Managing Perceptions - The Secret Ingredient to Getting Hired

Managing Perceptions - The Secret Ingredient to Getting Hired Managing Perceptions The Secret Ingredient to Getting Hired Managing Perceptions The Secret Ingredient to Getting Hired April 2, 2009 by Career Coach Sherri Thomas Leave a Comment Hi Everyone!What Ive learned in my career about getting hired is the art of managing perceptions.   Every step in the hiring process is filled with other people outside of my influence making quick decisions and snap judgments about my skills, experience, and more personally, about me.   So the more aware you are of the messages that youre sending out to others, the more you can shape and manage those perceptions to showcase your best assets and greatest qualities.Below are four strategies to help you master the art of managing perceptions and speed up the hiring process so that you can get into a new job quickly. 1.       Perceptions are real.   You influence people through your actions and your words.   As wrong as it may be, its human nature to make very quick judgments about people, and those judgments are accelerated by warp speed during the hiring process.   With hundreds of potential candidates for each job opening, hiring managers and HR professionals have to assess and determine very, very quickly the right job candidates from the wrong candidates. So the key is to send clear, positive messages through your networking, resume, and interviews that you consistently add value to an organization.   2.       Shaping perceptions.   The really important question is, What are the perceptions that you want people to have about you?   When youre in the job market, you need to be sending a crystal clear message that focuses on the value that you consistently deliver to a company or client. Your value is a unique blend of your strengths, successes, and the results youve achieved for an organization.   Also, be passionate about the kind of work you enjoy doing.   Your value and your passion will make you truly unique from a crowd of colleagues, business associates, and even job applicants. 3.       Resume Power.   Companies will only interview the top 1 to 3-percent of job candidates, so if you think the look of your resume is good enough think again.   The truth is that companies dont always interview the best qualified they interview those with the best resume.     Dont write your resume yourself.   Instead, if you want to position yourself as a top candidate then have your resume written by a professional. A professionally polished resume sends the message that youre serious about your career, as well as the job youre going after. 4.       Interviewing Perceptions.   Driving perceptions during a job interview is about the way you dress, the way you interact, and largely about your attitude.   Be prepared, organized, confident and passionate. Last week, I interviewed three consultants to do some project work for me.   When I asked each of them whether they could do the work successfully, one candidate responded, Yes, this is my bread and butter.   And not only can I do this work successfully, but I like doing this kind of work.     Calm.   Confident.   Passionate.   He gave me peace of mind in knowing that hiring him would bring little, if any, risk.   I hired him on the spot.   Job candidates who get hired give clear and consistent messages about the value they bring to an organization, and a passion for the work they enjoy doing.   When youre able to successfully manage and shape perceptions through your networking, resume, and interviews, youre much more likely to stand above your competition and get hired.