That's the best way to look for a job! Put on a pair of wingtips! Or whatever they are wearing. Look at yourself from perspective.
Job seekers - Ask not what an employer can do for you. Ask what you can do for an employer!
Forgive this appropriation of President Kennedy's eloquent appeal. But it is an important point.
Ask yourself: Why should they hire you? What can you do for them?
Make It Easy for Them to understand your ability to benefit your employer is why they should hire you. When you communicate that powerfully, they can hire you!
To do that:
- Describe clearly what you have done
- Provide evidence for your claims
- Explain what you can do for them
- Clarify why they should hire you Use Mini-Stories?
P = Problem, What is the problem or situation you faced?
A = Action. What action did you take to resolve it? Why did you do that?
R = Results. What were the issues? Measurable results are most impressive.
Examples:
- Problem: The benefits manager of an insurance brokerage firm faced 20-30% annual increases in the costs of health care benefits for the company's 1,500 employees.
Action: She gathered information and analyzed many options. Then she developed and installed a flexible benefits program and managed a comprehensive communications campaign for employees.
Results: She saved the company approximately $700,000 annually while improving the benefits options available for employees.
- Problem: The chief financial officer for a business journal publishing company recognized that pre press expenses were too high.
Action: He isolated author alteration charges and limited the use of traps, screens, and tints.
Results: Prepress expenses were reduced by 45% while the good appearance of the magazines was retained.
Sometimes, you cannot claim the credit you deserve for an accomplishment and it cannot be quantified because you don't have access to the information. That's often the case when you're hired as a "temp" to do a specific project.
The solution is, obviously, to get as much information as you can while you are working-even though it may be a short-term assignment-so that you can document your accomplishments in the future.
What About the Fish That Got Away?
Although you did a great job, you might not have the results to prove it because of circumstances beyond your control. Your work was, nevertheless, impressive-a credit to you and your organization.
Problem: Eileen's environmental consulting company wanted to bid on a $2-million recycling program for New York City. Proposals were due in 10 weeks, a very short time for such a large project.
Action: Eileen quickly consulted with others in-house, developed an approach, and outlined the proposal and budget. She then contacted and obtained the cooperation of 6 appropriate out-of-state sub contractors for specialized parts of the proposal. Overseeing their proposal writing and completing the final, multifaceted package required a monumental effort on Eileen's part.
Result: A splendid proposal, which enhanced her company's prestige and credibility, was submitted on time. Although they didn't win this contract, officials at Eileen's company stated that her proposal contributed indirectly to their success in obtaining another contract from New York City a few months later.
Mini - Story Tips?
- Keep it short. Thirty seconds should be enough. You can elaborate later in response to their questions.
- Keep it simple. Avoid confusing the listener with complexities or multiple stories.
- Be specific and accurate. Use numbers whenever possible. For example, "The procedure I recommended saved them $150,000 a year and they're still using it,"
- Use dollar amounts when talking with a smaller company; percentages are usually more impressive to larger organizations.
- Use action words to describe how you solved the problem(s) - you created, initiated, proposed, etc.
- Never exaggerate. Your credibility will be enhanced if you err on the side of caution.
- Give yourself credit for what you (not the others) did, "I" (not "we") "proposed changing the operation so that we saved 45% of the raw materials. That meant $60,000 in savings for that component alone."
Take a sheet of paper and use the PAR formula to write several of your accomplishments clearly and succinctly.
When you do a good job of describing your past achievements, potential employers will be impressed that:
- You are a good problem solver
- You are results oriented
- You can organize your thoughts and express yourself well
- Your story shows something positive about you: your dedication, good follow-through, etc.
