Especially Because Others Don’t

With each passing year I find more and more people are losing their skills to communicate to not much more than a basic level, incapable of purposeful interaction and, above all, unwilling to take initiative to do the things that can help them to advance their own goals. For some reason they’ve become afraid, yes afraid, to do more than the bare minimum required of them in different aspects of their lives, but none so obvious as their own inability to help themselves when they must find a job. 

 

Ironic isn’t it, with more tools available than ever people do less and less; it’s turned upside-down. Most people obediently send their resumes down a virtual black hole to no one in particular about something they saw posted. They do nothing and wait to be called on. Then, when they do get the call, they participate in the interview process in the same manner; they do only what is asked of them but nothing more – and they think that is good enough. Think about that for a moment, the concept all by itself is ridiculous, if results are what you seek. But more than that, it’s pathetic. I am not sorry to say I’m inclined to use stronger language that might help to get the point across to those whose brains are set on cruise-control. 

 

Sure, when there is no urgency and you’re not in need, then passively reacting as most people do is okay - until such time as it becomes necessary. Once that happens and necessity or want elevates your level of urgency, then limp and passive will not get the job done. Don’t screw around with online garbage job posts, which in reality, most are. If you are a regular viewer of the job portals you will inevitably conclude they are the same jobs posted over and over again, which should be a warning sign all by itself. The fact is, the best jobs aren’t even listed and the few that are, well, if you didn’t react the very day they’re posted, you’re already too late. Sorry, but that’s reality. Forget that near fruitless activity – yeah, check them but take it upon yourself instead to look up and investigate the companies you’re interested in but don’t stop there, look for and find a potential hiring manager and contact them directly. It’s far better and more constructive than pining away in the hopes of talking to a low- ranking HR staffer with little real interest in you. However you submit your resume, follow-up after a reasonable amount of time, like 10 days. You can send an email but even better, call them – yep, pick up the phone and try to actually talk to someone.

 

However or when you do have the opportunity to interview keep up your efforts; there is simple, no-brainer easy stuff that doesn’t require a lot of effort, but it does require intent followed by action: 

·         At the end of every interview, ask for the next step, every time.

·         After each interview send a Thank You letter, every time. Send it within 24 hours or the next working day. By the way, this gesture used to be protocol and something one did naturally as a part of the interview process. Anyone suggesting this is somehow brown-nosing, pay no attention to them, I know what I am talking about, and they don’t.

·         After the second face-to-face interview, don’t wait to be asked, offer to them your references – which means you’d better have thought ahead and assembled your references. In my strong view, lazy people wait until they are asked before they even think about references. 

If you are among the shrinking minority who still strive for excellence and want to take charge and influence your own fate as best you can, you’re my kind of person. Let the sheep whimper and half-heartedly shuffle along without purpose in their self-imposed mediocrity - you can’t help those who can’t or won’t help themselves, for whatever excuse they are always quick to offer. The fact they do nothing means you’ll stand out more - stand apart and thereby stand taller than the rest. The reasons to do the things I suggest are precisely because -- most others don’t!

The Clock is Ticking

When you find yourself having to interview for a job, you’ll have a limited window of time within which you need to make the most of the event. The first interview should be about their learning more about you beyond your resume and you should learn more about the job beyond the woefully basic job post you likely responded to.

 

A typical first face-to-face interview is generally brief, sometimes as short as 30 minutes, and occasionally longer but rarely more than an hour. Regardless, time is limited and finite -- if you want to get all you can from the meeting. I remember when my daughter was a competitive swimmer and it wasn’t so much about the others in the pool as it was a race against the clock. Well, this is no different.

 

I have witnessed many persons aimlessly squander precious interview time instead of thinking strategically and getting the most out of the event as they possibly could.

 

One tip that can be most immediately and directly useful is the point at which, early in the interview, they ask you to tell them about yourself. In my estimation, a lot of time is unnecessarily wasted during this segment of the interview meeting. Often people will give their life’s story or they will randomly bounce around until suddenly, they’re down to the final minutes. By the time it’s all over, you recognize you didn’t learn very much but they probably have a pretty good picture of you. If you depart knowing little more about the job than you did when you arrived – you’ve messed up.

