randori mind, control the chaos

Have you ever met a person and wondered how they managed to get their job?

I recently chatted about this very question with a friend. He was frustrated because he had been on more than six interviews and had not received an offer.  My friend started the conversation by remarking that he knew in two companies where he had interviewed, less competent candidates had been hired. I understood his frustration. We struggle to understand why some people, who seem under qualified, get hired and we begin questioning our capabilities. This seems to happen frequently, especially with the expanding pool of highly trained professionals competing for a diminishing number of openings.  Twenty minutes into our conversation, we concluded that getting hired results from three factors: Who you know in the company, what your qualifications are and how well you interview. We saw this as a Venn diagram, where three unequal circles of skill overlap. This sliver of employment possibility was seen as asymmetric and often weighted differently for each applicant, and their three basic circles of skill.

Networking into a company is a relatively easy way to connect with a hiring manager. However it may not get you hired because connections don’t or can’t always compensate for a lack of skill. The proof is the rising number of unemployed who are networked into numerous companies through face-to-face meetings, former employee groups and LinkedIn.  Why are do so many qualified professionals remain unemployed?  It isn’t solely because they don’t network or have connections.  This is one circle of the Venn explanation covered, the variable effect of connections balancing skills.

Well-trained and experienced professionals instinctively rely on their skills and experience to open doors. The gatekeeper or hiring manager may not accept them based on acumen and experience for a number of reasons. They may not agree with the technology base the applicant describes, or may consider it dated for a newer technology. They may not understand the technical vocalizations or the applicant’s manner. In other words, they don’t like the candidate. Technical skills and experience comprise the second Venn circle, and this too has significant value, it doesn’t always dictate the outcome.

Interviews are not inclusion processes; they are exclusionary, meant to keep out those who apparently don’t ‘fit’. The ‘doesn’t fit’ and ‘don’t like’ judgments are powerful negatives that will derail every interview. The interview tipping point is when you get people to like, to accept you. This is a matter of your first accepting their perspective; understanding their needs and offering real and applicable solutions to the person.  This mutual acceptance is called, interviewing well. This is the third, and arguably most important of the Venn circles.

So, why do people who seem under qualified get hired? The answer, they have some marketable skills and possibly a tenuous connection within the company. Their most impressive skill is that they convince every manager they talk with that the best candidate choice is standing in front of them. These individuals have a great third circle.

Immediate interviewing opportunities will remain limited in the near future, making it imperative to capitalize on every telephone or in-person opportunity. You can attempt to get hired based upon astounding knowledge and training, references from Noble Prize winners, or by dating the chairman’s son or daughter. For mere humans, you can learn to be engaging and generate interpersonal acceptance. When you engage correctly, the person you’re talking with will understand your transferable skills and experience and unhesitatingly agree that you are the best candidate.  You will make your three circles intersect and receive an offer letter.

To hear how great interviews sound, or to take an interviewing quiz…  7 Minute Interview