Posted by Jason Alexander
I’m often asked about how job seekers can best position themselves. Do companies want specialists? Do companies want generalists? Should I wear a suit? These are common questions. At the end of the day (pardon the cliche) you, as a job seeker, need to be sure that you know, understand, and can identify your strengths. As odd as this may sound, seeking a job is much like an election campaign. The most qualified candidate doesn’t always win. More often than not, the most organized candidate is the one that comes out on top. In a job seeking campaign, the most important element is staying on message.
Employers don’t want to hear how fast you come up to speed or that you are a quick study. Pardon the bluntness in this statement but that is much like a police officer listening to the line “I didn’t do it”. Employers want to hear about what you do well and what value you bring to the table. All too often, a job seeker will get baited down the path of subject matter where they are lacking expertise. For the most part, the candidate will realize this when it is too late. Employers don’t want to hear about what you don’t know. They want to hear about what you do know, what you can do, and what return they are going to get on their investment in hiring you. This message will come across if you are prepared and able to speak intelligently to what your capabilities are. Don’t feel bad about what you don’t know. Be confident in what you do know.
We have posted some job seeking resources on the following link: http://www.alexandertg.com/resources.php