Laurie Ruettimann
Career advisor Laurie Ruettimann created a popular career advice blog and recently launched a new startup. She’s also a hilarious speaker. Laurie describes herself as “a failed Human Resources professional and a crazy cat lady.” She recently shared:
- why not everyone should become an entrepreneur
- when it might be a good idea to sleep in the parking lot at work
- how she was “raised by modern-day Amazons” in Chicago
I interviewed her last month via phone and email. For more insights, follow Laurie on Twitter, sign up for an upcoming career webinar, or visit New Media Services LLC, her career & HR media consulting company.
Laurie Ruettimann
Founder at New Media Services LLC in Raleigh, NC
More info: @lruettimann, LinkedIn, and TheCynicalGirl.com
Personal Branding: Substance over Style
Laurie has — perhaps inadvertently — become an expert in personal branding, but she’s critical of a lot of the personal branding advice that’s out there. I asked her to elaborate. She shared:
Most of the personal branding advice out there is awful. Gurus will focus on style and delivery. What happened to content? What happened to taking a stand?
Pick a side. It makes you more interesting.
And remember that in a fight between style and substance, pick substance.
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How She Got Here, and What’s Changed Along the Way
I asked Laurie how she got to where she is today, and about the biggest trends since she started working. She replied:
I’m not sure where I am. Somewhere between success and failure.
I got here through a weird combination of biology, chemistry, physics, birth order, and luck.
When I started working, people hated their jobs and thought they earned too little and their bosses earned too much. That hasn’t changed. The only thing that’s different is now they can confirm their suspicions on the internet.
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Keeping Up with the Trends: We’re Not All Entrepreneurs
I asked Laurie what she reads, follows, or attends to keep up with the latest trends. She responded:
Who can keep up with trends? We’re all just hamsters on the media wheel. It’s pointless to fight it.
I try to diversify my content. I’ll read everything from major newspapers to smaller blogs. I have several hundred feeds on my Google Reader — everything from HBR to Gawker to small websites about crazy & independent political beliefs.
I asked her what she sees as some of the biggest trends in the next 5-10 years. She replied:
In terms of career trends, advisors love to talk about ‘creating your own job’ and being an entrepreneur. That’s great, but how do you become an entrepreneur when you need health insurance and you are priced out of the market? What about retirement accounts and pensions?
Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. Most of us lack the education and the access to capital. Here are some tips to see if you qualify to own your own shop:
- If you can’t do math, you can’t run your own business.
- If you can’t afford to lose money, you can’t be independent.
- If you aren’t comfortable selling to customers, you are not an entrepreneur.
99% of us are not cut out to be our own bosses.
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Getting Out of a Bad Work Situation
I asked Laurie about her advice to someone who’s in a bad work situation but can’t afford to leave without a new job. She advised:
Let’s get some perspective, okay?
Unless you’re a coal miner or a long-distance bus driver, your job isn’t so bad.
My best advice is to use your job to get a new job. If you’re in a bad job situation, you shouldn’t care about your long-term career plans with that company. It shouldn’t matter to you if you get a stellar performance review because your goal is to be gone by the next performance review.
Do the minimum, skate by, and use your time to find a new job.
Side note: I know it’s hard to work for a boss who is a jerk. Most bosses suck. Learn math and be your own boss.
Laurie gave a funny presentation at Ignite Raleigh in March 2010. If you missed her talk — “Why My Cat Can Get a Job Before You” — here’s the video:
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Going Beyond Your Job as the Source of Your Identity
Laurie has talked about how people tend to make their job their identity. Especially while so many people are unemployed or underemployed, I asked about her thoughts on a better approach. She shared:
I think people need therapy. I need it.
Your job can be an important piece of your identity, but if that’s all you have, you are missing out on life. Be a parent. Volunteer. Chillax with your friends. See a movie. Take long lunches. If you’re unemployed or underemployed, you have no long-term connection to a job. Develop other interests.
Some of the best naps I’ve ever taken were in my car in parking lots where I worked. My job sucked. I didn’t care if someone noticed that I took a long lunch. Catching up on my sleep was more important than the difference between a 3% merit increase and a 4% merit increase.
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Never Been Asked: Raised by Modern-Day Amazons
I asked Laurie about an interview question she’s never been asked. She responded:
I’m never asked about my family because many people read my blog or my tweets and assume that they know a little something about my life and my background.
I had a non-traditional upbringing. I was raised by modern-day Amazons. My parents divorced when I was seven. My mother, brother, and I moved in with my Grandmother. My Grandmother was a single mother. My mom had several sisters and they were all single mothers, too.
The moms in my family hustled like hell to make ends meet. They were a working-class tribe of women on the northwest side of Chicago. They were fierce. All that estrogen. All that drama. Schwoo. I have no idea how my brothers are so normal.
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Something People Might Not Know
I asked Laurie what most people might not know about her:
I like stickers. Secretly, I’m a kindergarten teacher.
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Conclusion
Thanks for sharing your experience and insights, Laurie! If you have a chance to hear Laurie speak, go — she’s funny and informative. If Laurie doesn’t currently moonlight as a standup comedian, she should consider it…
Marketing strategist and account manager Karl Sakas uses research, insights, and relationships to help companies quickly find new ways to make more money. He’s available for hire on a full-time or consulting basis from Raleigh, North Carolina. This is the 15th in his regular series of interviews with marketing and business leaders.
Photo courtesy of Laurie Ruettimann
Using Social Media to Connect with Fans
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