Oh, You're from Pittsburgh? You're hired!

I recently interviewed a foreman who specializes in operating heavy equipment, such as excavators and bulldozers. Frank, now a supervisor for a large company, noted he has never had trouble finding a job. When I asked him why, he said, “Well, I’m from Pittsburgh.”

Frank went on to explain that when an employer finds out a tradesman is from Pittsburgh, he is immediately assured the prospective employee has a solid work ethic. “That’s just how we are in Pittsburgh,” Frank told me, noting that he is the third generation of heavy-equipment operators in his family.  In Pittsburgh, being to work on time means getting there half an hour early, he said.

I’m not saying you should exploit any connection you may have to Pittsburgh, or that you should take up bulldozer operation, though it does seem like a cool job. What I am saying is that the details that make up our lives matter in ways we may not even realize.

Where you’re from says something about who you are. Find ways to weave as many geographic details into your résumé as possible. Before an interview, research the people you’ll be speaking with and see if their bios reveal a common place you both lived, school you attended or company you worked for. Find ways to let your potential employer know as much about you as possible, in hopes of making a personal connection.

Personal connections lead to jobs. And a reputation for a solid work ethic doesn’t hurt, nor does making it a point to get to work, and interviews, early.

I think everyone could learn something from Frank, who has maneuvered his career as skillfully as he steers his bulldozer. He earned every conceivable certificate, mostly paid for by the companies that employed him. He worked his contacts to land the best position in his field. And, along the way, he enhanced the reputation of Pittsburgh as a place where people still take pride in their work and in getting there on time.