6 Tips from Hollywood for a Successful Job Search (Guest post from author Rob Biesenbach)
Few people think to enjoy job searching. However, I have found the mindset we have cannot only bring more job search success but also fun to the process. To help you find the right mindset for your next job search, I’m sharing a special guest post from Rob Biesenbach, actor and author of ACT LIKE YOU MEAN BUSINESS. According to Rob, if you want to be more successful in your job search and networking activities, take a tip from Hollywood: treat every interaction like a performance.
Here are six lessons from Hollywood that can help you perform better in job interviews, at networking events and in any communication:
1. Know Your Audience
Before a job interview, do your homework. Who will you be meeting with? Look them up on the organization’s website and LinkedIn.
And before any networking event, look at the list of attendees. Who do you know? Who do you want to know? What do you have in common and how do you plan to connect?
2. Tell Stories
Have an “elevator pitch” ready at all times, so you’re able to tell your story in a few sentences. Who are you, what do you do, how do you stand out from others and how do people benefit from your skills or services?
You should also have stories ready that illustrate your accomplishments – challenges you’ve faced in the workplace and how you overcame them.
3. Reveal Your Human Side
In this market, employers can find any number of qualified candidates. How are you going to stand out from the pack? By showing them who you are as an individual. Give them a glimpse of your personality, your humanity. Employers want to know what kind of person they’re committing to spending half their waking hours with.
4. Appeal to Emotion
Again, this is a performance. You can’t phone it in. You have to talk about your accomplishments, interests and goals with enthusiasm and passion. What makes you jump out of bed in the morning? What do you love about your work? How do you feel you are making a difference in peoples’ lives?
5. Show, Don’t Tell
It’s not enough to list your achievements. What evidence can you show to back up your claims? Hard results, industry awards, accolades, media coverage – these are much more convincing and credible than anything you say about yourself.
6. Rehearse
Actors spend countless hours preparing for their time on stage and in front of the camera. Similarly, you should practice for any interaction that’s important to you, whether it’s a meeting, interview or networking event. That means determining your goal, preparing what you’re going to say, anticipating objections and how you’ll overcome them, and practicing until you’re comfortable.
Attend to these things and you’ll be ready to hit the stage with poise and confidence. After all what is it about the great performances we see on TV and in the movies that draws us in? Compelling stories. Characters we can relate to. An emotional connection.
Many thanks to Rob for sharing his expertise and insights! I couldn’t agree more with his tips, especially about revealing your human side. Be yourself and you’ll be the star you were born to be!
Rob Biesenbach is a Chicago-based communications consultant, actor and author of the book ACT LIKE YOU MEAN BUSINESS: Essential Communication Lessons from Stage and Screen, published by Brigantine Media.