A few weeks ago, I was seated at one of 30 or more tables at a large event waiting for a conference session to begin.  A lovely woman selected the seat beside me, we began to chat and she asked what I did.  I explain I help talented professionals land the job they want fast and with less stress.  She looked at me with tears in her eyes and asked “Is it possible to recover from a bad interview?”  The emotion in her voice startled me, so I asked a few questions.

What a story!  The job she wanted and had opened up over a weekend when the person in the job became ill.  She heard about it and decided she should update her résumé.  The following week she was traveling with the VP for two days, this was common so she did not think much about it.  At the end of the second day she realized the trip had also been a two day interview about the job, her business unit, her results and her future goals.  She was totally unprepared.

She realized she told the VP during the trip she had doubts she could do the next level job, that it was not the right time to move from the current position and the she did not have the experience to be successful.  The questions she said she was asking herself every day were interesting too – why did this happen to her? – Why was her company so cagey with this interview? – why didn’t they just schedule an interview?  Finally, she told me how mad she was at herself for not knowing she could be faced with this type of interview.  The session started and we did not finish the conversation.

What happened here happens more than you think.  This lovely talented successful woman was afraid to be successful.  She allowed her ego and her mindset to keep her just where she was in the job she was doing.  She made excuses and allowed doubt, worry and fear to take control and keep her in her current job.  She was not aware and conscious of the opportunity until the end of the trip and she had not decided she wanted the promotion.

Your mind is very powerful.  Until you decide what you want and become committed nothing will change. Even if the opportunity is before you if you are not committed your mind will go to work to protect you and keep you safe and where you are.

I talk a great deal about the need for focus in your job search, to target what you want.  You must be commitment – this story is a great example.  I believe if this woman had been committed to landing the new position, and she had decided she wanted the new position, her experience would have been different.

She would have expected the interview.  She would have been grateful for the opportunity to travel and discuss her future and she would have taken action to have been prepared to talk about her future goals, her business unit, etc.

What decision and action do you need to take to be ready to land the job you want?

“You must do the things you think you cannot do.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

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Have a comment or thought?  Post it below.

No doubt you have heard all the conversations about companies who screen out those who are currently unemployed.

Some employers or hiring managers don’t call or interview people with a status of “unemployed”.  Yes, your résumé might be screened out in this way.  In fact New Jersey now has a law that will fine employers who do this and other states may soon do the same.

It is too bad that some employers may elect to use only your current employment status as a screening tool, but it is not new and may or may not end with new laws on the books.

What is your best defense?  In my view your best defenses is your personal marketing, your personal marketing plan and the execution of your plan.

Marketing is about overcoming the objections of the buyer.  An employer is the “buyer” of your services. The purchase is about the value you bring to an organization with your services.  That value is measured in the results you achieve or what someone believes you will achieve.

If you believe your current employment status is an objection that an employer may have, you do need to address it!

Here is one suggestion from Sandra McCartt, an Executive Recruiter, based in Amarillo, Texas.  Sandra suggests thinking about being between successes and recently shared the notation below.

“September 2010 to Present:  Between Successes”

Change your thinking – you have heard me say it before – until you shift your thinking, others will not shift their view of your situation.

If you have been successful and want to be successful again, what is stopping you?

When you can, I always suggest having a focused conversation before you send your résumé.  Need a suggestion?  Here’s a conversation suggestion for those changing industries or directions within your industry:

“My current focus is bringing fresh foods to the c-store customer to improve customer satisfaction and profitably grow the category.  The challenge for many organizations today, is that food prices recently made the biggest jump in 36 years.  In 2010 when I focused on RTD tea for <insert prior company> I helped grow that category in percent of sales over prior year and helped grow sales in all major cold vault space.”

What do you think?  Should you be specific?

It does open doors – if the potential employer isn’t focused on growing the fresh foods category, yet wants to grow the cold vault or another area, there is an opportunity to continue the conversation.

Or you can stick with the process that is proven not to work fast – “I am unemployed, haven’t worked in 14 months, don’t have a clue what is going on in the industry, but need a job NOW, here’s my résumé.  When can I start?”

Have a comment, suggestion or thought?  Post it below.