Until you land that coveted job you’re chasing, you should treat the search process as a full time job. It’s not something you can half ass and expect success. You need to put as much effort and training into your job search as you would in the new job itself.
If you have that mindset, you will do things that others in the same position won’t do. For example, in your new job, you’ll want to get as much training as you can to ensure top performance and success in your new role. Why not apply the same mindset in your job search?
Getting a job can be stressful…but it doesn’t have to be.
The Interview
One of the key elements of any job search is the interview. So what are you doing to train for that interview? How are you preparing in advance to maximize your opportunity when you get in front of the hiring manager?
Think about it from the company’s perspective. If you take the time to prepare for the interview – research the company, know the players, understand the lingo, prepare great questions, practice likely responses, etc – what does that say about what you will likely do when put in front of their clients? And what does it say if you haven’t prepared appropriately?
As a hiring manager, you want to see that someone cares enough to be prepared for the interview. You also want to see that the person is resourceful enough to figure out how to be prepared. And you want to know that they have the necessary foundation to succeed.
How can training help?
At HealthCare U, we put together a Sales 101 training course for new reps that want to develop the fundamentals of selling and communications as they begin their career. But we realized that someone taking this course could really set themselves apart from their competition when trying to get the sales position in the first place. This is particularly true when you lack experience in your desired field.
By taking our course, a person can walk into any interview, experience or not, and talk the talk. More importantly, they can walk the walk. This applies to any person trying to break into any industry. Walking into an interview and tell the hiring manager that you took the time and expense to advance your knowledge in their field and they will certainly appreciate that effort and take you more seriously.
Expressing the knowledge you gained will put you on the fast path when you on-board in the new role. You will also be up to speed and productive faster than any of your new hire counterparts. Finally, communicating that your initiative in training before you got the job is an example of the attitude of resourcefulness that you will bring to their organization. You may or may not get the position, but your consideration will have increased 10 fold.
Conclusion
Once you impress the hell out of the hiring manager and land the job, you will in fact be ahead of the game. You will be ready to get off to a fast start and feel more confident in your new role. The thing is, everything you told the hiring manager should be the truth… not a good story to get you hired. Prepare for your job before you get the job so you land the job. But also do it so you can be very successful once you get the position.
Oh, and if you want to stay out front, you should embrace a life of learning and training so you are the one constantly ahead of your competition. Remember, training isn’t something you did, its something you do.
Do you see training as a good investment for landing a job? Let us know in the comments!
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