Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door (13 page)

•
Don’t ever give up in the aftermath of a setback.
In fact, look hard for the ways in which rejection can make you be more committed and effective in what you are determined to achieve.

•
Accept detours if they contribute to your ultimate goal.
The fact that Tony couldn’t break down the barriers to being an NFL quarterback didn’t derail him from becoming an outstanding NFL head coach. He converted his experience as a defensive player and then as a defensive coach to hone a foundation for his head coaching skills. It’s an attitude Tony has famously expressed when he said, “We are learning how to win another way.”

•
Most important of all, follow your heart.
Tony could have safely opted for an executive career. He would surely have succeeded at it. But he persevered and chose his own dream—not just excelling, but shattering the yardstick and becoming the new leadership standard for his profession.

• “Your present résumé is probably much more inadequate than you now realize.”

• “The résumé is a tool with one specific purpose: to win an interview.”

• “It is a mistake to think of your résumé as a history of your past . . . write from the intention to create interest, to persuade the employer to call you.”

• “Research shows that only one interview is granted for every 200 received by the average employer . . . Ten to 20 seconds is all the time you have to persuade a prospective employer to read further.” (Rockport points out—and chisel this one into your memory—most résumés are
scanned
and not
read
.)

• First, you need two buddies. I don’t recommend asking either a spouse or a relative. Preferably, your pals should be people your age and career level. It would be best if they were in the same business or profession, because you want people who stalk the same jungle you do. They can rough you up with relevant questions. Consider doing this round-robin and exchange roles so they can benefit from the same training.

• One friend is the cameraperson. The other is the interviewer. No need for attempts at Academy Award-winning special effects. Just have the cameraperson focus on you—especially your expressions—and have this person stay as invisible as possible. The less you fixate on the camera, the better.

• You’re not playing it for laughs. Get all your stand-up shtick out of your system in the first five minutes, and get on with it. Your video may have a light production budget, but this is serious stuff.

• Watch for involuntary gestures like pursing your lips or yanking your tie when someone asks you something disagreeable. People confronted with an unpleasant question often sharply turn their head away or suddenly look at the floor. Visit a Web site on body language before you roll cameras and you can be on guard for some of your classic giveaways.

• The pix shooter should try to capture when you hesitate, tighten up, avert your eyes, or laugh something off. A cameraperson who knows his or her stuff can even zoom in on you when you do. The goal is to beef up your own awareness of
gesture under pressure
.

• Brief the interviewer thoroughly on the firm he or she is supposed to represent. So your pal can be an effective questioner, the interviewer should try to project the firm’s business reputation, hot buttons, and how it does business. Do this in a straitlaced, matter-of-fact way. A caricature of the firm you’re simulating does you no good.

• Map out the kind of questions you expect the interviewer to toss at you, especially the tough ones, but don’t script them. You want the mock interviewer to be a credible questioner.

• Ideally, give the interviewer a list of questions drawn from actual interviews. Include some that stumped you and have them shake up the order so you don’t know what to expect. Tell them to save the nastiest queries for those moments you seem smuggest and most self-confident. Don’t forget to have them pounce on holes in your résumé . . . or that boss who you allege jackknifed your career. After all, where do you think the recruiter or the personnel maven is going to go?

• This is an agility test, not a recall quiz. Don’t memorize.

• Be brief and clear. Think media sound bite.

• Don’t just answer questions. Ask intelligent, constructive ones as well. Your Larry King-for-a-day may not be able to answer them, so just dissolve their response. This will help develop your readiness to take a swing at a choice fastball and belt it out of the park. Recruiters say that candidates are often chosen for the perceptive quality of the questions they ask as well as the sharp answers they give.

• Record about fifteen minutes or so. Then stop. Now you and the film crew should all view the instant replay. Get your team’s honest input. Where do you come across as real, enthusiastic, and competent? In which moments do you sound contrived, long-winded, defensive, or clumsy? Replay the video a couple of times. If you can sit through the umpteenth rerun of LeBron James highlights, you can bear watching yourself a few times, even if you miss the easy layup now and then—especially if it helps you land a job.

• Do a second interview—this time, a little longer one. Maybe the cameraperson and the interviewer switch roles. Even switch roles with the interviewer. Nothing can be so instructive or tough to take as another person seriously trying to project how you come across. Remember, these are your friends, and dosing out high-potency medicine like this without sarcasm isn’t easy, so be sincere in your thanks. Quit before your concentration wanes.

• Grab a pad or go to your laptop and note the ten most important impressions and the five most challenging goals for improvement while the spills and chills of the experience are still fresh.

• After your real interview is over, compare the questions that were asked with those you prepared. How many did you actually field? Which did you dodge? What were your biggest surprises? When were you most in command? It’s always best to seize and build on your strengths. Showcase more of them by segueing your answers to additional and relevant achievements. Drop them in with a low-key, casual touch.