Just Ten More Minutes, Please

Why are people so quick to equate success with waking up early?

Consider the fact that those who work late into the night should reach their goals before early risers even knock the alarms off their bedside tables. Does this make you think about the early bird in a different way?

As you may have guessed, I am a night person. I can work and innovate and create at all hours of the night. Ask me what my name is before 8 am and I will have to “check on that and get back to you.”

Some people are allergic to peanut butter, some to wheat, and some to milk. Me, I am allergic to morning. Since peanut butter is banned from school cafeterias to protect those with a sensitivity to JIF and wheat free products are made to ensure the health of those who react poorly to gluten, why can’t similar concessions be made so that I do not suffer through my attempts to wake up before the sun rises?

How, in the working world, is my allergy to the morning being considered?

As I move back into the office-based working world, dealing with my allergy to morning has been one of my biggest challenges. And my very biased observational research indicates that I am not alone in my disdain for those early hours.

People I pass on my walk to work have tears in their eyes and it seems likely that something more than the blustering wind is behind their unhappiness. People I enter my building alongside have looks of despair on their faces and I have to believe that something more than the few-too-many drinks imbibed the night before is at play.

This is definitely one of those “generational differences” people talk so much about. Twenty-somethings were not raised to think of nine-to-five jobs as the path to success. And, as organizations look to re-engage employees in a post recession economy, it seems the twenty-something concept of a flexible work schedule needs to be considered more seriously.

Not only do flexible work schedules serve as a perk at no financial cost to organizations, but these schedules also allow people to work when they are at their best.

If the goal at any organization is to do just that - to get people to do their best work - does it matter where the big and little hands are pointing when this work is being done?

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.

Bursting The Balloon

I tried not to watch. Really, I did.

Sure, at first I was captivated by the site of the silver flying saucer shooting through the Denver skies.

And then, like most, I felt some anguish after learning that a six-year-old boy may be stuck inside the soaring contraption.

However, as news of the family’s ongoing search for fame and fortune came to light, and the probability that the ordeal was another unfortunate attempt by the parents to be known for something, anything, increased, I felt angry to be watching it all unfold.

I decided that I would not be a part of the media circus. I switched off the television and continued on with my day.

Later that night, however, as much as I tried to stay away from the Balloon Boy, I simply could not find a safe haven. Networks known for delivering the actual news - CNN, ABC, NBC – were showing expanded coverage of the mishap. I understand that a flying saucer is news, but top story news, bigger than the economy and the unemployment rate and the debate over health care reform?

And then Falcon Heene, the balloon boy himself, threw-up numerous times on national television, unable to hold back how sick he was feeling at being the focus of this national frenzy. I have to agree with the upset stomach of the six-year-old, the whole story is enough to make you lose your lunch.

The line between news and entertainment becomes more and more blurred with every Balloon Boy and every update on Jon and Kate and their eight. In spite of the blurring of this line, it remains difficult for me to believe that the place for these guilty pleasures should ever be the nightly news.

What concerns me even more is that children – the next generation - are becoming involved in these situations.

Our generation was among the first to recognize people simply for being famous. The Real World, the Hills, the Housewives of New York, the Bachelor – these shows are all comprised of characters (people?) that have become famous for, well, nothing.

I watch these shows, as so many others do, and I do not believe the hour-long programs will negatively affect our society (other than killing a few brain cells with each viewing). What may impact the future, though, is the fact that the slippery slope we are on in determining what separates shameless entertainment from news is becoming increasingly icier.

Whereas our generation may still be able to, with a bit of searching, find the line that separates voyeuristic entertainment from real life, I wonder if the Heene children and the Gosselin kids will similarly be able to understand the difference between celebrity and achievement, between attention and talent, between being famous and being infamous.

And, even if they are able to understand the difference, I wonder if they will care.

Doing Good Vs. Doing Well

I am positive that over the past week I have done some good. Have I done well? That is up for debate.

Let’s start with the easy part. What makes me so sure that I have done some good?

The first piece of evidence is a response I received to one particular blog posting. You see, it is difficult to gauge just how many people read the blog posts I send out multiple times a week. Sometimes it seems that my parents may be the only ones reading every word and even then only on the days when my mother’s discomfort with Facebook (where I post links to my blog) does not get the best of her.

It was the best kind of surprise, then, when a friend I do not talk with as much as I should, and did not even realize was a follower of my blog, jotted me a note saying that one particular blog entry helped him get through a frustrating day at work (see Cisco-The-Kid and Me, October 8, 2009).

This type of response is why I write the blog – I aim to share my frustrations, realizations, and ideas with others who are in a boat that looks awfully similar to the one I am attempting to sail (or attempting not to sink - depending on how you look at it). My hope is that sharing my ideas can help readers think about their own lives and their own careers in a slightly different way than they did before reading.

To receive confirmation that the blog had served its intended purpose, even for just one person on one day, was enough to validate my efforts. I had done good.

