TUESDAY TIPS: March 4, 2014: Sell, Don’t Ask!

TUESDAY TIPS: March 4, 2014: Sell, Don’t Ask!

March 4, 2014 Uncategorized 0

Still cackling–sadly–over the client whose boss told him, “Again with the networking?” Story of my life, since if I’m alive, I’m networking. Every time I see people invested in their self-hatred, and doubt, I network a little bit harder, to ward off their bad juju… and you should, too.

Today’s networking (i.e. LIFE) hint, is about selling, instead of asking permission. By that I mean, that if you have an informational interview coming up, maybe you reached out to a fellow alumni–and god bless you, if you did this–who works at a company, or within an industry you’re interested in, and the person invited you to their office for lunch, or coffee, and you’re suddenly paralyzed with doubt thinking,”…wait…is this an interview or not? Should I bring my resume, can I ask for a job, WHAT DO I DO??” First of all, crawl down off that ledge, Kid. It’s allll going to be okay. I promise.

If you were my client, I’d tell you to wear a nice suit, do your hair, carry a copy of your resume, and make sure your LinkedIn profile is on point, have a pitch prepared about why you’re interested in this particular job, field, and do NOT ask if this is an interview. The minute you ask that, you make the situation super awkward. It’s like asking a date, in the midst of making out, “Honey…what did you mean, when you said I shouldn’t wear those jeans? Do you think I’m fat?” Buzz kill.

Don’t ask, just do. If you ask the person if this is an interview, suddenly you’re putting a lot of pressure on them. They’re going to feel like they have a responsibility to get you a job. Hey, you reached out to them, they just wanted to be a nice guy, and suddenly, whoa, all this pressure! And right now might not be any jobs in the company, or they might not know about them. So if you ask them, they very likely might cancel the whole thing. People have enough stress in their lives, don’t add to it. It won’t help your career.

On the other hand, if you just go and are prepared, and charming and smart, suddenly, that person might remember the friend who at brunch mentioned that her company was hiring. Many people present very badly, so if you are on your game, if you’ve prepared, and researched the person whom you’re speaking with, and his company, and you demonstrate your intelligence, and commitment…your interlocutor may have gone into the meeting out of obligation, but he may leave thinking, “Whoa, we need to find a way to hire that man!” This happens all the time. I’ve had so many interviews that we just supposed to be “informational,” and 3 hours later, I had a job offer. If I can do this, you can do this.

Just be discreet, prepared, professional and realistic. Bring your resume in a folder, and only offer it if asked. More important than your resume, I promise you, if your demeanor: you must demonstrate your passion, your intelligence and your professionalism. And, finally, if someone says, “Well, I know [X]  at [X] company; would you like me to introduce you?” SAY YES! Give a radiant smile and say, “Wow, that’d be so generous, thank you!” Do NOT say, “Well, how much are they paying, and um what kind of job would it be?” Can you think of a faster way to turn someone off? Here this person wanted to help you, and now you’re putting all these restrictions…ugh. Don’t be that guy.

art-is-andy-warhol

 

 

 

 

 

The above quote, from Andy Warhol, is, of course, about art, but really it should be about your life: your career is whatever you have the courage to get away with, n’est pas?

Want some more personalized help? Oh, of course you do, Bright Eyes! Email me at carlotazee@gmail.com and become a fan of my Facebook page, “Carlotaworldwide Creativity Yenta,” for a free consultation.

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