Get the Offer

We all have good days at work and we all have bad days. We all have egos. Some days the ego is elevated -- the job is going well, everyone respects your input and talents. On other days it can be a bit dented, especially after leaving the fold of an employer.

Looking for a new position raises the same questions in everyone's minds: Am I really interested in this job? Should I bother going for the interview? Take our advice -- look at the upside and the downside of the process and then make your decision.

The upside
You may end up in a new position that you enjoy more, earn more money in and that will move you along the career path toward your dreams. Along the way, you'll make personal contact with senior managers and decision-makers within the industry.

The downside
You get a rejection letter thanking you for your interest and wishing you the best in your future career --and a dented ego.

Take Control
How do you maximize the upside and minimize the downside? Take control of the process. Use a recruiter, one that you feel comfortable with, one that knows what you do -- one who has preferably worked in the industry, and is, of course, discreet.

The recruiter will contact you when he has something of interest to you. This can happen two ways. One way is that he already knows you and your career goals because you have had the foresight to establish contact in the past. The other way is through a recommendation the recruiter has received from an industry contact.

The recruiter won't waste his or your time making contact if the hard skills and the money are not a match. Assess the position: check the company, the projects they are working on, the technology they use, success rate, financial strength, etc. All of this information is publicly available. Find out who are the key players in the company, who is going to be your point of contact, and who, if you decide to proceed, you will be meeting with.

If you decide that you have no interest in the company or the position -- no problem, this is confidential information between you and your recruiter. With the decision not to move forward, the process ends right there.

If you decide the position could provide the upside that you're looking for, let the recruiter present you to his client. The client will then make a decision if he wants to meet with you. If he doesn't -- and there could be any number of reasons why not, the recruiter will let you down gently and you have nothing personally invested so there is no ego damage.

If, on the other hand, the recruiter has done his job well, the client will want to meet with you. Moving forward, then you have one goal -- get the offer.

Make the Right Impression
The people you'll be meeting have hiring authority; they also have friends and contacts just as you do. Remember, even if this isn't the position for you, these people are good people to know -- assuming you made a positive impression. Go in to win. Go in to make the contacts and to sell yourself -- if not for this position, then for future opportunities.

The Interview
There is a lot of advice out there on interviewing. It is daunting for people that have not been focused on career changes. The purpose of the interview is to assess your hard skills, personality, fit with the team and your motivation to succeed. Go 'to work' on the interview. Find out problem areas relating to the position and suggest how you would solve them. This is where most candidates fall down.

Having been courted to attend this meeting, some candidates may take an attitude that it's up to the company to prove itself: "If you want me, show me what you can give me." This is definitely not the approach to take if you want to advance in the process. You're dealing with industry professionals like yourself. What would you do if someone came to you with that attitude?

The Offer
What you want is the offer. You want to be in the position to make a decision. Should you refuse their offer, remember you will have made some new contacts that thought highly of you. As time passes, you may find yourself dealing with the same people through a new joint venture and you will know that you have their respect. On the other hand, they may make an offer too good to refuse. Either way, it's a no-lose situation.

What if you meet these people and don't get the offer -- it does happen. Generally, recruiters put forward four or five candidates for each position. Three or four people are not going to get offers. Remember, to get to the interview you will have been screened and checked out. The results of the screening will have been positive and your skill set will be a close match to the client's requirements. There may have been a candidate with more appropriate skills for the team or a better mix of personal chemistry that nudged you out of the offer. If you have played your cards right, you will come away with the respect of your industry peers who may, either directly or indirectly, lead you to the perfect position down the line.

Remember, in an industry survey of successful people who were asked what the three requirements for success in their career are, the overwhelming answer was job assignment. The job should be complex -- requiring several areas of input and output. It should make a difference -- your work should impact the direction and/or profitability of the organization. Finally, it should be visible -- people should be able to see what you are doing and what you have achieved. Use the opportunity provided by an executive recruiter to be visible, make contacts and let the world know what you're doing and what you can do.