Thabo's Posts - RecruitingBlogs2024-03-28T14:39:09ZThabohttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/Thabohttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1526965925?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=0bpc7inyxv6bi&xn_auth=noFools' Gold: Your Salary Or Your Careertag:recruitingblogs.com,2010-12-29:502551:BlogPost:11194432010-12-29T11:00:00.000ZThabohttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/Thabo
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557487791?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557487791?profile=original" width="284"></img></a> Have you ever heard the phrase “Life is just one damn thing after another”? Whether you take on career jobs, or simple jobs for the sake of making money, that is all there is to it. What is different is the utility for someone who takes on jobs as they are building their career versus someone who takes on a job and sees it as nothing but work. The latter is more likely to be…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557487791?profile=original"><img class="align-full align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557487791?profile=original" width="284"/></a>Have you ever heard the phrase “Life is just one damn thing after another”? Whether you take on career jobs, or simple jobs for the sake of making money, that is all there is to it. What is different is the utility for someone who takes on jobs as they are building their career versus someone who takes on a job and sees it as nothing but work. The latter is more likely to be someone who sees his/ her job as a means to an end at best with the end being to earn a salary. There is nothing wrong with the approach, depending on your material desires and you must have a high tolerance to accept what you can’t change in your work environment (you don’t like your job, you don’t like your boss, you don’t like your colleagues, you don’t like the traffic to get to work, etc.). People, who are building a career, tend to have more options when their current circumstances are not as they would like. They can think with a long term view and if need be they have the ability to take two steps back in order to be able to go three steps forward thereafter.<br/> <br/>
Should you choose the money or the career opportunity? There is no right answer to that, but there is definitely an answer that works and is different in each situation. I worked with someone recently, who for the sake of confidentiality I will call Paul. Paul was looking to move from his existing employer, On-line Marketing Company A (OMCA) as he felt he needed growth (not to be confused with more money, he wanted new mental stimulation and challenges). Paul is a bright guy who’s situation I could understand in that there was nothing wrong with OMCA as a company, but he had become the Specialist in his function, with no peers to bounce ideas off of or learn new tricks from and in the current shape and form of the business he was not going to learn much further. He knew the industry very well, was technically very competent and had a commercial mind that helped apply his skills to something operationally effective from a business strategy perspective. Being ambitious, he realized that being a Big Fish in a Small Pond was not going to take him where he wanted to go. Paul was looking for real growth.<br/>
<br/>
I managed to get Paul introduced to Financial Services Company B (FSCB) as they were looking for a Senior MI Analyst. After a rigorous interview process, perseverance and patience, Paul got the job offer he wanted from FSCB. He would be surrounded by similar minds, the organization was much larger and the industry completely new! He would be behind the curve for the first time in a while for him as he had to get up to speed before contributing real value in future. For someone about to embark on a learning process that had depth, he was not exactly getting paid peanuts, but FSCB felt that he was worth the investment in the long run. When Paul resigned from OMCA, his employer was in a corner and made him a counter offer which would increase his salary by 50% as well as share options in the business (OMCA). I was not surprised as I realized Paul’s value to OMCA, given their size and what he did for them. Paul on the other hand did not see it coming, even though we had the discussion prior to that. It is one of the attractive qualities of Paul; he is unassuming, humble, extremely confident and yet not at all arrogant.<br/>
<br/>
Paul was in a state of confusion and asked for my advice? I told him I could not make up his mind for him and he had to make the call. What I did suggest was that he be true to himself in his decision making and think what would serve him best in the long run. I suggested that his decision making process should factor in the following:<br/>
<br/>
* He must take the quantum difference of the money out of the equation! The money was noise in the process as his current salary, before either increase per FSCB or OMCA was fair value relative to what he was doing. Working for a salary that is above your intrinsic value to your employer has an effect of being a retention strategy for the employer paying your salary. You can never move for the same salary as it is way above what anyone else is prepared to pay. It can leave you as the employee stuck with your employer, unless if you moved for less money, which most people aren’t wired to do as they live a lifestyle within their existing salary.<br/>
<br/>
* He must answer the question; “Has the reason I wanted to leave OMCA in the first place changed”. If it hasn’t, then it would only be a short term fix not to leave as the thought will resurface and the need to move come into play sooner rather than later.<br/>
<br/>
