How to get hired: 7 truths you must know before that interview.

What do you mean no one’s hiring? Sure, jobs are tougher to come by – whether you’re an individual trying to get hired or a B2B vendor pitching your service. And the competition is fierce. But, plenty of companies need the help you can give them. You just have to know how to demonstrate that. Here’s how.

1. Tell me what you can do for me. If you can’t sell yourself to me, how can you possibly sell my products to my customers? Hiring is a difficult process. So is selecting a vendor. Make it easy for the people you’re meeting with to say “yes.” And the easiest way to do that is tell them how they’ll benefit from working with you. WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) applies in hiring situations the same as it does in selling situations.
2. No one hires resumes. They hire individuals. A resume only gets you in the door. Got serious credentials, like an MBA or – if you’re pitching your business – an impressive client roster? Good. That’s a start. But, now the person you’re talking to wants to know why your credentials help them. Talk about what you’ve done and how that’s helped others like him or her. Focus on execution, not on abstractions. Seeing the big picture is great. But how you have managed to fill in that picture in the past matters just as much.
3. Do your homework. Your competition does. Know who you’re talking to. What’s important to them? Why are they hiring for this position? How is their business? You can apply the same techniques you use for competitive analysis here, too. And don’t be afraid to ask around. Who do you know who works for the company? No one. Who do you know who might? The adage “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is a myth. But it is important to know as much as you can about the company, its people, its culture and its mission.
4. Listen. You’ve done your homework? Good. Now assume you don’t know anything. Listen to the person you’re talking to. Understand his or her true meaning. And don’t be afraid to ask clarifying questions. Do it in an empathetic, non-threatening way and you’ll demonstrate you actually care about what the person is saying.
5. Choose companies you want to work with. Not every company is the right one for you. Sure. It may seem appealing to work with a Fortune 100 company or a fast-moving startup. But they may have very different cultures (equally true when comparing two different Fortune 100’s or two different startups). Potential employers and customers are picky when it comes to who to work with. Why shouldn’t you do the same? Don’t get caught up in their roster of angel investors or the name on the door. It’s how well you’ll work the people behind that door that really matters.
6. Clean up your act. Got really wild photos of you and your friends doing kegstands on Facebook? Was spring break or last year’s client conference really, really fun? Good for you. But is that the “brand” you want to portray? Maybe you should think twice about it. I’m not suggesting you present yourself as other than you are. Maybe you want to work for companies that don’t look at – or don’t care about – that sort of thing. And that’s OK (see item 5 above). But, make it a choice. Do it consciously. Unlike, say, spring break.
7. Be yourself. No. This does not contradict item 6. As mentioned above, customers hire people, not resumes. Let them know who you are. They’re going to find out down the road anyway. Let them know who you are and why you’re the right person for them. If it’s a fit – for both of you – you’re on your way to success in your position. If not, well, wouldn’t you rather know that right away? You’d hate to have to look for another job if this one doesn’t work out, right?

Nothing can guarantee you’ll land the job or the client. But, this list should help you along the way. Feel like I missed something? Please tell us all about in the comments. And good luck in your next interview.

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