I read a Wall Street Journal article today, titled The New Résumé: Dumb and Dumber – Job Seekers Play Down Their Credentials to Avoid Looking Overqualified,” that really struck a nerve with me. This issue is not exclusive to Baby Boomer and reaches all the way into Generation X. We talk about how it is hard to find the right people for our companies, but we are not willing to think just a little bit outside of the box. Here is a novel idea, why don’t we stop forcing overqualified individuals to hide their qualifications and try to make a deal with them, while the demand is low.
Here is my recipe for hiring and keeping overqualified professionals
Like many of you in the startup world, I have read and signed my share of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). I have reviewed, edited, and sent hundreds of them in my career, but I am yet to come across one that really serves anyone but the lawyers who charged dearly to write it. So, why don’t we stop wasting our money on having attorneys fill in one of their NDA templates, and write one that is understandable to everyone. Yes, let your lawyer look it over, but don’t allow him/her to insert any words your grandma would not understand. Here is how I would write my NDAs
As some of you may already know, I am an avid “car guy” and starting my third season of autocross competitions (an auto sport, for those not familiar I have included a video below of what it is like). I did well in the races when I lived in Chicago, but encountered much more skilled competition when I moved to Boston, and it’s taken me awhile to move up the competitive ladder here. As I was recently pondering my strategy and goals for the season, I realized that some of the rules of racing are also very useful analogies for the world of leading companies (especially startups). Here is a sampling of several things I learned in racing that directly apply to business:
Apolinaras is a business operations leader with 12-year track record of building scalable and capital-efficient operations for technology and professional services companies.