IU #006: Do Hiring Managers Not Take You Seriously?

Over the past 3 years, I have spoken to thousands of people looking for a job.

Did they have an education?

Yes

Skills?

Yes.

Experience?

Yes.

Yet, 90% of them were not taken seriously by hiring managers. They all came to me stressed, confused and exhausted.

But don’t worry, I helped them find a solution. Today, I will do the same for you.

In this newsletter, I will show you how to explain your value to a business.

2 quick points before we start. A couple of 1:1 coaching slots have become available at short notice. So, if you want to book a 1:1 call with me, you can do so now.

I can give you personalised advice to help you craft your story so that it captures all the reasons to hire you. You can use this to:

• Dramatically improve your resume

• Make the most of your LinkedIn profile

• Get calls back from recruiters

• Land more job interviews.

If you have any questions, reply to this email at: [email protected].

By the way, I send free guides like this every week. They can help you land a job through online networking.

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Let's dive in.

Why do qualified people not get offered more jobs?

This might sound harsh, but most people don’t get further in job interviews because their story sucks.

Why?

Most people can’t explain how their work history is relevant to what the employer wants.

When I first started job-hunting, I couldn’t do this either. Eventually, I ran out of ways to get it wrong and started doing it right.

The secret to job hunting is nailing your ‘story’.

What is your ‘career story’?

It’s your narrative.

It’s how you convince a hiring manager that YOU are the solution to THEIR problems.

Most people go wrong in 3 ways:

1) They underestimate how many skills they have.

2) They play their skills down and sell themselves short.

3) They bring up irrelevant stuff, and their story gets lost.

Here is the story I told when I applied for a Senior Strategy Analyst role two years ago.

I told this story at the beginning of interviews and on calls with recruiters.

It was all true, but I told it in a way that shone a light on my relevant skills and experiences.

After I tried to blow their socks off in the opening minute of the interview, everything felt easier after that.

How to craft your story

• Humanise yourself early

“Hi, I’m Michael. I am Irish. I currently live with my girlfriend in Manchester, England.”

Boom, we’ve started. I’ve told the hiring manager where I was born, where I live and a little about my life. All in one sentence.

I started in the present tense, but by sentence two, I’m beginning my story.

• Start your story at a relevant time

“I did an Economics degree in Edinburgh. I picked that degree because I wanted to learn how the world really worked and why people make decisions.

Notice how I highlighted that I have always been curious and strategic.

• Quickly, keep the story moving forward.

“While at university, I did an internship at Wells Fargo and some analytical work for a town planner.”

I don’t spend much time on this. I want to shout out that experience but I want to keep it moving.

• Tag every sentence with your (relevant) skills

“After university, I spent 2 years as a professional poker player. This was an exciting time. I learned so much about strategy, risk and how people make decisions.”

Good to throw in a conversation starter. Something that sets me apart. Most people do not play cards for a living, so at least they will remember me.

• Keep up the pace (but keep tagging those skills)

“After that, I spent 5 years in a Trading company where our team managed a $350m energy portfolio. I made big decisions under pressure and worked with a lot of stakeholders.”

• Explain why you made each career move.

“After Trading, I loved strategy, decision making and commercial environments. But it was clear that data was the future. So, I got a job as a Data and Strategy Analyst at a bank.

• Hammer home your relevant skills

At the bank, I focused on my technical skills (SQL and PowerBI), but data analysis was a huge part of my career, in every role. I can talk more about that later”

• Finish your story with what you want

“So, now I have the data skills. I have 10 years of strategic experience in commercial environments. I’ve worked under pressure. I’ve worked alone and as part of a team. I’ve proven I can get results in any environment.

The reason I thought your company was perfect for me was….

Overall, that’s why I can add value to your company as a Senior Strategy Analyst.”

Boom. We’re done.

End with summarising your skills.

Deliver the last few lines with confidence. Shorter sentences have a higher impact.

You’re not asking them for the job. You’re taking it.

If you ever need any 1:1 coaching help, I can help you out.

Got a question about coaching? Email me here: [email protected].

Good luck!

Michael

P.S.

Thanks for all the kind words on my coaching. I really appreciate it.

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