- Whether to mention a pregnancy in a job interview
- A possible meeting protocol
- What are an end-user's responsibilities?
- Another take on opening PCs, or not
- Getting some process going
- Selling a more open environment to management
- Running an effective meeting
- Licensing rules for virtual machines
- The ROI of metrics
- Legal challenges to virtual machines
August 21, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Another take on age discrimination
Dear Bob,
I am over 55 with two graduate degrees. One is in Computer Science. I have had two careers, one in the field of each degree. I am being vague to give me some deniability if someone in the company reads this. Currently I am working as a Software Engineer for a medium sized manufacturing company with plants in several countries. During the ten years I have worked here, I have written or managed the writing of all the production software and as well as administrating the production computers at all the plants. I have managed from 0 to 10 people as the company grew and shrank depending on the economic climate. At the moment, the survival of the company is in doubt and I need to move on.
My problem is that I keep sending out resumes for jobs that match my background and interest using both web searches and human networking. I have not gotten one interview. I thought it might be my resume, but the feedback I have gotten is that I make too much money, even though no one has ever asked me what my salary range is. What am I doing wrong?
- Old Man and feeling it.
Dear Feeling it ...
It's hard to say exactly what you're doing wrong. My guess, unencumbered by facts, is that you're either applying for jobs that are stereotypically for younger IT professionals, or are just doing a very poor job of selling. I'm guessing it's the latter.
That you're getting no response from your resumes is unsurprising. Sending resumes to posted positions is a low-likelihood strategy, akin to mailing a brochure when you're selling an expensive product. (The main reason to even have a resume is that not having one raises too many red flags.)
The personal networking is more troubling, but you say you're sending resumes there, too, which leads me to believe that you're using your personal network to find openings, not to provide introductions.
What you ought to be doing is to ask people you know to introduce you to others (and so on) in order to be able to name-drop when asking, by telephone, for an introductory meeting. Name-dropping someone the hiring manager knows and trusts helps you bypass all of the barriers managers erect to keep out the riffraff (sales representatives and low-likelihood applicants).
Don't be shy. Get on the telephone, ask for face-to-face meetings. Ask those referring you what the big issues are that the hiring manager is facing. In your meetings, talk about what you can do to help the hiring manager and company, not about your skills, accomplishments, or anything else (except as anecdotes to illustrate how you'll address various situations).
Put yourself in the hiring manager's situation. Which would you rather do - find out from someone you trust about a potential hire that can handle what's needed? Or sift through a large pile of brochures (resumes) to try to figure out which product (applicant and total stranger) is the right person.
- Bob
Posted by Bob Lewis on August 21, 2006 08:09 PM
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Bob is right on target with his response. Since 2001 (and the Enron collapse), I've had to make 2 job changes, and personal networking is the only route to success that I've found. BTW, you can create networking opportunities by calling up those companies and recruiters that you submit resumes to over the Internet. Don't chalk the situation up to ageism just yet. I'm in what many consider the prime career years, and it took me 3-4 months of searching, meeting, and cold calling to find and get the right position.
Posted by: Buddy at August 23, 2006 07:13 PM|
Three books. Three ways to change the world, your life, or at least Bob Lewis' bank account. Leading IT: The Toughest Job in the World distills the world of IT leadership into eight learnable skills and gives you concrete, practical techniques for each one of them. Bare Bones Project Management: What you can't not do makes project management manageable, even for first-time project managers with no formal training in the discipline. ManagementSpeak: What managers say/What they mean … well, it won't help your career, and won't make you a better manager. Mostly, it will make you chuckle, guffaw, and maybe even chortle. Make friends - it's the perfect gift for anyone who has ever suffered through one of those meetings. Order your copies today! |
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