The Hiring Games: Job Interviews As Conversations

Thank you all for reading and commenting on my last post. It was so well-received that I was inspired to write a bit more about the hiring process I’m going through for the five vacant positions on my team.

I recently had the good fortune of interviewing three finalists for one of my vacancies. I always enjoy the job interview process regardless of what side of the table I am on. I know they can be very stressful for some people, but I generally find them fun. Ok, so right about now you’re probably thinking I’m weird. That might be true, but hear me out for a second.

It’s probably safe to say that we all enjoy a good conversation; a chance to engage with interesting people on a variety of topics. Well, to me, the best job interviews are conversations. If you’ve made it to one of my interviews, then I’m already convinced of your experience. Now it’s time for me to get to know you, the person. Here are some things that make for good job conversations.

Authenticity: What I’m ultimately looking to find out during an interview is whether I, my team and my colleagues can work with you. That means I need to know the real you, not the constructed resume version of you. So, be yourself. Let me get a sense of your personality. You still need to be professional, of course, but when I ask what you’re biggest failure has been and what you learned from it (and I will ask you this), show me you’re human. That you can laugh at your mistakes. Everyone makes them and I’ll make many more. Plus, authentic people are way more interesting than overly polished, canned versions.

Thoughtfulness: I love people on my teams who think deeply about our work, processes, failures, successes, etc. I like to dig into people’s thought processes because it makes for really good conversations. Show me that you don’t act on a whim. Let me peek inside your brain a bit to get a sense of how thoughtful you are about strategies you develop and actions you take. It’s why my first question in any interview is “why do you want to work here?” Show me that you’ve thought seriously about why. What appeals to you? What are you excited about? How will you grow from this experience? All of that makes good conversation fodder. Oh, and I’ll also ask you to tell me what part of your skill set needs the greatest improvement. You sure as heck have better thought about that.

Humility: Yes, the interview is where you are selling yourself and telling me how great you are, so humility might seem an odd thing to display. But, let’s be real. NONE of us have gotten this far in our careers (or lives, for that matter) without help from others. I’ve been around the block a few times and I’ve yet to see an organizational success that was the result of only one person’s efforts. Brag about yourself, yes, but be humble enough to also tell me about the role others played in your success. One of my favorite things about building teams is surrounding myself with really smart people. I know what I know, but, more importantly, I know what I don’t know. My team fills in my gaps and then some. Talking about others as part of your success stories will not make me think less of you. It will do the opposite. It will show me that you have what it takes to work with others and that you know the value of your colleagues. And, frankly, your own sense of “place” in the greater scheme of things.

Wanted: Quality Job Applicants

I’ve been hiring people for my teams for over 15 years, so it’s safe to say that I’ve seen just about everything when it comes to cover letters, resumes and interviews. At least, I thought I had. Talent evaluation is one of my strengths, as evidenced by the long list of high achieving staff I’ve had over the last decade and a half. But something’s happened since the last time I had to hire someone.

I currently have five vacant positions on my Policy & Communications team. That means I’m pretty immersed in reading cover letters on a daily basis. With five jobs at the ready, I expected to have a much easier time finding qualified candidates than has been the case thus far. In fact, what I’m finding is a shocking lack of ability for candidates to market themselves effectively.

As a general rule, I read cover letters first. The letter is where you need to “wow” me. Most resumes are quite similar in style and structure, so the letter is your chance to tell me something that will make you stand out. Treating the letter as an afterthought is a terrible idea. If you have a terrible cover letter, I don’t even look at your resume. There’s nothing in there that will compensate for poorly communicating why it is you want to work for my organization. Especially when you are applying for a communications position.

Most of the cover letters I receive don’t mention my organization at all. That makes it clear to me that the letter you sent is one of many you’re sending out just to check off some box. If you can’t take the time to personalize a cover letter, why would I ever hire you? Mentioning the position and the organization are the very least you can do. I also want you to tell me why you want to work in my organization. Not because you think it’ll be “great” or “rewarding.” I know both of those things already – I’m working here, aren’t I? I want to know why you really want to work here. What is it about the organization that moves you to want to be here? If you can’t tell me that, why would I ever consider hiring you? I wouldn’t.

