Looking for a job is a lot like playing in the Super Bowl. There’s pressure, competition, strategies, a red zone, do-or-die plays and — ultimately — victory for someone.
Are you approaching your job search with the precision and passion of a pro athlete playing his sport’s biggest game? You should be. Further consider our football analogy:
Like football, a job search conducted using GetFive method progresses in three phases. The first is preparation (training), and the second focuses on getting informational meetings and interviews (playing the game). The red zone, phase three, is when you follow up after an interview and really move your ball toward the end zone. Just as in football, this final phase can be the most difficult to play.
The final phase of a football game or job search requires analysis and strategic thinking. Each play is crucial as the clock winds down and the opportunities to score narrow. Just as players and coaches learn the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing team’s defense, job seekers need to understand the company they’re in
terviewing with and how to leverage their own strengths to outperform the competition.
Smart quarterbacks have more than one play up their sleeves to help their teams score a touchdown — and you should have multiple follow-up strategies lined up to help you secure a job offer. It’s important to be working on campaigns with six to 10 companies at a time in order to maximize your opportunities.
Now imagine if the football team didn’t really know where they were on the field at any give time — if they couldn’t tell the end zone from the kick-off line. That’s how you’re playing the job search game if you don’t know where you are in the hiring process at any given time. Are you the first applicant to be interviewed? The last? Somewhere in between? Ask, and be prepared with strategies to help move the ball in the direction you want to go no matter where you are on the field.
Who hasn’t seen a pro athlete interview that left you shaking your head and asking yourself, “What was he thinking when he said that?” Although it may not always be apparent, athletes get coached on what to say in interviews, and you should have a plan for just what you want to share with a hiring manager. Just as what a player says may vary based on who’s conducting the interview, what you share with an interviewer should be tailored to the company, the job and the interviewer.
Finally, keep in mind that the most successful football teams perform well in the red zone. Likewise, the most successful job hunters are those who do well in post-interview follow-ups. Knowing where you are in the field, overcoming the competition and calling just the right plays will get you to the red zone. It’s up to you to score the touchdown with a great follow-up performance.
