ShareThisBruce Bellusci is vice president of Hart Schaffner Marx sales, and a huge baseball fan, youth coach, and ex-player. At a recent gathering of retail sales professionals responsible for selling Hart Schaffner Marx tailored men's clothing, Bruce talked about selling, using baseball analogies."Go back to the basics and then practice, practice, practice," he said. His message was that no matter what you do, in sports, music, or business, and no matter how naturally talented you are, you must practice the basics everyday to stay competitive and improve your strengths.Top athletes do it, internationally known musicians do it, and leading salespeople do it, just like they were taught when they first started out.How does that impact you as job seekers? Simple. Things have changed in the workplace. Today, you must be able to come on board running. You must be productive to earn your income and improve your productivity to grow your income, and you must be able to make your sale in the interview and prove your worth starting with day one. Go back to the basics; don't skip steps, and practice, practice, practice.Go back to the basics. Rehearse your personal commercial -- who you are, what you've done and what you want to do. Be able to network clearly with everyone you meet and everyone you already know.Go back to the basics. Review your resume and look for ways to strengthen it.Go back to the basics. Use the Internet to locate and research employers that need to know about you. Find out who can make a difference within these organizations, and then contact them with original cover letters that target you to them.Go back to the basics. Follow up with telephone calls asking for an opportunity to meet in person.Go back to the basics. Make sure your interview clothes are ready, clean, pressed, and your interview skills are honed.Go back to the basics and practice, practice, practice. Can you answer when asked "Why should I hire you?" or "Tell me about yourself?"Whether you're fresh out of school or a 20-year veteran, go back to the basics and practice, practice, practice.Like Bruce says, if you can't hit the ball off of the tee, you're not ready to stand up to the plate. Basics and practice!(Marvin Walberg is a job search coach. Contact him at mwalberg(at)bellsouth.net, marvinwalberg.blogspot.com, or PO Box 43056, Birmingham, AL 35243.)
Go back to the basics when seeking a job
Submitted by SHNS on Thu, 05/29/2008 - 11:23
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