Haight Career Advice

[Haight]

As it turns out, I actually know a bit about this subject. Therefore, if you have questions ranging from "How do I get from here to there?" or "How do I get this A-hole at work to leave me alone?" I have you covered.

I would add testimonies of the folks I have helped over the years, but I don't think they would appreciate that.

Also, these days I manage folks that do Financial Modeling, so any and all Excel-related questions, or Technical Writing questions (yeah, I know; that doesn't make sense), are appreciated.

(Warning: Responses may contain sarcasm, criticism, and humor where appropriate. But good advice will be in the midst of most responses. I promise!)

 

[Coriolis]

OK, here are 2 for you:

1. What is your advice for handling online job postings, on e.g. LinkedIn or Indeed, where you upload your credentials essentially into a black hole, and have no human contact for following up? I've been trying to land a new job, and that is most of what I am seeing.

2. How do you handle a workplace bully, someone who badmouths you to colleagues, doesn't pass on info you need to do your job, tries to limit your professional interactions and get you excluded from projects where you are the expert? For extra context, the situation has been brought to the attention of 3 levels of management. The bully was given a prestigious award, and the first line supervisor was promoted.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

How do you get a software development experience without having exactly the number of year they want for something like, say, AWS?

 

[Haight]

1. What is your advice for handling online job postings, on e.g. LinkedIn or Indeed, where you upload your credentials essentially into a black hole, and have no human contact for following up? I've been trying to land a new job, and that is most of what I am seeing.

Great questions. I'm going to answer them in two posts because I'm rather busy this week.

I have experience with this from both sides, so this might be helpful. And from both sides, the short answer is that it's all about the quality of your resume. That's the source document that should always be the focus. How ones gets to your resume varies of course based on the platform(s) used and the sophistication of the company and you.

From the job seeker perspective, the answer is follow up. You can do this is several ways, but what gets my attention is someone showing me that they actually have interest in the company. One can do that by keeping an eye on the companies that view your profile. Review them, go to their sites and look at their job posting to see what they are probably looking at you for; and if you're interested, contact them. Ask to speak, or the email for; the Hiring Manager for that position. I can guarantee that will get their attention. Because companies have the opposite perspective. One that says, "These people are just spamming out their resumes and don't care about this company, it's culture, values, history, or products." And that represents 95% of all candidates. So showing you actually want to work for that specific company will land you in the remaining 5%.

From the employer perspective, it's initially 100% about your resume. Meaning, is this person a good fit. And, sadly, most resumes are qualifying and not quantifying when it comes to details about experiences. So only part of the picture of your experiences are provided for evaluation. And as it turns out, blocks of text about someone explaining in exaggerated terms how great they are is rather boring. So provide numbers. It breaks out the text, it stands out, and will be a major part of the focus for the reviewer. For example, "I've been building widgets for 10 years." Okay, great. How big are they, how many have you produced, what was the sell price for the biggest or most complex widget that you've ever produced, etc.

Sadly, however, more sophisticated companies use algorithms for key-word searches. So make sure you have the key words from the position description of the job(s) you want in your resume. This is precisely why a one-size-fits-all resume is a losing resume. Tailor them. Find the job you really want, and are qualified for, and focus on that position. If it doesn't work out, find the next one.

Bottom line: It takes focus and effort. A passive approach is a losing approach. Unless of course, your famous in your area of expertise. However, in that case, you wouldn't need to reach out to anyone.

Hope that helps.

 

[Haight]

How do you get a software development experience without having exactly the number of year they want for something like, say, AWS?

I run into this quite a bit, actually. My standard response to those that are critical in this area is, "If it takes one person five years to learn what another person person learned in one year, who is better?"

However, it's a bit more complicated than that, as you know. Position qualifications dictate the years of experience. So the way around that, or the way to at least be considered, is to prove my statement. Meaning, prove that you know the same or more than people that fall into the years of experience they are requiring. Because if you do, or can, you are certainly the better candidate.

 

[Coriolis]

Great questions. I'm going to answer them in two posts because I'm rather busy this week.