* He must answer the question; “Has the reason I wanted to join FSCB when I got the offer changed”. If that has changed then at least he knows that going to FSCB is not the answer, so don’t join them either as that will only be a short term play again.<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
Paul made his own decision and it was not an easy one for him. He chose to take the offer of FSCB. He was therefore going to get significantly less money, he was no longer going to be King Of The Hill, and he would be well out of his comfort zone. These are all short term results of his decision. In the long term though, I have no doubt he will shoot the lights out at FSCB, which he also believes. He will certainly be amongst the cream of the crop in terms of star performers there when he is settled. The money problem he was faced with (albeit a nice problem to have) has caused a problem for many people downstream in their careers. Too often people chase the money without looking at the real benefits and impact on their career for choosing to stay in their current job or moving onto greener pastures.<br/>
<br/>
You want to be confident that what you are doing is of value to the person receiving your services and therefore do not price yourself out of the market. The world is a much more competitive environment and you are not only competing with local people for your job. I have heard of people that feel hard done by as they are told they are overqualified for a position they applied for. This is just a euphemism for “you are too expensive for the job I want done”! I would happily hire a driver who has an MBA as there is a likelihood I would get someone who will be able to do more than follow my instructions as to where to go. He/she will likely have a thinking capacity that would be useful to the business while working for us as a driver. I just would not pay that person the same as a Senior Manager. I would pay him/her what I would perceive as value for a great driver, whether he/she has an MBA or not.<br/>
<br/>
So when you are feeling as though your remuneration is not fair value to what your contribution is to your employer, is that true? Know your purpose and whether you are building a career, taking on a job or chasing the money? They are not mutually exclusive, but most materially successful people will tell you they did not start because they were chasing the money. They did something they believed in and loved doing, and the money followed. That is why they are successful!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Related articles can be found on <a href="http://fit4thabo.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Thabo Hermanus</a></p>Many Bosses, One Leadertag:recruitingblogs.com,2010-12-11:502551:BlogPost:11169572010-12-11T00:50:26.000ZThabohttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/Thabo
<div>I remember as a child when we would be playing, there was always a big obsession about who the boss of the game was. I don’t know where we learnt the concept so early in our lives particularly the perceived power that comes with being the boss. The good news is today, there is an ideal for more leadership than management. That means more and more organizations are looking to create a culture where the boss is the facilitator and not the order giver. People are people so while there may be…</div>
<div>I remember as a child when we would be playing, there was always a big obsession about who the boss of the game was. I don’t know where we learnt the concept so early in our lives particularly the perceived power that comes with being the boss. The good news is today, there is an ideal for more leadership than management. That means more and more organizations are looking to create a culture where the boss is the facilitator and not the order giver. People are people so while there may be a desire at an organizational level to achieve this, people have diverse management styles when they are the boss. The reality is that when a person starts working their way up the corporate ladder they realize that after every promotion they still have a boss. The illusion of “be your own boss” can be misleading particularly when it results in people thinking the only way out is to have their own business. There is a perception that when you have your own business you are not accountable to anyone. After all, we grow up with a belief that the boss has full control and does not have to answer to anyone, but simply gives orders.</div>
<div>What is the obsession with being the boss? Do you honestly believe that there are people who are not accountable to anyone? It is very dis-empowering to yourself to believe that someone has control over you. The reality is nobody can force you to do anything that you don’t want to do. You choose to do anything that you do, you always get to lead your life! What you choose may be influenced by the consequences of what you do, but it is an abdication of your power to say you did it because you were told to.</div>
<div>Do you have what you perceive to be a bad boss? Why do you think they are bad and what have you done to address the problem? Let’s suppose your boss is a micro manager (a popular problem when someone is reviewing their own boss). Are you resisting their micro managing style or embracing it, constantly looking for ways to make your efforts deliver better results? Have you ever tried getting them involved in your work up front? It sounds crazy but you know they are going to meddle anyway, so why not let them in up front? That way you have a much better chance of buy in from them in terms of the output you produce. I am not saying it is easy (and those that know me well will also have your jaws dropped at my comment).</div>
