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Random thoughts from CES
I had the opportunity to attend CES (the Consumer Electronic Show) in Las Vegas. Not to get too far off the topic of my usual career-related advice, I thought I would share some random thoughts from the experience for those who have never been.
This was the first time I attended the conference (or any conference of this size and scale). Interestingly enough, I was not blown away with much of the technology I saw, but I was taken aback by the size and scale of everything. The conference took up approximately 35 football fields worth of conference space (that spanned the entire Las Vegas Convention Center and all the conference space in two Vegas hotels) with hundreds of thousands of attendees.
Amidst the robot demonstrations, “connected” devices that leverage cell network or WiFi and super thin TVs, I was struck by how the conference organizers paid attention to every single little detail (from both a monetization and psychological perspective). Every square inch of space was maximized financially. All column and wall space was covered with advertisements; even wider than normal hallways had “social media centers” that didn’t have any computers (just couches and chairs) that were sponsored by a technology company, of course. The carpets in the exhibits had very comfortable padding compared to the walkway carpets that were just lying on top of the concrete. This caused you unconsciously (or consciously) to want to stop at exhibits to at least rest your feet almost forcing you to see the technology they were showcasing as the days progressed.
I was also struck by the proliferation of accessories. I am not sure how happy Steve Jobs would be to know that part of his legacy is the “iLounge” area of the expo where there were literally hundreds of companies that had covers and accessories for iPhones and iPads.
What surprised me most, as I alluded to earlier was that I was not blown away but any of the technology. Maybe it is because I am focused on new and cutting edge technology for my job, but part of it was that there didn’t seem to be too many amazing pieces of new technology showcased. I did think the waterproof phones and tablet computers were pretty neat (although I am not sure when I am going to accidently drop my iPad into a pool, and there was an awesome transparent TV made by Haier where you can see right through it- although I don’t have much of a desire to turn one of my windows into a TV. One useful technology (if developed in a less clunky way than I saw showcased) was a keyboard that could be projected on any surface, which would help improve the less than ideal typing experience that I have with touch screen phones/tablets.
Most of the technology was incremental improvements from existing products and a whole lot of HYPE (plus I am not sure if there is any way to make a TV any thinner).
In summary, I think my main takeaways from the experience were as follows:
- There are ways to monetize almost anything
- Technology can really improve (and complicate) how we live and we should leverage what we can to organize our work lives (this will become more pronounced as we see the technology tools we use at work meld together with what we use in our personal lives (like how soon we will not have to carry around a separate work phone, as we can access our work information on our personal devices)
- Wear comfortable shoes, walking around for 10 hours can be tough on the feet
- Hype can really make the unimpressive seem impressive if you don’t take a step back
Let me leave you with a few images from the event that I snapped (including seeing Snooki)
See through TV
Steve Jobs would be rolling over in his grave
Handheld desktop PC
Environmentally concious DeLorean... Doc and Marty McFly would be proud...
Waterproof cell phones and tablets
No idea why Snooki is there...
BE AWESOME!
-MR. BIZ
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What NOT to do after an interview
Recently I spoke to a friend of mine who has been applying for various jobs. She was very excited about one in particular that she had reached the 2nd round of interviews for. She mentioned that the interview went well and that she was hoping to get to the next round.
She also showed me the email she sent to the interviewer… I wish I had seen her note before she hit “send”…
Her “Thank You” email read as follows:
From: XXXXXXXX
Sent: XXXXXXXX
To: XXXXXXXX
Subject: Thank You!
Hi XXXXXXXX,
It was a great pleasure speaking with you yesterday. Once again, thank you for your time.
I am glad we had an opportunity to connect regarding my strong interest in [my company's name] and the [Name of the program]. I am confident that my professional and leadership experiences, as well as my solid interpersonal, strategic thinking, and analytical skills would make me an invaluable asset to your company. Throughout the course of my interview process, I’ve only grown more enthusiastic about [my company's name] and the [Name of the program].
It was great to learn about your experiences and the unique opportunities that the program has provided your career thus far. This reaffirms [my company]’s commitment to developing aspiring leaders, and providing its employees the flexibility to apply and hone their skill set in diverse business areas, to support the professional and personal growth of its most important assets, its people.
