Research. Research. Research.

Every job hunting book, I have read or wrote, has always emphasized that the candidate should research the company before the interview. Study the company like a chess move.

Yet I am surprised that people still do not do it. 

I suspect that some people must have to get burned multiple times before they recognize a hot oven. For example, my friend just came back from an interview. I asked," Did you research the company on the Internet?'  

"No," was the reply. 

"Did you look at their D&B report?"

"Did you talk to the chamber of commerce about them?"

"Did you examine their competitors?"

"Did you research their founders' backgrounds?"

"No was the reply. No, no and no."

"How did the interview go?"

"Fine."

My friend received an offer and took the job. I do not know if the research would have helped or not. It obviously was not necessary to get the job offer. 

I hope that it is not another hot oven. Research will help, but time will tell for sure.

I still recommend the research.

Job Hunting Tip

A few days ago, I mentioned that a job hunter should volunteer some time to a charitable activity.  This action has a two fold effect: it helps the charitable organization and it expands the networking contacts for the hunter. Now, here is another indirect approach to your job search.

Start a research project on an industry you believe could offer you job opportunities. Not a fake project, but a genuine project with a written report at the conclusion of your research. For example, let me suggest hypothetically that you believe that medical software is an industry that has opportunities for you. First step is make an outline for your report including such items as size of the market, competition, regulations and sales process. Your outline is important because that is your introductory teaser that will open the doors to the C level people in the industry.

A brief letter that goes something like the following  is your opening message-
_______________
Dear Mr. Smith:

My name is -give your real name- and I am conducting research on the medical software industry. Attached is an outline of my final report.

I am contacting you because your firm is active in this industry. Would you invest 30 minutes of your time to to answer a few questions for my research project? Your answers will remain anonymous. Although the final report is confidential, I would provide you with a free copy of the final report. The interview can be conducted over the phone if it is more convenient for you... And so on.
_____________
You get the idea. The letter can be modified for any level job and any situation. Is this method disingenuous. No. Your research is real. And your final report may get you the job. If someone should suspect a charade and ask, "Are you really looking for a job and are using this research project to get in the door?" You reply, "I am investing considerable time and money in doing this research project to assess the entire industry. If I discover the industry has opportunities for someone with my skills, then when my research is concluded, I may elect to pursue opportunities in this industry." The Fortune 100 companies do similar research all the time and they call it Business Intelligence.

Take it or leave, but it works.

A Job Hunting Valuable Tip.

Volunteer activity is a valuable tool for job hunters.

Hike into this non-profit valley and you may be surprised what you find.

I know on the surface this tip seems less than charitable; but if you are looking for a job, then you may have some extra time on your hands. Why not have that time serve two goals- first, you are helping a worthwhile charitable cause and second you may meet people who may later direct you to a genuine opportunity.

Tell everyone you work with at this activity that you are looking for a job. Don't tell them your whole story, but leave them with a few keywords that may get their mind working in your favor should the occasion arise. For example, I am looking for sales position in the telecommunication field, or I am expert in manufacturing operations--e.g. a few words or a phrase that will connect them with you. If you have 10 people helping you, the power of their networks is working for you too.

I recommend you volunteer with a charitable organization that has a cause that has affected your life. I have a friend who took this route and now works as a full time employee for the charitable organization. The Girl Scouts of America has thousand's of volunteers and hundreds of employees. The president makes more than $125,000 per year so there are jobs in these organizations too.

Volunteer your way back to employment. Start today.


There is more. A lot more.

Quash those interview anxieties.

There is an old story that IBM taught their salespeople to sell by the "sixes." Have six reason why the customer should buy from IBM. Have six ways to overcome any objection. Have six reasons why your product is better than the competition. Have six different blue suits. And so on. 


I teach interviewing by the 3s.


Interviews are nerve racking. Even for the experienced candidate, an interview can be fraught with anticipation. A loose phrase can have unintended negative consequences. Prepare for your interview with the 3s. 


Have 3 reasons why you are the best for that position. Have 3 short stories about past experiences that illustrate your strengths relevant for the position. Have 3 examples of people that you have worked for that illustrate your best relevant characteristics. 


Weave the 3s into your responses to interview questions. 


Be prepared and confident with the 3s. 

Multiple resumes to fit the job.

Here is the advice from a professional recruiter. It should focus a job hunter on the purpose of the resume. Here is how the conversation went.
_______________________
Sherwood: Let’s shift over to the résumé for a second. How important do you think the résumé is?

