To Quote Jimmy V.

This is kind of a follow up to the last blog about the interview.  One of two things happens afterwards.  You get the job; everything is great, and in thirty years you retire with a gold watch and a big pension plan.  Or you were one of many who interviewed.  You wait, hoping to get that call.  The problem is the call never comes.  Instead you receive an email.  This is not the kind of email you want to get.  It reads something like this:

                        Dear ---- ,

We interviewed so many highly qualified candidates during our interview process. Many of the candidates were highly qualified for the position, and we had a hard time deciding who we wanted to hire.  After careful review we have decided to proceed with another candidate.

Our staff enjoyed meeting with you, and we wish you nothing bet the best of luck in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Hiring Manager who just hired someone else.

In all honesty it would just be a lot easier if they just told you, “Hey, this other guy was way better.  Our staff didn’t like you, and why don’t you go pound sand.”  Okay, we both know that they probably did not mean what is quoted above, but it sure as hell feels like it.  Here is the thing, even though you have that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach like your life has just ended it hasn’t.  We have all struggled, unless our father is Donald Trump.  We have to find a way to pick ourselves up and continue.

It is always crushing to not get the job, especially this time of year.  You have bills to pay, Christmas is coming, and that weird squeaking noise from your car is not going to go away.  You have to find a way to fight on.  Sometimes you have to take a job that is “Beneath you”.  If you are fresh out of college or still reeling from losing your “cushy” job, NO ONE is going to hire you anywhere what you think you are worth.  Personally I have been through this, hell for all you know the next person to read this is going through this.  It sucks.

So there you are struggling to get by, making less than half of what you made before.  It is tough.  Your credit cards are maxed out, you’re a month late on a car payment, you have too many payday loans (BTW don’t get payday loans; they are a vicious cycle that are very hard to get out of.  Trust me, I learned this lesson).  Take an inventory of what you have, what you spend, where you go, and what you eat.  This is especially important if you are a single person who lives alone, a single person with a child, or a married person in a single income household.  Let’s look at thing you can cut:

*Cable – Most of the time you’re not home to watch it anyways.

*Dining out - It is a lot cheaper to brown bag it every day.

*Bar Hopping – I love getting cocktails as much as you do, but you spend way too much $$$.

Okay there are three things that can be done easily, and allow you to get by on what you are making if you are not making want you think you deserve.  The next options are a bit more painful.  So like when mom ripped off the Band-Aid, take a deep breath…

*Craigslist – Now you might be thinking that I am talking about selling your body, but they banned that.  No I am talking about selling stuff you do not use, or do not need.  Let’s say for instance, you have a Les Paul Studio Guitar (I only bring this up because I had to do this) you paid a lot of money for it.  You love that guitar, but all you do is look at it.  Maybe it is time to advertise some of that stuff on Craigslist.  Sell it.  Being able to pay your bills is much betterthan having a really cool guitar when you are living on the streets.

*Plato’s Closet – I use Plato’s Closet, because we have them here in St. Louis.  You probably have a ton of clothes that you either do not wear or cannot fit into anymore.  Sell them.  Once again making sure that you are still standing on your feet is much better than being a well dressed homeless person.

*The Rents – Ugh, I could not imagine this one, but if times get so bad may be you should consider this.  Odds are you are paying rent, most young, single, and underpaid are.  Find out what it costs to get out of your lease.  Discuss making arrangements with your landlord to pay your buyout.  Talk to your parents.  Odds are they probably know that you are struggling.  Offer to pay rent, offer to do chores, offer to split the cost of food and etc. with them.  Hey, it is going to kill your social life, but it is better than digging an even deeper hole.

So what I just laid out for you is a worst case scenario.  We all have to learn is this economy, no matter who is in office, that we can lose our jobs tomorrow.  Politicians may tell us that they are “going to fix it”, but as someone who has worked in politics, it will not happen instantly, not in a week, or a month, but over time.

I won’t blow a ton of smoke up your but.  I won’t give you a ton of clichés that you have already heard, but I will leave you with the message of a man that was fight for his life, a man that gave hope to so many.  Good luck out there, keep your head up, your ship is coming in, it is always darkest before the dawn, etc. etc… 

Jim Valvano

Jmmy V's Complete Speech

Blogger's note: I am in no way making a reference that not getting a job is anywhere near battling cancer.

The message here is no matter what don’t give up.  It will happen, and you will get there.

