Month: June 2014

The office manager regarded me with a critical squint as he looked up from the copy of the resume I’d brought with me to the interview. “You seem to be over-qualified,” he remarked.

Of all the statements he might have made, this was clearly the one I was least expecting. Yes, I could type at 75 words per minute (w/o any errors), had a shorthand speed of 140+, was an excellent speller and proofreader, had a good education, and even possessed a modest string of publishing credits.

“Excuse me?” I said.

He removed his glasses and folded his hands atop his desk. “You’re much too qualified for this job. You’d probably be bored after the first day.”

What’s interesting to note here is that the only difference between the job I currently had and the one I was applying for was a 3% pay increase and a shorter commute.

I was also only a few months short of my 21^st birthday. It struck me – as I’m sure it does most readers – that already being over-qualified at such a young age didn’t bode well for future career advancement. I candidly asked him what he thought I should do about it.

This being the 1970’s when prospective employers were saying all kinds of mindlessly inappropriate things – especially to females – he shrugged and replied, “You might want to think about dumbing down your resume.”

It was neither the first time – nor the last – that my credentials would be perceived as a negative. As recently as a month ago, my application to privately tutor aspiring writers garnered the response, “Oh, I’m afraid that you’re much too professional and over-qualified to mentor our students. I really can’t see why you’d even be interested in this.”

Hmm. Is it possible that it’s just because I love the craft of writing? That it’s rewarding to me to be able to ignite imaginations? To help others hone their wordsmithing skills? That I wouldn’t have applied if I didn’t have the time, commitment and passion to do the best possible job? That I truly think teaching others is fun and isn’t that a good enough reason? I was tempted at this point to insert a maniacal laugh and say, “Well, since you asked, I’ll tell you the truth.  You’re just another cog in my cunning plan for world domination…”

Whether it’s personal relationships or business, the more time you spend trying to convince someone that your awesomeness isn’t going to be a liability, the more opportunities you’ll lose being courted by those who recognize your worth from the get-go and, accordingly, can’t wait to put you on their arm or on their team.

As of this writing, a bachelorette friend of mine is lamenting that yet another lad has broken up with her on the excuse that, “You’re just so beautiful and smart and successful and confident that I don’t see us having a life together.” This, I tell her, is more of a reflection on him that it is on her. For in whatever context someone labels you as “over-qualified,” what they’re really saying is that they’re not good enough for you. And certainly since no one knows them better than they know themselves, the best thing you can do is believe them…and walk away.

*****

Here’s this month’s line-up of guest blogs:

From High Fashion Footwear Boutique Owner to Online Marketing Nerd – by Emilia Rossi

Don’t Believe The Hype About Online Business – by Magda de Berg

Who Owns That Image? – by Michael Wong

 

 

My husband nudged me out of a deep sleep to say that my office telephone was ringing. I groggily rolled over, opened one eye, and took note that the bedside alarm was reading 3 a.m.

There is rarely anything promising about a phone call that comes at that hour. If you’re a parent, there’s the dread that one of your offspring has just been in an accident or is in jail. If you’re a business owner, the first thought is that there’s been a break-in at your store or a fire at the factory. If you’re the head of a country, it could mean anything from a terrorist attack to a giant asteroid plummeting toward Earth and anticipated to make impact in the next half hour.

Seeing as how I don’t fit any of these situational conditions – and also pretty sure that the lottery commission wasn’t calling to tell me I had this week’s winning numbers – I was hard-pressed to fathom who in their right mind was trying to reach me before the sun was even up. My husband watched as I padded out the bedroom door and down the hall. Whether as a show of support (in case it was a legitimate crisis) or just curiosity, he and the dog soon joined me.

The caller – one of my ghostwriting clients – was already leaving a peppy message, the gist of which was that he was working on his blog, got stuck trying to find the perfect phrase, and figured I could just give him one off the top of my head. Now it’s not as if this guy lives in – oh, say Holland, and that he didn’t do the time-zone math while he was having his lunch. We live in exactly the same time zone, which made his call all the more inexcusable. What possible urgency existed that he couldn’t have sent the same question via email to be opened when I was actually awake?

“So why didn’t you pick up?” my husband asked, recognizing I was peeved enough to deliver a well deserved earful to the caller for disturbing my slumber.

“Because I’m not due at work for another six hours,” I replied. And went back to bed.

When you’re a sole proprietor – and especially if you conduct the majority of your business from a home office – establishing and reinforcing boundaries is one of the biggest challenges. It’s not just about the need for a healthy balance between your personal and professional priorities; it’s about training your clients to respect that you’re not “on call” for them 24/7. In concert with this is a similar (mis)interpretation that “freelance” means you’re free day and night, weekends, holidays and even when you’re sick.

Granted, there’s going to be an emergency now and then that requires you to don your super-hero cape and go rescue someone. Readers be warned, however: the first time you bend your own rules, make non-emergency exceptions, and start answering your home office phone during dinnertime or at 3 in the morning, you’re giving your clients permission to devalue your time and services as well as your privacy.

Your business may not be brick-and-mortar but your mindset needs to embrace a steel resolve to keep it operating as professionally as possible.

Postscript: Within a few minutes of this post going live, I was asked whether I ever confronted the client about his 3 .m. call or just dismissed it. In no uncertain terms, he was firmly reminded of what my office hours are when I called him back. It’s unlikely he’ll ever be making that same mistake again.

*****

Here’s this month’s line-up of guest blogs:

Marketing Lessons From My Dog – by Jan Dunlap

Marketing Through Word of Mouth – by Garrett Mehrguth

Webinars: Both a Marketing and Sales Solution – by Leanne Hoagland-Smith

How to Survive an Economic Down Turn – By Cina Coren