Taft Fact #3

In 2005, I spent a few excruciating months working for a rural Sheriff’s Office in eastern NC.  Shortly after I began, I learned that sheriffs’ offices in North Carolina are regulated by a much different set of rules than municipal agencies.  Because sheriffs are elected officials, the requirements for becoming a sheriff or working as a deputy are much more lenient than for police officers.  For example, the sheriff for whom I worked did not complete his high school education, which was not a prerequisite for taking office during his first term. 

Fortunately, the time I spent working for that sheriff was ultimately a blessing.  I would not fully appreciate my current situation had I not experienced the alternative.  Working for an unprofessional manager with a quick temper and a slow wit makes one appreciative of positive support and trusting management.

The sheriff’s lack of formal education and abhorrent management style made for some very interesting situations. One of the worst, which now ranks among my favorite law enforcement stories, happened about two months after I was sworn in.  The sheriff received a letter from the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Standards Committee informing him that my law enforcement credentials were revoked.  According to the notice, the committee discovered that I had an undisclosed arrest record.

As a politician, the sheriff was always aware of his reputation and the potential for scandals like this to affect his political career.  He sent a supervisor to my apartment to wake me up and escort me to the sheriff’s office (I worked the previous night shift).  When I arrived at the sheriff’s office, the following conversation ensued:

Taft:  Sheriff, you called for me?

Sheriff:  Shut up!  Sit down!  Look, what the hell’s wrong wit you, son?  I wish you’da told me you was a liar when I give you a job.  ‘Least then it woulda’ saved me the trouble of firin’ ya now.

(This is probably a good time to mention that the sheriff had a strong eastern NC accent, began most of his sentences with “Look”, and had a penchant for cursing at officers…but I’ll leave that part out.)

Taft:  I don’t understand.

Sheriff:  Shut up!  Look, you know what ya’ did.  You lied on ya’ personal hist’ry foam (read: form).

Taft:  No sir, I didn’t.

Sheriff:  Shut up!  Quit lyin’!  You know what ‘ya done.  Just shut up….

(pause)

Sheriff:  Well?  Explain ya’ seff.

Taft:  Sheriff, I still don’t understand what’s going on.

Sheriff:  Shut up!  The sheriff committee up in Raleigh says you done lied.  You been arrested and you lied about it.  You’s just a sorry liar.

(As soon as he mentioned an arrest record, I understood what was going on.  I admit, a better man would have stopped the whole ordeal right here...but I didn't) 

Taft:  Sheriff, you’re wrong.

Sheriff:  Shut up!  You just lyin’ again.

Taft:  Sheriff, what details did they give you about the arrest?

Sheriff:  It says right here William T. Love was arrested in Cabarrus County for drunk and disorderly.  Why didn’t you tell me you was a no good drunk?  You drunks is all liars, so I guess it makes sense.

Taft:  Sheriff, what’s the date of arrest?

Sheriff:  It says you was arrested in nineteen and eighty eight.

Taft:  Sir, that was 17 years ago.

Sheriff:  I don’t care if it was a hundred n’ seventeen years ago.  You was arrested and you’s a liar makin’ me look bad to my constichensy.

Taft:  Sheriff, I was born in 1984.

Sheriff:  Shut up!  I don’t give a lick about…. You was fo’ years old.

(The sheriff didn’t miss a beat.  He leaned over so that he could see into the next office and address his secretary, Evelyn)

Sheriff:  Evelyn, what the hell?  How’d you miss this?

Sheriff:  Taft, you a good boy.  Get on back to bed, you need some rest to get back to all ‘at good work you been doin.

Until next time.

-Taft

Dependable

According to the Oxford Dictionary, dependable is defined as, “trustworthy and reliable.”  In a previous post, I mentioned that I consider trust to be a form of currency in the workplace.  Thanks to some excellent supervisors and two outstanding parents, I learned this lesson early in my career and applied it to my work beginning on day-one.  

As a direct result of that lesson, I have built a reputation for being a dependable colleague and employee over the past six years.  Although I take immense pride in my accomplishments as a police officer and detective, I am most proud of the fact the people around me know that they can count on me to do my job and do it right.  I believe that outstanding performance is only valuable to an organization if it is delivered consistently.

My bosses know that I will show up and that I will do whatever it takes to complete an assignment.   Since beginning work with my current agency, I have consistently delivered excellent performance.  I have never taken a sick day and never lost a case.  I have earned the privilege of handling nearly all of the politically-sensitive and time-sensitive cases that make their way to my agency’s investigations division.

If I am given the opportunity to work in a marketing or advertising department, I will bring the same dedication and dependability to work every day.  I promise to do whatever it takes to deliver the same results wherever I go.

Until next time.

