In these tense economic times, job seekers are constantly told by experts to bring something extra, stand out from the crowd. “It’s the added value that’s the difference,” they’re reminded, between being hired and being forgotten.
Of course the experts who haven’t been “out there” have wacky ideas on standing out. One newscaster reminded job hunters to “wear a clean shirt” and “share your experiences about backpacking in the Amazon.” Wait, let’s write that down!
An enterprising job seeker had a better method. The company he’d targeted needed to launch a quarterly newsletter, but they’d left the post open for a year. “I’ll show you how I’d do it if you’ll give me a tryout,” he said. Dubious, the hiring manager agreed to the audition and was instantly impressed. The job seeker showed his immediate worth, drafting a newsletter format and suggesting ways to promote it. His bold move showed the company the value of its newsletter idea – which was upgraded to a weekly edition – and the value of having someone experienced to handle it.
“Show me the money,” Jerry Maguire yelled. More likely, show me the value…of a product, a service, or a better way to go. Your employees illustrate that every day.
Have you paused lately to consider and comment on their value, for the moment and for the future?