I have experience with this from both sides, so this might be helpful. And from both sides, the short answer is that it's all about the quality of your resume. That's the source document that should always be the focus. How ones gets to your resume varies of course based on the platform(s) used and the sophistication of the company and you.

From the job seeker perspective, the answer is follow up. You can do this is several ways, but what gets my attention is someone showing me that they actually have interest in the company. One can do that by keeping an eye on the companies that view your profile. Review them, go to their sites and look at their job posting to see what they are probably looking at you for; and if you're interested, contact them. Ask to speak, or the email for; the Hiring Manager for that position. I can guarantee that will get their attention. Because companies have the opposite perspective. One that says, "These people are just spamming out their resumes and don't care about this company, it's culture, values, history, or products." And that represents 95% of all candidates. So showing you actually want to work for that specific company will land you in the remaining 5%.

From the employer perspective, it's initially 100% about your resume. Meaning, is this person a good fit. And, sadly, most resumes are qualifying and not quantifying when it comes to details about experiences. So only part of the picture of your experiences are provided for evaluation. And as it turns out, blocks of text about someone explaining in exaggerated terms how great they are is rather boring. So provide numbers. It breaks out the text, it stands out, and will be a major part of the focus for the reviewer. For example, "I've been building widgets for 10 years." Okay, great. How big are they, how many have you produced, what was the sell price for the biggest or most complex widget that you've ever produced, etc.

Sadly, however, more sophisticated companies use algorithms for key-word searches. So make sure you have the key words from the position description of the job(s) you want in your resume. This is precisely why a one-size-fits-all resume is a losing resume. Tailor them. Find the job you really want, and are qualified for, and focus on that position. If it doesn't work out, find the next one.

Bottom line: It takes focus and effort. A passive approach is a losing approach. Unless of course, your famous in your area of expertise. However, in that case, you wouldn't need to reach out to anyone.

Hope that helps.

The highlighted is the most helpful. That is all the info I have for most companies: the general phone number on their website. I cannot see who looks at my profile most of the time. I already check job postings of companies of interest. My career is applied science. My expertise is quite specialized, and within that area I am known even in international circles. Outside of that, where more general skills apply, I do have to bring myself to people's attention. It is much harder now to find direct email, phone, and even contact names. That has been the main frustration, because I do make a point to follow up. I am also applying in some specialized career spaces which have non-standard requirements for resumes, which I have been careful to follow. Still, I suspect many if not most jobs are still obtained through personal networking, and this sort of networking I have always found a challenge.

 

[Haight]

2. How do you handle a workplace bully, someone who badmouths you to colleagues, doesn't pass on info you need to do your job, tries to limit your professional interactions and get you excluded from projects where you are the expert? For extra context, the situation has been brought to the attention of 3 levels of management. The bully was given a prestigious award, and the first line supervisor was promoted.

I guess taking the person "out back to the woodshed" is not an option. Therefore, it depends.

Without knowing the reason for why you are being attacked in this way, or what is being attacked, specifically, I will have to make a few assumptions. But even if I did know, I will say what I tell most people in this situation, "Beware of sociopaths/psychopaths (ASPD) in the workplace." Sadly, they tend to thrive in Corporate American culture, and probably elsewhere. In their view, you are either a threat that needs to be removed or an ally for their plans, which will be discarded once they have whatever they want from you. The trick of course is one of identification. But if you are aware of this type, my advice is to do what you are alluding to in your first question . . . find a new job. They move up as fast as they fall, and they tend to take people down with them on their way out the door.

If that's not the case, it's going to go back to that ugly word you mentioned in your response to the first question: Networking. Meaning, you need your work, and the people that rely on your work as a resource, to protect you. In that situation, any smart bully will know that you have a network or a shield. And pushing on any point on that will jeopardize their status. If that cannot or will not work, it's time to start documenting everything. You need proof points to support your case. Then . . . it's HR time.

 

[ygolo]

Not work related, but are you connected to the person who used to run this site?

