How to Get a Job By Asking for It

As a job seeker, you may see an interview as an interrogation or exchange of information. It’s neither. Interviews are sales calls. And, as any sales pro knows, you only get the sale by asking for it.

You aren’t begging for a handout when you ask for a job. You’re offering prospective employers your experience and ability to contribute to their goals. If employers don’t need what you’re offering, they won’t buy. However, if they do need your skills–or if you can create the need–you’ll get the job.

It may surprise you to learn employers like to hear candidates say "I’d like to work here." Dick Stone, a recruiter for Gemplus, a SmartCard manufacturer in Montgomeryville, Pa., says, "I like it when [candidates] give me the feeling they like us. A little flattery goes a long way. Often the missing part in the interview is the commitment from the candidate to the firm."

Sounds easy, but for most job hunters, it isn’t. Asking for the job in lieu of silently waiting for an offer is the hardest part. This step is what sales people call "closing" the sale.

Anyone can learn to apply the tricks of the sales trade to a job interview and close a sale. Following these nine steps will help you ask for the job–and get it.

By Niels H. Nielsen

Full Story: http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/interviewing/19980603-nielsen.html?cjcontent=mail