Responsiveness is also vitally important. Two weeks ago, I received a letter and resume from an impressive candidate – on paper. Before deciding whether to bring her in for an interview, I reached out to the applicant with a clarifying question less than an hour after she applied. I’m still waiting for a response. She made my decision for me.

Look, I get it. Searching for a job can be very stressful and we all hit moments when we get dejected about our prospects. We’ve all been there. And, yes, there are many parts of the process we have no control over. But that doesn’t mean you are powerless. I say it all the time: focus on the things you can control. You can control the quality of your cover letter, the details of your resume and you sure as heck control whether you respond to a potential employer. What most job seekers don’t realize is that they have far more control and power than they realize. Use it and I promise you’ll see a difference.

Bridgegate Over Troubled Waters

As we settle into week two of Bridgegate, I find myself as riveted to the story as I was when it first broke. The former journalist in me loves it. The e-mails, the juicy quotes, the months of digging around yet to come. Plus, the drip, drip, drip of information that will be released over the next few months. The chance to work on a story like this is why most journalists enter the field.

The former press secretary in me, however … well, he likes it a lot less. A few years removed from the job, I can sit back and watch this mess unfold extremely gratified that I don’t have to answer reporters’ questions. But I’ve also spent a lot of time analyzing this from the perspective of my old role.

I obviously don’t have proof that Gov. Christie had knowledge of the actions that led to the lane closures. He claims he didn’t, but at the very least he surrounded himself with aides who didn’t have a problem dishing out their own form of justice. Justice they felt he would be ok with.

But as someone who worked at a high level for a Governor, I find it extremely hard to believe Christie wasn’t aware. Such tactics are also very much in line with his behavior as New Jersey’s most prominent bully (post-Sopranos edition, of course). If he really didn’t know, then he might be rather out of touch with his own administration’s actions and that raises all sorts of other questions.

From my Massachusetts experience I can assure you that if the Tobin Bridge was going to have lane closures, the Governor would have been told. If for no other reason than he might be asked about it by a reporter. If those lane closures led to four-hour delays, as the George Washington Bridge closures did, then you damn well know he would known about it.

Then there are the e-mails. The smoking guns in this case. As anyone who worked for or with me at Health & Human Services and in the Governor’s office will tell you, not a week went by when I wasn’t reminding someone that unless they were comfortable with the contents of their e-mail appearing on the front page of the Boston Globe or Boston Herald, they should try something novel instead. You know that square object on your desk with the keypad on it? It’s not a paperweight. USE IT!

I’m not exactly sure what compels otherwise smart people to put inappropriate things in e-mails. People do it in all walks of life, but if you work in government you’re reminded repeatedly that e-mails are public documents. And yet, people still do it. Is it arrogance? Stupidity? Something else? I’m not sure I know.

Gov. Christie insists that he surprised by the contents of the e-mails. Once again, he’s either lying, out of touch or should immediately fire his General Counsel for not briefing him.

I worked on countless FOIAs and public record requests in my four years in state government. It was a brutally tedious process. I read thousands of documents and e-mails, as did the legal teams I worked with. And when we were done, we briefed multiple people – Commissioners, Secretaries, the Governor’s Chief of Staff and the Governor himself. That’s the process, especially if the issue were as politically explosive as this.

Gov. Christie has made no secret of his political aspirations, but I have to imagine that his presidential ambitions are d-o-n-e. The public will forgive lots of things when it comes to politicians, but intentionally messing with their rush hour commute for political reasons is not one of them.

Sadness, Aisle 2

Sadness was the last emotion I expected to be hit with while picking up a few items at my local supermarket. It isn’t a Whole Foods or a Trader Joe’s or a Garden of Eden – the latter of which is where I shop most often. It’s a Bravo Supermarket.

I’m not exactly sure how long this particular one has been in business, but I’d guess at least a few decades, with the small, cramped, old interior showing its age like rings on trees. I assume it is a holdover from when the Upper West Side was a “less desirable” neighborhood – a theory bolstered by the fact that the majority of the other Bravo Supermarkets in NYC are in neighborhoods referred to by realtors as “evolving,” at best.

