BLAM! Duck Season.
That's how it ends, folks. At least for Bugs and Daffy. Here at the Huffman Homestead, it's still Job Hunting Season. I've actually had some clear shots at good prey (meaning that I've had a couple of really good offers) but I'm still resolute in my desire to obtain the right job for me rather than just taking a job for the sake of having one. Fortunately, there are no tag limits, no day-glo clothing requirements, and the only scent I need to spray on myself before hitting an interview has mild floral undertones rather than a musky, doe-in-heat-urine aroma.
Let's face it, job hunting can really suck. Although a job hunter need not leave a warm bed on a cold, wet November morning nor slog through muddy-fields of waist-high prairie grasses nor dash wildly like a German Shorthair who's just scented a covey of quail feeding in the distance, there are actually things to be learned from Elmer Fudd and other great hunters in history:
- Know Your Prey: there's no easier way to derail your job search than by losing focus on what exactly it is you're after: failure to focus on a career path is like hunting mule deer in a duck pond. If you spend your time targeting positions that don't meet your specific career goals, or companies whose cultures and values don't jive with yours, you're not going to get a clear kill shot. Many interviewers will ask you what other companies you've considered or what other jobs you've interviewed for; if you're interviewing for a position as a technical recruiter, don't you think it would be nice to let them know that you've visited with other recruiting firms and not Toys 'R' Us? Wouldn't you enjoy that smug satisfaction that comes with sharing an insight you gleaned while researching trends in your desired field? Trust me, it comes across better than admitting you saw the job on Career Builder and thought it sounded like something you might be able to do. A clear, focused understanding of what you are hunting is a direct reflection on your ability and experience and assures your interviewer that you are serious about this job in particular. Hunger for specific prey keeps you sharp, desperation leads to mistakes.
- Familiarize yourself with the terrain: like hunting grounds, companies change with
time. It's good to know the past lay of the land and its trends, but focus more on the present and the future. These days, the corporate terrain is in a state of flux so it's important to discover if there has been a change in leadership, ownership, or even just a refocusing of energies and priorities. Alterations in structure can significantly change the landscape of a company you may already think you know. Take time to study the company's information on their website and on
social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook; read press releases
and articles in industry publications or the local news. Go to Glassdoor.com
and read the employee reviews, the information on interviews and hiring practices, you can even check out the salary ranges. Once you've established that this company is a worthy target and you've landed the interview, it's time to narrow those crosshairs
even more. Get to know this job like it IS your job. Study the company. Study the job description. Are there
tasks or skills about which you need more information? Is there industry-specific jargon you need to brush up on? Are there new trends or developments in best practices that have come up? If you walk in feeling educated and confident, you're not going to waste
time asking questions that could have been answered with a few minutes
of preparation, thus proving to your interviewer that their company was a priority before they even offered you a job. Speaking of interviewers, find out who that person is and do a little research on them. I'm not talking about stalking them in a cheetah-wildebeest type scenario... That's creepy. Instead, use those social networking sites to find out how this person fits into the company, and their relationship to your desired position. This research not only allows you to specifically tailor your questions, it also gives you the opportunity to get a more personal glimpse into the company. Has your
interviewer been at this company for 20 years, or are they relatively new
to the company? In either case, go ahead and ask why they've stayed or why they joined. I have consistently gained valuable insights into companies by asking these
questions and have been armed with a better understanding of the terrain
I'm hunting. Knowing the specific landscape equips you with confidence. Hell, even
if you don't get this job, you've spent time improving upon your existing
skill set, broadened your knowledge base and have increased your chances of success in the next hunt. Forewarned is forearmed, right?
