Part 38 (2/2)

You get the idea. This goes back to the comment about being able to plug-and-play in any company.

About the cover letter: the best cover letters are actually written in the ”Problem/Agitate/Solve” format. Google that to see what I'm talking about. The master of sales letter writing is Gary Halbert. Google him, too. Without being long-winded here, you want to write a letter to the head of the company function in which you'd like to work, like Dear Sales Manager, Dear CFO, Dear Sales Manager, Dear CFO, or whomever. or whomever.

Then start off with an honest opening sentence like ”I stopped by briefly today to apply for a job. I have no idea if you are hiring, but even if you aren't-I think I could be of value to you.”

Then simply provide a bullet-pointed laundry list of ways that you could help on a full-time, part-time, project, or interim basis. Give some affordable no-strings attached staffing options. Again, position your needs honestly in a way that he or she can identify with-and profit from.

Why such over-the-top honesty? Because hiring managers are busy and they are not expecting such an honest approach. It will catch them off guard because it's true. It's completely without pretense. Hiring managers love that.

Step 6 Cold walk buildings. You are looking for full-time, part-time, temp, interim, project, and seasonal work to get you through your job search. You can work from their office or from home. You have a computer with Internet access.

A local Atlanta phone company, Cbeyond Communications, has come out of nowhere in the past few years to carve a nice niche in the hotly compet.i.tive small business market. Its sales reps are known for going into high-rise buildings and popping in on office managers to solicit new business. Of course, unannounced solicitations are strictly forbidden in most high-rises, but that hasn't stopped Cbeyond's sales reps, who rarely get busted by security.

How Do They Do It?

By starting at the tenth floor, then going to the first floor, then working the ninth floor, then the second, then the eighth, then the third, and so on-finally stopping in the middle.

Why the Strange Pattern?

Because when tenants call security saying that there's a solicitor on the tenth floor, security goes to the ninth floor to wait for them. But by the time Cbeyond gets to the ninth floor (after having spent 30 minutes on the first), security has left the scene. And on it goes, a goose chase that ends with Cbeyond having canva.s.sed the entire building.

If I were in insurance, legal services, or accounting, I'd swipe this tactic.

THE ONLY GOAL IN DOING THIS IS TO MEET ENOUGH PEOPLE TO GET CALLED IN FOR A REAL INTERVIEW.

n.o.body is going to get hired on the spot with this plan. However, if you do do meet the sales manager on the first visit, simply say: meet the sales manager on the first visit, simply say: Look, I know you are busy, but I'm looking for a new job in this geographic area. The envelope contains a cover letter and my resume. I have no idea if you are hiring or not. My only objective in stopping by was to position myself as a possible resource for your company. Obviously, I have enough guts and tenacity to knock on doors-but I'm decent enough not to be pushy. Kindly review my resume and let me know if you'd like to meet for a regular interview. That will give both of us some time to do our homework on each other. Otherwise, perhaps you can pa.s.s my resume along to a local friend who is hiring. Okay??

Now clearly, it takes nerves of steel to pull this off-but people did this type of thing during the depression. And business-to-business salespeople do this every day.

Remember that desperate times call for desperate measures, and if you just lost your job and you are not niched to a particular industry and you are almost out of cash and have kids to feed, then what I have written is a fairly good game plan for getting out an collecting noes-the most time honored way to get to yeses there is.

Harry Joiner is a well-known marketing recruiter based in Atlanta, Georgia. His blog, MarketingHeadhunter.com, is one of the world's most widely read blogs on careers in marketing, and his forthcoming book The Over 50 Job Search The Over 50 Job Search is expected to be published in 2010. You can see the book's weblog at is expected to be published in 2010. You can see the book's weblog at

Chapter 12.

Hand-to-Hand Combat

Winning the Face-to-Face Interview

The first one gets the oyster, the second gets the sh.e.l.l.

-ANDREW CARNEGIE

As compet.i.tion for customers, market share, and profitability intensifies, understanding what makes an organization effective and which levers to pull to improve financial performance are critical. High-performing companies consistently hire doers-go-getters-at all levels in the company. Innovation, creativity, perseverance, and leaders.h.i.+p are the key levers for success.

As a guerrilla job hunter, your strategy has been to appeal to an employer's core need to make money, save money, and increase efficiencies. Combining those needs with elements from the New Value Table (see Figure 2.1) produced a winning resume that secured interviews. Now you must deliver on your marketing.

BUILD YOUR STRATEGY AROUND THE EMPLOYER'S EXPECTATIONS

You will meet 4 general groups of decision makers during interviews. Each group requires a different strategy. Each has a different agenda that you must focus on.

The groups are: 1. Senior executives2. Hiring managers3. Human resource managers4. Corporate recruiters

Senior Executives

* Even if you are not seeking a senior executive role, executives look for similar things from all candidates, so understanding their perspective will help you position your accomplishments accordingly. By the way, that is the first thing they look for-accomplishments.* Executives want to see a lot of recent accomplishments and understand the specifics. They need to know how your accomplishments can translate into success for them if they hire you-even before they interview you.

Executives also look for: * Outstanding leaders.h.i.+p qualities: Outstanding leaders.h.i.+p qualities: A demonstrated ability to create and communicate a vision and then build a team to carry it out A demonstrated ability to create and communicate a vision and then build a team to carry it out* Honesty and integrity: Honesty and integrity: A well-principled person whom people trust and who can build shared values throughout the organization A well-principled person whom people trust and who can build shared values throughout the organization* Intellectual capacity: Intellectual capacity: The ability to make quick, solid decisions in tough compet.i.tive environments The ability to make quick, solid decisions in tough compet.i.tive environments* Intensity: Intensity: The capacity to create a deep level of trust among their staff and create an energy-charged, enthusiastic environment The capacity to create a deep level of trust among their staff and create an energy-charged, enthusiastic environment* Pa.s.sion: Pa.s.sion: An unrelenting drive to leave a positive mark on the organization that is not driven by money or power An unrelenting drive to leave a positive mark on the organization that is not driven by money or power* Work ethic: Work ethic: A warriorlike resiliency that allows you to persevere, no matter how difficult the task A warriorlike resiliency that allows you to persevere, no matter how difficult the task

<script>