Sex and Your Job Search 2013: A Guide to Scoring Your Dream Job (25 page)

As a result of these improvements, I recently made a proposal for implementing an electronic document management system, which was approved by administration. As you know, I love this software and it will cut the approval time by over a week at my employer. Maybe two. And everything will be tracked. I thrive on finding efficient and green-friendly solutions to workplace challenges!

This applicant was recruited by the document management company he was negotiating with for a management position. In their talks, his Creativity and Strategic Thinking, Accuracy and Attention to Detail, and Technical Ability Skills stood out. He received an offer with a $22,000 bump in pay, a manager title, and moved closer to a bigger city.

You never know where job opportunities and offers will come. Living the values of Teamwork, Integrity, and Excellence every day can change your career and life!

CUSTOMER FOCUS

In Chapter 8, I mentioned a nurse named Kelly who helped treat a child with cancer. Here’s another story about a nurse that involves Customer Focus and Learning.

Question
: Give me a time when a customer or employee asked you a question to which you did not know the answer. What was the situation? What did you do? How did it turn out?

Answer from a recent nursing grad for a new grad orientation position that had more than fifty applicants.

Beginning
: I was in my externship during nursing school and was working on the medical and surgical floor of a local hospital. I had a male patient who was an above-the-knee amputee, and was experiencing phantom pain.

Middle
: I felt bad for him. So, that night after my shift, I Googled “phantom pain” to better understand what he was experiencing. The subject really fascinated me and I ended up going to Barnes and Noble to buy a book on it.

End
: I read through parts of the book and then jotted a few things down that I thought would help him better manage the pain and explain his condition. I shared this with the patient the next day. Somehow my nurse educator found out what I did, maybe the patient told her—I’m not sure, and it must have impressed her. She was one of the people who wrote me a letter of recommendation for this new grad nurse program.

The interviewer began to smile as this applicant was telling the story. Trust was building that this nurse would go the extra mile. Boom, she got the job! Not only that, she was put in an accelerated program where instead of finishing her new grad orientation in three months, she completed it in eight weeks. When that happened, she received a four-dollar an hour bump in pay. Yearly that amounts to over $8,000.

This story would also apply to questions asked about Adaptability and Flexibility, Creativity, Communication, and Technical Ability.

ORGANIZATION AND TIME MANAGEMENT

Question
: There comes a point in everyone’s career when they’ve forgotten to do something important or missed a key detail. Tell me about one of these times. What actions did you take? How did it turn out?

Answer by an event specialist with five years of experience.

Beginning
: Sure, there was this one time where I was in charge of a recognition event for my current employer.

We were doing a nautical-themed celebration and had all sorts of elegant boating props. The plates and silverware were all gold, as were the chairs.

At the end of the event, I had an executive at our company come up to me and show me his jacket. It had gold streaks across the back of it! The gold on the chairs had rubbed off on it. Not only that, this was the first time he had worn his new suit.

I was mortified, but kept my cool.

Middle
: I promised the executive that I would replace the suit myself if I had to (Integrity, Teamwork, Excellence).

I called the vendor the next day and they admitted to having just repainted the chairs. They promised to take care of the executive, which meant dry cleaning and replacing the suit if need be. I then called the executive and passed along the contact info of the vendor. He was fairly laid-back about the situation and trusted things would get worked out.

He contacted the vendor and they said that if his dry cleaner couldn’t fix the suit, the vendor would replace it.

End
: The dry cleaning removed the paint from the suit and it looked like new. Then, our executive called the vendor to pay for his dry-cleaning bill. But they didn’t call him back for a week. He let me know and I spoke with the vendor sternly (Excellence, Integrity).

Later that day, the vendor stopped by the executive’s office, apologized, and paid for his dry cleaning. They also gave him fifty dollars extra for his trouble.

In the end, our employee was happy and that was my main concern. Now, before every event, I ask the vendor if any props have been recently modified or painted.

This event specialist got a job as a senior event marketer at her dream employer by demonstrating Organization, Adaptability, Communication, Customer Focus, and the Three TIE Values.

TECHNICAL ABILITY

Question
: Tell me about a time when you learned a skill or mastered a technique for your job. What was it? What did you do? How do you currently use it?

Answer from a massage therapist with five years of experience applying to her dream job at a high-end luxury resort. This is from an interview with the HR manager. She also had a working interview with the spa director, which included a one-hour massage.

Beginning
: I’m currently working at two spas in Southern California. One is a smaller business near the town where I live. The other one is at a nice resort about an hour away. It was at these companies where I first started applying the different techniques I learned in school. Swedish, deep tissue, hot stone therapy, and sports massage, among others (Excellence). It’s also where I learned how to enforce my own personal code of ethics (Integrity). Some people really push boundaries, wow.

Middle
: I was working one day at the higher-end resort and I was giving a ninety-minute massage to a gentleman on vacation. I followed his lead in talking and responding to his questions (Excellence). He mentioned that he lived in Northern California and I commented that my sister lived in the Napa Valley. He asked where she worked and he ended up knowing the owners of the vineyard. I expressed my desire to one day move back to Napa and he suggested I contact the spa director, one of his acquaintances at your resort. And well, as you know, that’s how I got here.

However, he didn’t give me the spa director’s contact information until after he had booked another ninety-minute session the next day. I think that speaks to my technique in sports massage and my love for healing and the hospitality industry (Excellence).

End
: The massage turned out well. The gentleman was pleased enough with my skills and demeanor that he felt convinced to pass along the contact information and sent an email copying me to one of his friends, your spa director. I actually just gave her a massage and I believe she can attest to my skills. I also told her about why I’ve wanted to be in this profession since I was a kid. I can tell you as well (Enthusiasm). Oh, I have to say, your resort is absolutely amazing.

In a time when people are cutting their indulgent expenses, this superstar applicant honed her skills and networked to find her dream job in an industry that is suffering. She went from making under $30,000 a year to over $80,000 with full benefits. If she works overtime, she could make close to six figures! By showcasing her Technical Ability, Excellence, and Integrity she was able to make her dream come true.

This answer could have been given for a question about Communication or Customer Service.

Bonus Question
(because Communication as a Technical Skill usually increases income): Give me a time when you improved a skill that was vital for success in your current role. What did you do? What was the outcome as it relates to progression in your field? What would you do differently if you could?

Answer from an applicant with nine years experience applying for a manager position at a large fashion clothing company.

Beginning
: When I began at my current employer nine years ago, I was basically a personal assistant to one of the VPs at their corporate office in Europe. Soon after I started, I realized just how polished and precise a public speaker my boss was. I actually noticed this of all the administrators. They all had, what seemed to me, a gift for communication. After a few months in the professional world, I saw a direct correlation between speaking ability and promotablility. I didn’t have much opportunity for enhancing my skills at that time, but I promised myself that I would work on and develop my speaking skills once I returned to the States in a different role. This is despite categorizing myself as a partial introvert.

Middle
: After two years, I received my current position in our U.S. office. Within weeks of returning, I joined Toastmasters in an effort to enhance my public speaking skills (Excellence, Integrity). It was eye-opening. I completed the ten speaking assignments in twelve weeks. I was traveling a lot at the time. After I was done, I felt so much more comfortable speaking in front of people, but I also learned the key components of how to structure my presentations.

Currently, in my role, I present to major retailers once a month. This means I am in front of their regional buyers, senior administrators, and even their CEOs. Not only that, but my boss and my CEO are sometimes present. That was and is a lot of pressure to perform.