In Part 1 of this article we discussed how to make yourself "sticky" by attaching yourself to the work and
by letting the manager see you as an employee. Here are three more sticky interview tactics.
3. Inspire employees to talk about you.
A resume is a poor way to land a job because it is a dumb thing that can't defend you or speak up for you. Your best advocate is
a
person who knows the manager. Even after an interview, it's
the members of the team who influence the hiring manager. Your challenge is to get as many of them as possible on your side.
During the interview, ask the manager if you might meet one or two people on the team. You can pull this off easily during
the tour of the office. A busy manager will sometimes gladly drop you off in someone else's cubicle when your interview is
done. Use the techniques we're discussing here with everyone you meet. Focus on the work. Demonstrate what you can do. Ask for a
tour. The people you meet will remember you, and they're likely to talk about you. If they're impressed, the manager will learn
about it. This makes you incredibly sticky.
4. Get other employers to talk about you.
Good references can make you sticky. References who call the employer on their own, before they are called, are like "job
candidate glue". If you have one or two previous employers who really think a lot of you, ask them to make the call. Here's a
simple but very effective presentation when Hank's reference calls the prospective new employer:
"Hi, John. I'm Paul Smith. Hank Jones asked me if I'd serve as his reference. He used to work for me at Acme Widget. I'd
wait for you to call me, but I didn't think such formality was necessary. I'm such a fan of Hank's that I wanted to pick up the
phone and tell you what a great catch I think he'd be for a company like yours..."
You obviously have to be very tight with a reference to have him make this kind of call. As long as the reference is credible
and can be called back later for more information, this can be an eye-opener for the employer. There is nothing like genuine
accolades from your professional community. This tells the employer that if he doesn't hire you, his competition probably will.
5. Be there now.
Most people leave an interview with an empty feeling because it's like the end of an exam. You can't add anything to your
answers once you're out that door. There's no way to influence the employer further. Or, so you thought.
One powerful way to "be there" after the interview is a spin on the thank you note. Don't just send a throw-away
thank you; include something the manager will nail to his desk and refer to again and again. This might be a useful article
about a topic you discussed in the interview (hardcopy "sticks" much better than a link in an email), information
about a product or tool that would help his team members do their work more effectively, or the name of someone who might be a
sales lead or a useful resource in some regard. (Making professional introductions is a lost art in America, yet it's one of
the most powerful tools we wield in our businesses.)
If you handle it deftly, you can deliver more than one of these "useful items" along with that thank-you note.
Don't be pushy, but be there and be useful.
Your objective in being sticky is not to antagonize the manager, which is easy to do if you go overboard. Your objective is
to help him see you as a natural part of the fabric of his work and as the solution to his problems.
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