INTP job search problem: Lack of focus (repost)

[Architect]

Found this blog post that people might find useful.

It's been hard to keep my head up. Rumored hiring freezes and more dead-ends.

When I am feeling unproductive, I tend to re-check my Myers-Briggs type. Over time I've come to settle down on INTP, or Introspective, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiver:

INTPs don't want to lead or be led. They live inside their own heads, thinking. Nicknamed Architects, Thinkers, or Engineers, they are types to sit and work alone for many hours. Albert Einstein, they say, was an INTP. There are very few examples of women INTPs.

One of the pitfalls to being this type is it's difficult to focus because you are always taking in new information. I've never felt like I've never been able to find a groove for myself and throw myself completely into an endeavor, to let enthusiasm for a topic take over my being and think years ahead to the end-game. It just never seemed to matter. Of course, INTPs aren't the only ones with this problem, but most people outgrow this phase. Knowing my lack of focus comes from a particular set of qualities other people share gives me hope. I am not so uniquely flawed.

INTPs are supposedly very good problem solvers, particularly in scientific and technical fields. Funny enough, that is exactly what I did. I was a scientist, then a technical problem solver. Unfortunately for me companies are not looking for problem solvers, they are looking for "experienced" [fill in exact job title here] who are "proven" and "successful" with several years of experience at [niched job tasks]. At my last employer, I moved through a series of jobs quickly. At the time, it seemed like I was on a fast track. Now, not so much.

Computer programming comes up as a good job for INTPs. Most of the web postings are from guys in their 20's. (Self-selecting population, perhaps?) That said, I have an inkling I would like it. So part of me thinks I should hurry up and learn how to program. But wait, I have two boys, summer vacation looming, and a job search to do. I do not have many quiet hours to devote to this goal. Fun and interesting as this sounds, I don't think I can make this my number 1 priority.

My biggest problem is income. Conventional wisdom says, "Get a job." (Or as my mother would say, "Get a real job.") Lots of people do it and when they play it right, it works out great for them.

It's tough working for a company, especially a large one. Pharma and medical device consolidation is a fact of life for the foreseeable future. One industry insider said his company is looking to reduce budget 10% this year and another 10% next. Easiest way is to shed Sales and Marketing personnel. Derek Lowe has been posting on how much pharma has been spending on marketing vs. R&D. For an industry that relies on discovering drugs and innovating devices, this imbalance is utterly unsustainable.

Basically, I've got a few challenges to deal with: declining number of jobs, increasing competition, lack of specific experience.

But the worst of all is lack of focus. When you lack focus, you can't effectively "brand" yourself. In my case, "Problem Solver" is not effective, but I'm such a stickler for correctness, I have difficulty stating something else. I am a problem solver. I've worked on all sorts of scientific and technical problems. I have no trouble taking on new information and I believe that ability makes me a better problem solver because I don't carry assumptions.

Ironically enough, being a problem solver is my central problem because I have not defined myself well for other people. People look at my resume and say things like, "Impressive," but don't know what to do with me. I've also tailored my resume so many times now I can't keep track of what I am supposed to be anymore.


So, I am taking the week to regroup, revise my resume, and come up with a plan that I will follow through on. That means informationals and committing to some things like a job search accountability group, signing up for a Project Management Certification program, and finding a way in to clinical setting. Because I lack focus, I have to work against type. My plan cannot rely on my relentlessly networking and hoping a job comes out from under a rock. For me, the work goes a little deeper. I have to consistently define myself each day. Lay it out, then diligently work on it, despite what my inner voice says.

 

[StevenM]

In an article he penned for The Hustle, Rosett recalls an innocent Google search session that turned into a new career.

While Googling the programming phrase "python lambda function list comprehension," he clicked the most relevant available link. But instead of being directed to a new site, "something unusual happened."

"The search results split and folded back to reveal a box that said 'You're speaking our language. Up for a challenge?'" Rosett wrote. "I stared at the screen. What? After a moment, I decided yes, I was most definitely up for a challenge."

The next page, called foo.bar, catered to the budding software engineer in him, so he typed a few commands, and was greeted with a screen displaying a programming challenge and instructions on how to submit the solution.

"I had 48 hours to solve it, and the timer was ticking," Rosett said.

Each time he submitted a solution, foo.bar tested the code against hidden test cases, then allowed Rosett, now a potential hire, to submit and request a new challenge. Over two weeks, he solved five more problems.

After the sixth, he was prompted to submit his contact information; days later, a Google recruiter emailed asking for a copy of his resume. A trip to the company's Mountain View headquarters marked the first time, Rosett said, that he felt confident he wasn't "a victim of an elaborate prank." A couple of weeks later, he was offered a job.

Praising his new employer, Rosett called the foo.bar recruiting tactic "brilliant," adding that Google made him "feel important" while respecting his privacy.

Three months after the mysterious invitation appeared, Rosett started his new job at Google.
"Overall, I enjoyed the puzzles that they gave me to solve, and I'm excited for my first day as a Googler," he wrote on Monday.

Rosett's experience is not unique: Last year, a Hacker News user posted a similar account, suggesting that the process is "long," and the rejection rate "really high."

Google has never confirmed the test is a recruiting tool. When asked about Rosett's experience, the company emailed the following statement to PCMag:

"\u0050\u0075\u007a\u007a\u006c\u0065\u0073\u0020\
u0061\u0072\u0065\u0020\u0066\u0075\u006e\u002e\
u0020\u0053\u0065\u0061\
u0072\u0063\u0068\u0020\u006f\u006e\u002e"

The message, according to Re/code, translates to: "Puzzles are fun. Search on."

From PCMag.com by STEPHANIE MLOT

 

[Architect]

Interesting, I've put thousands of programming questions to search and never saw such a thing. Anyhow if you want a interview with Google its easy enough, their recruiters are frequently bothering me in any case.

I like the company generally but its a mixed bag IMO.

 

[ygnextend]

Focus may always be INTP's issue. And I think that being able to have that kind of mental gymnastics is beautiful.

I worked at a tech startup here in the Bay Area and I loved working alone, trying to figure out things and being by myself during lunch and reading elon musk autobiography was heaven. Not speaking to many of my coworkers was a good thing because many were brain dead but thought they were progressive ( that attitude came from the founders ) thinkers.

So when it comes to a job find something that will allow you to break rules but not in a destructive way. Break them so you can find out something else about yourself and give more to others.

What helps me is poker for hours upon hours. Odd thing is when I get tired of that I write random thoughts down then tests those things out and see if it translates positively in the real world. Most of the time it doesn't but hey, at least I'm getting it out of my system and allowing flow to come into my life.

Hope that helped.

YG

 

[Architect]

So when it comes to a job find something that will allow you to break rules but not in a destructive way. Break them so you can find out something else about yourself and give more to others.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that but I like it.

 

[QuietFire]

Someone please just give me a job