I’ve got bad news. You’re going to be mad. At least, you should be mad. Who you get mad at is still to be determined. Ready for my news? Someone with fewer qualifications and lower professional standards than you landed a job for more money than you’ve been brave enough to ask for today. How do I know? Because it happens every day.
Though top notch skills and impeccable professionalism are great, they rarely land people jobs by themselves. Opportunity knocks for those able to make meaningful connections, generate buzz around themselves and summon the courage to risk hearing no in order to have a chance at the ultimate yes. Those three traits may have little to do with how the person will perform in a job, but they have everything to do with getting an interview and offer.
When we take a moment, most of us can think of individuals who got a shot at a profession/position they weren’t necessarily qualified for. Michael Jordan played baseball. Do you think there were better players he beat out? I hope so. Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor of California. Paris Hilton was paid to sing. The list goes on. These are well known names, but I assure you the same thing happens on a smaller scale in offices around America.
Some will say it isn’t fair others beat them out because of name recognition or connections. Tough. It’s how the world spins at times. You can be mad at human nature or you can be mad at yourself for not doing what you can to make it work in your favor.
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Lisa joined the Michigan State University Alumni Association as Director of Alumni Career & Business Services on May 1, 2012. Her primary focus is to develop effective networking and resource channels for experienced alumni interested in professional development and job search strategy assistance. Additionally, Lisa works directly with corporate, education, foundation and government partners seeking to attract qualified talent, retain and develop good employees, and establish collaborative relationships in line with their established goals and objectives.
With 15+ years’ experience in third party recruiting, Lisa offers a balanced understanding of both employee and employer perspectives.
Lisa is a firm advocate of the networking process and considers it a vital element in a successful job search. In addition to helping job seekers develop and best utilize networking contacts, Lisa shares her knowledge and insight-gained aiding corporate recruiting efforts-to give Spartan job seekers an edge in terms of lead sourcing, resume presentation and interview strategy.
Among Lisa’s notable accomplishments: Prima Civitas Foundation Scholar; Michigan Works Association Volunteer of the Year; Pink Slip Mid Michigan Planning Committee; RecruiterUncensored.com career content blogger.
The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Michigan State University.
