Blog - Check My Posts on Advice For Conducting Your Job Search

Bart and Johnny certainly seemed like the perfect candidates heading into their interview.

Bart was a young, skinny 17-year-old who grew up riding horses. Like all young men his age, he gave off an aura invincibility. 

Like Bart, Johnny was also a young, wiry 17-year-old who had practically been born in the saddle. He too, possessed no fear of death. 

But Bart got the job and Johnny didn’t. 

Why?  While both were great riders, Bart also knew how to “pivot”. 

Pony Express Interviewer: “Well can you ride and ride fast?”

Johnny (Response): “Yep, I sure know how to ride and ride fast. In fact, I was the fastest rider in the county. 

Bart (Response): Yep, I sure know how to ride and ride fast. In fact, I was the fastest rider in the county. (Now watch how Bart pivots!)………I hear that the Pony Express needs to make sure  messages travel between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts in 10 days’ time. So, if you are looking for someone who can ride fast for hours at time through wind or rain, then I’m your person. I’ve spent my life outside in the weather.

Johnny was certainly as qualified as Bart. But Bart knew how to pivot. He didn’t just answer the question with a quick story. He also explained how his experience and core strengths could contribute to accomplishing the goals of the Pony Express. 

So, the next time you prepare for you interview, make sure that when you answer the question you also go the extra step and pivot like Bart! Don’t assume that the interviewer can establish a link between your experience and your ability to solve a need. Make it easier for the interviewer to see your value. Pivot like Bart even if you can’t ride like him.

John was anxiously preparing for the upcoming interview. He had had written answers to some possible questions. He had researched the company and searched on LinkedIn to obtain background information on the interviewers. 

The interview day came and unfortunately John wasn’t called back for the next round of interviews. Although he had prepared answers to commonly asked questions, he could have increased his chances of success by taking one simple additional step. 

What could he have done? What had he neglected to do?

John could have conducted an in-depth comparison of his skills and experience versus the job requirements. 

How? 

To do this, I recommend a simple approach. Create a document with two columns. In the left-hand column, list each of the job requirements. In the right-hand column list your corresponding qualifications for the position. Where possible, make sure you have a success story to make the case that you are indeed qualified. 

So, the next time John had an upcoming interview, he took the extra time to list the requirements and provide an example of his corresponding qualifications. Not only was he better prepared to answer questions but he also felt more confident about his ability to do the job! So, the next time you have that interview, don’t forget this simple step. 

“After all, as Yoko Ono (remember John Lennon and the Beatles) said, “Some people are old at 18 and others are young at 90. Time is a concept that humans created. “ 

Yoko Ono

As a job search advisor, my more experienced clients often complain that they recruiters and hiring managers are simply not interested in hiring them. After all, you can’t change the dates on your birth certificate or your driver’s license. In fact, I am even a bit empathetic having searched for jobs when I was in my late 50’s and 60’s. 

However, aside from getting some advice from the fashion police, there is something else we can do if we are truly willing and committed to finding that next great career opportunity.

For those willing to try, let’s start by changing our mindset and the way we view ourselves. To begin this change in your mindset, sit down and reflect on what you were like 25 years ago. Energetic? Enthusiastic? Open to change? Inquisitive? Excited to travel? Thrilled to just to have a bigger paycheck? Possessing a make it happen and can do attitude? 

Next ask yourself what you were like when you interviewed for a job at that age? 

· Open minded? Positive? Energetic! 

· Willing? Not so skeptical? A bit more trusting? 

· Non-verbally making the case that you were excited by the opportunity?

· Flexible and willing to learn?

So, before you go into your next interview or attend your next networking meeting, let’s reignite a bit of the youthful spirit. Try approaching the situation with this renewed mindset. If you can truly reconnect, you will notice a difference.

Have some fun with it! As I often tell my clients, your job search should be viewed as an adventure.