What adds insult to injury is that which passes for feedback...the “advice” you are given as you discover you didn’t get the job. And this, my friend, is what I want to tackle today. Because, I see how much effort, energy and emotion is often put towards the words and ideas passed off as “helpful information” once your ride on the interview train has ended. And, frankly, it’s often wasted energy that is detracting you from moving down the path to your goal: finding the right job.

Don’t Assume You Are Being Told the Truth – You know I use the dating analogy a lot when talking about the hiring process. Remember what it was like to split up with someone? “It’s not you, it’s me.” The reality is that many times saying the truth can be as uncomfortable as hearing it…and many will avoid that at all costs. As well, in our uber-legal, highly litigious society, there is a reluctance to share the truth for fear of liability.

They May Not Know – You know those gut feelings you get about people – good or bad? Do you really need to know why you feel that way? No – you’ve learned over the years to trust your instincts. The hiring process is no different. You may be a perfect fit for a role but another candidate moves forward in the process (even gets the job) because the hiring manager just felt more comfortable with them. In the search business, when asking clients to describe the common thread shared by everyone on their team, most would respond with something along the lines of, “I can’t tell you what it is, but I know it when I see it.” What do you do with that?

A Choice for Someone Else isn’t Always a Choice Against You – Following on the heels on them not knowing, this is really important to remember. When someone else is selected, it doesn’t mean a conscious choice was made against you. The natural place for any of us to go after being rejected is to what we could have done differently. This is all you can control, but it could have nothing to do with why you didn’t get hired.

Is all this unscientific, arbitrary and largely beyond your control – absolutely. The hiring process is a sum of its parts: people. And we are a quirky bunch. Put us all together and try to get consensus amongst a diverse group of people…it’s a wonder any decisions get made at all. Trying to apply rationale and logic to something as speculative and nuance driven as the hiring process can, simply put, drive you insane. On top of that, you are emotionally in the thick of things. Being objective isn’t only an unreasonable expectation for you to have for yourself, but it’s largely impossible.

Instead of reflecting on and dissecting what you are told (if anything) after an interview, I want you to do two things. First, capitalize on the opportunity presented (read this past blog I wrote on the topic). Second, reflect on whether you were the truest representation of you in the interview. If you were, and didn’t get the job, then it wasn’t the right fit for you. As much as you have your eyes on the prize (AKA: the job) during an interview, sometimes not winning is a blessing in disguise. The downside to getting hired for something you aren’t can be even more devastating in the long run than it is frustrating to be in the job search.

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-          I have never seen a December in the search business that wasn’t extremely busy – good economy or bad.  Many companies are trying to get positions filled before year’s end because of budgets or potentially losing the headcount.  The latter is of particular concern right now, given the state of the economy and new job creation. 

 -          During December, there are multiple opportunities to network through holiday parties.  The amount of people you can reach out and touch is two to three times that of any other time of the year.  Why wouldn’t you take advantage of it?

-          Think of your job search as a sales and marketing campaign.  You should be creating “buzz” about your product – you!  You have worked hard building up this “buzz” – so why stop now?  Again, think about all the people gathering and networking (social or otherwise) this month.  Don’t you want to remain top of mind?

-          People are conditioned to connecting and re-connecting over the holidays.  Combine this with a more charitable sprit and your networking efforts are made much easier.  As many push their workloads off until the New Year, making introductions, renewing connections and touching base is much easier.  Why wait until after January 1, when everyone is battling a pile of December’s procrastination on their desk?

-          For those companies who aren’t going to hire until January 2012, staying top of mind right now is even more important.  Simply put, who has a better chance of landing the job – the person who has been in touch, networking and establishing rapport over December –or- the person who makes their first contact via email on January 2?

ExecuNet cited that executive level searches are taking upwards of 10 months in this market and the average job search is 2.5 – 3 weeks per 10K in annualized salary. Networking and relationship building are crucial to shaving months off this average for yourself. So, this is no time to rest!  Keep building on that momentum you have worked to build in 2011 for your job search.  If one of your resolutions for 2012 is to make a career move, there is no better time to get a leg up on the competition. 

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In past articles, I have talked about the importance of developing Your Solution. This is what you do best – maybe even better than anyone else. If you think about that skill set like a product, there are things it (you) does and doesn’t do. It only makes sense then to target hiring managers who are experiencing the pain and problems that Your Solution addresses.

