The 3 P’s can help you quit making job-landing anxiety inducing

teve Nichols, a retired human resources director, says his “3-P strategy” forces job seekers to focus on the final goal — getting a job. He breaks it down as follows:

People

Networking shouldn’t be something you do the moment you begin looking for a job, Nichols says. It’s something you should do your entire career. “Networking isn’t a new task or a new responsibility, it’s something you should do as second nature,” he says. “Talk to people, meet their friends and associates and be an accountable employee and a forwardthinking leader. Help people out when they need the help and when they don’t.”

Beyond networking, Nichols says it’s important to maintain a professional reputation throughout your career. “Reputations aren’t these intangible things that just exist in the air. They’re the words people use to describe you in emails and in conversations,” he says. “Reputations are your currency. They buy you new jobs and promotions. And they only can be spent by people, so keep working hard, stay out of the muck in the office and keep racking up that currency.”

Paper

Nichols acknowledges that most resumes and cover letters aren’t delivered via hard copy these days, so the word “paper” may seem a little out of date, but in an effort to stick with the same-letter theme, he says “just go with it,” an adage that fits with his philosophy on the all-important job-seeking documents. He also says he’s specifically addressing the pdf resumes people send to their contacts, which they in turn hopefully pass on to a potential decision-maker.

“People get hung up on the presentation, which can lead to minimizing the importance of the content,” Nichols says. “I’ve spoken with people who send me a beautiful resume to look over and it’s missing some of the essentials I would need to know before bringing them in for an interview, like what they’ve done in a previous position to help their employer make money, increase prospects or communicate ideas.”

When Nichols asks why important facts and figures are omitted, he says he’s often told that the extra text didn’t fit within the format of the resume. “You’re saying that the person who looks at resumes is more likely to be impressed by certain fonts, margins and icons than substance. That’s absurd,” Nichols says.

“All the new formats may look great, but they’re no more effective than a simple resume. Simplicity sells. Word choice sells. Accomplishment sells. No one cares about the font.”

Pitch

“Sell, sell, sell,” says Nichols. “Tell me why I should hire you and don’t wait until the follow-up interview or a thank-you note. Tell me upfront. During an interview, answer questions and take cues from the interviewer, but sell yourself with every answer you give and every question you ask.”

Nichols says people act as if interviews are nothing more than an exchange of data, “like you’re there to tell them about yourself” and then let them decide your fate. “That’s completely illogical,” he says.

“When you look at cars, a good salesperson isn’t telling you about the horsepower and the space in the trunk. He’s selling the experience. He says something like ‘do you drive your kids to school? You do? Think about the mornings. All these cup holders, no climbing over seats. You can pre-start it to warm it up.’ You buy into it because you see how that car benefits you. Jobs are the same. ‘Are you looking for someone who can switch gears in an instant? I thrive at that. I don’t get frustrated when we have to make big changes midway through a project. It actually gives me a little jolt.’ Sell yourself. Make your pitch.”