Vent Day! This Post Is Rated M for Mature Audiences...

…intellectually mature that is.  Click on today's title and you'll see what I mean.

Okay, today is a Vent Day!  I have two things in particular on my mind.  I want to take the more recent issue first.

CNN reported this afternoon (February 17) that a male Iowa high school athlete, Joel Northrup, had elected to forfeit a wrestling match against a female wrestling opponent.  Joel chose to do this rather than compromise his Christian principles and beliefs.  I am sure any numbers of people are ready to tear Joel down for what they assume is a sexist stand-WELL I DISAGREE - I STAND RIGHT BESIDE HIM AND I AM PROUD TO DO SO. 

Don’t take me wrong here.  I am all for gender equality in the workplace and society in general.  However, there are just some situations where the concept does not translate at all.  When was the last time one of us men conceived and delivered a baby?  And there is only one time in history where a woman conceived and gave birth without a man’s participation.

Joel put it succinctly when he wrote

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cassy and Megan and their accomplishments. However, wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times. ... It is unfortunate that I have been placed in a situation not seen in most of the high school sports in Iowa."

Joel is right wrestling is a form of combat as are most contact sports. Besides that, the degree of physical contact wrestling puts competitors into is not appropriate for coed teens, or single adults for that matter.  It is no coincidence that a common reference made to American teens’ sexual activity is “wrestling in the backseat of the family sedan.” 

Even our wrestling and sexual vocabularies have too much in common for comfort.  Terms like “a take-down”, “getting the advantage”, and “penetration” abound.  The degree of commonality defies simple chance and probability.

This level of bodily contact is not found in the majority of competitive athletics. I have no compunction about men and women, even teens and younger, competing under those less intimate circumstances.  The ego shock would probably do wonders for and set many males straight on the real issues of gender equality.

It is sad that young men and women with strength of character, like Joel, are penalized because we as a society have grown too self indulgent to stand up for what is right.  This young man deserves a Medal for the stand he has taken and the choice he had to make. 

From where I stand, Joel Northup, and young people like him, are the mature audience here.

Fit or Experience - What's The Best Measure?

This evening I was rereading the article linked in my title, and realized it carried some very important advice for the Job Seeker.  If you really want the job, be sure you not only have the right skills and experience, but that you are a "fit" for the organization.

Traditionally in advising a job search candidate, we talk about identifying your "qualifications" for the job, and ignore or gloss over the fitness issue.  Being FIT for an organization means you are of the right temperament, values, and interests to effectively, and successfully, merge with the culture of the organization.  To avoid this mistake I talk to my clients about their "SAVI"-that's Skills, Abilities, Values and Interests."

Too many interviewers and job seekers alike focus solely on Skills and Abilities.  This means they pay attention to whether the candidate has the education, training, and work experience with the proper skill set, and knowledge base necessary to perform effectively the duties of a specific job opening.  In doing this, they neglect to look at the candidate and ask them self ..." Can s/he get along with Betty and John in Payroll, or Howard Marketing?"  "Will the candidate's personality mesh well with others in the hiring department?"

As far too many hiring managers have learned over the years, a square peg trying to fit into a round hole can severely disrupt an otherwise high performance team.  Trying to slot a candidate who works well and prefers working in a cross functional cooperative environment into a mid-twentieth century style organization is a recipe for failure-at least for the individual, and quite possibly the organization if they are place high enough into the organization.

So, what is my advice to job seekers?  Know your SAVI   Perform a thorough self-assessment of not only our Skills, Abilities, Knowledge, and Experiences, but also evaluate your personal Values, and Interests.  Knowing the complete picture will help you understand the important questions you need to be asking in the interview to confirm your FIT, and to sell your FIT to a hiring manager. Knowing your SAVI will also enable you to better assess a company's SAVI.  That will tell you whether an employer organization FITs you. If you know a company is not the right FIT for you, it can help you avoid what might otherwise appear to be a "great" job offer.

Those interested in how to go about a SAVI Self Assessment, can contact me and I will be happy to guide you through the process.

Snowflakes That Stay On My Nose and Eye Lashes

Well, the title tells it all.  The forecast for Tulsa was snow, snow, and more snow!  We are sitting here with 14 inches of snow. I know that does not impress my sister-in-law in Chicago, but it is a lot here.  Tulsa is shut down with forecasts calling for at least two more rounds of flurries before the week is up.

This is a good time to have a cuppa Java and blog about Job Talk. 

Obviously, weather like this puts activity outside of your home out of the question.  However, downtime is good time; time to spend catching up on records, updating contact information, and sending out thank-you notes and resumes.  This also is a good time for some planning, so that when the weather clears and you can get active, you can use the time to your greatest advantage.  Remember, a job search is a full time job, and you need to treat it that way.  Just pretend you work from your home.

Speaking of records-well I was- you really need to have a good set.  First, you need to have a record of every application and resume sent out and whom you sent it to.  You never know when one of those babies will pop up with a response and depending on memory alone can leave you in an embarrassing position.  So, if you have not started keeping records, now is a good time to set some up.

Depending on how tech savvy you are your records can take many forms.  The simplest form would be a set of 3" X 5" index cards with names and contact information on the front, and notes of contacts/applications you have sent out on the back.  Stepping up from the cards you can use a ledger book, or blank journal to keep your records.  You can automate your system by using spreadsheet software like Excel to record your contacts and activities.  Finally, there are products like Outlook, and Lotus Notes to manage contacts, appointments, etc. 

Whatever approach you choose to take to records keeping, be sure to keep your records up to date.  You should schedule time every week to work on records keeping.  You can use time like the current weather shutdown to do major maintenance.  At the end of your job search, do not forget to review your contact records and send letters to every person you were in touch with during the search to let them know when and where you have "landed."  More about landing letters in another update.

A closing note -- This Saturday is the first Saturday of February, and time for a Java and Job Talk-Live session.  We will be at Panera Bread so long as weather and road conditions permit.  Watch this site for updates in case we have to cancel or postpone.