Get That Interview, First!

The average job seeker commits two drastic sins: having the wrong goal and having no strategy. Now do you know why you’re not getting anywhere? To change from a getting-nowhere-fast direction to one where you’re making headway, here are your new rules.

New Rule No. 1: Change Your Goal From Getting a Job to Getting Interviews When your goal is to “get a job,” you’re fixated on selling yourself. If you do get interviews, you go in thinking, “I gotta get this job” and “What do they want to hear?” You sound desperate

You’re also not thinking clearly. It’s hard to ask the right questions and discover if the job is what you want when you’re busy trying to sell yourself. The same goes with phone calls and letters. Before you even get an interview, if you’re focusing on “getting the job,” you’re trying to get them to buy you before you or they have enough information. A job interview is a conversation, not a sales call. The interviewer isn’t going into it thinking, “I gotta sell this person on our company so they’ll want to work here.” They’re intrigued enough to want to meet you, see what you’re like and evaluate if you’re the right person for the job.

Once you do get the interview, you should have the same objective as the interviewer: to explore whether this is a good fit while making a positive impression. If you’ve done that well, you’re more apt to get to what you want — an offer.

But first, you have to get the interview and referrals. Whether you’re answering online ads or following up on leads, you do that by making someone want to meet you. You write a compelling letter or prepare to tell people this: If you’re looking for someone who can do such and such, I’ve got such and such qualifications to help you. Wouldn’t it make sense for us to meet?

New Rule No. 2: Create a Strategy Plopping yourself in front of your computer and sending your resume to job sites is not a strategy. It’s one activity that’s part of an overall strategy. To create a strategy, look at your objective.

Let’s say you’re an engineer with experience in chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Your objective is to find a position in your city with a manufacturer utilizing your expertise in process and project engineering, focusing on troubleshooting plant process start-ups and training clients and staff. Since you want to find this position quickly, market yourself to companies that make products you’re most familiar with. So your initial strategy could be to manufacturers in your area that make products you know about.

Then work your strategy: Make a list of products you know about in chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Conduct a search of the companies who make those products.

Figure out the best way to approach them. Going through your list, write down names of people you might know at each company. Write down those you know who might steer you to a decision maker. Research hiring managers.

With your goal being to get an interview, figure out what you want to say in a phone call, letter or e-mail to entice them.

Check out the companies’ Web sites for posted positions, apply online and follow up by mail.

Check out other job sites for positions that fit your criteria.

Talk to other people you know who could suggest companies you didn’t know about or are starting up or know of other openings that fit your criteria.

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