You're hired!

Kiwis are a people who don’t like to make a fuss. We just get on with the job and don’t boast about our achievements. Well, we need to get over it, says Tom O’Neil, author of You’re Hired: The Essential Guide to Job Hunting and Personal Branding.

Take, for example, All Black legend Ritchie McCaw. On the surface, he’s the ultimate Kiwi bloke, remaining understated and humble with every record-breaking achievement. That’s why we love him. That’s why he’s one of us. ‘But that’s all part of his personal brand,’ explains Tom. ‘When we think “Ritchie McCaw” we think champion, leader, great guy. That’s his brand.’

Today, the concept of personal brand isn’t limited to celebrities and companies. ‘When someone Googles you, what comes up? That is your personal brand,’ adds Tom. If you’ve received recognition or awards, written articles or blogged, that’s becoming your brand.

But Tom warns: ‘Conversely, if you send racist tweets or do something stupid and end up in the Herald, that impacts your brand as well.’ ‘The concept of your brand is simply the impact you have in your area of influence,’ continues Tom. And building a brand is a mixture of strategy, experience and making your own luck.

Tom cites the example of his wife, Sarah, who writes a popular gardening blog and is a published author. She entered a Yates blogging competition, which led to her working with the well-known company and publishing two books on gardening. ‘Sarah didn’t start out thinking, “I want to be a Yates brand ambassador.” She loved writing and loved gardening, and with every blog she wrote, her brand got stronger,’ says Tom.

Tom suggests that an accessible way of strengthening your brand is to create a presence online through social media, the professional network site LinkedIn and blogging.

A personal brand is not just for high-fliers. What about a shop assistant or receptionist? ‘If you’re aged 22 and a retail assistant, you might decide you want a career in retail leadership and customer services. You might start writing a blog on challenging clients. You’re committed to your industry and you may win a retail award. You’re beginning to be an influencer in your field. As you build your brand, people will start to come to you and opportunities open up,’ explains Tom.

‘But most people don’t think like that, so they spend their time posting cat videos on Facebook. They become an influencer in the cat video industry,’ he laughs.

Late bloomer

It’s perhaps surprising to learn that Tom, himself, was not born a high achiever. He recalls a teacher saying to him, in a booming Scottish accent, ‘O’Neil, you’ll never amount to anything!’

But one influence completely changed his life. ‘My faith in God has been a key thing. Underpinning everything is God’s goodness in my life and my faith in God,’ reflects Tom.

Although he wasn’t born into a Christian family, Tom’s mother took him to a church youth group when he was 14, so he could meet girls. ‘I went to an all boys’ school and hadn’t met a single girl. At youth group I met girls, which was great, but suddenly something unexpected happened, I met God.’

In an amusing story, Tom already showed a glimmer of the leader he would become: ‘Because I had come from a very secular environment, I thought that I would be a Christian who could do whatever I wanted—you know, drink, do drugs, sleep around—but I couldn’t find a pastor who agreed with me. ‘So, me being me, I thought I would start my own branch of Christianity. There was a band out at the time called Pseudo Echo, and I thought pseudo meant “new”, so I went around telling everyone I was a “pseudo Christian”. Of course, I found out that “pseudo” meant false—so I gave it away and decided to get into the real thing.’ His faith is now the foundation that underpins his life.

As a young man, Tom admits he was a bit slack—doing just enough to get through his degree and spending his time surfing. But it was seeing a poster on a church wall that turned his life around. The poster said, ‘You miss 100 per cent of the shots you don’t take.’ ‘It changed my life. I thought, “I’m only going to succeed or fail based on whether or not I put my hand up.” ’

Today, Tom is known as a preeminent career expert in New Zealand. He has a regular column in the New Zealand Herald, is a commentator on TV, owns multiple companies and is the author of two books. But Tom puts his success down to one simple thing: ‘I’ve been diligent at showing up. I certainly haven’t been the quickest or smartest, but I’ve been the one standing on the sideline saying, “Put me in, coach!” ’

Advice for mums

For those simply trying to break into the job market, Tom also has some solid advice about putting your hand up. Particularly for mums who have spent their lives raising children, and may not have been in the workplace for 20 years, Tom suggests that you start off volunteering. ‘Just start with volunteer experience, and dip your toe into the working world. Start to get a bit of understanding about how to deal with customers, how an office works … it’s just getting out there and getting that experience.’

If computers are intimidating, do an online tutorial for free with Microsoft Office. ‘Within 24 hours you’ll know more than people who have been working in an office for years.’

Mothers tend to seriously underestimate their worth, adds Tom. ‘In my business, we want stable people who are reliable, trustworthy and focused … well, what’s a mum?’ He adds that if a company doesn’t want to hire someone who has been a dedicated stay-at-home mother, they are probably not the kind of company you want to be working for.