The second piece of evidence is the time I spent volunteering with a non-profit organization called Acing Autism that provides tennis clinics to children with autism. A friend introduced me to the program that he started with his wife, and upon seeing the athletes in action this past weekend, I am certain that there is no better use of my time. Again, I had done good.

There you have it – I blogged in a way that lessened the frustration of a peer and I helped children, who may not otherwise have had the opportunity, to feel what it is like to swing a racket. Even the most skeptical of people would have to admit that I had done good.

Then, at about the time my mother asked, “Are either of these money-making activities?” it hit me. My doing good seems to have come at the cost of my doing well. That is, as my blogging and volunteering flourished, my formal career remained in a bit of a holding pattern with no exciting job prospects in sight.

The question that jumped at me, when confronted with these two pieces of incongruent information, is whether it is possible to do good and to do well.

Does any job or career provide a person with the chance to promote the needs of others while, at the same time, providing him or her the opportunity to receive promotions that include the corner office?

And, if both outcomes cannot be met, is it more important to do good or to do well?

I certainly do not have the answer to this one. Even if I did, I don't think I would share it with the masses. I have done my share of good for this week. It's your turn.


For those interested, further information about Aceing Autism can be found at the following site: http://www.aceingautism.com/.

I am also accepting all donations. (Kidding...sort of)

The Anti-Julie and Julia

Being a self-proclaimed budding chef (read: trying to move beyond microwaving everything), I was excited when my friend told me about a new cooking website that I had to try.

The site, she explained, allows you to list the ingredients you have on hand and then spits out a recipe that uses only those ingredients. No additional trips to the supermarket required.

I wanted to hear more about this magic site. Could it really turn nothing ingredients into something great?

“For example,” she said, “I had ginger and chicken and yams in my kitchen and I could not think of anything to do with them.”

I was right there in the moment with her, waiting to hear about some elaborate and heretofore unconsidered recipe. “So,” I said, nearly falling off the bench on which we had stopped for a break from our walk with anticipation, “What did you end up making?”

“Oh,” she said, “The site told me to make Ginger Chicken with Yams.”

I did not mean to laugh in her face – but I did. And she laughed as well (thankfully) because she realized how obvious the recipe had been. If Ginger and Chicken and Yams are the ingredients on hand, it does not require outside-the-box culinary genius to think Ginger Chicken with Yams sounds like a good bet.

Maybe careers are this obvious as well. Is it possible that I, like my friend, am making a simple thing like finding a career into something overly difficult?

Perhaps my current approach, in trying to fit my skills into a posted position, is the wrong way of looking at things. Maybe it makes more sense to start by mixing and blending the skills I already have in order to begin to create my perfect job.

Take the things you are good at and combine them. Could it possibly be that easy?

Of course the answer is no – nothing is that easy. However, it does cause you to think differently about how to approach a career or search for a job. What skills or interests do you have that make you unique? What types of positions or general areas of work would allow you to put many of those skills and interests to good use?

As for me and my interests, let’s put this theory to the test. Is anyone looking to hire a sports loving, chocolate eating, movie watching analyst? If so, I think I know the perfect candidate. References available upon request.


In case you are interested, the site is http://www.supercook.com and I do think it can be helpful. Especially for those who have basic cooking skills (i.e., people who are not me).

I Wanna Be, I Wanna Be, I Wanna Be Like Mike

Growing up in the nineties, you may have heard of a guy named Michael Jordan. You know, the basketball player who made long shorts, a bald head, and Nikes must-haves for every basketball toting kid in the world.

While millions of people spent their childhoods aspiring to be like Mike because of the Gatorade commercials, the Air Jordans, or the hangtime, I have a different reason for being envious of the iconic athlete.

I wanna be like Mike (I would also settle for being like Serena or Tom or Tiger – I am not picky) because he made his living in a line of work (i.e., sports) in which goals and measures of success are everywhere.

A basket is made or missed, a serve is in or out, a pass is caught or dropped, a putt is long or short - the goal is clear, the result is immediate, and success or failure is easily determined.

Yesterday I set out for a three mile run. In an amount of time I will not share with this audience (more than 15 minutes and less than an hour), I finished my run and felt good about meeting my goal. I had done something productive and I had bettered myself - in no time at all (well, if I am to be honest, it was a moderate amount of time).

I have left the office after more than one eight hour day only sure of the fact that I had successfully jammed the photocopy machine yet again. A game winning jumper or a 125 mph ace a jammed photocopy machine is not.

If I stand to be corrected and there are those of you who have created short-term goals that have helped you to be successful at your jobs, please pass along some tips. I clearly need the help.

Until then, I will continue to want to be like Mike. Why? In sports, games are played every week, if not everyday, and they are won or lost. I am a few years into my professional career and still have no sense of how to gauge my success. Am I winning? I would like to say yes, but the truth is I am not even sure how to determine the score.

Betty White, Passing On My Left

The missing fifth Golden Girl in spandex shorts is the best way I can describe the person I saw in my periphery vision.

Let me explain. Like many twenty-something’s, I run fairly regularly. I fully admit that, especially on my more lethargic days, the speed of my running could spark a debate as to what defines a “run.”

