Bullying

After my last dreary post today I intended to be upbeat and positive, but, like the England Cricket Team in India, I have reverted to form and failed miserably.  My topic today is bullying.

We all know the real human damage caused by bullying whether in the playground or the workplace.   Nobody reading this has ever bullied anyone, right?  Or stood by and watched a colleagues life being made a misery as that is the easier option?

I am not naive enough to think that bullying doesn’t exist in most workplaces to some degree but over the last few weeks I have been genuinely sickened by three specific cases in my sectors.   There are pages of literature on corporate bullying so I am not going to bore you with amateur psychological/sociological nonsense, but, I think in areas such as those in which I recruit the bullying often takes the form of intellectual harassment. 

The specific examples I am thinking of are where people have been made to feel a failure due to not having the knowledge or not being quick enough to pick up concepts/information that comes easier to others.  We see clear evidence of this behaviour on professional forums all the time but online it feels a little more removed – how would you feel if you were facing this every day?   One example I have in mind is a new graduate who moved to London for her first real forensics job.  Within a month this poor girl had her confidence totally destroyed by experienced practitioners who should know much better. 

This behaviour is so upsetting – how would you feel if this was your daughter who was trying to adjust to the pressures of the world of work for the first time in a new City and was effectively being laughed at and made to feel stupid on a daily basis?

In areas such as Computer Forensics/Electronic Disclosure some people will very quickly realise that they don’t have the technical/intellectual/investigative ability to be successful and will naturally leave the discipline very quickly.  However, if you see someone struggling in your organisation, please think carefully about how you behave towards them as a friendly arm around the shoulder can mean everything to someone feeling isolated.   Just on a human level surely we all have a duty of care to help to solve the problem rather than make it worse?

How much do you really want it?

I had an interesting day at Fortress Elland Road (or as my friend Phil refers to it: The Theatre of Screams) on Saturday, watching The Mighty Leeds United overpower Coventry to record an emphatic 1-0 victory.  Whereas I usually take my place with my Leeds supporting pals in the Don Revie stand this weekend I changed seats and sat just by the dugouts.

From this perspective I saw another side to our manager Simon ‘Larry’ Grayson (pictured) which really surprised me.  Me and Larry aren’t exactly best mates but I have seen him at numerous social events over the last couple of years and I have always been surprised at just how nice he is – certainly a really decent guy without the arrogance and edge of other professional managers I have met.  

Sitting five feet away from him on Saturday I saw another side to the man.  Sure, he is committed and focussed but he is also incredibly hard, aggressive (in a good way) and completely in charge – the reaction of the players and staff left me in no doubt that he was fully in control and would accept no nonsense.

Why am I telling you this?

Well, except for the obvious opportunity to post a Leeds United related picture, last week I spoke to students at Sunderland and Teeside Universities.  As always, the students were very friendly, receptive and the vast majority were clearly incredibly bright and committed.  They would be an asset to any Forensics organisation.

However, last week it also really hit me clearly why a lot of these students aren’t going to secure their dream roles.  They are just too nice and lack the focus and aggression needed in terms of securing a job.  Do you think I am being harsh?  I think not.

Make no mistake that to secure your first role in this area you have to be aggressive and ruthless.  You are in direct competition with your fellow students for the very best jobs and there aren’t enough positions to go around.  When I talk in this way I reckon the students think I am talking nonsense  – hmmm, maybe on a broader level they have a point - and don’t really believe me when I tell them that the best jobs don’t go to the best people. 

This isn’t fair but it is certainly true.  Some of the best Computer Forensics graduates from 2008 are still working in IT support.  The best jobs go to the people who have prepared in the most effective way to make themselves attractive to potential employers and then aggressively pursue opportunities.

Simon ‘Larry’ Grayson wasn’t the best professional footballer.  However, watching him at work from such close quarters clearly demonstrates why he is a successful Manager and why he is a winner.   He is, frankly, desperate to win and utilises every ounce of his talent and every resource available to him to ensure he stands out from the crowd.

Can you honestly say the same for your job search?

Getting started in Computer Forensics

This week I head north for my annual visit to Sunderland and Teeside Universities.

I really enjoy speaking with the computer forensics students about career opportunities and what the students need to do NOW to increase their chances of securing a role in this competitive area.

One piece of advice I will certainly give them is to read the following post published this week on www.forensicfocus.com by 'Nathan':

http://www.forensicfocus.com/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=7153

I first spoke to 'Nathan' maybe two years ago and his success is a clear example to everyone looking to break into this area that if you have the right attitude then everything is possible.