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How to Be a Winner at Every Interview

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Smart employers are searching to hire the best “brain-power” available to improve their workforce contributions to the bottom line… company PROFITS. Some firms have BIG expectations but little pocketbooks… to pay competitive wages and benefits. Not all of them but be aware that you need to consider the COMPLETE offering before making a rash decision. There’s more to the good life than money, right?

As you know… top executives at PUBLIC companies live in a glass house. Places like Nucor Steel; Wachovia Bank; Bank of America and many more. Every 3 months they are exposed publicly in the media…. Good news or bad news… No profits for the quarter is not a good thing. Recently, we saw the CEO of Wachovia Bank booted out because of poor performance in the prior quarter. Bank of America just announced in the last few days…. laying off 7,500 employees in next 2 years and it got worse.

Truth is…. many good jobs are with smaller firms. Your opportunity for growth in position and compensation may be better simply because there is less competition with other employees. There’s greater probability that Management will promote from within rather than going to the outside for a “newbie” to bring on staff.

Nothing is set in “concrete” especially at the smaller firm. With 10 or 500 employees it’s easier to make adjustments and changes than with a firm that has 5,000 employees or more with a number to identify you at the door. Change is happening across America and the world, it will continue to happen as people search for NEW opportunities.

Money is NOT the KEY to your future job or success. Finding a position that you LOVE will be the best decision you’ll ever make now or in the future. Going fishing, riding a bicycle or staying home with the kids is not an option. However, I’m sure you’d enjoy going to work with energy and excitement to something you love to do.

Many of us who follow SPORTS know how fierce the talent-scouts search out the #1 pick in NFL football; NBA basketball. Millions of dollars are at stake trying to hire the best talent to gain a winning position. Most of us would like to have employers seeking us out and sometimes they do through “head-hunters”, more politely called Executive Recruiters. YOUR challenge is to POSITION yourself on the MIND-LADDER of the hiring authority within the firm of your choice.

Employers don’t hold all the ACE cards in the hiring process. YOU are holding some ACE cards too. Many TOP candidates for employment are LOST to the competition for lack of focus by the employer. I’ve said, “boy, I should have hired her?” She got away before I recognized the value she could have brought to our firm. It’s a tough break we have to live with, just keep trucking.

You’ve probably looked back and wished you still had a job with a former employer. It just looked “greener” across the fence. You got sold a “bill of goods” by an interviewer who told you “how wonderful it would be”… more money, better benefits… but it never happened. Now you’re asking…why did I leave? I wish I could go back but they never rehire former employees where I used to work.

Your job is to RISE ABOVE the average and be NOTICED

Understanding the hiring process is important to your success. The employer has a JOB to do ~ to make a hiring decision based on his/her best assessment of the candidates interviewed, including you.

YOUR job is to APPEAR as the “ACE” candidate interviewed for the position. Hiring talent is all about people. All of us are not the same. Some are X-troverts and others are IN-troverts which also makes an impact in who gets the new position.

Most of us seldom change our “stripes”. WHY? YOU are the product of your past. Every decision, personality quirk, attitude and all the rest of WHO we are comes to the JOB, ALL OF IT! That’s an OK, too.

Yes, I know! There are a FEW exceptions, but NOT enough for it to make any difference in the employer’s hiring decisions. You can be sure that your work history will FOLLOW you everywhere. Most employers are smart enough to verify references with your former boss, so beware.

Be prepared! Isn’t that the Scout motto? Being prepared is good advice for all of us when searching for our career choice. What path will I take? Have I chosen an industry where my skills/talents are needed?

Don Monteith spent 32 years as co-owner of a staffing/personnel business plus several franchised services [personnel agency, temp services, diet centers, computer training, dictation-to-go, vending, mail-order]. Most of his business education was learned in the {SHK} “school of hard knocks” where he earned a PhD with honors. Today, Don shares his experiences, successes and failures with clients, friends, and small business owners. You can enjoy his Newsletter about business, life, joy and happiness at http://www.DonMonteith.com