The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job

Throughout the job search process, everything you say and do is placed on scales in the employer’s mind—the costs and risks of hiring you on one side, the benefits and gains on the other. The employer makes a wise investment when the benefits he gains outweigh the risks and costs. So the candidate who offers the most gains and least risks at a good price gets hired. That’s why it’s essential to offer all of your related accomplishments, including those transferred from unpaid and less traditional sources (just follow our rules). You must also transform your general selling points into proof that what the employer gains significantly offsets your barriers. Mr. Matthews illustrates this point well with a story about a candidate he once hired for his warehouse. He was interviewing for temporary warehouse workers, a forklift driver, and an assistant manager. Larry applied for the forklift job, but was willing to start as a temp worker to prove his value.

Larry arrived ten minutes early and was neatly dressed in work boots, nice jeans, an ironed, button-down shirt, and a tie. He was obviously fit and seemed friendly. Larry had the required license, more than ten years’ experience, was willing to take whatever shifts were available, and seemed eager to work. When Mr. Matthews asked Larry what he thought were the major problems companies faced with warehouse staff, he was impressed with Larry’s answer—damaged merchandise, theft, carelessness, and not getting the job done. Larry then proceeded to share why these would not be problems with him. Mr. Matthews wasn’t surprised to learn that Larry had been a supervisor in a previous job. At this point, the scales were tipping in Larry’s favor. Near the end of the interview, Mr. Matthews was startled by Larry’s admission that he had a criminal conviction for drug sales. The scales just tipped in the other direction! If Larry started using or selling drugs, the four major problems they discussed earlier could all occur.

You might be wondering why Larry “told on himself.” He knew his conviction would be discovered when the company did a background check, and he didn’t want it to screen him out. By telling Mr. Matthews himself, he had the opportunity to tip the scales back in his favor. He told Mr. Matthews that it was important to him to be honest, and that he didn’t want them to discover it later and feel like he had misled them. He was hoping to stay a long time with the company. He assured Mr. Matthews that he hadn’t used or sold drugs for three years, and offered to take regular drug tests. He also explained the government bonding program that offers extra insurance as a safeguard to employers who give good people a second chance. Mr. Matthews watched Larry’s eyes as he spoke, and his gut told him Larry was one of those good people. But there were still several more candidates to interview.

Sensing that Mr. Matthews was not convinced, Larry asked if his concern was because the company had problems with drug use in the past. Mr. Matthews admitted they had. Larry responded that he could help. His experience meant he could easily identify who was using and encourage them to clean up. He even knew of a free recovery program they could take advantage of. Also, he could help create a clean shop, where those who use drugs feel pressure not to bring it to work. Larry’s up-front style and earnest responses impressed Mr. Matthews. He no longer saw Larry as a potential problem, but as part of the solution, and the scales tipped back in his favor. Because of Larry’s good answer, positive references, supervisory experience, and his own gut feeling about him, Mr. Matthews offered him the assistant manager position.

Over the years, we’ve been surprised at what people tell potential employers. We once worked with a man who wanted to start interviews with, I’m Nate, a grateful recovering addict. We said, “Good answer, wrong meeting!” He’d never been convicted of a crime or lost a job because of his former drug use, so there was no reason to bring it up. He said he didn’t want to lie. We agree that you should never lie to an employer. It will come back to haunt you, often resulting in getting fired and a bad reference. However, there is a difference between a lie and appropriate disclosure. If an employer directly asks about an issue, offer an honest good answer using the techniques in Chapter 16. But few interviewers will ask if you’re a single parent, upside down in your mortgage, attending therapy, going through a divorce, chronically ill, or if you drink too much . . . unless you give them a reason to be concerned. Appropriate disclosure means not volunteering negative information the employer will never discover that doesn’t affect your ability to do the job. If an issue has been resolved, say nothing!

TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL?

There are a lot of things about you employers don’t have the right to know—for instance, that you struggle with depression, are planning to have a child, are in recovery from an addiction, or your sexual orientation or marital status. But there are two reasons why you might choose to tell them:

First, like Larry, you may know the employer will discover the issue when she does a background check, talks to your references, or at some other point in the hiring process, such as with issues like having been fired, a criminal conviction, pending legal problems, the revoking of a related license, a medical problem that interferes with regular attendance, and so on. It is true that many small companies hire on intuition and won’t investigate your past, but many of them do conduct background checks before offering promotions. If you suspect that the employer will discover the issue, offer your explanation before he hears about it from others. However, bring it up only after he is impressed and shows an interest in hiring you, so you have lots on the gain side of the scale before adding potential risks to the other side.