<div>I do not like being micro managed. I quit my last job in a large corporate because I felt amongst other things, I was being micro managed in terms of how I was expected to deliver the output. I am a strong believer in don’t tell me what to do, tell me the outcome you want and I will get you there. So being strong minded, when that was not happening I packed my bags to head on to be an entrepreneur. My partner and I co-founded a business and we were doing great! We chose to get more muscle and got more partners on board. Suddenly, we had too many cooks and I felt like the new partners were sticking their noses where they did not belong. I am no pushover, and as much as I was attached to the business we started and what we had built around us in terms of people, product offering, service levels and brand I quit on a company I helped start up. Evidently micro-management didn’t work for me either. After all, I am the same guy that has a set of cuff-links where one says “I AM THE BOSS” and the other says “I AM NEVER WRONG”.</div>
<div>I have moved on with my original partner and we have started yet another successful business as we have learnt more about who we are and who we work best with. It has meant a lot of sacrifice and delayed gratification but the evidence says I am only good at working for bosses that agree with me. The “be your own boss” motto or promise must be understood in its entirety. I believe you will always be accountable to parties outside of yourself so you will always have a boss other than yourself. In fact at any given time you may have many bosses, but you still always get to lead. Don’t have unrealistic expectations as to what your career growth means relative to being a boss. You already lead your life, even if you have the lowest ranking/graded job in the company.</div>
<div>When I started working after graduating from University, I was my own boss but also answerable to my manager, her peers and her boss. When I became a manager, I was my own boss but also answerable to my manager, my peers and staff that reported into me. When I got more Leadership positions, I was my own boss but also answerable to our shareholders, my peers, our staff and our clients. As I have grown in my career and become a bigger boss, I in turn have more and more bosses. I am answerable to a lot more people now than when I was a junior looking up the corporate ladder. I have also learnt to manage my boss better:</div>
<ul>
<li>I have given up on my desire to prove that I am right. All it does is create conflict so I do not get stuck on my point of view when my boss has a different one. As long as we agree on an action and we take it, that is all that matters. There is always an opportunity to revisit actions and correct them if they are not working as we would like.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I am not attached to my idea being bought into by my bosses when I present it to them. Just work on your bounce back ability as all “NO” is to me now is one answer closer to my next “YES”.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I am actually listening to what my boss is saying when we disagree. This is my hardest one to get right, but when I actually listen to what they are saying rather than what I am thinking, we tend to move a lot sooner. Einstein put it best when he said “Nothing happens until something moves”.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I keep my eye on the prize, which to me is winning. That is all I want so when my boss and I disagree I look to find a solution that will leave us both leaving the table feeling like we both won. I can forfeit being right and still leave the table feeling like I have won.</li>
</ul>
<div>There can be many bosses but one leader. If you want to succeed and win though, you have to be accountable to those you serve. When those you serve seem difficult, manage them accordingly by adapting what you are offering so that it results in a WIN:WIN situation rather than a LOSE:LOSE one! “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer. Otherwise if changing the way you feel does not work, then change bosses, but make that your last resort! You always get to lead your own life, no matter how many bosses you have!</div>Is Your Career A Job?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2010-12-03:502551:BlogPost:11151642010-12-03T08:36:14.000ZThabohttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/Thabo
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span>Everything you are doing now is taking you where you want to go so do it well. A job is defined as “a post of employment; full
time or part time position”. To some a job is nothing but work, and for others<br />
the experience is more orchestrated and enjoyed. These people have careers and<br />
thrive in their profession or occupation. They have a sense of high energy,<br />
enthusiasm and passion…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span>Everything you are doing now is taking you where
you want to go so do it well. A job is defined as “a post of employment; full<br />
time or part time position”. To some a job is nothing but work, and for others<br />
the experience is more orchestrated and enjoyed. These people have careers and<br />
thrive in their profession or occupation. They have a sense of high energy,<br />
enthusiasm and passion and to the outside observer come across as being lucky<br />
and way too high on life. With the objective to emulate them, people sometimes<br />
think leaving their existing job and reinventing themselves at another organization is the answer. Remember<br />
wherever you go there you are too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Looking for a job can be very testing on one’s<br />
self esteem. Very few people like to do things they are not good at and this is<br />
exacerbated by the fact that we all don’t like rejection, which is a highly<br />
