Elevate Your Screening for Career Satisfaction

We are in a constant state of screening.

Whether it's that person we just met, the new TV show that debuted, an album from a band you recently heard of, a product that will revolutionize...whatever...in your life: all of these things have to go through an internal set of filters before you give them the internal "thumbs up." Screening helps us feel comfortable about our decisions and ensures that there is a fit between our values and what's being offered to us.

Employers screen their candidates for the same reason. They are looking for something (knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, ethics, etc) and you are offering them something. How well what you offer meets their needs is the magic question.

Desperate job candidates feel honored that they are given an opportunity to interview and they screen at a much lower level than they would if they weren't desperate. This is a recipe for career disaster. No matter how badly they want or need the job, critical screening is essential to ensure that it's going to be the right one. Strengthen your screening process by focusing on the following areas:

Requirements: Screen the requirements of the position by carefully reading the job description and parsing out any words or items that you don't understand. Ask about these in the interview. For example, what does it mean when a company requires that you "supervise functions of accounts payable"? Are you overseeing employees or just the operations of accounts payable? The differences could significantly impact your career, so getting clear on what it means is essential.

Culture: This is a tricky one, as it is hard to screen culture without being in it. However, it's not impossible if you ask the right questions...specific questions. Focus in on the aspects of the culture that are important to you and ask pointed questions about them, from the work hours and vacations to interdepartmental collaboration and supervisor meetings. If possible, talk with other employees (particularly ones in your role) to get a first-hand view of the company's culture.

Benefits: Screening around benefits means to ask questions about 401k, insurance, vacation time, sick time, or any other benefit that the company offers. A comprehensive health insurance plan may not mean as much to you as instant vetting in a 401k. Be thorough in your screening here.

The Extras: Finally, ask questions around those "extra" things that you may take for granted in a position. Will you have an office or a cubicle? What kind of computer is provided? Are you offered any kind of administrative support? Put yourself in the frame of mind of the position and what you believe is included and ask about it...what you learn may surprise you.

Job candidates do themselves no favors by surrendering their power and not screening thoroughly. To ensure a strong fit between you and the organization, be discriminate and comprehensive in what you ask.

Go on a Privacy Offensive, Not Defensive

This past week Forbes published an interesting article about how the retailer Target figured out a teenage customer was pregnant before her parents knew. Target, it turns out, gives each customer a unique identification number and-using credit card information and login data from online purchases-tracks what we buy, using this information to tailor its marketing efforts. Those coupons you got from Target in the mail last week? More than likely, they are 100% different from the ones sent to me.

Privacy, of course, is dead and has been for a long time. Background checks are so ubiquitous that anyone with a credit card and computer can perform one...on any one of us. And career experts have guided candidates to lock up their social media accounts for fear of having its contents reflect negatively upon them.

For years we have been on the privacy defensive...I propose a privacy offensive.

Online presence: Instead of locking up your social media, use it strategically to reinforce your personal brand. Create profiles on not just the ubiquitous sites (LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter) but also some of the up-and-coming ones like Google + and Pinterest to profile the unique, professional you.

Personality profiles: Personality profiles like the MBTI, DiSC, Insights, and StrengthsFinder can be used to show employers unique talents and qualities you possess that will benefit their organizations. Highlight the information provided on these assessments to give objectivity to your personal marketing, and strengthen them with concrete examples of how you exemplify those qualities.

References: Don't just contact your references and prepare them for a potential phone call from a prospective employer. Ask your references to cite specific examples of your leadership, work skills, and/or knowledge that apply directly to the position for which you are applying. This will empower them to demonstrate how you can help that employer specifically, and they won't have to search, themselves, for answers that are the best fit.

Don't be held back by the Information Age. Use it to proactively empower you and your career.

Clean Up Your Digital Dirt!

In 2008, an Oregon mayor was ousted from office after she posted racy photos on her MySpace account. She assumed that what she posted was a personal decision; her constituents thought otherwise.

At first glance, you might think the story simply underscores the ongoing debate around online privacy. A closer look, though, uncovers an important job screening lesson.

As the job market continues to remain competitive, an unflattering picture on Facebook or less-than-professional Tweet can create a negative impression of you in the minds of hiring managers. Follow these tips to take control of your Web presence:

Search yourself: It’s obvious that a quick Google search can elicit information about you. But try Spokeo.com to search more in-depth and root out any potential problems that you need to address.
Lockdown your Facebook profile: Are you familiar with Facebook’s security settings? If not, you could be displaying information that you don’t want others to see. Check out this video from the US Army to turn it into Fort Knox!
Run interference: Create a profile on LinkedIn.com that is geared exclusively towards your professional life. It will appear near the top of Google search results and bury other sites that have content you’re working on removing.
Make yourself immune: The last advice is probably the best: do not post anything on social media sites that you wouldn’t want displayed on the front page of the newspaper!