Prove and Persist to Get Hired

Prove and Persist to Get Hired To get hired for any good job you must do two things: prove to employers that you can do the work, and persist past the point where others give up. Here's a success story from someone who did just that, with lessons you can apply to your job search today ... "When I was 15, I wanted to cook at a local restaurant. It was the nicest one in town and well known for its steaks," says Christopher Flett of Bellingham, WA, author of "What Men Don't Tell Women About Business." For 14 days in a row, Flett went to the kitchen door at 4:00 p.m., asked for the chef and then asked for a job. "I told him I would wash dishes, prep vegetables -- whatever he wanted -- just to get in the kitchen. Every day he would take another copy of my resume, smile, and say that he had nothing for me." On the 15th day, Flett realized he wasn't succeeding with this approach. So he changed tactics. "I loaded our barbeque onto my dad's truck, went to Costco for some meat, and had my dad drop me off outside the kitchen door. I started the grill, seasoned my steaks, hamburgers and ribs, and started cooking right there." A few minutes later, one of the cooks came out to have a cigarette, looked at Flett and his grill, and bolted back inside. "Five minutes later, the chef came out and stood there staring at me. Meanwhile, customers were coming in for dinner. While the chef and I were in a 'stare down,' one of the customers yelled from the front door, 'Smells good!' The chef told me to turn off the grill and said, 'Go downstairs, get a jacket and apron on, and get busy washing dishes.'" How did it turn out? "I had a job there all through high school and worked my way up to sous chef by the time I left for college, four-and-a-half years later. And that same chef hosted my book launch party 18 years after that." Here's how Flett used the two Ps to get hired. Persistence: He came back 14 days straight to his ideal employer and asked for a chance to show his stuff. How often have you followed up after sending your resume to an employer? I'll bet it's less than 14 times. How often have you given up after being told, "Sorry, we're not hiring."? Always remember that when an employer says, "No," it just means, "Not today." It does NOT mean, "Never come back again." The only thing stopping you from persisting is you. Proof: Flett didn't ask the chef to trust his that he could cook. He proved it, right there in the parking lot, by firing up his own grill. Hard to beat that. Now. What can you do to prove to employers that you can do what you claim on your resume? And how can you do it so creatively that you leave your next boos speechless, as Flett did? Final question: If a 15-year-old can prove and persist his way to a great job -- one that didn't even exist beforehand -- why can't you, too? Kevin Donlin is Creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996, he has provided job-search help to more than 11,000 people. Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The New York Times, CBS Radio and others. Learn more at - TheSimpleJobSearch.com