One of the things I love about our neighborhood is that it hasn’t been fully gentrified (yet), like the rest of the Upper West Side has sadly been. In fact, it’s why we picked it. It is a safe neighborhood that is both economically and ethnically diverse. There are expensive brownstones a block away from large public housing complexes – and everything in between. We enjoy amazing ethnic food, bodegas, wonderful music and watching games of dominoes played by long-time residents on folding tables under makeshift sidewalk tents.

Bravo is across the street from the aforementioned housing project. It mostly serves these residents; much like the local market across the street from the housing project of my youth did for us. And like that market way back in the 1970s and ‘80s, it offers up a small variety of healthy produce and a WIDE variety of crappy, unhealthy and cheap pre-packaged food options.

I occasionally shop at Bravo and when I go there, I’m surrounded by my people. That is to say, the folks I grew up with in the South Bronx. They speak with each other in Spanish or Spanglish, depending on their mood. I join them when I’m there. The baggers have small cups next to the end of the checkout aisles for tips, much like the kids did in the market of my youth. I shop there less for the food and more to support those working there. If the store were to go away, so too would their jobs.

Those who shop there have very little money, but they do what they can to put food on the table – as my parents did growing up. And, yes, the customers tip the baggers, too – a spirit of generosity that has always amazed me. The prices at Bravo are not high, obviously, and neither is the food quality. And that’s what makes me sad.

Where is the fresh produce? Why are the veggies so past their prime? Why so many sugar cereals? So much candy, soda, donuts, junk, junk, junk. I went looking for gluten-free cereal. No luck. Greek yogurt? Nope. Fresh berries. No chance.

Why are those who have less deprived of some of the things they need most? And don’t tell me they wouldn’t buy healthier foods. That’s simply not true.

According to Wholesome Wave, a non-profit focused on empowering urban and rural communities to make healthier food choices, a national study on the use of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits at Farmers Markets in 22 states and Washington, D.C., showed that in 2011, consumers at those markets “redeemed more than $938,000 in SNAP incentives and more than $1.47 million in SNAP benefits during the time incentives were offered.”

No one wants to eat crap, but when it’s all you can afford in your local market – and all that is available there – you don’t have much of an option. This doesn’t have to be the case. And that’s the saddest part of all.

We need better access to affordable healthy food options in our underserved communities. We need better education on where to access healthy foods and how to do so on a budget. And, for those families who use SNAP benefits, we need to reverse the senseless cuts made to the program earlier this year.

Maybe then, we can finally start to make grocery shopping an enjoyable experience for everyone. One full of the colorful fruit and vegetable possibilities that many of us take for granted.

Random Musings, Vol. 1

Writing a blog requires one to, you know, write. I’ve spent most of the week trying to find the one topic that has captured my attention when it dawned on me that this blog is about random musings. So, why not do just that? Offer up some random thoughts floating around between my ears this week. Here goes …

Election Fun Facts

Bill de Blasio crushed his Republican opponent making him New York’s first Democrat mayor in 20 years. His margin of victory was the largest of any non-incumbent mayor (hello, Ed Koch) in city history.

Of course, our two most recent mayors, Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, were both Democrats at one point in their political careers. Giuliani was a Democrat until 1975, when he switched to Independent. He became a Republican in 1980, one month after Ronald Reagan was elected President. Oddly, Giuliani won both terms as NYC mayor running on the Republican and Liberal party lines.

Bloomberg was a Democrat up until his first campaign, switching to Republican before the 2001 race. His victory that year marked the first time in New York history that two different Republicans were elected mayor consecutively. His 20-point re-election victory in 2005 was the largest ever by a Republican mayor in the city. Less than two years later, Bloomberg would famously leave the GOP and become an Independent.

Up in my former stomping grounds of Boston, where municipal elections are non-partisan, Marty Walsh was elected mayor by four percentage points. He follows Tom Menino, who has served as mayor for 20 years, into City Hall. Remarkably, Walsh will be only the sixth Boston mayor since 1947. Let that sink it for a moment.

The ethnic demographics of Boston have been shifting for some time, but it’s the political shift that is having a more significant impact on elections results. I find this map to be especially fascinating. With a few exceptions, it’s like someone drew a line through the middle of the city and put voters on one side or the other. Maybe it’s just a fluke, but something tells me there might be more to it than that.

