8 Tips for getting the job you really want
From: LinkedIn
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You send in your resume.
You include a hopefully eye-catching cover letter. You ask someone to put in a
good word for you.
Then you wait. And wait.
And don't get the job.
Why? You didn't put in
the work.
There are many things
you can't control about the job seeking process. Cumbersome application
systems, automated filters that identify keywords instead of talent, lazy hiring managers content to simply find round pegs
for round holes, people who make the biggest hiring mistake of all....
But there is one thing
you can control: the amount of work you put in.
If you're struggling to
land the job you want, don't complain. Don't blame others. Sure, the system
often sucks — so accept it sucks and then figure out how to beat it. Commit to
doing more. Commit to doing what other candidates aren't willing to do. That's
how you stand out. That's how you get the job you really want.
Try this:
1. Determine the company
you want to work for.
Obvious, right? Not
really. Many job seekers play the numbers game and respond to as many job
postings as possible.
Shotgun resume
submissions results in hiring managers sifting through dozens of potential
candidates to find the right person. (Good luck emerging from that particular
pile.) To show the hiring manager you are the right candidate, you have
to do the work.
Instead of shotgunning
your resume, put in the time to determine a company you definitely want to work
for, and then...
2. Really know
the company.
Pretend I'm the hiring
manager. "I would love to work for you," you say to me. What I
actually hear is, "I would love for you to pay me."
You can't possibly know
if you want to work for my company unless you know a lot about my
company; that's the difference between just wanting a job and wanting an
actual role in a business. Talk to friends, relatives, vendors, customers...
anyone you can find. Check management and employees out on social media. When
you know the people, you know the company. Learn as much as you can.
Then leverage what you
learn and...
3. Figure out how you
will hit the ground running.
Many companies see
training as a necessary evil. Training takes time, money, effort... all of
which are in short supply. An ideal new hire can be productive immediately, at
least in part.
While you don't need to
be able to do everything required in the job, it helps if the company can see
an immediate return on their hiring investment. (Remember, hiring you is an
investment that needs to generate a return.)
Identify one or two
important things you can contribute from day one. Then...
4. Don't just
tell. Show.
Put what you can offer
on display. If you're a programmer, mock up a new application. If you want a
sales position, create a plan for how you'll target a new market or customer
base or describe how you will implement marketing strategies the business is
currently not using.
A show and tell is your
chance to prove you know the company and what you can offer.
Your initiative will be impressive and you'll go a long way towards overcoming
concerns that you're all talk and no action.
Is it fair you're doing
a little work on spec? Should you have to create a mockup or plan in order to
get the job? Not really and probably not... but doing so will definitely set
you apart.
Never let
"fair" — when the only person "disadvantaged" is you — get
in the way of achieving your goals.
5. Use a referral as a
reinforcement.
Business is all about
relationships. We've all made made bad hiring decisions, so a referral from
someone we trust is like gold.
You may have to dig deep
into your network or even forge new connections, but the effort will be worth
it.
Knowing that someone we
trust is willing to vouch for you is a data point that often tips the decision
scale towards giving you an interview... and even giving you the job.
6. Be the one who knocks.
You don't have to wait
to be called for an interview. You don't have to wait for an opening to be
posted; after all, you've identified ways you can immediately help the company
you want to work for. Wrangle an introduction, meet with someone who can actually
influence the hiring decision, and pitch away.
Think it won't work? It
will — as long as you show the person you contact how they will also benefit.
Say, "I really want to work for your company. I know you're in charge of
social media marketing and I've developed a data-driven way to analyze
activities, ROI, brand awareness... I'd love to take you to lunch and show you.
If you hate my ideas, at least you got a free lunch. If you love them, you
learned something. What do you have to lose?"
A friend of mine who
runs a tech company has hired four people in the last six months who approached
him in a similar fashion. He's a go-getter; he loves hiring go-getters. And he
loves when they find him.
Just make sure you go
straight to describing how the company will benefit from hiring you. Say,
"Your website is good but it could be a lot better. Here are changes I
will make in the first month and here is how those changes will improve
conversions and SEO results. And here's a mock-up I created of a new site design."
Approach them right and
people will pay attention — especially entrepreneurs and small businesses.
I don't know any smart people who won't drop everything to learn how to improve
their business.
7. Assert yourself.
Many people are poor
interviewers. That's especially true for small business owners; many are terrible interviewers. (As a friend of mine says, "I
don't work in HR. I run a business.")
So be direct and to the
point. Explain what you can do. Describe your background. Don't talk about what
the job will mean to you; talk about how the company will benefit from hiring
you. Show you know working for their company is different (every company thinks
they're different) and how you're excited by the challenge. Sell yourself: use
what you know about the company and how you will make an impact to back up your
pitch.
8. Ask for the job.
Most people don't mind
being closed. Plus a decision put off until tomorrow is a decision added to the
to-do list; no one wants more on their plates.
If you truly know you
want the job — and you should by this point — ask for it. You have nothing to
lose and everything to gain. Who knows: if you've worked hard to truly set
yourself apart, you might get hired on the spot.
I know what you're
thinking: That's too much work to put in, especially if there's no guarantee
your extra effort will result in a job.
Flip it around. Doing
what everyone else