But no matter who you are, getting that rejection letter is always a harsh blow. Tom recalls a time in his life when he faced rejection after rejection. ‘When I was in my mid-20s I was unemployed for six months. I had just come back from doing missionary work and I couldn’t find any work. I had no money, no possessions. I felt God saying to me, “When people come to you and are wailing on the inside, I want you to understand what it’s like.” Today, I work with people every day who have been ripped apart, and if I had got every job I ever went for, I wouldn’t know what that feels like.’

New year, new goals

The beginning of a new year is always a time when people reflect on what they want to get out of the coming year. It’s a great time to take stock of your career, says Tom. The most important question to ask yourself is: Where do I want to be in 10 years’ time?

‘Don’t ask yourself what you want to do with your life, that’s too big, too far away. But if you ask where you want to be in 10 years, that’s far away enough that you could train to be a doctor or an architect. At the same time, it’s not that far away. You have to start planning if you want to reach that goal.’ Then ask yourself: ‘To reach that goal, what do I have be doing in five years’ time? What will I have to be doing in eight years’ time?’ You may or may not end up there, but it gives you some sort of focus.’

Next, make an inventory of all your achievements throughout your career. Don’t underestimate yourself. ‘Almost everyone has achievements. If you start as a receptionist, over two years you’ve probably been given more responsibility—you’re doing HR, doing some procurement, managing accounts. So, essentially, you’re an office manager. Most people have achievements in some way, shape or form in their role.’

When it comes to selling yourself to a potential employer, Tom has a thought-provoking perspective: ‘As a Christian, if you undersell yourself at the interview you’re dishonouring the company. You’re not letting the company have all the information they need to make the right decision.’

False humility doesn’t serve you or the company, when it comes to the job market, says Tom. ‘As a Christian guy, I love the Lord and believe everyone is sacred, and I struggle when I talk about people having to sell themselves,’ explains Tom. ‘But the fact is that when a job is advertised, the HR department doesn’t care about you as a person, they care about the job vacancy that needs to be filled.’

A common myth is that the company is looking for the best person for the job. ‘In fact, it’s about finding the least risky person for the job.’ That’s why companies look for people with qualifications—it is some guarantee that the applicant has at least a minimum amount of knowledge.

This can be frustrating when you have years of experience but no ‘piece of paper’. As well as quantifying your achievements, Tom suggests it’s never too late to study—the Southern Institute of Technology has many correspondence papers available for free, for instance. ‘So when you go job hunting, you can say, “Well, actually, I’m studying right now. I’m learning this today and I can apply it tomorrow.” ’

One of the biggest mistakes people make is having a poor CV, he says. ‘A poor CV versus a great CV could be the difference between earning three million or five million over your career. So, that’s a two million dollar document!’ Make sure your CV quantifies your achievements, is tailored to the job you are applying for, and is the ‘solution’ to the company’s job gap. ‘Look at key words in ads, mirror those in your CV and cover letter, and make sure you’re on-message in the interview.’

Finally, Tom says that although we all have good days and bad days, loving your job is honouring to God. According to the Australian Institute of Management, 60 per cent of Kiwis hate or dislike their career. ‘We’re not called by God to be those people,’ concludes Tom. ‘Try and find those things in your job that are authentically you.’

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by Ingrid Barratt (c) 'War Cry' magazine, 9 January 2016, pp 5-7.
You can read 'War Cry' at your nearest Salvation Army church or centre, or subscribe through Salvationist Resources.

Ten Tips to make your CV work for you

1. Your CV is your brochure—it must sell your skills, achievements and experience to the reader. It must be brief, but have enough information to sell you.
2. Quantify your achievements—imagine if Tiger Woods wrote his resume stating: ‘Occupation: Golfer. Responsibilities: Hit ball. Hit ball again. Tap ball lightly. Tap ball into hole’. This does not demonstrate his immense value and achievements.
3. Tailor the CV to the role—tailor your whole approach for the position you are applying for. This will significantly increase your chances for reaching the interview stage.
4. Cheak yoru speling—nothing says ‘I am unprofessional’ more than ‘I am always sure to ot the Is and cross the Ts’. (Yes this really happened in a CV sent to me!).
5. Make it look nice—Search on the internet and seek out some cool templates, but remember to not use too many graphics or colours.
6. Audit your on-line and off-line messages—review your personal voicemail messages and your email address. A poor email address can destroy any chance you have with employment.
7. Check your social media—recent statistics state that 73 per cent of employers check online sites such as Linkedin and Facebook before making an employment offer.
8. Knock on doors—statistics state that less than 25 per cent of all vacancies are advertised. Make a list of key companies you would like to work for and approach them directly.
9. Be professional in your record keeping—it’s vital to know where and when you sent all your applications. If you are disorganised, an employer will pick this up.
10. Use your own personal and business networks to spread the word—ensure your networks know you are seeking a new position. If you are referred to an employer by a friend, you come with a higher level of trust than others who just come of the street.

From www.cv.co.nz