Even A Stopped Clock Is Right Twice A Day

Last week my watch stopped. Annoying, I know.


I immediately thought of how even a stopped clock, despite its malfunctioning, is right twice a day. Since that day I have thought about this proverb more often than is, to be honest, necessary.


The irony of the stopped clock should not prevent me from thinking about more important things, such as health care reform and Don and Betty Draper's imminent divorce. I cannot get the stopped clock out of my head, though, because it occurs to me that the stopped clock has been “right” more often than I have in the past two weeks.


Talk about a shot to the ego.


Beyond the “non-working” label, I challenge you to find other similarities I share with the inanimate object. I can tell you that one key difference is that, unlike a stopped clock, my batteries are fully charged and ready to take on a new challenge.


Therefore, it seems that I would be “right” at least as often as chance alone would predict. Right?


I am no longer so sure, because in recent weeks I have been told that I am anything but right. I have been told that I have (brace yourself): too much experience, too little experience, too much academic, but not enough applied, experience, and good experience, but not the type required for this position. I have been told that I am (ready?) overqualified, under-qualified, sort-of qualified, and not quite qualified. Finally, I have been told that I would be (here it goes) bored on a job, overwhelmed by a job, and maybe/possibly bored on a job sometimes, but not necessarily, and maybe only slightly overwhelmed a few times a week, but not definitely.


Is it possible that I am less likely than a stopped clock to be at the right place, at the right time (no pun intended), with the right skill set?


Since I refuse to believe that a stopped clock sits just above me in the hiring food chain, I have moved to considering other explanations for why my skills and experiences so infrequently match up with what is being asked of job candidates.


I believe a big piece of the challenge I face is that, like most members of my generation, I have experiences that cannot neatly be tied together with a bright red bow. My experiences are diverse. My story is a bit messy.


In combination, my experiences carve out a career that does not match the expectations many human resources representatives and hiring executives have for a career. I have worked across industries, I have written on topics ranging from the cognitions of competitive golfers to the benefits of networking at your local bar, and I have mentored athletes, research teams, executives, and undergraduate students. I have also scooped ice cream.


I find myself with a resume that, I have been told, is tough to match. It seems this is proving to be true, as my resume does not match anyone's hiring criteria.


I believe a shift in how organizations think about job candidates may be needed. Current in-the-box job profiles mean that many qualified people with out-of-the-box experiences will never be considered.


Generational differences may be partly to blame. Consider that Boomers are more likely to be interviewing for jobs while Generation Y candidates are more likely be seeking jobs. Boomers, known for long careers, a focus in one industry, and a lifetime spent in the same organization, seem to be the oil to Generation Y's water.


Perhaps it is time to rethink the need for 10 years of experience to fill a particular position. Perhaps it is time to realize that people, across generations, are making mid-life career changes and that these changes make industry experience difficult to come by. Perhaps organizations need to recognize that a masters degree plus 10 years of experience means that no candidates under the age of 40 will even make it through the initial screening process.


A stopped clock is right twice a day.


I used to believe that I would be the right fit for a job at least this often. However, if strict guidelines regarding experience, education, and skill sets remain the main criteria for selection, I think I may not even be as lucky as a stopped clock.


Less lucky than a stopped clock. With these odds I am thinking a trip to Vegas is not in my near future. Nor, it seems, necessarily is an ideal job.

The Golden Arches. The Nike Swoosh. The Disneyland Ears.

These represent brands.

Me, I am just a twenty-something giving it a go in a somewhat confusing, and constantly changing, world. I can’t get you fries with that, I can’t help you dunk from the free throw line, and I most definitely can’t create a magical kingdom before your eyes.

Why do I need a brand?

I guess I always knew it was important to define my brand; I just never got around to fully considering what made me different from every other person I passed on the street, rode with on the subway, or stood in line next to for the ladies room.

Instead, I took the easy way out. I relied on the organizations and universities with which I was affiliated to determine my brand. During my time in graduate school I was comfortable being tagged as “the published academic researcher.” During my years in business I was happy to be considered “the consultant focused on employee development.”

I did not create these brands – I let these brands create me. And, let’s be honest, what is the fun in letting others define who you are and who you will be?

Now that I have finished my graduate education and am not affiliated with an organization, I find myself, rather suddenly, to be brand-less. For the first time in my professional career I have to seriously consider what my brand has been in the past, what it is now, and what I say it will be going forward.

I need to create my brand, and rebuild my career, from the ground up. I am not aiming for perfection here, and I am sure that the process of building my brand will most closely resemble a competitive Jenga game - pieces added one at a time, with some uncertainty, until something resembling a complete structure materializes.

For those of you who think your personal brand is already strong, as I did before I took a closer look, I challenge you to take the following three part test:

1) When your parents rave about your professional accomplishments to their neighbors, are they accurate even half of the time?

2) Ask your friends later at happy hour, can they tell you what your work entails beyond the words “finance” or “marketing”?

3) At cocktail parties, when you get asked for the 100th time what you do for a living, (and, to avoid complete boredom, you are not yet to the point of saying you are an astronaut, rocket scientist, and/or brain surgeon) are you be able to give a clear and precise explanation of what makes you, well, you?

The great thing about being part of a generation that is comprised of wonderfully unique, diverse, and intelligent people is that building a brand should be easier than ever before.

Consider what makes you unique. Do you have a particular interest, background, or hobby? Do you have skills that set you apart, beliefs that make you special, or ideas not often considered by others? If so, these are all Jenga pieces that need to be added to the creation of your personal brand.

In my case, I am working on building my brand. What I do know is that my experiences as a researcher, a consultant, a colleague, and a friend make me uniquely aware of the questions that run circles around the minds of twenty-something’s. I know that as a twenty-something I am skeptical of anyone who claims to have answers to these questions. My hope, therefore, is that as a blogger and a writer I can ask the questions that will lead twenty-something’s to find the answers for themselves.

If you are looking for easy answers, you have come to the wrong place. However, if you are looking for a conversation that may spark an idea that will help you (and maybe me – is that selfish?) create a spot in the world that leads to success on every level, you have an idea of where my personal brand is taking me.

Now that I have shared a bit about what makes me unique, I have to ask, what makes you special?

You know that Aunt Millie and Uncle Earl will be asking the same question in a few weeks over Thanksgiving dinner, so you might as well come up with a reasonable response. Or, just go with the astronaut thing. It gets them every time.