Josie Lynn Books: Imagine the Possibilities

Tag: Mr. Bingley

  • The Jane Austen Treatment

    The Jane Austen Treatment

    The idea: to translate Jane Austen’s comedies of manners into useful instruction in the finding and keeping of employment.

    Background: I’ve been an avid reader and/or viewer of Jane Austen novels and/or movies since I was a teenager. My first Jane Austen novel was Pride and Prejudice, read it in one setting, as I was mentally, physically, and emotionally unable to put it down.

    As a teenager/young adult, I also read a steady steam of job search articles and books about surviving job interviews. I knew all of the ins and outs, the whys and wherefores, and the dos and don’ts. I was well-schooled in the art of looking for a job. But I still dreaded interviews because I never felt prepared.

    Then one day, while waiting in my car to go into a job interview, I was mulling over the standard tips I’d gleaned over the years. They seemed cold and lifeless sitting on the page or glaring at you from the computer screen. And, as I sat in my car in the few minutes before having to go in to face the “hiring squad,” I gave those familiar tips a slight tweak—the Jane Austen treatment, if you will—and suddenly they came to life. They became useful. They became memorable. They became fun.

    And now I’m (re)sharing them with you. (Editor’s note: these articles were originally published on this blog May-October 2014)

    What’s Your Worst Quality, Mr. Bingley?

    If answering the questions “What’s your worst quality?” or “What’s your biggest weakness?” sends chills down your spine, read what Mr. Bingley did. You’ll never be stumped again. Read more here.

    darcy at desk

    Don’t Bad-Mouth Your Former Boss, Wickham

    When a potential employer asks, “Who was your worst boss?” he/she’s not inviting you to vent. Discover a better way to respond to this question by reviewing Wickham’s epic fail. Read more here.

    wickham

    Become a World-Class Networker (Like Mrs. Bennet)

    This is probably the one and only time it is okay to make Mrs. Bennet your role-model. When it came to networking, the girl had skills! Read more here.

    mrs. bennet

    Dress For Success, Elizabeth

    Miss Elizabeth Bennet may have had fine, bright eyes, but did her petticoats drenched in mud really send the right message? Read more here.

    eliza

    Tell Me About Yourself, Lady Catherine

    Learn how to deal with this ice-breaker from none other than Lady Catherine de Bourgh herself. Read more here.

    lady catherine

    You Can Never Be Too Thankful…Just Ask Mr. Collins

    Mr. Collins was nothing if not overflowing with gratitude. Take a page from his book (just don’t overdo it). Read more here.

    Mr. Collins

    Does anyone else find it highly ironic that a bunch of people who (with the exception of Wickham) never worked a day in their lives could instruct one about job interviews?

    Gossipgirls

    Nevertheless, this is what’s worked for me. What are some of the ways you make a boring, unpleasant task a tad more tolerable?

    And finally, do I promise this is the last time I will write about Jane Austen? I’m sorry, I cannot make that promise.

  • The Sum of Its Parts

    The Sum of Its Parts

    jux·ta·pose

    verb \’jək-stə-,pōz\
    : to place (different things) together in order to create an interesting effect or to show how they are the same or different

    Long before we knew what juxtapose meant or had even heard of the word, my sister and I were busy “juxtaposing” things—and by things, I mean unsavory foods that we were forced to eat by a concerned and conscientious parent—like liver and mashed potatoes. Not that there’s anything essentially wrong with mashed potatoes…it was the combining them with the liver that we had the problem with. And nothing against liver—it is, after all, an essential organ, but I believe most people will agree with me that children generally find it disgusting. Parents should acknowledge this universal truth.

    My sister’s bright idea was that we pretend that the liver was chocolate and that the mashed potatoes were whipped cream. That way we could trick ourselves into thinking we were eating dessert instead of something “gross-ning” (which was a favorite non-word word when we were in elementary school).

    It worked…sort of. Eventually my mom stopped serving us liver and mashed potatoes for dinner, so we were able to eat our dinner like normal people, instead of being forced to mentally play with our food. More importantly, we were free to apply our creativity to more worthwhile endeavors.

    Still, our little thought experiment/exercise in imaginative eating taught me that it pays to combine something you like with something you like not so much, especially when the not so liked thing is something you have to do. I find this technique has gotten me though many of life’s less than pleasant, un-rose garden moments. Sort of like what Mary Poppins said about that spoonful of sugar.

