How My Intern Got The Job And Created A Blueprint For All To Follow

How My Intern Got The Job And Created A Blueprint For All To Follow 53 Flares 53 Flares People are typically looking for a blueprint when searching for advice.  And not just for job search advice, but for anything. People want to view a model that they can follow and make their own. Just tossing in our snazzy Bad Rhino logo I recently (this week) hired an intern for my new Social Media Company, Bad Rhino.  Our hired intern, Jamie, has consistently impressed me since day 1, which was back in March of this year.  Maybe it wasnt by complete design, but the series of events that Jamie followed and carried out has created a Job Search Blueprint for others to follow. This strategy wont always work for each job search situation, but I do believe there is a strong chance you can put your best brain forward to make it happen.  Here is Jamies Blueprint: 1. He used social media to get on my radar In March, I spoke at my undergraduate Alma Mater, Cabrini College, about the job search.  In the months before my presentation, I tried to connect with current students, but I didnt have time to send many targeted messages.  However, one of the students, Jamie, continued to show interest and engage with me, mostly through Twitter.  His excitement completely put him on my radar.  Heres one of the Tweets from Jamie: I didnt disqualify him for the major typo of the schools name! How To Use This In Your Own Search Engage with a company or person you find interesting.  Send tweets, LinkedIn requests, comment on their blogs, join Facebook pages/groups and engage/comment, and just be heard.  Maybe not right away, but theyll eventually have you on their radar. 2. He introduced himself before I began speaking As I was setting up for my presentation, Jamie walked right up to me and introduced himself.  That sounds so easy, but its not that simple for everyone.  I think our conversation went like this: Jamie: Hey Rich!? Me: Hey, hows it going? Jamie: Good!  Just wanted to introduce myself, my name is Jamie.  Weve bee talking a bit through Social Media. Rich: Yes, I remember!  Whats up?  Thanks for coming out! As you can see, the conversation wasnt very long, but it helped solidify the connection that was started online. How To Use This In Your Own Search When you know the company or person youre interested in will be at an event, make sure you introduce yourself.  Maybe its a networking event, or conference, or a job fair.  Find out who from the company will be there, and then go ahead and introduce yourself. 3. He remained in touch Even after the event, Jamie would RT my stuff, or like something on Facebook that Id post.  This all led to me looking further into his skill set and interests, which were social media related.  I couldnt reach out to him yet, but I knew Id eventually need an intern.  Then finally in august, I reached out and sent Jamie the link to our job posting. The job came to him. How To Use This In Your Own Search Maybe this is obvious, but continue to reach out, ask questions, and engage.  Its OK to even throw in a, Is your company hiring? message every now and then.  Your continued interest in them or the company will be valuable to you. 4.  Jamie was himself during interviews For the phone screen, I was first impressed that he suggested I call a land line, just an overall smart move.  I could tell that Jamie wasnt going to kiss my ass, or try too hard to say what I wanted to hear.  When I asked about his passions, he didnt jump to say anything related to social media.  I liked that.  His answer was food, television, and movies.  His skills and obvious passion in social media were already noted, so I liked that he was able to give me some personality. On the in person interview, Jamie displayed a ton of confidence when speaking to Marty (the other Co-Founder) and I.  Again, he wasnt afraid to show his personality and opinion, and even said that he, enjoys pissing people off when blogging.  AgainI like that. We were pretty much sold on hiring Jamie, and we didnt even care that he was 10 minutes late to the interview.  I probably wont let him forget thatever. How To Use This In Your Own Search Be yourself and show some personality and confidence in your interviews.  Feel free to bring up some other true passions, just make sure that youve already expressed your passion in the skill or line of work that youre interviewing for.  Oh, and if youre a true fit, being late or using words like pissing probably wont ruin your chances. 5. Jamie had the skills and knowledge that we needed In the end, Jamies knowledge and skill in social media made us feel very confident that he could perform the job.  Could he have got the job if he just performed steps 4 and 5 like most people experience?  Probably, but he would have had to find the job online (a hard task), apply, and then hope we open the resume and feel he matches what were looking for. How To Use This In Your Own Search This part is on the job seeker to show they have the required experience and knowledge that matches the requirements of the company.  This part is obviously the hardest, and if you dont have a connection, its much more difficult.  Check out my Job Seeker Services if youd like focused help. COTJs Final Words Your job search stars wont always align like they did for Jamie.  Dont let it frustrate you.  Continue to engage and build connections.  Someone will eventually see you, and then hopefully youre on their long term radar. Just try not to be late like Jamie.