Recruiter Guru: Well I think the résumé’s real important but it’s a single-dimensional piece of paper and you happen to be a three-dimensional person. So the résumé is geared to the job app … you can’t have one résumé that’s just geared toward everything. It’s got to be pretty much monitored or set up towards that particular job that you're interviewing for. And you got to say some things in the résumé that will specifically spark interest for the job order they're looking for. The only purpose of the résumé is to get you to a face-to-face.

Sherwood: To get the interview?

Recruiter Guru: That’s it.

Sherwood: Now are you suggesting also that a person tailor his résumé to fit the job description?

Recruiter Guru: Absolutely.
________________________________
Get it.

The most common interview mistake.

Ron, in the next 100 blogs we are going to examine all the details surrounding the job hunter's world.  However, to get our readers started, what is the most common interview mistake?

First off… at least 70% of the job candidates when the interviewer asks, “Tell me about yourself?,” the candidate  doesn't tell the interviewer a thing about the job that they're interviewing for. They talk about themselves; which is what the interviewer asked, but that’s not really what the interviewer is looking for. 

.

The interviewer does not want to know about that 454 lb. marlin I caught off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, unless it is relevant to the job. The interviewer wants to know what skills and talents from your experience, you bring to the job. Tell your story, but make it relevant to the job you are interviewing for.

I explain this common question in my training sessions and I will be talking more about it in my future blogs. I have reviewed this question with two-star generals and welding foreman. It is basic, but important. You’ve only a short window to bring home your story; and your story, your response to interview questions,  must be focused on what value you bring to that company. 

You want to stay in control of the interview and be in a position where you can say yes or no to the offer.  Never eliminate yourself from the job. For example, if I would ask one of your sons if they want to relocate, they might reply no. Their family’s here, they don’t want to go anywhere, they like it here. With that answer, they may have taken themselves off the job short list. The company may want to relocate them to Colorado and pay them three times more than they're worth. It's an interview you can be agreeable to hypothetical questions. I will explain in later blogs several great responses to these type of "What if" questions.

Ron, so the first element of the … the first mistake that most candidates seem to make from your experience is that when asked the question, “Tell me about yourself,” they take the question literally instead of what’s behind the question which is “Tell me about yourself in terms that are relevant to what this company needs in the job.” 

Ron, how would you summarize the skills and things you’ve learned from all your interview experience? 

Well what I have found is that most people do not know how to interview. And that includes the hiring authority, the HR person, the interviewer.  The hiring authority doesn’t really know the questions to ask. And the candidate really doesn’t know how to interview. And so if you can train these people in the interviewing skills and show them some techniques, they have a much better job, much better shot of getting the job. 

Remember, Bob, the person that’s going to get the job is not necessarily the best person for the job. It’s the one that interviews the best. The resume gets you the interview. The interview gets you the job.

The Recruiting Guru

Ron Rutkowski is a retired professional recruiter. In the future editions of this blog, he is going to reveal the secrets of the job hunting and placement business.

He is also an expert in fishing, archery, hunting, slingshots and hatchet throwing. He has more than 30 years of experience working with more than 150 human relations departments, 250 company executives and 2,500 candidates seeking a better job. He has even placed a two star general as CEO of a major airline. 

Between fishing trips, I sat down with Ron and we began a series of conversations about the employment process from both a company’s and a job candidate’s point of view. Ron’s insights into this process are remarkable. He has the uncommon common sense of the heartland and has numerous recruiting experiences that are immensely valuable to a hiring professional or to a person seeking a new or better job.  This blog is a result of those conversations.

Ron Rutkowski, RIP, as his close friends call him has interviewed thousands of people. He has placed several thousand people in jobs across the United States.  He knows what it takes to get a job. He knows the tricks of the interview and the secrets that most HR people will never tell. He has trained two-star generals and taught warehouse managers the techniques of great interviewing skills. He knows what questions to ask, what questions you will be asked, and how to be successful in that all important interview cycle. 

Ron is a job hunting, career development guru. He should be. Remember that most of us look for a job every three to five years. Ron did it every day for more than 30 years. He talked with more candidates, more HR departments, more hiring managers, more presidents, more operation executives than most of us will talk to in four or five lifetimes. His skills enabled candidates to find a job quicker, find a better job, get more compensation, and develop bridges to companies for future job placement. 

        What Ron knows is valuable information to anyone looking for a new job, change careers, or get promoted in the one your are in now.

       Follow Ron on this blog as he reveals his secrets from 30 years of recruiting.  Stay tuned for more.