When I was growing up my parents had a 14′ Hobie Cat. We used to take it to Grey’s Lake in Des Moines. Once a summer dad would affix the boat to the roof (yes, the roof) of our 1972 Grand Torino station wagon and haul us to Clear Lake, Iowa for a week of [...]
Aug
19
2010
19
2010
Aug
9
2010
9
2010
Controlling the controlables…
If you wanted to read That Job Guy Dot Com last week you were out of luck. This site is generously hosted by a friend who had some technical stuff change. Don’t ask me what it was, it had to do with the IP address from his provider. That cascaded into some changes I needed [...]
Jun
25
2010
25
2010
21 Things You Should Know
I read a great article titled “21 Things Hiring Managers Wish You Knew” from Yahoo Personal Finance recently. This article is a must read for ANYONE that is looking to land a job in the next 100 years. The author (Alison Green, US News & World Report) offers up advice on resumes, interviewing, and even [...]
May
25
2010
25
2010
Lets put the “human” back Human Resources
Right out of the gate I’d like to say thank you to HR departments across the country. You take a lot of flack from all angles and are generally looked at as a “necessary evil”. You are charged with managing benefits, dealing with employee retention, listening to ridiculous (and not so ridiculous) employee complaints, keeping [...]
Apr
16
2010
16
2010
Tick Tock….
Time Management. I have reviewed tens of thousands of resumes and interviewed thousands of people. Themes have developed. I say “Tell me about your strengths”, they respond “I am detail oriented, organized and have good time management skills”. I’ve heard that answer (and variations) hundreds of times. It’s an exchange similar to walking into a [...]
Apr
1
2010
1
2010
What do you want to do….
…when you grow up? We’ve all asked ourselves that question. When I graduated from college I wondered what was in store. I think a lot of people who go on to get graduate degrees are asking that question and continue their education while seeking out the answer. But what about us grown ups? Should we [...]
Mar
11
2010
11
2010
Kiss and Make-Up
In 1976 at 13 years old I asked my father if I could go see KISS at Vets Auditorium in Des Moines. He reluctantly agreed and hired one of the neighbor kids to escort me. Dad wasn’t so much into KISS. Me? I’ve been a fan since Alive was released in 1975. There are a [...]
Feb
17
2010
17
2010
I work well with others
I wish Gary Larson was still doing the Far Side. Good stuff. I have asked thousands of people what their strengths are and almost universally one of the answers is “I’m good with people”. That is not a good answer because interviewers hear over and over and over. A better way of handling that question [...]
Jan
14
2010
14
2010
God Matters at Work
I’ve been doing this newsletter for a little more than half a year now, and it just dawned on me today that every single post has focused on job seekers. Well, it’s time for “thatjobguy” to branch out a little bit and put some focus on making our professional lives better. Today I want [...]
Jan
11
2010
11
2010
Goals & the 7 Habits
If you have read the Steven Covey “7 Habits” book you know that goals are a big part of the habits. Being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, “sharpening the saw” are all habits that are goal-driven.
For those of you who still carry around planners (I was one of those people for many years) [...]