probable event if you put yourself out there. So how does one get their<br />
confidence right during a job search given:</span></span><br/>
<br />
<br />
<br/>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span>We are not trained on how to search for a job, so our experience is lacking.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span>There is no concise “how to” manual given it is not a one size fits all solution</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>It is all
easier when the work you have done sells you. Somewhere along the way I heard<br />
the phrase <b><i>“money follows talent and talent does not follow money”</i></b>. It<br />
really resonated with me. So since actions speak louder than words; what have<br />
you achieved, how have you done it and how has that impacted on your personal<br />
brand? Some of us have had the fortune of being approached based on the track<br />
record we have built. That is a very small population relative to those that<br />
are looking for any other job, other than the one they are currently employed<br />
to do. You need to put thought and planning to your career rather than just<br />
wonder from one job to another as that can work against you in the long run.</span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Searching for a job as a graduate is normally your first
introduction to the sometimes elusive job satisfaction that we all desire. Suddenly<br />
you want to differentiate yourself from everyone else and when you realize that<br />
graduate recruitment programmes use grades as a primary filter to interview,<br />
you start to regret the moments you did not study as hard as you could have as<br />
you chose to party instead. How do you now create a competitive advantage for<br />
yourself to increase your prospects of success on your job application? This is<br />
a challenge to anyone who is looking for the next best job, often depicted as<br />
“looking for better prospects” on people’s CV’s. Reality is, your personal<br />
brand is something you need to nurture and grow and others will differentiate<br />
you when looking at you based on your reputation which you will be creating. It<br />
will work for some and not work for others. There is no right or wrong answer,<br />
simply a reality that works!</span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Building your personal brand is not an overnight
event, but a process that you must invest in over time. I am not talking about<br />
your larger than life egotistical personality, The Rock Star! I am talking<br />
about your authentic self:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br />
</div>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>How do you view life?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Are you an optimist or a pessimist?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>What knowledge do you have? I am referring to what you know not what your qualifications are!</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>What are your skills and what have you accomplished using them and what can you do?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>What is your talent? That is to say what do you know a lot about that you do well and you actually love doing?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<br/>
<br />
<br />
<br/>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>By taking stock, you are then able to answer the
first question in your job search, which is “<b><i>what type of job should I do?</i></b>”<br />
Most people fall into the trap of wanting a job that is a means to an income.<br />
They look at what skills they have and take a job that requires that offering. It<br />
works for a while and the trouble starts when the pursuit of happiness extends<br />
beyond earning the income. A careerist on the other hand looks for being a part<br />
of something bigger than him/herself. They are interested in what they bring to<br />
the job and the feeling they get out of doing that very job. This means taking<br />
on jobs that are more than just something you are skilled at. These are jobs<br />
that require your particular talent. For instance I am skilled with the ability<br />
to work well with numbers so I started off in accounting/finance roles. I get<br />
more joy from dealing with people and their personal development, hence the transition<br />
to where I am now. Where you start is not the end all and be all, as I<br />
performed my previous roles well and was enjoying them when I was in that<br />
space. When you have a sense of what you are doing is a good use of your time,<br />
you thrive and deliver!</span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Once you have an idea as to what job will appeal to
you, you need to understand “<b><i>why do I want to do that job?</i></b>” If<br />
your why is not aligned with that of the hiring manager, you will not succeed<br />
in their environment even if you somehow get through the interview process.<br />
This is often what has gone wrong when you hear of people’s chemistry not being<br />
right, or that they do not gel. You can never put your finger on it as to what<br />
is wrong but in essence, your value systems and what you believe in are not in<br />
sync resulting in one disappointment after another. So know why you want to do<br />
the job as then your expectations are then also managed by yourself and your<br />
prospective employer.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br/></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>“<b><i>where do I find the job I want?</i></b>”
This is where the frustration begins as you are now no longer in full control<br />
and depend on other parties. The actual job search is really a job in itself<br />
