or living virtually any other aspect of your life… learn what your strengths are and use them to their fullest. When networking for a job, or interviewing with a potential employer, being able to articulate what your personality strengths are and how they make you successful in your field goes a long way to overcome objections or preconceived notions of what kind of personality is required to be successful.

Be confident in who you are and what you were made to be, rather than try to become someone else. You will most likely be more successful and certainly more content. You won't be creating stress from trying to be something you're not.

Take personality assessment tests. Ask others how they see you. Evaluate your past experiences, looking for what you've done well and why. Look for things you've enjoyed most, and why. Look for times you've been successful, and how that happened. Be honest with yourself. Be willing to face your weaknesses as well. And look for reasons, and ways your strengths can be used most effectively in what ever role you choose.

Self-awareness is an attractive trait to employers! It shows someone comfortable in their own skin and confident in who they are. Don't try to be someone else, but pursue who you are fully!

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The Challenges of Being "Over-Qualified"

Some of the hardest hit in today's job market are people that had been in leadership and senior management roles. Many have had a very difficult time landing a new job and in many cases, the length of their unemployment has been exceptionally long.

Often, after a while, they are more than willing to "take a step back" from the level of role they've had, both in title and compensation. However, are often told… "Sorry, but you're over-qualified for this position."

Clearly they can do the role well, why are companies so unwilling to consider such strong candidates? There are multiple reasons, and solutions. Here are some observations…

There are fewer jobs! Brilliant… it doesn't take an "expert" to tell you that. In today's market there are fewer high level jobs than there were a few years ago. However, even in a great economy, there are fewer higher-level jobs than there are mid, or staff level position. The job market is always a pyramid with fewer high level, and higher paying jobs than there are lower down the slope.

So while you may have been able to find new jobs quickly when you were younger in your career, it's naturally going to take longer when you have fewer targets to aim for. Additionally though, in this market many companies have eliminated layers in their management structure in order to cut costs and become more efficient. So there are even fewer management roles available than normal. Meanwhile, there are many highly qualified people competing for the jobs that are available, making it tougher to be selected for any given opening.

An employer sees a step back as temporary. While you may sincerely be interested in a position at lesser title and compensation, an employer is usually not convinced that you would stick with it long-term… and often, they're right! If you're pursuing lesser positions primarily because you're unable to find a role at your previous level, the likelihood of you 'jumping ship' should a more appropriate position become available to you is generally quite high.

Meanwhile, the employer may also be interviewing other candidates whose experience matches the position and view the role as a perfect fit, or a progressive step in their career. Comparatively, it's easy for them to assume that you are a greater risk as a long term fit than those others.

It's usually not an age issue. Usually, people that have achieved higher level roles in their careers, are also older than people at lower stages of their careers. That's not hard to figure out. However, often when more experienced people are not able to land a new job, they assume it's because of age discrimination. While it is true that employers will usually hire younger people for lower to mid level positions, it is overwhelmingly due to the person having the appropriate level of experience for the role, and not because of their age. While age discrimination is not entirely extinct, it's nowhere near as prevalent as job seekers often believe it is.

An employer sees an over-qualified candidate as potentially becoming complacent. Another aspect to employers not wanting to hire over-qualified candidates is that they view them as becoming bored, dissatisfied or restless in that role quickly. It's easy to see how someone that's been used to performing at more strategic or leadership levels would become complacent when 'stuck' in a lesser role. Even though that person may bring knowledge and experience beyond other candidates, most employers would prefer a passionate and engaged person that still has things to learn, over a highly competent person that lacks zeal for the job.

They're not likely to call based on your resume. When you're a Staff Accountant with manufacturing industry experience, applying to Staff Accountant positions at manufacturing companies, odds are not bad that you'll get called when you send in your resume. It's an obvious fit, and you are the target they are looking for. Any deviation from that kind of fit, however, and your odds at getting a call drop dramatically. If you are changing fields, changing industries, or pursuing positions below your previous experience, you can not rely on calls from prospective employers. A recruiter or hiring manager will see the level of experience and generally prefer not to go down that path. Especially when they have other, better targeted candidates that have also applied. It will take other strategies to be considered.

Relationships, not data. When a resume is submitted to an employer, it is nothing more than a piece of data. If that data clearly fits the job description it's considered, and if it doesn't fit, it's generally ignored. However, ultimately, companies don't hire data, they hire people. In order to be considered for positions where you are not an ideal fit, you must build a relationship.

Targeting companies and not just job listings is critical. Find companies you are interested in pursuing and begin a very deliberate process of connecting to, talking to, and meeting as many people as you can at those organizations. Showing interest in them, learning about the company, gaining more referrals, and letting them know of the types of roles you'd be interested in. When you see a job listing that is of interest to you at a new company, begin the same process there. Being referred from employees of that company will very often overcome the objection of being over-qualified. When they hear from someone else that you are interested in the role, rather than simply your own opinion, they are more likely to warm up to the idea.

Know, and be able to articulate, "Why". Finally, one other factor that often plays into an employer not believing your sincere interest in a lower level position, is that you haven't given a good reason as to Why you would do it. Stating that you are "anxious to get back to work", or "willing to build up to the level again", or that "the company is more important to you than the job", each are overused, and sound canned in order to get an offer. Hearing those usually creates doubt.

Sincerity is critical, and legitimate reasons are important. "I found I was more fulfilled at when I was in a contributor role rather than once I had primarily leadership and administrative responsibilities." …sounds more sincere and legitimate. Certainly, you have to state what's true for you. However, employers rarely are interested in someone who seems to be "settling" for something less than they would really like.

Finding contacts and building relationships within a company is the best way to get past the 'over-qualified' speed bump. Don't only rely on your own ability to persuade them at an interview, have 'backup' within their own organization. Build relationships and see your results change.

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