That aversion to cell phones in the 90s kind of reminds me of the way many of us in corporate America have been cautiously approaching social networking sites: particularly the big two: LinkedIn and Facebook. Well, I came across an article on MSNBC“Facebook friends as job references?”, which reminded me yet again, that these sites are here to stay…and they’re only going to get bigger!Hiring managers no longer need to pick up the phone to find out if a candidate is viable. They can just check his LinkedIn profile for some references and call it a day. Or, if a hiring manager is feeling adventurous he can take a look at a candidate’s friends on Facebook, see if he knows any of the friends and then email that person’sFacebook “friend” directly, requesting a reference. As an attorney in the article states, “The old days of a page with three references and three phone numbers on it…are over.”

So, is this fair?

Maybe not, but it is legal, so there’s nothing we can do about it. The article points out several issues with these new social network recruiting methods, a few I’d like to point out. 

• I “Friend” therefore, I Reference-Using a person’s Facebook “friends” list to pull out people to e-mail for references seems a little too aggressive, in my opinion. A good portion of Facebook users, such as myself, are somewhat recent college graduates who merely joined the site, back in college, as a way to keep in touch with friends. It first came out when I was a junior in college, and I resisted joining (like my mom did with cell phones) for quite a while. But, finally, closer to graduation, I joined, in hopes of keeping in touch with friends. When I started working, people started to send me friend requests that I barely knew. Some of them were coworkers, some of them were people I met out and about. Bottom line, in no way, when I accepted those Friend Requests did I intend to have these people are job references. 
• Thanks for the reference, buuudddy.- LinkedIn provides an option for former coworkers, clients, etc. to give a job reference. I’ve always thought this is a great feature. I know I’ve read some references on some of the people in my LinkedIn network and thought, “Wow, I’d sure like that person on my team!” But the flipside, is that sometimes people get references from their friends, rather than coworkers, clients, et. And sometimes, it is painfully obviousthat the reference is a friend. For example, if I received a reference from my friend in Omaha, Nebraska who works in accounting at Deloitte, I imagine it would look a little suspicious, considering I’ve never worked in Omaha, and I’ve never worked in accounting either. My advice: Only get references on LinkedIn from people you’ve worked with. Otherwise, you end up looking unprofessional and a little bit desperate.
• Just Say No…sometimes-This article brought up an interesting point, in regards to LinkedIn references. Sometimes, managers need to be cautious about giving references on LinkedIn. Some companies have polices about references, and they most likely probably apply to online references as well. In addition, making too many references or recommending someone who is incompetent can take away from the credibility of a manage

Facebook Not Going Anywhere!

I think it’s clear that like cell phones, social networking sites are not going anywhere! In fact, 10 years from now, the face of recruiting will probably have changed completely and both recruiters and candidates will wonder what they ever did without their trusty Facebook account. AND like cell phones, these little sites will probably evolve from the “Zach Morris” phone to the illustrious IPhone.

But, a caution for both recruiters and candidates: Be careful! Treat your Facebook and LinkedIn accounts like networking tools. If you have a former coworker that you want a reference from, great! But don’t ask your best friend for a reference. Set those privacy settings appropriately! And remember, its okay to say no to reference requests.

This image was taken from Lunch 2.0

Related posts:

1. Facebook and Your Career - Grow Up!
2. IT Professional Networking 101
3. Social and Professional Networking . . . How Often Will I Change My Mind?

I decided to take a look at the 5 most common complaints about Google listed in this ZDNet entry and then, I put my opinions in about whether or not these complaints seemed legitimate.

1. Google is more concerned with “being cool” than delivering a quality product.

My Response: Well, I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer this question. But as a satisfied Google customer, who is absolutely enamored with the new IGoogle set-up, I have no complaints. If they can create a “cool atmosphere” while continuously serving up innovative technology, that is just fine by me!

2. There is no career path, just free lunch and foosball.

My Response: Again, I tend to think this is a jab at the perks, rather than looking into the solid evidence. Google, like every other big company in the world has crappy jobs. BUT, not all crappy jobs provide free lunch and foosball. So in this flailing economy, I say, why not? (Plus, for all IT workers out there, Google has plenty of legitimately necessary jobs.)

As Fortune Magazine writes, “Hours are long (for Google employees) - typical for Silicon Valley - and it’s not unusual for engineers to be seen in the hallways at 3 a.m. debating some esoteric algorithmic conundrum. But Google keeps staff energized with plenty of free food and entertainment.” Maybe there is a method to this madness…

3. At Google, It’s NOT about the benjamins.

My Response: The ZDNet article blog that Google is really more a workplace for recent graduates and therefore, again, to the similar point, not a great place to make money. This one’s tough for me comment on. However, when I looked up Google openings on indeed.com, there wasn’t one position under $50,000 and many positions above $100,000.

4. Searching for the meaning of life? Won’t find it at Google…

My Response: The writer says that, like at any other company, people who work at Google get frustrated trying to find meaning in what they do, especially those people with Ivy league educations who end up serving coffee for their first two years. Well, I started out in the magazine industry, and I was fully aware that if I was lucky enough to land a job at a top-tier magazine, such as Esquire, in my first year, I would most certainly be taking coffee orders and hanging up coats for at least a year. It’s called paying dues. And if Google is to corporate America as Elle is to the publishing world, then these sorts of jobs should be expected.