- Outfit yourself for the elements: good hunters wear gear that provides comfort, safety, and camouflage. If your suit has been hanging in your closet since Aunt Edna's funeral in 1985, don't wait until the day of the interview to put it on. Take it out immediately and find out if it fits physically as well as chronologically. There's a chance you were never told to invest in a classic, so your suit may well make you look like you just stepped off the set of Falcon Crest or Knot's Landing. Don't let your interviewer be distracted by the shoulder pads, the epaulettes, or the skinny tie. Let's relegate that suit to the Kids' Halloween Costume bin and go invest in a classic. Wait, you already own a timeless wardrobe piece? Fabulous! Now, be honest here: can you slide it up over your hips and does it zip, button, or hook easily? No? Can it be altered? If yes, find a tailor. If no, donate it to an organization that can give it to someone in need and go shopping. You don't need to spend a fortune on a suit, but do be choosy and do spend a few bucks getting it altered. Even if it looks and feels great, a little nip here and a little tuck there will make you look and feel like the mighty hunter you are. Don't underestimate the emotional camouflage a good suit provides. Hunters wear camo to blend with their surroundings and to provide them with confident coverage. A great, smooth-fitting interview outfit is going to make you FEEL confident thereby helping you project confidence. (other gear-based tidbits: put your jacket/blazer on right after you get out of the car at the interview-- no wrinkles; carry a lint removal device with you-- get those fuzzies off in the parking lot or in the restroom before you meet your interviewer- cat or dog hair is NOT an appropriate accessory)
- Blend with the habitat: hunters use scented sprays and duck calls to convince prey that they are part of the habitat. Same thing goes for job hunters. It's incredibly off-putting when someone walks into a room smelling like a love-struck 8th grade boy who just discovered Drakkar. You're not trying to find a date at this interview, so don't smell like you are. Limit or omit cologne or perfume entirely. If you're a smoker, keep that suit jacket in a garment bag (dry cleaning bag, etc) so it doesn't smell like an old ashtray. If you absolutely must smoke before your interview: roll down the car windows; put as much time between your cigarette and your interview as you can; have some Febreeze in the car and spritz yourself sparingly before you go in the building; take a moment to go into the bathroom and wash your hands to remove any lingering tobacco scent. Pay some attention to your grooming before the interview: get a haircut; shave; pluck wayward hairs from your chin, your eyebrows, or your knuckles; clip your fingernails; don't channel your inner- Tammy Faye Bakker by smearing on pounds of cheap, garishly-colored makeup; remove that chipped nail polish and either get a manicure or give yourself one. Ladies (and gents), long, sparkly fingernails just make you look tacky and cheap. Like a well-built deer blind, your personal grooming habits should neither be a distraction nor a topic of conversation in the break room (or around the watering hole) after you leave the interview.
- Drink lots of water: every hunter knows that dehydration can cause
exhaustion, loss of focus, and feelings of desperation. With this
metaphor, I'm not just talking about guzzling H2O (although,
truth be told, it is important even if you're not physically exerting
yourself; I do recommend staying off the hard stuff while you're
hunting. Nobody is going to be impressed by a bleary-eyed candidate who
radiates the scent of cheap scotch.. see BLENDING above); these days I mentally hydrate by taking a break from the rigors of the hunt (which include but are not limited to: job board perusal, resume improvement, webinars
on self-branding, and post-interview second guessing). Even full-time
salaried employees get a break. When hunting mammoth, I'm sure that cavemen stopped occasionally and talked about
new fire-building techniques, shared experiences they'd had with their
newfangled wheel, or joked about Urga
and her sloppy cave-sweeping techniques. You need to do the same. Step
away from the computer. Go take a walk, play a round of golf, sit on
your back deck and marvel at all the yard work you should be doing, call
a friend and meet for lunch and talk about everything BUT job hunting.
Like sipping from a cool stream, mental and emotional hydration will
provide you with energy, focus, and a rejuvenated outlook on yourself
and your search.
- Only kill what you're going to eat and, if possible, enjoy: you need a job like cavemen needed protein? I get it, but if you end up doing something you hate or posit yourself in an environment that isn't conducive to your happiness, then chances are you're going to negate the expenditure of all this time and energy by ending up right back where you are now. Unfortunately, on this next hunting expedition you won't have the time or the energy to hunt as effectively because you've got to work the search around your current job, the demands of home, time spent with family, and myriad social obligations. Great, you're being fed, but the meat is gamy, overcooked, and can't be salvaged by wrapping bacon around it. If you are going to be spending 40+ hours a week doing something, then you better make damn sure it's something you want to do and in a place you want to do it. (Note: I can say this because I have a spouse who is employed full-time so there's no wolf at my door. I'm blessed in this, but I realize that for many hunters, stringy, gamy meat is better than no meat. If this is the case for you, latch on to the savory, delicious, bacon-y aspects of the job you take and wrap it around yourself. It's experience, it's new knowledge, and hey, it's BACON!!)
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