One thing clients often say to me is “Hold on, I want to write down what you just said.” Or “Your wording is perfect; I wish I could remember it when I am in the interview!” Whenever this happens, I am honored to have gained the trust and confidence of my clients. And, like most situations, things can be a bit clearer from the outside so that is definitely an advantage I have when coaching clients.



With that mind, today I am giving you some sample scripts to use in situations you may find yourself in as you navigate your job search and networking pursuits. These situations were pulled from questions clients have asked in recent weeks, as well as situations that I have come across myself. They will help you power up your job search.



Self-marketing Message: Next time someone asks you “So, what do you do?” take advantage of the opportunity to answer in a way that communicates what you WANT to be doing! Try answering using a combination of present-day information, while also mentioning your goal. If you are in an aggressive job search, it might sound something like this…”I am a security manager with a specialty in facility management for sports arenas and entertainment complexes. Right now I am at the Target Center in a similar role, and am seeking a new position on the East Coast.”



2nd Degree LinkedIn Networking: You might decide to look at the Securitas page on LinkedIn. Once there, you see they have several job openings. What you can also see on the right side of the screen is “How You’re Connected.” If you do not have any 1st-degree connections, but there are several 2nd-degree connections listed, consider using that as your link to the company hiring manager. Figure out who the shared 1st-degree connection is between you and one of the 2nd-degree connections. Contact that person and say to them “Hi Jeff, great seeing you at the ASIS chapter meeting last month. Right now, I’m hoping you can help me with something. I was looking at an open branch manager position at Securitas and see that you know John Doe at the company. Would you be willing to introduce me to John so I can talk to him about the job and the company?” Once Jeff makes the intro between you and John, you can talk with John about your background and see what he knows about the open position. Ultimately, if things go smoothly, you might ask John for an introduction to the hiring manager for that branch manager position you saw advertised.



How to Yes, but No. But, more importantly Yes!: A company needed to bring on additional trainers that were experts in certain areas of executive development and management training. One of my contacts asked me if I was interested in being introduced to that company because she knows I often do group training seminars. Of course I was interested, but realistically (looking at their list of 10 very specific requirements), I didn’t have the background they needed. So, what did I do? I said “I welcome the opportunity to speak with the organization about their training programs. My experience is not a direct match for their entire needs list, so perhaps they may want to talk with me about how my niche experience could fit some of their needs.” From there, I gave a synopsis of that niche experience. My contact was comfortable with that answer and connected me with the company. What worked about how I answered was finding a way to be honest, yet positive. Your situation might have to do with whether or not you’ve worked in a corporate vs private entity; whether you’ve been a direct line supervisor; or whether you’ve managed a budget. No matter what, there is almost always a way to tie the experience you do have with at least part of the company’s needs.



As always, let me know how the above ideas work for you and how you might adjust them to better fit your background. I welcome your calls or emails to discuss your specific situation.