Job Search & Politics: Tips to Steal from Presidential Candidates

It’s an election year and the presidential race is now narrowing down to the top candidates. In an episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” we made a logical comparison of the presidential race and interviewing for a job when Jimmy Fallon said to Donald Trump, “I mean, you’re running for the biggest job in the world, really the most important job.”

And it’s true. The presidential candidates are essentially professional job candidates. It’s not a coincidence that job seekers and political contenders are both called “candidates.” Here are a few tips that job seekers can learn from this year’s presidential candidates:

Have a prepared backstory.

The most common interview question, “Tell me about yourself,” is always the first to be prompted. Every presidential candidate has an answer to this down to a science. It will help to have a prepared narrative of who you are and why you’re applying.  Make sure to keep it short and relevant to your career.

Know your audience.

If you can tell when presidential candidates give a canned response, then your hiring manager will too. Before he left the race, Marco Rubio got called out for a canned speech when he repeated himself several times during a debate. Don’t fall for delivering the same responses. Customize your interview answers, resume, and your cover letter for the different jobs and companies you apply or interview for.

Create a brand.

“Feel the Bern.” “Make America Great Again.” These slogans are just a couple that are currently being used in the presidential race, but do you recognize who they belong to? If you answered “Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump,” you’re correct! This is the result of having a memorable brand.

We’re not saying you have to create a slogan, but you should keep your brand consistent. Everyone has one and it’s what makes you unique. Your brand is how other’s perceive you and your personality. While presidential candidates have focus groups to try and develop a memorable one, try talking to your mentors and peers to better understand yours. Make sure your brand is consistent across your resume, interview, social media and even a personal website (if you have one.)

Get endorsed.

Having others speak for you speaks volumes about your character and work ethic. In the political world, these are called endorsements, such as when Will Ferrell endorsed Hilary Clinton for the Nevada Caucus. Your former teachers, employers, co-workers and friends can all be your endorsements (references). A creative tactic to showcase an endorsement is by inserting a sourced quote from one of your performance reviews in your resume. Just be sure it’s strategically located and not over the top. If you don’t have much experience in your field, getting letters of recommendation from your professors is a great way to stand out with an endorsement.

Have a strong hand shake.

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they shake your hand. Often times, a person’s confidence or nervousness can impact the way they shake a person’s hand. For instance, if someone has very little confidence, they might shake your hand with a light grip and no extension of their arm. Or, if they are very nervous, they might tense up and shake your hand with a tight grip. Don’t break the interviewer’s hand or leave them hanging. Most Presidential Candidates shake hands with a gentle, but firm grip with their arm extended to meet the other person’s hand halfway.

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