Get a job. Preparing “Core Messages”
to give to an employer
What is a job interview? From one
perspective it is a sales call. You are your own salesperson, and
the product too. I was recently reminded of this fact while
(painfully) assisting a person with a disability during a job
interview. My intention had been to sit quietly and offer moral
support, as I have been coaching this job-seeker for, well, let's
just say longer than usual.
However, because of nerves, or perhaps
a case of sudden onset lockjaw, the interviewee became as talkative
as a Mob Accountant. So, I had to listen to the employer (a fast
food restaurant), and find the needs that matched the strengths of my
client. And that is what YOU should be doing too.
As much as possible, simply chat with
the employer about what kind of employee they are looking for. Ask
what their needs are, and why the job is open. Not surprisingly,
this Fast Food Manager needed dependability. She had had a history
of employees ditching her, and leaving her in the lurch. It did not
appear to be an issue WITH the Manager, but it sure was a problem FOR
her. And it just so happened that my client hasn't missed an
unscheduled day of work in a year or so. But because of nerves, she
froze faster than Polar Bear pee.
My client had forgotten all the
preparation, and that should have been one of the things that helped
her with her nerves. Preparation is vital. It is OK to be nervous. To get past nervousness, you have to have a good
sense of your product, and the strengths you offer. I generally
recommend that most folks think about 5-7 strengths they have to
offer, and imagine what a particular employer might need-From THEIR
perspective. Using the fast food example, dependability is a
no-brainer, since the typical co-worker is often a teenager.
No offense to teenagers :), but, as a group, they can also offer a lot of drama, and will take time to text their
current love interest. My more mature client doesn't do that, but
didn't think to offer that advantage. Also, this Manager mentioned
how important it was to interact with the customers in a friendly
way. That was also a strength of this person, but “Old Lockjaw”
made that an impossible sale. Personal appearance and maintaining a
clean environment were also mentioned as important, both strengths of
the client.
I did the best I could to point out
these “Core” matches, and get that message to the Manager. But
any job-seeker is their own best salesperson, if they understand what
they have to offer in the context of what the employer needs.
Oh, and the client? She didn't get that job. She failed to present her strengths in relation to the needs of the company.
Chris
Links to my work, "Beyond a Career Crisis"
Kindle Edition
Paperback Edition
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