The $25,000 Question, The Answer, and Fashion Tips

We all have to interview for jobs.  At some point in most of your lives we are going to have to interview other people for jobs.  And after that we will probably have to interview for a job at a later point.  Show me someone who likes going on interviews or giving interviews and I will sell you a bridge in Brooklyn, and this bridge is a real money maker, trust me…

There are tons of mistakes that interviewees and interviewers make.  For the most part the interviewer’s mistakes are largely ignored.  Most of us are so excited to get the interview, especially in this economy, that we blabber mouth our way through it.  And that leads to the first mistake:

We have gone on way to many interviews or we have gone through the interview in our head so many times we (insert DUM DUM DUM music here) say what we want the interviewer wants to say.  Some of you laugh, some of you don’t get it, but most of us have done it.  We have to face the fact that we are not perfect, and companies and interviewers also need to face that same fact (swallow your pride America!).  Interviewers want to hear about the real you.  We all have quirks, and we all of rituals.  Don’t be afraid to admit you mistakes, don’t be afraid to admit your quirks (if working naked is your quirk, make sure you are interviewing for a telecommuting job.  I don’t care how good looking you think you are.)  Fess up but don’t admit that you are a slob, you cannot make it work on time, or you have an anger management problem (If you do have anger management problems, please seek help before working in an office, because we all know that dealing with customers, computers, coworkers, email, IT, management, power points, and about a million other things will cause stress in your office life.)  I guess the real way to look at this is like dating.  Be yourself, because just like in dating no matter how good of a front you put up, your real self will appear.  (I’m looking at all of you!)  You will find that if you are who you really are, just like in dating you will be accepted.  Remember there are people out there that like the “Crazies”.  It just has to be the right person…  And now on to the second mistake:

Showing up to the interview unprepared, whether you are hung over, running late, or whatever.  THERE IS NO EXCUSE TO BE UNPREPARED!!!  (This goes for interviewers too.)  Be there early, smell good (don’t smoke on your way to the interview smokers), look good (If possible overdress!  DO NOT wear a tuxedo though), and have a resume (this really helps when the interviewer does not have a copy of it).  Know about the copy you are interviewing with.  You have Google, use it.  Find out as much as you can about them.  Do not just go to their website!  Remember the blog about Gatekeepers?  I mentioned Jigsaw, use it to your advantage to find out about them.  Also there is another website called Manta.  Manta will give you more of in depth information about the company.  You can find out who their local competitors are, what the SIC code is, and how they compare to similar companies.  Part of being prepared is asking questions.  You have done your research, ask questions about it.  ASK what their mission statement is.  ASK who are their main competitors are (I know you should already know but ask anyway).  ASK questions about what they do, what is their product, and who do they serve (once again you should already know this but sometimes you miss something).  ASK what motivates them to get up everyday and come to work (If they answer money, and for the fact if you answer a motivation question with money, you should be drawn and quartered.  IT IS A BAD ANSWER).    This is a job interview you are selling yourself; you are there to talk about what you do well, what your skills are, and what you will bring to their company.  You are not there to bash your current are past employers.  DO NOT talk about what a jerk your old boss was.  DO NOT talk about how their policies sucked, and how it held you back as a salesperson.  Most important this is a job interview, DO NOT get suckered into a trap and tell your weaknesses.  If you are asked, “What do you think your shortcomings are?”, or anything close to that line of questioning.  Simply reply, “That is a good question.  I need to think about that; can we come back to that question?”  Pretty much stick with that with any of the “DO NOT” questions.  In the end remember they are there to interview you as a possible employee, but at the same time you are there to interview them as a possible employer.  Asking questions is the most important thing you can do.  If you asked the question in the previous interview, ask it again (it is always important to have some new questions too).  And now the final mistake people make when interviewing for a job:

Send a “Thank you” letter or email.  Reaffirm your interest in the position.  Go over what you learned from them (be specific).  Explain how after your interview you believe that your past skills will help you be an important member of their team.  Team, remember team!  YOU ARE NOT Fonzie; YOU ARE NOT a lone wolf; YOU ARE a team player!  If you are not a team player, you should not be interviewing with a position with anyone. 

And in the end it boils down to a few simple things.  Be prepared, without preparation you are a Schmuck (see Yiddish definition, not German).  Ask questions, you are not the only one being interviewed here (I don’t care how many interviews you have been on with this company, not asking questions is a one way ticket back into the job market).  Follow up, show that you are truly interested in the position and the company (when sending a thank you note, do it within 48 hours, the sooner the better).

Next blog: Lessons I learned from Jimmy V