and given you can only do it part time, it does not mean that you shouldn’t do<br />
it well</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br />
</div>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Do you look within your existing company?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Do you call a friend?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Do you check the newspaper?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Do you register on job boards?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Do you actively conduct on-line job searches?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Do you use a recruitment agency?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Whether
you are a graduate, or have been working for some time, when you choose to get<br />
a new job, your past behaviour and performance will make that task easier or<br />
harder. Why do you want to leave your current job? If you are demotivated<br />
because you don’t understand how to do your current job or you feel you do not<br />
have the adequate skills to do the job well, then a change of career is very<br />
logical. If it is any of the following, be careful as it will likely lead to<br />
job after job with no satisfaction for you:</span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br />
</div>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>You don’t like your manager – this is the number one reason people leave their jobs. What is amazing is how often that is the problem at the next job
and the one after that. There is one common denominator so are you sure you<br />
have taken a good look at yourself? How do you interact with people and how are<br />
you communicating? You need to change if after a few scenarios you have changed<br />
external factors and keep running into the same problem. What do you expect of<br />
all these managers that is not appearing as you might need to change your thoughts<br />
on that?</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>You think you are going to get fired – how you see yourself can be very different to how others see you as we have different filters. Having a low
sense of security and a mindset that is expecting the worst can create stories<br />
in your mind that seem very real, leading you to knee jerk rather than think<br />
things through.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>You get passed up for a promotion – this could be the best thing that happened to you. If it is the organisation feels you are not ready for the
position, look to see where you are short and develop in that area to better<br />
position you for the next promotion that comes up or at least a similar role<br />
outside of your current company.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Strive for excellence in your current job and be
distinct by giving the people you serve the best of you. This builds your brand<br />
and gets people to value your expertise which in turn will create opportunities<br />
for you. You need to have been great at what you did before in order for anyone<br />
to be interested in you for a different job. People tend to remember the latest<br />
work you delivered, so make sure that you have a positive impact that is valued<br />
as that gives you influence in determining your own job. You can then pursue<br />
your next job opportunity with confidence and something to show for it for any<br />
prospective employer. I have seen people who were disengaged in their employ<br />
and they are looking to move and it leaves them very challenged in motivation<br />
moving on given they have nothing to sell as they have not done much.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br/></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>In order to progress in your career you will need
to demonstrate that you are eligible for the next job, and the only way the<br />
recruiter will know that is based on how you articulate that. Do what you do<br />
now well and it makes your next job that much easier to get. Looking for a job<br />
is not all about the job search engines, recruitment agencies or your CV. You<br />
are the value proposition and it is all about what you have to offer and what<br />
your prospective employer has to offer you. Understand what you are looking to<br />
experience and go for just that. Too often people get lost in the thought of<br />
what they want to do and under achieve on what they are supposed to be doing<br />
right now! Your job search is much easier when you have actually achieved<br />
something where you are and where you have been.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br/></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Life is a pitch! How you have worked so far, the
achievements and the mistakes you have made position you. It is your life’s<br />
work, own it and make something of it.</span></span></div>An Apology To All Job Seekerstag:recruitingblogs.com,2010-11-08:502551:BlogPost:11079022010-11-08T13:34:03.000ZThabohttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/Thabo
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="">Everybody gets to be a job seeker in their adult life! I have had the privilege of being a job seeker, the employer who is looking to hire someone for a job and the recruitment agency that is looking
for the right person for the job. Recruitment agencies do not have the best<br />
reputation out there and they do little to cover themselves in glory. Their<br />
purpose is to serve both the hiring company and the job…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="">Everybody gets to be a job seeker in their adult life! I have had the privilege of being a job seeker, the employer who is
looking to hire someone for a job and the recruitment agency that is looking<br />
