The Secret of Getting in the Door

By Joe Girard

A common question people have when they are building their careers is how to get employers to talk to them. There are always going to be jobs available, even in this economy, but the question you have to ask yourself is, “Am I the BEST person for this job?”

Many people also wonder how to get the boss to listen to them or take notice.

The secret answer is…

It is not about you.

That’s right, you are not the most important person when it comes to the eyes of your current or future boss. THEY are the most important person in their mind. So why do you bore them with, “Oh look what I have done and how special I am?”

When trying to get in the door, think about who you are going to see and what might be important to them. Have you heard of a little thing called Google? Do some research.

• Who are you meeting with?
• What does the company stand for?
• What is their vision?
• Who are their customers?
• What words and phrases do they use?

If you start with this basic formula in mind and then re-tool your resume to match what is important to THEM, you have a much better chance of getting in the door.

Approximately 80% of all jobs available are in the hidden job market, however most people only look at the jobs they can find in the paper or online.

Here is a quick psychology lesson:

The favorite word that people love to hear is “YOU.”

• YOU are special
• I am glad to meet YOU
• It was a pleasure doing business with YOU

Now, combine YOU with the word BECAUSE and you will increase cooperation immediately.

• YOU are special BECAUSE you have the ability to make people feel comfortable.
• I am glad to meet YOU BECAUSE I have heard what great things YOU have done with the business.
• It was a pleasure doing business with YOU BECAUSE of the way YOU can easily identify solutions.

Do you see the difference?

Combine the research technique above with the psychology of YOU-BECAUSE and you will see much better results.

Or you can continue to send out 50 resumes that look the same and hope they stick.

Joe Girard is the Systems Project Manager for Sprott-Shaw Community College and lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. For more information on Joe, visit his website or email him at joegirard@gmail.com.