A friend called me yesterday and was asking for advice on finding a job. Now I’m no expert at finding jobs and the application and interview process. I’ve spent the last 4 and a half years at the same company. But I have conducted a decent amount of interviews from the other side - as the one asking the questions.
In talking to him, it was quickly apparent what the problem was. I don’t know how to describe it, but you could sense the desperation in his voice. No one wants to work with or hire someone that is desperate.
If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else believe in you? In the moment when you have no opportunities lined up in front of you and it seems like you’ll be stuck in your parent’s basement for life, you have to believe you’ll make something of yourself even if you don’t get the job that you’re interviewing for.
When you’re networking, you need to make sure that the person you’re talking to gets the impression that you are genuinely interested in what they are saying, not that you’re trying to get them to offer you a job. What is ever growing in importance in today’s economy is the ability to make human connection. The ability to have a conversation with people will get you farther than a lot of fancy degrees. In the global market you now are competing with people that will do the same work for a fraction of the price. How do you stand out and convince someone to pay you?
Self confidence and curiosity are a killer combination. At the end of the day landing a job or a big client is all a people game. Making yourself an attractive person is less about your appearance and more about how you present yourself - its not the suit, its how you wear the suit.