Your Career Superpowers and Career Kryptonite

For anyone that’s been in a job search once, twice, three times (or more) it’s almost impossible not to have encountered the “career superpower” topic. It’s a term that gets tossed around in job search circles pretty freely. Designed as an easy way for everyone to articulate what they are really good at (or at least what they perceive they are good at), it seems like a favorite for career coaches to lean on. Most of us don't want to spend time focusing on the “kryptonite” part, because none of us really likes admitting that we’re not good at things that might rule us out from getting a job. I'd like to spend more time on the "kryptonite" part since "superpowers" are more clichéd in the job search world.

But First - AI Bias in the Superhero world

When I was looking at graphics for this article I first went to my trusty AI Copilot. When I typed my prompt I was given a set of four graphics. I thought I was fairly specific in what I was seeking, but what I found curious was Copilot’s choice of graphics. Take a look at the group and see if you notice anything curious:

The things that jumped out had to do with a lack of diversity, equity and inclusion. In each graphic AI chose a white male, and for some reason, in our very digital world a printer seems to have an important role (as does a briefcase). Oh well. I did tweak the prompt a little and was at least able to get a little more variety. I used one of the graphics as the cover for this week's article.

Superpowers

You have them, I have them, we all have our own superpowers when it comes to work. The trouble we run into is when we no longer have that job and sometimes it feels like those powers start to slip away (I'm channeling Marty McFly in Back to the Future when he was playing the guitar on stage and it looked like his parents weren't going to get together and his hand started disappearing). All I will add here is that whether you're a job seeker or have been working in a company for years it's pretty important that if you're looking for a job that you have a good idea of the skills you bring to the table. AND, you can recite them AND you can come up with good stories that showcase how you use them.

Kryptonite - career search or on the job

Okay, so maybe kryptonite is a cute way of dressing up weaknesses or things we're not so great at. I think it's vital that you know what those areas are (and you can be honest with yourself about them). Maybe they've dogged you your entire career or maybe they've become more of an issue when a new manager came into your life. There's probably a laundry list on this subject, but here are three that I thought were interesting. Note: none of them have anything to do with hard skills, which, quite frankly is what job descriptions generally focus on.

1. You let your personal situation define you - we all go through tragedies in life. Loss of loved ones, personal struggles, etc. Some people allow these issues to define who they are and how they behave on the job. In a sense it becomes their identity. While work can be a place where people can get away from their personal issues and focus on their job, others use work as an extension to discuss the challenges and hardships they face.
2. You're untouchable and you act that way - It's hard to fathom in this day and age, but there are still people out there that have a lengthy tenure with their organizations and don't ever feel that they can or will be replaced. I can also tell you that I've run into more people during this job search that were 25 years+ with their organizations and had to start a job search. The other side of this is the employee that believes they are so valuable that if they were to leave, the whole operation would grind to a halt. Guess what? The business will go on.
3. Defensiveness - How many people do you know (or maybe you're one of them) that like to use the phrase "Well that's the way I am and I'm not going to change". To that we can retort, "Well, how's that working out for you?" This is probably most detrimental when a company is trying to effect real, positive change where everyone needs to row the boat in the same direction. For the person that is adamant about not wanting to adapt it's disappointing because they put their needs, wants, and feelings ahead of everyone else. And, for what purpose?

There's nothing like a good long job search to help ground you and give you time to think about your next move. Be sure to get fitted for that superhero costume soon because when your number's called and it's time to go back to work they're expecting a superhuman performance!

Have a great weekend!

Dave

About David Shultis

For the lion's share of my career I have been a B2B marketing and product management professional. I've recently taken on a new role as a Customer Success Manager for a small 3PL fulfillment company in Lakewood, NJ. I'm looking forward to applying my knowledge and experience to the role, and I anticipate doing some writing on their behalf (once I figure out what I'm doing, of course!).

You can still find me biking in and around New Jersey (or other states on occasion), as well as trying to get my walking in with a 15k step goal each day.

Photo(s) of the Week

My photo this week is really a summary of ten images of bicycle rides I took over ten straight Saturdays. Call it a personal challenge, but I wanted to see if I could ride 100 miles on ten consecutive Saturdays. Now that I've completed that I'm on to my next challenge. Whatever that may be!