Looking for a Job? Any Job? I’ll Never Hire You

I do a lot of networking, it’s key for entrepreneurs – or really anyone – these days. From social meetups to professional ones, to just bumping into strangers at a ballgame, or while out for a bite to eat, you really never know who you may meet, or more importantly, how you may help each other.

Lots of the fine folks I meet are either underemployed or unemployed. Kudos to them for being brave, and when I ask what they do, they tell me directly that they are looking for work.

When I was – well – younger – looking for work was almost shameful.

“I’m in between jobs,” many would say, as they were ashamed, even embarrassed to be looking for a job.

Everyone had a job, and if you didn’t, others would wonder: “what’s wrong with you?”

Looking back, that’s probably not the right attitude, but that was the prevailing way we thought of ourselves, our work, and our lives back then.

There isn’t anything wrong with being out of work. It happens, people outgrow companies, and companies outgrow people. It’s the nature of our human-driven social structure.

These days, more people are looking for work than ever before. Not because there is this sudden influx of jobs. No. Sadly, it’s quite the opposite. The economy has shifted across our global working world, tossing more than a quarter of the planet’s population out of work.

So, looking for a job is no longer a shameful thing, and it certainly is a lot more of the commonality people have at many networking functions.

Being underemployed or unemployed is so common, the immediate standard response to someone looking for work has become: “so, what are you looking for?”

Or at least, being an entrepreneur that may hire someone, or know others that may be looking to hire people, I always ask that.

“Anything,” or “I don’t know,” or “something better, anything better, than I’m doing now,” are the worst possible answers.

Looking for a job? Any job? I won’t hire you.

I don’t have just any job at my company, and I bet most business owners would agree with me on this.

PASSION is one of the most important things I look for in bringing anyone aboard my team. 

PASSION is falling in love with a specific job, industry or career path. Studies show that those who are passionate about what they do, will do it far better than those who aren’t.

Though PASSION is important for many other reasons too.

In creating the perfect workplace, I want to only hire people that WANT to be there. I don’t want people working for me that dread getting up in the morning, because they have to go to work. I want people that leap out of their lover’s arms, because they just can’t wait to get to work.

Well, okay, maybe not that passionate. But close.

People that hate their jobs, bring down the entire workplace. Negative attitudes about the company, the management, the work, or even the furniture are more easily contagious than positive ones. Even to those that don’t agree – because when someone lacks passion for their work, they usually have an abundance of passion against their work.

Negative colleagues spread rumors, talk behind other’s back, mock management, don’t arrive on time, and may even slack-off at their tasks.

And worse, negative colleagues can turn positive, passionate ones into negative ones, so even those that love what they do and where they do it could become slackers spreading stories.

So if we ever meet and you’re looking for work, and I ask you what you are looking for, you’d better have any answer other than: “anything.”

Because if you tell me “anything” you’ll never work for me – nor be recommended by me to others.

We’re not children, I’m not asking you what you want to be when you grow-up. This isn’t recess – it’s life.

And if you really don’t know what you are passionate about, and what you want out of life, you’d better find it – fast.

Following-Up – The Single Most Important Thing You Aren’t Doing

I went to a monthly business networking event last week.

Personally, I enjoy getting into the headspace of someone other than me. 

Professionally, there are so many entrepreneurs either going through the same issues I am, or already having gone through them, they have learned how to solve many of the problems I encounter daily.

However, when I follow-up and actually call or email those I’ve exchanged business cards with, I’m amazed how many are glad I did. Not that I’m anything special and they were just waiting by the phone for my call.

I have an ego, but it ain’t that big.

Most are happy I followed-up from the networking event, because most people don’t take the time or make the effort to do just that – to follow-up.

Not that it takes a lot of effort, picking up the phone, emailing, instant messaging, texting or connecting with someone on the social networks isn’t like putting a family on the Moon. You can do all of those things from any smartphone – well, other than putting a family on the Moon.

Still, after the business cards have been given the once-over, and placed in each other’s respective pockets, often that’s the end of that.

