The Fixer

One area in which I have struggled in my on-going job search is the quest to "tag" myself with a clear, identifiable, and alluring label that adequately describes the depth and breadth of my skills, abilities and experiences. I send my resume out into the HR abyss, listing such former jobs as Radio Station Manager, Jazz Book Publisher, and Bishkek Journalism Intern, and I don't hear much in response. Some companies are kind enough to inform me that, while I am a qualified applicant, their applicant pool is very competitive, etc.

Just yesterday I received an especially blunt response from one prospective temp employer (in the field of international development, no less) who needed someone to do presentation layout - a field in which I have quite a bit of experience, albeit between the lines.

"Radio? Oh no, that's not the kind of skills we need at all."

While disheartening in itself, this shouldn't be taken as apocalyptically as I initially did - this was only a temp job. They didn't care about 'career transitions' or 'diverse abilities,' they wanted a generic office temp, and while I hany many of the same skills, my resume is anything but generic.

But this only demonstrates how severe my labeling problem can be. In discussing this difficulty with one particularly enthusiast uncle, he explained it to me thusly (paraphrased): "Ryan, you're a fixer. You fix things, and it doesn't matter what you're doing or what obstacles you're going to face, you will find a way to make things work."

The enthusiasm is appreciated, if somewhat over-stated. However for some time I have used a similar description rooted more strongly in my Boy Scout background by referring to myself with a "Pocket-knife" analogy. Whatever need may arise, I will find a way to equip myself with the right tool to get the job done - or barring that, I will ad hoc with what I have on hand. My reference recalls a 'MacGuyver' figure - the Richard Deane Anderson version, not the live-action Mark Hamil cameo "Guyver" manga - but perhaps a less literal interpretation might fit with another fictional character, the Pretender. This child prodigy super-genius was able to instantly teach himself whatever skills he needed to be an instant expert in any field for one day - Surgeon on Monday, Sculptor on Tuesday, Wall Street Broker Wednesday, etc. I'm no super genius, nor do I ever attain full expertise, and on top of all that, "Pretender" is a rather poor lure when trying to attract an employer's eye.

I'm grappling with how to describe a prospective employee (myself and those of similar ilk) who have especially strong independent/ creative problem-solving abilities, who demonstrate not only diverse talents, but the ability to rapidly assimilate new skills and adapt to changing demands and shifting deadlines/priorities. Someone who thrives in fast-paced environments, but isn't constricted to reflexive action or short-term projects.

For now, let's go with "Fixer."

But let's be clear - It's not easy to be a Fixer, nor always appropriate. Not only does the title require a high degree of intellectual dynamism, it also demands a strong enthusiasm for mundane details and affinity for elbow-grease. Academia is no place for a Fixer. Likewise, unlike our friend the Pretender, the Fixer would not make a good psychologist, actor, school teacher, accountant or lawyer, just to name a few. While there may be cross-over, these professions require specialized training and in-field experience. The very core of the Fixer is the ability able to cross disciplinary boundaries, bridge skill sets, and hybridize industrial knowledge. There can be no Department of Fixerology as the Fixer must, by definition, be able to cultivate new skills as needed, often on the Fixer's own initiative, and as often as not through self-teaching, rather than formal training or professional development.

So who needs a Fixer?

Any employer that needs a worker who can manage budgets, projects, logistics and timelines. Anyone who expects their position to entail specialized software and/or complex equipment. Anyone who needs a take-charge individual to 'grip-it and rip-it.'

But there is a catch. While it may be desirable to hire a Fixer, and proportionally difficult to be a Fixer, it is not especially tricky to claim to be a Fixer, even if your abilities don't in fact measure up. Such a deception cannot last long in a real office environment, but on a 2-D resume it is almost impossible to refute or confirm. The very diversity, lack of specialization, and action-oriented nature of the Fixer shows up on a single-sided piece of paper indistinguishable from the Fixer's arch-nemesis - the Slacker.

Is it any wonder then, that jobs don't advertise for Fixers? they look for 'experienced specialists' and those with 'administrative capacity.' What they need is a fixer, and either they don't realize it, they don't want to invite Slackers, or they simply lack the lingo.

And let's be honest, "Fixer" is not an ideal term. It describes not a quality or even a method, but a result. It is an adverb, not an adjective, and it describes not what the applicant is, but what he can do.

So let's posit the inevitable question: What do you call an unemployed Fixer? A Fixer with nothing to fix? A frozen action verb?

At best, the Fixer is in stasis. At worst, the Fixer ceases to exist in some way.

so what does an unemployed Fixer do?

Does he write blog after blog about his situation?

Or does he Fix it?





Weber
::(lame)Texpatriot