To Fight or Not to Fight, That is the Question

This is probably one of the few times anyone will write about hockey with a Shakespearean-themed headline. At least one person will appreciate it, though. Great literature aside, we’re here to talk about fighting.

I love hockey. Love the physicality, skill, speed, intensity and, of course, the playoffs, but I have mixed feelings when it comes to fighting. I don’t have a problem with fights that occur in the heat of the moment and certainly have no issues with defending a teammate. I may not cheer the fights like so many fans do, but those types of fisticuffs are an important part of the game.

Back in the 1970s, bench clearing brawls happened often in the NHL. Before games, during them, between periods, at the end, you name it. It was during this era that the Philadelphia Flyers earned the nickname “Broad Street Bullies” en route to back-to-back Stanley Cups.

Thankfully, the NHL has long since cleaned up its act when it comes to fighting (kinda sorta). Gone are the days of frequent brawls. As the skill level has increased, the number of players whose lone ability is fighting has decreased. And that’s a very good thing. The best hockey games you’ll ever watch are in the postseason where fighting is virtually non-existent. But the debate over fighting continues. These days, it’s centered around two issues: concussions and staged fighting.

Concussions are a huge problem in hockey. You may not hear about it as much as in the NFL, but that’s only because the NHL isn’t as popular in the U.S. The NHL and its Players Association must deal with the increasing number of illegal hits to the head from elbows and shoulder pads. For whatever reason, players have become more reckless and less respectful of one another. That said, fighting clearly contributes to the problem.

As for staged fighting, well, it is embarrassing to the league, to its players and to its long-time fans. What’s staged fighting? It’s when two players decide in advance to fight one another even though there is nothing in the heat of the moment that prompts it. It’s simply … well, I’m not sure what the purpose is. As our friends north of the border point out in this clip, there’s really no place for it in the league.

Leave it to the Flyers (of course) to lower things even more. Earlier this month, in the midst of being blown out by Washington, Philadelphia goaltender Ray Emery skated the length of the ice and jumped his Washington counterpart. For no reason. Heck, this wasn’t even staged; it was just an unprovoked attack. There’s no place in hockey for that either and thanks to the Flyers, the league once again had to endure news cycles of this instead of this.

For a league that has seen increases in popularity over the last few years as more and more talented young players have entered the NHL, it can ill afford to be dragged down by old-school thuggery.

Halloween in the ‘hood

Happy All Hallows’ Eve everyone!

It’s the one day each year we are allowed to take candy from strangers. Is it ok because the strangers are in their own homes? I can never figure that out. But I digress …

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Not because I get dressed up or because of the candy. I actually lost my sweet tooth years ago. No, I enjoy Halloween because it’s fun to see what creative costumes people come up with. And when I’ve lived in apartments where it was easy for kids to trick-or-treat, it made the night that much better.

I also like Halloween because some of my fondest childhood memories are from this day. More so than any other holiday.

Halloween was an interesting time when I was a kid. I grew up in the Mitchell Houses (that’s my building behind the church!) in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx back when the borough was earning its notorious reputation. But on this one day, at least, we could be assured of a fun time that also felt like a 24-hour break from the constant violence around us. As a kid who learned early on the difference in sound between a gunshot and a firecracker, the most troublesome part of Halloween was much simpler: What costume was I going to wear?!?

We were all poor – some poorer than others, of course – so elaborate costumes were out of the question. Some years, I used my mom’s makeup to paint a variety of designs on my face.

My all-time favorite costume, however, and the one I still get excited thinking about, was of Boba Fett from Star Wars. All these years later, it is still the first and happiest memory I have when I think about Halloween. And that’s in spite (or maybe because) of the fact that it was so old school. You know, cheap. Like all good late ‘70s/early ‘80s costumes were.

It had all the tell-tale signs of a costume from that era: a plastic front that you’d tie around your waist and neck like an apron; a plastic mask with two holes under the nose that were so small you could barely breathe through them; and the ever dangerous rubber band stapled to the side of the mask to keep it in place. Inevitably, one of two things would happen with that rubber band – it would dig into your skin as the night wore on or it would snap and leave a lovely welt on the side of your face. Often, both happened. But it was STILL a great night!

