The endorsement game

I like LinkedIn for a number of reasons. A grown up, less “personal” network than Facebook. It does push out a lot of updates, some of which are of value such as stories I may be interested in reading. A recent update alerted me to contacts that had recently added new skills to their profile. The problem is I didn’t think they in fact had those skills, despite having endorsements from others.

Adding skills to your profile makes sense. Then, every time someone goes to your page, they are offered the opportunity to endorse the skill set you have put there. It is easy to hit the endorse button, but that endorses the entire list presented – you have to delete the ones you don’t want to endorse, which is neither obvious nor intuitive. Later, updates declare the endorsement to the world.

There doesn’t seem to be any control on the process. I’m not sure a high number of endorsements on a skill is any different from being “liked” on Facebook, which in my mind starts to tarnish the value of the entire feature. It would be good if each skill was directly tied to a story of how the skill was applied or how it was learned. What good is an endorsement if anyone can provide it? If I’m endorsed by someone, I feel some obligation to endorse them in return whether or not I am qualified to do so.

I think being endorsed is a good way to differentiate, to let people know that others have experienced your use of the skill. A good concept seems to be morphing into a popularity contest and a way to make potential boasts look legitimate.

If you are looking to have others provide insight to your abilities, I would suggest sticking with the recommendations feature, which allows others to share their insights beyond the click of the endorse button.

 

Should I call or should I wait?

I feel like a teenager again. Not the good part, where your body feels strong and heals quickly. No, the awkward part where you don’t know what to say to a girl. Only instead of trying to court a girl, I’m courting a new career. Well, a job at any rate; I guess it will be a career if we get “married.”

The opportunities I’m looking at are acting coy. That’s right, coy. They make me feel like they are interested in me, then seem to leave me hanging, waiting for the promised next step. But did they really promise it? They described the next step, but do I actually remember being included?

I jump when the phone rings, as if I’ve never heard the sound before. Yes I’m still interested. Yes I would like to see you again. Yes I’ll wait for your email. Yes I’ll wait, seduced by the promise.

As the days pass, I wonder if I’ve been forgotten. Should I call or should I wait? I keep singing “Should I go or should I stay,” the hit by the Clash over and over in my head, a constant reminder of who is in control. The weekend roles over; Monday, a new start. A good time to call.

I’ve rehearsed it over and over again in my head. What I’ll say. How I can make it seem natural I should call. Interested without being eager or obvious. Just following up on last week’s conversation going into a busy week. Want to make sure I have time to see you. Yes we are still trying to coordinate the schedule she says. Yes we want to see you this week she says. Yes I think we can work with those dates she says. I feel a little more in control.

The confirming email comes in a matter of hours. The unknown now known. I can focus on the next step. I’m glad I called. The application process strips you bare. The interview process digs deeper. How would you react to this situation? How have you dealt with that in the past? What is your greatest weakness? Where have you failed in the past? No where to hide.

I think about my first day on the job, getting off the elevator, naked, claiming there is nothing they don’t already know.

Perhaps if they make an offer, I’ll just be coy instead.

The waiting game

It’s the waiting that gets me.

I submit resumes with a sense of urgency, reflecting a posted closing date or feeling the need to apply as early as possible before the organization stops entertaining new candidates. The application process begins with a sense of urgency.

“Are you still interested in the position?” said the caller. I had applied six weeks earlier and assumed, like many resumes, my application was unacknowledged as “only those selected for an interview will be contacted.”

“Yes,” I said, thinking it odd that they needed to start the process asking about my interest level. We set an interview time and as I hung up Molly the Doodle strolled in to see who I was talking to.

“That was a nice surprise,” I said. Seeing no one other than her faithful servant, she turned and went back for more rest. I decided to look up the job posting and my reply. I hadn’t been waiting for that call. Perhaps that’s the difference between hope and waiting. Hope is non-specific; you hope something will happen at some time, while you wait on something you expect to happen but are unsure when. So sending out resumes creates a lot of hope that one organization will call. When they do, the waiting starts.

As I ponder this new situation, I glance at the clock and reminded that I haven’t heard anything from another organization despite their intent to call me “soon.”

I wonder if I should call them or continue to wait? Will a call be seen as positive or will they take it as criticism? It’s easy not to take action, but it isn’t easy to wait.

More in the next post – Should I call or should I wait!