How a Positive Attitude and Energy will help you land a job.

Are you struggling to land your dream job in the current uncertain job market and now looking for a different approach or perspective on things? Then keep reading.

I have tied in my own experiences as a job seeker and what I did differently which enabled me to land the job that I wanted in a competitive job market amongst hundreds of applicants.

Interviews, Interviews, Interviews.....

At this point, you've gone through a tonne of interviews, and  for one reason or another you haven't landed a job yet. Looking for jobs, especially in the current job market, can be exhausting to say the least. Job applications can be lengthy and if you're applying at companies like META or Google which have a behemoth of an interview process… That’s a gauntlet that truly tests your endurance.

Going through all of this, only to get rejected, who wouldn’t be in a negative mind set! But it’s this very negativity that can affect your attitude and the outcome of your interview.

You've probably asked yourself the following questions:

• Why didn't I pass the interview, even though I felt it went well?

• What do the other candidates have that I am missing?

• Where am I going wrong and what on earth can I do differently?

If this is the case , it's likely not your experience & skills where you're lacking, it's your attitude & energy. 

If you’ve made it to the interview stage you have likely been shortlisted based on your profile, skills, education etc. So a recruiter or hiring manager has already decided that you, likely alongside a handful of other candidates, possess the skills they need. 

But, alongside your awesome skills and experience (which the other candidates likely have too) it's equally important to demonstrate your attitude towards work and give off good energy during an interview.

So what do i mean by attitude and energy:

Attitude :

This doesn’t mean be super duper happy and tell the interviewer everything they want to hear because you will come unstuck. Your attitude will be defined by your preparation and application to the interview. 

• Prepare for the interview, research the business.

• If you had a screening call with a recruiter first, were there any key pieces of info that would help you prepare and create talking points, be sure to listen and ask questions. If you aren't interested at this stage you won't be at the next stage either.

• Turn up on time or early, make sure your links are working. 

• Listen & engage. Show interest in what the interviewer is saying and relate your experiences directly to this job.

• Bring your A-game!

Energy:

Likewise this does not mean jump off the walls and tell the interviewer how fun and bubbly you are whilst sipping a mocha chocalatte, stroking a hairless cat whilst reeling off dad jokes… as much as it would make a great TikTok it's probably not right for this setting. 

• Good body language is very important, sit up straight but be relaxed.

• Be professional but don't be a brick wall, nobody wants to work with a politician (other than other politicians). Show your personality.

• Be confident in your skills and deliver them appropriately, try to find connections to what the business wants to achieve and what you have done.. Ask questions!

• Asking questions shows your interest.

• Delivery is everything, people vibe off of other people's energy… if your energy is low and you seem dejected so will the interviewer. 

Ask Yourself: 

• Would you consider someone who doesn’t seem enthusiastic about the opportunity?

• Would you want to hire someone who doesn’t make eye contact and is slumped in their chair, not paying attention?

• Would you trust someone who asked no questions at all?

• Would you want to work with you based on that interview?

These are all the things I thought about and asked myself when I was interviewing for a role which would really kick start my career post obtaining my degree! 

So at this point, I should probably give you a little backstory about how I went from being a frustrated job seeker to landing my role with Scale I/O.

“A few months ago, I released a post that received a lot of positive attention to say the least.

Since that post, many opportunities presented themselves in sales, recruitment and marketing with lots of people reaching out to me for screening calls & interviews. 

I scheduled calls with people who wanted to know more about me since reading my post, and it was exciting. However, that didn’t last long because like every other person trying to find a job, my mind started getting into a negative headspace.

So many things went through my mind: - Am I suitable for the role? - Did I connect with the company? - Did I mess up the call? This all led to me feeling pretty negative about the hiring market and it had an effect on me as I found myself already thinking the answer would be NO! You could say, I started spiralling, and I didn't have that same energy or positive attitude I had in the beginning.

I decided that despite the knock backs I'm going to be the best version of myself and the next call would be different. My next call was with Brad - the founder of Scale i/o. This was where things changed for me. 

I was going to be as energetic as I could be, and go into the call with a positive attitude. To be completely honest, I REALLY didn’t expect the call to end the way it did.  Brad gave me an intro to Scale i/o and the vision of the business. The more we talked, the more I got energised about the opportunity, found similarities in what I have done previously and learned in my studies and we VIBED! 

Before I knew it, I was invited for an interview. I knew that I had to bring my A game. A particular challenge, because I had NO experience in recruitment. But I didn’t let that stop me. With a spoonful of preparation & research, a dash of quick thinking and a fistful of positive attitude, I had the recipe for success.

I aced the interview, and got some amazing feedback focussed on my attitude and my energy! Next thing I know, Brad invited me to meet face to face for lunch.

How did I ace it?

I was sitting up straight, engaging, asking questions, showing my interest and that I'm ready to roll my sleeves up, learn and muck in. I demonstrated that I am trustworthy and dedicated and wont bail if/when the going gets tough. 

Anyway… We went out for an amazing lunch at Hawksmoor in Manchester, where we connected some more on things in and outside the Business. 

In a customer facing role you're taught to use every opportunity to sell yourself, product, service or the problem. I didn’t notice myself doing that because the more we talked, the more excited I was about the opportunity. In this case, It came organically to me because I really connected with Brad, and what he envisioned for the company. I was excited to be a part of that journey.

At the end of the meeting, we parted ways with me walking away with an offer in hand. In most cases, when you’re given an offer you’d want to think about it. But in my mind, I had already signed with the company the moment I was handed the offer.

And the rest is HISTORY!! As they say.

So the Moral of the story? 

PREP

• Prepare well, deliver your best self.

• Research the business and the role.

• Enthuse the interviewer with your energy.

• Project your great attitude!

I hope this helps you open the door to your next big adventure!

Please comment and share your stories and other tips to help those who are feeling the pressure right now in the current uncertain job market!

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