for the right person for the job. Recruitment agencies do not have the best<br />
reputation out there and they do little to cover themselves in glory. Their<br />
purpose is to serve both the hiring company and the job seeker’s best interests.<br />
It requires a strong ability to balance a conflict of interest if you serve two<br />
masters. Most people actually believe the recruitment agency serves the hiring<br />
employer and not the interests of the job seeker. Personally, I do not have any<br />
confusion as to whom I serve as for me both are equally as important for my<br />
success to be sustainable. Given the experience people have had when they are<br />
looking for a job, I can see why the belief system of “recruitment agencies do<br />
not work for you” reigns supreme.</span></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="">Job seekers can be managed much better in the recruitment process and today’s practices leave me wondering what has happened
to the human element in this critical Human Resources Management function. Companies<br />
have values which revolve around people and yet in this process where the<br />
intention is to attract the right fit person for a job, prospective candidates<br />
are treated less and less like people. I can say with confidence that not all<br />
recruitment agencies are sharks (including those branded as Head-hunters albeit<br />
the name is misleading). Not all hiring companies are arrogant and think they<br />
are doing you a favour giving you a job opportunity. Not all job seekers are a<br />
waste of time to sit down with to interview and look to understand what it is<br />
they would like to do.</span></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="">It is fair to acknowledge and apologise for the following mysterious happenings that you might experience while you search for
a job:</span></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"></p>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">· </span></span><span style="">Why doesn’t the best
person for the job get called for an interview anymore? The CV management<br />
process is automated. You will register your CV or resume and the first time<br />
someone sees it would be through a search function. The use of keywords<br />
increases the likelihood of a search engine picking up your CV when someone<br />
looks for certain skills and this has many agencies and employers no longer<br />
retrieving the best experienced person’s CV. The person who knows how to<br />
optimise the use of keywords relative to the job will have their CV pop up.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">· </span></span><span style="">Your CV is only going
to be as good as the person who gets to eyeball it first after it being fished<br />
from the system that has millions of CV’s. If that person does not understand<br />
the job itself, what are the chances of them understanding who has the ability<br />
to do the job based on looking at a CV? You need to get a sense as to the<br />
process after you register your CV with a recruiter or a hiring company.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">· </span></span><span style="">Deadlines are chased
at the expense of doing the job right. Some companies have a cut off as to when<br />
they will accept CV’s by and in turn recruitment agencies work to that rather<br />
than searching for the right person. I have heard enough times of job seekers,<br />
who if they are lucky, get a two minute phone call about “an opportunity”.<br />
Thereafter their CV is submitted to the prospective employer without any<br />
interview taking place with the recruitment agency. Sometimes your CV is submitted<br />
without any discussion or your consent, so you lose control of who gets your<br />
CV. The fact that your CV in the wrong hands could cost you your current job<br />
does not get taken into consideration by some recruitment agencies.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">· </span></span><span style="">Recruitment agencies
themselves don’t get back to you when you apply for a specific job. If you are<br />
lucky you get an automated response, which does not make you any the wiser as<br />
to why your application was unsuccessful. The communication value is weak in a<br />
job search, be it the employer communicating with the recruitment agent or the<br />
recruitment agency communicating with the job seeker. I get the sense that<br />
people do not want to be the bearer of bad news, but people do not like<br />
uncertainty so they would rather hear the bad news and get closure.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">· </span></span><span style="">When you do engage the
recruitment agency in person, there is the frustration of them not listening. For<br />
example, after having been clear that your experience is in Corporate Finance,<br />
and you want to move out of that space, they insist on submitting your CV for<br />
Corporate Finance roles. This reminds me of the Real Estate agent whom I told I<br />
do not want a face brick house and I do not want a house on a main road. Guess<br />
what the first “gem” was that she showed me?</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">· </span></span><span style="">Some agencies will
refer to you as stock. Your CV will be part of a huge database that the<br />
recruiter will boast about in their large database, but have no clue as to who<br />
you are, what you can do and what you are looking for.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="">Recruitment agencies are not your only way of searching and getting the job you want. They are part of your job search
strategy. The industry is like any other where some things work and some things<br />
