June 26, 2006
Sink or Swim? College Grads Face a Sea of Opportunity
What do you want to do with your life?
This is the terrifying question that millions of recent college graduates are facing right now. Many of them view their graduation as a “moment of truth” in their lives. They see it as time to sink or swim. They believe that their future hangs in the balance with every interview.
In truth, it is nowhere near that dramatic. Getting a great job that energizes and inspires you will help get your career started properly. There are four areas of focus that can help the recent college graduate navigate the choppy waters of the entry-level job market.
Finding the right job
There are always experts who tout one industry or another (or one discipline or another) as “the next big thing”. Many college grads follow this advice and pursue careers in areas in which they have little emotional interest.
A better way to determine your career direction is to follow your passion. This requires self-exploration and that does not often come easy. Some clues to career passion lie in your daily activities. For example:
If you find yourself enjoying competitive situations, enjoy meeting new people, and like keeping track of your progress, a career in sales may be an ideal fit for you.
If you enjoy focusing on numbers and have a drive for perfection and a great eye for detail, accounting may be a good area to explore.
It is more important to understand the drivers of your passion than it is to find the hot industry for the next twenty years. Following your passion into your first job will lead to a heightened sense of self-awareness and learning that is critical to career success.
Next, you need to connect passion with employment. Talk to people who are currently in a discipline (sales, marketing, accounting, etc.) that interests you and find out what it takes to be successful. This information, based upon real life experience, will help you build a mental model of success. If you see yourself fitting that model, pursue opportunities in that area.
Once you have identified your preferred discipline, research companies that have a reputation for developing people in those disciplines. Target these companies for your job search campaign. Your goal is to work for the best firm in your chosen discipline.
Landing the right job
Following your passion and identifying target companies are the first two steps. Next, you should find the ideal opportunity within your target companies. Everyone enters the “résumé lottery”-that’s the process in which you send out hundreds of résumés and hope that yours makes it to the top of the pile. The only reason to do this is to get the peace of mind that comes with following the crowd. Look at it this way: Good direct mail campaigns (that’s all a mass résumé mailing is) net a 1-2% response rate. So for every 100 résumés sent out, a graduate will probably receive two phone calls-not necessarily two interviews.
It is more effective to work your natural network. Start by looking for company insiders who can put you on the right track toward available jobs. Explore your school’s alumni network. Look through the directory and e-mail people who are employed by your target firms. Your e-mail should be brief and direct and it should ask for the contact information of hiring managers in specific disciplines with your target company. In many cases, you will be referred to the human resources department. This is not horrible. Send them your information. The ideal contact will be the manager who makes the ultimate hiring decision.
Once you have identified that individual, you should call and ask for an appointment. The appointment should be for an “informational interview”. At this meeting, you can pick the manager’s brain about the qualities that are necessary for successful candidates in his field.
The informational interview is a great opportunity to showcase your knowledge. Ask intelligent questions and make certain to discuss the industry as a whole as well as the specific company you are visiting. At the end of the interview, be sure to ask the manager for a reference to someone within the organization who can review your credentials. This reference is your key to the top of the résumé pile. Most companies give referrals from internal managers a high priority. This is a cost-free pipeline, and they want to keep these candidates flowing.
Armed with a referral from a manager in your desired discipline, at one of your target companies, you are ready to close the deal with a great interview.
Avoiding Common Interview Mistakes
There are three mistakes that many people make at this point in this process. They will dramatically reduce your chances of getting hired, if not kill them outright. They are:
Talking about yourself. You read that correctly. Don’t focus on you. Focus on what you can do for the company. A job interview is about the benefits you can bring to your prospective employer and not about how great you are.
Not providing specific examples. Whenever an employer ask a question that begins: “Tell me about a time….”, he is looking for a specific example from your past. He will be listening for a desired behavior he believes is relevant to the job you are seeking. You need to give as specific an example as possible.
Not taking every interaction seriously. Every interaction with a prospective employer is critical. A call from the hiring manager’s assistant to schedule a meeting is as important as the interview itself. I know of many cases in which an administrative assistant has influenced the opinion of a hiring manager just by saying a candidate was rude on the phone.
Handling Money Matters like a Pro
When someone offers you a job, you need to stop telling them why you deserve it and start thinking about how to make the situation work to your advantage. When an offer is presented for the first time in the interview process, the candidate has the power. Here is an effective protocol for receiving a job offer:
Thank the person for the offer. This is the time to appear humble. You’ve spent a significant amount of time telling your counterpart the benefits you can provide and now he believes you. Let him know that you are honored and flattered that he values you.
Ask for time to think about it. Even if he offers you the most money you ever thought you’d get, try to let some time pass. If nothing else, it shows your future employer that you are a rational decision maker. If you join them, they will be investing in you. An impulsive person is seldom given big responsibility. Even if you just take an hour, take some time before responding.
Ask if that’s the best they can do. It takes courage and tact, but it works. After you have taken the time you need to think things over, simply ask your counterpart if that is the best offer he can make. On some occasions (and this has happened to me and a few people I know), they will counter-offer right away. The key to doing this is to appear nonjudgmental and unemotional. Say something like: “Once again, I want to express how flattered I am with your consideration. Before I make my final decision, I’d like to know if that is your best possible offer.”
Once you say that, shut up. Watch the reaction (if you are in person) or listen to their reaction (if on the phone) carefully. If there is silence, DO NOT SPEAK. Let the other party break the silence. If they ask why you are asking this question, simply say something like: “This is a major decision, and I want to be certain I have all the information. Is this your best possible offer?”
If they ask you what you are looking for and you feel compelled to answer directly, give them something that is a stretch but not impossible. Ask for more than you expect to get but not so much that you look like a pig. If you want more money, say you want (insert salary here-10% more).
Now comes the gut-wrenching part. Ask for more time again after they answer. When you call back the next time, you need to have a decision.
Accept or reject the offer with grace. This is the time for flattery. Compliment the company. Compliment the offer presenter. If you reject the offer, give them a reason.
As a college graduate, you have devoted years of study to academic subjects that position you for success in your career. Take some time and study the process of marketing yourself for a job. Adjust your strategy and tactics as necessary and make sure you’re following your passion. In the end it will lead you down a path of a rewarding and successful career.
Filed under: Career Commonsense
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Hi Dave, about “informational interviews” — are they common? From the perspective of the hiring manager, wouldn’t being asked for an “informational interview” be seen as a burden, because (a) the hiring manager gets nothing out of it and (b) I am sure the hiring manager is a very busy person with very little time to spare.
Best,
Comment by jayliew — June 26, 2006 @ 12:42
Hi Jay,
Thanks for the question.
People ask me for informational interviews all the time. I’m happy to do them when time permits.
Many people I speak with like to help out folks thinking about a career with their company. They remember what it was like to look for a job / explore career options.
Keep in mind that it is usually not difficult to get people to talk about themselves (or their careers).
Dave
Comment by Dave Lorenzo — June 30, 2006 @ 03:58