An often overlooked topic in hiring is that “fit” – a nuanced, maybe even “unfair” assessment of the interviewee is most likely the most important aspect of the hiring process. This is frustrating (for job seekers who KNOW they have the skills to do the job) and for the hiring managers (who need to somehow justify hiring one person over another because of what might be ambigous or nuanced reasons).

Nevertheless, recognizing (and maybe even embracing?) the fact that hiring (and being hired) is as much an art as it is a science and that making a real, solid connection at an interview is as important as the portfolio of skills, experiences and accomplishments you bring can be empowering.

One of my favorite authors for career and relationship building advice is Keith Ferrazzi. (Read my review of his most recent, Who’s Got Your Back – I also really enjoyed Never Eat Alone. Both are great choices to help job seekers and careerists with their networking and relationship building.) So, it is no surprise that his advice about interviewing resonates!

This is Keith’s advice on interviewing:

1. Make them like you. My number one advice: Make sure that by the time you leave the room, you’ve found a way to make the person like you. That’s it: MAKE THEM LIKE YOU. Two arms, two legs and an MBA, being all fancy and important, are not going to get you there. Make that personal connection. Build instant intimacy.
2. Find a reason to care about the person. Do your homework in advance, understand their passions, and draw out the stories of their life that make them human. When you connect with them, and start to like them, they’ll start to like you, and care about you.
3. Show them your passion! Specifically, your passion for the job you’re interviewing for. Passion and charisma go a long way.
4. Tell stories. Don’t rely on stats and figures to make your case. Tell stories of how you’ve changed lives for former bosses and companies. This is what my friend Peter Guber calls “emotional transportation” and it works. Take them on your journey! (Note from Miriam: Katharine Hansen’s book Tell Me About Yourself is a great resource to help you.)
   

If you have prepared for your interview, the preparation was probably more focused on YOU. What YOU should say. How to emphasize YOUR skills. Your accomplishments. This is fine – I am not going to knock going in prepared to talk about yourself. But, be sure you spend some time thinking of connecting. What research can you do to really help you “hook” the interviewer’s interest? How can you connect on an emotional level?

photo by woodythrower

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Billed as a “step-by-step guide to the powerful principles behind personal growth and change,” this useful guide reminds readers that everyone needs someone to lean on! Keith advocates identifying three “lifelines,” or people who are willing and able to advise and hold you accountable to your goals and dreams.

He describes the four reasons why he believes lifeline relationships are key (p. 27):

1. To help us identify what success truly means for us, including our long-term career plans.

2. To help us figure our the most robust plan possible to get there, through short-term goals and strategies that would tie us into knots if we tried to go it alone.

3. To help us identify what we need to stop doing to move forward in our lives.

4. To have people around us committed to ensuring we don’t fail – so we can transform our lives from good to great.

Keith reminds his readers that people like to give advice, and he peppers the book with a myriad of personal stories demonstrating the power of connecting, the value of being vulnerable and the importance of being yourself.

Useful tips about discovering your “personal currency” (what you can offer in a mutually beneficial relationship) and the importance of recognizing that “the pinnacle of generosity isn’t just helping others, but allowing them to help us” (p. 64), make this book another valuable networking “bible” with tips on everything from how to build intimacy to specific tools to assist professionals who hope to succeed at what may seem to be “wild” dreams.

I hope you will be inspired by Who’s Got Your Back to recognize that you DO drive your own career bus. Take the wheel and find the resources you need to encourage, support and promote your own success. You deserve it!

Sometimes, it pays to  hire a coach who has your back! Need some help getting your job search jump started? Not sure you can put all of the great tools at your disposal to good use? Need a great resume? Learn how I can help you propel your job hunt forward.

In Atlanta? GA is expecting 10.1% unemployment. Get ahead of the game so you will be prepared to search for your next opportunity with local job search interventions: http://youneedajob.org/.

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Earlier today, one of my Twitter friends, life/brand strategist Walter Akana tweeted an intriguing question. He asked: How do you keep your networking skills continually refreshed?

My answer: I try to think of networking as a way of BEING instead of something to DO.

Another Twitter friend, Megan Fitzgerald, an expat career and entrepreneur coach, replied: I think networking is about giving (form of doing?) Using your brand to help others. You could say BEing of service.

