Position Change As Staying the Same with Carla Rover

TMI with Kevin Ryan

We’ve all dealt with clients that are directly problematic, or ones that mean well, but can have moments of toddler-like temper tantrums. Enter Carla Rover, an outspoken, very witty, and widely published writer, to help us navigate these waters. Carla talks about the reasons you may be getting ghosted after a job interview, content mapping and her way of doing it without emotion, and how best to show your value in a non-threatening way. She also gives her advice for writers and consultants new to the job market and how to get yourself to stand out (but not too much!) while virtual work continues to become the norm.

Takeaways:

[3:14] Carla talks about navigating a job search during the pandemic and why she decided to move away from telling companies what changes she would make during the interview.

[7:55] Companies can be very resistant to change, and consultants have to navigate these waters almost in the way you would help a toddler cross the street. Carla says that it’s best not to indict them for their past choices, but instead, show them how you can help in a non-threatening but data-filled way.

[10:54] We have to respect the world that people inhabit and keep our approach dignified. Carla discusses how there are more senior people looking for jobs than ever, and many well-established writers will take smaller jobs with fewer benefits than they previously would have.

[15:21] Companies want things fixed quickly and Carla explains how we can best enact change by using data and research to cite our decisions. Make it about the numbers, and not you. It’s a matter of being realistic but wrapping it in a magical school bus so everyone feels happy and in control of their choices.

[23:00] Carla feels like the interviews where she got ghosted may have been the ones where she tried to add value in the interview by providing suggestions. What to do when you get ghosted? Keep your head up, and move on. Learn from it, but don’t dwell on it.

[26:05] The smartest thing for qualified people right now is to remain independent and develop their own approach.

[29:15] The “people like us” approach calls for us to choose people we think are like us to trust and work with. This is an invisible way of blocking change, but if you can figure out how the business model works and handle it like an engineer, you will have an easier time.

[35:42] Carla’s road map that she is creating now means less ego and more compassion and added value. Because she is taking data and writing a report based on that data, there are fewer arguments because you can always go back to the numbers.

[44:42] Often the stuff that judges us is stuff that bothers us about ourselves. It’s important to find your own way to look within, whether that’s therapy, a daily bike ride, or some other way to process emotions and manage stress.

Quotes:

• “We have to respect the clients’ weirdness, their psychosis, their need to be right.” — Carla
• “The smartest thing for qualified people right now is to remain independent and develop your own approach.” — Carla

Mentioned in This Episode:

@CarlaRover

Yes, Minister

Yes, Prime Minister