As an ex-college athlete, though, while my foot speed has steadily declined, my competitive streak has persisted. The desire to win has served me well – in athletics, in the classroom, in business, and in not-so-friendly games of Trivial Pursuit with family and friends. No matter the activity, I do not go down without a fight.

You can understand, then, the combination of surprise and anguish that overwhelmed me when I realized that this older woman had not only caught me from behind, but that she was about to pass me. I am in no way an ageist, but if I saw this woman on the street, I would be more likely to challenge her to a game of mahjong than to a foot race. Here she was, though, pushing me to run faster and even more quickly dispelling the ideas I had about her lack of athletic prowess.

After my run I got to thinking about how I would have never known about this woman’s ability had she not, literally, run into me. How many people she deals with everyday, who may never see her run, are unaware of her ability?

Similarly, how many of us do not display our full set of abilities within our current jobs? How much more could we be doing, that we are not, because our jobs do not require us, or because others expectations limit us, or simply because our own insecurities hold us back?

From writing, to customer service, to marketing, to technology, to networking, to building client relationships, what potentially lesser known skills do you have that you are currently not utilizing in your job? More importantly, why are you holding back?

It does not matter if your business card says Vice President, Assistant to the Vice President, or Mailroom Guy, you can make the most of all of your skills and abilities. After all, if you do not, who will?

A Betty White look-a-like passed me during a recent jog. I am glad she did, though, because I know she is using every ounce of her ability and that is commendable. I am also okay with it because I am pretty sure that I have her number in mahjong.

Now, I Only Sort-Of Dislike Dentists

Until yesterday, I strongly disliked dentists - a real lot.

The smell of the office, the picking and prodding that accompanies every visit, finding the most appropriate sort-of truthful answer to the question, "do you floss every day?" - I did not like dentists.

Then I showed up for my annual cleaning and met a hygienist who loves her work. She changed my mind about dentists. Now, I only sort-of dislike them. A real lot.

My new hygienist was gentle with my gums and my nerves, she answered my questions completely and thoughtfully, and her interest in dentistry was obvious.

While she jammed a variety of sharp objects into my mouth, she happily threw out tooth trivia (Who was the first person to use teeth as a means of identifying a person? The answer is at the bottom of the blog. I do not want to ruin it for those of you who take trivia at seriously as I do). She brought over a mirror to point out the gum tissue that needs to stay healthy for my smile to remain intact. She even positively reinforced my brushing behavior by saying that I had done a fairly good job and should keep up the good work. (I was secretly hoping for a sticker or a gold star, but apparently being twenty-something precludes you from rewards that are shiny and/or colorful. Why is that?)

Throughout the cleaning, my hygienist displayed all of her meticulously cared for teeth. Her smile had nothing to do with a dental exam, though. Her smile was wide because people smile when they love what they are doing.

“Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm.” Samuel Taylor Coleridge said this and was referring to something slightly different than the flair in the movie Office Space. Coleridge was referring to real heartfelt enthusiasm – the kind that no amount of flair can adequately represent.

One trip to the dentist with one enthusiastic hygienist made me think differently about an entire group of dental workers. I can now say that I only sort-of dislike dentists - a real lot.

Imagine the positive impact that could result from each of us finding the thing we were meant to do and bringing the same type of enthusiasm to that job everyday.

Now that I only sort-of dislike dentists, does anyone know a parking meter attendant who really loves his work?

(The reason you bothered to read this far. The answer: Paul Revere. At least according to my hygieniest.)

Breaking-Up Is Hard to Do

It hurts to be dumped.

No matter if the message is delivered via e-mail, text, tweet, or post-it, and no matter how right the dumper was to make his or her decision, the news brings with it feelings of inadequacy and resentment. The dumpee is left to consider why the time, effort, and energy put into the relationship were not enough to make it work.

Here is the million dollar question - would you go back?

I ask because I find myself in this predicament. I was recently dumped - by an organization.

Sure, it was an organization and not a man that dumped me, but everything seems very much the same. I was told in an uncomfortable conversation that it was not my performance, my professionalism, or my effort that led to the separation. No, the decision to cut my position was simply a business matter. In other words, it was them and not me.

Ouch.

I now find myself in my twenties, well-educated, professional, and, oh yah, laid off.

For those of you who have experienced a lay off or have a friend who has been affected by organizational cuts, have these changes made you think differently about the organizations and/or the industries in which these former positions reside?

My current job search has forced me to consider what I really want to do and who I really want to do it for. In my best case scenario, I hope to find a challenging and enjoyable position within the field in which I was most recently employed. However, I have moments when I think that being dumped once may be enough for me and it may be time to locate those other fish I have heard are swimming around the sea.

I wonder what you think - has the way you were treated, or have seen others treated, affected the direction of your career? In spite of my understanding that critical business decisions need to be made, and that these decisions are rarely personal, it is impossible to remove human emotions from the equation. As I look for my next opportunity, I am forced to ask myself if I would have the humility to return to the person (job / industry) who dumped me.

Maybe this feeling will pass. It was, after all, them and not me. Right?