Job Out of College

Mini-Course Day 4: Follow Up

Two years ago, I went searching for a dog at the local pound. Little did I know that in adopting that black lab puppy, I would be adopting one of the best salesmen I have ever encountered. From the moment our pairs of eyes met, I knew he was the dog for me. Even though there were 5 or 6 other black labs who looked just like him in that glass-wall room, there was something different about Knight. He seemed like a loyal, friendly, and trustworthy companion.  I couldn’t put my finger on it at the time, but in any event, he had me sold.

One of the most important principles in sales and marketing is persistence and follow-up. I recently went looking for a photographer online for my upcoming wedding. I searched for a photographer in Detroit, and came up with about 100 different photographers. I narrowed it down to 15 by going through some websites. I then sent out an email to all 15 to fill out a questionnaire I had prepared – 8 replied via email, 4 of which followed up with phone calls as well. Right off the bat, from 15 photographers I was down to only 4 for the simple reason that those were the four who put the effort into winning my business. After a week or so, I continued to get phone calls from one photographer to make sure I didn’t need any other information. He built a personal relationship with me, a feeling of trust, and credibility through that follow up. The same goes for the job search.

Trust

When you follow up with someone, you get to know the person and therefore develop a feeling of trust. Although trust is subjective, there are things you can do to develop trust in your potential clients (recruiters). When you go to a store, and you have that commissioned salesman who is nagging you about the sale – you just feel annoyed because you know that the salesperson is just looking to make a buck. What you are looking for, are signs of an honest person you can trust.

For example, my dog has these big, expressive eyes. When I’m eating at the dinner table, he will walk up, sit down next to me, put his head down on my lap and just look up at me with his big brown eyes. Although I know that he is looking for some table scraps, he doesn’t make it obvious that he is begging. He just sits there, and makes his presence known. When I do give him some food, he is very appreciative. The visual cues he gives me develop a sense of trust. To learn more about these visual cues, read up in my system.

Credibility

When you follow up with someone, via telephone, a letter, or even an email, you create a sense of credibility with your customer (recruiter) - it allows the recruiter to put a face to your name. When you follow up, you reveal to the recruiter things that you probably would not think about. Even if you never speak to them during your follow up in person and you just leave a voice message, think about everything you accomplish: you show them that you are not afraid to pick up the phone and call someone you don’t know; that shows confidence and maturity and maybe even leadership; it shows that you are determined to get the job, and you are willing to put a lot of effort into getting it even with the knowledge that you might not get it in the end; it also shows that you really want this job, and you feel like this job is worth the effort.

And if you do happen to catch the person, talk about some personal things so they remember you. The photographer who got my business talked to me about his son and family, other people he photographed, his career, places he’s lived, and this was all in a single 5-7 minute initial conversation with him. I’m not even sure if he even mentioned photography in the first phone conversation. And yet, he still developed a sense of credibility and dependability in speaking to me.

Relationship

Make sure that you develop a relationship with your customer before you try to make the “sale” – this is business 101. You need to work towards developing a relationship to learn something or to network with people in the business.

Who knows how long you will have your current job, or whether you will need to find a new one somewhere else. Even if you don’t get this job, you still have a relationship with someone in the business. Maybe this person will be able to teach you something about your future career, or even refer you to a friend he knows is looking for someone like you! If another job ever comes up with that person, you might be getting an unexpected phone call, especially if you keep following up with them.

I bought my diamond engagement ring for my fiancé from a husband and wife my parents knew through their business. Since then, they have sent me Christmas cards, followed up with phone calls, and have asked my fiancé and me to dinner at their house. They don’t have to do this, but they want to maintain the relationship. Also, since then, I have referred 3 friends who were also looking to buy engagement rings because we had a good relationship. Needless to say, I will also be buying my wedding bands from them, and any future jewelry I ever need.

It’s all about networking!

Just remember, that getting a job is not just a simple equation of knowing how to write a resume, answer questions, or send the right cover letters like most traditionalists will tell you. There is this whole “soft side” to getting a job that can really distinguish you from the next guy. Remember, anyone can follow instructions on how to write a resume… not everyone knows how to interact with your recruiters in the most influential ways.

So remember to create a feeling of trust, credibility, and maintain the relationship with everyone.

Mini-Course Day 3: How Borat can help you interview

Most of you by now have heard of Borat infamous, fictional Kazakh journalist, depicted by a talented and intelligent British comedian, Sacha Baron Cohen. He has embraced millions of viewers by interviewing people who believe he is a true Kazakh journalist. If you have ever watched a Borat clip or seen his movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan it is amazing to see how Sacha Cohen can act his part so well and lead the conversation in his favor without revealing his goal.

The talents of the infamous Borat are attributed to his intense success as a marketer of himself. The ability to market yourself is what the job hunt is all about. How do you make yourself visible? How do you make a recruiter remember you? How do you tell the recruiters what they want to hear and at the same time be honest with them?

Let’s analyze Borat’s approach to marketing…

Lesson #1 Borat can teach you – “Know Your Audience”

Borat comes into the interview with a set of questions on a clipboard. He thinks about his audience and thinks up creative and relevant questions which pertain to the individual.

Before your interview, write down the goals you want to reflect in the interview, and practice accomplishing those goals with someone prior to the meeting. You want to feel comfortable conversing with the individual and make sure that you know how you want to lead the conversation to best suit your needs. In my system, I have a set of example interview questions which are asked in most interviews. You will also be able to hear an example interview conducted by a professional recruiter.

