I’ve written before about accomplishments vs. experience, but I’m all fired up about two comments received on a column I wrote recently for the Wall Street Journal.
The piece is about how to make a great first impression at your new job. One of my suggestions:
Overdeliver on your first assignment—if your boss asks for three examples, give five. Try to become the go-to person for something, such as building PowerPoint presentations or using social media.
Reactions from readers to this suggestion?
“I advise against overdelivering – in my experience, it ultimately leads to more responsibility for the same amount of pay. After two quick promotions (without raises) due to my education and work ethic, I found myself doing more work for less money than the people working under me. My boss cleared me to take a demotion back to my old position, but I can’t do it because it would look terrible on a resume.” — Steve
“Agree with Steve. Those who are reliable and overdeliver tend to be taken advantage of, which crushes their spirit and work ethic, reducing them to just another average employee. It’s a simple matter of incentives; people naturally respond to the system in which they’re placed.” — Anonymous
Employers, take notice. The Steves and Anonymouses of the working world are the “experience” you’re getting. Next time, consider hiring a Gen Y’er with less “experience” but more accomplishments under his/her belt than Steve or Anonymous would ever try to do for you.
What are your thoughts on the experience vs. accomplishments debate?