So, instead of firing off a generic pitch with what you do, take a more pinpoint approach. Begin by asking 2-3 questions that identify if that hiring manager is experiencing problems that you can fix. The answers will either allow you to highlight your accomplishments and what you can do for their company or help you determine that it isn’t the right job for you. The former is just as important as the latter.

This also does something else very important. It gets the potential employer talking about themselves. With this, you can more naturally make Your Solution all about them (which, incidentally, leads to uncovering "hidden" job opportunities). As well, it positions you to be able to share relatable stories with quantifiable results that show what is in it for them when they hire you.

Your Solution + Their Pain = Smart Hire

Taking this approach will narrow down your job search so you are focusing on real, qualified opportunities versus just trying to get any job. It allows you to start hunting with a rifle, not a shotgun. Ultimately, it will help pair you with a job that is not only a good fit, but where you can experience your greatest success.

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The First Date – Without fail, when I prepare a client for an interview they always start talking about what they are missing or rehashing why they were fired/downsized/let go. Just like talking about your ex on a first date, this is a really bad place to start. Even if it’s just in your head, you run the risk of self-sabotage by steering the conversation in that direction. Kind of like driving towards lights on the highway.

Focus on what you have in common and establishing a reason for a second date. Just like you wouldn’t expect to rush to the altar after your first date, the initial interview is about getting to know one another. Moreover, giving the interviewer reasons to want to bring you back to learn more about you…not flag the waiter down for the check and sprint for the door. Remember, you want to be defining yourself as an expert with the ability to solve problems – not as a job seeker. Job seeking is a condition of your employment, not the value you bring and a new addition to a company. Moreover, it’s not why you are going to get hired or a reason for them to max out the compensation scale in your favor...just like being single isn’t the reason you get a second date.

Get Engaged, Get Interested – Ever had dinner with someone who couldn’t stop talking about themselves? It kind of reminds me of telemarketers. Remember those guys? You’d pick up the phone in the evening and someone on the other end would verbally vomit on you. It didn’t matter what you needed, they had a product to sell and a script to push through. It wasn’t a conversation. Honestly, it wasn’t really even a sales pitch. It was more like forced feeding. Until, of course, you simply hung up on them…which is something you don’t want to have happen to you in the interview.

So, don’t have an untargeted presentation of who you are and what you do. Ask a few questions so you can determine if they need what you have to offer. This way you will add value and have a more meaningful conversation – which translates to better compensation. It will also let you both know whether or not it truly is a good fit. Sometimes getting to “no” is more important than “yes.”

“I Won’t be ignored Dan!” – Bar none, my favorite quote from Fatal Attraction. No matter what character Glenn Close plays, I always envision Alex in the corner flipping that light switch on and off. Don’t let this be the image you leave people with when the process either doesn’t move at fast as you’d like or the company moves in another direction. When it comes to calling or emailing someone, there is a fine line between pleasant persistence and outright stalking someone.

I’ve written about turning rejection into opportunity and the importance of handling those situations well. I’ve experienced something similar with women I have dated, but things didn’t work out – sometimes their choice, sometimes mine. But, in either case, I’ve subsequently been set up by many of them with friends because they considered me a “good guy.” That's exactly how I met my wife, Jill.

My point here isn’t to self-inflate my ego. Rather, just like in dating, you spend a good amount of time and effort in building up a connection – possibly a relationship – with another person. To throw all that away because you aren’t chosen for a job is a really bad choice. Just like we rely on our friends’ suggestions and opinions when making decision, so works the hiring process. And, in this highly competitive market, having former interviewers out there spreading the good word about you is only going to make finding the right job that much easier.

Comments, thoughts or great dating/interview analogies…please share them below!

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• Work in Blocks: There are a lot of moving parts to the job search: developing leads, contacting prospective employers, following up, networking…and, of course, interviewing!  They all require a different focus and mindset.  Instead of constantly reacting to events, plan to work your day in blocks.  Create a short list of critical events that are cause for interruption (call from a potential employer, networking call, etc.).   Otherwise, focus on the tasks at hand.  Lump responding to emails into a block too…this is the biggest culprit of distractions out there!
• Change of Scenery: No need to be chained to your desk for all these activities.  Can you do your research in a coffee shop?  Do you find you are more creative in writing cover letters sitting outside (enjoy this summer weather while you can)?  A change of scenery can be great for your outlook and will help keep you out of a rut in your job search!  Give it a try.