5. Google = Never Never Land (as in never grow up!)

My Response: The ZDNet blogger writes “Is working at a company that does your laundry, gives you free food and lets you sit on bouncy-ball chairs kind of like being a kid again? More than one former Googler has argued this as they walked out the door-it was fun for a while, but it got old.”

Point taken. We don’t need to be “coddled” at our jobs, but, at the same time, I don’t see how we can fault a company for placing emphasis on employee benefits. Google may take it to the extreme, but these people are geniuses, and there is a purpose for all of these benefits: “to encourage collaboration, to break down barriers between functions, and to stimulate individual creativity and innovation,” according to Dr. John Sullivan.

In the founders’ letter that Larry Page and Sergey Brin distributed to prospective Google shareholders, they wrote, “Google is not a conventional company. We do not intend to become one.” As they continue to pump out innovation after innovation and remain at the forefront of technology, who can blame them for serving their employees gourmet free lunch and having an on-campus sand volleyball court and climbing wall? Not me.

What do you think?

Related posts:

1. The Disgruntled Workforce—Defining Our Generation (and economy) One Complaint at a Time
2. When I grow up I want to be a Technical Recruiter
3. Building Your Network of Followers on Twitter

So, this week I was planning on interviewing an expert in the IT field, but then, it occurred to me that it might be more interesting to take a little look at the other side: the computer haters, otherwise known as the IT illiterate. I always have found that considering the opposite point of view often sheds a whole new light on a topic.

 I didn’t have to look very far for a source, as my sweet, but uninformed mother is quite possibly the definition of computer illiterate. For Mother’s Day, I wanted to get her the special edition pink, inscribed IPOD, but I had to resist, because buying the IPOD would mean I would also have had to fly home to give her a 10-hour tutorial on how to use an IPOD. This tutorial would probably be followed by numerous “Jamie, my IPOD’s broken!” phone calls. In the end, I opted for tickets to a Broadway show.

 Anyway, here are some excerpts from our dynamic interview:

 Describe you first encounter with a computer.

When my son went away to college in 2000, I was very sad, so I made my husband teach me how to e-mail. I only wrote short e-mails at that time, because I didn’t really understand how to type. There were a lot of misspellings. I have only recently begun to write long ones. At this point, it probably takes me 30 minutes or so to write a paragraph or two. 

What do you use the internet for the most?

I love online shopping! I first learned about online shopping a year ago! I made my first purchase on the internet last year. It was a truly momentous occasion, and since then I’ve made lots more purchases.

Can you describe your most recent computer issue? How did you get it fixed?

The computer sometimes freezes and I don’t get how to turn it off and restart it…so I wait for my husband to get home. He thinks he knows how to use computers, but he’s not much better than me. I put myself on computer-restriction for years, because every time I touched it, he said I broke it! Finally, a friend came to visit and taught me the basics. Now, when my husband says I’ve broken the computer, I ignore him. He also says our children “break” the computer whenever they come home to visit. 

What do you think of technology-savvy people? For example, the people who fix your computer when it breaks.

I quite enjoy the tech-savvy people. My daughter has apparently had bad experiences but I find them to be quite nice. I think they feel sorry for me, because I know nothing! I need one to come by and give me private lessons. I’m too scared to go to a class, because I don’t want to be dumbest person in the class!

What do you find most difficult about using a computer?

There are too many things you can do, and if I push the wrong button, I can’t figure out how to get it back to where it was. And then my husband gets mad because he thinks I broke it.

What comes to mind when I say the word MP3? What about JPEG? Mega-Byte?

Is that German?

Typewriter or computer, which do you prefer and why?

I prefer computers because I can shop on them!

Image by garethjmsaunders

Related posts:

1. Enough Experience to Fill a Shoebox…But Only Just.
2. What Darwin Didn’t See Coming: A Revolution of our Evolution
3. My Computers. My IT Attitude.

The job interview. It’s become almost an art form in society today, and the average web surfer can find countless articles about how to give the perfect interview, how to avoid making common interview mistakes, and how to prepare for the interview.

The Pointless Question

The ambitious job seekers can also go online and find a list of the most common questions (even strange questions). Then he or she can prepare answers to those questions and ideally give the perfect interview However, there is one interview question that has always seemed a little pointless to me:

Jamie, what is your biggest weakness?

Biggest strength, I understand. That allows people to present themselves and why they are qualified for the job. But, biggest weakness? Let’s be honest, everyone is going to “stretch the truth” a bit.

Of course, a job interview is supposed to involve a candidate, putting their best foot forward, so it’s only natural to “be positive; turn a weakness into a strength” (as USA Today suggests in the link above). But, here is my issue. What is the point of asking a question when you fully know that the answer is going to have a “positive spin”?

