Why Sharing Career Lessions Needs Translation

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Recently I got laid off.  I could probably add “again,” but I’m living in Silicon Valley, where “laid off” is sort of the minor flu of careers.  We all catch it occasionally and it’s not that remarkable.

So beyond my job search, I’ve also been working on learning lessons to use into my suddenly-delayed book on job search.  I appreciate the irony, and wanted to make sure I not only applied what I learned to my search (which is working) but captured new lessons.

I’m used to doing this; sharing my experiences with others.  In fact, I encourage other people to share their own career experiences.  But I came to realize as I discussed my delayed project and lessons with people, I’ve missed a crucial fact: translation.

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Are You Interviewing For A Position Or As A Person?

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After seventeen years and counting in IT, I’ve done a lot of interviews and held a lot of jobs.  I try to share my experiences, of course, which is why you get a lot of my brain dumps here.

One of those experiences that has turned into the career fertilizer I’m about to import, is that when you interview, you have to determine if you’re interviewing for a Position or as a Person.

This may seem a bit confusing – you’re a Person interviewing for a Position, right?  Well that’s you.  What’s different is what’s going on in the minds of your interviewers, even if they don’t always know it.

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Rosemary Bean Stew: Final Version

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Remember my Rosemary Bean Stew awhile back?  I think I got it figured out!

  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 medium-large sweet yellow onion, diced
  • 1 Tbsp crushed garlic (about two cloves)
  • 1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes or equivalent (A bit over 1 1/2 cups), drained.
  • 1 can (14 oz), about 1 1/2 cups, low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 can (14 oz) low-sodium white beans, drained and rinsed.
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp crushed, dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp ground thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

 

  1. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion begin to soften and become transparent.
  2. Add tomatoes.  Saute until onions are soft and transparent.
  3. Add broth, beans, black pepper, rosemary, thyme,bay leaf. stir.
  4. Bring to boil, then simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Remove bay leaf.
  6. Add balsamic vinegar, stir in.  Cook another minute

What I added was thyme and the bay leaf, which seemed to push it over the edge.  The two together add an interesting “sweet plant/wood” flavor to the whole affair.  Depending on your taste you may want to add a dash of salt.

This makes about 3 main course servings or about 4-6 small side dishes.  I’m pairing it with a spinach salad with my homemade Italian dressing (well, it’s kind of Italian – I use rice wine vinegar).

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.