Guerrilla Marking for Job Hunters 2.0 - Jay Conrad Levinson [129]
➤ How to Answer the “F” Question
If you where fired from your last job, you should expect to be asked why. What are you going to tell them? The truth! How you tell them is the important point. Use truthful, positive information to put yourself in a favorable light—and modestly explain what you learned from the experience. Outline the steps you’ve taken to upgrade your skills or change your behavior to ensure it won’t happen again. If it was a personality issue, then briefly state the following, “I’m open to working overtime but can’t work 70 hours a week.” They’ll conclude your former boss was a slave driver without your having to say so. If you don’t make a big deal over it, neither will they.
➤ How to Answer the “L” Question
Many people have been answering this question lately. Layoffs happen all the time. It’s a fact of modern-day life. It’s not personal, so don’t take it that way. Explain in 30 seconds or less how it came to be and why you where chosen: seniority, geography, nepotism, whatever the case. If the company went through 7 layoffs and you were in the last round, that’s positive news you should impart. Practice describing your situation from the employer’s viewpoint. Work through any feelings of anger or bitterness beforehand. You’ll score points for professionalism.
■ DRESS FOR EXCELLENCE
I don’t care how many times you’ve read “dress like the interviewers,” it’s wrong. You dress in the best clothes you have, no exceptions. Guys, there are only 2 colors when it comes to suits: navy blue and charcoal gray. Shoes are black with matching black socks (if you wear white socks, I’ll find out and personally hunt you down). If you have body art, you should cover it.
Women should wear conservative business attire, appropriately buttoned. Perfume and jewelry should be kept to a minimum (only one pair of earrings).
A WAR STORY
Shari Miller
I had a candidate who lived in Fresno, California, and worked at a small family company—a very laid-back working atmosphere. He was going to be interviewing for a director of MIS for one of Sacramento’s largest food chain stores. After the interview process was over, I found out just how much he really wanted the position. He was very self-conscious about his appearance. He was afraid they would think him too old (if I remember correctly, he was only in his late 30s) because he was prematurely gray. He also wore his hair in a ponytail. He had his hair cut and dyed, spent time in a tanning booth to look younger, more with it. He bought a corset to look slimmer than he actually was.
He also worried about what people would think if they saw him pull into the parking lot at corporate headquarters in his old junker, which would be spewing smoke after making the 3-hour drive from Fresno to Sacramento—so he rented a Lincoln Town Car. Looking like Fresno’s version of George Hamilton, he arrived in Sacramento for the interview with his new hairdo, his nails manicured, looking trim and thinner, and wearing an Armani suit his wife had found at the Veterans’ Thrift Store (if you can believe that). He was ready to show Sacramento what a farm boy from Fresno was all about. He was the forerunner to Extreme Makeover.
Shari Miller, deceased.
■ HOW TO RECRUIT AN INSIDE ADVOCATE
During your research, I hope you found the phone number of the interviewer’s executive assistant. If not, call and get it now because the day before the interview you’re going to recruit that person onto your team. Here’s how to recruit your interviewer’s most trusted confidant: the day before the interview, call the assistant and say:
Hello my name is [your name goes here] and tomorrow at [the time for the interview goes here] I am scheduled to meet with [the interviewer’s full name goes here]. I just wanted to call and ensure that [interviewer’s first name goes here] schedule is still intact.