I look forward to hearing from your team within the next week. Additionally, please look for an email from Starbucks with a $5 gift card in appreciation for your time. Enjoy!
Kind Regards,
XXXX
While yes, this is a nice gesture, the message behind it could be totally taken wrong. And actually was taken wrong by the interviewer. When my friend received a response she was horrified…
From: XXXXXXXX
Sent: XXXXXXXX
To: XXXXXXX
Subject: RE: Thank You!
Hi XXXXX,
Thank you for your email below.
If I may, I wanted to provide you with a little feedback. Please note that I am passing along this message after having already submitted my decision to the recruitment team. That said, my reaction has no positive or negative effect on your candidacy (as I saw this after submitting things).
Your note was fine. It had some detail to it and both mentioned your strong points and referenced me as an interviewer. However, in these notes you may want to be more specific, not generic like it appears below. Reference something specific that we spoke about (a job I had or something we talked about so it makes it appear that you were engaged in what I was saying about my background and experience), any job would have “unique opportunities” and anyone who interviews you will have had “experiences” at their company. Be specific. This point is only a side note to my main thought, though.
The gift of a Starbucks card is thoughtful however can come across as inappropriate, which is how it came off to me. While I am sure that your intention was to thank me, if you take a step back I think you can see that the gift comes across like you want to influence my decision. Therefore, I cannot accept this gift. I would urge you not to do this in the future. A thank you note should be fine on its own. And actually getting my address to send a handwritten note is a much better idea since most people do not do that anymore- a handwritten note makes you seem unique and has a good touch to it. It is much easier to shoot off an email to someone than to actually write something out by hand.
If you are set on giving a gift, here are a couple thoughts: (1) Give the gift AFTER the decision on your candidacy has been made. You are currently still amidst the interview process. If it was really about your appreciation of my time (like you said) you would want to give the gift if even if you did not get the job. Sending it before makes it seem like a bribe. (2) Give a gift that is personalized to the person. If we had talked about coffee during our interview that is great, but I strongly dislike coffee and have actually never really had a cup of coffee in my life. This specific gift seems impersonal for me.
When I was promoted earlier this year I owed a great deal to one of the human resource managers. What I did was investigate what she liked, and I gave a gift accordingly (with a handwritten note). This was also done after I signed the offer letter, not before.
Thanks,
-XXXXXXXX
Luckily my friend took this experience as an important lesson: recognizing and thanking someone is a key part of the interview process. In fact I know some people that would not hire someone who did not send a follow-up note or thank you. That said, be careful of the message a gift sends. Gifts are great, but they need to be done at the right time and in the right way.
Mr. Biz, OUT!
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3 Quick (and Easy) Tips
I think we all have heard some derivation of the old saying that little things make a big difference.
In this spirit, I wanted to share a few quick things that I do that have helped me in getting promoted faster and building strong relationships both within my company and with other professionals.
- Nice to “see” you: This is a simple one, but it’s effective. When most people are networking and meet someone new they say, “nice to meet you.” While this is the automatic response for most of us, it can be really disastrous for building relationships if you had already met them but forgot. Imagine this, you are at a company networking event, talking to a colleague about how you had a great conversation with an executive at your company. And let’s say you also had presented something to the executive as well, so you are not just anyone. Now you and your colleague go up to this exec and say hello and he replies, “nice to meet you.” Oh no, he doesn’t remember you at all… granted execs talk to a lot of people every day, but at the same time he has made you look terrible in front of your colleague. That is why it is best to say nice to “see” you instead of “meet” you. Sometimes you can’t remember that you had met someone for just a second a couple years ago as you were heading out the door from an event. Don’t make anyone else feel the way the exec made you feel.
- Emailing at all hours: The nice thing about email is that there is no “business hours” limitation like there is when you have to call someone. Generally I work during the day, hang out with friends/grab dinner/go to an event in the evening and then come back late at night and work a little more (I guess the night owl that college brought out of me has stuck around). Because of this habit I have sent out many emails in the middle of the night to my bosses and colleagues. Originally this was unintentional but as time went on I saw that doing this made my co-workers and boss think that I was a harder worker than anyone else. Now here is the key: whether you are actually working or not, you should wait to send some emails out late at night. Draft the email earlier in the day, finish up the project before going home, but wait until 11pm or midnight to send it to your boss. Trust me, it impresses people and the best part is that you don’t even need to be actually “working” to send the emails out.