don’t. You choose which recruiter to engage, so know why you work with them to<br />
assist you in your search, even if they Head-hunt you for the prospective job. It<br />
is flattering when someone calls you and tells you you are the ideal candidate,<br />
so enjoy the romance aspect in being contacted and then look at everything<br />
objectively in terms of how it serves you. Empower yourself by interviewing the<br />
recruiter as well, completing your own research as to:</span></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 37.7pt; text-indent: -18pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">· </span></span><span style="">Where they are
positioned. What kind of search and placements do they specialise in?</span></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 37.7pt; text-indent: -18pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">· </span></span><span style="">Who is their client
base? Do they represent employers that you want to join?</span></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 37.7pt; text-indent: -18pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">· </span></span><span style="">What is the experience
of the agent that will be helping you with your search? The brand of the<br />
company which is the recruitment agency is not necessarily aligned to the<br />
personal brand of the recruitment agent.</span></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 37.7pt; text-indent: -18pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">· </span></span><span style="">Be certain that they
do have a mandate from the client (the prospective employer) to search for<br />
candidates on their behalf.</span></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 37.7pt; text-indent: -18pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">· </span></span><span style="">Be certain that there
is a real job behind the advert, rather than the recruitment agency looking for<br />
“stock”.</span></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="">I am not saying lose all trust and look for signed off documents to validate mandates! I am saying don’t be naive in your search.
Apply some thought as to keeping yourself empowered in the process rather than<br />
manipulated with no clue as to where your CV goes. As a “customer” you also<br />
want your needs satisfied so you will upset a couple of recruitment agents that<br />
don’t want to work with you and those requirements, but that does not mean you<br />
will lose all chances of landing that job that you seek.</span></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="">I recently read an article with the title, <i style=""><u>“R.I.P. Recruitment Search Agencies. Thanks for all your contributions but you will not be missed”</u></i>. The
article itself was not impressive in my opinion. What was interesting was the<br />
reaction it got from recruiters. Could it be that some of the contents was true<br />
then? We are all different, and we all operate differently as recruitment<br />
agents. Some methodologies are sustainable, and some make the quick buck but do<br />
not build sustainable relationships.</span></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"></p>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">The reality is the human element has reduced a<br />
lot in Human Resource Management. The job search process has become more<br />
complicated and a bigger mystery than before. Some people’s experiences when<br />
searching for jobs have been dreadful, discouraging anyone from considering<br />
pursuing other opportunities. I can only encourage you to work on your bounce<br />
back ability when you encounter the not so good recruitment agencies. Focus on<br />
what you want and choose carefully who you associate yourself with. That word<br />
Network is not as complicated and sales like as people make sound. You will<br />
kiss a few frogs before finding your prince (I do not know a similar fairytale<br />
for men to use as an analogy). Your job search just like anything else you wish<br />
to deliver successfully needs to be planned, have a clear goal and a well<br />
thought out “how” to get you what you want.</span>Growth Is Overratedtag:recruitingblogs.com,2010-10-26:502551:BlogPost:11034062010-10-26T08:43:33.000ZThabohttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/Thabo
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;" xml:lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How do you find the balance between being ambitious and being complacent?
Complacent to me means “pleased with oneself or one’s merits,<br />
advantages, situation, etc. often without awareness of some potential<br />
danger or defect”. If I am complacent, it does not stop me from desiring<br />
more. It does not stop me from going for it.…</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-ZA" xml:lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How
do you find the balance between being ambitious and being complacent?<br />
Complacent to me means “pleased with oneself or one’s merits,<br />
advantages, situation, etc. often without awareness of some potential<br />
danger or defect”. If I am complacent, it does not stop me from desiring<br />
more. It does not stop me from going for it. However, I do not feel to<br />
be any lesser of a person or achiever if I chose not to go for more.<br />
Similarly, I do not have any attachments to what I have in defining me<br />
as a person or achiever and so losing some of it does not reduce my self<br />
worth. What are your associations with being complacent?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-ZA" xml:lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ambition is often confused with the mentality of “winning isn’t everything, it is the <i><u>ONLY THING</u></i>”.
