By Ace Starry
Part 2: Extra Effort Needed When Getting A
First Job
To bring you up to speed from last weeks article, her is a short
summary. I was a magician, looking for a real job as an apartment
marketing representative. I interviewed with a major management
company. The woman in charge said that I was too "laid back."
Ha! She said that she'd have to think about it over the weekend and
then give me a call to let me know on the following Monday. I
decided to take her comments as an opportunity to convince her
somehow over the weekend, that I was the right one for the job.
Okay, here is the rest of the story.
I found out where this woman, her name was Cassandra, was going to
be over the weekend. It turned out that she was going to be working
on a property near downtown Houston. This was my chance. I decided
that if I could do something outrageous while she was at work, I
would be able to convince her that I was not the lest bit laid back
(crazy maybe, but not laid back.) A while before, I had done a grand
opening magic show for a costume shop and had become friends with
the owner. I remembered that they had a costume of Garfield the cat
which was really good looking. (That is as far as fat, orange cats
who eat lasagna go.)
My plan was to borrow the costume and wear it to deliver a
telegram to Cassandra. The telegram said "I am not a laid-back
cat." I also took my last thirty dollars and purchased a few
Garfield toys to deliver as gifts to all of the employees who might
be in attendance when I delivered the message. I purchased a bouquet
of Garfield balloons and as a special gift, a small stuffed Garfield
for Cassandra.
Before I actually carried out my assault, I decided to call my
brother Stuart, the attorney. Stuart said, and I quote, "Are
you nuts? Don't do it! You have a chance, as it stands, but this
will blow it for sure!" My brother never really was much for
subtlety. I didn't get the advice that I wanted so I decided to do
what any self-respecting man about to wear a cat suit into an office
looking for a job would do. I called my mother.
Mom was conciliatory as ever, "You are out of your mind! Why
do you have to be so crazy? I can never understand why you just
cant' be normal. Just wait and see what she has to say on Monday.
Again not exactly what I wanted to hear. What I thought they should
be saying is that you should take circumstance and turn them into
opportunities. You should listen to what people are really saying.
Mom was really saying, "You are going to get hurt by the
rejection." Stuart, (the legal mind) was saying, "Do you
realize the liability involved here?" However, the important
one to listen to was Cassandra who was saying, We need someone that
is willing to take a risk, someone who is not laid back."
Well the next morning, I put on my Garfield outfit, gathered up my
toys and balloons, and headed for Cassandra's office. When I got
inside I didn't say anything to anyone. I just pointed to the
envelope which was addressed to Cassandra. They directed me into her
office where she was engaged in a phone conversation. When she
finally looked up, I gave her the balloons and the stuffed Garfield.
She hung up the phone and was completely taken aback. She didn't
have any idea of course, that it was me inside the costume. She was
laughing and saying, "Who is in there?" But I said
nothing. Instead I just handed her the telegram which created a
dramatic moment as she opened the envelope.
She read it aloud. "I am not a laid-back cat." She
stared at it some what confused for a few moments, repeating it
again as a question to herself. "I am not a laid back cat?"
Then I saw her mind race and put two and two together. I saw the
light switch on. She looked at me and said, "It's Ace in there,
isn't it?" At that point I took off the Garfield head and said,
"Now you know. Call me Monday."
Monday morning I got the call. I also got the job. It is a lot
more convincing to show a person what you are capable of than it is
to tell them.
Is Wearing a Cat Suit, Dressing for Success
on a Job Interview?
Over the years I've had many opportunities to tell that story
during sales meetings and seminars. It never fails in the audience
is someone that believes that I was crazy and that it would have
been equally as prudent to just "send her some flowers."
When I took the bull by the horns that day, I admit that I was
nervous too. I had my own doubts, but in my heart of hearts I knew
that I had exactly what she was looking for during the interview. It
may have in fact been my original choice of the khaki pants and navy
blazer that made her believe that I was too "laid back."
I'm not suggesting that your next interview you should wear a
funny costume and do a magic trick. But I am suggesting that you
don't take an initial "no" without putting up an argument.
You have to be aggressive in order to win in this competition. I was
just that I was aggressive. The others sat and waited for that phone
call over the weekend. Are you waiting for the phone call or are you
taking action to make the things you want out of life appear?
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