The last year has been a bumpy road for me. In an effort to makes sense of all the things that have happened, I have tried to map lessons I learned from getting through the rough spots. Specifically, my career life has been very rocky. Both the economy and the psychology of my last company has delivered as many lessons as it did hard times.
But in the end, I am stronger for it and also a better professional. The question I have is should I be open about lessons learned? Should I blog about the experiences I had with my last employer? Sharing my experiences is personally cathartic, but it would also help others who might be in similar situations. Sharing personal experiences can be a dangerous thing, but is a greater good served to the community by sharing the good, bad and really bad?
Let me know your thoughts.
~DK
I recently joined The Ladders to increase my exposure to the job market, but I am having second thoughts about its value. Its central purpose is to expose you to exclusive opportunities and recruiters for executive level jobs, but it seems to be a business seeking to monetize its users at every step by offering hard-sell services such as resume writing and other services beyond the monthly subscription. Moreover, the aggregated exposure you gain from paying for The Ladders service is far less robust than LinkedIn’s free account.
The bottom line is you need a strong active network of people to find work. Relationships are how you gain access to unadvertised opportunities. When it comes to posted jobs, sites like LinkedIn, Indeed and the various free job boards offer nearly all the information you pay for in The Ladders.
Expect the Best
I have had a charmed career since it began. I came into the workforce amidst a strong economy and that prevailed for over a decade. The last three years, however, have not been good for me. After a long and very enjoyable career at Move.com, I decided to take on the start-up world. As many of you know, start-ups are volatile and I was in the midst of a tanking economy when I made the switch.
I took much for granted when I made the change. I assumed my luck and past experiences would prevail and everything would be just fine. But, that has not been the case. Now, I am faced with job changes and being laid off. Re-entering the job market when jobs are scarce and being told I am over qualified for many of the jobs I am interested in is a humbling experience I never planned for. Getting my foot in the door takes longer and the number of opportunities are much more limited. So, what do I do?
I recieved lots of advise on this front. I have been told to “dumb down” my resume and lower my expectations. But this is counter to how I am wired. I worked hard getting my skills up to were they are. Having high expectations has always delivered high results in the past. So why should I lower the bar for myself?
Free=Freedom?
I recently embarked on an unexpected adventure that has resulted in a substantial perspective change for me. After losing my job to a downsizing, I took no time to get busy doing something to keep me sharp and maintain a productive existence. A friend of mine recently started an amazing company, but he is in bootstrap, start-up mode; he needs to be lean and focus resources on his product. So a typical job was not in the cards at this time. Speaking over dinner, we both decided that I might be able to help him dial some things in for his company.
I didn’t expect to fall in love with the job, the product and the people there, but I have. The vibe, the freedom and the belief that the company is on to something amazing are the perfect combination for a life changing experience. The only downside is that income is a delayed thing–and I have immediate needs.
Believe it or not, being unemployed for an extended period of time may make you less employable. I recently was speaking with a colleague of mine about a hiring manager who was less likely to consider a candidate for a position if he/she had been unemployed for an extended period of time. Both my colleague and I thought this state if mind was short sided and actually flat out wrong. Why would a hiring manager eliminate a candidate from the interview pool because he/she was unemployed for an extended period? Is this simply recession think?
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My blog post yesterday, What is Move.com’s Mobile Strategy?, was not a critique of Move.com as a company, but rather an offer of an offer to help. An idea based on my background as a former Move Vice President with deep knowledge of the Web and the real estate industry. I was employed at Move from 2001 to 2007. In that time, I was a deeply engaged executive… I have context.
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