(For the record, these days I prefer this type of rubber band action.)

With the critical costume decision made, it was off to get candy! We were living in unsafe neighborhoods so trick-or-treating in one’s building was limited to the neighbors you knew well. Once we done inside, we’d spend hours walking around collecting sweets from all the bodegas and other local businesses. This is undoubtedly where my love of Smarties derives; I passed those nasty Mary Janes onto my mom.

Seeing other kids and families walking around, smiling and loading up on sugar made for such wonderful distractions from our reality. Maybe that’s another reason I grew to love Halloween. It didn’t matter how little money you had, there was always something around the house that you could use, which meant it was truly a holiday for everyone.

Enjoy today and if you see any Boba Fetts walking around, give them some extra Smarties for me.

(Feel free to share your Halloween memories in the comments section.)

Breaking News: FEC Limits Elections to One Male Candidate

Now that I have your attention …

No, the Federal Election Commission is not limiting the number of male candidates who can run in an election. That’s not something the FEC can do. But you were probably taken aback by the thought of such a limitation. And yet, how many elections have included more than one female candidate?

News out of Massachusetts this week has brought this issue to the fore. There are currently two women in the Democratic field of candidates for Governor in 2014 – current Attorney General Martha Coakley (the first woman to be elected AG in state history) and first-time political candidate Juliette Kayyem. Kayyem announced her candidacy at the end of the summer, Coakley a few weeks later.

Quick disclaimer: I’m a supporter of Kayyem’s. We worked together for current Governor Deval Patrick and I am a big believer in what she can bring to my former home state of 10 years.

But this isn’t about who I like. This is about what one-time Democratic candidate for Governor and former State Treasurer (another female first in MA), Shannon O’Brien had to say to Boston Public Radio about Kayyem’s candidacy:

“I just don’t think there’s room for another smart female in this race.”

Sigh …

Elections are about an exchange of ideas and about engaging the electorate around issues of great importance: jobs, education, infrastructure investments, balanced budgets, etc. All ideas are to be welcomed and debated. Where does it say all ideas except those from the second or third or fourth woman in a race??

EMILY’s List disappointed me, as it did others, when it was reported that they had “suggested” to Kayyem that she “defer” to Coakley. Excuse me? Obviously, they think Coakley has a better chance of winning. I disagree for many reasons, but that’s an issue for another day. More importantly, who is EMILY’s List to declare who should or shouldn’t be in the race? My most recent donation to them will be my last.

Running for elected office is extremely hard work. I’ve seen it up close, having managed a statewide campaign, worked on many others and constantly debated whether I want to run myself someday. The more smart, passionate, committed people there are looking to serve, the better off all of us will be. The recent mess in D.C. proves that once and for all.

As a feminist, you bet I want to see more women in office. I’m a big believer in representative government. As in, our leaders should reflect the communities they serve. Women make up more than 50% of the U.S. population, but only 18% of the House of Representatives and 20% of the Senate. There are five female Governors. During my Massachusetts days, I worked on trying to get more women and people of color to run. That remains a significant challenge and comments like O’Brien’s don’t help.

Special interest groups, former elected officials and talking heads have no right to create arbitrary quotas of who can or can’t run. And they should not be in the business of telling people when it’s their “time” to run. Back in 2005, the Massachusetts Democratic machine told a newcomer who had never run for elected office before that he should step aside because it was Tom Reilly’s turn. Hmm, I wonder what happened to that new guy …

There’s plenty of room for smart women in races from dog catcher to president. Massachusetts has the good fortune of having two such women running for Governor. Shame on O’Brien for not realizing what her fellow Democrats and the voters of the Commonwealth have going for them.

Welcome!

Well, I’ve finally done it. After years toying with the idea, I have finally started a blog. I’ve been on Twitter and Facebook for years. I have Instagram and Vine accounts as well – although, I’m not as active on them. Despite having been a writer for more than 20 years, I’ve never been able to commit to writing a blog. Until now (cue foreboding music).

This blog will likely cover a wide assortment of topics. I hope you will enjoy it, interact with me on it and, of course, find it engaging. If you do, please spread the word. If you don’t, well, then let’s just have it be our little secret. With that, I’m off to write my first musing.