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| Thursday, August 10, 2006 |
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Crap You Spout to Get a Job
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Let's head into the weekend with my first guest blogger ever, Brian Clark. By permission here's a reprint of his entry, Crap You Spout to Get a Job. He displays such a mastery of buzzwords and lingo here that it's no wonder he's won the big bucks in reality.
WHY APPLY?
I am ready for more responsibility. This is a result of personal growth and progression, and it's important to me for my own personal satisfaction. I want to know up front the expectations that a company has for its employees and how to go about meeting and exceeding those expectations to progress up the corporate ladder. This would make me happy, and I believe that a happy employee works harder, smarter and better than an unhappy, unfulfilled one.
PAY SCALE
I have no set aspirations about money and reward. If I am selected for this position, I know I will contribute and add value to the organization. Generally, increased reward follows. I believe you get out what you put in.
STRENGTHS
Speaking in generalities, my strengths are that I am organized, dependable, and willing to contribute ideas and go the extra step to ensure that my job gets done thoroughly expeditiously, while keeping in mind the company's goals and profitability as well. I also am a great peer coach. My co-workers frequently come to me for guidance on how to solve problems and ask what methods I use to complete my assignments as well as I do. I also have a knack for saving business relationships that have been soured by poor performance on the part of the company. I have a stack of compliments that I would like to share with you that underscore this ability. I realized a long time ago that the company I work for may have 5,000 employees, but when I speak to a customer, I am the entire company to that customer. The impression that customer comes away with is directly related to how well I do my job. I don't take that responsibility lightly.
WEAKNESSES
There are some things I'm not so good at, but I'd never say these are weaknesses, because I consider weakness to imply vulnerability, and I don't consider myself vulnerable. I have difficulty working with people who don't pull their weight. I have high standards for my work and I expect others to have high standards too. I'm learning to speak up and request that others contribute more completely long before I start getting angry about a situation that is unequal. I also can't understand people who have a chronic problem getting to work on time.
BIGGEST FAILURE
I generally don't fail because I plan and manage accordingly. But if a process or procedure isn't working well, then I'll change it until it does. The important thing is to put the necessary checks and contingencies in place that enable me to see if things aren't going to plan, and to make changes when and if necessary.
FIVE YEARS FROM NOW...
Five years from now I see myself continuing to work hard and doing the best possible job I can, and making a more significant contribution to whatever organization I'm working for.Long term, I want to make the most of my abilities and build a serious career, but in this day and age nothing is certain or guaranteed. I'll do my best and believe that opportunities will arise which will enable me to keep contributing, increasing my worth, and developing my ability in a way that benefits the organization and me.In five years, I will have also developed new skills and abilities, and I will be even better qualified in whatever way suits the situation and opportunities I have. I will be well-regarded by my peers and respected and trusted by my superiors as someone who continuously increases the value and scale of what he does for the company.
WHAT WILL I BRING TO THE JOB?
I will bring a steady, balanced work ethic to the team. I believe in getting the job done while forging trust and respect with my co-workers.
JUGGLING PRIORITIES
I have those "juggling" situations almost every day. There's no real secret to handling these things, I just prioritize the assignments by how urgent each situation is. In general, I put out the hottest fire first and work my way down from there.Also, knowing where the fires are likely to erupt and preventing said eruption is just as important as putting out the ones already burning. This is an area where my experience is extremely valuable. I've been working long enough to know the consequences of getting the priorities out of order.
HANDLING STRESS
Stress is detrimental to being successful in any situation, and while it is sometimes unavoidable, it can be minimized. I find that keeping perspective on the task at hand and visualizing its completion can greatly reduce stress.Deadlines are different. I look at deadlines as similar to checkpoints in a race. Each checkpoint has to be met within a certain time frame to remain competitive. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment each time I meet one of those checkpoints. |
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Posted by Art | 11:33 PM EST |
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I can't get a second interview to save my life.