My life’s experience leaves me with the observation that when I am<br />
driven to achieve with that mindset, nothing is ever enough. I keep<br />
pushing and getting more, having less time to celebrate the achievement.<br />
This also leaves me no time to do the basics I enjoy which includes<br />
sitting and doing nothing. We do not give ourselves time today to do<br />
nothing, to just be. Our mind is always in constant search and thinking<br />
and we are forever in pursuit.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-ZA" xml:lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
love asking other people about their experiences and what got them<br />
there, for my own learning. I ask those I perceive as having succeeded<br />
and those I perceive as having failed as I find their experiences both<br />
very insightful. These are people that have started their own businesses<br />
or people that are employed and climbing the corporate ladder. I also<br />
have the benefit of observing people I have known for a long time move<br />
from average to extremely successful.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-ZA" xml:lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What
comes up a lot is how most entrepreneurs tell me they do not have the<br />
same fun now as they did when they started their business. One would<br />
think this is crazy as now their business is in full swing and they have<br />
taken away the uncertainties they had when they started. More often<br />
than not, they had more fun in the beginning as it was a smaller<br />
business and they did not have to worry about as much as they do now.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-ZA" xml:lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With
growth came more staff, and the concomitant responsibilities. You find<br />
yourself surrounded by the people who believe in you and supported your<br />
growth so naturally you have a vested interest in their success and<br />
livelihood too. With growth came more clients who rely on your services.<br />
If you have the joy of having clients that believe in what you are<br />
doing (as opposed to clients who just use your services), you also don’t<br />
want to let them down. Added to this is an attachment to the business<br />
that has been created. As it gets bigger, there is a feeling of anxiety<br />
that grows as suddenly you have so much more to lose.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-ZA" xml:lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
results are similar when looking at people that are employed, so<br />
entrepreneurs do not have the monopoly on this thought process. Someone<br />
who was great at doing their job is then rewarded for being the best in<br />
the team by being made the manager of the team. The lucky ones turn out<br />
to be great managers, but end up doing less of what their strengths have<br />
them wired to do. While they manage the team well, they do not self<br />
actualise as they are doing less of what they truly love doing. The<br />
unlucky ones are when the person does not turn out to be a good manager.<br />
Being a disaster in their new role, everybody loses as the new manager<br />
is not effective or happy, their former peers are miserable having this<br />
terrible manager and the gap left behind in the old job is also not<br />
filled with someone delivering the same performance as the predecessor.<br />
The mistake is hard to reverse as even when recognised by everyone, not<br />
many have the guts to go back to what was working. The result is the<br />
promoted individual promoting themselves out of the business.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-ZA" xml:lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We
all know that growth does not go up in a straight line. In the pursuit<br />
of growth companies will have cut backs, retrenching staff that in some<br />
form or other are needed later when the growth is back and people are<br />
needed to deliver it. People on the other hand having a desire to change<br />
careers as part of their growth, are not willing to go backwards to<br />
facilitate the opportunity of the new career materialising as they are<br />
committed to a certain lifestyle. You have to choose the growth if it is<br />
going to create shareholder value in the case of a business, or<br />
personal value in the case of the employee. Growth for its own sake can<br />
be deceptive and enslave you to a position that contradicts your<br />
ultimate reason for your having chosen where you were. Understand what<br />
it is that you do <i><u>VALUE</u></i>.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-ZA" xml:lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Know
what you mean when you want growth and be sure that it is going to<br />
serve you, as otherwise you will end up being the servant in the<br />
relationship i.e. you serving it as opposed to it serving you. Do not<br />
confuse stagnating with depreciating in value. Do not confuse stagnating<br />
with becoming dull or old and stale. It is okay to be satisfied, that<br />
will not hurt you. What will hurt you is doing nothing when you feel<br />
that things are deteriorating and not working as they should. We are<br />
primarily driven by two emotions; Greed and Fear. You must be a master<br />
of all your emotions. Sometimes it’s okay to be pleased with oneself and<br />
one’s merits. Just be, it may actually serve you. If you pursue growth<br />
because of either greed or fear, you will never be satisfied as whatever<br />
you achieve will not be enough.</span></span></div>