In one of my online discussion spots, there is someone asking advice about job hunting - about cover letters and interviews and convincing someone to hire them. So here we are, and I'm going to sum up some of my part of the advice with something I wish I'd been taught.
You don't have to sell yourself as a Star.
You can just be Good Enough.
See, I was a Gifted Kid(TM). I was always told that I could be a star at whatever I wanted to do. I was put on the path of greatness and told I had to go as far as I could go. I was gonna be better! I was going to change the world! My future included being the CEO or President of something, a name everyone knew, someone everyone looked up to.
See my previous ramble here about not wanting to reach for those high positions
Turns out, that's a lot of pressure on someone. Especially when they don't want those things. I do tech support work. I'm the bottom guy on my work totem pole. I don't make the big money or have my name on a fancy nameplate. I didn't reach any of the greatness I was told to expect out of my life.
And... it's fine. I'm really, REALLY good at that tech support job. I am absolutely reliable, and everyone in my group knows that if they give me a job, it will get done, and better than they would have done it. So the company gets out of me everything they could want - I show up reliably, I cover my duties thoroughly, and I don't make any waves. No interpersonal drama, no clawing my way up the ladder, I just DO THE JOB.
I get what I want, too. I'm paid really well for doing the job, I have good benefits, and I have lots of time when I'm not doing the job to do things I really want to do, like write. I'm working right now, in fact, as I write this.
So if I were interviewing for this job right now, you know what I'd tell them? I'd tell them that I am extremely reliable, and thorough, and stable. That they can expect consistent results from me over time with very little supervision and just a little freedom. That I don't need my hand held; I just need clear direction and the authority to do what needs done. I'd tell them I expect to pick up little projects from time to time to keep myself engaged, and I'm really good at finding those projects on my own. Also that I really look for ways to do my job more efficiently so everything rolls along smoothly. This is who I am as an employee.
The person interviewing me for the job isn't looking for a superstar. They aren't looking for the next CEO. They are looking for someone who can be a really good reliable tech support person. Someone who will show up, do the job, and not cause problems. Someone intelligent enough to do it, and personable enough not to make waves in the work social environment. They aren't looking for someone who is amazing; they are looking for someone who is... Good Enough.
See, jobs are transactions. I give them my 40'ish hours, and they expect me to finish tasks set for me during those hours. They give me money and benefits and security. If we are both getting what we want from this transaction, we all win. They don't really care if I feel fulfilled, as long as I do the job. I don't particularly care about other departments and what they are doing, as long as I'm getting paid correctly (I really need the payroll department to be good at their stuff). I don't want to work for a company that is heinous, but as long as they aren't notably evil and my paychecks clear reliably, well, they, too, are Good Enough.
The company is going to hire someone to Do The Job, whatever it is. They've already decided that before they advertise for it. There's an empty chair, and someone's going to sit in it. When you interview for a job, you're just explaining to them why it should be you and not someone else. Sell them on how you're going to make their lives easier by getting the thing done, whatever the thing is.
And you probably don't need to convince them you can do the minimum for the job. Your resume should tell them that. The resume lists your qualifications to technically be able to Do The Job - it compares your abilities to the job requirements.
Your cover letter, if you use one, confirms that you have the minimum intelligence to be able to communicate in whole sentences about doing the job and what you think of yourself. If they have asked for that cover letter, you are confirming that you can follow simple directions. It weeds out the bare minimums for the personality side of things, rather than the technical.
The interview is your sales job, where you convince them you're a better choice than the other candidates they have available. It's not about comparing you to the job; it's about comparing you to other possible employees. So convince them that you'll do it well without being a pain to work with; that's all they really want. Because the last guy in the job... or the guy in the next cubicle... or half the people working there... they aren't doing the job, or don't care about doing it well. Think about past coworkers that couldn't even manage the bare minimum of the job without being a problem. You can do better than those jokers, right? Say that. 'Got the job done' is a standard a lot of folks can't don't meet. Seriously, sometimes just getting people to show up on time is the whole struggle. You'll be better. Tell them that.
And if it goes well, it begins the negotiation of the work transaction. How much money and what benefits are a fair compensation for your time and effort? Don't just accept the first offer. Ask for the things you want, in a reasonable world where they really want you to be happy. Be willing to let some of that slide when you don't get it. Because they don't care if you're happy, as long as you agree to the transaction. And as long as you are Good Enough.
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