662: How to Turn a Casual Career Conversation Into a Job Opportunity

Scott Anthony Barlow 00:00: I'm Scott Anthony Barlow, and this is Happen To Your Career. The podcast that brings you real people, real transformations, and the courage to do work that truly fits. If you haven't already subscribed, click follow right now so that you don't miss any new episodes.

This is a little bit different of an episode because we have a question from one of our clients, Laura, and it's a really good one. It's about that tricky moment when a great conversation turns into an opportunity. How do you move a simple conversation in the direction of an actual paying job offer?

Laura says, "I'm really interested in a particular company, and I've now spoken to four people who work there. I spoke with somebody this morning who has several job openings and is moving quickly to make hires. I've gotten really good at being genuinely interested in learning about roles and companies without actually asking for anything. I wasn't looking for a job or a recommendation during those conversations, but now, I want the job. So how do I graciously and not awkwardly shift the conversation from, ‘Tell me about what you do’ to ‘You should hire me because…’”

Okay. Thanks, Laura. First of all, Laura, this is awesome. You've done an incredible job approaching these test drive style conversations with curiosity. Most people go in thinking, “Will they accept me?” But you're doing something different. You're saying, “Do they make the cut for me?” And that's a totally different mindset. And it's also exactly how you find work that truly fits you. So, I know a little bit about Laura's situation, and she's looking for a role that lets her tap into her love of human psychology, understanding other people, solving real problems, creating something tangible from her own ideas. And she's done a ton of work figuring out what she wants and what makes an ideal situation for her.

And by the way, if you haven't already done that part, that's a critical step to being able to make an intentional move to work that fits, if you're interested in support with that, you can always email us directly, scott@happentoyourcareer.com. Just put ‘Conversation’ in the subject line and I'll connect you with the right member of my team. We'll figure out the very best way that we can help support you in your unique situation.

But I wanna cover how do we go about this and try to answer Laura's question.

Step one. You don't need to try to convince anyone to hire you. As soon as you have done that, you've probably lost, 'cause nobody likes being sold to. People wanna make up their own minds. I mean, think about it, no one enjoys walking onto a used car lot and being dragged around to look at sports cars, especially when you came there for a specific SUV. It's annoying. It feels like selling. We all have BS meters built in, and it definitely doesn't build trust. Your job is not to sell yourself. Instead, it is to create a situation where they want to work with you.

Step two. That's where we are building likability and trust. And if you've already built that connection, great, amazing. And if not, I don't want you to rush this. People hire those that they know, like, and trust. You've probably heard some version of this, but there's a lot of truth to it, even more than those with the perfect resume. One of the best ways to stay top of mind is after you have those types of conversations, certainly send a handwritten thank-you note. It goes a long, long way. And this is something hardly anybody does anymore, and it'll probably actually sit on their desk or on their bulletin board and remind them of you every single day because nobody does it. So this simple gesture builds a lot of goodwill.

And if you're wondering how to get the ability to send them a handwritten thank you note, after you're having some of those conversations like Laura did, then that's where you're going to literally ask, “Hey, you know what? Thank you so much. Can I send you a small, you know, token of thanks? If so, what's the best address to do that?” Literally asking. It doesn't feel weird when you're on the receiving end of it, even though many people are like, “Oh, really? Like, that's okay?” It absolutely is. Easiest way, just ask. Don’t worry about it.

Step three here. This is where we're going to reconnect authentically. When it's time to follow up, I want you to keep it real, keep it conversational. You might say, “Hey, I really appreciated you taking the time to talk with me the other day. I learned a lot about the role, and absolutely loved…” and this is where you can insert something specific about them, their company, whatever is relevant to the situation, “I learned a lot about your role and I absolutely loved the ability to create your own job, create your own situation that you described in this organization”, whatever it is and then you can go on to say, “I also were really appreciated…” And that's where you can describe something personal or value-based. This is where the conversation starts to pivot. You can say, “After our conversation, I realized that I'd be really excited to explore how I might actually work with your team. I know you have some openings right now. I don't know if they're the perfect fit or not, but I'd love to get your advice on what might make sense here.”

So this quick little conversation feels natural and authentic. It also, by the word choice we’re using, it invites collaboration instead of pressure. You're not saying, “Hey, I need to sell you on in hiring me.” Instead, we're simply having a very simple conversation where we're saying, “Hey, here's what I appreciated, and I am actually now incredibly interested about figuring out how to work here. You know, what could that look like? Can I get your advice on that?” Very, very different. It comes from that partnership type of approach.

Step four. Let's delve further into treating them as a partner. Because when you take somebody as a partner in the conversation, it truly changes everything. You're not asking for a job. Instead, it's you and them exploring what might be able to work. So you might say something along the lines of, “I came into these conversations trying to figure out what might be a great fit for my next career step and what I actually wanted. But what I didn't expect is that I am genuinely excited about your company and in ways that I am not about other organizations. From your perspective, what would you suggest that I do if I wanted to try to work here?” And here's another version of that, “What would you suggest that I do if I wanted to try to make this work?” Still another version, and you can try on what works for you, but it might be, “From your perspective, you know, what would you suggest if I wanted to get hired here? Who should I talk to? What might be the next best step here?” This line of questioning invites them to think creatively with you, and it engages them in a way that allows them to want to help you.

I wanna give you one other idea of a way that that conversation might sound, just a slightly different take on it. So again, we're still being straightforward, we're still being honest, and we're expressing our interest. You might say something like, “I didn't expect it, but after learning more and chatting with you and chatting with other people in the organization, I honestly think that this role would be a lot of fun. Here's why…” and we're gonna insert a few specific reasons, not general, but specific, referencing those conversations. And then connect it to something that you've done before. And that might sound like, “You know, one thing I actually loved in a previous role that I think I would also get here, and be able to contribute was turning around customer situations and being able to take those potentially negative situations that weren't going very well, and turn them into situations where it allowed us to land more deals and ultimately doubling our revenue. And it sounds like this position would let me do something similar in the type of work that's something that I really enjoy. What do you think?” So this type of statement continues to build partnership. It invites them for advice. It also shows enthusiasm, and it doesn't sound salesy or forced or anything else. And it helps you continue to figure out “Is this actually the right fit along the way, and do they feel the same?” And then from there, you can start to pivot to any other version of, you know, “What do you think it might look like to work together?” Or, you know, “How could we make this happen?”

I would encourage you to take just one of those scripts and modify it to fit your situation just very slightly. By the way, if you found this kind of Q&A helpful and you have a question for us, then drop me an email, Scott@happento yourcareer.com. Put ‘Career Question’ in the subject line, and then type it out, and you might just hear it on the Happen To Your Career podcast. Alright, we'll see you next time. Adios. I'm out.