Follow
You can’t persuade the uninterested:
● Make yourself interesting:
● An Internship is a good place to start:
○ 80% of employers want new graduates who have completed a formal internship
■ Students and internships
● Only 44% who do not complete an internship feel ready for the job market
● 58% who complete an unpaid internship feel ready
● 70% who complete a paid internship feel ready
○ Find out what they want:
■ The National Association of Colleges and Employees surveyed more than 200 employees about the qualities they want
● 1 = not important at all. 5 = Extremely Important
○ Ability to work in a team structure: 4.55
○ Ability to make decisions and solve problems: 4.50
○ Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work: 4.48
■ 60% of employers say applicants lack “communication and interpersonal skills”
● A jump of about 10 percentage points in just two years.
■ 1 in 5 employers worldwide can’t fill positions because they can’t find people with soft skills
● motivation
● interpersonal skills
● appearance
● punctuality
● flexibility
○ Find opportunities to bolster these skills
Immerse yourself:
● If you aren’t interested in them, they will not be interested in you
○ Checklist:
■ Website
■ Social Media
■ News Articles
○ Check Glassdoor
■ Interview reports/questions
■ Company culture
■ Employer ratings
Personality matters
● Be positive and enthusiastic
● Strong handshake
● Smile and make eye contact
● Dress appropriately and professionally
● Mirror body language to increase your likability
● Smell nice
Um, get rid of the verbal junk:
● Be ready to answer questions simply and clearly and transparently and not opaquely
○ Ask yourself ‘Why do you, like, want the job?’
■ Answer in as few sentences as possible
■ Do not talk in circles
● Talking in circles is like talking in an oval except more round
■ … Don’t be afraid to pause before answering a question
Do not promise more than you can deliver
● Promise a 20% increase in sales and deliver a 30%
○ You will be rewarded
● The guy who promises a 40% increase and delivers 35%
○ He will be punished
● Persuasion is simply about understanding and over-delivering on other’s expectations
About Me: Credible
● If there is no credibility, you cannot persuade
○ Be honest with your qualifications
○ Humbly convey accomplishments
○ Leave references
● Don’t let social media ruin credibility before you even shake hands:
○ 91% of employers screen applicants social networking pages
■ 47% look at the applicant’s social media after receiving an application
■ 69% of employers have rejected an application because of Social Media
● Red flags:
○ Inappropriate photos
○ Discriminatory comments
○ Negative comments about previous employer
■ Conversely, 68% of employers have hired somebody because of their social media
● Green flags(?):
○ Positive impression of personality
○ Supports professional accomplishments
○ Shows creativity
Be persistent
● Post interview:
○ write a thank-you note
○ Reinforce why you are a good fit
After your interview you should write a thank-you note and reinforce why you are a good fit for the job.
Sources:
http://business.time.com/2013/11/10/the-real-reason-new-college-grads-cant-get-hired/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonnazar/2013/03/26/the-21-principles-of-persuasion/
http://premium.docstoc.com/c/58/ch/357/l/1546/You-Have-To-Be-Interested-To-Be-Persuaded
http://www.naceweb.org/about-us/press/skills-qualities-employers-want.aspx
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonnazar/2013/03/26/the-21-principles-of-persuasion/
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/03/15/how-social-media-can-kill-your-chances-of-landing-that-job-info/