Second, there may be an issue that is important enough to you that it must be supported in your work environment, such as having your sexuality respected, being able to talk about your faith, or taking calls from your kids. Again, wait until the employer sees your value before bringing it up, but discussing it during the interview allows you to see the employer’s reaction and decide whether the company is a good match for you.

Most interviews are only thirty to sixty minutes long, which is not much time to share all the reasons you would be an asset to the company. Don’t misuse that time by focusing on the risks.

If you are unsure whether your references or a background check will reveal the issue, do a check yourself. Helena discovered that her past employer never mentioned her sexual harassment lawsuit. Walt discovered that his employer simply said the contract had ended, not that he’d been fired. CJ discovered that his criminal record was sealed because he was a minor when he committed the offense. Ask an employment advisor or friend to conduct a reference check on you. Have her call the HR Department or manager at your previous companies and state that she is doing a reference check for (your name and social security number) who reportedly worked for their company between (your dates of employment) as a (your position). Once your associate verifies those facts, have your friend ask the company rep if he would recommend you for (the job you are now pursuing). If the rep is talkative, your friend can ask about some of the accomplishments listed on your résumé to see if the company confirms your claims. Have her end the conversation by asking why you left and if you are eligible for rehire, and if you aren’t eligible, why. It’s important to get the facts.

➵ DID YOU KNOW?

Most HR Departments will only verify the starting and ending dates of employment, position, and salary of former employees, and whether they are eligible for rehire. Often, smaller and independently owned companies will even give details about the quality of work and reasons for leaving. Due to increasing lawsuits, a growing number of employers will only verify basic details in writing with your signed consent.

Another thing that can tip the scales against you is casual comments you make without thinking. Rina mentions that she recently visited Disney World and looks forward to going back once she and her husband have kids. The employer wonders how soon she wants kids, how long they will be paying for her maternity leave, and if she’ll come back. Garth says that his wife doesn’t want to move, so he will be commuting almost two hours each way to the job. The employer worries that the extra hours will get old quickly and Garth will be gone. Bonnie shares that she worked in the field for seven years before she got married, and now needs a job because her #§*#^ soon-to-be ex won’t pay a reasonable alimony. The employer imagines her on the phone with her lawyers, rather than his customers. None of these issues had to come up. Step into the employer’s shoes and review your recent interviews. Have you shared information that tipped the scales against you? Often you can see it in the employer’s eyes. Here are some tips for handling three common questions:

Tell me about yourself. Keep your Stories and Facts focused on skills, qualities, and attitudes the employer is looking for. Don’t bring up personal information that doesn’t add to your image of being great at the job—being native to the area could illustrate stability, where being a single parent of three could do the opposite. As you prepare your response to this question, consider each item you want to include and ask yourself whether the employer needs to know this, and if it will prove you would be great at this job. Your best answer to this question will use Stories that highlight your key message.

What is your greatest weakness? Carefully choose the weakness you will share. Choose a skill or quality you are currently working on that is related but not essential for the job—I am more comfortable working with customers over the phone than in person, which is why I’m applying for a back-of-the-house position. But I really want to get better at face-to-face interaction so I joined Toastmasters and have begun to volunteer at Chamber of Commerce events. If you had said, I can’t swim, the interviewer would likely have thought, What does that have to do with anything? Also, avoid overused “weaknesses,” like being a workaholic or perfectionist. Employers don’t believe them, and you seem sly using them. If you have an obvious weakness in an area the employer needs, sharing it and your solution demonstrates honesty and a desire for professional development. Be sure also to remind the employer of what you offer that counters the weakness—I currently type 35 words per minute, but I’m taking a typing class and have already increased my speed by 10 words per minute. Within 3 months, I should be over 65 words per minute. I am hoping that my experience with . . . more than makes up for a slightly slower start.

Why would you be great for this job? With humble confidence, share your key message, including your unique hard-to-find quality, attitude, or skill. Keep it brief, and end by sharing your best Story regarding your key message. For more than 10 years I have been successful managing programs like yours. I have an excellent network throughout the United States, which can increase our visibility; it was built in part by service on the board of ABC Industry Association. And most important, I share your passion for helping people. I know managers and senior staff in our industry can become jaded, but I find that our clients inspire me. In fact, just last week I encountered a young mother who attended a college program I managed. Her newfound success and confidence is why I do this job.

TARGETING THE RIGHT EMPLOYERS