The Other Decision Makers Influemakers
Many job hunters assume the hiring manager is the only person who matters. Big mistake. Others are not only influencers; in some cases, they may actually be the decision makers.
I'm a good example. I make terrible hiring decisions: everyone seems fine to me. So I have others interview the candidates. Their opinions weigh more than mine. Any applicant who ignores them is ignoring the decision makers or at least the serious influencers.
Take seriously every person you meet. Don't be rude to the receptionist. She may say to the boss, "If you hire him, I'm quitting." That receptionist is definitely an influencer.
Identifying The Issues
When John met with the personnel person at the Kennedy Foundation, she asked him questions such as, "So, what do you do on weekends?" and, "Where do your kids go to school?" Assuming these were not idle questions, what issue was she getting at?
We decided the issue was fit. When John wrote to her, he said he was excited about the position and had spent a day doing research and he addressed the issue of fit.
Three months, eleven grueling interviews, and seven in depth reference checks later, John's credentials were presented to the board of directors for approval. To make sure his important arguments were brought before the board, John prepared one more follow up letter. By the way, John had three more interviews after the board meeting. He got the job and he's still there.
Many job hunters ask John how he got the job. They are asking the wrong question. They mean, "How did you get the interview?" John is forced to reply, "I got it through an ad." I hope you can see that John got the job through his analysis and follow up. He got the interview through an ad.
What Happens As Times Passes
He had made a fortune in business and owed it to being able to see the truth in any situation. ETHAN CANIN Emperor of the Air
Most jobs are created for people: most interviewers don't clearly know what they will want the new person to do. Yet job hunters expect the hiring manager to tell them exactly what the job will be like, and get annoyed when the manager can't tell them.
Generally the job description depends on who will be in the job. Therefore, help the hiring manager figure out what the new person should do. If you don't help him, another job hunter will. This is called "negotiating the job." You are trying to remove all of the company's objections to hiring you, as well as all of your objections to working for them. Try to make it work for both of you. But time is your enemy. Imagine what happens in the hiring process as time passes:
You have an interview. When I, your counselor, ask how it went,you tell me how great it was: the two of you hit it off, and you are sure you will be called back. You see this interview as something frozen in time, and you wait for the magical phone call.
But after you left, the manager met with someone else, who brought up new issues. Now his criteria for what he wants has changed somewhat, and consequently, his impression of you has also changed. He was honest when he said he liked you, but things look different to him now. Perhaps you have what he needs to meet his new criteria, or perhaps you could convince him that his new direction is wrong, but you don't know what is now on his mind.
You call to find out "how things are going." He says he is still interviewing and will call you later when he has decided. Actually, then it will probably be too late for you. His thinking is constantly evolving as he meets with people. You were already out of the running. Your call did nothing to influence his thinking: you did not address his new concerns. You asked for a status report of where he was in the hiring process, and that's what you got. You did nothing to get back into the loop of people he might consider, or find out the new issues that are now on his mind.
The manager meets more people, and further defines the position. Interviewing helps him decide what he wants. You are getting farther and farther away from his new requirements.
You are not aware of this. You remember the great meeting you two had. You remind me that he said he really liked you. You insist on freezing that moment in time. You don't want to do anything to rock the boat or appear desperate. You hope it works out. "The ball is in his court," you say. "I gave it my best. There's nothing I can do but wait." So you decide to give it more time . . . time to go wrong.
You have to imagine what is going on as time passes. Perhaps the hiring manager is simply very busy and is not working on this at all. Or perhaps things are moving along without you. Statistics prove that the person who is interviewed last has the best chance of being hired. That's because the last person benefits from all the thinking the manager has done and is able to discuss all of the issues that are of interest to the manager.
What You Can Do During The Interview
If you come into an interview with the goal of getting a job, you are putting too much pressure on yourself to come to closure. When you walk away without an offer, you feel discouraged. When you walk away without even knowing what the job is, you feel confused and lost.
Instead of criticizing managers who do not know what they want, understand them: "I can understand that there are a number of ways you can structure this position. Let's talk about your problems and your needs. Perhaps I can help."
Your goal in the interview is not to get an offer, but to build a relationship with the manager. This means you are on the manager's side assessing the situation, and figuring out how to move the process along so you can continue to help define the job.
Pay Attention To Your Competition
Most job hunters think only about themselves and the hiring manager. They don't think about the others being considered for the position. But you are different. While you are moving it along, you think about your competition.
Competition dropping away because you are doing a better job of addressing the hiring manager's needs, coming up with solutions to his problems, researching and showing more interest and more competence than your competitors.
You are in a problem solving mode: "My goal isn't to get a job immediately, but to build a relationship. How can I build a relationship with this person so that someday when he or she gets his act together and decides what he wants, he'll want me?" You have hung in there. You have killed off your competition. You have helped define the job in a way that suits both you and the hiring manager, and you are the one he wants. You have the option of saying, "Do I want this job or don't I?"
