Common Connect - February 2012

Don’t Transfer Your Soul (or Your Talent)

For April Fool’s Day in 2010, the online retailer Gamestation changed its terms and conditions to include an “immortal soul clause.” It read, By placing an order via this Web site on the first day of the fourth month of the year 2010 anno Domini, you agree to grant us a non-transferable option to claim, for now and forever more, your immortal soul.

culture, values and vision don’t align with your personality, values and goals.

That second mismatch is not as easy to recognize from the outside, so many of us end up going to work for just such a devil. And, when we do, we set ourselves up for both serial unemployment and serious unhappiness.

Career Advice
As you might have suspected, 88 percent of
those who made a purchase that day, blithely
clicked the “I read it box” and got on with their
purchase. They were sold on the product, but
ended up soulless.

What’s that prove for job seekers? The devil is
in the details.

It’s no secret that job seekers are in a rush.
No one wants to extend their job search one
second longer than they have to. But failing
to check the details about an employer can
have consequences, and all too often, those
consequences can hurt for a very long time.

Serial Unemployment

When you’re working for the wrong employer, you can’t do your best work. And, in these dog-eat-dog times, substandard work makes you vulnerable for a pink slip. The next time your employer decides to cut staff, you’re likely to be at the top of the list.

Choosing Your Devil

A job search is often a choice between devils. You have to select between the devil you know and the ones you don’t.

Serious Unhappiness

While you’re slaving away for the wrong employer, you aren’t looking for the right one. And, it’s only when you’re employed by the right organization that you can excel on-the-job and thereby increase both the paycheck and the satisfaction you bring home from your work.

Now, most job seekers assume that any devil is better than the one they endure in transition. What could be worse than the frustration, the despair, the anxiety of being unemployed? Even a lousy job provides a paycheck.

So, let’s be clear about what I mean by the
devil you don’t know. It includes two kinds of
organizations:
So, protect yourself. Take the time and make the
effort to research the culture, leadership style,
HR policies and practices and reputation of any
organization you’re considering as an employer.
As a minimum, visit each organization’s Web-
site to see what it says about its vision and
values and do a browser search of what others
are saying about the organization. Those factors
represent the terms and conditions of the work
experience it offers. And, if they prevent you
from excelling at your work, they are in effect
taking away your immortal soul.