 

When you do describe and recite your experience as it relates to your suitability for the job, keep it short and to the point. You can elaborate in response to their questions if they want more details. Furthermore, it’s primarily the last 10 years that has any real relevance to today. 

 

Once you think you have satisfied their interest, try to shift the discussion to being more about the job so you can learn something, and walk out with significantly more information than you had when you arrived.

Ask One More Question

Interview styles differ and then tend to inject the personality of the person conducting the interview, not to mention additional people involved with whom you may also meet and speak and it can be difficult to be prepared for everything. While that may be, there are some predictable patterns in each process, and one that is pretty common is the indication you are nearing the end of the interview. 

 

When they ask, “do you have any other questions?” it’s pretty clear you’re near the end and it’s almost over. You have a final chance to ask any remaining and outstanding questions on your mind – so take advantage of it. But there’s one final question I want you to add to your repertoire at almost every single interview you find yourself a part of and for the rest of your career.

 

Ask them, “what’s the next step?” That’s all I want you to do, if you are not already doing it. Simple isn’t it, but you’d be surprised at how many people who otherwise perform well during the meeting, only to choke and fail at the end.  You’re simply closing the interview; it’s a sales technique meant to elicit a decision. 

 

Don’t worry, nobody’s going to be mad at you for having interest and asking, although some may display a bit of surprise. That’s because so few people actually do it and, instead, their tepid final parting phrase is a wimpy indecisive, “well … uh um, I hope I hear from you.” That’s a snooze of an exit statement, “yawn, Zzzz….” Sadly, this is what most people say when they part ways; not very memorable, is it? If you’d hoped to set yourself apart and provide a reason for them to choose you instead of the others who utter the same thing – you didn’t succeed.

 

If you are interested in a job, or at least progressing to the next interview, make your intention and interest clear. Be memorable and be different because hiring managers not only look for those with the right skills and experience but they are also looking for the right can-do attitude.

Was There Laughter

As a standard practice, when I represent both hiring managers and candidates during an interview process, I always debrief both sides. Among the questions I ask of both sides, but predominantly the candidate, is one that seems to catch people off-guard and one they are not used to hearing and rarely consider. 

 

I ask them, “Was there laughter?” Often this seems an odd question but rather one I have learned, during my long career, to be a key question. And okay, perhaps you were not giggling your way through the meeting but hopefully, there was some smiling and cordiality – the more the better. You see, there is more going on than just whether or not you, as a potential employee, are qualified for a job you seek. Are you qualified and suitable – and it goes both ways? Qualifications are a key factor in order to be considered but never discount the importance or how well you may or may not fit into their company culture and, even more important, the personal chemistry between you and your potential hiring manager. This is the aspect that will determine if you will have a satisfactory transition or if you will find yourself frustrated and looking for another job in a mere three to six months.  

 

So if there wasn’t laughter, is that a deal killer or a bad omen? No, not necessarily. If then there wasn’t, what was it, how did you perceive the atmosphere? Because you know it’s not only about their impression of you that counts in this process – you’re also evaluating them -- or at least you should be. Perhaps you didn’t meet your potential boss in the first interview and you were screened by an HR staffer; but the question still has validity as a gauge. 

 

No doubt you have to meet the minimum qualifications to be considered for any job you seek. But personal chemistry can count for a lot and is part of what helps to make a decision, a more informed decision, while you progress through the interview process and toward a potential offer. It’s what, at a minimum, can make a job bearable or perhaps even great, depending on the circumstances. Add this simple question, with all that it implies, to your post-interview self-evaluation checklist.

You Should be Doing It Anyway

If you want help from a third party to increase your chances of finding a good job, through a recruiter or an agency, know this, it is rare that you will contact them and, voila, they just so happen to have the perfect job for you and your timing was impeccable and fortuitous. More likely, you will end up in their database and it is the info you provide to them that can accentuate your odds of success, now or later. But like many suggestions I provide, you have to apply a bit of effort in order to separate yourself from the crowd because, as I so-often say, if you look, sound and act like everyone else, why should they choose you over anyone else. It’s your choice -- be boring and un-remarkable and as a result go un-noticed -- or stand-out and stand-apart. 

