Let’s finish up the series on getting a job here in the Philippines with a few of the “knowledge pills” I have had forced down my throat over the past fifty years or so of being in the job market … yes I was working, and paying my Social Security taxes before I was 13, no hyperbole here.
In the last article, Why You Can’t Get a Job — Interview Prep I talked a bit about being oriented to what the customer I mean the potential employer might need. I’m going to expand on this a little more because I feel it is the area that the majority of job seekers fall down on the most:
photo credit: markusthorsen
- First recognize a fact. You suck. Huh? Well yes, actually, we all do in some way or another. Most job seekers seem to feel they are going to get selected by showing their superiority to the other applicants in terms of education, years of experience and other common “crappola” you will frequently see in resume writing books. I really don’t care who you are or what you know, it’s likely you will be outclassed by someone else in the stack of resumes. How do you differentiate yourself? Simple. Figure out your USP … your unique selling proposition. What makes you a better candidate to solve the problem that is causing the employer to hire someone.
- Problem you say? Yep. recognize a second fact. Companies do not exist to hire people. They exist to make money. An ideal company would be a “one man band” with the owner becoming fantastically rich all by himself. Of course that won’t happen in the real world, but every single time a job gets created, it happens to solve a problem. Do you watch detective shows? can you sniff out the problem? That would be you “in” that outshines all the glossier resumes or better regarded schools that your competition graduated from. Don’t tell me how smart you are, tell me what you did to make your last employer successful.
- Be a person. A company is not a machine. Neither are you. How many times have you responded to a job advertisement with a personal letter to the person doing the hiring? Do you know where s/he went to school and how long they have been with their company? Likely, no. Think you could find out? Likely, yes. Use Linked in and other directories. Scour the company’s web site (hint, learn to use Google to search for particular document types like spreadsheets and Power Point briefings. Search the site of the companies you are interested in that way, I’ve found organizational charts, strategy briefings, even spreadsheets of salaries … if they left it in public view, it’s fair game). Can’t find anything on line? read the papers (they are all available on line) and here’s the big differentiator … pick up the freakin’; phone and call the company. Ask for the director of the department you think is hiring. They might even have a chat. If you run into a stone wall with a receptionist, then tell them you need to send the person an important document and get their name and business address. Make notes of names you hear along the way and be a bit persistent. About 99.9% of your competition isn’t doing this, and even if your call is international you can’t get more information more quickly and efficiently by any other means. Too shy to be this bold? Overcome it … who wants to hire someone who can’t even pick up a phone and talk?
OK, there’s a few pointers that should help. Talk to me and the rest of the readers about good and bad things that have happened.
The two most important tips I have saved for last.
- Do Something: Each and every day. Don’t send off a resume and then wait weeks to hear something. Apply elsewhere, contact people directly, write thank you notes to people who turn you down, research, apply and research more. Most people who are looking for a job do so little … work 12 hours a day 6 or 7 days a week … your competition isn’t and that is one of those USP’s I talked about.
- Communicate: Who will answer your phone? You do have an answering machine or voice mail, don’t you? Return all calls, immediately. And answer your email. Hover over your inbox and shoot out replies the instant something comes in. You’d be surprised how few people do this and how effective it is.
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