Words get you hired…
And I don’t mean this in a metaphorical sense. I mean, literally, the words that you speak and other people hear get you hired.
In fact, your entire career is based on words!
You do your work using words. You communicate and connect with people using words. You answer interview questions with words. And you ask for jobs or a raise by using words.
While on the surface, this may read like I’m pointing to the obvious, that’s far from my goal. And if you read through this page, you’ll see that your choice of words have profound career consequences…
In fact, when you understand the concepts on this page, you’ll know the core of what you need to know about getting the jobs you want.
You’ll learn how to swiftly qualify yourself for any given job. You’ll understand what employers want to hear for them to hire you. And you’ll even be able to create opportunities out of thin air.
But if you don’t, you’ll be stuck with the whims of employers and job markets. And you’ll remain at the effect end of every hiring decision.
Here’s how it all works…
Every employer wants to hear THREE sentences in order to hire you.
Think of them as critical check-boxes. If you can manage to get these three in, they will hire you. If you fail to get them in, chances are, they won’t hire you.
Sure, if you answer all their interview questions exactly the way they want… If you have amazing rapport with them during the interview… And if your family is connected with the CEO…
Yes, than, you may still get the job without using these sentences.
But outside of such conditions, every successful candidate ends up saying these three sentences one way or another.
And when you strategist to say them properly, you don’t have to be a perfect match for the job. You can mess up here and there during the application process and still get the job.
So… what exactly are these three sentences?
They are one sentence answers to the following three questions:
- What is it that you specifically do? (Or what is it that you want to do)?
- Where’s the proof that you can do it?
- Why do you want to do it here (i.e. with us, at this company, etc.)?
Before you jump into giving your answers, let me warn you: Not every answer is correct!
The three sentences I’m talking about are SPECIFIC answers to these questions…
1. What Do You Do?
What you do needs to be an EXACT match for the job you are interviewing for.
Most candidates screw this up.
Most candidates answer this question by throwing around combinations of buzzwords that sound good at cocktail parties – like “I do marketing, sales, and strategy for technology firms and non-profit charities.”
They do this, because they try to demonstrate their range of abilities and varied experience of doing all sorts of things.
They are trying to say, “I can do everything that you throw my way and I’m very talented”.
Unfortunately, that’s not how the interviewers hear them. They hear “I do anything that comes my way”, “whatever pays the most” or “the best that I can get”.
Remember: employers are skeptical and they assume the worst, especially early on in the interaction. That’s why, positioning yourself as a jack of all trades always ends up lowering your perceived value.
Some candidates are a bit more savvy and they say things like “I’m a social media marketer” or “I’m in the tech industry” in an attempt to describe themselves.
Sadly, that’s only a marginally better answer…
Such labels as “social media marketer” or “web programmer” are meaningless labels that describe nothing about the value you bring to the table.
Moreover, they are not focused.
To catch attention, get desirable jobs, and uncover opportunities – you need to be a lot more focused on your communication.
And you must do so in a way that demonstrates value.
For instance, are you a marketing expert talking to a company about their Social Media Manager?
Just saying that you are a Social Media Manager doesn’t cut it!
You also need to understand why they need a social media manager, and tell them that you are that kind of social media manager.
Are they looking for someone to grow their Facebook followers and create content? You position yourself as a Social Media Manager who focuses on creating and sharing content through Facebook to grow business.
Another example…
Are you a Web Programmer talking to an e-commerce company to become their Front End Developer?
You are no longer just a Web Programmer. Now, you must position yourself a Front End Developer.
I bring this example up because there is virtually no distinction between a Web Programmer and a Front End Developer. Not really.
But in the eyes of the employer, there may be a big difference. And since we need to use the employer’s terminology for success, you need to describe yourself using their words.
One more example…
Let’s say you are someone who worked both as a Project Manager and a Product Manager for different companies.
And let’s also say that now you trying to get a Project Management role for a construction company?
Whatever you called yourself before doesn’t matter. Now, you are a Project Manager focuses on completing construction projects in time and on budget…
Are you getting the idea?
Whatever you did in the past doesn’t matter. When you apply for a job, you want to tell them that you are exactly what they are looking for.
And you want to do this right off the bat, in your first communication with them.
In fact you should utter this sentence as a reflex as soon as you say your name:
“My name is [your name] and I am a [title they have in mind] who does [the job they want done].”
2. Where is Your Proof?
Obviously, anyone can say anything they want.
We all know that anyone can claim anything, and when jobs are on the line, we all know that people tend to “over-claim”.
That’s why, you also need to prove your claim.
It’s not enough to tell them that you can do the job. You also need to get them to believe it.
This is not all that difficult.
In fact, you can use any fact from your past as “proof” if you spin it right.
The facts themselves, ironically, are less important than the way you present them.
Confidence, for instance, goes a long way. Using industry terminology also goes a long way.