    Which brings me back to my series of articles on Everything (About Job Interviews) I Learned From Jane Austen, which is all about how to make that awful medicine—the job interview—a touch more palatable.

    Here is a brief summation of our tips so far:

    Tip 1: Do master the indirect boast

    We learned how to answer “What’s your worst quality?” or “What’s your biggest weakness?” by watching Mr. Bingley. You can learn a lot by watching people. Case in point:

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1yp750t_xk?rel=0&w=420&h=315]

    …uh, back to Bingley. Remember how he “modestly” said his letters were crazy/sloppy/jumbled up because he thought faster than he wrote? Sloppy letters writing skills might sound like a weakness until you realize they are the product of a quick mind/brilliant brain. Bingo! Now that question will never stump you again.

    Tip 2: Don’t bad-mouth a former employer

    When an interviewer asks an interviewee “Who was your worst boss?” he/she’s not inviting you to relate some epic tale of dragon boss man/boss lady. It’s more like a test of your maturity level and discretion. Don’t fail…don’t be a Wickham. Bad-mouthing a former boss is just wrong.

    Tip 3: Do become a world-class networker

    This is probably the one and only time it is okay to make Mrs. Bennet your role-model. Feigning sickness and nagging your family will only annoy and alienate people—like your husband who will promptly retire to the library, the one place he know he will be safe from you because you…don’t…read—so don’t model that behavior. Imitate her savant-like ability to network.

    Tip 4: Don’t show up slovenly dressed

    Elizabeth Bennet provides the basis for this tip when she shows up at Netherfield with petticoats drenched in mud (after traipsing through the countryside). Perhaps she was trying to demonstrate her indifference to and disregard of Mr. Darcy and his 10,000 pounds per annum. As an candidate for a job, you cannot afford to make such a statement. Show up neat and tidy, pressed and shaven, i.e., dress for success.

    Tip 5: Do stay on topic when “telling about yourself”

    Everyone needs a opening, so interviewers often start by saying, “Tell me about yourself.” Lady Catherine de Bourgh shows us how to turn this conversation-starter into an opportunity to share relevant bits of data about our suitableness for the job.

    Tip 6: Do send a thank you note

    I promise, no one will find you ridiculous if you copy Mr. Collins’, er, enthusiasm about showing himself grateful by sending a post-interview thank you card/note/letter/email. However, if you approach Mr. Darcy and start talking without a formal introduction, you’re going to get royally snubbed.

    So, there we are…tips 1-6 in list format.  We have yet to hear from Mr. Darcy, Caroline, Georgiana, Jane, Lydia, Kitty, Mary (oh, dear), Mr. Bennet, or any of the Lucases. The possibilities are endless, so I’ll be revisiting this sometime in the near future. In the meantime, I’ve been working on some other projects (and desperately trying to get this blog rhythm down!).

    See you next time.

  • Become a World-Class Networker (Like Mrs. Bennet)

    Become a World-Class Networker (Like Mrs. Bennet)

    Tip 3: Do Network

    The hopelessly frivolous Mrs. Bennet may have been a constant source of chagrin to the sensible Jane and Elizabeth, but she was amazingly right on point when it came to the importance of networking. In last week’s post, I shared a “don’t” from George Wickham. Today, I’ll be sharing a “do” from Mrs. Bennet.

    I was as surprised as you are to discover that Mrs. Bennet was actually a good example of anything. But note the approach she takes toward networking. Her thoughts on the matter are summed up below:

    “It was, moreover, such a promising thing for her younger daughters, as Jane’s marrying so greatly must throw them in the way of other rich men…”

    What She Got Right

    There it is…the pearl of wisdom: make use of connections to achieve a goal.  Alas, this is pretty much where Mrs. Bennet’s common sense, foresight, and usefulness came skidding to a stop. On the one hand, she rightly realized that Jane’s marrying Mr. Bingley would provide opportunities for her remaining single daughters to interact with/get to know/fall in love with/and marry other single gentlemen of property. You can’t blame a woman for trying to give her girls a leg up in the world.

    What She Got Oh So Wrong

    On the other hand, however, you can blame her for imprudently expressing these sentiments in the earshot of the already paranoid/prejudiced Mr. Darcy. Let’s face it, that was a huge misstep that came back to bite both Jane and Elizabeth. So, while her intention may have been well-meaning, her implementation betrayed a serious lack of judgment.

