We would all like to start out at the top. Unfortunately, that is not possible or probable. More often, it is a question of working your way up.
On the other hand, there are countless low end jobs that can give you the opportunity to: a) observe those who are in the job you want and gain a clear understanding of what they do and how they got there; b) put yourself in a position to learn and practice the skills and traits needed to do the job; and c) make yourself noticeable as the next logical choice when the position you want becomes available.
If you want a job as an advertising executive, you may have to begin in the layout department. Once you learn the field you are much more valuable to the organization and therefore much more promotable. But even if that does not work you can always go to another advertising firm at a higher level than at the company you just left. The trick is getting started in the first place so don't set your sights too high, particularly if you don't have much practical experience in the field.
Ignore the old wives' tales
There is an awful lot of bad advice out there about how to land a job. For example, some people will tell you to "just be natural in the interview." As we have already discussed, this is terrible advice given that there is nothing natural about a job interview; it is a game that demands skill, not naturalness.
There are those who claim that skill and experience will win out every time, yet nothing could be further from the truth. More often than not, decisions to hire or not hire are based on the subjective feelings of the interviewer. It is the impression you make or the friends that you have that will determine whether or not you are hired.
If you simply follow the advice in this book and ignore the nonsense from well meaning but uninformed friends and mentors, you will be light years ahead of the competition and those who do the hiring.
Test your interview skills
It is always a good idea to test a newly acquired skill before you use it in any important situation. Consequently, it is recommended that you try out your interviewing skill on a friend or relative and ask them to rate you on your responses.
You should ask them to be as candid as possible, since anything less than honesty won't help you understand your basic strengths and weaknesses. Of course, unless you know your strong points you cannot maximize them, and unless you know your weak points you cannot minimize them.
When to use an employment agency
As was pointed out earlier, using an employment agency will sometimes work. There are certain companies that rely almost entirely on employment agencies for new personnel. To such companies these agencies offer many advantages. For one thing, they do all the screening work and weed out the apparently unqualified. For another, they can be scapegoat if things don't turn out well.
The other side of the coin is that these agencies have a significant and vested interest in seeing their candidates placed in the jobs that they send them to. Every time, they place someone, they get paid by the employer or candidate. So they are hardly a trustworthy source of good personnel.
My advice is that you should use employment agencies only under two conditions: when you know that a particular agency has a lock on employment with a certain company; or, when you know that an agency regularly and successfully places people in your chosen field.
Unless you are aware of what you are doing, agencies can be a waste of valuable time. Therefore, if you choose to use an agency, research it carefully.
How to accept a job offer
Once the employer offers you the job, there are certain things you will naturally want to know such as your compensation, benefits, and working conditions. While it is only common sense to ask about these things, do so with care because if you are not diplomatic about such matters, you can lose a job before you get it.
Perhaps an illustration will help. I once offered a job to a woman who immediately asked about sick days and vacation time. When I answered her she then began to tell me that she "had to have the first two weeks in July off" and that "she assumed her sick days were cumulative and could be treated like vacation time." From my perspective, she seemed more interested in sick time and vacations than in the job itself, so I withdrew my offer and hired someone else.
Remember it is a game
Like any game, employment interviewing is a question of knowing the rules and the skills required, and mastering both. If you play the game well, you will win; if not you will lose, no matter how qualified and experienced you are.
The important thing to remember is that anyone with average intelligence can beat the system if they rehearse their responses and understand the haphazard nature of the employment process.
