Sometimes it is necessary to get a “job” temporarily. You might need to learn a new trade for your new business, or you may have to work to get some seed money for your new venture. Here are some basic truths to keep in mind and abide by if you want to get hired and hold a good position:
Always be polite. Everyone is appreciative of politeness. There is such a lack of it today, that you will stand way above others wanting to get hired.
Be respectful. The man or woman you are asking to hire you has something you want….and you don’t have it…they do. They will appreciate your respect and hold you in a better light.
If at all possible, ALWAYS SHOW UP IN PERSON. If you must have a resume, make sure it is a professional presentation of you. Misspellings, bad grammar, incorrect punctuation, or stains or smudges on the paper can cause your resume to find the trash without even being looked at.
All your telephone calls, door knocking, and resume sending only has one purpose: TO GET YOU IN FRONT OF THE PERSON WHO DOES THE HIRING…..Nothing more. If you don’t get the job at first, keep going back and calling…I have seen a lot of people get jobs because they just happened to be there at the right time…
Do some homework on the business and the people there...especially the one who do the hiring. I personally will never recommend sending a resume. I have hired hundreds of people during my careers, and I know what will usually work and what won’t. (Sometimes a company will tell you that they require a resume. If you have to, you have to. BUT try as hard as you can to deliver it to the hiring person in person...Hopefully at the time of the interview.)
Pre-interview contact will always help, too. Find out who does the hiring and see if you can discover any of their extra-curricular activities. When you go in for the interview and the interviewer recognizes you from the golf course or the tennis club, that is more points for you.
If you have been able to get to know them through that activity, even better. Find out if the company or the person has a pet charity they support. When you donate time to help with their charity you are seen as someone who shares their values and this will give you a really huge advantage over someone who is there just “looking for a job”.
Know what you have to offer them. When someone is interviewing you for a job, their main concern is ‘what can you do for this company?’ ‘How will you benefit us?’
The last thing they want to hear is how you really need a job...and that you will do ‘anything’ to get hired.
Be clean. No one wants to work next to a dirty or smelly worker. Keeping yourself presentable not only shows respect for the feelings of others, but it shows your self-respect. People have a hard time respecting someone who doesn’t even respect himself / herself.
I know this is going to rub some of you the wrong way, but to be presentable in your dress, appearance, and hygiene. Leave the facial hardware home when you go to work. Cover those giant snake & dragon tattoos on your arms with a long-sleeved shirt. This is about whether they want to hire you, not about you making a statement. Not only do they have to like you, but they have to be sure their customers will, too.
Always be on time. When you show up late for an appointment, you are telling the other person that you have no respect for them and their time. Showing up late for work, especially on a regular basis, tells everyone that you don’t care about their business or their commitments (or the commitment you
made to them).
Smile a lot. No one wants to be around a sourpuss. Employers don’t, other workers don’t, and customers don’t. A happy, positive employee helps boost the morale of everyone there, including the boss and customers.
Work hard…Give it your best. If you have to do something, do it the best you can. Even if it is something that you don’t like or it’s “Not part of your job”… Whenever you do something people are watching and the quality of your work is a direct reflection on who and what you are. Doing it to your best ability shows you have respect for yourself and your work. Every bit of work you do has your signature on it…It represents you, so don’t let it be shoddy.
Don’t complain or whine…Most people don’t care about your problems, and the rest are glad they’re happening to you!
Always do a little more than is asked of you…That’s called “Going the extra mile.” This is the sign of a winner who is proud of his or her work and abilities.
Don’t join in on the gossip and politics. It is stupid and unproductive.
Be loyal. If you can’t be loyal to the one paying you, you shouldn’t be there, and you certainly don’t deserve the job. Your employer isn’t paying you because he or she thinks you are really cool, or because you told them you “Needed a job and a paycheck”...They are paying you for your contribution in making the company more profitable.
Set aside some time each week to read and learn more about the business you are in, or are going to go into. All the knowledge in the world can be found in books, tapes, and CDs.
The more you know about your field the more valuable you are...Either to your employer or to your customers if you have your own business. You can never learn too much, and time invested in learning and enriching your mind can never be lost or taken from you, in only makes you a better and more interesting person.