If you use the right techniques and manage to present yourself the right way, even with zero relevant experience, you can still get employers to believe that you are qualified.
We cover dozens of such techniques in the qualification section of Secrets to Six Figures, but for the purposes of this article, we’ll share a simpler proof technique:
Tell them that you’ve done the exact same thing before.
This is easy to understand…
Many people believe that past success predicts future success. And many people assume that if you’ve done some type of work before, you are automatically qualified to do the same type of work again.
Give the employer what they want to hear: you’ve done this before and you’ve got it covered.
And you can say that in a single sentence…
For instance… Staying in line with the previous examples…
As a social media manager who grows Facebook followings by creating content, you managed to grow the fan pages of six different small businesses up to a total of 2 million followers.
Or, as a front end developer, you’ve implemented three different shopping cart systems.
Or, as a project manager, you’ve overseen twelve project with a total budget of $17M.
All of these sentences work perfectly fine as proof.
And yes, you can be abstract in your examples, and focus on the commonalities between what you’ve done and what they want you to do.
Those are not the important points…
The important point is that you say a sentence like:
“I’ve been [doing this type of work] for [some specifics about budges, years, companies, projects, etc.].”
3. Why Here?
While your positioning (i.e. what you do) and qualification (i.e. proof) are necessary, they are not the final factor.
At least, that’s not the reason for the hire.
Let’s face it, in today’s hyper competitive job market, there are many people that can do the same stuff you can do.
This is especially true when you go after highly desirable jobs. For such positions, you will compete with many people who are not only perfectly qualified, but also people who come from pedigree and prestige.
That’s why, if you want to beat them in this game, you need an edge.
Luckily, your answer to “why do you want to work here” can become that edge.
That is, if you know how to answer it correctly…
While most mainstream career advice tells you to:
- Explain how this position fits into your career goals
- Say you are sincerely interested in the job
- Demonstrate that you’ve researched the company at length
- Rationally explain why the company or the job is appealing to you
All of these miss the mark!
Pay attention because this is very important.
The above answers miss the mark because they don’t satisfy people’s emotional and instinctive nature.
You see, one of the biggest challenges for managers is motivation.
In fact, you could argue that 30% to 70% of a manager’s role revolves around getting people motivated.
It’s a major pain to lead deadbeats or extract work from people who are just punching in and out.
Conversely, it’s not only easier, but also a lot more rewarding to work with people who are excited to be at work.
Obviously, like all people, managers want their life to be both easy and rewarding.
Which means, managers prefer to work with people that are easy to motivate. Or even better, people who are capable of motivating themselves.
That’s why, good managers try to filter out the deadbeats and only hire stellar performers.
Unfortunately, this is not so easy…
People misrepresent themselves. They lie.
As such, it’s almost impossible to discern if people will be self-motivated professionals or deadbeat hirelings just from the interview.
I say almost impossible, because there is a way…
As Daniel H. Pink explains in “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us”, people are a lot more motivated by the work they do than by money or perks.
Pink calls this intrinsic motivation. And people who are intrinsically motivated are a lot easier to motivate and manage than those who just do it for a paycheck.
What’s important is that every manager knows this!
We all want to work with people who love what they do.
And we all know that what people love isn’t about what fits in with their 5 year plan or what they saw on the research they’ve done about a company.
We all know that these are BS excuses, not the real motivation…
People love what they do, because they love doing the specific activities the job requires.
Again, in line with the above examples…
The social media manager loves to connect with people and create stories that get shared.
The front end developer loves to fuss over designs and create elegant software solutions.
The project manager loves to complete projects by overcoming all these risks and challenges.
In every profession, there are some very rewarding, even “lovable” activities.
And you need to let your employers know that this is fueling your urge to work with them.
Again, you can do this with a single sentence:
“I want to work here because I’m very excited to do [this exact work function that you find rewarding]!”
How To Get The Jobs You Want
Hopefully you are starting to see the thinking – and power – behind these three sentences.
So, how exactly do you put that power to use?
It’s simple.
Here’s what you do…
Before you write a cover letter, send in an application, or go into an interview:
- Take out a piece of paper.
- Write down your three sentences. (Writing it down by hand gets it deeper into your subconscious and reminds you to use them when you need to.)
- Read it out loud, at least once. (This is important for a great delivery. If you want it to be perfect, do it in front of a mirror.)
Just this exercise will get you primed to use those sentences – naturally – during the interview.
You won’t have to spit it out awkwardly or break into a rehearsed speech.
Let your subconscious do the work, and deliver these three sentences automatically.
That’s it. That’s all it takes!
And make no mistake…
While this technique looks simple on the surface, it’s profoundly effective.
It works both at a logical and an emotional level.
This will give you an uncanny edge over your competition.
Remember: most candidates talk in vague generalities.
Using this technique, you’ll be able to give them exactly what they want.
And if you want to take your career to the next level fast, check out Launch Your Career.