Work related:
1. How do you maximize productivity as a solo person using AI (bonus points if techniques can be used by those who have neurological issues)?
2. How do you maximize learning quickly about markets with validated learning?

 

[SearchingforPeace]

I love my job and am well respected at work. I get contacted by recruiters almost daily. I have experienced in the past that changing positions to get a little more money can lead to a worse position.

Right now at work I am overwhelmed with too much work. I am frustrated that I can not handle all the work at the level I prefer. Too much gets behind.

I have, throughout my career, in similar situations, just jumped to a new position. I am fighting that urge right now.

Also, I was promised a raise that never happened. I am paid well, but could likely make a lot more if I left. The raise is still likely and substantial, if I stay.

While there is plenty of work, there is also some chaos at work. Some important, long-term employees have just left, or retired. That means there is a lot of opportunity in the mid-term if things don't fall apart.

I am trying to fight the urge to jump ship again.

Any advice on navigating this situation?

 

[Haight]

Not work related, but are you connected to the person who used to run this site?

Yes, I am him.

I will answer these over the weekend. Sorry for the delay. Busy-busy . . .

 

[The Cat]

He is the one fortold of in the ancient prophecies made back when this place was just a clearing in the forest. "And in the years of the Crimson King there shall return to this space a greying wanderer cast in white. he who once held the life of this sacred grove(it was a long time ago when the internet was still an eden like garden) shall return to walk amongst its ardant spendor once again..." It goes on to speak of this thread, a quest, and something about the end of the world, but that's a tale for another day.

The days of Haight Adventure have returned.​

 

[Haight]

1. How do you maximize productivity as a solo person using AI (bonus points if techniques can be used by those who have neurological issues)?
2. How do you maximize learning quickly about markets with validated learning?

1. Sorry, but I don't understand your use of the phrase "solo person." Do you mean working from home, working as an independent contactor, working without a team (for whatever reason) or something else?

And it depends on what you are using AI for. In most cases, I won't have an answer for that. But in some cases, I would. In short, I need more information to provide advice.

2. Similar to the first answer, what does "validated learning" mean to you. However, beyond that, I can recommend a book that was an amazing help to me in terms of quickly learning a subject.

The book is titled, "The Science of Rapid Skill Acquisition." It's an exceptional book. Also, Gladwell's "Outliers" is helpful in the sense of realizing why some seem to just be better than others when in fact they are not. It just seems that way. In my view, maximum productivity is about focus and effort. Which reminds me, the classic book titled "Flow," by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, was also an amazing help to me.

 

[Haight]

He is the one fortold of in the ancient prophecies made back when this place was just a clearing in the forest. "And in the years of the Crimson King there shall return to this space a greying wanderer cast in white. he who once held the life of this sacred grove(it was a long time ago when the internet was still an eden like garden) shall return to walk amongst its ardant spendor once again..." It goes on to speak of this thread, a quest, and something about the end of the world, but that's a tale for another day.

Dramatic. I like it.

 

[Haight]

I love my job and am well respected at work. I get contacted by recruiters almost daily. I have experienced in the past that changing positions to get a little more money can lead to a worse position.

Right now at work I am overwhelmed with too much work. I am frustrated that I can not handle all the work at the level I prefer. Too much gets behind.

I have, throughout my career, in similar situations, just jumped to a new position. I am fighting that urge right now.

Also, I was promised a raise that never happened. I am paid well, but could likely make a lot more if I left. The raise is still likely and substantial, if I stay.

While there is plenty of work, there is also some chaos at work. Some important, long-term employees have just left, or retired. That means there is a lot of opportunity in the mid-term if things don't fall apart.

I am trying to fight the urge to jump ship again.

Any advice on navigating this situation?

Good questions. And a classic question as well.

One question to you so I can provide a helpful answer. How long have you been there?

 

[Coriolis]

Dramatic. I like it.

The Cat is one of our best and most creative writers.

 

[Haight]

The Cat is one of our best and most creative writers.

I can see that. However, I think we can both agree that I am THE best and most creative writer. But of course that's obvious based on this post alone.