 

When I consider representing a person, or I speak with someone who would like to be kept in mind in the future, I suggest to them, “Okay then, help me to help you. If there was a list of companies - I don’t care if it is 1, 3 or 30 – that, if you heard they were looking for someone like you, you’d want to know about? I want that list. Think about it and get back to me” If they reply vaguely without any forethought or effort, “well, I’m open … any company that is looking” I don’t waste another moment of my time. And why should I? If I want to spend my time, which has value, playing the lottery I’ll buy a ticket, but why squander it on someone unwilling to invest their time on an effort that directly benefits them. However, if they’ll put a little effort into it and provide me with the information, I’ll get a little more proactive and, at the very least, add it to their file; now, I have something to work with. Perhaps it is one of my own foibles, but I don’t work for anyone but rather I work with people, collaboratively. Other recruiters and agency types are thinking similarly although they may not state it as loud as I do. 

 

You should do the same for yourself, prior and without being asked, to save time; wouldn’t you agree you’d stand out amongst the many who simply send their resumes hither and yon under the illusion they’re actually doing something constructive on their own behalf? 

 

Besides, if you’re contemplating a new job surely you’ve thought about what kind of role and company or companies with which you’d like to work. So you should be doing this anyway. The only difference is that you are providing something to compare, and so if or when they call, it is not so much a guessing game. 

Getting your Mojo Working

Call it what you like, your attitude, energy, aura or something else, you can have a great resume and be perfectly qualified, but if your mojo isn’t working you’re going to come up short in your efforts. 

 

The economy is picking up a bit lately but that often isn’t the issue as much as it is the systems in place that companies and HR departments utilize -- application and resume submission processes that are faceless and leave you wondering if they’ve even received your resume, or if it will be seen by a real person. It is the processes companies use to screen and evaluate potential employees, stupid psychobabble psychometric testing or inane interview questions having nothing to do with one’s ability to do a job, that make people feel powerless during the course of the process. Combined with other issues of the modern workplace and job market it can engender anger, frustration and even bitterness. 

 

If you are one of many who are frustrated and may even wince at my suggestion, yeah, I recognize it may sound overly simplistic to proselytize about attitude being everything - it isn’t. But without it your chances for success are diminished. 

 

Sorry, but if you’re in need of an attitude adjustment, get one and here’s why. I have never in almost 25 years of recruiting and placing individuals, seen a person who visibly lacked confidence get a job offer. I have likewise almost never seen anyone, who was outwardly angry or bitter, chosen over someone with similar qualifications, who wasn’t. 

 

Hiring managers have told me they would only consider those who, depending on the job in question, met a checklist of qualifications and experience. Occasionally they hired someone who didn’t precisely match the criteria. When I probed as to why they chose them in light of the deficit, these same managers have replied saying, “We liked him/her”.

 

No doubt, it takes more than a glowing personality and indeed you must be qualified. But sometimes, a good attitude can bridge the gap in a close contest.

What Do They Know, That You Don’t

Do professionals always apply to themselves what they dictate to others? Does a doctor provide his own family with the same guidance as for a patient?  I’ve heard of instances in which they don’t, such as chemo-therapy, for example, although I’m just posing a hypothetical question. 

 

During a recent conversation with an HR Director I know, I spoke about my advice to job seekers; that they should, instead of applying for a job through typical and accepted channels of applying online or establishing contact through HR, I instead suggest an alternate and more direct route. I advise people to do a bit of homework and try to learn who, by name, might be the person they’d work for and/or report to, in a particular company to which they would like to apply and work.  

 

Although she also admitted that it irritated her whenever managers engage with applicants directly, making her job a little more challenging, yet, she agreed with me! In fact, she shared that recently her own husband was looking for a job and although she is a senior HR professional who feels strongly about protocols and processes, she nonetheless advised him to establish contact directly with the hiring manager to reduce bureaucracy and the unnecessary scrutiny of those having nothing to do with the direct reporting chain for the position for which he was interested in being considered. To make a long story short -- he got the job. 

 

Need I say more -- the point I am trying to make is clear; you can stand in a virtual line like everyone else, or blaze your own trail. It doesn’t require anything more audacious than confidence in yourself and some extra effort.