KEVIN
Maintenance Management, Manufacturing
Lives in Washington with his wife and 4 children
RESULTS:
- Went from unemployed to 3 job interviews and 2 job offers in 30 days
- $5,000 salary increase
- 1 additional week of vacation
MEET KEVIN: THE PROJECT ENGINEER WHO GOT MULTIPLE JOB OFFERS IN 30 DAYS WITH VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE
Kevin’s a pretty softspoken guy. He’s a guy who was raised on a farm. He loves being outdoors. He rides horses, has a passion for motorcycles, and he snowboards.
He was a Project Engineer working in the Manufacturing industry. When he was let go from his job, with 3 kids and another one on the way, the timing really couldn’t have been worse.
He had felt “change coming” at work for awhile, but he’d imagined that change would happen on his terms. When it didn’t play out that way he was left feeling like he’d let his employer, his family, and himself down.
His first instinct was to get online and survey the available positions in his field. He looked at listings on all of the big job boards and began sending applications out. He sent applications to local businesses that had openings he felt he was qualified for. His job search was entirely online.
IT WAS WHAT HE DID NEXT THAT PUT HIS JOB SEARCH INTO OVERDRIVE!
Kevin reached out to old coworkers and other friends in his industry or similar industries and asked them about any job opportunities they knew of. And they came through with some good leads, handing over names and contact info for decision makers.
Kevin stepped WAY out of his comfort zone and made the phone calls. Here is a guy who avoids the phone. He doesn’t even make his own doctor appointments – his wife does! He realized that if the phone calls were standing between him and a possible job opportunity, he was going to have to put aside his hatred for the phone and just make the calls.
He looked at it this way,
People hire you, not internet services.
It was time to get some face time with the people who had the power to hire him.
THE INTERVIEW BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
Kevin took the proactive approach. He made targeted companies he wanted to work for and he didn’t just make one phone call! After reaching out to about a dozen contacts at various companies, Kevin landed THREE informational interviews. His approach made all the difference:
- First, he made the calls! [He did what needed to be done, and he did it in the most direct and efficient way – most people do not do this!]
- He explained who he was and asked to come in for 5-10 minutes to chat about the opportunity. [He quickly built a rapport and was respectful of the hiring manager’s time]
INTERVIEW TIME!
With three interviews lined up (two in the same day!), Kevin got serious about preparing himself.
- He created a list of his accomplishments and the biggest challenges he’d overcome in his career.
- He studied interview prep resources and practiced.
- He put himself into the right mindset, wearing clothes that he felt comfortable in on the day of and listening to music right before walking in the door.
He was easily able to pull his experiences out in the interviews because the lists he’d made kept them fresh in his mind. He felt comfortable and confident.
The first company he interviewed with actually called him back for a second interview while he was in his interview with the second company!
By the end of the second interview with the first company, Kevin had a printed job offer in-hand. Shortly after that, he was told he could expect an offer from the second company!
The job at the first company was the one he really wanted.
NEGOTIATIONS
So, how exactly DID Kevin manage to get the job he wanted, with a salary increase of $5,000 over his last job AND an extra week of vacation?
- He didn’t reveal the amount of his last salary.
- He did NOT immediately take the first offer he was handed.
- He kept in mind that even though he was unemployed at the time, his newfound approach to the job search could provide him with even more opportunities than he’d had before.
- Despite the fact that he and his wife had concerns and fears around submitting a counter offer to the first company, Kevin decided to counter offer, leveraging the pending job offer from the second company.
- Kevin communicated his desire to work for the first company clearly and with sincerity. He was gracious and genuine.
- Because Kevin “drove” the process from the beginning, he had the confidence to ask for what he wanted.
The conversation went much smoother than he’d anticipated. Within a half hour after the call, Kevin got a call back. The company met him halfway on the salary he’d asked for AND threw in an extra week of vacation.
A 5-7 minute phone call earned Kevin a significant increase in his compensation and further fueled his excitement to start work with his new company!
KEVIN’S ADVICE:
- Be confident in yourself and your abilities. If a company makes you a job offer, understand that you are in a position of power because they’ve chosen YOU. In most cases, they will work with you because they do not want to start the interviewing process over.
- Leverage your transferrable skills and go for jobs that might feel slightly out of reach. You’d be surprised at how far your previous experiences can carry you!
- Build and maintain your relationships! You NEVER know when you’ll cross paths with old coworkers, managers, or others in the future.
- Follow through! When someone gives you a potential job lead, make the call!
- Don’t just make one call! Make one every day! Making steady progress every single day will get you a LOT further then working in spurts.
KEVIN NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT HE WANTED BEFORE HE WAS ABLE TO GO AFTER AND GET HIS RESULTS.
DO YOU NEED HELP FIGURING OUT WHAT YOU WANT SO YOU CAN FIND THE WORK YOU’LL LOVE?
