What is your greatest strength?

You have all heard this question. If not, you have never looked for a job. This blog post is to update the question.

The strength question had a partner, "What is your weakness?" Regardless how you answer either question the response can be reversed. Say your greatest strength is team building. Does this mean your weakness in working independently. Most people will steer their answer based on the job description, or worse when answering their weakness, will attempt to make a negative a positive, i.e. "I'm a workaholic."

What about updating the question to, "What are your qualities?" Qualities are character traits that can define your work habits or your personality, which are both regarded important to fitting in the company's culture.

If your résumé clearly demonstrates you credentials, as it should, the interview process is to confirm and dig deeper into the position's specific skill sets. Depending on the interview process, at some point the interview will eventually be about "fit".

This post will not list qualities or provide a cheat sheet to answer the question. It's time for you to think about what qualities you can bring to the company. Remember, it's not about you. You can also apply this new thought to your current job for potential advancement, enhancement or just to save it.

Hiring managers, strongly consider this approach. You will discover more than just the best and worst of a person's traits (if the response is even reliable). You will discover multiple applicable "qualities" with potential and existing associates.

SND:Social Network Discrimination

I must comment on this article: Using Facebook as a Resume.

Is there no longer any separation between your personal life and business? There is already a study showing Facebook as a major contributor to divorce. Why, tell me, do I want a company, where I want to work, read posts to my High School or College friends, my family and people I call friends. Giving a company my Facebook password, are you crazy? It's a "Social Network".

Sorry, my life is not an open book. Work performance and accomplishments should rule in the business setting.

This is just another form of employment discrimination. We'll call it SND for Social Network Discrimination.

Here is a great article about this subject from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Hold That Password.

Really?

When will companies get it? Once again, I'm talking about candidate respect in the job search process. A friend of mine had three interviews within two weeks. After a month has passed, since the last interview, he has heard nothing from any area of the company and no response to his several initiated contacts.

What's this all about? Please someone tell me. I'm sure it's the same companies that wonder why they have poor associate morale and retention. If the U.S. economy ever improves, watch out for the mass exodus from these companies.

This is a blog posting of complete frustration. HR need to translate to "Human Respect."

The Golden Rule

Does anyone remember The Golden Rule? I think you have to be over 50, as I learned it in elementary school. Now our schools are not allowed to teach morality in the public system.

It's a very simple rule. Treat others as you would like to be treated. It is universal across all cultures and religions. Wikipedia explains it well in their article and references every culture, since the beginning of civilization. It is in the Bible several times, old and new testaments.

The concept appears to be lost in the 21st Century. Just contact customer service in any industry, whether it's a bank, ISP, retail store, manufacturer, etc. and you will not experience the Golden Rule. 

Example One:

I contacted Comcast three times, via email, over the holidays, because my cable internet dropped to pre dial-up speeds. I used email, because I wanted a written record of their responses. (Yes, it took minutes to upload an email, but I was stubborn).  Although the written responses were polite, they never addressed my issue and were clearly  "cut-and-paste" stock answers from some type of company approved response list. Each response took 24 hours. None of the disconnected paragraphs addressed my issue or even came close to a resolution. They also appeared to be written by someone possessing ESL (English as a Second Language). I finally capitulated and called them.

Example Two:

A recruiter called me regarding a company's contract position. I suspect I would not have received the call, unless they felt my qualifications matched their need. I returned the call several times. Each time a different person answered the phone and stated, the recruiter had just step out. They forwarded me to a general voicemail system that didn't even identify the mailbox recipient. You would think I was an ex-wife calling, with this treatment, rather than a qualified candidate.  Also, the company initiated the contact.

If you believe in the Golden Rule, remember it is reciprocal.

Given this is the start of a new year, I appeal to everyone to reinstate this simple life maxim. I believe, the company that adapts the Golden Rule first . . . .wins!

Auto Response

Here is a sad commentary on how some companies approach job candidates.

This is a real auto-response from an internet job submission. This company is so benign, they didn't bother to populate the required fields, before uploading to their system.

Dear Jack DeLine (no punctuation)

We have received your resume submission for the Director of Marketing position at (add company name). We will review your resume within (add timeframe) and contact you should your qualifications meet the requirements of the position. Your submission will be kept on file for (add length of time).

In addition to considering you for the Director of Marketing position, your resume will also be added to our applicant-tracking database and we will review your qualifications as new opportunities develop. You are welcome to apply to future job postings if an opportunity interests you.

Thank you again for applying!

Regards,

Name deleted

(add company name, link to company website, other contact info as appropriate)


Pretty soon we can just have self-directed submission responses and rejection letters.

BuZZZZZ

Below is an actual job posting job description. I personally, have never seen so many buzz words crammed into a single paragraph in my life.

No wonder the marketing industry is having an identity crisis. With Social Networking the hottest channel for marketing, how can this language still be relevant. I've never seen this verbosity on FaceBook.

Translating the differentiated Brand DNA and product news into program messaging and components
Aligning and executing programs to resonate with the lifestyle of our target audience
Building shrewd marketing strategies and tactics reflective of the evolving competitive landscape
Leverage company-wide and outside partnerships and assets

Here's my translation, "We need someone who understands our customer, works well with others and can help us make our business grow."

Award-winning marketing strategist, best-selling author, conference speaker and seminar leader, David Meerman Scott, calls this language "gobbledygook". He explains this in his book
The New Rules of Marketing & PR.

How can a marketing hire whose language is "corp-speak", communicate effectively to the customer? Unless your customer is corporate pencil-necks (which this example is not BTW).

Candidates are People, too.

With the current high rate of job loss and shortened average career tenure, you could be the subject of your own treatment.