"We Can't Hire You. You're Overqualified!"
Don Straits , Sunday, July 25, 2010 at 7:26PM One of my favorite cartoon characters is The Wizard of Id. A few years ago I read one of the Wizard’s cartoon strips and it made such a profound impression I cut it out and saved it. Darn! I have misplaced it over the years. However, I can remember the script almost word for word verbatim.
After completing an interview for a job, the Wizard is standing in front of the HR manager. The HR manager says: “We can’t hire you. You’re over qualified.” The Wizard, looking very perplexed, responds: “Just give me the job and I promise to act as stupid as all the rest of you.”
WOW. The wisdom from the Wizard is awesome. Let’s dig a little deeper into this issue.
I Knew My Job Was Secure Until They Fired Me
Don Straits , Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 9:31AM I wish I had a dollar for everytime I heard an executive make that statement....I could retire in Bali. Virtually every week I hear stories of how executives were certain their job was secure, and then along comes Donald Trump and says: "You're Fired."
Here are just a few stories. They are never ending.
Video Resume Explosion: A Career Industry Perspective
Don Straits , Saturday, May 29, 2010 at 5:29PM I am a member of Career Directors International CDI, an outstanding organization of professional resume writers and career coaches. Today I wrote a post for their members addressing Google's announcement of launching a Video Resume Site. In many circles, video resumes are misunderstood, but they are the wave of the future. I have copied my post to CDI below. It is provocative and controversial. My intent is to motivate and serve the careers industry. I wanted to share this post with the general public so that they can better understand the role of video resumes in the new career paradigm. I welcome your comments.
Digital Education for Senior Executives: Two Free Resources
Don Straits , Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 10:41AM Every week I speak to senior level executives who are looking to secure new challenging opportunities. The overwhelming majority of them are facing extraordinary challenges. They either can't secure interviews or if they do, they keep coming in second place. While there may be many reasons they don't succeed, I have witnessed one overriding commonality.
Are you a Timex Watch in a Digital World?
Don Straits , Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 3:36PM This post continues to reaffirm how imperative it is for executives to adapt to the new career paradigm. Every day, without exception, I talk with executives who just don't get it. The net result is they are out of work, out of touch and will be left out in the cold.