Job Interview Silver Bullet

This page is all about developing your marketing “silver bullet”, “irresistible offer”, or “offer they can’t refuse”… your super powerful marketing message that is going to underpin your whole self marketing campaign for your specific target employer.

And yes if you have a small number of target employers you should tailor them to each, as it’s rare that two employers will have exactly the same requirements.

This is a “headline” statement that will compel your reader / listener to follow closely what you have to say.

This headline will in most cases be delivered to your target employer initially in print, via a cover letter, email, CV / Resume, but will then be reformatted and repeated throughout the interviewing and assessment process.

I’ve described this as the most important singular piece within the whole puzzle, and it is; copyrighters are paid thousands of dollars to entice consumers to try their clients products, publishers recognise they turn a good book that’s not selling into a best seller by finding the right title.

Experts in sales, sell ideas and not products.

Unless you have some sort of “in” or “connection” through a mutual friend, association, or business network, the likelihood is that your first contact with your target employer will be as a complete stranger. And we’ve all had it drummed into us by our parents not to trust complete strangers (especially the ones baring sweeties and wearing a dirty old coat .

Therefore any approach you make to a target employer is as a complete stranger starting from a point of zero trust. Another reason why networking is so vital in the job finding, any relationship that you can leverage to move up from being a complete stranger is a MASSIVE advantage.

So if you left any stones unturned at the research stages, go back and see if you have any connections with your target employer, it really will be worth your while.

If approaching your target as a complete stranger with zero trust, you have a very short time to grab their attention, sell your ideas, and compel them to want to interview you. I’ve read anywhere from 7 to 30 seconds!

So your headline needs to be delivered as quickly as politeness and courtesy will allow.

Right let’s start building your headline, silver bullet, offer they can’t refuse…

The rest of the page is for Interviewing Answers members only

Right for us we return to our Target Employer Profile, we have a list of criteria that our target is looking for that we’ve gleaned from their material if they have any (job advert, specification, description), and from our detailed research.

We’ve also sown the seeds of what attributes and character types employers like best (leader, team player, problem solver, star, expert, good citizen, self developer, juggler)

Now we’ve got to populate the YOU side of the profile, with your skills, experience, qualifications, achievements, testimonials, personality attributes, everything you think may be relevant to your target employer. AND this does not have to be only work related, in fact you should definitely show balance by having a few relevant non work examples of skills, achievements, desirable personality traits.

The following example is based around a real advert that was placed on a job board, filling in the Target Employer Profile.

Insert completed target profile image

You are now looking at a form that gives you a helicopter view of what YOUR TARGET WANTS and WHAT YOU OFFER.

So you can see possible gaps that may need covering.

In our example above, Jane’s missing the cross border or multi country accounting project experience.

Don’t be put off if you don’t have everything you think your target wants, it’s perfectly normal to want to “step up” or advance into a role that will challenge you.

Though I would be wary of any role that has a high number of critical tasks that your MAPP test scores you as “unmotivated” by.

Not because you can’t do them, simply that you’ll probably hate any job that repeatedly asks you to do stuff that doesn’t motivate you.

So if your happy with the snap shot view we’ll continue; or you can decide to target another role, or employer if you’re not happy with the profile.

Before going into the build process for your silver bullet, or offer they can’t refuse. Let me again reiterate that this step does require creativity. It’s a form of copywriting, and most copywriters follow a process that starts by getting some form of rough draft before, entering a editing and polishing stage to improve it. This often takes days, if inspiration does strike early.

So don’t worry if you don’t like your initial work, simply get something down, and move on to other tasks, leaving this to come together over time.

Anyway let’s continue with an editing and polishing process as an example.

Another reminder – We know what organisations want – people who can help them save or make money…

Through the tasks they do.

Your key marketing message has to:-

SHOW them that you have successfully saved (efficiency) or made money in the past (or at least have the potential to) convey your skills / transferable skills to compensate for any lack of specific experience (especially important if you’re a career changer).

It should be written in their language, using their terminology.

For example if your responding to a advert or job description and for a manager; make sure you use the title “manager” rather than something that may mean the same such as “supervisor” in your main message and ideally through your cover letters, CV / resume.

The most common use for your silver bullet is likely to be within a cover letter or CV / Resume, specifically in the form of an objective or summary / profile statement in which case it’s will need to convey what you want in your ideal role.