According to statistics, 80 percent of the business cards we hand out end up being tossed out. Put another way, only 20 percent of your business cards will make it into someone’s filing system.

That is a missed opportunity of epic proportions.

Not that every person you meet in your 70 or more years on this planet will have anything significant to add to that life.

But how do you know who will or won’t add something to your vast life of experiences, when all you’ve had is a mere moments with someone when they first handed you a business card?

I keep all the business cards people give me. If I were to lay them out on the floor, edge-to-edge, I’d probably need a football stadium’s worth of floor space.

People change jobs, companies move and even go out of business. But that’s why following-up is so very important.

If you put off following-up, even more than a week or two, you may have missed an opportunity beyond your wildest dreams.

You never know, that pushy person that was creeping you out may know someone that can help you grow your business.

Well, okay, pushy people selling questionable products or services may not be someone to follow-up with.

Sometimes you just have to use your better judgement. However, for the most part, if you get a good vibe from someone, and do the business card exchange, you should make the next move and call or email them.

It doesn’t take much effort, the time invested is well worth it, and the person on the other end of the phone or email will be happy you called or wrote.

Ultimately, the benefit of reaching out to those you’ve exchanged business cards with is you’ll build a network of people that will help you grow your business, as you help them grow theirs.

This doesn’t mean selling them your products and services. It drives me crazy when I meet with people and that’s all they want to do – to make a sale.

Offer to help others in any way you can. And chances are, others will offer to help you too.

That’s the nature of real networking.

And that’s the best way to grow your business.  

Struggling to Find Work? Don’t Flip-Flop Hop-Skip and Jump Your Title

I attend many social and business networking functions, and I’m always amazed and saddened by the number of people at these events out of work and looking for their next job.

A handful of years ago, I’d guess fewer than 10% of the attendees were unemployed. Now, it’s more like 80% are either unemployed, or severely underemployed.

What shocks and horrifies me more is the reason why so many people are struggling to find work.

As I go through the LinkedIn profiles and resumes sent to me, I see many have flip-flop hop-skipped and jumped from job to job, to job.

I’ve seen several LinkedIn profiles where each person has worked for no more than four months at any one employer.

Traditionally, a work history with such brief stints at any one company would be a big red flag. A warning beacon about a person unable to hold down a steady job.

Today, it is a sad sign of the new economy, as companies of all sizes hire on short-term project-based contracts, instead of thinking of the bigger long-term picture.

Want a career, with benefits, a decent salary, and job security? Don’t come to North America – we don’t have that here.

Gone are the days when companies of all sizes – of any size really – hire qualified people on staff.

Gone are the days when companies hire people period. Most companies these days don’t hire anyone, instead they just contract out their work to temporary staff

Temporary staff – AKA you -- are only paid for the hours you work, so any statutory holidays you must take (because the office is closed) or you voluntarily take (so you don’t burn out) are unpaid.

The temporary employment agency that recruited you tells you, there is occasional overtime. However, your “employer” (the agency’s client”) tells you that they don’t pay overtime, yet they expect you to put in those volunteer hours on your own dime.

There is no job security. Your contract can be terminated without any notice, rhyme or reason.

And you are constantly lead to the promised land, as both your temporary agency and their client tell you they love your work, and are considering hiring you on staff, with benefits.

That’ll never happen. They tell that to everyone. It keeps you motivated, and makes them appear to care about your well-being, which they don’t.

They didn’t put you on a temporary contract to try before they buy. Nope.

They put you and most of the other unfortunate hard working folks around you on temporary contracts, so that they can get rid of you.

And they will get rid of you.

You’ve probably already gone through this routine, which is why your resume flip-flops and hop-skip and jumps around so much.

Despite my own understanding of this new world of work, I’m still hesitant to hire someone that hasn’t held a job longer than a couple of years.

Perhaps I’m old fashioned in my aging years. However, a piece of me also knows that many of those titles are manufactured just because.

I know people who have created their own one-person consulting businesses. They tell me they are proud entrepreneurs. They’ll never work for anyone else, ever again.

Yet these very same people change their title on LinkedIn and probably on their resume, every time they land a new contract.

