Do you know people who like to putz? You know the type: a person who procrastinates, starts
but rarely finishes projects, is indecisive, avoids any commitment, is easily distracted, and fairly
unorganized. This is the same person who tells you how busy they are. While it has not been
medically discovered yet, putzing is a segment of our DNA strand. It is located between the
“go-getter” gene and the “easily distracted” trait. Put simply, the putzing genetic hotspot is
activated when the urge to tidy up your desk suddenly becomes more pressing than finishing a
client report.
We all have some degree of putzing in our DNA – some have loads of it (think about your cousin
living in a basement holding out for the senior management role) while others have very little of
it (think of anyone in investment banking). Despite not having any medical training at all, I have
developed an experiment to detect the differences in PutzDNA (PDNA) coding. The results are nearly
100% accurate and typically take less than two weeks to determine.
The experiment is to see how long it takes for individuals to incorporate my feedback into their
resumes.
Let’s review what high and low PDNA look like. On rare occasions I help family members and
close colleagues revise their resumes. This may be surprising, but writing resumes is not core
to what I do in my profession – I review resumes, not write them. However, I know enough about
resume writing to be able to provide some useful perspectives.
We normally start by discussing the existing resume and how it can be revised to tell a story
rather than a listing of jobs and responsibilities. We discuss the resume format and options for
creating a more readable format. We cover the need to include specific achievements and end
by discussing the skills, attributes and differentiators that help define this individual relative to
their peers.
Following the initial discussion, getting to an updated resume draft will probably take about 3-5
hours. It could take longer but normally I tell people that they need two rounds of edits. So
round 1 editing of 3-5 hours is a reasonable estimate.
Here is where the test kicks in. The high PDNA professional closes the conversation by asking
“can I send you a draft in the next 2-3 weeks?” while the low PDNA professional says “I have an
event tonight, can I send you the next draft in 2-3 days?”
Low PDNA wants to act – they truly want a new job and will put full effort into achieving the goal.
If a low PDNAer says they will have me an updated resume in 2-3 days, I’ll have the resume in
2-3 days. Conversely, high PDNAers wants to be able to tell family, friends and colleagues that
they are really active in their job search and doing lots of things. If they tell me I will have an
updated resume in 2-3 weeks, I may see it in 3 weeks, or I may not see it at all.
What’s lost in this example is the difference between 3 days and 3 weeks and how that can
further impact a job search. Someone with a low PDNA will not only have an updated resume in
2-3 days, they will also have moved the ball forward on their LinkedIn profile, elevator pitch,
interviewing stories, target company landscape, networking efforts and completed applications
in the same amount of time it takes a high PDNAer to revise their resume. Who do you think
has a better chance in a recruitment process?
What’s great about this medically undiscovered marker is that there is gene therapy that already
exists to combat high PDNA. The medical therapy is called FOCUS: Fast Onset, Complete
Unfinished Stuff. Those who use FOCUS are able to overcome the fears that cause putzing.
The emphasis is on acting and results, not on delay and activity.
Hire Thought…I have a client who loves the phrase “fail fast, fail forward”. It suggests an entrepreneurial
mindset of moving fast while also trying to make improvements as things progress. I know
many people get discouraged in recruiting; companies don’t reply, the market is tough, spouses
just want you to get a better job, job descriptions are uninspiring, etc. There is no wonder why
people putz.
Resist the urge of complacency. Control what you can control and act. When you find yourself
in any situation where you feel like you are putzing, just FOCUS.