I finished writing a long, in-depth entry about the discussion that ensued from yesterday’s TechCrunch post.
Then I deleted it.
I deleted it because a lot of people just weren’t getting the point. So, instead of going all in-depth and being overly meticulous (as is my habit), I figured I’d just come right out with the goods.
What really matters
Intelligent people really don’t care what’s on your resume. In fact, intelligent people don’t really give a damn about formal interviews, resumes, or anything of that sort. Sure, your portfolio matters, but even that’s secondary to the number one, be all, end all factor. It’s the one thing that matters above all else to any truly smart person with whom you’ll ever do business. What is it?
It’s you. It’s everything about your character. It’s every emotion you represent. It’s the reflection of your passions on your character. It’s how you represent yourself - verbally, physically, mentally, and socially.
It’s you.
Really good, really smart people actively seek out those with whom they share an intrinsic kinship. The capitalists among them are constantly on the lookout for those who stand head and shoulders above the crowd not only because of everything they represent now, but also because of everything that they could represent.
Just like Major League Baseball scouts judge talent on the basis of perceived potential, intelligent people rate others with the future in mind. They only basis they have for determining your future worth is your current character.
What really matters for YOU
No matter who you are or what you’re doing, people are going to try to classify you, to try and lump you into some kind of quantifiable group. While I think it sucks, the fact is, it’s human nature. We use devices like this to help us understand things; otherwise, we’d spend all our time running around, trying to catch up with all the anomalies and inconsistencies.
You want to go further? You want to catch the attention of the other intelligent people out there who will listen to you and appreciate you because of who you are? You want to step outside the classification that successfully stifles about 99.9% of our ridiculous corporate culture?
Be an anomaly.
44 Comments ↓
Chris,
I think you’re right on the money with this post. Intelligent people do tend to seek each other out because they share some type of bond.
I try to represent myself the best I can no matter where I am. I think its only the best practice in the world.
Great insight, like always.
You said it Chris. These days to stand out your have to show what make you an individual other wise you are just another schmuck in the crowd.
If you don’t make people think you’re remarkable, they won’t think it on their own.
I could write a whole post about this…so I guess id better do just that and LINK back to you.
Better than monopolizing your comments section with a rant of mine.
This is so true, and this is why I’ve loved the work atmosphere much more than the school environment. (I took a year off between high school and college.) Work is rarely about grades, or number grades anyway, and I made it my number one priority to relate to people and to have a good personality that helped build up people around me. This is hard to do on days when your personal life is terrible, but it’s worthwhile for your employment.
This is why schools really needs to teach etiquette and basic human interaction. Where I decide to put forth the effort, I’m very good at those things, but I’ve been lucky enough to come from a family that’s taught me how to act appropriately in public and in the workforce. Not everyone knows.
On a bit of a different note, if you are a female reading this, consider seeking out jobs where there are more men than women in the workplace. You’re an automatic anomaly, and provided you can take some of the good-natured jokes along the way (and you should be able to laugh at yourself!), you become really appreciated.
Dangerous advice here Chris. If everyone becomes anomalous I’ll have to become “normal” in order to be different. Hell, I might have to start watching American Idol! Maybe you should just delete this post too.
Intelligent people really don’t care what’s on your resume. In fact, intelligent people don’t really give a damn about formal interviews, resumes, or anything of that sort.
Absolutely agree.
It’s you. Really good, really smart people actively seek out those with whom they share an intrinsic kinship.
Ack! Disagree. I think the one thing that matters above all else–and honestly the thing that makes this whole T*chCr*nch fiasco so interesting–is that old, old, old platitude: It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.
People don’t really seek out an “intrinsic kinship” with new people. They talk to people with whom they already have that kinship. They bridge that kinship with someone that you have in common. And more often than not, it’s what those people you have in common say about you that will get you the gig or kill your chances.
I always thought the most important thing on resume was if you could use Microsoft Word or not.
Oh, well of course I meant besides that…
We dumb people like to seek each other out too. We tend to find each other based on our lack of smugness.
I’ve enjoyed reading your site and I look forward to putting the ‘teaser’ idea to use. The designs are lovely and make me wish that I had more artistic talent.
Your resume doesn’t get you the job. Your resume gets you an interview.
The interview gets you the job - for all those reasons you mentioned.
I’ve been down that route often enough to know…
Abi, who needs artistic talent when you can just go and get PressRow?
Chris, Pressrow is very cool. If you want, please take a look and rip my posts to shreds.
Lawton
Résumés are Old School
This is probably such a striking statement that it deserves the controversy that made me post about it in the first place.
Résumés or Curricula Vitae (plural of Curriculum Vitae, of course) may indeed serve as indications of potential to h…
I totally agree. While knowing the skill gets you the interview, how you bond with the person in the interview will make or break the deal.
