Author: Michael Mayher

(Cont’d) Do your prep and research before you place your call but, I caution people, don’t think too much, don’t over examine or over analyze what you will be doing on your own behalf. Some people will fret and think a subject to death and, as a result, sit on their hands and do nothing. Any time you try something new, it is always a  bit uncomfortable. Remember, the worst thing that can happen is being told “no”, over the telephone, by someone you don’t know. Gee, that’s scary – not! So, with the contact name of a potential hiring manager, and possessing a relatively refined and practiced presentation (to the extent you are comfortable), make the calls, introduce yourself and state your intention with reasons as to why considering you for employment might be constructive. When you have the opportunity to

(Cont’d) As I would expect, some people might be cynical about how to apply the F.A.B. presentation to their own particular situation; especially concerning accomplishments. Some individuals worry they don’t have any and think this kind of presentation won’t work for them. Perhaps. Accomplishments don’t always need to be grandiose but they do need to be real. There might be some that you are overlooking so let’s talk about some examples: Recent College Grads – If you worked prior to or while engaging in your studies, this is helpful. Especially now, when many are financing their degrees, if you were balancing work and studies, and maintained decent grades, that is an accomplishment. If you participated in any extra-curricular activities, i.e., sports, teaching assistant, etc. and again balanced those activities with your studies and also kept up your grades, this is an accomplishment.

(Cont’d) More about presenting yourself… Occasionally people confuse an accomplishment with a benefit. Although they may seem similar they are not the same. The achievement is more personal and the benefit is related  to how your positive performance affected the company in a productive manner, with beneficial results for your employer. Having developed an introductory presentation, you will go onward; always able to present yourself at a moment's notice and, further, be better prepared to interview. For example: when you participate in a first-round interview, a predictable question is, “…tell me about yourself.” You could ideally use a F.A.B. presentation format to describe your work history, expanding on what is summarized on your resume, or do like most other people and recite your resume and tell them (yawn) what they already know. Do you recognize the power of a F.A.B. presentation? Similarly, if

That was a rhetorical question; everyone has something to offer. Anyone who wants to work and contribute their abilities is employable and has value and worth. I contend there are noexpendable people. What can you contribute, where and how can you apply your skills toward a suitable job, becomes the question. Determining for what you are qualified and capable of doing, together with a knowledge of what it is you want to do, is a personal decision only you can answer. It is surprising how many people, when asked, don’t know what they want to do now or in the future. They seem to be hoping someone else will tell them what’s best. I have met many people at different professional levels who call me for assistance and when I ask the simple opening question, “so, what do you want

(Cont’d) The reason for so much emphasis on getting the name is – to make any progress we must get our foot in the door, and having a name helps to accomplish this. Gate keepers are trained to reject any unsolicited inquiries, so if you have no name you’ll get turned away or referred to HR, which isn’t our objective – at the moment. Put the perception that you don’t belong and that you are doing something against someone's make-believe rules, out of your mind. Think about it, put yourself in the shoes of someone who is familiar with their system and organization – a vendor or supplier, for example. When they call they simply ask their question, get the info and move on. If you’re nervous it is primarily because you are aware of what you’re up to, and you’ve been

If you’re reading my previous entries, you know our goal is to get the name of a hiring official you will try to make contact with in order to present yourself and your resume, directly. Because without a name your only options is to send your resume into a deep dark rabbit hole to be filed until or if someone takes the time to review yours, along with sometime hundreds of others. I am suggesting another way. Before you make the call (see previous blog entry), run through what you will say in your mind a couple of times. This is so you sound more natural and your dialogue isn’t clouded with non-word clutter like, “um, uh, and like, you know…yeah…”, remember you want to sound confident, as if you belong; that it’s a routine call, as though you are calling

(Cont'd) Chasing a name… Let’s say, for example, you have a list of companies wherein you’d like to investigate opportunities or appeal directly to a hiring manager. Some may ask, “Why should I waste my time if I don’t know if they even need anybody; they have no jobs listed on their website, it just seems like a big waste of time.” True, most people are not willing to make an effort without some form of instant gratification or indication of success before they’ll make any effort. I would respond to those folks by asking, “Okay, and how’s that strategy been workin’ for you; getting plenty of interviews? (insert sarcasm) You’re not - gee, what a surprise.” As I often point out, I am appealing to those who don’t want to be, to one degree or another, like everyone else. I don’t

The gatekeepers to whom I am referring, who perform the administrative support and human resource functions, have an important role. From your perspective as an applicant, they are an unavoidable part of the process, the first couple of levels through which most must navigate. They regulate, confirm or deny access, which is why they are called gatekeepers. Applying simple black and white logic, they are an obstacle between you and your goal of making contact with any hiring manager and decision maker. Who knows -- a gate keeper might just surprise you and be very helpful -- or stop you dead in your tracks. I will be explaining how to avoid the latter. I’ve no ax to grind with the gatekeepers but my stated goal is to help you, the job seeker, period. More about Gatekeepers First-line gatekeepers are most commonly those

I know very well that a person can have a most impressive, best-written resume packed with information, accomplishments and what appears a guaranteed success – on paper. Yet, when the person is face-to-face, it is a disaster. Likewise, some of the best qualified and most suitable applicants have the worst-looking resumes. Assuming yours is decent enough to get you an interview, it is what happens when you are face-to-face that counts; that’s what they’ll remember and not your resume. It’s all about the moment you shake hands and the interaction with those you meet that will determine if the resume confirms you are as you’ve presented yourself, or if it was just a lot of nicely-arranged fluffy words, or 90% smoke and 10% horsepower, as I like to say. Regardless of whether you take the initiative, or timidly wait for

(Con’t) Okay, so let’s wrap this up. If you already know it all and know more than me, good for you, but if you find yourself nodding your head with me in agreement, let’s start small. To begin, here’s a simple suggestion and one so crazy and radical I may find myself on a watch list as someone fomenting discontent. Don’t so easily take “no” for an answer. Instead of accepting limitations and illegitimate rules imposed on you by bureaucratic lumps, indeed do your preliminary online research, and then peel yourself from your comfy chair, clear the cobwebs and reboot your creativity and burn up a little shoe leather; go out and speak to real people. Knocking on doors, shaking hands or actually speaking to hiring officials will do a lot more for you than emailing resumes. You get what you