Jobs. Getting a Job, Getting a Promotion
One of the key factors in getting a job, or getting a promotion, is standing out. I say this from the perspective of personally having worked for many companies, in various unrelated industries, and in many roles, actively hiring and training staff for development.Let me show an example of how easy it is to see those who "stand out". In my retail roles, if there was a job vacancy, I would place a sign on the window advising of a vacancy. I would instruct my staff to take details such as name and phone, and then, place a cross beside those who "stood out". It"s so simple to see, that even my everyday shop-floor staff could see the difference. It didn"t matter if it was the way they dressed, spoke, their experience, or their confidence. They just simply had to make a note of those who stood out. If 150 applied over the week, probably only about 30 would have a cross beside them. I would bring those in for interview, and of those, I would be more interested in how they behaved, talked, shared, than I was in the detail. Although experience is important, a good attitude is FAR MORE important. As long as the attitude"s there, I can train them. But I can"t train someone to get a good attitude. Of those 30, only a small handful would stand out.
At a party, people grativate to those who express confidence, are happy, vibrant. i"m not talking about party animals, just positive people that stand out. People notice, and hang around. Those who have a negative feel around them push people around. It"s that same quality that gets noticed in the workforce.
In my current role, I am not seeking a promotion (I rarely have, despite being offered dozens of promotions). Yet, that doesn"t stop me making suggestions, pointing out problems and solutions, and trying to help the company beyond my own environment. I have never done it to "score points" and try to get ahead, yet the outcome is a natural flow-on to being offered more important roles. Far too many people do what"s asked, and nothing more. Or they try to "shine" so the boss notices them, and people can see those who are "sucking-up" to the boss. But try to make the boss look better, try to make the company perform better, and you set yourself up to being a natural candidate for the next promotion.
You need to stand out. Not in a "trying" way, but because you believe in yourself. If you do that, you"ll place yourself in the top 5% of the population, and as a consequence, you will get jobs or get promotions.
I wrote a book recently putting all my ideas into simple concepts that can be applied immediately. I called it "Career Shortcuts" because that"s basically what it will do for you, and it"s available on the website. I know it"s helped quite a few, so if you know someone who wants good, simple, straight-forward ideas (lots of them) to stand out and get a job, get a better job, or get a promotion, then tell them about my book.
Can I say the other underlying thing I reckon is to know who you are. You"d be surprised how many don"t know. Let me test YOU: Right now, imagine I"m talking to you. I want you, without hesitating or thinking about it, to answer this question, in a simple brief statement: "Tell me about yourself."
What happened? Did you ramble on. Did you hesitate, not knowing what was important? Did you want to know what job or promotion it was for, so you could work out what to say? Any of those, and you"ve missed it. The answer you give is not as important as the way you give it. Without knowing why I"m asking that question, but assuming it"s work related in some form, I would want to hear a brief, very brief background of you, and why you could make a difference. Here"s an example of what you could say:
"I"ve worked in a advertising agency for 3 years, done most of the jobs, including sales, ad design and placement, and front office. I enjoy netball and tennis so I"m fit, I like playing the piano, and I"ve dabbled at writing a few songs, and people like me. I think I could add to your company with my creative streak, enthusiasm for life and positive outlook. What would YOU be looking for in the person that will take on this exciting role?"
In that paragraph, I"ve listed some experience, broadly, combined with hobbies to paint a broader view of me (which NO applicant does!), given a reason to hire me without even being asked yet, and turned control around by asking a relevant question that gives me some feedback on what to say next.
You should be able to do something similar. I have rarely been interviewed in under an hour (despite most initial interviews being scheduled for about 30 mintues), because I turn the conversation into the possibilities of what could be done, family, the boss"s reasons for liking the company, and so on. Somewhere in there, is a brief discussion about experience. And, an hour later, they apologise for having to end the interview because they"ve gone over time. That doesn"t mean I get every position. But I do make an impression, and most times, I get the role.
Stand out. It"s makes all the difference. -Phil G. www.philg.net.au