Yes. I am. Unemployed. Really? No, not really. It depends how you define that.
I was working not long ago at a company full-time, on the payroll. I am not now, right this second. On the other hand, I am back at work doing something I know well. Developing a business. I did it for several years in the past. I do it again.
I still want the full-time job, and will continue building Kellogg Web Strategy as well. Hey, I’m not going to lie. In today’s world we can’t be choosy. I will search for full-time employment, build Kellogg Web Strategy, search for fulfilling short or long-term subcontracting work, and make a patchwork of employment from all of the above as needed. I know that in this, I am not alone or unusual.
But that’s not really what I wanted to write about today. Today, I’m looking at the ads in all the job search sites as part of the Monday routine. Get up, get coffee, review the ads and apply to any positions I find which may suit me well.
Questions come up. I’ve worked at good companies, but small companies. I am also pursuing my masters in information services management (MIS), to supplement my technical and business knowledge. I know I’m knowledgable about technology, business and applying technology for business strategy. As I search the ads, I am bombarded with jargon: ERP, SAP, MRP, EFM, … I think I’ve used tools like things but nobody called it that. Did I? I check Wikipedia to be sure. Sounds like tools I’ve used, perhaps just not the proprietary form. Nobody called it that. Now I feel a bit foolish. Do I apply or not?
I suppose these terms are human resources talk and business world jargon used to screen out those who would not have knowledge of these specific tools. Do they want people who think critically and have the desired skill sets, but have used only these tools? I think that to infuse the workplace with new energy, new creativity, critical thinking, strategic creativity, it’s time to rethink these ads a bit so it attracts the right people based on their experience and thinking skills. I will apply to positions I think are right for me because they sound like they need the problem solving and strategy skills I possess. I will continue to network and put myself out there, and pursue all my goals, in every way. To heck with the jargon. I’ll learn about it. It just doesn’t roll off my tongue.
