How to find a job 101. Be the solution!

If I have a problem and I don’t have the ability to solve it, I find someone who can. If I need financial advice, I find a financial advisor. If I need a brick wall built, I find a mason. If I need a haircut, I find a barber.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has started, and many of the salons and barbershops were closed I have been cutting my own hair. The results the first few times made me go through a few paper bags as I found myself wearing them on my head when I would go out. I am a self-taught self-barber. I’m okay, but my skill and level (or lack) of expertise are pretty apparent. I would be much better served to find someone to cut my hair for me who knows what they are doing.

So how do I settle on a person to cut my hair? Do I randomly walk in and roll the dice? Do I read Yelp reviews? Do I ask my friends if they know a good barber?

Now I’m a hiring manager looking to hire an IT person for my company. Do I randomly take someone from the temp agency? Do I interview and check references? Do I ask my friends if they know any good IT people?

This is the mentality we must have to be successful when seeking, applying, interviewing and actually doing a job. It is a transaction. An agreed-upon exchange of goods and or services.

Speaking of goods or services, check out these deals!

It cannot be stressed enough that the interview process is the opportunity to identify your potential employer’s greatest needs and problems and then to present yourself as the person to address those needs and solve the problems. You need to be the qualified expert who is coming in to save the day. If the problem is a clogged sink, then you are going to explain why you are qualified to unclog the drain and how you are going to do it.

An interview should not be only answering “tell me about yourself” and “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” An interview should be you the interviewee, the expert, the solution to the problem asking lots of questions in order to ascertain that (1) you understand the problems the employer to consider you in order to solve them and (2) you can actually solve the problem. If you can’t and if the solution is beyond your ability or not in your area of expertise, be honest! Explain where you do not think you would be qualified to do that part of the job. You may still get hired or not, but in the long run you will be saving yourself and your potential employer a lot of future grief by addressing it now.

Moreover, if it turns out that the job is not for you and not in your area, you can end the interview by stating “I don’t think this position is a good match for my skill set. What do you think?” They may disagree, but you get points for honesty.

Now, don’t stop there. Ask them if they have any other positions open in the company where you would be a better fit. Finally, ask if they know of any other positions in any other companies that may be a better fit or who they think might be good for you to talk to in order to find a job better matching your skillset. You may not get the job, but you just gained a valuable resource for information to assist in your job search. Most people have good nature and are glad to help.

Final thought, even if you have a few interviews that don’t lead to anything, the more you interview, the better you’ll get at it. Kind of like cutting your own hair.