Comments for IIA Insight Blog http://iiainsight.wordpress.com stay informed. get ahead. Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:07:11 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Job-hunting Tips by Vaibhav http://iiainsight.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/job-hunting-tips/#comment-24 Vaibhav Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:07:11 +0000 http://iiainsight.wordpress.com/?p=16#comment-24 Hi, It's useful and informative. This clearly explains how networking helps in finding a job. Hi,
It’s useful and informative. This clearly explains how networking helps in finding a job.

]]> Comment on Interviewing Skills by J. Tyler Ballance http://iiainsight.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/interviewing-skills/#comment-15 J. Tyler Ballance Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:35:19 +0000 http://iiainsight.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-15 Know when to admit that the company or position is just not the right fit for you. I interviewed with a major gas utility in the Mid-Atlantic region. The first two rounds seemed to go well, but then I noticed that I kept getting called for one more meeting with one more new executive. Had this been going on in a relatively short time, this would have been a positive development, but this process dragged on for months, with each interviewer going through what must have been a preset list of psychological profile questions and scenario questions to determine if I could walk and chew gum at he same time. Eventually, I had invested four months in this process, with no end in sight. It eventually became evident that the company's senior management had great difficulty in making decisions. Since they were a big, heavily regulated bureaucracy, they had grown accustomed to dragging out the decision making process for months, or years. Although I was the likely hire, and would have eventually landed a good position with that company, I decided that working for such a sloth-like bureaucracy would be a terrible fate for me. I politely informed the company that I had to move along to examine other potential offers and made sure that they knew that I was no longer a candidate for the position. We parted on positive terms and I even invited some of the folks with whom I had most recently interviewed, to come out to watch our local AAA baseball team together. I learned much about that company that is not readily apparent on the balance sheet. I also made some new friends who know that they can call on me in the future, and that I will be glad to help. Most importantly, I recognized that although there were many nice people at that company, their pace was just too slow and lacked the professional stimulation that I need to thrive. The lesson learned here was that the job seeker must make a candid assessment regarding if the position and if the company will be a suitable cultural fit, that will not only provide employment, but will provide the symbiosis that will make working there a mutually rewarding experience. Know when to admit that the company or position is just not the right fit for you.

I interviewed with a major gas utility in the Mid-Atlantic region. The first two rounds seemed to go well, but then I noticed that I kept getting called for one more meeting with one more new executive. Had this been going on in a relatively short time, this would have been a positive development, but this process dragged on for months, with each interviewer going through what must have been a preset list of psychological profile questions and scenario questions to determine if I could walk and chew gum at he same time.

Eventually, I had invested four months in this process, with no end in sight. It eventually became evident that the company’s senior management had great difficulty in making decisions. Since they were a big, heavily regulated bureaucracy, they had grown accustomed to dragging out the decision making process for months, or years.

Although I was the likely hire, and would have eventually landed a good position with that company, I decided that working for such a sloth-like bureaucracy would be a terrible fate for me.

I politely informed the company that I had to move along to examine other potential offers and made sure that they knew that I was no longer a candidate for the position. We parted on positive terms and I even invited some of the folks with whom I had most recently interviewed, to come out to watch our local AAA baseball team together.

I learned much about that company that is not readily apparent on the balance sheet. I also made some new friends who know that they can call on me in the future, and that I will be glad to help. Most importantly, I recognized that although there were many nice people at that company, their pace was just too slow and lacked the professional stimulation that I need to thrive.

The lesson learned here was that the job seeker must make a candid assessment regarding if the position and if the company will be a suitable cultural fit, that will not only provide employment, but will provide the symbiosis that will make working there a mutually rewarding experience.

]]> Comment on Welcome to IIA Insight! by Veronica Woodward http://iiainsight.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/hello-world/#comment-3 Veronica Woodward Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:54:29 +0000 #comment-3 I certainly agree that this is a valid suject. Different generations provide diversity to the workplace but they do have different needs, both personal and professional. As a 60 something, I have spent over a quarter century in the professional arena and found that the need for flextime was great during the years I was raising children, while the need for social activities was higher in my single days. Professionally, the younger generation is looking to move up while many employees my age are more concerned with enjoying the work they perform and deriving satisifaction from the work. People at every age can bring a diversity of thought to the workplace as well. While youth brings that high energy and 'out of the box' style thinking, older workers have the experience and rationale to understand the risks and costs of implementing those ideas. Hard workers don't come with a number on their foreheads, we need to embrace people of all ages in the workplace. I certainly agree that this is a valid suject. Different generations provide diversity to the workplace but they do have different needs, both personal and professional. As a 60 something, I have spent over a quarter century in the professional arena and found that the need for flextime was great during the years I was raising children, while the need for social activities was higher in my single days. Professionally, the younger generation is looking to move up while many employees my age are more concerned with enjoying the work they perform and deriving satisifaction from the work. People at every age can bring a diversity of thought to the workplace as well. While youth brings that high energy and ‘out of the box’ style thinking, older workers have the experience and rationale to understand the risks and costs of implementing those ideas. Hard workers don’t come with a number on their foreheads, we need to embrace people of all ages in the workplace.

]]> Comment on Welcome to IIA Insight! by Dave McKnight http://iiainsight.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/hello-world/#comment-2 Dave McKnight Wed, 09 Jan 2008 13:29:07 +0000 #comment-2 The subject of the multigenerational workplace is valid to a degree. Many studies have shown that individuals from different generations are motivated by different rewards. Evaluating your workforce and offering more appropriate rewards based on age group will improve motivation. However, the more valid point is that different INDIVIDUALS are motivated by different rewards. Although the average person in the age group of your workforce may value flextime, this may not be a motivator for some. My own experience has been that an organization is most effective when supervisors get to know their staff and tailor rewards to the individual. The subject of the multigenerational workplace is valid to a degree. Many studies have shown that individuals from different generations are motivated by different rewards. Evaluating your workforce and offering more appropriate rewards based on age group will improve motivation. However, the more valid point is that different INDIVIDUALS are motivated by different rewards. Although the average person in the age group of your workforce may value flextime, this may not be a motivator for some. My own experience has been that an organization is most effective when supervisors get to know their staff and tailor rewards to the individual.

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