Comments on: Your Recession Aint Got Nothing On Me!

By: rikin

rikin — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:28:50 +0000

I never put too much thought into the different techniques for each. My initial thought is that it really depends on the person on the other end – whether face to face or on the phone. Both of the interviews I mentioned were over the phone and one went really well and we connected while the other was abysmal. I've had a face-to-face interview before where I was so bored that I stared out the window the entire time. I walked out of that one know I wouldn't get the job.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:56:32 +0000

@Rikin – You used the ‘it's not you it's me’? I INVENTED ‘IT'S NOT YOU IT'S ME’! (George Costanza). It's a great analogy though and really is the truth. Being cool might get you laid, but it's not going to make someone love you, or make you love them.

I haven't had a lot of experience with phone interviews. Is that primarily the type of interview you have been through at this point? In my (limited) experience with this, it's much more difficult to be personable and yourself on the phone – it's a skill I need to work on moving forward, but I always feel that I'll excel if I can have that face-to-face connection.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:42:33 +0000

@Suzanne - thank you, as always, for your input. A couple things I took from your story here:

1. There is some intense debate going on regarding the issue of moving back in with your parents. Many see it as a sign of weakness and failure, others, like you, see it as an opportunity for those who may be struggling to get their head on their shoulders and figure out what they want to do with their lives. In my case, I didn't have that opportunity. I'm 23 years old and am fully independent, supporting myself entirely. Moving back in with the folks wasn't an option for me (I tried once after graduating college to save money) and honestly, I' m glad I stuck it out - and I'm happy with the person being independent has made me. That being said, different strokes for different folks, and if that support system is there and you need it, I do not believe moving back home shows you are 'weak' or less of a person. To each his/her own. I don't consider myself to be a 'better' person than someone who lives at home with their parents. Good for you for allowing your daughter to move back under your roof and allowing her to pursue her dreams.

2. Selling yourself is the name of the game - and BEING ‘YOU’ is absolutely imperative. It's so easy for people nowadays, especially in my generation, to sell themselves out and be someone they're not to land a job. It might work, telling the interviewer exactly what they want to hear, but soon after you start working there, you might find you are a terrible fit within the culture of the company. Yes, getting a job is important, and 'LOVING' your job isn't realistic, especially starting out, but at least being comfortable and secure in the position is necessary, otherwise you'll end up walking out after two weeks.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:29:40 +0000

@Sam, thanks for coming by and I appreciate the link-through. As a community, Gen-Y is faced with a ton of adversity. Maintaining a positive state of mind and remaining optimistic may seem impossible at times, but by remaining proactive and staying persistent, we can all come out on top. We may be down, but we're not. Opportunities are out there – they're just more difficult to find.

@Rikin – it's amazing to witness the development. I only hope folks will keep spreading the word and that the community here will become increasingly interactive.

By: rikin

rikin — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:33:04 +0000

Great story and great advice as always Matt. I think it's crucial that you never ever get discouraged but one thing I think is very important and often discouraged is how important it is to BE YOURSELF. I once had a really exciting phone interview with a big search engine, we'll call them doodle. Doodle had the strangest questions to ask and you could blatantly see that they were looking for MBA students - I was not impressed and not excited and that showed through in the interview itself. Unfortunately, I didn't get the second round interview but it didn't bother me that much. I was being myself. In fact, my guess is they only hired me because of a previous internship at a computer company. We'll call them Pear. Pear was amazing and the phone interviews were an absolute blessing. We talked about music and the band I was in and why I was passionate about Pear so much. It worked and I spent three months at their HQ.

Another analogy is that it's like dating. When you first start dating you always pretend to be what you think is "cool" and you're always attracted to the girls that are also putting on a farse. After a while though, you learn that it takes too much effort without much return to play this game and you say look it's not you it's me.

Next time you're in an interview and the atmosphere is tense or you're mind starts to wander, just know that it might not be you it really could be them.

By: rikin

rikin — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:58:19 +0000

Sam, I really like your blog but was wondering if you have a twitter account or somewhere were I can follow you on? If you get time check out my blog and I'll think you'll see our interests are highly aligned! Great work.

Matt – When comments become a community you know you're on to something good.

By: Sam

Sam — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:28:02 +0000

Great post, Matt! Thanks for sharing your story and your advice. I'm going to link here from my post about Gen Y and the economy, you did exactly what I was looking for, you told Gen Y's side of the story.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:01:39 +0000

Matt,
Boy..does this bring back some memories. Not for me, but for my daughter. She graduated from a prestigious business university in 2002. Not even a year after September 11th. The job market was almost as bad as it is now. Her friends were scrambling for work, taking just about anything they were offered. We're talking clerical positions that they were highly overqualified for, but just happy to get a job. After about 6 months of living in her friend's parents basement, she went into a depression. She called me and asked if she could possibly come home for a bit to regroup and rejuvenate. And while I wanted her to stick it out, I could hear the discouragement in her voice. So I headed up to Boston to bring her home.

During the next year, she was unable to find a job in her career field back at home. But she spent that year working redefining her goals. She made the decision to go back to Boston and get her master's degree. This proved to be the right medicine and allowed her to jump start her career in marketing. It also taught her a valuable lesson: there is no such thing as failure. While some might have felt she failed by giving up and moving back home, it also allowed her to find her passion and make a plan for her future.

It's also important, as you said, to sell yourself. If you don't have experience, highlight your skill sets. A skills resume can replace a chronological resume when you're entering the job market or redefining a career.