30 Years Of Perfect Attendance Ought To Count For Something!

We continue to face the supply chain management dilemma of a pervasive talent shortage at the same time we must confront an army of long-term out-of-work ("in transition") practitioners. It's painful at the human level to try to do positive networking while the between-jobs individuals with families and mortgages clutch at straws in palpable desperation.

People counseling job seekers have useful tips to improve the odds, but their lists tend to be sort of mechanical, as well as incomplete. They generally, and correctly, recommend doing extensive research before going on an interview. Research on the company, the industry, principal products and markets, financial position, known strategies, public knowledge challenges, and the backgrounds of likely interviewers.

This, btw, is not the time to assume that you've got special insights, know what's wrong, and are ready with defined solutions to fix the enterprise. That tack will almost surely guarantee that there won't be a second interview.

This good advice begs the core question of how to get an interview in the first place. The answer? Any and every way you can. Job sites. Ads. Fairs. Network contacts. Referrals from a friend to another friend. This process alone is a full-time job.

In the interview, forget about your titles, spans of control, responsibilities, committee assignments - all that superficial structural stuff. Talk only about accomplishments, outcomes, and organizational impacts (balance sheet, income statement things) - profit margins, top line growth, headcount, cost management, asset productivity.

You need to show that you are a leader, and not just a manager. But, in the act of positioning yourself as someone who gets the right things done, do not be overconfident, cocky, the smartest little boy or little girl in the room. You are your own advocate in this arena, but you cannot be arrogant or dismissive of your audience.

Ask tons Of questions. One, to indicate interest and intelligence, and, two, to genuinely discover if the job and the company are right fits for you - and for your long-term plans. If all you are trying to do is get a job, any job, it will become painfully obvious to the interviewer almost immediately.

After the interview send a recap memo. Not a thank you note; you are not trying to impress Miss Manners. Send a thoughtful summary of what you think you learned, and how you think you can help the company - and how you fit into the culture and environment.

Even if you are a recent graduate, never mind your GPA. Nobody cares; it's work experience, attitude, cultural "fit", and references that make a difference. While you're at it, forget the cover letter, no matter how artfully crafted, in your profile. It is a waste of paper that no one, anymore, reads.

A key element the HR pros too often omit is that you need to show up fully armed with comprehensive understandings of what's happening, what's changing, and what's coming down the pike in your particular slice if the supply chain pie.

Nobody wants to hear about your relevant experience in 1995.

Happy hunting!