August 2004 - Finding a Job 21st Century Style

August 2004 - Finding a Job: 21^stCentury Style

Finding a Job: 21st Century Style; Resources (links, books, articles, humor)
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Finding a Job: 21^stCentury Style

By Kenny Moore

The economy is down. Outsourcing is up. Globalization is in. And college grads have recently been let out. This has placed a great number of unemployed people out on the streets looking for work. Some timely advice is warranted.

For the past 20 years, I’ve worked for a heavenly CEO (figuratively speaking) in a New York City Fortune 500 company. Prior to that, I spent 15 years working for another heavenly CEO (literally speaking) as a Catholic priest in a monastic community. Oddly enough, the work remained similar in both jobs. But the incentive plans varied greatly.

Here’s my practical list of worldly and other-worldly advice for getting that perfect job:

Suicide is no longer an effective strategy for initiating a job search.
Employers continue to remain more interested in your personal passion than a PowerPoint presentation.
The ability to manage anxiety, ambiguity and uncertainty is more valuable than a MBA in Finance.
Developing a greater sense of humor and openness to surprise gives you a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Selling your soul to gain employment is bad for business and prolongs your stay in Purgatory.

The Sacred Side of a Job Search

Getting a job also has divine implications because it’s tied into our vocation. We show up on this earth with a host of talents and personal gifts that are meant to be used. Not only in the service of ourselves but also for the betterment of others.

Aristotle said that where the needs of the world and your talents cross, therein lies your vocation. Our ultimate happiness is connected less to making wads of money and related more to cooperating with our divine calling. We can also expect to undergo some suffering in living out our destiny, but the price is worth paying.

As the corporate mystic, Elbert Hubbard, reminds us: "God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas - but for scars." I anticipate that in our final performance review, we will be compensated copiously.

Finding one’s vocation is not an easy task, so here are some helpful hints from a former monk to serve as a guide:

Pay attention to things that you naturally do well — skills for which you’ve received no particular training. These "charisms," gifts from the gods, serve as an indicator for your future role in the world.
Give closer scrutiny to childhood memories. At an early age — well before parents and educators interfered — you intuitively knew why you were here and what you were meant to do. But very quickly it got socialized out. This wisdom is never lost — just stored in your soul for future reference and recall.
Listen to your dreams. Write them down and host a dialogue with them regularly. Angels are sent nightly to reveal divine wishes, offer counsel for personal decisions and provide preparation for pending challenges. Spend time improving your skill set for dealing with the sacred realm of the night.
Understand that luck and serendipity are intentional events that are sent for encouragement, insuring that you continue to show up and cooperate with a divine master plan.
Strengthen your interior life. Spend ten minutes a day in silent reflection. No prayer is required; no mantra needs recitation. Simply sit in silence and listen to your lungs breath and your heart beat. Wisdom will be dispensed, the work of your life will be revealed and your vocation will slowly be made manifest.

Some Strange Parallels

Years ago, when I left the monastery and returned to the world, I was looking for a job and seeking a spouse at the same time. These two searches curiously seemed to have much in common and the lessons I learned then seem to still apply today.

In both venues, we are well advised to dress impeccably, put our best foot forward and intentionally misrepresent the facts about who we really are. This bolsters the odds of improving our standing in the community as well as garnishing a better future.
Someone once told me that the closest we get to being godlike in this lifetime is on our resume. From what I can tell — this falsification of our true identity, professionally and personally — continues to remain a viable strategy for getting both jobs and spouses. Unfortunately, the likelihood of staying with one job for your lifetime seems to be statistically less likely than keeping the vows of your first marriage intact.
Showing good form continues to win out in dealing with both prospective employers and potential mates. On the first meeting, good hygiene matters. Also, as Bill Clinton reminds us, taking advantage of the other person simply because you can has a way of hurting both your job and marriage prospects.
Surprisingly, keeping your mouth shut and listening on a regular basis makes the other person experience you as a strong communicator;
Lastly, before getting into bed with anyone (literally or figuratively), make sure you protect yourself. Failure to do so leaves you legally and/or physically at risk.

