Last week I challenged displaced Logistics and Supply professionals with an assignment of self evaluation. Trusting you were honest with yourself you probably developed some unexpected answers. That’s good! With the exception of 3 people from the Logistics fields that I have pushed through this process, everyone decided that they wanted to stay in logistics or procurement of some kind.
Let’s start from there and consider our experience and what we already know will be happening regardless of the host employer. Start 2011 with a bang and use these concepts to “WOW” your interviewer. Really show them you know the processes and how to facilitate them.
If you need confidence communicating your skills to people, try what all pro speakers do: PRACTICE! In the shower, in front of a mirror, or just standing in the middle of a room, use industry terms and buzz-words in natural sentences OUT LOUD. Practice your verbiage in different tones and formats, including questions. Your passion for the process will place related issues in the “front of your mind”, so they launch from your brain to your clear and confident speaking voice without hesitation. DON’T rehearse a canned dialog. You’re not making a speech. Become conversationally fluent with what you already know.
HINT: Best practice is in front of a mirror. Evaluate your facial expressions, hand gestures, eye contact, body language, stuttering, and subtle hesitations. Don’t beat yourself up too bad, but see yourself from the interviewer’s point of view. Get comfortable with selling yourself!
Try some of these topics for practice:
- Where and why did you learn your trade? What are your specialties and certifications?
- Where have you worked before, in what positions and why did you leave? If it was corporate downsizing be honest! Chances are they already heard about it. DO NOT “Bad Mouth” any part of the situation!
- What were your most productive and (be ready for this question) least admirable experiences? What did you learn from each episode?
- If you were hired for this position, what would you bring to the table? What expertise and personal experience would help this organization? How will we profit from your skills?
- When given the chance, show that you have working experience. You know the frenetic pace with the end of year contracts. Everyone except you gets to clear their desk and the first quarter will always be a time of extra effort to coordinate the goods those orders generated. How do you handle this? What’s worked in the past? What techniques have you practiced to coordinate with impatient internal customers?
- “Out Loud”, remember?
Want to know the EASY part of all of this? You know the answers. It’s you, and the work you’ve done in the past! You’ve earned the right to talk about it and “practice makes perfect” when getting the right words to come out of your mouth. As my former coworker Louie said, “It ain’t braggin’ if you can really do it”!
Oh, those 3 folks that didn’t stay in Logistics? One retired from and started into Arizona real estate, one became a Registered Nurse in northern Michigan, and the third is wandering around Alaska somewhere trying to become a bush pilot!
K.B. Elliott is a Detroit area contributing writer for Nexxt. Having worked seats on both sides of the logistics process for over 30 years gives unique perspective to the supply chain process and the varieties of successes to be had.
Use your practiced “self-sales” techniques to land that next position in professional logistics! Go to http://www.LogisticsJobSite.com/
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