Getting your player ready...
Dear J.T. & Dale: When I came to work at this place six years ago, the agency rep told me that the boss was “just great” and that I would love working for him. Actually, he’s totally indifferent. It doesn’t matter if you work hard and do an outstanding job or if you are totally inept. On the rare occasion that he gives pay raises, everyone gets the same percentage. Working for him, I feel like a fool for making an effort. I need to find a way to continue working here while landing a job somewhere else. Suggestions? – Cal
J.T.: I’m not sure you’re going to like my reaction. As I read your message, all I could think was, “If he finds it so frustrating, why is he still there after six years?”
DALE: Yes, starting to look after six years says more about you than it does about your boss. Rather than questioning management’s view of the workplace, let’s take a look at yours: You seem to believe in the old Parental Model of Management – that is, you expect the company to take care of you, expect it to make sure you are rewarded financially and expect to be frequently told that you are a good boy. It’s hard to imagine, but that view was common a couple of decades ago. You still see vestiges, just this morning I read about a company that has a physical trainer work with employees.
J.T.: So, Cal, you can search for one of those companies – good luck with that! – or you can recognize that you are a business-of-one with a client who’s indifferent to your work. As a business owner, you have two options: Option 1: Stick with the client, becoming even more disenchanted until it shows in poor performance and eventually you get fired. Option 2: Get your marketing materials in good order and go out and sell yourself like crazy so you can replace the bad client with a good one.
DALE: You even can choose to see your current situation as liberating. After all, if your boss ignores you, you are free to develop your skills and build your network. If you undertake a program of self-improvement and exploration, you’ll improve what you have to offer till you make yourself worthy of a great boss.
Dear J.T. & Dale: I have targeted three large companies where I’d like to work. I recently had a grueling interview with one of them, and afterward the company’s HR rep scheduled me to come in to take some tests. One was a reading comprehension test where I blanked and probably bombed. I didn’t get asked back. Given that the company has automated all its application processes, is there now a file at that company with my bonehead move in it, hindering any further chances? – Red
J.T.: A lot of job-hunters are put off by the automation of the interview process, but it’s here to stay. Companies just can’t physically afford to go through all the resumes/applications they receive, not when large corporations can get thousands a week.
DALE: Meanwhile, although your test results probably are in a database, it’s a mistake to assume that’s the reason you didn’t get the job. One of the most frustrating parts of job-hunting is the absence of feedback; you just don’t know – maybe the opening got pulled and they ended up not hiring anyone, or maybe they hired the boss’s nephew, or all along they were planning to hire someone internally but were required to go through the steps.
J.T.: Network like crazy and try to develop relationships with people working in the company. That way, even if you have a file with a poor test result, the hiring manager can overrule it and still move you through the process.
