Why Gimmicks Are No Good In a Job Search

A very successful sales representative once revealed his secret. He said that he would listen carefully to learn a prospect’s needs and wants. He would then describe the pros, cons, and price of his product. His wrap-up involved asking—and I’m paraphrasing here—if the would-be customer felt the product would be a good fit.

No games. No trickery. All was done very low-key. He let them know that he wanted their business, but did so in a way that was respectful and professional.

Contrast his approach with the hard-sell types who overpromise and ooze insincerity. It doesn’t take long to learn that they are seeking nothing beyond a quick sale.

It can help to remember the sales rep’s story when you go in for a job interview. Despite the poker game aspects of the interview process (“Keep your cards close to your chest!”), a less stressful approach is to seek to clarify. You are not after the job at all costs. You are there to see whether you and the employer are a good fit.

[See 17 rules for job seekers.]

Are you going to try to impress the interviewer? Sure, but be wary of any answers or job search techniques that smack of gimmickry. For the most part, people are not fools. They know when they are being gamed. The second they sense a hustle, trust shoots out the window.

And trust, more than competence and eloquence, is the coin of the realm.

Michael Wade writes Execupundit.com, an eclectic combination of management advice, observations, and links. A partner with the Phoenix firm of Sanders Wade Rodarte Consulting Inc., he has advised private and public-sector organizations for more than 30 years.