two out of the three requirements—he was not a CPA, and had no experience in the healthcare industry. They were clearly stated as “must-haves.” Undaunted, he applied anyway.
Would you have applied? I don’t doubt that many, many candidates who likewise did not have the three requirements were scared away, with good reason. It was a long shot for Brad, at best. He was surprised to get a call asking him to come in for an interview. The company was intrigued by his background and wanted to meet him, although they warned up front that he did not meet their requirements.
You probably know where this is going. He’s been there for three years now. They told him when they made him an offer, that after meeting him, they re-thought their requirements. They realized that they already had a CPA on staff, and that healthcare experience probably wasn’t really critical.
Golly. I’m thinking those are “aha moments” they could have had up front with just a teensy bit of forethought, before they jumped into the hiring process.
I tell that story not to encourage you to go apply for everything you are not qualified for, but rather to make this point. Hiring is squishy, wildly subjective, and it often seems to be determined by which way the wind happens to be blowing at that moment in time.
You need to understand that the hiring process is run and controlled by imperfect people. If you expect everything to go smoothly and perfectly, you will find yourself constantly disappointed. Go into your job search with the understanding that things will never go quite the way you plan. It will save you a lot of frustration.
I have had many clients interview for jobs they were qualified for on paper, only to be thanked later for their time with the comment, “We now realize that we are looking for someone with a completely different background than we thought we were seeking.” (“Gee, glad I could help….”)
Too often, the hiring process seems to work like this:
1.Dust off an ad we ran five years ago.
2.Throw it out there.
3.See who applies.
4.Hope we get lucky.
Does any company try something really daring, like actually sitting down with the stakeholders and getting mutual agreement on what the ideal candidate looks like? Or, creating a selection process with well-thought out questions that would get them as close as possible to actually hiring the right person? Or possibly using a thoughtful decision making process? From my experience, anything like this would be the exception.
What do you do about it? That’s the hard part. Too often, you won’t be aware that a company is using the “I’ll know the right candidate when I see him/her” strategy or utilizing the “hiring by gut only” process while you are being put through it.
Human beings are making decisions about human beings—and they are wildly afraid of hiring the wrong person. That’s why many companies use (or misuse) assessments. They are looking for a guarantee that they are making exactly the right decision. Unfortunately, those guarantees don’t really exist.
All you can do is be aware that this process exists, and vow to look out for yourself. Keep asking questions, and continually align what you can do and have done with what the company says they are seeking. And don’t be afraid to say “no thank you” and move on. Having no job can be better than having the wrong job.
While we are on this topic, I know it takes tremendous courage to say no to a real, live job offer when nothing else is on the horizon. Certainly, if it’s a matter of putting food on the table, sometimes you have to suck it up. But in that case, never stop looking for something better. You must look out for yourself at all times.
Your company isn’t going to find the perfect job for you, nor should they be expected to. The days where companies looked out for their employees are gone. I don’t think that was ever a healthy concept or ideal in the first place. It is YOUR career, YOUR life, YOUR responsibility. You can’t pay your momma, your career coach, a recruiter, or a job bulletin board to do it for you.
True Story! Really!
Derek told me that he had a potential job offer from a company in Michigan. I said, “I thought you couldn’t leave Ohio? And that job sounds nothing like what you told me you want to do.” His response? “Well, they really need me!” I think we know each other well enough by now that you could probably predict my response. Let’s say it all together, shall we? “So what! Who cares what they need? This is about YOU!” He turned it down and landed a much better one—in Ohio—a month later.
Either he realized the error of his thinking, or was scared of me. Oh well, either way…
Do Sweat the Small Stuff
Remember, you are competing with the general public for jobs. Most of them haven’t been smart enough to buy this book. Most people do not know how to conduct a job search. Even people who have miraculously landed several jobs couldn’t tell you how they did it. It’s just not a skill set we ever developed like we should.
I believe that is one reason why people stay in the wrong job for so long: a really crappy job beats the terror of looking for a new job, which might also be crappy. The devil we know is better than no devil, or even a more devilish devil. (I know, you’re thinking I should write really thought-provoking quotes for a living.)
So how can you stand out? In your job search, etiquette matters. How you appear, how you act, how and if you follow up can make the difference. There are a million etiquette books out there on dress and appearance, so I am just going to give you some greatest hits.
1)Dress and look like you care if you get the job. I’m not talking about high fashion here, folks. I’m talking about effort. Neat and clean from head to toe. Also important: don’t overdo the jewelry.
2)Practice your handshake with someone who will be honest with you. No squishers, and no bone crushers, please.
3)Don’t leave a scent of any kind, as many are allergic or sensitive. I once interviewed someone who I could still smell several hours later. Not the way you want to be remembered.
4)Look ‘em in the eye, and for gawd’s sake, SMILE! I’m not talking about a staring contest or a Miss Perky Bubbles act. Just be genuinely interested and curious, even if you decide the job is not for you. They may have another opening that is a perfect fit.
And above all, consider how you are coming across. Put yourself on the other side of the table and in the shoes of the interviewer. Are you presenting as someone they would be proud to call a colleague?
Last thoughts on jumping into the fire
Going into your job search without being prepared is a sure recipe for frustration. One of the reasons I wrote this book was to help you know what you are getting into. When you have an idea what the road ahead looks like, your travel goes quite a bit more
