It's not exactly intuitive and it won't come easily, but talking about your screwups may get you the job you want, says Colleen Aylward, president of recruiting firm Devon James Associates. "People are more interested in your mistakes," she says. "They want your asset value to help avoid screwups." Aylward tells the story of one woman who had trouble getting hired because she'd worked for a string of flops. "We grilled and grilled and grilled her on what was wrong with those companies." The candidate ultimately rewrote the first paragraph of her résumé to say something like, "I took on the challenge of a company in total disarray, met challenges head on, and so on. I learned this from that, saw this downturn, made a mistake doing this." The woman got three job offers.
Humor helps too, says Lambo. During her job hunt, she regaled interviewers with the story of how her alumni magazine featured an article about her career success the very same month that she lost her job. "Everyone appreciates that kind of a story -- you get a little bit of recognition, and then you get smacked down. I used to work on Dilbert books, so I told people that it was kind of a Dilbert time in my life."
The interview seems to have gone well. Now it's time for you to stand out a little bit -- by following up better and smarter than the hordes scrambling for the same job. Start by contacting all the people you've spoken with at the company, whether they interviewed you or not. "Send thank-you notes to everyone," says Hemming, "and highlight things you referenced in the meeting." Also, don't forget the human-resources people, even if you got your interview through networking. "HR people can kill your hiring process. Turn them into your allies," says Hemming.
And while email is a socially acceptable way to follow up and the conventional response to an interview, you don't have to follow suit. You might send an email quickly, just to keep your name fresh in the employer's mind, and then send a real thank-you note. "Sending a regular letter captures attention. When's the last time you got a handwritten letter? If it's something addressed to you personally, you open it," says Hemming.
You're about to get the offer. Now they want to check your references. If you don't have at least three at the ready, you're sunk, says Hemming. "You have to know where your references can be found. You need to follow up with them before the call and brief them on the hot points for that particular employer," she says.
McPherson makes it a practice to stay in touch with her references -- even going so far as to clip a story on how to find the best ginger cookies in New York for a cookie-loving reference. She can't understand why people don't do that more often. If you don't brief your references, you may end up with an unfocused or vague recommendation that doesn't do much for your chances. It's best to have references from different companies, so they can speak to different skill sets at different organizations.
You've got the job. Now make sure you keep it. If you don't make yourself a critical part of the organization within the first 60 days, you could be vulnerable if the economy turns again. "It's important that you adapt to the job and that the job adapts to your strengths," says Antman. "I've been working here for about five months, and frankly, I feel as if I've been interviewing every week." Soon after Antman arrived at Reciprocal, he was moved from sales to business development after the company laid off 29% of the staff. "I had a new boss and had to reinvent the job. I asked myself, 'Who am I, and what am I doing here? How can I contribute, and what can I take over?' The job market is too slippery these days to depend on your work to speak for itself."
Jennifer Reingold (jreingold@fastcompany.com) is a Fast Company senior writer.
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