« August 2011 | Main | February 2012 »
After you determine the right job for you, it’s time to research and find the right company. Only by doing your homework will you be able to successfully pinpoint possible employers that are in line with your ideal career.
A key to your long-term success and happiness in any job is to understand the company before you even submit your application. It’s also a necessary part of the interview process.
How does it feel to walk into your favorite coffee shop or restaurant where the employees know you and greet you by name? That’s how your interviewer will feel when he or she realizes how well you’ve researched the company.
Begin online, utilizing LinkedIn to locate and contact former employees of your target companies. Find out about the work environment and the quality of the company’s products. Ask for referrals and advice. See my research examples as a guide.
In his book Good is Not Enough: And Other Unwritten Rules for Minority Professionals, Keith R. Wyche, president of CUB Foods and a former Pitney Bowes executive, asks, “Who is wearing your t-shirt?” In other words, who is promoting you?
A “Company Champion” is an important asset, whether you are looking for a position in a new company or seeking a promotion at your current workplace. Sales professionals often utilize “Sales Champions,” sometimes known as KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders), VIPs or KDMs (Key Decision Makers). Your “Company Champion” will serve the same role for you.
Who you know is often the key to standing out among numerous applicants, and having your own spokesperson is a distinct advantage. This person will see you as an asset to the company and champion your cause to HR and to the hiring manager.
The research you did in previous steps will show you which of your target companies are hiring in your field. Call the companies’ customer service departments to locate the nearest sales representatives in your preferred geography.
When you make contact with these individuals, express your sincere interest in learning more about the companies where they work, and invite them to meet you for breakfast or coffee. It’s always preferable to develop a “Champion” relationship in person so opt for a phone call only as a last option. If an individual declines, work to identify another employee.
This part of the process of finding your new career will take time and it may even mean that you have to travel. The end result is well worth it. In fact, you should create “Company Champions” at your target companies even if they are not hiring at the time.
Create an Accomplishment Book
A well-organized Accomplishment Book will not only set you apart from other applicants; it will also set the bar for other people interviewing for the job.
Using your resume as a guide, gather and organize documents that back up your accomplishments, results and awards. Memorize your Accomplishment Book by heart and use tabs and highlights to make it easy to locate documents during the interview.
Professionalism and organization are crucial for your Accomplishment Book. You want to be able to be able to show the interviewer clean and concise documents without having to fumble for them.
Your Accomplishment Book should not be used throughout the interview to sell yourself. Rather, utilize it as a tool to support your E.A.R. (Example-Action-Result) talking points.
Here are examples of information to include:
Exclude anything that does not represent an accomplishment or result and of course, do not include anything that does not specifically pertain to you.
It’s a good idea to make copies of your Accomplishment Book for each interviewer so that you can leave it behind as a marketing brochure that will continue to work for you after the interview.
In our series, Three Pillars to a Successful New Career, we’ve already looked at the first pillar: Prepare. Now, we’ll move on to In Pillar Two: Perform. In this section, you’ll learn how to give an outstanding interview every time.
The first thing to recognize is that an interview is a sales call. The only difference is that you are the product – the most important product there is. Execute the sales process, sell yourself and get the job.
The Six-Step Sales Process to a Successful Interview
Listen to our 6-Step Sales Process to a Successful Interview
In the best-selling business classic How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling, author Frank Bettger advises, “If you cannot be enthusiastic, act enthusiastic!” Your enthusiasm is contagious – people will respond to it with their own enthusiasm.
Hiring managers often face long days of boring resumes and monotonous interviews. You will gain instant rapport and stand out from the crowd if you exude the enthusiasm that you already feel about the position.
There’s no better way to get fired up for an interview than to know the company, the position and even the hiring manager. You’ve already done the research that led you to this particular interview, so channel your enthusiasm about the job and the company into a liveliness that will impress the hiring manager. Be enthusiastic about particular things and your sincerity will shine through.
The Company:
The Interviewer:
Additionally, here are several crucial, basic guidelines to keep in mind for all job interviews:
Rapport is grounded in commonality and familiarity. You must begin to develop rapport within the first 15 seconds of the interview in order to hold the interviewer’s interest and ensure a successful interview.
Have you ever left an interview wondering anything about the company or the position? I have, and I also ended up wondering why I didn’t get the job.
Asking questions in an interview not only makes you appear prepared and professional, it also fills in the blanks about the job and the company. Thoughtful questions are never rude and must be prepared in advance.
What questions do you want answered during the interview? By probing the hiring manager, you will uncover company needs and particulars that are not apparent in the job description:
It is very important to uncover the company’s needs during the first 3-5 minutes of the interview. Your ability to establish rapport will come into play here because it will give you the leeway to ask such crucial, probing questions.
The key to success with this second step is how well you have executed the first step of establishing rapport. So smile, be passionate, and bring excitement to the table.
It takes patience and presence of mind to be a good listener. Most people listen with the intention to respond and that is greatly increased during job interviews. But you mustn’t rush your response. After you ask a question, let the interviewer respond fully. Don’t interrupt, and be sure to maintain eye contact while you listen.
Artful listening takes practice to master so find opportunities every day to truly listen to what people say to you. And when you’re in an interview, remember to shut up and listen!
You will take in a lot of new information during a job interview so bring a notepad and pen and have them out and ready to take notes when you walk into the hiring manager’s office.
Be ready to show proof and documentation of your skills and the needs you can fulfill at the company. This information should be in your Accomplishment Book. Here’s a brief guideline:
Participate and be ready to demonstrate your skills therough examples.
You will take in a lot of new information during a job interview so bring a notepad and pen and have them out and ready to take notes when you walk into the hiring manager’s office.
Be ready to show proof and documentation of your skills and the needs you can fulfill at the company. This information should be in your Accomplishment Book. Here’s a brief guideline:
Participate and be ready to demonstrate your skills therough examples.
