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| Don't screw it like she did... |
I love reading about job-hunting stories. Yes, just to see:
1) How job-candidates and fresh graduates APPROACH job-opportunities.
2) How they CRAFT their RESUMES/CVs.
3) How they INTERVIEW once they get the interview call.
Yes, I love both the “success stories” and the “failure stories”.
You get to see the mistakes job-candidates make in the “failure stories”—which is actually very important. Because once you have seen those mistakes you learn how to NOT make the same mistakes.
And you also see how competent candidates go about it—how they pay their own ticket to the job they want!
Plus, it gives me a window about what most job-candidates struggle with—so I can help you better.
I also get to learn other important stuff like…
The Psychology Of Improvement. Deciding What Is MOST IMPORTANT
How often do you meet people who will tell you: “…I have really meant to do this since last year; but I haven’t got around it” ? ...referring to something they ‘CLAIM’ is important to them!
They then say: “I guess I should do it this year!"
The truth is: you have met many of those people--including yourself!
I have not been innocent of such in the past. For instance: at a certain point; I had to DELETE more than 20 UNREAD emails from my in-box!
You see, I had been keeping these emails. Telling myself they are IMPORTANT and I shall create time to read them.
The truth: after several months; I noticed they were piling up; and I was not going to EVER read them. It turned out that I was lying to myself; and if they were that important; I would have read them already!
I had to decide whether they were that IMPORTANT as I “CLAIMED” they were. I NARROWED down to the MOST IMPORTANT ones; and sent the rest to the trash folder.
Why? Because no matter how much I “glorified” them; I was NEVER going to read them. Plus, I noticed they were discouraging me from reading other important emails.
Once they were gone; I was amped to read my emails; because my inbox looked clean with few emails to read.
It comes a time when you have to decide what is IMPORTANT. And what is NOT. Then filter and throw away those “To-Do List” that are not REALLY important.
You narrow down to FEW things that are ACTUALLY IMPORTANT; the ones that will make the MOST IMPACT in your life. And take ACTION to do them.
Your IMPORTANT “To-Do List” could be:
- A book you’ve meant to read for some time.
- Personal documents you’ve meant to have them organized.
- Or a RESUME you’ve meant to OPTIMIZE.
What is the one area you have been “claiming” is important; but you haven’t done anything about?
See, when I read job-hunting “sobbing” and “success” stories; I get to see the fascinating nature of our human psychology.
For instance; you learn and see:
• How employers SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY from job-seekers: The potential employer’s “mental framework”—which is critical to getting him to hire you as a job-candidate.
• The EMPLOYER-PSYCHOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES every job-seeker can use: And get that job position by being on the same page with the potential employer
• How even when we know the areas we should INVEST in; we NEVER do it: You see job-seekers who NEVER learn how to be a successful job-hunter by INVESTING in things like:
1) Learning how to craft IRRESISTIBLE RESUMES/CVs that gets you an interview-call or 2) learning how to interview 90% BETTER than your peers.
Even though this information and help is available; whether it’s me showing you how to do all that; or someone else; most job-hunters choose NOT to invest in learning all that.
And this is fascinating to me because it tells me more about our own psychology.
Think about this:
How many of you agree that your career is one of the critical pillars of your life?
The answer to that is: Most of us agree!
Now, how many of you have taken time to invest by paying someone to show you how to CRAFT a Job-Winning RESUME/CV?
The truth: Very few!
How many of you have/ would pay someone to show you how to interview competently and get that job offer?
The answer? Just a few!
How many of you know that if your RESUME/CV does not impress your hiring manager; it will be thrown in the RESUME-tray—then later to the RUBBISH BIN?
Quite a number of us know.
(Hint: That’s why they have NEVER called you for an interview even though you have been submitting RESUME after RESUME!)
How many of you know and admit that it’s competitive job-market out there? And if you don’t get great at interviewing you will fail job-interviews and lose a job opportunity?
The answer? All of us!
So, what does all that tell you about human nature; and our own psychology? Why don’t we do the things we are IMPORTANT?
All these tell you that almost all of us know what we are supposed to do; to get where we are supposed to be. But we don’t do it!
And when things don’t work out the way we expected—because we did not play our part—we complain and blame other people!
Guys, would you rather flop job interview—and lose the job—rather than pay someone to show you how to interview better; get the job; and own the interviewing skills for life?
Doing The RIGHT Thing Vs The EASY Thing
Last week; we talked about "Professional Development: Investing in yourself to become a competent job-candidate--and how critical that is.
