We can’t take credit for that headline: it comes from the great Nick Corcodilos of AskTheHeadhunter.com who is a firm believer that candidates have much more power than they believe and that the absolute best way to find work is to directly approach a hiring manager. (Go ahead, visit his site and read as much of it as you can; you won’t be disappointed.)
More importantly, once a candidate has piqued the interest of said hiring manager, it’s up to the candidate to, as Corcodilos puts it, “do the job to get the job.”
Here’s what he means, and it’s downright brilliant:
When candidates are pretty much equal in background, skills, education and ability to perform the duties of the job well, who tends to get the job? The one who shows the most enthusiasm for it.
Enthusiasm is important, but a critical part of that enthusiasm is understanding that one must work to prove one is the best candidate for the job.
In other words, the candidate that is so enthusiastic for the job that she’s willing to show the hiring manager that she’s up to job by actually “behave[ing] like an employee” instead of candidate, often is the one who receives a job offer.
This Doesn’t Mean Working for Free
Far, far from it. What it means, according to Corcodilos, is showing a hiring manager how you actually will do the job and how hiring you will help an employer become or stay profitable. (Remember: the main reason companies hire people is to solve problems and all employers’ problem boil down to one thing: making or saving money (and saving money is pretty much the same as making money).
Here’s a real-life example of this:
A reporter – one without a college degree – decided to apply for a job with a national PR firm. The job description said a college degree was required.
Still, because of her background and writing skills (she sent samples), the hiring manager called her in for an interview. The interview went well and the hiring manager gave her an assignment (as he did all interviewees): she could choose one topic out of three offered and write a pro and con piece on each. She needed to get her samples back to the hiring manager within a week.
The interview was on Monday. The young woman wrote the pro and con pieces on all three topics (six pieces total instead of two) and delivered them to the hiring manager on Wednesday (rather than the next Monday).
She got the job. Without the required college degree.
The “Do the Job” Interview
When going to an interview, be prepared to show your stuff! Corcodilos suggests that you tell the hiring manager beforehand that you want to demonstrate how you will do the work she hires you to do.
At the interview ask the hiring manager to present you with a real problem, one she’s actually facing, and show her how you’d solve it. This can do nothing less than impress the manager big time! (Don’t worry that you will get something “wrong,” because you won’t know all the facts about the problem; just solve the problem as best you can with the facts you have. Ask questions if needed).
Before leaving, look the manager straight in the eye as you’re shaking hands goodbye and tell her that you know you can do the job well and that you want it. (If you end up turning the job down later, that’s ok. You may learn it’s not what you really want. The idea is to get the job offer.)
Not Easy, but Effective!
This strategy is not easy. It takes guts. A good amount of self-confidence and assertiveness. It may not be possible to speak to or e-mail the hiring manager before the interview to let her know you want to demonstrate your value in this way.
Yet even if you can’t tell the hiring manager beforehand, you can certainly announce it at the interview itself. Study the company as thoroughly as possible so that you can know its goals, challenges and successes as much as possible. (If you land an interview via a recruiting or staffing service, ask your recruiter for as much information as possible about the company.) Know your strengths and how they can translate to providing value to the hiring manager and do not be shy about demonstrating that value.
Go do the job and GET THE JOB!
For help in finding great openings in Orange and Los Angeles, counties, contact the Helpmates’ office nearest you. Or search our job opportunities and if one piques your interest, follow the instructions to apply.
