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In my previous seven posts, I told you things to do this summer to help you get a job in DC. Now, I’m going to follow with the seven things NOT to do. I’m talking third rail stuff here -- things that are guaranteed to knock you out of the competition for a job in a super competitive job market like DC.
Perhaps you’ve heard the old saw that “you never get a second chance to make a good first impression?” This idea becomes crucial when you’re facing a big stack of resumes for a spot at your dream organization. If you’re lucky enough to get a human being to read and consider your resume/application, you’ve got to get everything right. You know well enough to get all the big things right – typos, two page resumes, lies on your resume – but what about the little things – the subtle things that you might not realize can sink your chances in a second.
The first little thing NOT to do is to be THAT Bachelor.
Whether you realize it or not, being a candidate in a job search is like being one of the 30 bachelors in The Bachelorette. Like Gillian, the hiring manager has one goal – to get that list of 30 “guys” down to one. If you watched any of the episodes this season, you know that the Bachelorette had a wide range of highly subjective and emotional reasons for sending guys home – too young, not serious enough, too self centered, etc. The most excruciating reason for being sent home, however, was being THAT Bachelor -- the one who never told Gillian that he loved her and wanted to be with her forever. All he could say after she sent him home was – “I just wish I could turn back time and do things differently.”
Surprisingly, most job candidates come through a job interview seeming relatively uninterested in the job and the organization at hand. Sure – they clearly want A job – or they wouldn’t be there. As a hiring manager, however, I want the person I hire to want MY organization and the job I’m offering them. Like THAT Bachelor – they tend to get so caught up in the process of the interview and answering all of my questions -- not to mention the Rose Ceremonies and the Hometown Dates -- that they forget to let me know how much they want to commit to me and my organization.
Here’s some ways to show your “love” for my organization and the job for which I’m hiring –
Write a new love letter -- Would you recycle a love letter? Then why would you recycle an application? Don't send me the same old cover letter and resume that you send 20 other places. Customize it specifically to the job I'm posting and for my organization. Tell me as clearly and succinctly as possible why we're right for each other.
Meet the parents – come into the interview knowing everything you can find out about my organization. A Google search the night before the interview doesn’t cut it. Would you propose to someone without learning as much as you can about them? So why would you interview at an organization at which you’ll spend most of your waking moments – without a similarly deep look. Find out everything you can about me and my office; come into the interview with a long list of questions and suggestions for ways you can contribute. I’ll be flattered by the effort and impressed by the depth of your interest.
Court – Once you know you’re a serious candidate for a job, and especially after you interview, find every way you possibly can to let me know you’re the right person for the position. Send a handwritten letter thanking me for the interview, and then to everyone else with whom you talked. Do you have some big name professor or former boss who is willing to make a call? Put them on the case. Find someone who knows me or someone in my organization and ask them to drop me a line on your behalf. The only way you’re making a pest of yourself is if you don’t have a realistic shot of getting the job.
Get down on one knee – You’d be surprised how many job candidates don’t ask for the job in the interview. Like Reid the Bachelor who didn’t express his feelings for the Bachelorette until it was too late – you’re never going to get the job for which you don’t ask. But don’t just ask – tell me why you’re the best person for the job and for my organization. As the hiring manager, I (like Gillian) hold all the cards. It’s all about me, so tell me how you’re going to benefit me and my organization if I pick you. Chances are – if you’ve done your homework and courted me the right way, you’ll be wearing the final rose.
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I’ve taken this analogy far longer than it was meant to go, but you get the idea. Don’t be THAT Bachelor who wishes he could go back in time and do things differently. Like love, you get one shot at getting a great job – and your chances of getting it depend a LOT on how strongly you pursue it.
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Seven ways NOT to find an entry-level job in DC this summer
1. Be THAT Bachelor
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