Lesson #2 Borat can teach you – “Use Questions to Lead the Interview”

Now that you have your goals in mind, and you have the answers to your questions prepared, you want to make sure that those points are addressed in your interview. However, you can’t just rehearse your answers –there needs to be a flow to the interview. So you ask questions or direct the conversation towards your goal. 

This is a productive, structured approach in allowing you to answer questions that are relevant to your experiences, talents, and qualities. The interviewer doesn’t know you, so it will take a while for them to ask the right questions. Help them!

Want an example?

Let’s say the requirements of the job description state that applicants need 3 years working knowledge of Microsoft Excel. And you only have 1.5 years. You know that in the back of the recruiter’s mind, he knows that you do not meet the qualifications. So you should have an explanation which convinces the recruiter that you are still a good candidate despite the fact that you technically don’t fulfill the requirement. But don’t go right out and say it!

Lead the conversation to that issue to let the interviewer know that you are aware of it and have an illustrative example of your capability to do the job. So while talking about a project you performed in a certain internship, say “and this is how I utilized my spreadsheet skills and learned a great deal about the program.” At that point, they will most likely ask you more about your skills in working with spreadsheets to test your knowledge instead of just assuming you are unqualified and do not meet their criteria.

Lesson #3 Borat can teach you – “Leave an Impression!”

Although Borat leaves an impression on the person he is interviewing, it is probably an impression that is less than desired. But from the first time you see a Borat clip, I’m sure you will remember who he is!

You should strive to do the same and leave a positive impression at your interview. There are possibly hundreds of candidates interviewing for the same job, so if you have something unique about yourself to share, verbalize it.

Take the robot example. A friend came into an interview with one of his engineering projects – a small robotics project he worked on in school. The interviewer interviewed 23 candidates who were just as qualified, if not more, than this friend. We’re convinced, that it was the robot that made him stand out from the competition which helped him land the job.

Lesson #4 Borat can teach you – “Show Confidence & Friendliness – Be Honest”

When Borat interviews people, although he makes some horrible and risqué comments, many people do not react in a negative way. One possible reason, is because they like him! Although this seems quite ironic, Borat acts like a genuine individual who wants to ask questions for his show. Although his comments maybe insulting, his confidence makes his subjects believe that he is a likeable human being with a mission.

Be the same way. Although you need to be very polite and professional, you want to show confidence in your answers and questions. Smile and give positive verbal and non-verbal acknowledgement. When you watch Borat communicate, he looks into the eyes of the person he is interviewing and is constantly nodding his head. He never interrupts the person when they are talking, and he always listens to what the interviewees are saying. Make sure that you are honest – a recruiter’s job is to be able to cut to the truth!

And finally, though this may seem obvious, make sure you actually ask for the job and show the interviewer you are interested. Show enthusiasm and ask for any next steps, follow up items, or whether they require any additional information from you. Ask the interviewer for their impression on how the interview went, however, if they say they can not discuss that with you, respect their interest.

To review… Write down the goals for your interview, and practice them with another person. Use questions to lead the conversation towards your goals. Make sure you are remembered in a positive way. And always show confidence in yourself and be “likeable” by giving strong and positive verbal and non-verbal acknowledgments. Be honest and make sure to “ask for the job”!

Taking Criticism

A few days ago, I had a meeting with 2 team leads for a project I'm managing. The meeting was a project issues meeting, where the 3 of us reviewed how the project was progressing and how we could modify our approach to accomplish our project goals more effectively. One team lead and I arrived on the subject of delegating more tasks to certain team members who were not as actively involved as the others. We felt that in order to get their dedication to the project, we needed to make them feel like they have a role in the project and to make them want to succeed. The other team lead stayed quiet during this conversation and for the rest of the meeting. I did not think anything of it at the time.

A few minutes after the meeting, the quiet team lead approached me and asked why I criticized his management style in front of the other team lead. Although it seemed like this comment came out of left field, I quickly asked some clarifying questions to get to the root of the issue. I explained that I realized there are different management styles that work for different people, but stated that delegating tasks to other team members has helped make my projects successful. This comment was not taken well. Although I further "sweet-talked" my way through the conversation to make him realize the benefit to my approach, getting so emotionally attached to the criticism the way the quiet team lead did is not an effective way to grow as an individual.

One of the most difficult and rewarding parts of the learning experience is being able to take criticism. I always try to take criticism lightly, no matter how much it annoys me at the time. I will argue until I'm blue in the face, but when I leave the conversation I think about the other side of the argument critically and see if there is any value. Using this approach, I am able to emotionally segregate myself from the argument and not necessarily lose face to the person I'm arguing with. It's always good to get other people's opinions - because who knows, they might teach you something!

My experience shows that the most important lessons I learn which make me a better person, come from people who are not afraid to give me criticism. As soon as you begin getting criticism, take your emotions out of the situation and try to understand what is being said and why its being said. Whether you accept or reject it in the end, you will at least know that it is a possibility and other people might feel the same way as your critiquer.  This goes for your career, education, and even your personal life. 

Not only should you take criticism, but you should ask for it! After an interview, feel free to ask how the interviewer felt you did. Ask how you could improve for next time. Although it may be difficult at times, it's one of the most valuable approaches to personal growth.

Difficulty Finding Candidates

I found this clip the other day of Dave Coyne doing a skit of an interview. Although this is obviously somewhat of an exaggeration, believe it or not, recruiters deal with candidates like this everyday. Every job interview has some basic rules you need to follow:

• Be professional
• Be a good communicator
• Be honest

What are some of your stories...?