Job 1: Get Them to Like You

In job search there are two things that are essential when you are in the interview. Everything you do up to that point needs to support those two aspects. First and most importantly in the interview process you really need the interviewer to like you. Ask yourself, why do people hire people? To solve problems and or to get things done are the most common answers. Then ask yourself why do they hire one person over another?

It’s not whether your qualifications are better than the other candidates; those things are screened out prior to the interview. One person may have some talents that another doesn’t have, but then the other may also have unique talents that the former doesn’t. So all things being equal, when you get to the interview it’s no longer about your capability; it’s most likely about you and how you’ll fit. In other words, how well do they like you. I’ve never hired someone because I liked them least among the candidates.

I’m not saying that the hiring process is a popularity contest, but in some ways -- important ways, you need to think in those terms when you are in a job search. Some of my clients come to me discouraged because they haven’t landed a job and have had numerous interviews. When we peel back the interviews, they says things like: “But I’m perfect for the job!” or “I gave the perfect answer...” It seems that while they are spending a fair amount of energy on giving the response that is just right, they may be missing the opportunity to make a favorable impression.

From the first handshake, you are there to present yourself as a professional. As someone who can solve their problems, do the work they need done. You need to fit into their organization, their team and be seen as someone who could work one-on-one with them. They are not looking for someone who will cause trouble or problems. One of my favorite managers use to say, “most technical problems are preceded by people problems.” It’s true. Communication problems lead to product defects; it’s probably the number one cause, but that’s a subject for another blog. So the more they like you, the less problems you are likely to present when you are working together.

Being liked is only the first step in the interview; the hiring manager is looking to validate your experiences that you cited in your resume. How you go about giving that validation is the next step in the process. We’ll talk more about this in a later posting. But for now, just remember that you can greatly improve your chances in an interview by remembering to be a friendly, confident professional. 

Networking Interviews

Everyone looking for work these days keep hearing about the “Informational Interview.” Job seekers are told that they are supposed to ask for informational interviews. They are told, call up a person working at one of your target companies and ask for an informational interview. Meanwhile, the person being called is confused when the job seeker asks for an informational interview. In people’s minds, interview equals job opening and if they don’t have any openings they cannot imagine what the interview is for.

Additionally, many job seekers are confused by the term and goal of an informational interview: “The purpose of an informational interview is to get information about a field of work from someone who has some firsthand knowledge.”  This is all well and good if you are just starting out looking for your first job or if you are changing careers. But, what if you already know a great deal about your field and you’re not looking to change careers. What other information are you looking for? That’s easy: job leads or names of contacts who may have job leads.

This is why I like the term networking interviews or networking meetings. There are some other things you want to do in these meetings.

1. Communicate your skills and abilities, i.e., what you have to offer the marketplace.
2. Share your ideal position in terms of the roles and responsibilities you excel at.
3. Ask if they know anyone or anything that could utilize  your skills and abilities.
4. Show them your “Target Company" list and ask if they have any contacts that they could refer you to.
5. While showing them your “Target Company" list ask them if there are any companies that are missing from your list. Then ask if they have any contacts at that company.
6. Thanks them for the time to took with you and tell them how much you appreciate their support and referrals.
7. Then follow up the next day with a phone call thanking them again, and share any updates regarding their referral.
8. Later send an email or call the person letting them know how their connections aided your job search.

These meeting should take no more than 15 to 20 minutes so you can rest assured that you’re not being a huge disruption to the person’s day. Additionally, many of my clients have reported that these meetings turn into interviews for a hidden or posted job. So whether you call it an informational interview, a networking interview, or a courtesy interview, it’s all about presenting yourself with the goal of getting a new contacts... leading to a job offer.