And for God’s sake, when consummating a deal, stay away from self-enhancing drugs. Regardless of what Bob Dole tells you, it’s likely to compromise your on-the-job performance.

About Kenny: Kenny says, "If you’re thinking about writing me, give in to the temptation. I love getting mail ... and being influenced by what you have to say. Please E-mail me at kennythemonk [at] yahoo.com."

Kenny Moore is co-author of “The CEO and the Monk: One Company’s Journey to Profit and Purpose” (John Wiley and Sons, 2004), rated as one of the Top Ten best-selling business books on Amazon.com. He has over 20 years experience with change management, leadership development and healing the corporate community. Prior to his work in corporate America, Kenny spent 15 years in a monastic community as a Catholic priest – doing a very similar kind of work, but getting paid a lot less.

Kenny has been profiled on CBS Sunday Morning News, and interviewed by Tom Peters, The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company magazine regarding his unique leadership style. He can be reached at (973) 956-8210 or kennythemonk [at] yahoo.com

Internet Resources

U.S. Dept of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics - http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco2004.htm . A wealth of information, this website includes many statistics and 2004-2005 Outlooks by job categories.
UK website for women - http://www.ivillage.co.uk/workcareer/findjob
Beware of false job offers - http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/services/jobsffc.htm
Career Builder works with more than 130 newspapers in the US - http://www.careerbuilder.com/
Dice - Technical job listings - http://www.dice.com/
Global job listings - http://www.monster.com/
Campus Access for Canadian students - http://www.campusaccess.com/
Resource for finding a job in the US government - http://www.ourpublicservice.org/info-url_nocat3742/info-url_nocat.htm
Resource for finding a job in the UK government - http://www.direct.gov.uk
Overseas Jobs - http://www.overseasjobs.com/
Tips for finding a job in Europe
Tips for finding a job in France http://www.lifeinfrance.free.fr/pages/work_in_france2.htm
Texas A&M Career Center resource list - http://careercenter.tamu.edu/Students/S7/S7E.shtml
Riley Guide - huge resource list - http://www.rileyguide.com/atoz.html

Books - Disclosure: We get a small commission for purchases made via links to Amazon.

The CEO and the Monk: One Company’s Journey to Profit and Purpose, Robert Catell, Kenny Moore, Glen Rifkin. John Wiley & Sons, 2004. ISBN: 0471450111
What Color is My Parachute (2005 edition) - Richard Bolles. Ten Speed Press; Revised edition September 1, 2004. ISBN: 1580086152

Articles

Finding a job electronically http://www.jobbroadcasting.com/insight/jobs/article.html
Finding diverse job candidates http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=16168
How to Find the Job That's Right for You http://www.aafp.org/fpm/20001100/30howt.html
Getting Your First Part Time Job: Part Time Jobs for Teens http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/justforstudents/a/parttimejob.htm
Steps to landing a job that makes you happy http://www.jobwerx.com/resources/landing_a_job.html
Top 10 Qualities/Skills Employers Seek http://www.uncwil.edu/stuaff/career/students/joboutlook2003.htm

Related newsletter articles:

Other articles by Kenny Moore:

The Lighter Side

http://www.humor.ch/jokes/kmjob.htm
Buzzword bingo - http://isd.usc.edu/~karl/Bingo/
Job Applicant stories - http://www.wilk4.com/humor/humorm15.htm
The Top 13 Reasons You're Having Trouble Finding a Job - http://www.netscrap.com/netscrap_detail.cfm?scrap_id=730
Something to Lighten Up Your Search: A Different Kind of Rejection Letter - http://www.rileyguide.com/reject.html

About our resource links: We do not endorse or agree with all the beliefs in these links. We do keep an open mind about different viewpoints and respect the ability of our readers to decide for themselves what is useful.

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