You see, it’s EASY to complain; and blame others—like the hiring managers and economy—but NOT take responsibility for our own career development.
It’s easier NOT to INVEST in our professional polishing. It’s easy and enjoyable to point fingers--when things don’t work out--versus do what we need to do to make things work!
There might be few job-vacancies out there. And that is a good thing because it means ONLY few great candidates will nail those jobs. What have you done about being among the few?
When was the last time you invested in learning how to interview better? Craft unbeatable RESUME? Or improve in a certain professional weakness that you have?
When someone says:
“…Why would I pay someone to show me how to CRAFT a RESUME/CV? I can Google RESUME/CV templates and formats online; and write it myself!”… I look at them and smile!
I notice they don’t know what they are talking about.
They think the hiring managers are impressed by their RESUME/CV formats. And that; that is what gets them the interview call!
I also note; most of them are either fresh graduate—who have no clue about what goes on in the hiring game. Or they are the job-applicants shooting hundreds of CV into a “black hole”—NEVER realizing why no one calls them back.
Am I saying this condescendingly? Definitely not! I say this respectfully. I say this to challenge you to TAKE ACTION; and INVEST on what matters!
Would you rather choose what’s EASY; (turning a blind eye to your professional and personal IMPROVEMENT and complaining) and get ZERO or very INFINITESIMAL RESULTS?
Or would you rather choose what’s RIGHT (INVESTING to IMPROVE yourself) and get GREAT RESULTS?
While the average job-seeker is ‘Googling’ CV templates; top job-hunters seek assistance. And are willing to pay someone to learn how to strategically craft knock-out punch CV.
And they get the few job-positions there is—while the rest are left wondering what went wrong!
The point? We let job-opportunities “slip away” past our very nose! We screw job-interviews and miss opportunities!
Had we invested in learning how to interview; we would get that opportunity and the job would pay hundreds times; the investment we made!
In today’s material, I want to show you a REAL EXAMPLE of what I mean. Strap up to learn.
She Missed The Last Interview Question: She Lost The Job!
On Friday last week, I was reading an article on the DAILY NATION dated May 12 2015. It’s another classic yet job-hunting sobbing story.
It’s about how this lady screwed a great job-position; by WRONGLY responding to probably the last question in her interviewing process!
By the way; this is not what you think. This lady was NOT a fresh graduate. She had been in the job market. She had worked somewhere else.
And based on the article; she must have been a good job-candidate because she had been recommended to the new position by her former employer.
(Hint: Employers don’t recommend you to ‘New positions’ unless they know you are up to the task. This lady must have been brilliant team-player.)
Here is the article. Allow me to not reveal her name for the sake of her privacy.
. ***
“[Insert Her Name]…had just secured a job interview at a Nairobi based telecommunications company in March 2014.
The post IT Officer, would have been her second job after graduating with a diploma in Information Technology in 2009. And although the firm was offering KSh 60,000 salary…she was asking for a minimum of KSh 80,000.
‘…I was convinced this was the salary I need to accommodate my lifestyle in Nairobi’ she says.
During the negotiation; she was asked why she needed a salary higher by 20,000.
‘…I simply told the interviewer that it was what would be rightfully due to me. It was what I NEEDED.’ She confides.
Despite her former employer recommending her for the new post, she was NOT HIRED.
‘…I was NOT ASKED TO WAIT FOR FEEDBACK. Instead, the potential employer termed my SALARY DEMAND as GREEDY.’ …she says.”
. ***
And that was the end of her job-hunting story. Sad story!
Look at that real sobbing story; from a real job-candidate. She missed the opportunity; by presenting her answer WRONGLY to the interviewer.
Notice how she was dismissed. She was not told to go and wait for feed back; instead the potential employer told her she had GREEDY DEMANDS!
And that was it! Embarrassment; plus LOST job-opportunity!
Dissecting This Candidate’s Story
Let’s dig into this sobbing story to uncover a number of lessons about interviewing.
These are the subtle things about interviewing that most job-candidate DON’T KNOW about; yet determines whether you’ll WIN or LOSE the interview.
We will dig out most of these lessons; by simply “sizing up” this candidate.
Here’s what we learn about her; and the SUBTLE interview lessons from her sobbing story:
- She Was GOOD at Interviewing.
(Note: There are times potential employer would require you reveal your expected salary on the job application. That case is handled differently. But my Rule of Thumb is: DON’T. That’s a material for another day. )
But the conventional case is where the salary discussion comes later. And this seemed to be the case for the above candidate. That means this candidate was good at interviewing all through; up until this point.
