Posted under Career Management, Career Planning, Interviewing on June 25th, 2007
In April ’07, blogs were buzzing about Marilee Jones, who left her job at M.I.T. because of a lie she told years ago… The basic learning point = telling lies may result in shame and perhaps, being fired. In June ’07, Jack and Suzy Welch, the GE power couple who became Business Week pundits in January 2006, wrote about the importance of being truthful during the interview process. The basic learning point = telling the truth may result in being hired.
Their point is one that I like to stress: candidates must present a credible picture of themselves.
* Few candidates over the age of 30 have pursued a career path that has not included a few speed-bumps. The reasons for such bumps are legion, and the assignment of blame something that we need to “get over.”
* Decision-makers are likely to be more than 30-years old; you can be sure they’ve experienced some disappointments along with their successes.
* It is likely that your self-reflective, non-judgmental, and mature analysis will be disarming: people will like you! After all the degrees, accomplishments, and keywords are posted, it comes down to “fit:” people hire those whom they like.
Career decisions are not without emotional baggage and consequences; work through your “Grief Cycle” and recognize your strengths with the help of a job search strategy coach.
* Listen to your former colleagues and your current network for clues as to what happened in the previous position - look forward.
* Test realistic solutions and investigate new opportunities through networking, reading, and self-reflection - look forward.
When you are ready, present yourself as a credible candidate by demonstrating that you are self-reflective, that you accept ownership for your behavior, and that you have gained insight that will help you be more valuable as you move forward.
The friend described in Own Up to Getting Sacked was offered a new job within weeks of telling a prospective employer: “I’m sitting here with you because didn’t have the guts to move out employees who couldn’t meet their numbers, and I tweaked costs instead of taking the full-bore approach that was necessary. But I can assure you, those mistakes won’t happen again. Let me prove it to you.”
Recognizing and telling the truth is a powerful job search strategy… 
Posted by Karen P. Katz
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Rachel on 25 Jun 2007 at 3:55 pm #
I agree with your points. I have had several clients who were afraid of mentioning why they had to leave their previous job. They were considering covering up with a lie, but in the end they told the truth and they were hired. In one particular case I talked to the employer, and he said he hired my client only because she was not afraid to say the truth, and this particular quality was something he was looking for in an employee.
I agree! “the truth is a powerful job search strategy…”!