I love the synergies Megan creates between doing and being…I think these are terrific ways to think about networking for job seekers.

Of course, I advise my clients to network. We talk about “netweaving” – the fact that networking is about relationships. We talk about how to practice to work a room and the fact that everyone is a great networking connection, because you never know what you may be able to offer a new contact and what he or she may be able to offer you!

I think the most successful networkers are those who aren’t necessarily looking for something, but are focused on the fact that networking is something you can try to become…Become a connector, someone who likes linking people together for their advantage.

In his book, The Tipping Point, author Malcolm Gladwell defined connectors as “people with a truly extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances.” In our digital, Web 2.0 world, success will depend more and more on our ability to broaden our professional circles and to reach out to a diverse socio-economic group of people representing a mix of opinions and beliefs. Professionals who habitually introduce people who otherwise may not meet earn goodwill and reputations as valuable resources and colleagues.

In his book, Never Eat Alone, Keith Ferrazzi says, “…Community and alliances will rule in the twenty-first century…[success is] dependent on whom you know and how you work with them (291).” He asserts that living a truly connected life is a prerequisite to success. For example, Ferrazzi mentions that Crain’s 40 Under 40, a list of rising stars in an array of fields, aren’t necessarily the best businesspeople. Instead, he suggests that they are probably the best connected businesspeople.

The value of connectedness is never more heightened than during uncertain economic times. Anyone who has been reading the recent “how to recession proof your job” articles and blogs will realize that they inevitably share one common piece of advice: Network for career success.

When networking becomes you and inspires you to act on behalf of others, you’ll know that you are achieving true networking success.

We can get you on the road to true networking success by teaching you how to approach networking, writing your resume and helping you every step of the way! www.keppiecareers.com.

photo by cascadefoto

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Today, one of my “read daily” blog writers, Penelope Trunk, wrote about getting on Twitter and used it as a way to talk about doing something that scares you.

For those who don’t know, Twitter is a way to post updates about your daily activities so that your “followers” will know your every move. Some people use it to give details of their day. “Went to the store. No fresh chocolate croissants. Bummer.” You get the idea.

I actually started posting when I update my blog on Twitter. (Feel free to “follow” me. Don’t worry, I won’t let you know what I have for dinner or how many poopy diapers I change in a day!)

For me, Penelope’s post brought to mind an issue that is important for all professionals. Where do we draw the line between the personal and the professional? We already know that recruiters review FaceBook and “Google” potential employees to see if there is any “dirt” that would make them undesirable.

I met a woman this month who told me the story of a son’s friend (new college grad) who showed up for an interview at a big firm only to be shown all of the unflattering materials they had found about him online. They used it as an opportunity to let him know why they wouldn’t be following through with the interview.

Social media is here to stay, though. In fact, it becomes more and more necessary to understand and participate in it. (For example, if you’re not linkedin, you may be missing out on great professional opportunities.)

Where do we draw the line between the personal and the professional?

Keith Ferrazzi says something pertinent in his book, Never Eat Alone…

“Power, today comes from sharing information, not withholding it. More than ever, the lines demarcating the personal and the professional have blurred. We’re an open-source society, and that calls for open-source behavior.” (p.146)

It seems that Twitter and other social media encourage this openness and offer vehicles to link personal and professional interests. As “the personal is political,” maybe “the personal is professional.”

Something to think about…

Keppie Careers will help you use social media to your advantage. www.keppiecareers.com

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Keith Ferrazzi suggests seeking out a peer for support and camaraderie.  It’s a great idea to find a colleague who is in your field or a complementary field (a realtor and a mortgage broker is a classic example) to get together, shoot the breeze and share ideas.  I make a point to get together with other career coaches as much as possible.  There’s only so much online networking you can do before you want to actually speak to someone in person!

Another great idea is to find a mentor.  Coincidentally, the folks over at brazencareerist.com are highlighting how to get and keep a mentor.  Check out blogs by Caitlin Weaver and Ben Casnocha for thoughts on another way to network and avoid a lonely work life. ÂÂ

Remember – it’s up to you to drive your own career bus.ÂÂ

Don’t be lonely during your job hunt.  Keppie Careers is here to help.  www.keppiecareers.com

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