Weird is Good!
3/28/2013
By Emily Neutens
Read that title one more time. Weird is Good. Now, before you go out and take up an unusual hobby, or grab some exotic food for lunch, let me explain.
Michael Lazerow has a great post out on LinkedIn right now about how weirdness helps people reach their full potential. Lazerow stresses the importance of “weirdness” in the creativity and innovation of our society. Understanding what this means requires us to forget about that traditional definition of weird. In this case, weirdos are those who think outside differently, take a chance, or do something that’s never been done before. If you think about it, Ben Franklin must have been a pretty weird guy to attach a key to a kite and fly it during a thunderstorm. Lots of people must have thought the Wright Brothers were a couple of weird guys in order to create the first airplane from some fabric and bicycle parts. And whoever thought of eating raw oysters…or caviar?
Lazerow goes on to write about the weirdos in his life and how interesting, crazy and passionate they are and how those traits have made those individuals very successful. Every weird individual he knows is very successful because the weird ones are the ones who change and lead in the world.
As a professional recruiter, I’ve never had a client come to me and say “Emily, find the absolute WEIRDEST person you can, and we’ll HIRE them!” What I DO believe is that our clients want us to find an individual who stands out from the crowd and brings something unique to the table. That includes creativity, and an ability to add to the culture of their potential company. As a recruiter I see hundreds of resumes a day, and sometimes they can start to look the same. So I look for a candidate who is going to stand out in the crowd. Someone who has the passion and drive to find the career they have always wanted. In a way, those people are weird because they’re willing to do things and take chances that others don’t.
So get out there. Be unique, be innovative, be creative…and be weird! It could just help you land our next career!
Emily Neutens
Chattanooga Recruiter
(423) 414-2146
emily.neutens@mforcestaffing.com