Three Career Seeking Lessons from The Walking Dead

If you're a fan of The Walking Dead, this blog on connecting career seeking lessons to the show will get you as excited as Rick's reunion with his baby Judith.  

I know...how can a show about the zombie apocalypse possibly have ANY lessons for career seekers?  Well, I've got three nuggets for you:  

"But I need your help. 'Cause I can't do it by myself. And even if I catch up to Bob, we can't do it alone."  Maggie Greene knew that even in times of survival, she couldn't find Glenn without help.  Finding your next career move is the same thing - you can't do it alone, so NETWORK!  Who are the top three to five people you can count on in your network?  Talk to them immediately to help you reflect on your strengths, growth areas, and how other people perceive you.  Don't wait for a zombie to come up behind you to let you know.  :)

"Get one thing straight. You're staying? This isn't a democracy anymore."  Rick Grimes knew that in times of crisis, waiting to get consensus when zombies are attacking you at all hours isn't the way to keep the group alive.  Leadership is contextual.  As a leader, what kind of work culture are you looking for?  Then based on your strengths and growth areas, are you the kind of leader to match what that culture needs to move forward?

"Sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who arrive, survive."  This was the broadcast from Terminus, the supposed sanctuary for The Walking Dead group.  They were welcomed with open arms, but once inside, they soon learned that the Terminus group didn't have their best interests at heart.  Do your research.  When researching organizations, ask around to people who currently work there, and have worked there recently.  It's important to not just hear the good...but the not so good.  Come up with a list of questions to ask each person.  

I'd love to hear if you've gathered leadership lessons from any other shows!  As you watch your next show on DVR, think about what leadership do's and don'ts you're viewing!

Passion Matters!

Sure you qualify, but are you passionate about the work? Does the mission of the organization or institution resonate with your innermost being? Is your organization hiring talent that champions your mission?

Now, don’t be turned off by the word passion. Hear me out. Get the images of Fabio and trashy romance novels out of your head. Now, think about what is meaningful to you. Think about what you will be proud of accomplishing at the end of the day.  Passion is a vital force driving the education industry but it's not something we openly recruit or hire for. We emphasize skill, background and training (all critical aspects, of course), but there is a lot more to consider.

The scope of work for education professionals and leaders has grown significantly more complex with dramatic shifts that emphasize skills like autonomy, creativity, relationship management and critical thinking to address major, multi-dimensional problems. Because education is changing, so is the work of delivering the systems, resources, and talent needed to educate the next generation of leaders.  So, getting back to your passion. What does this mean for prospective hires and for hiring managers looking to identify new talent?

Alignment of Mission with your Core Values

These are questions I ask myself both when seeking new opportunities and when acting as a hiring manager. I love to ask candidates to reflect on the mission of the organization I represent and explain why it is important. "What resonates with you?" This can sometimes be more important than the skills they bring to the table because someone who believes in their work whole-heartedly will bring a level of passion and engagement that can serve as a pillar of the organization.

As a job seeker, you need to carefully assess how aligned an organization’s mission is with your own. You are looking to establish a long-term partnership that will enable you to grow and develop as a professional, and you should also be looking for an organization that closely aligns with your personal values, as this is what will propel you forward to do what it takes to accomplish your vision.  It’s this alignment that will ignite your creativity and energize you to push forward against the odds. (Cue the midnight oil analogy.)

Yes, you are qualified, but…

This section is primarily for hiring managers, although it's certainly useful for job seekers too. Having the right set of qualifications and relevant background is vital to ensuring the right fit for the role. However, don’t become fixated with fancy qualifications and credentials (I’m speaking with you, Harvard) without considering the whole package. Think about the skills that can be developed and those that are fundamental to the successful performance of a role. The right job description and recruitment campaign can generate a strong pool of potential hires, but what will set the best candidates apart? Here is where your organization’s culture, mission and values come into play. I argue that the candidates who possess strong personal convictions and the vision to think beyond what is needed are the ones who rise to the top – not just during the interview, but well beyond - ensuring strong impact and results. 

Bringing it together, why passion matters

I’ve worked in the education sector for almost 12 years in non-profits, private agencies, and with various school districts. The higher up the rungs I go, the more complex and ambiguous I've found the work becomes. I (and my colleagues) work very hard, we work long hours, and we have to define strategies and find solutions to increasingly complex and multi-faceted problems. The urgency of improving educational outcomes for our neediest students is staggering, no matter where in the country you work.  As a child of immigrant parents, education is fundamentally tied to my core personal values and it is this passion (not necessarily my morning coffee) that fuels me to continue working hard every day. I am devoted to improving educational outcomes for children, and my contribution to this vision is finding excellent educators and leaders to lead schools and classrooms.

Here’s to finding your passion! 

She’s Just Not That Into You

Why Hiring and Dating Are More Similar Than You May Think

First of all, in the interest of full disclosure I should say that it is possible some might not think me qualified to write a blog piece that talks about the world of dating.  I met my husband more than 15 years ago and have not dated anyone since, which means my last dating experiences came not only before the days of social media, “meet-ups,” and online dating services, they were also before regular people had cell phones.  If we wanted to meet up with one another, we left messages on each other’s home machines, called the other person during our work day and tried to talk quietly so our co-workers in the next cubicle wouldn’t snicker too much, or (shocking, I know!) made firm plans a day or more in advance.  I doubt many 20-somethings today would even recognize the dating rituals in which we participated. 

So why, you may ask (given my substantial disclaimer upfront) would I presume to speak about how dating and hiring are more similar than one might think?  It is because, although it’s been a while since I have been out on the market for both things, I remember clearly the feelings and thoughts I experienced when I was – and they are almost identical.  “Does he like me?” “Did I make a good impression?”  “I wonder if they will call me this week?”  “How long should I wait before I call them?” “Am I really that interested?  How will I know?”  One of the most important – and most difficult – characteristics of success in either scenario is a clear understanding of your own needs and value proposition and how they match up with the qualities and interests of the other party.

As hiring managers (or in my case, search consultants), it is easy to become seduced by someone’s credentials and qualifications – their Ivy League degrees, deep and relevant experiences, referrals and high recommendations from trusted sources – and forget that the candidate selection process should be a give and take on both sides.  We need to make sure they are passionate about and committed to us as much if not more than we are passionate about and committed to them.  Otherwise, we are like the guy in the movie chasing the ideal catch and losing sight of the really great girl next door who loves us for who we are.  If a potential hire is haggling aggressively about money, taking forever to respond about an offer, or easily swayed to consider another opportunity, it’s probably a good sign that he or she is just not that into you and your time will be better spent finding someone passionate about your mission and committed to working with you for the long term.

Similarly, it is important for organizations to not only put their best foot forward, confident in the value they are offering to employees, but also to be realistic and honest about the challenges new hires will face when and if they come on board.  Deception during the courting phase doesn’t do anyone any favors and can lead both parties down a path of regret, frustration, or hurt.  If a lasting match is to be made, it will be because both sides have been open and honest about their strengths and weaknesses and have decided together that they can work through their differences and form a strong, enduring partnership.  Regardless of how people find one another, it is these kinds of relationships that lead to great things in terms of high levels of loyalty and job satisfaction and – most importantly – long-lasting sector impact.