I was looking into roles I was interested in and there it was, the perfect role for me: I have done it before, but most importantly, I am absolutely passionate about it. See, for the past years of my career, it’s been clear to me that my professional success has been determined by the alignment with my passion, what I care about and how do I bring value to the organizations and individuals I work with. So when I saw this posting I knew it was right: I was absolutely excited about it, and it was completely aligned with what I care about.
I went through the post looking for all the details that will indicate what did this company truly needed and I couldn’t find enough information of what I wanted to know, so I got curious and started looking for more, the question I had in mind was “what is it that you actually need company X”, and “how can I help you in a way that makes me happy”? Through my research, I got to the company owner’s LinkedIn profile and as I was reading through I got even more excited about the experience and impact this organization claimed to make, so I decided to reach out and state that I was interested in the open role.
My message included two short paragraphs where I highlighted where I found the information, why was I interested, how was the role connected to my passion and what kind of value I would bring. I closed the statement with a call for action: “should you like to connect, what would be the best date/time that would work for you?”, sent the message and hoped for the best.
Happy intentional surprise, the CEO messaged me back a week after, we scheduled a 15 mins conversation, we talked about why we care about the business, what kind of value we could bring to each other and I made it to the second round of interviews! What does this mean? I bypassed a 500+ application process by creating conversations that matter with the decision-maker! I didn’t even apply online on the company website! (I know, it doesn’t always work that way, but, do you see the value of reaching out with genuine interest and authentic care?)
The CEO words before the end of our initial conversation were “I can clearly see your passion and your LinkedIn profile speaks for itself, I’d like to set up a formal interview with you for the second round of interviews for this role”. I asked: “Do you need me to send you something in the meantime, my Resume, portfolio”? The answer: “No need, I have seen what I needed to see”.
My conclusion:
Passion, alignment and authentic conversation can open any door, and can certainly put you ahead in the line, even of 500+ people job application!
Do you want to get ahead of the line, connect with the right people and the right organizations? Be sure to know what you really want and how you bring value. Clarity and messaging consistency will do wonders for you. Ensure that everywhere your personal and career profile shows up it genuinely and invariably represents who you are, what you stand for and how do you bring value to any organization.