Proof Positive that Extraordinary Talent Comes in All Ages, Shapes and Sizes

Most of my posts are written for job candidates – but this one is specifically for my current and prospective employer-clients.

As most know who frequent my blog, FiveChairs, the company I lead is known for amazing, Nashville-area talent – readily available for a fraction of the cost of most recruiters. However, it’s the candidate photos and avatars in our online Talent Pool that often get noticed first.

And while first impressions are important, let me be the first to tell you that extraordinarily talented people come in all ages, shapes and sizes. So, if you are selecting candidates based on anything other than their skills, experience, past track record and (sometimes) education – you are making a terrible mistake. Never sum up a person by how they look.

Take a 5-second glance at the photo, below – and quickly tell me if you would hire these folks.

Well, if your first instinct was to snicker and say “I’ll pass” – you would have missed out on some of the most talented people the world has ever known. Above is a photo of the 11 folks who started Microsoft. By the way, that dorky-looking college dropout (bottom left) is now the richest man in the world.

Still not convinced? I’ll sign-off with a link to a video that inspired me to write this brief post. Do yourself a favor and watch it. You’ll never forget it. Paste the link, below, in your browser.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-KiGva9dV4

Don’t be on Time to a Job Interview

You heard it right. Don’t be on time to a job interview. Be there at least 25 minutes before it starts.

But hold on. I don’t mean walk into the employers lobby, 25 minutes before the interview time. Just be within 100 yards of their front door. Why? Well, there are several good reasons.

First of all, allowing for at least 25 minutes worth of “padding” will give you an insurance policy that will often come in very handy.

Unexpected things occur every day – from traffic congestion due to wrecks, roadwork and weather to spilling coffee on your freshly pressed white shirt.

When you are late, as a result of not allowing for unplanned events or not preparing properly, the message that is being sent to an employer is:
- I do not respect you
- I do not respect your time
- This interview is not important to me
- This company is not important to me

I have over 1,500 in-person appointments every year and nearly 15% of all the people I meet with are late. Most are only late by one to ten minutes, but about 5% would be categorized as significantly late – ranging from 10 to 60 minutes.

I’m fairly tolerant of people being a little late for me. We’re all human and I’m occasionally late to meetings, too – so it would be hypocritical for me to get angry.

However, few employers are as understanding when a prospective employee is late for an interview.

Being late to your interview not only creates a poor first impression, it often takes late candidates several minutes to mentally collect themselves – after their arrival. And some never recover from this awkward and embarrassing start to the interview.

If you pull into the parking lot in a frantic rush and present yourself to the receptionist with only minutes to spare – there is a very good chance that you still won’t come across as calm, collected and self-assured.

Whereas, arriving early allows you to be fully prepared and in the right state of mind. Allowing 25 minutes to spare, you don’t feel rushed, and you’re able to walk through the employers’ front door – roughly five minutes before your appointment time – presenting yourself as a poised, polished and prepared professional.

I often meet candidates within a minute or so of their arrival – and I can instantly tell which ones barely made it in time. They often look frazzled, sweaty and a little nervous. These same people often leave their resumes in their car or they forget to remove their gum – to name a few of the common mistakes made by those who don’t arrive in plenty of time to properly prepare and get focused.

Finally, don’t be too early, either. Arrive in the employers lobby no more than five to ten minutes ahead of time. There is such a thing as being too early. When you arrive too far ahead of schedule, you create an interruption. Someone then has to be concerned about making you comfortable while you wait.

In summary, it’s hard enough to land an interview – so take the process seriously and prepare for it. Arriving at just the right time is essential to making a good first impression. And the less you leave to chance, the more relaxed and confident you will feel. You’ll be able to concentrate on presenting yourself as a highly qualified candidate – rather than being distracted by the things that went wrong on the way to the interview.

THINGS TO DO TO LESSEN THE CHANCE YOU WILL BE LATE:

Be fully prepared the night before your interview
The night before, prepare your wardrobe, and any items you need to bring with you. This will prevent lost time getting dressed and looking for items at the last minute.

Also, make certain that you have plenty of gas in your car and that your cell phone has a full charge.

Know where you are going
It should go without saying, but you must know exactly how to get to your interview. Leave nothing to chance.

The day before your interview call the receptionist and confirm the address and ask where to park. Remember: The most expensive GPS in the world won’t help you if you’re head to the wrong longitude and latitude.

Consider doing a “dry run” the day before
If the interview is important to you – do a “dry run” the day before – even if you are fairly certain you know where you’re headed. By leaving at about the same time you plan to leave the next day – you’ll get a good feel for traffic congestion and how long it will take you.

Consider travel uncertainties
When it really counts – consider the uncertainties associated with time-related traffic conditions and/or unfamiliar parts of town.

Traffic is the oldest excuse in the book – and no one believes or accepts it. Remember, everyone else managed to make it to the office, despite the traffic. These people were not delayed, and were all there waiting to speak with you. Where were you?