    Making Networking Work

    In a similar vein, networking is essential to your job search. Ask everyone you know if they are aware of any job openings. Let them know you are looking for work. Often times, the people we are in contact with can alert us to opportunities, thus providing useful leads. We cannot afford to be too proud to ask for help. Remember, it’s not always what you know; sometimes it’s who you know. Just go about it in a slightly more judicious manner than Mrs. Bennet. Use tact and discernment, and no one will look askance at you for trying to make the most of every connection you have, and it very well may help you find that sought-after job.

    Next time we’ll consider a tip from everyone’s favorite leading lady.

  • What’s Your Worst Quality, Mr. Bingley?

    What’s Your Worst Quality, Mr. Bingley?

    Tip 1: Master the Indirect Boast

    Our first tip comes from Mr. Charles Bingley of P&P fame and has to do with turning a seemingly bad quality (your worst quality or your biggest weakness) into an opportunity to do a little bit of self-promotion (i.e. cause the potential employer to see that you really are this awesome person who has no flaws and totally deserves the job!!). It’s the old, let’s disarm them with an “indirect boast” trick.

    In Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Bingley mentions a seemingly bad trait: the tendency to produce incoherent, sloppily composed letters and cleverly spins it in such a way that we come to understand what a quick-witted fellow he really is.

    Brilliant.

    The Setup

    I know you’re familiar with the scene. It’s the one where Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, Miss Bingley and Elizabeth are all passing a quiet (i.e. boring) evening in the drawing room.

    Mr. Darcy is writing a letter to his sister and Miss Caroline Bingley is trying in vain to flatter and flirt with the surly Mr. Darcy. She refuses to recognize and accept the fact that he is just not into her. At all.

    Awkward.

    She persists in engaging him in conversation, which is painful to read/watch/listen to, but it does provide her brother a chance to demonstrate how to handle that pesky “What’s your worst quality/biggest weakness?” interview question because, getting nowhere with Darcy, Caroline turns to criticizing her brother’s style of letter-writing. (Maybe she was a tad annoyed that he was not doing his part to help her land a landed gentry). In his defense, Mr. Bingley says the following (then Elizabeth chimes in and there are also a couple of snarky comments from Darcy in the dialog below):

    Bingley’s Spin

    “My ideas flow so rapidly that I have not time to express them — by which means my letters sometimes convey no ideas at all to my correspondents.”

    “Your humility, Mr. Bingley,” said Elizabeth, “must disarm reproof.’”

    “Nothing is more deceitful,” said Darcy, “than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast.”’

    “And which of the two do you call my little recent piece of modesty?’”

    “The indirect boast; — for you are really proud of your defects in writing, because you consider them as proceeding from a rapidity of thought and carelessness of execution, which if not estimable, you think at least highly interesting. The power of doing any thing with quickness is always much prized by the possessor, and often without any attention to the imperfection of the performance…”

    Modern-Day Application

    So there you have it. Now imagine Mr. Bingley is being interviewed for a job. (What? A gentleman having to earn his fortune? Never!) But for my purposes, let’s suppose…

    Potential employer: So, Charles, what is your worst quality?

    Charles: My worst quality, I suppose, would be that when I’m working on a project, my thoughts come out so quickly, sometimes they only make sense to me. I have to really slow down and edit myself. (Charles laughs a self-depreciating laugh)

    Potential employer: (to himself) Wow, this guy must be really smart. Only smart people think faster than they can write. Let’s move this guy to the top of the short list.

    Putting Your Spin on It

    Of course, there are probably better worst/best qualities to pick from: being a perfectionist, being single-minded about a project, even saying something like “I tend to be impatient, but I’m working on it…” Mainly, you want to list a quality that actually makes you a desirable employee or use the question as an opportunity to show how you have addressed a “problem” or are currently addressing it.

    The basic idea is to channel your inner Mr. Bingley. Remember, a job interview is not a therapy session. It is not a time for self-disclosure. (Save that for conversations with Mom or episodes of speed dating). A job interview is your chance to sell yourself to a potential employer, so view every question as an opportunity to do just that.

    Next, we will explore what we can learn about job interviews from resident bad-boy, Wickham, who seemed to have a particular aversion to employment.

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