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5 Signs The Thrill Is Gone From Your Job Search and Why it’s Giving You The Holiday Blues

How do you know that the thrill has gone from your romantic relationship? An easy way to tell is that it FEELS like your stalking. There are ties between relationships, holidays, and your job search. What you did during the year can dictate how the holiday fares.

Oh yeah, it’s the holiday season, too. This could suck badly.

You are the only one calling, texting but no reciprocation, and impatient, so you repeat the cycle. Your job search lacks excitement. Without leads, it became a chore or an obligation, perhaps that you took for granted. The feeling is similar to a dating or marriage relationship.

The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away
You know you done me wrong baby
And you’ll be sorry someday

~B.B. King, The Thrill Is Gone

May I suggest that some of those signs exist in your job search? You have hope in a process that doesn’t exist, or should I say effort that didn’t exist.

Let’s see, there is the whole she-says-that-she can’t-go-out-on-the-weekend-thing. Or maybe, in certain terms, he or she said they were not interested in a way you didn’t expect. Or they were no longer interested in your approach.

So has the thrill gone out of your job search yet? Don’t know? Well, here are signs that your job search is fading.

1. You no longer admit a job search exists

Oh, we’re no longer dating, you say. You just haven’t told him. Well, it’s like all the social media profiles that have gone untouched. It takes time and effort. Together. It doesn’t exist because you are not initiating contact with employers. Stop relying on the machine to do the work.

2. You can’t wait to do your own thing

A night with the girls for the third time this week speaks volumes. And if you think that your networking-less efforts will be career-fulfilling, then ask her again why she hasn’t spent time with you. Because YOU are boring! That covers both job and relationship dilemmas now, doesn’t it?

3. “We were never lovers…just friends.”

She likes your company, and you make her laugh. But that’s it, she likes you only as a friend. There should be some affection from your job search. A kiss on the lips is like getting an interview rather than a kiss on the cheek in the form of a five-minute phone behavioral assessment. Otherwise, you were just a friend.

4. They take you for granted

No more gifts, cards, or little notes for you. Ok, you received one little note once. It’s not the small meaningful but affectionate expression he or she used to offer. Little things like thank you, you’re welcome, and please mean so much when meeting people is a small window of opportunity. If your job search spirit is gimme, gimme, lemme, gimme, most of the time, you take people for granted without consciousness. Give. Give without strings attached. Be wise, but you are showing a willingness to help.

5. Both of you were on the rebound.

He wants his old girlfriend back, and she can’t get over her old boyfriend. The familiar little ditty in the way your old job made you feel because it was special, and your achievements inspired others to treat you like a superstar. The reality is that they have moved on, and it’s hard to accept. Why would you want someone who doesn’t want you?

And it’s giving you the holiday blues because…

In my experience, I’ve gotten hired or started more jobs during the month of November and December. The holidays will be depressing if we take the accumulation of what I mentioned above. Multiply by ten if you have friends who are changing jobs because they sought out a promotion and salary jump. Experts will tell you this is the best season to get hired, but it will seem monumental if you haven’t done the right things.

Perhaps your job search is not interesting, so no one from an employer’s perspective is interested. When that happens, the thrill is gone. How do you know the thrill has gone out of your job search? What are ways you can get it back?

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Interview with Leigh Branham, Author of The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave

I feel fortunate to receive a response to some questions I asked Leigh Branham, Author of The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave. You may remember my review a couple of weeks ago of the book. If not, you can read it here. This book is a good read for job seekers, as it helps to know and pursue the work environment you desire. Branham’s book will also help you understand what employers generally expect.

What ideas were you testing before giving the survey?

I was curious to know if employees were leaving for the same reasons as I previously identified in analyzing 19,700 third-party exit interviews the Saratoga Institute conducted prior to 2005 when the first edition of The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave was published (which reported my analysis of the surveys). I also wanted to find out some things Saratoga didn’t ask, such as whether there was a turning point in the employees’ decision to leave, the predominance of push vs. pull factors, how long employees stayed after first thinking of leaving, the avoidability of the reasons, and how their reported productivity was affected.

What was the most surprising about the results?

I was actually surprised how consistent the findings were when compared to the pre-2005 surveys.

The same 7 reasons held true in 2012 as in 2005 with small differences–not feeling valued was still the main reason, but lack of trust and confidence in senior leadership was mentioned far more frequently, probably owing to more consciousness about senior leaders due to all the negative publicity associated with leader behavior and the Wall Street collapse. I also found that nine out of ten root-cause reasons for leaving were avoidable push factors as opposed to pull factors, such as an attractive job offer. There was a triggering event that precipitated the decision to leave in 64% of the turnovers, compared to 66% found by Dr. Thomas Lee at the University of Washington (who has spent his entire academic career studying employee turnover).

