A 15-20pt lead - The Sweet Spot

If you are like much of the US sports fan population, you have likely been following March Madness over the past week or so. As a loyal fan of my Arizona Wildcats (Bear Down!), I have been watching the games leading up to the Sweet Sixteen. Many sports fans, myself included, have superstitions, theories and traditions that they follow in support of their teams. I was sharing my theory about team moral with some fellow fans on Saturday and realized that the idea worked not just for the basketball teams, but for individuals as well. Let me explain....

At the start of the game, all the players are full of energy and in general the points go back and forth with regularity and the score is usually even for the first few minutes of the game. From there, a team (hopefully AZ) will begin to take the lead. As that team scores points, a certain momentum is established and shared between the players. This excitement is a great part of the game and is contagious to the fans in the arena (and the bar as well). As the spread grows between the teams' scores, attitude and this 'energy' changes as well. At 10 points ahead, there is still room for a quick change with just a few small mistakes, at 15 points ahead, it is a lot harder to turn the game around, but still possible and at a 20 point lead, players may start feeling really comfortable with the lead.

My theory is that when the winning team is within a lead of 15-20 points, this is their "sweet spot." A level of confidence where they play their best. As a game continues and the winning team works within this 15-20 point lead, they play like a team with stamina working for a win AND with the confidence on a strong foundation behind them. When they drop below 15 points, they may struggle because they feel like they are losing their lead and they make more hasty decisions. Above 20 points, they become a bit less focused as they believe the game is in the bag. I am not claiming that players do not play with heart all the way through, they simply have a different level of confidence based on the point spread.

If you take this lesson of the sweet spot into your own goals and games, it works the same way.  Going into an interview, image that you are already in the lead and you just need to keep working hard and show your passion to make the win. If you come in believing you are not qualified, your insecurity will show and a hiring manager may question their decision. Worse yet, in my opinion, if you come in thinking you are overqualified and the postion is already yours, that arrogance will show and might cost you the job.

Play your job search game in the sweet spot; with the confidence of a strong team and the passion to work for the win. There will always be a group of fans supporting you along the way!

The Elevator Pitch

As a follow up to the story telling post last week, I thought it might be helpful to remind job seekers and those interviewing of the important of your quick pitch....commonly known as the elevator pitch. Aptly named in my opinion because you should be able to get through it in a quick elevator ride, I would say between 90 seconds and 2 minutes.

Having your pitch perfected is important for the job seeker as it helps summarize what you are looking for before your audience looses interest. The goal is to help them understand your background, your career goals and how they can help. Seems like a lot in under 2 minutes, but I assure you it can be done.

Step 1:  Know your audience!
The most common audience is someone who can connect you within an organization or career area. Make sure your pitch is something they can digest quickly and start developing ideas as you are going through your story. People are more likely to offer help if you can make easy for them. Doing research on their background to understand their connections or level of experience.

• For example: "Given your decade plus years of experience in advertising, I was hoping to set up some time to understand the most important milestones to achieving this type of role." You will be surprised how often people are willing to help out. 

Step 2: Summarize
Keep it short and sweet. You are not providing your lifetime biography here. Keep it to what they need to know. Once you have them engaged you will have the opportunity to share more as needed, but this is the quick catch. Think of it as the billboard you are passing by during your commute....does it engage you enough to remember it, would you visit the website. Think of yourself as that billboard, you want your audience to be enticed to visit the website for more details.

Step 3: Have a point
Make sure you communicate next steps. What are you asking of your audience? Are you asking for an introduction? An information interview? A resume submission? It doesn't need to be forceful, but remember to make it easy for them, tell them for what you want.

Practice with a friend. Pitch your story and see how it goes. If you are like me, sometimes you get going too fast, or head off in a different direction away from the point of the discussion.

Finally, remember that this is a work in progress, you are going to be editing your story as your life develops and you learn more about what you want. Just remember you are not adding to the story, but rather refocusing on the current important pieces that are relevant to where you want to go.

Finding passion...

Newton:

A body at rest tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion. 

Just a good gentle reminder to get myself moving each day.


How this all got started...
I recently became unemployed. My friends and family have been supportive of my decisions thus far and encouraging me with things like "this is the best thing you could be doing" and "now is your chance to do it right." Don't get me wrong, I love the boost of confidence I get whenever I talk to folks about it, but it doesn't change that fact that it still feels a bit weird every morning, getting out of bed and having no job to go to.

So part of my plan was and still is to enjoy this time...and spend it wisely. I quickly recognized that I was defining myself based on my employment status....and this is the first thing I need to fix. What I have also recognized is that I am not the only one going through this type of situation. Many people in various stages of their lives are looking for their passion. I thought it might be helpful to share my experience and let people know they are not alone in seeking a better way to spend their precious day.

What I have found thus far is that I enjoy helping others. I thought it would also be helpful to incorporate some helpful hints I have learned in my career regarding the job search process, once you've found your passion.


Interview Tip:
In finding your passion, it also helps to share moments of passion during your interview. Outside of case interviews (generally used for consulting positions), most interviews are focused on the same goals. Based on your skills, experience and the needs of the position, are you going to be a good fit.

Questions that start with "tell me about a time when..." are generally trying to dig into your background and determine if you think strategically, handle conflict well, understand budgetary contraints and similar such skills. As a candidate with some level of experience, you should have at least 2-3 different accomplishments in your background (school or work experience) that you can draw upon to answer any one of these questions.

The structure can differ based on what the interviewer is asking, but generally, you should be able to summarize the situation, articulate the conflict (without placing blame - I generally try to describe the situation from an outside view perspective to minimize this issue) discuss your role and course of action and the resolution. The key here is let your passion come through when discussing the outcome, its okay to be proud of your accomplishment or even a lesson learned. Displaying this passion and enthusiasm shows a potential employer that you are proud of your work. That is something they cannot train you for, but is a key element to a successful employee.