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Subject:RE: The Tech Writing World From:kcronin -at- daleen -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 26 Mar 2003 10:39:38 -0700
Robert wrote:
> I'm willing to bet that BS is a lot more important to an HR person than
> a technologist. Seems to me that technologists are like BS detectors,
> and you are not going to get very far with them if you don't have
> something pertinent to ask or say.
Absolutely. As the person whose BS comment is being quoted, I should
clarify. By BS I am not referring to *deceiving* somebody that you are
something that you're not, as much as I'm suggesting that you need to
*charm* those you talk to into wanting to know more about you, and into
having confidence in your abilities.
To do so, you need to be able to shoot the poo (so to speak) with whomever
you encounter in the job hunting process. Hence the scatological
reference. <g>
I do NOT advocate misrepresenting yourself, but I do think a little charm
goes a long way. It can get you past some of the hurdles you'll encounter
when your qualifications are not exactly in synch with the posted job
requirements. Get the door open with charm. Then show them some ability.
Ask for their confidence, and then earn it.
I've been able to convince techies that I would bring value to their
teams, even when I had very little experience. I've done so by presenting
myself as reasonably smart and highly driven. Obviously if I cannot
fulfill their most basic job requirements, I'm wasting everybody's time,
so I exercise judgment in choosing which jobs to apply for. But without
exception, each job I've won has been one for which I could have initially
been perceived as underqualified. But in each case I've made it a point to
GET qualified pronto. And after being hired, I try to prove daily to my
employers that they made the right choice in hiring me. YMMV.
Keith Cronin
Think outside the box. Unless it's a really big box; then it's fun to
climb inside and pretend it's a fort.
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