-Taft

Self Discipline

I mentioned in a previous post that I will talk about the things that I have to offer an organization.  The first thing that comes to mind is discipline.  I have learned a lot while working as a beat cop and investigator, but nothing has proven as valuable as the discipline that my colleagues and supervisors have instilled in me over the past six years.

Discipline has become a buzz word and its meaning has been diluted, so I will break down exactly what I mean.  I practice discipline by organizing my time and prioritizing my responsibilities.  At the beginning of each day, I make a list on a post-it note (the big kind, with lines like notebook paper).  I make it my mission to finish each item on the list before 5pm.  Though I don’t always finish the list before 5pm, it is exceptionally rare for me to go home without finishing it.  That often means staying late, for which I am not paid due to a freeze on overtime.  But it's worth every minute - my reputation as a hard worker who gets the job done is worth a lot more than a few hours of overtime each week.

There are two types of currency in any workplace: money and trust.  The agency for which I work is out of money, so trust is worth even more to us.  Like money, trust is earned slowly and can be blown quickly.  By making my bosses look good, I earn their trust and they repay that trust with freedom.  When I am tasked with managing a team, which happens often now that my bosses know that I am a performer, I offer each member of my team the same deal.  And you know what happens?  They usually perform much better than teams led by managers who cannot relinquish their grip on minutia.

I recently read an article titled “Epic Fail: Millennials Get Slammed in Poll on Workplace Attitudes”, written by a blogger named Danny Rubin.  In his article, Rubin discusses the results of a poll conducted by Workplace Options.  The poll revealed that, among other things, almost half of all workers (46%) feel that millenials are “less engaged at work than other employees.”  The most shocking thing about the results are that the workers polled included millenials.

This isn’t the first time I have heard about my generation developing a bad reputation in the workplace.  Many of my parents’ friends, some of whom manage huge divisions or run entire companies, complain about how difficult it is to find a 20-something who is willing to work hard without complaining.  They are disturbed by the sense of entitlement that my generation seems to harbor.  Everybody wants to be the boss, but nobody is willing to work for it.

For a long time, it bothered me to hear my parents' generation talk about how hard it is to hire a solid worker from my generation.  I took it as a personal affront because I am a member of GenY.  Then one day it dawned on me: this is perfect!  It shouldn't bother me that so few 20-somethings lack self discipline.  My peers' unwillingness to work hard just makes me more attractive to a potential employer.

So here's the bottom line: I am willing to prove myself.  This blog is not about landing a great job - it’s about earning the opportunity to get my foot in the door at a great company.  It’s about finding someone who will take a chance on me and allow me to demonstrate my value through hard work, dedication and creativity.

Until next time.

-Taft

Taft, What Do You Read?

I’m glad you asked.  I read a LOT - for at least an hour before bed every night.  If I don’t have a book to read, or if I forget to bring one on a trip, I have trouble falling asleep.  For that reason, I make sure to have at least one on deck.  I try to limit my reading time to half bubblegum - most of that time is spent devouring James Patterson novels.  The other half of my reading time is earmarked for classic literature and books that will help me improve something about myself.

Just last night, I finished It’s Your Ship by Captain Mike Abrashoff.  Since the bullpen was empty, I stopped by Barnes & Noble this afternoon and picked up a copy of Blogging for Dummies.

It’s Your Ship is a collection of stories from Abrashoff’s time in the Navy, each of which illustrates a lesson in management.  I have already had an opportunity to put some of his lessons to use.  The third chapter, “Listen Aggressively”, teaches that actively and aggressively listening to colleagues and subordinates is the best way to learn about them as individuals.

Let’s take Abrashoff’s lesson a step further.  I believe that the key to effective leadership is the development of a shared that includes all of the members within an organization.  Great leaders are not those who have the best ideas.  Great leaders understand how to incorporate the needs and desires of their followers into a vision.  In order to know what people need and want, you have to listen.  The followers most likely to work hard and ultimately succeed are those who are stakeholders in the vision toward which they are working.

What do you think is the key to effective leadership?  Is there a secret to great leadership?

Until next time.

-Taft

Feedback

First of all, I want to thank everyone who has provided feedback.  I have received several emails and messages about the blog, some of which have already helped me adjust my marketing strategy. 

One LinkedIn message in particular caught my attention.  Michelle, a fellow Liberty University graduate (whom I have never met) made some suggestions about an earlier post – Why the Job Hunt?

“Taft, I read your blog and think it is an interesting way of marketing yourself. However, I would rethink the post about why you are looking for a job. While very honest, it also is all about you. Employers are looking for how you are an asset to them - and God calls us to think about others before ourselves. We all want to have social lives, be paid well, and have promotional opportunity; but no recruiter or employer wants to hear that… You can say what you are trying to say but in a way that makes it about what you can offer to them instead of what you expect them to offer to you.”

