Reinke Faces Life

http://www.networkworld.com/careers/2006/
101606-career-cio-tips.html?netht=101606netflash

Create your own career destiny
Three CIOs share tips for advancing in your profession.

Management Strategies By Sandra Gittlen, Network World, 10/16/06

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Bill Leo began his career putting paper in printers at a Fortune 100 firm. Greg Morrison started out as a commissioned officer doing project management in the Army Signal Corps. And Scott Townsend used a background in economics as a springboard into IT.

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It doesn’t matter how you start. It does matter how you finish.

It’s an interesting read.

IMHO if we had more techies in CIO positions and more business people as CTOs, our industry would be better off.

What does one tell a new turkey about learning the ropes? (A new turkey is a now unemployed person who has yet to realize that, de facto, they are a turkey!)

When this one turkey contacted me for help, he seemed pretty far up on the learning curve. He had a networking profile! Although he didn’t call it that. He thought it was just a short one page resume that he used for “non specific job opportunities”. But, that’s for another email.

So, it wasn’t long (less than a week), that I saw something that clicked his name in my mind. (I put any active turkey’s networking profile on my wall — not for them — to remind me it’ll be my turn soon!) The email’s quoted below. I immediately drop kicked to him. My thinking was that just because it wasn’t spot on, it was a GREAT opportunity in several dimensions.

My thought was that he could springboard off it to: (1) make contact with one of my silver hunters for future consideration; (2) learn everything he could about the 18 other opportunities that she said she was trying to source; (3) identify all those companies or agencies who were hiring; (4) identify all those supplier, customers, competitors, and cooperators who might have needs. AND (5) possibly trigger an idea for a new product, service, or niche that he could exploit.

Because he was presenting (A term I like from the TV show ER) like an experienced turkey, I did NOT go into this level of detail. I just mumbled something about it not being “spot on” but “exploitable”.

He kicked it back with he didn’t want to do intra-week travel on a steady basis.

First, he was focused tactically; I was thinking strategically.

Second, in consulting, there’s travel, and then there’s “travel”. I had a consulting job with 100% travel, and never left the tri-state area. What they meant was that you didn’t have an office. I was either working from my in home office or the client prem. So, he closed it down without learning what does travel really mean. (I was “out” when that consulting gig said “100% travel” and I was hungry enough to say “yes, but what does that mean?”!)

Third, he missed the point. Early in the jobsearch, you want a huge sales funnel. Premature pruning of leads eliminates all possibilities.

If you have and use a methodology, then you won’t do this. It used to be, when I was “out”, and I may well be “out” again, to never say “no”. That wasn’t my job. My job was to be always saying “yes”. “yes, maybe”, “yes, perhaps”, “yes what if”, but always “yes”.

When we hit them saying “no”, that’s when I would stop. (Usually because there was nothing further to be gained.) But not before I drained every drop of value.

A premature “no” in this case denied him the chance to find out who this silver hunter knew, to learn what he truly might not know that no one can tell him, and to practice the craft of interviewing.

(Yeah, yeah, you know what’s coming … a long boring lecture on the Johari window.)

https://reinkefj.wordpress.com/2006/06/08/turkey-the-joseph-luft-and-harry-ingham-window-aka-the-johari-window/

We don’t know what we don’t know. Watch the quiz shows when someone gets a question wrong that they were 100% dead certain they knew. We need to minimize that column (i.e., that which we can’t see).

So, I would suggest that all turkeys always need to be thinking strategically and that a methodology will help you do that. It can be Lucht’s, Parachute’s, or a roll your own. The methodology will help decide when it is safe to safe “nah!”, “ney”, “nyet”, “no”, or “are you kidding me”.

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From: A Silver Headhunter
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 12:42 PM
To: John Reinke http://public.2idi.com/=reinkefj
Subject: Can you recommend someone for this job?

If you have a moment, I’d appreciate your help. Please take a look and forward this job on to anyone you think would be interested in the position, or anyone else who could help me find a great candidate.

We also have needs for the following types of people:

BLAH, blah, blah.

