Job Hunt Pop Quiz

Job hunting is an interesting experience, especially for the self-absorbed. Total strangers want you to talk about yourself, preferrably in glowing terms. The downside is that, once you have your standard 2:00/ elevator speech prepared, the narrative starts to feel a bit mechanical. Hopefully not to the recruiter, but let's face it, they can only hear the phrases "detail-oriented," "self-starter" "problem-solver" and "Team member" in so many different combinations before it must all be taken as wrote.

Phone interviews - or worse, screenings - are the ultimate disembodied experience of this mutual robotic personality test. As I go through my narrative, with all the vocal expression and earnest audio character that a career in radio has given me, I picture the otherwise dynamic, intelligence living soul on the other end of the line checking off boxes one by one.

Speaks English

Team Member

Problem-Solver

Communication Skills

Management Experience

Criminal Record

Hard Worker

The whole process is exactly as formal as my projection suggests. Phone screeners are generally not involved elsewhere in the hiring process, and once their transcribed notes are submitted to the actual decision makers, they will have no further input on the search. Sometimes, phone screeners are HR specialists, and other times they're program employees fulfilling a quota of HR duties. Regardless, to reduce "favoratism" all phone screeners within a company are required to ask the exact same questions to each candidate, and these are often very similiar across different organizations as well. In addition to such open-ended queries as, "Tell me more about your background" there are always one or two surprises, often in the zone of 'touchy-feely' principles.

A recent phone screening asked me to define in my own words, and in only one sentence each, the three core principles of the organization. Since 'my own words' tend to be rather, well verbose seems an appropriate choice, this presented something of a challenge. On the fly, here's what I came up with:

Leadership is the ability not only to behave in a manner that sets a good example, but to inspire others to follow that example in their own lives and professional accomplishments. Being a 'good person' is noble; convincing others to aspire to such nobility themselves is leadership.

Versatility is the capacity to address new situations or challenges with innovative solutions that actually produce practical results. Creativity, while an important aspect of versatility, is fundamentally inadequate by itself. Practical resourcefulness, adaptability, and 'gumption' are needed to move creative ideas into actual solutions.

Integrity is knowing that an impartial observer, unaware of any "special circumstances" which may have excused the action in your own mind, would not find one's actions or motivations suspicious or objectionable. This vicarious perception test involves a bevy of assumptions, but removes the simple subjectivity of moral rectitude which every individual universally and automatically ascribes to their own actions.

It's not that I'm entirely satisfied with my impromptu responses, but at least it added an element of spontaneity and creative thinking to what has otherwise become a rather tedious (and thus far unproductive) step in the job hunt safari.

Also, as a point of reference, consider these alternate/ official definitions

Leadership

Dictionary.com - "the ability to lead."

Wikipedia - "The process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task."

Versatility

Dictionary.com - "Capable of adapting or adapted for turning easily from one to another of various tasks, fields, endeavors, etc."

Wikipedia - "The property of having many different abilities."

Integrity

Dictionary.com - "Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character."

Wikipedia - "Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code."

Self-Obsessed

Feeling the need to share one's every thoughts and experiences with any audience willing to listen; narcissism; blogging.

Weber

::(lame)Texpatriot