The essence of this statement or headline is that it confirms that what you want and what your target employer wants as being the exact same things.

It is VITAL to take the attitude that this whole recruitment process is about giving your target employer everything THEY want. They are the ones with the power and responsibility to hire YOU. You definitely get what you want but only after satisfying your target employers needs FIRST.

I’m not suggesting selling yourself short in any way whatsoever, just the opposite; you cannot hope to claim the maximum payment or salary, until you first establish THEIR need and satisfy them that you will meet that need.

At that point they want you, and will pay a fair price!

Note for career changers-

Your objective has to persuade the reader that your generic transitional / transferable skills and personality ARE relevant to the role they are offering. People often forget the many great transferable skills they have, and for a career changer it’s these skills you need focus on.

For example being a good communicator or manager of people, are skills that are valuable in any sector, though don’t loose focus on what the reader wants (don’t mention manager of people if your target role doesn’t need it).

Moving on let’s create our Silver bullet in the form of an objective statement for use in cover letters or CV / resume, as this is the most common use, your most likely first and critical touch point with your target employer.

An Objective statement MUST be concise and no more than 4 lines, It’s a short powerful statement that tells the reader that YOU can give them what they WANT, and visa versa.

It’s a recipe of some or all of the following content ingredients. I’ve seen some great one liner headline objectives, but they are harder to create, also adding every content ingredient may make the statement too long, and less punchy.

●The exact job title used on the advert / description – be as specific as possible. This is usually mandatory. I have seen it shortened when the job title is unnecessarily long.

●Function of the role. Include the business objectives of your target role.

●Critical skills required these are your skills and transferable skills (for career changers) recorded on your sniper target career form.

●Relevant experience in tangible terms (x years, x number of projects etc).

●Personal behaviour traits appropriate to the role. This adds your unique personality.

Note: When I say tangible terms I mean use measures to convey your performance. Its not enough to say managed a team and improved sales. You MUST say how many in the team, the target, and by how much you improved sales, by amount, or percentage – HARD Facts – business language.

Mix the above ingredients, edit, polish and edit some more, and you will get your Objective.

Right.

Let’s work through the example.

“Qualified Management Accountant turned specialist SAP financial Project Manager. Prince qualified with 10 years and over 8 major SAP financial implementations under my belt, looking for my next challenge across International operations”.

Getting there, though lacking personality.

“Qualified Management Accountant turned dedicated SAP financial Project Manager. Prince qualified with 8 successful SAP implementations. A commercially savvy, positive and motivational leader now looking to deliver further SAP enabled efficiencies and savings across International Operations”.

This is better, though I feel a little too long.

Carry on fine tuning, take your time, maybe even sleep on it, to get it to a point you’re delighted with.

It really is that important.

An objective statement properly aligned with the readers requirements WILL get you the interview.

“£45 Million / 7% realised savings from latest successful SAP implementation! Ex Management Accountant Turned SAP Project Management Specialist, looking for cross border SAP project”

BINGO!

I like this one, true I’ve removed the personality wording, but it has such a strong headline, I believe a results orientated, over-achiever is communicated without saying it!

It could be better though

I have a testimonial from the previous project.

I said PROOF was everything in selling. And writing a great cover letter or CV / resume does give you’re a great chance of getting the invite to interview. But let’s face it, if you’re a good wordsmith and of dubious integrity many people can “spin” a compelling objective statement.

However if you add a verifiable testimonial, you add TRUST to your PROOF, and with it pretty much guarantee the invite to interview!

Insert image objective and testimonial.

See how much better this objective statement looks now, and though the example is based on a random job picked off a job board, Jane is based on a real person I had the pleasure of interviewing, who always uses this approach on her CV / resume.

Not surprisingly Jane takes has her pick of prime SAP Project roles – her chosen specialty.

Right lets move on to use your marketing Silver bullet in your self marketing arsenal.

This is  an armoury of marketing tools that enable you to secure any job interview you want, and under pin your offer winning job interview strategy, by enabling you to demonstrate and PROVE you can do what your target employer needs.

In a nutshell; help win you job offers.

What’s in the self marketing arsenal?

Cover letters.

CV / Resumes

Brag Book / Testimonials / Proof of Results

30 60 90 Day Plan

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