Thanks for your help!
-Lauren

Company: Management Consulting Firm
Job Title: ASSOCIATE PARTNER-OPERATIONS STRATEGY
FOR MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Description: INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE: Defense & Aerospace; Manufacturing, Automotive, or Hi-Tech
LOCATIONS: Most Major Cities
TRAVEL: Mon- Fri

The Candidate must meet the following requirements to be considered qualified:

BLAH, Blah, blah

COMPENSATION: 165-200K + bonus (35%)

———-

This email was sent to you by XYZ through LinkedIn because XYZ thought you might be interested in this job opening or know people who would be interested in applying.

If you wish to change how you receive future job notifications, please click here.

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STRATEGY: How well does your Unique Value Equation sell …
… … this post, for students, works well for seekers too … imho.

http://www.nichegeek.com/
why_youll_never_get_rich_studying_
african_feminism_in_the_19th_century

http://tinyurl.com/ycsaq3

Why you’ll never get rich studying African feminism in the 19th century
By BEN STEIN

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For students slogging their way through school, here are the merest hints of how you can and cannot reach that top 1 percent, that place where you are paid well even if you make mistakes:

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When I talk to baby turkeys, I try to get them to see the uniqueness I see. Everybody has something (Mine must be my ability to pontificate!) that sets them apart.

But that’s not enough.

One of my unique value propositions is that “I can make three different type of paper airplanes that will fly”.

It’s unique. It has value. And, it’s an equation.

BUT is there are market for it.

Sadly know. As usual, there are people who can do it better, faster, cheaper, and have written books about it.

So, this particular pontification is about taking your UVE and creating a Unique Sales Proposition.

How can I propose creating value for you with my paper planes ability and retain for myself some of that value I create for you?

That’s a USP.

What’s yours?

From: John Reinke http://public.2idi.com/=reinkefj
To: Vincent Wright
Sent on: October 19, 2006
Category: New Venture

LINKEDIN … ZIPCODE

Vincent,

As the Lord High Poobah of the LinkedIn XXX Yahoo Group genre, if you would like to create a LinkedInBYZipcode, LinkedIn08824, and LinkedIn08054. then I’d be happy to “help”. Consistent with the high standards I’ve seen in the three groups I frequent, I promise to (1) be kind to the clueless; (2) be firm with the rule breakers; and (3) obsessively thankful for you showing me how to get some value out of LinkedIn.

Respond if you think it’s a good idea. And, where can we get those snazzy linkedin badges.

?

http://socialtech.ca/ade/index.php/2006/10/unqualified-enthusiasm/

Unqualified Enthusiasm

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This was sent to me by a friend who works at an advertising agency. They have a job opening in their research department, and they received this email cover letter along with a resume from someone applying for the job (I have removed the names and email addresses of the people involved, everything else is word for word):

<extra stuff deleted>

I’m able to use a computer (sending this email is proof) and I work well with others. Another one of the benefits I bring to the table is I never have a problem with customer service. I have returned many items with no to little questions asked. I must have one of those faces people trust. I don’t cook, so most of the meals I eat are cold, and raw… so sushi is cool too.

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What a hoot! But, it’s probably fake. Everyone has spel chekers!

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000703.html

Many people can’t find the value in LinkedIn.

I think it is:

(1) making yourself findable (i.e., to headhunters);

(2) finding others (i.e., to solve “problems” or exploit “opportunities”; and

(3) strengthening weak bonds.

There are 398 Yahoo Groups about LinkedIn. Here’s the list:

http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=LinkedIn&sc=0&sg=0&ss=1

Here are the ones that I have found are useful.

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/LICM/

LICM is especially for users of the LinkedIn Contacts Management Application developed by Arnnei Speiser of Mega AS Consulting Ltd.

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/MyLinkedinPowerForum/

Linkedin Power Forum is to help Linkedin users power up their networking in order to do business better. To do business better, we need to communicate better, faster, and WITH LESS STRESS! Communication is POWER – and at 7.5 million users, Linkedin represents a LOT of power for you!

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/LinkedinBloggers/

LinkedIn Bloggers is a forum for discussing how blogging and related technologies, such as podcasting, video blogging (vlogging)and wikis can support members’ professional networking using LinkedIn.

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… … you are missing a big opportunity for “viral communication”.