I think you’ve written an absolutely fantastic post. In the end, a resume is just a brief synopsis of you and an opportunity to catch someone’s eye. A good resume is worthwhile because it helps to stand out. But a good resume doesn’t come from the prestige of your jobs, education, or your writing talent. It comes from your ability to express who you are, what you’ve done, and where you’d like to go. It is the ‘you’ factor that will create the success in your life. The more you’re able to tap into your passion, your talents, your desires, the more confidence and energy you will feel. That positive, confident energy is contagious and a fundamental element of what truly smart and successful people are looking for. I’ve written a series of posts on Finding Work you love, which I think your readers would enjoy. The posts are a good companion to this one. Please see http://www.haydencoach.com .
Be an anomaly. If that were true (and I don’t mean to suggest that it may not be true, only that I have concerns that there are other just-as-important factors to also consider), I would be the perfect employee for EVERY and ANY organisation. I suspect I am not. But I am prepared to have someone tell me I am something other than an anomoly.
Stephen,
This is all about the self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe you are great, and you live each day in such a way that you try and fulfill that personal promise, then others are far more likely to see that and recognize it for what it is.
As simple as the subject may seem, the truth is, greatness is very much an anomaly. Be great; get noticed.
Simple as that
[...] A recent post of his says "Really good, really smart people actively seek out those with whom they share an intrinsic kinship." . Later it says "You want to catch the attention of the other intelligent people out there who will listen to you and appreciate you because of who you are? … Be an anomaly." [...]
Wow am I glad someone finally just came out and said it!
If your work does not speak for itself,
and you are unable to effectively communicate in writing (resume) or verbally (interview), why would “smart” people be interested in hiring you?
Congratulations for the great topic! And for the quantity of arguments you wrote to support your idea.
One big problem: when you talk about intlligence, do not forget that there ar many ways in which people can express or are able to express their intellignce. One may be a genius in finance let’s say, but have very poor social skills. Unless a CV speakes for her achievements, the interviewer might fail in recognizing the rough “diamond” he is talking to.
You know “talent attracts more talent” so yes, you are right. Intelligent people tend to seek each other.
[...] This isn’t aimed at the journalists in the room, but apparently only one thing matters on your resume… This is a very interesting take and rather true. You either sell yourself or you don’t. Nobody else is going to do it for you. (Well, unless you hire an agent, which is entirely beside the point.) [...]
Great post Chris and very good points. Many times I have interviewed prospective candidates for a job and despaired at how so few even attempt to sell themselves or do their homework. They end up wasting my time.
Though the resume “only” gets you an interview, it still has to stand out. How can it stand out? By telling me how you, out of oh, 200+ other prospectives, are the one who is going to solve my work problem. People think it’s about them. It isn’t entirely. It’s about how you are going to make someone else’s problem go away. So, say I believe you and then at the interview what, you do is simply prove it to me. This is what many don’t get.
Having also been an interviewee, of course, that’s exactly the strategy I use. And it always works.
It is also about who you know - but often people still don’t network - until they need a job. If you know how to work your network, BEFORE you need a new job, chances are you will not need to rely on a resume.
One other point.. I agree that people seek out others they have a kinship with, and if that kinship is based on objective understanding, such the comfort level a person has when someone they trust recommends someone to them, then that’s when it works beautifully
There is a problem though when people simply seek out/employ those who look, sound and think exactly like themselves to the detriment of people who do posses talent, skills and proven ability to do the job, but who may be “different”.
Besides, even “intelligence” can be subjective. And if you have no social skills, or communication skills forget it. I’ve met many so called “intelligent” people who don’t have a social clue, but are totally convinced of how intelligent they are. And sometimes they are
They could be a MENSA, for all I care. I would never hire them if my business depended on it.
It’ was weird reading this post because I knew after the first few sentences what I’ve been practicing for many, many years to easily score jobs. I’ve had 7 jobs in the past 3-4 years in a lagging economy and I have people constently asking from left to right how I do it…I try to tell em’ that it’s not about the application or the resume you put in (more then half the time), it’s about how you personally connect to people with a certain style they have not.
You have just articulated the exact process I have been using since I got my first job. When I go to interviews, I don’t just talk to the interviewer, I talk WITH them. I don’t just rehash info that was already on my app, I give them brand new reasons why they should let me on their team. I’ve been doing it so naturally for so long it’s 2nd nature to me.
Great post
I just want to say, in response to Street’s May 18th comment, “oh, snap!”
While it’s true that people hold a “just like me” bias, I wouldn’t rely on that getting you surrounded by the smart creative types. More than that, it takes many different types (even dumb ones!) to make big things happen.
If I say much more, I’ll be parroting Britgirl.
However, the kind of rapport-building you’re talking about is just as essential as you say.
I’m enjoying the site.
Well, I’m going to have to be the pessimist here. I think that what get you the job is what the employer can get from you. Do you have longevity in the work place? Are you reasonably priced? Can we make money off of your talents? What is the profit to loss ratio with you?
