Guerrilla Marking for Job Hunters 2.0 - Jay Conrad Levinson [23]
Most employers have had the pleasant experience of hiring a job seeker who had something nebulous they couldn’t quite put their finger on, but that encouraged them to hire the inexperienced person with a bounce in his step, and a desire to win. Every employer who has done that is bound and determined to find the next diamond in the rough—where the rough is the experience, not the attitude.
Employers hire people because they want to grow their business. If you approach your job search with a negative attitude that conveys you just want a paycheck, employers will pick it up quickly and react accordingly.
Guerrillas leap tall buildings ... because their attitude proclaims “can-do,” and they do not let the naysayers of the world get them down. Pop singer Chris Daughtry sold 2.4 million of his self-titled album after losing out to Taylor Hicks on season 5 of American Idol. He continued to push forward and found the success he wanted. Daughtry’s a role model for the can-do attitude.
You must decide right now to accept all setbacks as temporary. If you were good enough to be interviewed at a company, then you doubtless have what it takes to land a similar position with another company. It is your attitude in reaction to an event that colors your success.
GUERRILLA INTELLIGENCE
Job Hunting and Dating
Dave Howlett, RHB
Looking for the perfect job is like searching for that perfect partner. Some of the best job and love matches are set-ups. So how on earth can you get people to say nice things about you when you aren’t in the room? How can you be confident they’ll smile and say, “Hey, I know someone who would be a great match!”
Recently I chatted with an executive assistant who works at a large wealth management firm. She told me she had been with the company 3 years. She confided that she had been referred by a friend who also worked there. I asked her if she also had friends she would also refer into the company.
“Some of them,” she replied.
“Why wouldn’t you refer all of your friends?” I enquired.
She shrugged, “I guess some would embarrass me.”
You Need to Make Others Look Good
Word-of-mouth and referrals happen when your friends know you aren’t going to embarrass them. If you possess “an interesting personality,” it’s likely your friends won’t bring up your name. Think about it; they can envision their friend (or boss) saying, “Who the heck referred this person?” The real issue is that your friends are too polite. They won’t tell you your pants are 1 inch above your ankles and that your jokes are offensive. So take some guerrilla control.
Memorize 2 questions and start asking them to everyone: “What is it I do well? If I could do one thing better, what would it be?” Keep a journal and look for trends. A client told me his greatest takeaway from one of my workshops was “Never turn down a breath mint.” Remember, your friends have been interviewing you for years; they know exactly what you need to do to improve. You just need to get them to complain to your face.
Assume Everyone Is Intelligent
Ask any woman how she feels about going on a second date with a guy who went on and on about himself and then acted in a rude manner with the waiter. A managing director told me she talks with her front-office staff after interviewing a consultant/job seeker. She trusts her staff to inform her how you acted around people you didn’t think were worthy of your courtesy. That’s indicative of how you will “fit” into her company. Who do you consider beneath you?
Have a Passion for What You Do
I have divorced friends who have a habit of making unkind comments about their ex and about marriage in general. “All women are after my money.” “Men are such pigs.” Then they ask me