TechCurrents

The Tech Currents podcast features hosts Sam Cavaliere and Ron Melanson discussing current topics in the technology world, including personal experiences and advice. In this particular episode, they address recent "LinkedIn lunacy," highlighting fake profiles, job scams, and misleading career advice found on the platform. They offer insights on navigating these issues and share perspectives on job searching, such as the value of the "open to work" banner and the format of resumes. The hosts also touch upon the debate surrounding AI training on copyrighted material. Finally, they examine the importance of being mindful during job interviews, particularly regarding seemingly casual small talk questions that can reveal unintended information.

The hosts offer practical, experience-based advice and encourage listeners to reach out with questions and feedback via LinkedIn or email. They also mention upcoming episodes that will delve deeper into networking and feature a return conversation with Amy Miller. The overall tone is supportive and aims to help job seekers navigate the challenges of the current job market. 

Additional Show Notes:

This podcast episode discusses resume writing and interviewing strategies. The hosts emphasize the importance of quantifiable results and metrics on resumes, arguing that simply listing responsibilities is insufficient in today's competitive job market. They then focus on the power of storytelling in interviews, suggesting three key narratives: an origin story, a success story, and a resilience story (a story about overcoming a setback). The hosts advocate for honesty and self-awareness, emphasizing that vulnerability and owning failures can make a candidate more relatable and memorable. 

Incorporating Metrics in Job Resumes

In the meeting, Sam and Ron discussed the importance of including metrics and results in resumes for job seekers. Ron shared his experience of working with a professional to revamp a resume and the recommendation to include more action-oriented and story-driven content. He emphasized the preference for resumes that include numbers and metrics, as they demonstrate understanding of the work's results. Sam agreed, noting that the job search is never over and the need for resumes to stand out in today's competitive market. They concluded that including metrics and results in resumes can make them more attractive to potential employers.

Call Center Performance Metrics Discussion

Ron and Sam discussed a call center employee's performance metrics and how they were measured. The employee initially struggled to articulate his performance metrics, but after some prompting, he revealed that his performance was based on customer satisfaction ratings, the number of customers he engaged with, and the number of recommendations he made to the engineering team that were adopted. Ron and Sam agreed that these metrics were key performance indicators (KPIs). They also discussed the importance of separating individual contributions from team efforts in performance evaluations. The conversation ended with a humorous observation about the two sides taking opposing views during the discussion.

Metrics and Results in Jobs

Ron and Sam discussed the importance of metrics and results in various jobs, emphasizing that these metrics should drive meaningful outcomes. They used the example of a delivery consultant to illustrate that the work done should benefit both the company and the customer. They also highlighted the significance of quantifying achievements, such as improving sales processes or exceeding quotas, but stressed that these numbers should be believable and contextually relevant. The conversation concluded with the importance of having stories to explain how these metrics were achieved.

Storytelling and Networking in Interviews

Sam and Ron discussed the importance of storytelling in job interviews, emphasizing the need to elaborate on the metrics listed on resumes. They highlighted the example of Ron's former coworker, Megan Weber, who had no prior experience in the Cloud business but excelled in her role. Ron also stressed the importance of maintaining relationships within one's network, as it can provide valuable insights and assistance. The conversation concluded with a reference to a previous episode of the Tech Currents podcast, which delved into the concept of a "bar raiser" at Amazon, a special interview team responsible for hiring the best candidates.

Improving Communication and Interview Skills

Ron discussed the shift in communication patterns due to increased connectivity and the preference for short, concise messages. He highlighted the challenges of interviewing candidates who struggle to provide coherent, story-like responses. Ron also shared his personal experience of writing daily articles for LinkedIn, emphasizing the difficulty of the task. He suggested that job seekers should practice telling three stories, including an origin story, to improve their interview performance.

Origin Stories and Career Development

Ron and Sam discussed the importance of origin stories and proud accomplishments in career development. Ron shared his son's origin story, which revolved around his passion for aerospace engineering and his interest in working for SpaceX or Blue Origin. Sam agreed, emphasizing the significance of passion in one's career. They also discussed the STAR format for sharing success stories, which includes a situation, task, action, and result. Ron used an example of a marketing campaign to illustrate this format. They concluded that these stories should be concise, ideally under two minutes, and should highlight the individual's role in achieving the desired outcome.

Overcoming Professional Failure and Learning

Ron and Sam discussed the challenges of recalling and learning from past failures, particularly in a professional context. They agreed that it's common for people to avoid discussing their failures, as they were often discouraged from doing so in their previous work environments. However, they emphasized the importance of learning from these experiences, as they can provide valuable insights for personal and corporate development. They also discussed the difficulty of discussing failures in interview scenarios, suggesting that it's crucial to be comfortable and genuine when discussing past failures.

Sharing Personal Experiences in Work

Ron and Sam discussed the importance of sharing personal experiences, particularly failures, in a professional setting. Ron emphasized the value of self-awareness, admitting mistakes, and learning from them. He shared his experience of a product launch that faced significant delays due to communication issues, which led him to modify his communication approach. Sam agreed, highlighting the need for job seekers to overcome the fear of appearing vulnerable and to own their failures. They also touched on cultural differences in discussing failures, with some cultures being more reluctant to do so.