- Handwritten Thank You Notes: This is a BIG one. I cannot stress it enough. I would venture to say that sending out a handwritten thank you note is a lost art. With the ease of email and general distractions of our lives, common courtesy has often been thrown out the window. I used to hate how my mom would nag me over and over to write thank you notes as a grew up; to friends and relatives for birthday gifts and to teachers or other adults who had helped me with things. I despised writing them, but today I can say that there are NUMEROUS times when the extra note has helped my career. I can recall at least one of my promotions where I sent a handwritten note to the hiring manager after my interview and he mentioned it made the difference between me and another candidate. Plus a thank you note is tangible and physical, not just one of 100 emails coming into the person you’re thanking’s inbox. It does take a little more time, but it is worth it. Just find a way to get person’s mailing address (internally look at a company directory, if the person is not from your company ask for their business card). I have sent thank you notes to bosses and to mentors for teaching me good lessons, among others. I am sure that when my boss was determining who got the best raises, the thank you notes I had sent (that almost anyone would keep somewhere, because most people keep cards people send them) didn’t hurt me… and my paycheck is evidence of that.
I know these were a bit off topic, but I wanted to share. Next post I will get back to the topic from a couple posts ago: how to take ownership of how engaged and successful you are at work
Steve Jobs: Something you didn’t know
Oct 24
Posted by Young Professional's Edge (YP Edge)
The internet, TV and millions of Apple devices have been chattering for the last few weeks about the passing of the Tech Industry’s rockstar Steve Jobs. While everyone from his Apple co-founder Woz to kids have chimed in with their opinions in different ways, the tone has been the same. Steve changed the world.
In addressing the occasion, I wanted to take a different approach. Since I never had the pleasure of meeting Steve I can’t say that I have any special insight from personal experience, but I have heard some interesting stories that most have not, marking who the man was.
In 1983, during Steve’s first stint at Apple, he courted executive John Sculley to come and be the chief executive of the company. Sculley, working at Pepsi at the time was reluctant to leave to join Apple. Sculley explained to my dad that Jobs made his pitch clear, “do you want to stay here at make sugar water or do you want to come to California and change the world.” Sculley accepted the offer. This bold statement gives us a window into Jobs’ mindset. Jobs knew what he was doing. He knew he was changing the world. Many talk a big game but Steve made things happen.
Up until recently, I had always assumed that Jobs was one of the technical minds behind Apple and the technology his companies ran (including Next and Pixar). This was not the case. But while he may have not been able to write code, he had an uncanny grasp on technology, psychology and marketing. I would argue that he did it better than anyone else. This gives me hope that one day I can make a difference in the technology world even though I barely know HTML (from a class I had to take back in college).
I was mainly inspired by his speaking and presentation style. It was conversational, powerful and simple. He didn’t need to jump up and down and run all over the stage. He made it feel like he was talking directly to you. A style and a presence that I strive to emulate, even a little.
Just a few days ago, I came in possession of the program from Jobs’ private memorial (a pretty awesome piece of memorabilia that I plan on keeping). In looking through it I was struck by its parallels to Apple products. It was then that I realized Apple is Steve. The products, the marketing, the attention to details and design, the way it has improved our lives.
The program was simple, yet elegant. An 8”x5.5” white textured cardstock folder with the words,
STEVE
1955 – 2011
in small letters on the cover. Inside were a series of poems, song lyrics and words. No agenda, no list of speakers or series of ceremonial steps; just 6 leaflets of cardstock each with profound words that give insight into the Jobs that most of us didn’t get to personally know.
The first sheet quoted John Muir: “This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.”
I will keep the rest of the contents to myself except let you know that the last sheet in the folder had an Apple reference; a quoting of the famous and incredibly poignant commercial that came after Steve’s return to Apple… To the Crazy Ones, culminating with the statement- “Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
I feel like my tribute should be simple yet encapsulating and in true Jobs style. So let me say,
Steve, Thank You.
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Tags: Advice, Mentality, Technology, Topical