Sam Crowell Richard’s Post

Let's have a bit of "fun" today. What's the worst/funniest/stupidest question that you've seen as part of a job application? Here's mine: ➡️ What's your favorite GIF? Seriously? How does that help you decide whether or not I'm a good candidate for your position? You're just wasting mine and everyone else's time. Sure it only takes a few seconds to upload a GIF but why waste people's time? Here's another one: ➡️ What software program most changed your life in the past year? Look, there are lots of software programs that I find useful. But life-changing??? I'm not going to say that there are no software programs that can change lives. Because there are. But it's rare that I come across one that changes my life. And...once again, this was NOT relevant to the job!!! ----------- So to all these companies that have weird/stupid/ridiculous questions as part of your job application process...CUT IT OUT!!! Job applicants are stressed out enough as it is. Unless a question is 100% relevant to the job...DO. NOT. INCLUDE. IT. ----------- So now it's your turn: What's the worst/stupidest/most inappropriate question you've seen as part of a job application?

Today, let's consider unintentional bias. I address this all the time with segmenting title pieces in your searches, such as intitle:(Software) AND intitle:(Engineer|Developer). By breaking up your titles, you allow for variations of that title that may not match exactly how your organization refers to those individuals. What about other unintentional biases? When you have requirements for an opening, take a step back to evaluate what other skills/softwares/capabilities could translate with little to no effort. Are you including those in your searches as OR statements? If you aren't, you might be introducing unintentional biases into your search. Another one many likely don't consider is using degrees/certifications/years of experience to determine capabilities. While they can be helpful in evaluating things at times, they create inherent biases without allowing for alternatives. Take certifications for example, there can be multiple certifications that all note the same level of competencies. Are you including all certifications that could translate to meet your job needs? This is just your reminder to double check your searches for any unintended biases. Happy sourcing!

I’ve had people in a certain company try to coerce me into doing things that were beyond the scope of my conscience. Being a data analyst at the time and therefore relying on a database to produce truthful reports, I respected the data. Yeah, it cost me. But I was far better off producing the cleanest, most honest data anyone could ask for. That’s my job. And as far as I’m concerned, it’s a matter of trust, not “favors”. If you’re being asked to do anything less than honest, it’s time to put in your notice. That’s a complete lack of respect those people have for you and the life you’re trying to build. Your conscience will be clear. Your career will resume elsewhere. And you’ll avoid an indictment. Don’t go to prison for a job. Be one of the good people who truly love doing what you do so well.

What's needed to get started as a Junior Data Engineer? ⏭ Junior data engineers need to have a strong foundation in both technical and industry knowledge skills. Technical skills are essential for building and maintaining data infrastructure, while industry knowledge skills are necessary for understanding the specific needs of different businesses and industries. ⏭ A full description of junior #dataengineer #careertrack with essential skills and learning resources is here: https://lnkd.in/gAN9FKjS #careerladder #careergrowth #careerdevelopment #dataengineering #careers

 I wrote a small blog post on taking ownership of what happens after you have become unemployed. If you have the time for a three-minute read take a look:

Another weekly recap... It's been rough, but I wanted to highlight the bright spots. * I heard from someone I respect and admire a lot and got some words of encouragement and very helpful advice on my resume drafts - "Sell, sell, sell!" * I had a great interview, may not go anywhere, not getting excited until its real, but good to know that I can "sell, sell, sell" myself and I have a lot of source material to provide meaningful spot-on answers. * I made a ton of progress with statistics in python, I have one last DataCamp project to complete before that portion of my certification prep is done, Certified Data Analyst Professional is getting closer every day! *pic note and car nerd blurb* The first time I tried drag-racing my first (and only) performance / muscle car (the black Charger, not the big blue beast in the near lane), I managed to win by DQ only because guy smoked out in the box. I still had a lousy reaction time and an embarrasing like 15 second quarter mile time (embarassing for a new stock 6.1L V8 Hemi, but again, first time). So yeah, almost no one knows what they're doing starting out... sometimes you just luck out and win/score anyway. But you keep trying and you get better at it. In this case, I eventually got down into the 13s, but my reaction time was still lousy. Then I discovered auto-cross and roadcourse driving and the joys of getting faster and smoother with every lap. Also, swaybars are vital. /end Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and back to the job hunt next week!

When I first started my career, I was a computer programmer. But, people and processes always intrigued me. I like seeing how people do things, understanding why they do it the way they do it, and figuring out how they can do it better. Therefore, intuitively I always looked for opportunities to help my colleagues understand what they are good at and how they can leverage on their strengths. Since my role required me to interact with clients, I also liked to provide suggestions for my clients on how to make their processes more efficient and effective. I didn’t plan to stay in the computer science world forever. But, I had no idea how to pivot my career. One day, after wrapping up a discussion with my client (let’s call her Willow), she suddenly said, “You like nurturing people and are very good at it, why don’t you consider a career in people development?” Suddenly Willow’s saying made me think. She encouraged me to apply for a vacant role in her company. But, I didn’t want to go back to the banking industry again at that time. While searching for the next role, I continued to hone my ‘people developer’ skills by identifying opportunities to improve processes and also helping my colleagues identify their potential. After applying for many jobs for more than a year, I managed to pivot my career and landed on an HR role that plays to my strengths. That was 20 years ago and I never look back. When others ask how they can pivot their career, I suggest them three ideas based on my personal experiences: 1. Regularly ask feedback from people you work closely with. They can tell you what you are good at. 2. Reflect on those feedback and think of specific skills you have used. 3. Look for more opportunities to apply those skills and knowledge in your role. I call it job reengineering. You can be as creative as possible because you don’t need to ask for anyone’s permission on how to do your job. What other ideas would you add to the list? Photo credit: Rachel Claire