Integrity in the workplace for employee AND employer is almost non-existent today. Gone are the days when employers looked at their employees as an extension of the family. Now we are as disposable as a diaper.
You know, years ago I heard that in order for globalization to work, the employment playing field had to be leveled. The US, especially, had to be brought down to make it work. It looks like that wasn’t far off. Look at how the international market has brought down wages in the web field and how many jobs have been lost to overseas markets.
It was and is the middle class that was and is holding globalization back and if we are not careful, we’ll find ourselves out of the drivers’ seat and in the back of the bus.
Having been a recruiter it is a combination of things that will get you the job. But basically it is whether or not the two parties click. I have known people that are absolute screw ups get jobs where someone with far more talent never gets a second interview. What made this first individual an anomaly, was that he came in prepared with more questions than answers and was able to circumvent answering more questions than he asked. Thus, he appeared more intelligent and got the job.
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Hi,
I’ve only just found your blog and have already found a wealth of interesting posts: great work!
I really do agree with the post above, based on personal experience:
I wrote a detailed business plan when starting up my business, when a year after receiving our loan, I had to revise our projections downwards. Only then did I find out that the bank didn’t care that much about the exact numbers; we had received the loan based on the fact that they had trust in the team…
My first thought after reading this post is - instead of looking for a job, just start your own business and appreciate your individuality. If people only look on you resume then they are not worth talking to you.
Problems lies somewhere else - when you apply for a job probably there are 30-40 other CVs on the pile. Imagine you are a great person, standing out from the crowd, creative problem solver, giving 100% but… you have got 2 years experience in the area you apply for and somebody else has 3 year. And sometimes it does not even matter that you have been doing many great things in your life because you won’t be short listed because your resume does not tick one of the boxes.
Do you feel the same?
As someone who has both submitted resumes and hired people out of irrepressible stacks of the damn things, I can say that I have very little confidence in that method of hiring.
I’m sure there are plenty of HR people out there who cross off candidates because of a lack of certain “requirements,” and I think it’s a joke that this type of scenario actually occurs. I mean, honestly, how do you know that my two years’ worth of experience doesn’t place me far ahead of the guy with five years?
I feel terrible for college kids who have to read all of those ridiculous constraints for resume postings on monster.com and the like—it breeds an unhealthy mentality.
thanks for the insight, question, after all has been said, do you think people have a specific worth based purely on expierence and talent in their specific field and, if they do how does one calculate thier worth ?
Prue — If you’re looking for the person with the highest top end potential, then talent has to outweigh experience by a mile. That said, if you’re actually looking to hire someone for your own company, you might want to look towards experience instead.
Why?
Because the person with talent is far more likely to leave in pursuit of his or her own goals, while the person with experience has a proven ability to stay in one niche and excel (theoretically).
As far as calculating worth goes, I’d have to give that some thought… Honestly, though, worth is, to me at least, more akin to a belief than anything else. If you believe you have a high worth and live your life accordingly, others will have no choice but to take your word for it
[...] this is good stuff [...]
c’mon, how many people does it take to convince everyone that the em porer really is wearing clothes?? just exactly which world do you live in? this is a bell curved society that rewards those who don’t stand out. those who know how to blend and obey rise to fill those positions which are competed for. anyone who stands above the crowd are marginalized at best. yes people judge and people are always on the look out for those that excel. but they are looking for them so that they can thwart the competition and further euthanize the gene pool. wake up people. as einstein said: ‘great spirits encounter violent opposition from mediocre minds.’
And you know what Chris?, The world needs so much of these kind of man.
i’m sorry your sentence doesn’t make sense to me. could you elaborate?
javier: do you mean that the world needs more einsteins even though the majority of men who believe themselves to be superstars of optimistic excellence and devotees of the protestant work ethic will hunt them down and seek to enslave their souls with a double speak that would make george orwell shake his head in disbelief??
dcnelles, I would like to explain you things, but I dont do it right now, because of 2 points: You probably already know, and the second point is that it would be to long to have it explained
- However, I can tell you one thing: “Both are necessary” or the world and its futur would be another one.
Do you know that in Europe (France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain…) employees can be working in the same position for its entire life, without ascending, never? - In order to go up in job’s positions, You Need To Have a Diploma.
In the US and Canada, a brilliant employee can go up on positions just by showing its general intelligence, practice, its winner attitude…
Both worlds are necessary, Who is Right and Who is Wrong?
Chris, I’ll give you my pure, unadulterated reaction to this post. Ready?
XOXOXOXOX
There you go, virtual kisses and hugs, and I don’t even KNOW you.
When strangers spontaneously want to kiss and hug you for something you said on your blog, you know you have to be good. Rock on.
But here’s the question–how do you become an anomaly? How do you bond with the people in the interview? Are there some examples?
Hoot and/or Holler ↓