That’s not very entrepreneurial – in fact it reads just like everyone else looking for work, as they flip-flop hop skip and jump their titles.

What’s worse, is it shows how confused and desperate many have become. So much so, that they confuse creating their own job, with being hired on a temporary contract.

So long as you are on any form of employment contract with anyone, you are not an employee, nor are you an entrepreneur working for yourself.

Instead, you are a piece of paper, being filed, stamped, and stomped all over.

So long as you are on any temporary employment contract with anyone, you are no different than a stapler, or any other office resource.

And that’s the real problem with our new economy of temporary contracted out people. Because when you’re nothing more than a stapler, and another stapler comes along, willing to work for less than you, you’re suddenly out of work.

Yet you’ve shown your commitment and dedication by updating your social media profiles, your LinkedIn, your resume, maybe even your business cards.

Don’t Flip-Flop Hop-Skip and Jump Your Title unless you really are an entrepreneur and there isn’t anyone that can fire you but you.

Having a work history that changes every few months isn’t very professional, shows a lack of judgement on your part, and could end up costing you your dream job.

And this is coming from someone that understands the new world of temporary work, and goes through a lot of resumes and LinkedIn profiles as I build my business ventures.

So You Want to Start Your Own Business? What's Stopping You? Maybe This...

What's holding you back from becoming an entrepreneur?

So many people tell me: "one day, one day, Jordan, I'm going to start my own business."

Why not today? Because "one day" never seems to come.

We are indoctrinated into society, thinking the normal way of life is to go to school, get an education, and then get a job.

And that was a decent way of life for most, up until the past decade or so, when jobs -- good jobs with real benefits, job security and a decent wage -- disappeared.

Yet for most of us, we still hold on to outdated beliefs, thinking we got our education, so finding that good job won't be hard. Everyone can find work.

Looking for work these days is like picking through stale leftovers. Big businesses continually cut costs by axing good jobs, and replacing them with project-based hourly temporary contracted gigs.

The biggest thing holding people back from being their own boss is this misconception from days long since gone. 

For those that were lucky enough to get -- and still have -- a decent good job -- fear is the next big stumbling block to entrepreneurship. 

Everyone knows someone looking for work.

Years ago, I started going to meetups to grow my social network. When you first meet someone new, one of the most common questions you ask, or are asked, is: "what do you do?"

We tie so much of our identities to what we do for a living, it has become another stigma in society -- because if you don't work, you don't exist.

When I first started going to these meetup events, everyone had a job. Now, more than half -- I'd even guess over 70 percent -- are unemployed or underemployed.

Big business has cleaned house to the point where: "I'm in between jobs," has been replaced with the more direct: "I'm looking for work," as a standard response to: "what do you do?"

So those who have a decent job, and see their colleagues, friends, even family members, be let go, and replaced with temporary contractors, they fear leaving their decent job to make their own way in the world.

But that fear works two-fold, not only do they fear leaving, they are in constant flux, fearing that they will be next -- that one day they will be replaced by a temporary contractor.

Fear is a funny thing, in a so unfunny way.

Science tells us fear is a natural instinctive response we all have as human beings, to preserve and safeguard our lives. The fight or flight instinct -- our fear response -- kept our ancestors from being eaten by a bear, keeps our kids from sticking their tongues to frozen street poles (or not!), and keeps us from quitting our secure day jobs.

However, the later isn't so much a fight or flight response, as it is in our heads.

And this brings us to the biggest roadblock to entrepreneurship -- our own attitudes, mindsets, and ways of thinking.

Anyone can be an entrepreneur.

Anyone.

Your boss, your best friend, your ex, even you.

However, the first step in any journey requires you to open up your mind, and make that first step.

If you tell yourself: "I can't do this, this is crazy!" Then you never will be an entrepreneur, or do anything else that you think is crazy.

However, if you put all doubts on hold, take a deep breath, and take that one giant leap, you'll be on your way to conquering crazy, overcoming fear, and learning that our society's misconceptions of going to school to land a decent job are false.