Make certain you have the employers main phone number and the hiring managers direct phone number
If you do get lost, talk to the receptionist – not the hiring manager – to get headed in the right direction.

However, if you run into an unexpected delay – you need to let the hiring manager know that you will be delayed. If the unavoidable happens – an accident on the way to the interview or something else that is beyond your control – call as soon as possible to say what has happened and when you expect to arrive. The interviewer may want to reschedule.

THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU ARRIVE EARLY:
Go over your pre-entry checklist. Keep in mind that if the employer is in a multi-tenant building – some of these things can be done in the public restroom.
 Adequate number of resumes, reference sheets and business cards
 Ink pen and paper
 Names of all employer contacts
 Check teeth (you should have dental floss with you, just in case)
 Address your breath – but dispose of your gum before the interview
 Use a lint roller
 Use your car mirror or use the restroom mirror in the building before the interview to make sure your tie is straight, your make-up is
right, your hair is the way you want it and, hey guys, check to see if your fly is unzipped.
 Use any extra time to calm yourself, gather your thoughts and imagine yourself saying all the right things and being the perfect
candidate for the position.

Was this article helpful? If so, let me know. And if you have additional thoughts and suggestions – I would like to hear from you. To provide feedback, either click on the tiny “comment” link, at the conclusion of each article (or click on the title of the article) and you’ll find a comment box at the very bottom.

Lessons Learned from My Friend Peter

On my way home, the other day, I went into the neighborhood grocery store to pick-up a few things. While I was checking out, I chatted with my friend, Peter Zafferes – pictured above – a cashier at Publix.

Peter is one of my favorite people in the world and he certainly knows how to roll with the punches that life throws his way – especially in his work-life, where he has been through four major career transitions.

I’ve had several brief, “checkout line conversations” with Peter, but awhile back, I met with him – during his lunch break – just so I could learn from this affable, hard-working octogenarian.

Peter Zafferes was born on October 3, 1925, in Boston, Massachusetts, to parents who had recently emigrated from Greece – through Ellis Island. The year after Peter was born, his father opened a small neighborhood grocery store in Brookline, Massachusetts.

In the 1930’s and early 1940’s, from age four to age seventeen, you would have found Peter working in the Zafferes family’s Brookline Provision Store. There, he perfected his customer service skills as he assisted customers, including such notables as Joe and Rose Kennedy and their well-known son, John F. Kennedy, who knew Peter by name.

At seventeen, Peter’s grocery career was interrupted, and he began building vessels in the local shipyard, for the war effort. A few months later he was on one of those ships, as he set sail to join the Third Army, under the command of the legendary General George S. Patton. Over the course of the next two years, Peter quickly rose to the rank of Sergeant and was decorated with a Bronze Star Medal.

Within a few weeks of VE-Day Peter was seriously injured when the truck in which he was riding ran over a German mine. As a result, he spent three months in a Paris hospital.

In 1946, Peter went back to Boston to receive training in electronics – which would allow him to outfit military ships with radar, radios and other technical equipment.

In 1959, Peter had to change careers – after 16 years of government service – and joined a large insurance company. Peter worked for that company for 28 years, until he retired, again, in 1982.

At that point, Peter worked in public safety and dabbled in retail, for a brief time, before heading to Florida – to be closer to family and friends who had slowly migrated south. Soon after arriving in Florida, at the age of 67, he re-started his grocery career that had been cut short 50 years earlier, and began working for Publix.

Nine years ago, Peter decided to move to Franklin, to live with his daughter’s family and continue working, full-time, at a newly opened Publix.

You could reason that Peter has probably “retired” about four times over the past 80 years – but he has no intentions of doing so again. He enjoys his current job and loves seeing his regular customers – and we certainly love seeing him.

As for Peter’s secret to staying young-at-heart and perpetually happy, he credits it to simply keeping busy and staying positive, in spite of life’s trials and unexpected turns. And, while Peter’s past is rich in memories, he clearly lives in the here-and-now, and is focused on continuing to contribute and bringing joy to everyone he meets.

If you are going through some hard times – as Peter has – don’t give up and don’t hesitate to take a full or part-time job you might consider to be beneath you. Just make sure it isn’t the type of position that will harm an employer if it ends up being a very short-term job.

If the position only lasts a few months, you don’t have to place it on your resume. Simply re-label the “Employment History” section on your resume to “Relevant Experience” – and simply indicate the year you left your last relevant position.

If the interviewer asks what you are doing today, simply explain that the last relevant position you held is on your resume – however, you are currently engaged in some interim work while you look for your next position.

A short-term position just might help serve as a monetary bridge to your long-term gig – and it could do wonders for your attitude.

Was this article helpful? If so, let me know. And if you have additional thoughts and suggestions – I would like to hear from you. To provide feedback, either click on the tiny “comment” link, at the conclusion of each article (or click on the title of the article) and you’ll find a comment box at the very bottom.