They Won't "Get It" On Their Own, So Just Tell Them
Most job hunters think, I'll tell him my background and he'll see how it fits in with his needs. Usually, he doesn't see. Think about the point you are trying to make, and say it. If you have a conclusion you would like him to make about you, tell him what it is. Don't expect the interviewer to figure out something about you.
If you want him to see how all of your jobs have somehow been involved in international, say, "All of my jobs have somehow been involved in international."
If you want her to notice you have always moved wherever the company wanted, say just that. If you want her to know you have done things treasury executives rarely do, then tell her that. If you want her to see you have developed intensive product knowledge while handling various operations areas, say so. Do you want her to know that FORTRAN is your favorite language? Then don't say, "I have five years of FORTRAN experience." That's not your point. Do you want her to know that you can make computers dance? Tell her. Don't make her figure it out for herself. She won't.
Make your message so clear that if someone stops her and says, "Tell me about John," she will know what to tell the other person about you.
Communicating Your Pitch
Many people try to cram everything they can into their two minute pitch, but people can't hear it. Think about those who are considered the great communicators today. We judge communicators differently from in the past. Today, our standards are based on the medium of TV. The best communicators speak on a personal level the way people talk on TV. Whether you are addressing an audience or are on a job interview, cultivate a TV style a friendly, one on one conversational style not a "listing of what I've done" style.
Make your pitch understandable. Before people go to TV, they decide the three major points they want to make what they want the audience to remember.
What do you want your "audience" to remember about you? Polish both your two minute pitch and the two or three accomplishments that would interest this person. Prepare your pitch about each accomplishment the same way you prepared your two minute pitch. For example, don't say, "I started out in this job as a trainer, where I traveled to x and y and worked on special projects, etc., etc., etc." if what you really want them to know is "That was a great assignment. My programs accounted for more than two thirds of the company's revenue." (Use a conversational tone. Speak normally.)
Many job hunters have pitches that are too heavy in content. For example:
I have eighteen years experience in capital markets in airlines, real estate and petroleum, metals and mining, assessing customers' and prospects' financial requirements based both on the industry's point within the business cycle as well as the specific company's. I assess client credit, etc., etc., etc.
People can't listen to that. It needs some filler around the important words to resemble the way people really talk:
I have eighteen years experience in capital markets capital markets has always been my chief interest. I had this experience in three different areas, but the area where I spent the most time was in the airlines. I was also most recently involved in petroleum, metals and mining, and earlier on in my career, I was involved in real estate.
The new pitch is more conversational than a list, or simply getting all the facts out.
Two Minutes Is A Long Time. Show Enthusiasm
In this TV society, people are used to fifteen second sound bites on the news. As the communicator, you have to engage the listener. Reinforce your main points. Don't say too many things. Sound enthusiastic.
If you are not a lively person, the least you can do is sit forward in your chair. I once did a magazine article on who got jobs and who got to keep them. I talked to the deans of business and engineering schools. I learned that the enthusiastic person was most likely to get the job. And the enthusiastic one got to keep the job later despite the presence of more qualified people. Employers kept people willing to do anything to help the company.
Even more interesting is that this is true for senior executives. In my line of work, I sometimes have the opportunity to follow up when someone doesn't get a job. I am amazed by the number of times I was told (about people making from $150,000 to $600,000) that the applicant lacked enthusiasm: He was managing 1,300 people, and I don't know how he did it. He just doesn't sound enthusiastic. How could he motivate his troops if he can't motivate me? Anyway, I don't know that he really wants the job. He didn't sound interested.
Display enthusiasm. If you really want this job, act like it. It does not hurt your salary negotiation prospects.
As you practice, you will learn to see more of the job hunt process through the eyes of the "buyer" the hiring manager. Instead of thinking only about yourself and what you want, you will think more about what the managers want and what you have that would be of interest to them.
In preparing for a meeting, use the worksheet "Summary of What I Have Want to Offer." For each target area, you will need a different pitch just as Phil did at the beginning of this chapter. And you will need to modify your pitch for various companies within that target. If your pitch never changes, you are not thinking enough about the person you are talking to.