Did any of the results tell you anything about job seekers? If so, what did it tell you?

The data indicate that many job seekers experience disillusionment in the first few months on the job but stay, and disengage for several weeks or months before finally beginning to look for a job. Finally, a “last straw” event occurs that moves them off dead center–an “I’m outta here” moment, so to speak.

To avoid disillusionment, job seekers need to have a mindset of “I’m hiring my next employer” and ask more questions about company culture as they network and ask to speak informally with future peers before accepting the position. It’s also advisable to take on a consulting assignment or project before accepting a full-time job so you can have first-hand experience of the company before making the decision.

Did any of the results change what you would advise job seekers?

Not really. I’ve always been a huge advocate of networking in a way that helps you uncover hidden needs in your target companies as well as hidden skeletons.

Can you elaborate a little on the interviewing process of how employers can screen job seekers for a better fit? In what ways do you think that candidates can find out about the culture of the workplace he or she is interested in pursuing?

As I mentioned, ask to speak with your future colleagues without your future manager present so they will feel free to talk openly about the manager’s style, culture, internal career advancement, senior leadership, work-life balance, teamwork, and other issues that are important to you. Recruiters, former employees, suppliers, contractors, consultants,and glassdoor.com are also good sources to check out. And you can always ask the hiring manager directly about his/hermanagement style, priorities, the culture, and the team you’ll be working with.

Two questions I would always ask are:

1. Can you tell me what results you would be looking for me to have completed after six months and one year? and

2.What traits or talents do you consider most important in the person you hire for this job?

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Interview: Careers in Cloud Computing Part 2

Today is part 2 from Monday’s interview with Bob Bunge and Ed Hill.

Q: Should students consider competitions in any computer tech areas, particularly cloud computing, as a way to stand out and test skills?

Bob: Absolutely! There are many good options: CyberPatriot, Imagine Cup, Skills USA, etc. Competitions are highly motivational.

Q: In all jobs there is a certain amount of competition. How does the student who enters computer technology fields prepare for competition?
Bob: Practice, practice, practice! You get good at competing by competing. That’s why our club members get the best jobs – they’ve been performing under stress for years. They know what to do when under pressure.

Q: Does a global perspective play a major part in the computer technology world? What is the best way students or job candidates obtain this kind of outlook?
Bob: The tech world is totally global. In addition to tech, take one or more foreign languages. Study abroad if you can. Be open to other cultures.

Ed: There is no doubt that companies have to think about the larger global market, and employees need to be aware of this. The good news for cloud developers is that there are so many opportunities here in the U.S. Many of the big cloud players such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, etc. are here in the U.S. Many U.S.-based companies are taking advantage of the cloud, and hiring developers to migrate applications, create solutions for systems integration, and more.

A well-rounded citizen has broad cultural perspective, so students should always be thinking beyond their neighborhood. The Internet gives us an easy, low-cost way to explore culture, the arts, and history from around the world. Anything students can do to diversify their interests will help them become more comfortable with the global economic environment.

Q: What are other competencies that a student or job seeker in this field should have? How can they increase their value other than coursework and entering competitions?
Bob: The successful job seeker will have a track record of leadership and performance. Volunteer. Give back to the community. Develop worthy projects and deliver results. Document your positive outcomes. Speak in public. Show that you can reach out to others.

Q: What are some of the challenges in finding talent? What skill is missing from the current talent pool?
Bob: In general, the world has become incredibly over-complicated and demanding. We need people who can navigate that complexity. We need students who are street-smart as well as school-smart. Don’t spend all day behind a keyboard or staring at a rectangular screen! Learn how to live in your own skin. Work with your hands and face-to-face as well as online. Intuition and emotional intelligence will take you a long way. The tech industry looks for the right personalities to join high-performance teams. So find your personal voice – and bring it to the interview!

Ed: We constantly hear from employers that the big gap is in the soft skills. Managers and team leaders are more than happy to help students develop their technical skills. They are really looking for students that can solve problems and communicate well.

Q: Is it true that the lack of talent/skills in cloud computing can lessen the value in this field? Please explain.

Ed: I don’t think cloud-specific skills are required, as long as the student is willing to keep developing. Fortunately, there are free or low-cost ways for students to pick up cloud computing skills. I always encourage students to explore as much as possible so that they can make themselves attractive to potential employers. Students do not have as much choice with entry-level positions. They may want to move into cloud development, but that may not necessarily be their first job out of school. Students need to have realistic expectations, be flexible, and willing to constantly learn new skills.