WHAT DO HIRING MANAGERS
LOOK FOR IN THE JOB INTERVIEW?
(Continued) Written by Kirk Dixon
The overall tone and feel to an
interview has as much to do with a positive outcome as
anything. People want to experience if they simply like
you, and do they think other leaders within their organization
will like you too. So try your best to be comfortable
and enjoy yourself. If they have a good time talking
to you, chances are they will think you have a natural
fit. If they think you will fit in, you are miles ahead
of other "more qualified candidates" that do
not make the same connection and stumble in this area.
Example: If a candidate is a "creative
- out of the box thinker - non conforming - casual -
confessed liberal", he or she is probably not going
to fit into a job in the Pentagon or the Attorney General's
office for the Republican Party - nor would they probably
even apply. And that is even if they had demonstrated
experience for a job opening- "can do and will do" qualities
and skills" for the job. It is a "Fit" issue
and it affects hiring decisions.
Or, if a person prefers to sleep
in on a regular basis because their internal clock has
them more productive at night than in the early mornings
- then despite the fact that they have the education
and skills to do a motivated job, they would most likely
not be happy, nor hired at a company with a strict attendance
and tardiness policy that starts each day at 7:30am sharp!
It just wouldn’t fit either party.
The point is to think about where
you think you might naturally fit into comfortable situations
based on your interests, talents, and fit. Now this can
be a delicate and sometimes dicey area, and we want to
be clear that employers cannot discriminate for race,
religion, origin, sexual preference, handicap, etc….
But employers do make hiring decisions based on their
version of "fit" within the law. And it is
a fact that most "hiring and firing" decisions
are made on the basis of 'fit" issues - verses skills
and motivation issues.
And that is actually great news
for you - the transitioning athlete. Because if you only
apply to jobs or companies that fit your genuine interests,
personal values, passions, and ones that may even relate
to the sports world in some direct or even remote manner
- despite the fact that you lack real experience in many
jobs, you will give yourself a "motivation and fit" advantage
over many other more qualified candidates.
Example: You could make a strong
case for applying for a management trainee job or an
entry level supervision job - even though you have never
worked in a management role in a business yet, if you
could demonstrate you had experience in:
· setting up and leading
a volunteer foundation organization
· coached youth in competitive sports leagues
· been captain of most of the sports teams you played on
· took a course in supervision on the techniques of winning managers & leaders
· evaluated other workers performance in jobs you held in the off season
· played and won awards at the collegiate and professional level in a
team sport
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And if this example job was working
for a business in the sports industry (and there are
over 15,000 companies who provide goods and services
to the sports industry), then you could make a very strong
case for your, Can Do, Will Do, and Fit, within the interview
process.
Obviously, companies ideally want
a person who have all three: can and will do a job, and
who fits within their company all in one. But it is not
always that easy for organizations to find those people.
And understand this. Companies know that they can train
or mentor a person over time to do almost any job. But
finding someone who has the natural innate motivation and
who fits into their organization are not things you can
be trained for.
Most companies want individuals who
show leadership traits, a commitment to teamwork, and are
generally positive human beings. And they want problem
solvers. These are all "Fit" traits. If you can
come across in the interview as someone who is "motivated", "shows
initiative", and is "goal oriented", you
can set yourself apart from a lot of people who in fact
may be better qualified than you. But you will simply will
show up as a person who is a better "fit".
To demonstrate you are a fit will
be based on your ability to come across comfortably and
putting your best cleat forward, to set the right tone.
You must take a genuine interest in the company, the interviewer,
and what their current organizational issues are. Being
a good listener, and having a tight presentation on yourself
and why you are there applying for a job. All of this is
easier to do if you are well prepared for the interview.
So just as you prepared, trained, and proved yourself capable
in Pro Combines, Try-outs, and Training Camp to earn a
starting position, similarly, you must prove yourself capable
in the job interview.
SUMMARY
In summary, because of your
former professional ballplayer status, you have a fantastic
story to tell. Hopefully you know that. And because so
few former college players make it to the big show who
wanted to make it to the next level, had the dream to
make it and didn’t, it certainly means a lot of
people will want to meet you. So expect to get invited
in to a good share of interviews to see a lot of people
who want to meet you. But getting invited into interviews
is very different from getting the job as the result
of scoring in the interview. You must truly prepare for
the interview if you want to impress the hiring manager
(s). No one "gets hired" today outside of sports
just because they played the game. That may get you in
the door, but no one just hands out jobs - they hire
people who can help them win. You must prove yourself
competent or a perfect "fit" to get in the
game. Hopefully these insights into the hiring mangers
mind will help you as you prepare for your next job interview.
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