They didn’t want me but took my concept
Q: I’m a mature job hunter and work (if I could find a job) in tech. I totally understand that the 20- and 30-something recruiters think that my cover letters should start with “Greetings from Jurassic Park” and that nobody wants to hire their mother. That said, I need/want to keep working, I’m a respected angel investor and work closely with C-level techies who love and respect me and appreciate my experienced advice.
I just had an appalling experience with a leading tech company. I absolutely love its product and saw that it was looking for a head of events. In my cover letter, I suggested that while the company needed someone who fit its description, it also needed someone to do public relations and set up a speakers bureau. I was rejected for the event gig. Ten days later, I looked at its website, which listed a job for a “product communications lead.” The job description is pretty clearly taken from my cover letter. I’d love to hear your thoughts. I have no doubt that I’ll never hear from the company. — ANONYMOUS
A: I’m irritated and angry on your behalf. And I’m also wholly unsurprised.
This sort of thing happens all the time, which is why, in my experience, it’s best not to give free information or advice to a potential employer before you’re asked to do so. In a cover letter, informational interview or even more formal sit-down, I’d recommend that you talk up your accomplishments and outline the ways in which you could best serve the company — why you’d be an asset, and what you’ve learned over the course of your career — and leave the advice-giving for later, ideally in memo form. And even then, you can be vague, gesturing at the fact that you might have more specifics to share as the interview process goes forward.
I’m not suggesting that you play coy; just keep some of your cards close to the vest. You’ve worked hard enough, and long enough, that you don’t need to be giving information away. And if I sound as if I’m scolding or telling you that you did the “wrong” thing, I’m not. I just want you to keep your competitive edge, especially in an industry that values younger people over older. Sometimes that means saying less than more.
Revenge is so tempting
Q: After I left a marketing communications position, a colleague took my name off the publications I created and promoted them as her own work. Since I produced them on company time, of course the copyright belongs to the company. I’m wondering if I should preserve my reputation, though. Is there anything I should do now? — ANONYMOUS
A: Question for you: What do you mean when you say “preserve your reputation?” Do you feel as if your colleague promoting your work as her own somehow damages your standing in your professional community? That by not being properly credited, your work is not only overlooked but injured? That your work is, or will be, discounted by your former employer?
Listen, I’m not trying to downplay what your colleague has done — or is doing. It’s crappy and it’s dishonest, and it demonstrates a lack of moral and professional integrity. But I’m not hearing, at least in your brief recounting, any reason for you to worry about your reputation.
But I’ll admit I don’t have all the facts. What does it mean that your colleague “promoted” your work as her own? Did she do this within the company, i.e., to superiors? Did she do it to outside clients and partners? Do you feel that you were not given credit for your hard work in the first place?
I don’t really have any answers, except to try to reassure you, based on what you’ve shared, that your reputation will be fine.
As you said, the copyright belongs to the company; there’s nothing you can really do to keep receiving public credit for work you did in your former position. So my answer is: Don’t worry about doing anything now, or later, though when talking to new or potential employers, don’t hesitate to take that credit.
Ideally, you have copies of the marketing publications that you created that include your name. I’d avoid confronting the former colleague, however. Not because she doesn’t deserve it — she does — but because you run the risk of creating conflict that will do nothing to serve you professionally, and might even hurt. Better to walk away with your head held high and, ideally, evidence of your good work.
Warning your replacement
Q: I am retiring after 20-plus years at my job in a small municipal department. I had more than 30 direct reports, some fantastic, others not. A replacement has not yet been hired, but when that happens, I have been asked to provide an orientation for him/her. Fine by me; I’ll get compensated for my time.
My question is: How much should I share regarding the performance of the subpar employees? Is it even ethical to do so? Over the years, I have reviewed their work, corrected them and made suggestions for improvement, but they always backslide. They all work in satellite offices, so it is a challenge to monitor their work closely. — ANONYMOUS
A: Oof. This is a tough one. My initial instinct is to tell you to share your insights about the work — or lack thereof — of what you call the “subpar employees.” Your replacement will thank you for it, and you’ll set the person up for more success in adjusting to the new workplace and role. But here’s the thing: You can be judicious and fair in your assessment, creating a space where the person taking over your job will be on the receiving end of important information without being primed to dislike or distrust their new reports.
Tell the replacement there are a few employees whose work could use improvement. You could also provide details about the type of work that is subpar, so the replacement can be on the lookout. The offenders will soon reveal themselves, and you won’t feel so much that you’re tattling as advancing a warning about where people seem to have difficulty.
If the new person asks you to identify the offenders, well, go with your gut.
The fact that you’re even asking if naming names is ethical suggests to me that you think it’s not, in which case, don’t.
I’d also suggest offering the opportunity to check in with you after a period of settling in.