My Message: No Matter Who You Work For, You are Always the CEO of YOU!
It is Always Best to Negotiate from a Position of Power—Tell your Interviewer What You Bring to the Table to Help their Company
As you know, the three prior blogs that I posted were related to the presentation I prepared for my local library, the Ocean Avenue Branch. I must say that I found the experience exhilarating. No amount of preparation can prepare you for the impact of real people who show up with their real-world issues and experiences.
What I learned from my audience was that wearing the right clothes and preparing the right resume is only the first scene of a multi-act show. In addition to those steps, it is essential to remember that you are far more employable if you:
• Place yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. Think about the budget cuts they may be facing. Think about the work they are hiring you to do. Think about what you can offer them that others may not.
o Invest time in researching your field as well as specific companies in which you are interested.
• Find out who the President and CEO are as well as any other major players. Google your interviewer to get some idea of their background. Knowledge is power.
• Find out how the company fared last year and in the last quarter.
• Find out who their competitors are—every company has competitors.
• Tell them why their company appeals to you.
• Prepare all of your comments in advance so you will be less likely to be caught off guard.
• Don’t wear blinders. Yes, you are concerned about paying your bills and putting food on the table. But:
o Pick your head up long enough to glance at a newspaper and have a general idea of what is going on in the world, even if it does not appear to effect you directly.
o Desperation is not an attractive trait. You are there to do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. Dignity and self-esteem are attractive traits than enhance your employability.
o Your personal and financial concerns are not their problem.
• NEVER allow yourself to be placed in a sexually or other compromising position in exchange for work.
Remember—the prospective employer is not there is make sure you have medical coverage and a paid vacation. They are there to get a job done. You are there to make sure that they see you are the best one to get it done.
