There is nothing worse than a candidate who comes to an interview unprepared. Job hunters who haven't taken the time to research the company appear more interested in themselves than in the challenges of the job. I have seen many people disintegrate before my eyes when a client has asked a question as simple as, "So besides what David has provided to you, what do you know about our company?"

The Solution

Look at the hiring process from the other side of the desk-from the employer's perspective. Employers want to know that you've gone out and looked at their industry and understand where they're going. Research, research, research-and then match your experience to their needs. Ask yourself, "What do they need a new hire to provide for them?" Then practice answering typical questions like, "Why should we hire you?" with answers that show how your skills and experience will solve their problems.

Summary

As a guerrilla job hunter, you now know what you need to avoid doing. The solutions involve common sense and are easy to implement, so don't procrastinate.

THE MOST POWERFUL WAY TO CHANGE YOUR RESULTS

When you realize that the basic aim of every company is to stay in business, you can begin to position yourself as a solution to their need to create and serve the customers who keep them in business, instead of focusing on your need for a job. Most people understand this intellectually but fail to act on it because on the surface it seems too simple an explanation.

"Solution selling" is in vogue all across the United States for a very good reason-it works. In solution selling, you begin by understanding your customer's business and therefore the need for your product to create a solution. You emphasize the benefits that the buyer needs. You know what the buyer needs because you have researched the company to discover its "pain points."

When salespeople focus on solution selling, they increase the value of their products and services because their product is not viewed as just another list of features like those of every compet.i.tor. As a job hunter, you increase your value exponentially when you focus on the employer's needs.

For example, 2 equally qualified accountants apply for a job in the accounting department of a growing company. Job hunter A researches the company and discovers the company plans to do an initial public offering. In his cover letter and resume, he emphasizes his experience with publicly traded companies. Job hunter B, who is equally qualified, sends in a standard cover letter and resume.

Job hunter A gets the call, and in the interview discusses the company's needs against the backdrop of his experience. The results are predictable-job hunter A gets hired and job hunter B is never even considered.

Job hunting can actually be that simple, yet all too many job hunters, even those adept at marketing, focus on their needs and not the employer's. Think about what you have to offer the company in light of its ability to serve its customers and grow.

THE THREE RS OF SUCCESSFUL JOB HUNTING

In grade school, we learned the Three Rs-Reading, wRriting, and aRithmetic. Those were our most important lessons [okay, so I'm dating myself here]. For job hunters, Research, Relevancy, and Resiliency will result in an interview.

Research

As a job hunter, you need to research and determine: * Which are your marketable skills?* Which industries/companies should you target that use those skills?* What are the specific needs of each company in your target market?* Who is in a position to hire you in those companies?* What is the best way to approach them?

Your research will determine the way you approach people. We talk more about research later in the book.

Relevancy

Your offer (skills) must fit their needs. It has to solve the employer's issues, not yours. It is not about you. At the core, employers only want to know 3 things about you: 1. Can you make me money?2. Can you save me money?3. Can you increase our efficiencies?

As global compet.i.tiveness increases, employers will be looking for all three. Later in the book, we show you how to express your relevancy-value-to an employer.

Resiliency

Resiliency is the ability to spring back from disappointment and keep moving forward. This is the quality that keeps guerrillas focused on their goals and driving forward. Adopt a positive mindset no matter what. Guerrillas always look for the positives even when people and events are clearly indicating they should not.

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A WAR STORY.

Mark J. Haluska

Gary Smith [not his real name] is a highly skilled jack-of-all-trades when it comes to residential carpentry and construction. Some years back when interest rates went through the roof, the result was a severe slowdown in new home building. As a result, Gary was laid off. Being the proud person that he is, he refused to accept unemployment compensation. Besides, it never covers the bills. Gary decided to take the matter into his own hands in an unusual way.

Gary started driving around to all the area building supply companies to find out where any new home construction sites might be located. This piece of detective work quickly provided him with several places to target. That very day, he found one that seemed to have plenty of work in progress. So the next morning by 7 AM, he just showed up at the work site, coffee thermos and lunch pail in hand, and a tool belt on his waist.

As the crew started to work, Gary decided he would just help himself to being useful. He began the morning by offering to help the crew unload the morning delivery trucks. When that was done, he started to help haul shingles up on the roof and then proceeded to nail shingles.

During the first coffee break, Gary asked one of the people he was so generously helping, "Where's the boss?" To which he received the reply, "The boss never shows up before 11 AM."

When coffee break was over, Gary crawled back up on the roof and started nailing more shingles. The crew boss finally showed up and after about 2 hours, finally asked Gary, "Who are you?" To which Gary replied, "My name is Gary Smith, and I am a carpenter. I thought maybe you could use some help around here." The boss responded, "Gary, we're not hiring right now, so give me your number and if I need help I'll call you."

Now Gary being a guerrilla said, "What the heck, the day is more than half over, I had nothing planned for the day so let me just finish out the shift at no cost to you, and when we're done for the day, just let me know how I did."

The construction site boss said, "Hey, it's your nickel, but I never agreed to pay you."

The shift over, Gary asked how he did and the boss said, "You did a good job. I see that you are a steady worker, so just leave me your phone number and I'll call if I ever need you."

Now most people would simply leave it at that and wait for the phone to ring ... ... but not Gary! but not Gary!

The next day he showed up at 7 AM again with his tools, thermos, and lunch pail in hand. He worked for 4 hours, then the site boss showed up but did not notice Gary up on a roof until the noon lunch break. The site boss said, "Gary, I told you yesterday I did not need help right now, but I would call you if and when I do; you really need to pack your things and go home."

Now Gary kicked it up a step and said to the foreman, "I know, it's just that I started this roof yesterday, and I just want to see the roof finished. It'll be fully installed by the end of today's shift. I just don't like to leave any project undone."

The boss walked away mumbling to Gary that he was not getting paid; he had not been offered a job and if he wanted to work for free he was foolish, but this would be the last time, "Go ahead, but don't be here tomorrow."

At 7 AM the next morning, Gary arrived at the job site, jumped right in, and started the whole process over. This particular day, the boss did not show up at all and Gary proceeded to work the whole shift, for no pay.

Day 4. Same routine for Gary, but this time the boss showed up at 11 AM as usual. He immediately spotted Gary working away and called him down off the roof. He said in a somewhat loud manner, "I thought I told you I would call if I needed you, now go home."

Gary was ready for it and went for all the marbles. He responded to the foreman, "I've been here four days now. I have proven to you and your crew I am a Cla.s.s A carpenter. I am unemployed right now with nothing else to do, so since you don't get here until 11 AM each day, I am going to be here at 7 AM and stay here until you throw me off the work site."

At this point, the foreman threw in the towel, wrote down an address, and told Gary, "Go to this address, this is our home office. Fill out the paperwork and be here tomorrow at 7 AM ready to work." Gary is still with the construction company. Today, he is a foreman.

Let me qualify the preceding story by noting that it occurred before liability insurance, workmen's comp, and federal illegal alien hiring laws. These would have forced the foreman to dismiss Gary immediately. I wouldn't try this one in today's litigious economy.

Compliments of Mark J. Haluska, executive director, Real Time NetWork, www.rtnetwork.net.

Chapter 3.

Your Guerrilla Job-Hunting Strategy

Think Like a General-Work Like a Sergeant

The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.