Showcasing Personal Experiences in Interviews

In the meeting, Sam and Ron discussed the importance of showcasing personal experiences and achievements in job interviews, rather than just listing job responsibilities. They emphasized the value of storytelling in interviews, highlighting the origin story, a proud accomplishment, and a story of resilience. They also discussed the significance of quantifiable results in resumes and the need for recruiters to look for team-oriented individuals. The conversation concluded with plans for a future podcast episode featuring a recruiter, Amy Miller, who will discuss recruiting myths and the role of applicant tracking systems.

Ron's LinkedIn Articles. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronaldmelanson/recent-activity/articles/

This Tech Currents podcast episode discusses the controversial topic of return-to-office mandates in the tech industry. The hosts interview a cybersecurity expert who offers nuanced perspectives on productivity, considering factors beyond simple output metrics. They explore various contributing elements, including the economic impact on cities and the unintended consequences of widespread remote work. The discussion also touches on the role of company culture and the challenges of adapting to changing work models. Ultimately, the podcast concludes that a lack of comprehensive data currently hinders definitive conclusions on optimal work arrangements.

#productivity #innovation #RTO #returntooffice #workingathome

Here is a list of sources that were used in researching this episode with links where available:

•Aksoy, Cevat Giray, Jose Maria Barrero, Nicholas Bloom, Steven J. Davis, Mathias Dolls & Pablo Zarate. 2022. Working From Home Around the World. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 30446.

•Althoff, Lukas, et al. 2022. The Geography of Remote Work. 93 Reg.Sci. Urban Econ. 103770.

•Barrero, Maria, Nicholas Bloom & Steven J. Davis. 2021. Why Working From Home Will Stick. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 28731.

•Bloom, Nicholas, et al. 2015. Does Working from Home Work? Evidence from a Chinese Experiment. 130 Quart. J. Econ. 165–218.

•Bloom, Nicholas, Steven J. Davis & Yulia Zhestkova. 2021. COVID-19 Shifted Patent Applications Toward Technologies That Support Working from Home. 111 American Economics Association Papers and Proceedings 263–6.

•Choudhury, Prithwiraj, Cirrus Foroughi & Barbara Larson. 2021. Work-From-Anywhere: The Productivity Effects of Geographic Flexibility. 42 Strateg. Manage. J. 655–83.

•Deitrick, Sabina & Christopher Briem. 2021. The Pittsburgh Transition: Not Quite So Simple. 35 Econ. Devel. Quart. 197–201.

•Delventhal, Matthew J., Eunjee Kwon & Andrii Parkhomenko. 2022. How Do Cities Change When We Work From Home?. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 30281.

•Emanuel, Natalia & Emma Harrington. 2021. “Working” Remotely? Selection, Treatment, and the Market Provision of Remote Work (Harvard Dept. of Econ., Working Paper, April 2021). https://scholar.harvard.edu/eharrington/publications/working-remotely-selection-treatment-and-market-provision-remote-work

•Florida, Richard. 2021. The Shift from the “Last Relic of the Industrial Age” to Remote Work. https://www.detroitchamber.com/richard-florida-the-shift-from-the-last-relic-of-the-industrial-age-to-remote-work/

•Gibbs, Michael, Friederike Mengel & Christoph Siemroth. 2022. Work from Home & Productivity: Evidence from Personnel & Analytics Data on IT Professionals. IZA Discussion Paper No. 14336.https://ssrn.com/abstract=3846680

•Van Nieuwerburgh, Stijn. 2022. The Remote Work Revolution: Impact on Real Estate Values and Urban Environment. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 30662.

•Zhang, Ting, Dan Gerlowski & Zoltan Acs. 2022. Working From Home: Small Business Performance and the COVID-19 Pandemic. 58 Small Bus. Econ. 611–36.

This Episode, admittedly a very late thanksgiving episode,  features a conversation between two longtime friends (Sam and Ron) reminiscing about their shared experiences in the tech industry, spanning from the early days of personal computing and dial-up internet to the modern era of cloud computing and streaming services. Their discussion covers obsolete technologies, humorous anecdotes from their careers at Microsoft, and reflections on the evolution of the industry and its impact on their professional lives. They also compare past and present technological advancements, contrasting the problem-solving skills developed in earlier eras with readily available online resources today. The conversation concludes with thoughts on the importance of continuous learning and problem-solving in a rapidly changing technological landscape.

Topics include:

#innovation #whatinspiresme 

In this episode, special guest Ron Melanson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronaldmelanson/ ) takes us through a discussion about what bar raising is at Amazon, providing us with his history of mentoring and talking about what drove him to become a more active career coach.  This includes a discussion around mental health and job seeking.  Something many folks will not discuss, but we want to address it head on as I know it affected  me personally during my job search.  

If you haven't met Ron and had the privilege of getting his counseling on your resume and interview techniques, you are doing yourself a disservice.  Get familiar with the STAR technique for interviews if you are in your job search today https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/resources/interviewing-talent/star-method

In our premier episode, we introduce our host, Sam Cavaliere and discuss his adventures in being laid off.  We talk about navigating LinkedIn and what we found to be most helpful when navigating being laid off.