Michelle makes some excellent points here.  Recruiters and potential employers will not hire me based upon what I want; they need to know what I can offer them.  I need to clearly articulate the ways in which I can help an organization meet its goals.  I plan to dedicate some future posts to talking about what I bring to the proverbial table, and I have some creative ideas for doing just that.  I will not simply repeat my resume in a post.  I appreciate the guidance and hope that more of you will share your wisdom and experience.

This is a perfect opportunity for me to explain myself.  First off, I admit that this blog is all about me.  It is a self-serving endeavor.  But I hope that it will become much more than that.  My ultimate goal is to create a living source of information that has the potential to help others.  By openly and honestly sharing the details of my search for a job, I may provide others with information that will allow them to avoid my mistakes and capitalize on the lessons that I have learned along the way.

So, please keep reading and sending me your ideas, advice and guidance.  Be sure to follow this blog – I have some exciting ideas that you won’t want to miss.

Until next time.

-Taft

The "Real" Me

I struggle to decide what to tell you about the “real” me.  My colleagues would probably tell you that I am intelligent, funny, and that I have a tendency to “bird-dog” a project.  This is their term for the way I sink my teeth into a case and refuse to let go.  They might also tell you that I am a great interrogator; I have a knack for listening and adapting my interrogation to the needs of the suspect (or witness).  Finally, they are likely to say that I am super competitive.  That competitive spirit has made me confident, but it has also helped me develop into one of the best.

Though my colleagues’ description of me is fair, I would add that I am full of contradictions.  I am 27 years old, but I am often mistaken for a much older man.  I am competitive and want badly to be the best, but I am not an attention seeker.  Positive feedback is my currency (I love nothing more than hearing that I did great work), but I do not like to receive that positive feedback in public.  I am confident, occasionally to a fault, but I am a firm believer in practicing manners and respect (still call everyone Ma’am and Sir - never call my bosses by their first names).

If you haven’t spent much time with me, a few blog posts are not going to paint an accurate picture of who I am.  Without some context, the posts simply don’t mean much.  That is why I plan to post some stories in the coming weeks and months that will provide that context.  I love talking about my work, especially when I hit a proverbial homerun with a case, so my stories will also give you a glimpse into the day-to-day life of a detective.

Until next time.

-Taft

Love Me

Every time an investigator writes a search warrant, he or she includes a section that outlines his or her professional qualifications.  At Lenoir PD, this portion of the search warrant affidavit is affectionately known as the “Love Me page.”  I write A LOT of search warrants, probably more than the rest of the PD combined, so I am constantly updating my Love Me page.  Here is the Love Me portion of my last search warrant (I can’t share the whole affidavit, for obvious reasons):

          “I am currently employed as a criminal investigator by the Lenoir Police Department.  I have worked for the Lenoir Police Department for six years as a Patrol Officer I, Patrol Officer II, Master Patrol Officer, Detective, and Detective II.  My responsibilities include, but are not limited to, investigating financial crimes, managing complex criminal investigations, and preparing cases for prosecution in court.
          I have received over 1,500 hours of law enforcement training.  My training includes, but is not limited to, Police Law Institute, advanced financial crime investigations, crime scene processing, investigative techniques, forensic techniques, death investigations, and suicide investigations.  I hold a B/S degree in multidisciplinary studies as well as a M/A degree in management from Liberty University. “

The Love Me page is an accurate and succinct summarization of my professional qualifications, but it doesn’t do a very good job of telling you who I am.  In fact, it doesn’t convey much of the information that I want a recruiter to see.  For example, I am much more proud of how I earned my college degrees than that I earned them.  More on that later.

Until next time.

-Taft

A Bit About Me

At the end of my last post, I told you that I plan to tell you a about me.  My next two posts will give you a better idea of who I am.  The first is a brief description my professional experience and qualifications.  The second is a description of the real me.  In later posts, I will get into the specific things that I want recruiters to know.

You may notice that I am posting rapid-fire.  I want to provide some background for those who are interested in reading my blog and learning about my work and career goals.  The posts will slow down once I lay a foundation upon which I can build and choose a direction for this blog.

Until next time.

-Taft

Inaugural Post

I've spent weeks thinking about how I should start this blog.  I decided that it should begin with a deep, thoughtful, and witty opener.  Unfortunately, I couldn't come up with anything.  If I wait any longer, it will never get started, so it's time to start writing.  I am new to blogging, so I hope you'll bare with me as I learn the ropes.

The purpose of this blog is three-fold.  My primary goal is to share my job hunting experiences in a down economy.  The second goal is to engage in shameless self-promotion.  I warn you now, I refuse to temper my confidence in the online forum.  Finally, I hope to eventually create a reservoir of information and knowledge to help others who are in the process of searching for a job.

In the following posts I'll tell you a bit about myself, my current job, my career goals, and what I have to offer your organization.

Until next time.

-Taft