 

[SearchingforPeace]

Good questions. And a classic question as well.

One question to you so I can provide a helpful answer. How long have you been there?

A year.

 

[Haight]

I love my job and am well respected at work. I get contacted by recruiters almost daily. I have experienced in the past that changing positions to get a little more money can lead to a worse position.

Right now at work I am overwhelmed with too much work. I am frustrated that I can not handle all the work at the level I prefer. Too much gets behind.

I have, throughout my career, in similar situations, just jumped to a new position. I am fighting that urge right now.

Also, I was promised a raise that never happened. I am paid well, but could likely make a lot more if I left. The raise is still likely and substantial, if I stay.

While there is plenty of work, there is also some chaos at work. Some important, long-term employees have just left, or retired. That means there is a lot of opportunity in the mid-term if things don't fall apart.

I am trying to fight the urge to jump ship again.

Any advice on navigating this situation?

Based on your subsequent answer, and the fact that people are retiring, which provides greater opportunities, I would stay. And as you know, things will not necessary be better elsewhere. And if they happen to be, which would be based on pure luck, the opportunities you have identified might not exist elsewhere.

The conflict I am having is that it seems like a simple workload issue. However, you assume a substantial raise is in your future. Which means to me that you are not falling behind enough that it is viewed as a negative by those that matter to your merits and promotional opportunities. That tells me that you indeed have a lot of work but you haven't reached the point of quality being compromised by quantity. In this case, I'm going to suggest what you don't want to read and already know. You need to push through the work. In the very least, you need to put in the "extra hours" to push the substantial raise to the point where it cannot be denied. At that point you have what I view as two choices. You either receive the raise and let off the gas, followed by a serious conversation regarding the amount of work being assigned to you (since your raise is now locked in); or, you switch your focus to productivity tactics that will reduce your workload. I would do both, but that's just me.

The issue with learning to be more productive is that it is also a time investment on top of an already busy schedule. My advice is to spend the investment time because the pay-off on the other side will be substantial. Yes, you are going to work a lot of hours in the short-term; however, you could realize a situation where you are paid more (maybe even a lot more), you are even more productive, and then promotional considerations start to be presented to you.

In my view, you have a great opportunity there. Put in the time and you will be rewarded.

 

[The Cat]

​

From the depth of Wisdom to the Haight of good advice, keep those questions coming in typology central, you've got the time, we've got threads. Happy Monday to everyone out there in forumland. Remember to stay hydrated. Buy War Bonds.

Back to you Haight.

 

[Coriolis]

I guess taking the person "out back to the woodshed" is not an option. Therefore, it depends.

Without knowing the reason for why you are being attacked in this way, or what is being attacked, specifically, I will have to make a few assumptions. But even if I did know, I will say what I tell most people in this situation, "Beware of sociopaths/psychopaths (ASPD) in the workplace." Sadly, they tend to thrive in Corporate American culture, and probably elsewhere. In their view, you are either a threat that needs to be removed or an ally for their plans, which will be discarded once they have whatever they want from you. The trick of course is one of identification. But if you are aware of this type, my advice is to do what you are alluding to in your first question . . . find a new job. They move up as fast as they fall, and they tend to take people down with them on their way out the door.

If that's not the case, it's going to go back to that ugly word you mentioned in your response to the first question: Networking. Meaning, you need your work, and the people that rely on your work as a resource, to protect you. In that situation, any smart bully will know that you have a network or a shield. And pushing on any point on that will jeopardize their status. If that cannot or will not work, it's time to start documenting everything. You need proof points to support your case. Then . . . it's HR time.

It's long since been "HR time". HR did no more than the three levels of supervisor. That's why I left. I have no idea what made me the target of this bully other than 1) he is a classic narcissist, with plenty of flying monkeys; he and I were the two senior people, surrounded by several almost young enough to be our kids, and he wanted to be sole "king of the hill". We had a brief social encounter outside of work that may have set him off against me somehow, but that is pure speculation. I fault our management as much as I do him. An organization that cares about productivity and at least tries to live by their own stated values would have done something about him long ago.