Wait! What? Don't ask for the job? Yup! It's annoying and no one likes it. What do I mean? With our job market still recovering back to its normal levels, there is an enormous amount of people who are still unemployed and we all know what they want. J-O-B-S! That's obvious, but then why shouldn't they ask for the job then?
Let's talk about two job seekers (not real people... hypothetical). Jobseeker 1 (let's call him Bob) and jobseeker 2 (let's call him John) are both unemployed and have an interview coming up at the same company. The interview is for a advertising manager. The hiring manager asks both of them, "What brings you here today?" Bob says, "Well, currently I am unemployed and looking for my next opportunity where I can work for a great company that can utilize my expertise in advertising." Then John says, "I believe that advertising is at the core of every company. With great advertising, a company can go anywhere it wants. With my background as a brand manager, I am positive that I can prove to you in this interview that I have what it takes to get the job done."
What Is The Difference Between These Answers?
Bob asked for the job. He said he was unemployed and that he is looking for a great company. These are facts for Bob, but how do they distinguish him from the crowd? Essentially, Bob is asking for the job without any justification, just, "I want the job because I deserve it." Would you hire Bob? Now, how about John? Right off the bat, John told the interviewer what and why, he believes in. He conveyed his beliefs before saying he could do the job, but even at the end, he still didn't ask for the job. Instead, he asked for the chance to prove to the interviewer why he is the best person for the job. Overall, a very creative way to ask for the job, wouldn't you say?
Let's Go Over Another Example
Bob and John go to a networking event together. This networking event is an amalgamation of all advertising people and companies. Both Bob and John try and talk to some prospective employers and see if they can generate some interest. John finds a hiring manager; let's look at the conversation.
HM - "Hi, my name is Bill."
John - "Hi, my name is John. What brings you here to this networking event today Bill?"
Bill - "I'm here to meet some other companies and learn about how they are advertising their brand."
John - "Well, this is a great place to do that. I've seen some really good companies that have some great advertising. For example, I saw that Zappo's is here and they have great advertising. They just launched a new campaign for their new shoe brand. It was genius how they incorporated that animation."
Okay, you get the point.
Now to Bob. Bob finds a hiring manager and this was his conversation.
HM - "Hi, my name is Geoff."
Bob - "Hi, my name is Bob."
Geoff - "What brings you here today Bob?"
Bob - "Oh, thanks for asking. I'm actually looking to network with employers because I'm looking for my next opportunity."
Geoff - "Oh, I see. Well, have you had any luck yet?"
Bob - "No, not yet."
Geoff - "I see. Well, it was a pleasure meeting you. Enjoy the event and good luck!"
What Is The Difference Between These Answers?
What happened with John? Bill and John struck up a conversation about today's great advertising campaigns. By the end of the conversation, Bill asked John where he works and John said he was currently in transition. Long story short, Bill asked him to come in for an informative interview so they could learn more about each others background.
What happened with Bob? Bob came out and asked for the job and that immediately turned off Geoff. Geoff realized that Bob was only there for one thing and didn't care about anything else. It turned Geoff off. We now see that there are different ways to ask for the job.
What To Do Instead?
The overall goal here is that you still want to ask for the job, but from a different perspective. Think of yourself as a job searching ninja. You need to throw out the bait and set the hook before you reel in the haul.
Here Is The Secret
You need people to believe in what you believe in before they will believe what you actually do. Don't just ask for the job... be creative!
Good luck!
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