The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job

Employers are looking for wise investments—and employees are often their largest investment. That’s why they compare you against their PADMAN for the job. All six areas are important, but each employer prioritizes them differently depending on the job and the company goals. When hiring for customer service jobs, employers often rate presentation and attitude at the top. If the job requires discretion or one person to complete tasks before another can start, then dependability is number one. Employers in fast-growing or quickly changing companies often value motivation most. Those hiring for scientific and highly technical jobs generally care most about ability, and those looking for people to do sales or resource development often rank network as paramount. If you are very strong in the two or three areas an employer needs most, he may overlook or work with your weaknesses. However, if you are weak in an area an employer values, you’ll need to fix it to get hired. For example, if an employer is hiring front office staff and a candidate hasn’t updated her image in more than fifteen years, the employer may worry that the person has outdated skills, resists change, or won’t impress customers or other staff. This doesn’t mean the candidate can’t do the job, but it makes the employer wonder if what he will gain outweighs the risks. The key is to ensure that your overall value in PADMAN outweighs any risks the employer takes in hiring you.

Another thing to consider is that ads and job descriptions tend to focus on ability, but employers want more than what they ask for. Think about it. Few employers ask for people who use manners, speak business English, work safely, and are easy to get along with, but most employers want these things. You must look beyond what they ask for, and address their spoken and unspoken needs. Your PADMAN doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does have to be fixable. We’ll show you how.

MAKING PADMAN WORK FOR YOU

Albert Einstein said that “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is insanity.” New information and techniques are only helpful if you do something new with them! We designed the PADMAN Plan to help you identify what you can do differently to get hired. It’s a simple way to create a tailored marketing plan for each job you want. It helps you identify what an employer wants, then maximize your proof so the employer quickly sees that you meet his needs. It also helps you identify and overcome all the barriers standing in your way. Barriers are any issues that cause the employer to screen you out. They are not always fair, true, politically correct, or even legal, but each can be overcome using the six solution tools we’ll teach you in Part 3.

Step 1: Choose Your Job Target

Start by identifying the job you want and writing it at the top of your PADMAN Plan as shown in the example on page 51. Include both the position and field (that is, receptionist in construction, physical therapist for a sports team). A specific job target is important because the employers’ needs and the reasons they screen out may be different for each job. And it helps you focus only on the proof and barriers relevant to the job you want. Any accomplishments or barriers unrelated to your job target are nonissues and shouldn’t be included. If you’re unsure which jobs you would enjoy and do well, read Chapter 13. If you need more help, read What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles. It has helped millions of people determine the right career for them.

Step 2: List the Employer’s Needs

Once you’ve clarified your target, identify your prospective employer’s needs for that job and list them on your Plan. Proving you can meet those needs is why you’ll get hired, and failing to meet them is why you’ll get screened out! Remember, employers care about all six areas of PADMAN, so look for their top three to six needs in each area. And be specific—for example, “computer skills” becomes “knowledge of Microsoft Professional Office Suite, with ability to create Excel spreadsheets.” Here are a few tips for discovering employers’ top needs:

Look at what they ask for in each area of PADMAN. Review the job posting and job description, and visit http://online.onetcenter.org for a list of common requirements (type the title in the “Occupational Quick Search” box and select your job from the list of related titles).

Learn as much as you can about the company. Search the company website and for articles about it, and visit and talk to current employees, customers, and associates. Learn what’s important to the company, what makes it unique, what it is most proud of, what’s new, and what’s changing. Remember, employers will only add to their payroll costs if they believe you will help them solve a problem, meet a need, or make money.

Talk with people outside the company who hire, train, or supervise others doing the same job. Ask what makes an employee great in this position. Talk with employment specialists, recruiters, headhunters, résumé writers, and staffing professionals who work in the field, to discover what employers value most in the job. If you don’t know anyone personally, make cold calls. When calling, introduce yourself as someone considering a career change (or depending on your situation, a blogger researching an article, a student writing a thesis or investigating the industry, or a qualified candidate considering relocation)—but not a job seeker. If they think you want a job, they’ll say they’re not hiring and end the conversation. Be clear that you just want information. Here’s a sample script for career changers:

Hi, this is Jane Doe. I’m hoping you can help me with some information. I’m considering a career change and want to learn more about your industry before I decide whether to make the move. May I ask you three quick questions?

They are busy, so let them know you’ll keep it short.

I have (list your top three transferable skills). Do I meet the needs for an XYZ position? . . . Great! I know excelling requires more than just skills. What do you think are the most important qualities for the job? . . . And lastly, to make sure I’ d be a good match, are there qualities or attitudes that can cause a problem in that position; maybe things that get in the way of someone being great at it? . . . Thank you for your time.

Adjust it to suit your style, the person you are talking to, or specific information you want to gain, such as Do you know of instances where someone who doesn’t have an ABC certificate has been hired?

Discover the industry’s current priorities. What are the new problems they face, and opportunities they hope to take advantage of? What new technologies and solutions exist? Read industry magazines, blogs, newsletters, and articles. Attend industry events. Talk with industry insiders and past business associates.

Continue your research during the interview. Listen closely to the questions asked, because they indicate what is important to the employer. For example:

• How many years of experience do you have? and Do you have an ABC certificate? reveal the vocational skills the employer thinks ensure your ability to make the company profitable.

• How would you deal with customers in XYZ situation? and We invest a lot of training in our staff, so what would you like to be doing in five years? offer insight into how the employer prioritizes PADMAN. If he’s had difficulty finding people with these qualities, he’ll probably ask follow-up questions.

• What does being “dependable” mean to you? and Have you ever been fired or committed a crime? highlight past problems the employer wants to know will not be a problem with you.

• Why did you leave your last job? and Why would your past coworkers say we should hire you? are designed to assess your attitudes and whether you’ll fit with the employer’s customers and coworkers.

Once you learn from the first interview what is specifically important to that employer, use it to tailor your responses and prepare for the next round of interviews.

As you discover your employer’s needs, list them on your Plan, next to the corresponding PADMAN area. Don’t be afraid to list needs you can’t meet, because we’ll show you how to overcome those obstacles. Remember, not listing a need doesn’t make it go away, it just makes you unprepared. Also, list additional selling points you have that the employer may want for this job but didn’t ask for, such as a great memory for faces and names, or as in our example on page 51, a strong connections with local trainers and kennels or referrals. Your next step will be to develop persuasive selling points for each.

If the thought of doing this for every employer you’re going to send a résumé to feels overwhelming, then don’t. Instead, select one industry and job title and create a general PADMAN Plan and résumé for it. Next, select three companies you want to work for within that industry and research their specific PADMAN as Amanda did. Then tailor your key message, cover letter, and spontaneous letters specifically for them. Lastly, determine the best side doors to use (we’ll show you how to do all of this in the chapters ahead). We guarantee it will consume less time than submitting hundreds of applications or résumés over the next several months, and will produce better results. Plus, it will increase your confidence and prepare you to stand out in the interview so you get the job. If you are interested in a couple of different industries or job titles, you can follow the same process for each.