Thursday, June 01, 2006
Winning Your Academy Award... Wins Your Job Offer
Not too long ago I attended a meeting of unemployed job seekers who were having problems getting hired. They were great candidates, and as I overheard their conversations with each other, I realized they all had one thing in common. They all transmitted negative messages...
Candidate #1 really wanted to work for an aviation firm. He crashed and burned at the end of a fantastic interview when he became tentative about working third shift. He never got a call back and doesn't even remember his lack of enthusiasm until, after three phone calls, the employer actually owned-up as to why someone else was hired. If you want the offer, don't blink if the terms don't please you. You may be able to negotiate terms more to your liking after you've impressed your next boss. Besides the temporary displeasures of strange hours may just be worth your gaining great experience, opportunity for advancement or specialized training. Nothing is easier to change than wages and hours unless you've expressed negativity about either.
Candidate #2 was understandably interview weary. Laid off and unemployed for a year she had unfortunately experienced several interviews that were incompatible with her expectations. Totally forgetting her non-negotiable mission of impressing toward a job offer, instead of offering up her talents, skills and war stories of achievement, she gave the impression of not wanting to "waste her time." She came prepared with her own set of specs and demanded to know what the job paid, what would be required of her and areas of potential future opportunity. It was as though they had to impress her!
Looking for a job really challenges our self-esteem. Armed with a lifetime of pride in what we've accomplished, we all come under the scrutiny of a litany of hiring judges, often with far less experience and often unprepared to even measure our qualifications.
The solution? Stay the course! Play the part! Learn to become the product for purchase that an employer feels he must have. Getting the job is always tougher than doing the job! Remember, during that one interview hour that could determine your destiny, earn your academy award!
Candidate #1 really wanted to work for an aviation firm. He crashed and burned at the end of a fantastic interview when he became tentative about working third shift. He never got a call back and doesn't even remember his lack of enthusiasm until, after three phone calls, the employer actually owned-up as to why someone else was hired. If you want the offer, don't blink if the terms don't please you. You may be able to negotiate terms more to your liking after you've impressed your next boss. Besides the temporary displeasures of strange hours may just be worth your gaining great experience, opportunity for advancement or specialized training. Nothing is easier to change than wages and hours unless you've expressed negativity about either.
Candidate #2 was understandably interview weary. Laid off and unemployed for a year she had unfortunately experienced several interviews that were incompatible with her expectations. Totally forgetting her non-negotiable mission of impressing toward a job offer, instead of offering up her talents, skills and war stories of achievement, she gave the impression of not wanting to "waste her time." She came prepared with her own set of specs and demanded to know what the job paid, what would be required of her and areas of potential future opportunity. It was as though they had to impress her!
Looking for a job really challenges our self-esteem. Armed with a lifetime of pride in what we've accomplished, we all come under the scrutiny of a litany of hiring judges, often with far less experience and often unprepared to even measure our qualifications.
The solution? Stay the course! Play the part! Learn to become the product for purchase that an employer feels he must have. Getting the job is always tougher than doing the job! Remember, during that one interview hour that could determine your destiny, earn your academy award!
