Career News 24/7: The Cynical Girl: The Only Competitor You Have Is In Your Head

Thursday, September 29, 2011

The Cynical Girl: The Only Competitor You Have Is In Your Head

The Only Competitor You Have Is In Your Head

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 03:45 AM PDT

The #hrtechconf is around the corner and I recently changed my twitter profile to read, “Social Media Strategist. HR Chick. Formidable Career Blogger. Pixie of the Apocalypse. I have no competition.”

I love writing crazy stuff like that because, as little as five years ago, I wouldn’t have dared to think about myself in such a brazen way.

Who was I in 2006?

Well, that’s me. I’ve shown this picture before. I was an unremarkable HR chick. I was dispassionate. I didn’t trust other women. I was scared, I was stuck, and I was irrelevant.

So what’s really different in 2011? Not much. I’m still a scared, stuck, semi-irrelevant chick on the periphery of HR — except I’ve made one major change in my life.

I have stopped competing with other people. Especially women. Fully.

I know most of you won’t believe me. Especially HR chicks. That’s fine. I don’t care because it is true. There is no person out there who has the knowledge, skills, and abilities to replace me in the marketplace. And honestly, I cannot replace a single person I know in the world of Human Resources, technology, blogging, or social media management.

It’s just not possible.

And who would I be competing against? Who would compete against me? Other social media strategists? Other HR chicks? Give me a break. Most of them are my friends.

I have a hard enough time fighting my own internal insecurities. I don’t have time to compete with HR divas and social media gurus. And as I get older, I realize that the only competitor I have is in my head. It’s not some HR chick who steps in my way and holds me back from long-term success. It’s not some social media douche bag who keeps me from being an effective business leader. I fail because of my own fear and insecurity. And when I operate out of fear and insecurity, I always make the wrong decisions.

Always.

So when my fears get me down and I start worrying about other people — especially women — weaseling into my territory, I remember that the territory is huge. There is plenty of space for us to roam and be awesome. And we can all succeed.

You Will Never Get A Job With That Poor Attitude

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 03:45 AM PDT

Lots of career coaches out there will tell you that you’ll never get a job with your poor attitude. They will coach you on body language, on appearance, and on your overall demeanor. Smile more. Scowl less. Sit up straight. Wear the right clothes.

Of course they are correct. You look dumpy and this isn’t amateur hour. Get a new pair of shoes.

But you’ll also never get a job because

your industry is outdated.
your skills have fallen behind.
you lack confidence.
you lack intelligence.
your credit score is poor.
you lack a basic understanding of math & science.
you never finished college.
your target employer market is filled with racist, sexist, boneheaded people.

There are a million reasons why you will never get a job. The biggest one?

There are no jobs to be had.

Job growth? Stagnant. Companies? Incented by Wall Street to invest in technology instead of people. Innovation? Strong in certain pockets of America — but not real America and not where you live.

Some ideas for you if you can’t find a job.

Take that piss poor attitude and run for office.
Take that bad posture and get involved in your local community.
Take your dumpy wardrobe and go to a Chamber of Commerce mixer, a Rotary Club meeting, or an Optimist Club meeting. Tell your story.

Activity — and activism — is free.

Speak up where it matters.

Get to work.