Congratulations! You are ever closer to making your own way in the world, rather than depending on others to constantly employ you.

Because there is no greater dependency in life, than having to depend on someone else to write your paycheque.

5 Tips to Win Over a Crowded Room with your Elevator Speech

I've been crafting a new business, which is really an amazing process. 

Going out and talking to people to find out what they like and don't like about the current products and services, and then working to resolve those issues is an incredible journey for my new company and my own self-discovery.

There's more to networking than business cards.

A wise person once told me, the best bosses don't command their staff to do their jobs, they ask them how they can help their staff do their jobs better.

But what happens when the uber boss -- mainly moi -- is looking for someone to assist me in doing my job better?

It's an interesting paradox, because part of being a good leader is to always -- always -- remain confident in your abilities to lead. 

I'm not saying when in doubt, make it up. When I don't know the answer, I say so -- but I always follow-up with: "I'll find out."

No one knows everything. 

Which brings us back full circle -- who's the boss go to for help?

For years, I've been a big fan of the whole meetup phenomenon. A handful of years ago, I stumbled upon meetup.com for a social group related to one of my many hobbies.

I was instantly impressed at finding people in my neighborhood, interested in the same things I was, and even more impressed that they were interested in getting together to swap stories and experiences.

I've made some great friends through meetup.com -- which really is amazing, because not to knock the fabric which this blog is written on, but most people online are crazy.

Well, okay -- not most. But there are a lot of whackos out there in the cyberworld.

A real elevator speech?

I've been looking for people to share my experiences with professionally. I've joined professional development organizations in the past -- great people, but the most dull and dreary events.

It's one thing to find someone you can spend hours talking shop with, it's another if the venue or the event you are at is so dull, you're about ready to roll up in the corner and go for a snooze.

So I was hesitant to join any meetup groups for professional purposes. I prefer to sleep in my own bed thank you very much comfy corner.

But I've since attended a handful of professional meetup events, and been quite impressed. They were well run, well managed, and definitely not dull.

I can talk shop, and even more interesting, by simply listening to others, often solve my own issues.

And I'm learning -- I'm always learning -- but from these meetups, when we're asked to give our 30-second elevator pitch, I am learning from others what works, what doesn't, and that there are still a few crazies on the net that make their way into the room.

Like the guy that began to chew out one of the presenters in front of everyone in the middle of his presentation, simply because he didn't agree with the perspective of the presenter.

Awkward.

But in honor of yesterday's iPhone 5S and 5C release, as Steve Jobs used to famously say, but wait, there's more . . . 

Here are 5 things I've learned so far about winning over a crowded room with your elevator speech:

1. Be Front and Centre
   We were in a packed room of about 250 people, and I was constantly cramping my neck trying to see who was speaking, as most just stood up wherever they were to speak. Then, this one guy got up, started giving his speech, and while talking, waked up the middle isle, and right to the front of the room. Then he began to go back, again down the middle isle, as he wrapped up his speech. BRILLIANT! All eyes followed his every move, and made him all the more memorable.
   
2. Wear Bright Bold Colors
   I'm no fashionista, but even I washed out in my black suit and colourful tie. I noticed I paid more attention to men and women in bright red, blue and yellow as they stood out from the rest of the group.
   
3. Be Bold and Brief
   Half the room appeared to be developers and SEO specialists at one event. Then this guy stood up and declared: "I'm the best developer in this room, want to know more, I'm here." Got my attention, and showed some moxie.
   
4. Be Generous
   Of all the speakers, aside from the organizers, only one stood up, and thanked everyone for coming, sharing their stories, and then he thanked the organizers for a wonderful event. Not all business is rough and tough conquer and divide, a lot can be said for leaders that show some humility and humanity.
   
5. Love Bacon
   A woman concluded her introduction with: ". . . and I love bacon." Everyone laughed. Actually, later at the start of another elevator speech, a guy said: "and I love women that love bacon." Humour goes a long way in winning over people, especially if you want to be the one with the long line of people awaiting to talk to you during a break or at the end of the schedule of events. No, you don't have to love bacon, but it certainly doesn't hurt.