The Proof

To confirm my suspicions, I conducted a small survey of 10 people, from different careers and age groups. 100% of those people said that they turn their weakness into a positive. In addition, 100% said that they would not hire someone who actually admitted a genuine weakness, such as being easily distracted or having punctuality issues.

Some common “weaknesses” the responders have presented:

“I am very results-oriented, so sometimes I need to remind myself to be more patient with those who are not.”

“I am a perfectionist. Sometimes I have problems working in groups, because I like to have my hands on every part of a project.”

 ”I am too nice, so sometimes I have problems saying no to projects, and I end up working really late.”

 The Solution

So, what should you do if you receive this question? Well, here’s a new idea.  Try being honest. In my opinion, if you can’t be honest in the interview, then it’s probably not the right job for you.

I once applied for a job writing Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs). Made it through five interviews, and almost got the job. I was crushed when I wasn’t chosen, but here’s the thing, the job involved a lot of “alone time.” Now, while I can function on my own just fine, I quite enjoy interacting with people! I didn’t explain that in the interview, but it was clearly evident from my personality! In fact, I told the interviewer that I worked best on my own. Bottom line: the interviewer knew it was a bad match.

So, what’s my biggest weakness? I’m too honest.

Image by slushpup

Related posts:

1. Interview Anxiety Strikes!
2. To Thank You, or not to Thank You? That is the question.
3. Interview on Fantasy Island: What NOT to do

The workforce is in trouble. You know this statement is true when one of the defining movies of this generation centers around an unhappy employee, dead-set on getting fired from his job.

Little known fact: That little movie, Office Space, barely recouped production costs back when it was released in theatres in 1999. Yet, now, this same movie is one of the most popular rentals of all time AND nine years later, people are still talking about the “o face”. Clearly, this movie has struck a chord with Americans. And yes, I do own a copy.Well, I recently came across the Disgruntled Workforce Blog, and it made me think that there is sort of a “job-hating” epidemic going around. (I’m sure if I did more Google searches, I would find plenty more of these blogs.)

(Disclaimer: While the general population appears to be disgruntled with their jobs, I am proud to say I’m not one of them. I merely see the blog as interesting and entertaining.)

Notice the tagline for the blog: “Because people love to complain about their jobs.” Is this true? I’d say so. In fact, I probably hear at least three complaints a day from a friend or family member about his job or her job.

Which brings me to my question: Do you actually like your job? Or are you like most of the general population who just works to pay the bills?

Why do so many Americans dislike their jobs? This is the really important question, because companies are constantly striving to improve their retention rates.  Imagine that someone in HR at Company XYZ found the magical answer to this question! Well, I would think their retention rate would shoot up to 100% . And, a high retention rate not only helps a company save valuable dollars, but also solidifies its reputation to recruit and maintain talent.

I’m not sure why so many more people today are unsatisfied in their jobs. In my opinion, it may be that my generation is a “dreamer generation” and we feel as if we must have an extreme, impossible amount of passion and drive in what we do every day. Perhaps, ten years ago, people were more patient, more content learning to love their jobs. Maybe the dreamer generation just wants to feel that passion right away? Or maybe we just love to complain?

What do you think?

(By the way, I didn’t forget about the ever-popular television show, the Office. I don’t watch it, so I cannot comment, but, from what I’ve heard, I think it further proves the job-hating epidemic.)

Photo by Mike Monteiro

Related posts:

1. Interview with Generation “Y Do I Need a Computer?”
2. Job Searching for the Surfer Generation
3. Promotion of Entitlement – Wrong! – Earn It!

What I discovered on this “journey” is that there is one tool that is vital during the job search: the Internet. That is not to say that the good-old fashioned days of networking (even using the telephone!) have passed, but with the ability to surf the web, the rules have changed. I realized while my parents were both brilliant people in their own respects, I needed to take charge of my job search and use the web to my advantage. Here are a couple of key bits of advice on using the web for your job search, based on my own experience:

Search engines are great, but sometimes, you got to go straight to the source!
I found many, many opportunities through job search engines including, careerbuilder.com and monster.com, but ultimately sometimes, you won’t find what you’re looking for unless you go straight to it. If you don’t find an opening from a company you’re interested in on a search engine, don’t get discouraged. Just go straight to the employers’ web site. Even if there isn’t an opening, you can submit your information to the right person.

Keep it small.
Use the job board filters to your advantage. Otherwise, you’ll end up being bogged down by jobs that you aren’t interested in. You’ll save yourself some time and frustration by narrowing your search.

Job alerts are your friend.
On most job boards, you’ll have the option to enter your preferences into an account and then have “job alerts” sent to your e-mail. Use these! I went on many job interviews through jobs I found in my job alerts. Think of it as letting the web do all the work for you, waking up from a fresh night’s sleep and having your job search completed for the day.

When in doubt, Google
How many times do you search for something in Google a day? Probably a lot, so don’t discount Google’s powers in finding your dream job. Just type in the exact job you’re looking for, and you might surprised at what comes up

photo by lolapaipro

Related posts:

1. Job Searching Via Social Networking
2. The Disgruntled Workforce—Defining Our Generation (and economy) One Complaint at a Time
3. Using a Recruiter vs. Job Boards for Your Job Search