One thing I love the most is getting a client’s email saying, “I got the job!! I got the job!”.
That’s one of the most exciting moments for me and obviously for the client who’s been working towards that goal for so long.
I got one of those juicy emails just the other day and I have to tell you Amanda’s story.
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Meet Amanda
The company Amanda worked for went through a massive reorg & she found herself into a position that, on paper, looked like a step back.
The role was an anomaly that didn’t fit with her past work experience or with what she wanted to do next. When I looked at her resume, it just stuck out.
She also felt that. And, to me, that was the most important thing. Amanda didn’t feel good about what she’d been doing for the past two or three years.
This needed to change.
As her Career Coach, one of the first things I worked on with Amanda was helped her get really clear on what the next step of her career was going to be.
Where did she want to go next? What did that role truly look like?
When we finished that process, we got to the point where the job that she wanted would build on the experience that she had before the anomaly role. It was a really good match for the type of work she’d done in the past, but the issue was that the title of the job she wanted to move into wasn’t one she’d ever held before.
She felt really uncomfortable and insecure about wanting to interview for these jobs. Even though she’d done similar work in the past, she’d never “technically” had a role with this title before.
She questioned herself and wondered if she could really make it happen.
The Strategy
Now, one thing I always do with my clients is define & succinctly capture their past accomplishments and the results they’ve created. Amanda was no different.
I led her through an exercise that gave her specific words and examples of her past results that were an ideal match for the future job. With that, she could clearly articulate why she was the right fit and the only candidate they should hire.
Nailing down your results is a critical part of building a magnetic brand. It helps you tell your career story in a targeted, intentional, and deliberate way. Without this, your brand just doesn’t hold water.
With that, Amanda built up the courage to start applying, networking, and interviewing for her dream job. And, of course, with her brand now in a solid a place, she landed an interview for the perfect role. The salary was a match and the type of work was exactly what she wanted – probably even more than she had originally imagined!
Remember, I said Amanda didn’t have the title, right? Well, here’s where the story gets even more interesting.
Because Amanda’s clarity & confidence had received such a boost, she decided to take ownership of this issue right from the start and raised it before they had a chance to.
Let me just say that this was B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T!
Why This Strategy Worked
Simply put…Amanda took ownership of the issue.
After the exchange of greetings at the front end of the interview, Amanda took the lead with, “I know I’m interviewing for this job and I also know I haven’t had this title before. But I’ve done the work. I’ve created exactly what you want to create in this new position. And that’s why I’m here.”
*mic drop*
Instead of feeling like she was behind the eight ball or insecure about when they were going to ask, she just took ownership of it, called it out, and diffused it before it could ever become a thing.
Having done countless interviews myself, when a candidate can get inside my mind and anticipate where I’m going, I pay attention. This person is sharp, has done their homework, and I want to know more. And that’s exactly how you want an interviewer to feel about you.
Now, this strategy does have one catch.
It worked for Amanda because she could back it up.
Saying ‘I’ve done the work’ or ‘I’ve created exactly what you want in this position’, can’t be just empty words. You truly have to be able to show that you’ve created the right results. Depending on the job, we’re talking factors like sales made, customer sat scores, time saved, clients impacted.
For this strategy to work in your favour, your results needs to be real & ready to be shared confidently. (For my alumni clients, this is where your beloved accomplishment statements slide in.)
If you don’t have real results to back up your statement, then don’t say it because you will get called out and your integrity & brand are at stake. It’s not worth the risk.
Now back to Amanda…
Using this strategy wiped the issue away. That, combined with the depth of her results and confidence in her brand, helped Amanda to completely ace the interview. And of course, she got the job!
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I wanted to share Amanda’s story with you because I know that there are times where you have a role, a career path, or a career move that you want to make but you don’t feel ready. You don’t feel like you have what you need in order to get there.
I want to let you know that it’s very, very possible, even if you’re facing obstacles, to step into that role just like Amanda did.
>> Get clear on what you want.
>> Do your prep & be ready.
>> Own it all.
Now, I’d love to hear if you have something in your background that makes you feel a little insecure. Or maybe you’re in the same situation where you haven’t had the title of the role that you want to move into.
Do you think this is a strategy that you could use? Drop a comment below and let’s talk about it.
And be sure to watch the video to hear me talk about this topic too!
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P.S. Are you on my mailing list yet? If you’re not already part of my crew, you’ve gotta get in. Click here to sign up & get the best career strategies I have right to your inbox every week.
Cindy Harvey is a Career Strategy Coach and Founder of Amelia Dee, a career strategy company for women. She has coached hundreds of clients on leveraging the power of energy & mindset to create success at work as well as designing a magnetic professional brand to make their next career move a breeze.
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