• Take Time to Recharge: As you shift between your blocks of work, use a physical event to do so.  A short walk around the block, the act of changing locations (like we just talked about), or even something as simple as getting a glass of water.  This event (small or large) signals your brain to shift activities and focus. Something that seems insignificant and takes only a few minutes can end up saving you time and making you more productive.

It’s common to be feeling guilt during your job search – did I do enough today?  Should I spend a few more hours digging deeper?  But, just like training for a marathon (or any athletic event for that matter), you can over-train.   This leaves you tired, unprepared and ineffective for your race: the interview.  By using these tips and figuring out what works best for you individually, you can be better prepared to shine and excel when you get the call for your big event!

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Kevin,

I had been a top consultative sales producer for many years. Then, about 9-10 years ago, I encountered family and economic issues, e.g., layoffs, two-year non-compete, family health issues for which I took off work, etc., that prevented me from continuing in my successful sales career at that time. I then took "underemployment" just to make ends meet after the tech bubble burst, and the rest of the story occurred economically.

Now, trying to re-launch my sales career, hiring authorities see my resume with several short-tenured jobs in the past few years and immediately point that out as a rejection. This has come from recruiters and hiring managers themselves.

How might I structure my resume to get past this and on to an interview? This is a major obstacle, despite cover letters and top resume bullets showing what I can do for the company. I want to be honest, but not short-sell myself in the resume. Might I group these under "Sales and Consulting" (and list under my own sales consulting company, which I do actually have) even though they were actual jobs?

Anonymous (name withheld to protect the…well...because she asked me to )

Anonymous,

OK…It’s not you, it’s the system (and I say this confidently, Anonymous, because we have spoken). It’s precisely why I focus on creating a new system that works for you and get’s you standing out versus an old one that, clearly, doesn’t work for you. And, if there is one thing all job seekers are looking to do, it’s How to Stand Out (I did a recent poll of my subscribers on it)!

It’s not your Resume, but what you’re expecting your Resume to do – First, it’s not the format. Chronological resumes highlight movement. Functional resumes leave the reader wondering what you’re trying to hide. All that notwithstanding, by having a resume (or cover letter for that matter) take “point” for you in trying to get someone’s attention, you immediately throw yourself into the cattle call with everyone else. At the end of the day, no one is going to hire you because of your resume and it’s the weakest asset you have to leverage in getting on a hiring manager’s radar.

Get out of the Crowd – On the heels of that last point, ask yourself this: why try and stand apart in a crowded database of 1,000’s of resumes? Doesn’t it make more sense to put yourself in a less crowded space where you can shine? I really dig into this in my most recent video – check it out (and I give you some tools to start doing just that!).

Recruiters should be last on your list – Why? They don’t hire you. They are gatekeepers whose initial role is to thin the herd. In your situation, where you are trying to demonstrate (on paper or otherwise) the value you can bring by relating past accomplishment, that simply doesn’t fit in with the world of Boolean string searches and keyword matching. Your value needs to resonate with the person who can hire you. And, again, there are better ways to deliver that message than via paper.

Consult – If you are lacking recent, relevant experience – this is the way to go. And, it can be paid or un-paid. Hiring managers are less concerned with what you were paid that what you have accomplished – it’s a predictive indicator of what you’ll do for them. Deeds, not words. If that’s not enough, it will get you back in your element, get you in a more positive mindset and – when all is said and done – thinking about yourself as a Top Consultative Sales Professional – not a job seeker.

I’ll leave you with this: I had a Bootcamp client who’d been out of the workforce for over 7 years. In a coaching call, she shared with me that she had a really difficult time getting past gatekeepers, let alone getting the attention of hiring manager, with that gap on her resume. But, when she met people one-on-one, they got to know her…the value she could bring. When they saw her resume, the gap became a relative non-issue. Her question to me: How do I get my resume to do that? My response: Why would you want it to?

Don’t kill yourself trying to get a system to work for you that was never designed to serve you to begin with. Leverage what you’ve got, because you’ve got a lot!

Kevin

Got a job search or career advice question you want answered? Email it with “Weekly Q&A Blog” in the Subject Line to info@careerattraction.com  I can’t promise it will be picked, but you won’t know until you send it in!

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