Gaddafi: Out-of-work by Mr_CRO
Being out of work is no fun. Besides the obvious stresses of having no or limited income, the need to pound the pavement to find new work, and the bordem that can set in when not working there is a growing feeling that the world does not appreciate what you have to offer. For anyone who has attained a sense of mastery in their given their given or chosen profession this situation becomes even more frustrating as you see people less qualified than you getting jobs.
So what’s the secret to success?
I recently met a guy in a situation just like the one above (let’s call him Harry). On paper Harry looked great: qualifications out the wazoo, could do things on a database that I couldn’t even pronounce, and seemed like he’d be an asset to any company that would take him. For reasons Harry could not understand, no one would hire him. After 5-minutes of speaking to him at a networking event, I quickly understood why Harry was jobless.
I had attended that event as a guest speaker who was looking to hire among the attendee pool. My goal was to find a qualified social media marketing agent to join my company on a freelance to permanent position. When I got to talking to Harry after meeting other potential candidates he proceeded to tell me all the ways I could and should change my business.
RED FLAG: potential employers want to know you are creative, can communicate ideas, and have initiative. They don’t want a know-it-all or an expert who’s going to tell them all the things they aren’t doing that you think they should be doing. If you have ideas, write them down, hint at the fact that you see opportunities to help the company continue growing, and then let your performance qualify you to make those changes.
Is this an ego thing on the bosses part? Maybe, but potential bosses don’t want to be told about how they should make major changes to their business. They want to be listened to and then have their questions answered with short, relevant stories about things you’ve done in the past to fix problems like the ones they are currently facing. A great piece of advice to get hired by comes from Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People who writes:
What is the secret, the mystery, of a successful business interview? Well, according to former Harvard president Charles W. Eliot, “There is no mystery about successful business intercourse. … Exclusive attention to the person who is speaking to you is very important. Nothing else is so flattering as that.
In Harry’s case, where his expertise is apparent to anyone who meets him, listening rather than giving advice or proving his credentials would win him more jobs and increase the influence he had over decision makers. It’s a great rule to live by (and I’m speaking to myself here as someone who loves to talk): listening intently, with genuine interest in what the other person is saying, whether they are a potential employer, friend or spouse, will always appear as rapt attention that flatter the other person and make a favorable impression. It might just be the key to getting that next job.
