They’re not hiring you; they’re hiring what you can do
➔ Talent. Quite a common word. It’s a word that’s bandied about seemingly without much thought. Yet it is so important to our everyday lives – all of our lives.
We all have our own talents. Some may be very pedestrian. Some may be profound or impactful. But we all have talents.
Knowing what to look for; knowing what to sell
In professional sports, it’s said that one of the most critical skills held by those in management is talent evaluation. Perhaps more accurately, it should be referred to talent predictions. How will this player perform in the game?
At any rate, talent is ubiquitous in our lives. The development director at a mid-size university once said that, although the school would love to have alumni write checks, it might be more important to refer a student to the school. Four years worth of tuition, a larger amount than most alums can handle. “Send us a student.” Talent acquisition.
Talent acquisition is perhaps the most important function of an organization’s Human Resources department. (Beware: some are now calling the Human Experience Department.) That’s where you come in. You are the talent that they need to acquire.
Realistically you’re only going to be hired by a small fraction of the people who you contact or interview with for jobs. Even for those who don’t hire you, you want to leave a good impression. Right?
How can you cement a positive relationship with them? Making their jobs easier would be a good place to start. Even if they don’t hire you, (Don’t panic. That may be a good thing.) you can benefit them by suggesting a candidate for another position which they are trying to fill.
When that happens, the HR person will love you and probably always will remember you. But there’s more. If, however, you can help a contact, a friend, an acquaintance, or a colleague land a position, you’ve made a friend for life.