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.
Resume Anxiety
Everyone has an opinion about what a great resume looks like, but no one seems to agree on a single definition of great. As many job seekers, I have solicited feedback from many people on how I should word, organize and format my resume. And like others, I find myself working with conflicting advise and opinions. Even when I have complete trust in the advise of all the people from whom I have gotten feedback, I still am left with substantial–material differences of opinion.
Here are some examples: I have a robust and diverse background. I have been a project manager, a product manager, an executive and a consultant. In recent years with the volatility on the economy, I have had to be flexible in the types of roles I take. I am capable of many things, so how do I convey what I am really good at. As an example, I have a Masters degree, I am a veteran and have a current PMP certification. How should I highlight those things? I have had VP level jobs and been a general manager, so how do I tie that into my more functional abilities? Do I put my education first or my work experience? Do I use bullet points or should I use a more narrative format? Do I even mention I have a PMP when applying for non project management jobs? Should I de-emphasise my executive experience or my functional experience?
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Starting a e-commerce business is easier than ever with cloud e-commerce platforms out there like Shopify and OrderCup. I am doing some technical consulting with a local product start-up, Sockwa. While getting product into stores is the ultimate goal, the e-commerce strategy is key to the success of the business and lucky for Sockwa, affordable and powerful e-commerce platforms are readily available in the cloud.
At Sockwa, getting the product out on the web was a snap. Shopify offers amazing features for the price and it has tight integration with order fulfillment and CRM tools readily available in Ordercup. Both platforms do a great job exchanging data keeping up with inventory, shipping and customers is ridiculously easy.
The big hurdle is overcoming having your data stored locally. It was a bit of a stretch initially, but in the end, the freedom that comes with having all your data in the cloud and the maintenance of the application being in the hands of the SaaS providers keep Sockwa focused on the core mission, creating a revolution in footwear.
I’m really excited for Sockwa’s future and having the e-commerce strategy dialed in with cloud services makes the future even brighter.
~DK
Embrace Open Source
Open Source Software might be just the thing to get those creative juices flowing when you have a creative itch to scratch. Conventional wisdom will tell you that web product development needs to follow specific steps; industry standard prescribed phases and deliverables may prove valuable, but also can impede creativity. The cost of starting without pre-developed tools can switch focus to building the tools and not the product. The product manager may then elect to work in the abstract and put ideas on paper in a technical vacuum before making choices on platform or functionality. Buying a technology platform before you know what you need is expensive, but open source platforms might just be the thing that frees the web product mind from cost and constraints get the ideas on the screen as quickly.
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How often do you feel your talent is wasted where you are? Or how do you know someone who flourished upon a job change?
Recently, I visited a few colleagues of mine at their new place of employment. We all worked together in the past and I was struck by what I noticed and what I observed in my meeting with them. I have a deep admiration for all three folks to whom I am referring. They are rock stars at what they do. They are highly engaged, proactive professionals who amaze me constantly and they are simply great and kind people. But, when we all worked together in the past, it seemed that something was holding them back. They did their jobs well, had great attitudes…great employees. The difference became clear to me when I saw them together in this new place…a new job.
This recession has forced me to take a new look at how approach career development. It has never been more important to network and take a pluralistic approach to the job hunt. But networking often “feels” disingenuous and superficial. When you lack employment and are seeking to fix it, you are at a disadvantage and you want something of someone and have little to return the favor. And these days, there are a lot of people out there caught up in “recession think” on the job hunt who are just trying to get an inside to gain some sort of advantage over the masses with whom they are competing.
The outcome is a short-term contact cycle where if your networking efforts fail be productive, you have to move on quickly. In a normal economic situation, it might be best to continue to grow the networking relationship for longer term goals, but today, people move on and the contact stops. This is not a healthy approach to building up a profile and reputation in the workforce. And, unfortunately, when you have a sense of eternal instability, its too easy to use people and burn bridges for your own gains. Continue reading »
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