Facts Tell, Stories Sell! Most have heard this common phrase when it comes to marketing.
Well guess what, career seeker? When you embark on a career seeking process, you embark on a marketing process. Understanding the principles of marketing and the sales process can differentiate a good career seeker to one that will get a lot of, “no thank you’s” from perspective employers. So, as you build your resume and start to prepare for the interviews with the company of your dreams, remember to have a number of good stories that will convey your brightest skills, experience, and professional victories.
One of the most common attributes that we hear career seekers use to describe themselves is that they are a team player. Okay… that sounds great, humble and certainly a sign of a great leader, but I always follow that up with, “Awesome, tell me about where your leadership decision led a team to brighter pastures.” That’s when the truth comes out.
Almost 50% of the time, a career seeker has a hard time verbalizing an example that shows me they are truly a team player. I love it when I do get a story about a decision, a time, or a modeling behavior that led a team to greater heights. Those candidates that provide me with a good story are the ones that walk the walk and in this case, are really team players. Those that gave me awkward silence and sputtering of more promised traits are the ones that need to get back in the field and take note of team work.
I know this is not earth shattering advice for the career seeker, but take it seriously and be very intentional to quantify results of the attributes you are selling about yourself on your resume – this is the fact! But don’t make it general; get specific with numbers, ratios percentages, and improvements. In the interview, take that fact and ring it out with a great story. By doing so, you will build better rapport with the interviewer, show them you can walk the walk, and land that dream job!
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