Plaxo, the address book synchronization service that I like, allows you to put lots of “stuff” in it. I wish I had a nickel for every turkey that doesn’t have their record fully filled out. I recommend using their mini-bulletin board as an ongoing job search update. It replicates to EVERYONE that has your card. What better advertising would you want? It’s viral. It flies below the radar. And, your contacts will see it if they look at the “update stream”. So, I tell “my” turkeys that they should load the darn things up with anything positive that they can say. It costs NOTHING!

Yet people don’t do it.

Why?

http://www.jobster.com/

Can’t give you too much info about it except it supports groups. There’s a Jasper Group with two people there.

Employment Contract

Guaranteed Severance

Stock Options/Equity

Performance Bonus

Sign-On Bonus

Guaranteed First-Year Bonus

http://www.jibberjobber.com

DISCLAIMER ON

I don’t pretend to be a pro writer, tester, or reviewer. Nor do I play one on tv. I’m just a Big Turkey that has been in quite a few moccasins both in, out, and on the slippery slope into and out of transition. I have a real job (currently) and this just represents a fast roll thru the features.

DISCLAIMER OFF

Jibber Jobber (http://www.jibberjobber.com) notes:

(01) It’s not free. So already I don’t like it. I’m an Open Source kinda guy where you pay for support or extra services. As a general rule, because seekers are easily taken advantage of, I tell my baby turkeys NEVER to pay for anything. At least, until they are very sure of the value.

(02) It uses paypal which I don’t like, don’t trust, and am leery of.

(03) It’s bait and switch in that it gives you the full service and then downgrades you.

I don’t mean “bait n switch” like a used car dealer. I mean baitnswitch like when stuff reverts after a free trial. I really don’t like that type of marketing. Unless the time frame is long enough to get an accurate feel for the service. 14 days is probably too short. Services are like old shoes. They have to get broken in before one can decide they are if they are right for you. GOTOMYPC is my example of a good timeframes; XDRIVE is one of my bad ones. Putting in all your data represents a substantive effort in time and attention. I’d want to be REAL sure it wasn’t wasted.

And that’s in the first five minutes.

(04) Import contact not as robust as Outlook. No integration with Outlook.

(05) Didn’t pick up email on first try. Got it on the second.

(06) No integration to email like ACT or GoldMine.

(07) Isolation from other users. Unlike LinkedIn. Doesn’t link you automagically with people you know. If I join and you have my email, it should suggest a “vulcan mind meld”.

(08) Both Articles and Links is thin. Probably too soon to yell about that.

(09) No FAQ

(10) No ez feed back, like wordpress

(11) “Rat out friends to get free weeks” but no link to invite.

(12) No search to find JibberJobber-ees who are already registered. Link LinkedIn search.

(13) It’s web based, but does seem to allow you to extract your data. And, import it. I didn’t push it my 10k of alumni file to see if it gorked. (I’m a sport.)

(14) I like software that has thin and fat attributes. My favorite example of the model is WORDPRESS blog and BLOGDESK. (I have some picky points) But as an example of fat – thin or thin – fat client server software where you can work off line or on line or from a browser, it’s my favorite example of how I like my interoperability — yes! (Wonder if MSFT is listening?)

(15) No RSS type features a la what FACEBOOK was excoriated for doing. (I though it was good idea.)

(16) No recognition / integration of Social Networking sites (i.e., LinkedIn, MySpace).

(17) No recognition / integration of VOIP (i.e., Skype, Gizmo, YIMwVoice).

(18) No recognition / integration of IMs (i.e., YIM, MSM, ICQ, AOLIM).

(19) It implements a non-customizable sales funnel. Which is better than no funnel, like Outlook. But, not as good as the equivalent Act and others of that ilk.

(99) I did like the free offer to vets. My nephew-in-law works for the VA and probably will introduce a bunch of “freeloaders” to them. He was in Iraq#1 and I am VietNam era vet. We both have a very parochial feelings for the grunts coming back. (Why can’t we send politicians instead? We seem to have an oversupply of them.)

All in all I’m positively hopeful for the first entry in a new genre of software … the job pim.

P.S.: I still want a resume XML engine that can do “input” for me.