What that tells you is: This was not an AVERAGE CANDIDATE; she was good and knew how to interview than most job-candidates.
Interview Lesson # 1: Being GOOD at interviewing is NOT ‘good enough’ in the competitive job market. Learning how to interview 90% better than your peers is not for fresh college graduates. It’s for any ambitious careerist!
- She Was a High-performer
Plus, employers don’t write you recommendations that get you another job if you have been a “pain in the neck.”
All this tells us that this candidate was a high-performer. She was PROACTIVE; and seemingly ambitious candidate.
Interviewing Lesson #2: Being a high-performer does not guarantee a job; you MUST learn how to SHOW; CONVEY and DEMONSTRATE that throughout the interview. Or you can screw it in the last question—like she did!
Note: By the way; you can be a high-performer only to lose the job-position to a not so great performer; who knows how to convey; show; and demonstrate competency and VALUE throughout the interviewer.
- Good Recommendation Doesn’t Equal The Job.
Your hiring manager is a not a rookie who does what other people say! He is experienced and will want to see whether what’s on paper reflects you. There is only one gate-way to your “New job”.
And that is: The job-Interview.
That’s how you earn your way in. That’s your ticket!
When you listen to most fresh graduates—even other job-seekers--talk about how great their grades ‘qualify’ them; you can tell: either they are newbie’s in the job market; or they are delusional.
What they do not get is the fact that what is on the paper doesn’t cut in. You have to show how true that is during the interview.
This applies to experience and other proxies people use to imply that they “qualify”!
Interviewing Lesson # 3: There is only one legitimate way to earn your new job. Through interview
Simply put:
• GOOD RECOMMENDATION does NOT EQUAL that job-position
• MANY YEARS of experience does NOT ALWAYS EQUAL the job-position
• GREAT GRADES do NOT EQUAL job-opportunity
The Great Paradox Of Your Interviewing-Game
Here is the paradox about interviewing:
“It’s possible to have great grades; be a high-performer; have many years of experience (especially if you’ve been working in the same company for years); and NOT BE a Great Interviewer”
But you will NEVER find a Great Interviewer who is not a high-performer. Why? Because part of being a great interviewer is mastering how to be a top performer—which I show you how!
Do you notice how critical interviewing is? If this is the only ‘gate-way’ to your “new job’; why not invest in learning how to do it?
You see:
- You may not have that much experience; but you can interview your way past your peers with much experience. And nail a job!
- You might not have scored the best grades at college. But you can interview your way past; and beat your peers with degrees using your diploma!
- You may not be the highest top performer among your peer-interviewees. But you can interview your way past them; and get that job position!
What are you going to do about it?
Are you going to sit there and mourn? Are you going to let job-opportunities by-pass; because you missed on just one interview-question that you should have mastered decades ago?
Or are you going to take ACTION; and learn how to interview 90% better than your peers?
You decide.
And for those few of you; who are tired of seeing job-opportunities slip-off your hands; and are ready to master the interviewing game; I can help you.
What Exactly Was Going On In The Hiring Manager’s Head?
What do you think was going on in the hiring manger’s head when he was rejecting this candidate?
Do you think the HM refused to hire this candidate because… “She asked for MORE PAY?”
Or do you think it’s because the company could NOT AFFORD to pay her that much?
Why do you think the hiring manager told this candidate she had “GREEDY DEMANDS”?
Why did he REFUSE to contact her again; and closed the chapter there and then?
(Hint: For your information; it’s not what you think. This candidate was not being demanding; and there was nothing wrong with asking for KSh.80,000!)
I bet there were other employees in the company who were being paid more than KSh.80,000. So, what was going on here?
Notice, from the surface-level; it may appear that this job-candidate was rejected because of salary issues. But there is something more subtle going on—that salary request!
Can you tell what’s going on here?
I shall be answering those questions—plus many more—next week as I walk you through: “What this job-candidate DID WRONG”
Here’s What To Do:
Leave a comment; and tell me why you think she was rejected; plus the most important lesson(s) you’ve learnt today from this material.
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Do you have any question for me?
If you would like me to help you with interviewing; or crafting an IRRESISTIBLE RESUME/CV; it’s very simple. Just drop me a direct email to: princemulwa@yahoo.com ; after joining my inner-circle and we’ll pick it from there!
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See you in my inner-circle; and/or below with your comment. I’ll talk to you next week!
Great weekend!
Adieus
Prince
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