One of the key areas in which Larry Polhill Cafe Valley believes college graduates need to focus on, and he is supported in this by many researchers, is that they lack salesmanship. This isn’t about having regular sales skills, as the majority of college graduates don’t go for a sales related job, but rather about having the skills to sell themselves. This is why he feels it is so important that graduates take the opportunity to complete some interview coaching, which allows them to practice for a potential position.
The Importance of Salesmanship According to Larry Polhill Cafe Valley
An interview is an opportunity to sell yourself. This means you will talk about your work, you experience, your achievements, and your education. But it also means that you can indirectly show how good you are. For instance, if you want to apply for a position as President of Investors at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and you show that you have researched the SEC, then you also demonstrate passion, seriousness, and critical thinking ability.
How Does Interview Coaching Work and Why Does it Matter?
It was when Larry Polhill started interviewing for the position of director of APFC that he understood just how little college graduates know about how to behave during an interview. This is why he started to create a coaching workshop, which he offered for free in fact, to teach people how they could become their own salesperson. This, he believes, is vital, because the labor market is incredibly competitive, and the smallest mistake will make a company consider a different candidate.
So what does it mean to sell yourself? Key elements, according to Polhill, are:
- To be very explicit and make it clear that you want a certain job. If you demonstrate that you have done your research on the company, for instance by asking questions, and by telling them which parts of the company’s mission and vision most grabbed you, you demonstrate that you are serious.
- To always be confident. This starts by giving a good, firm handshake, by smiling, and by maintaining eye contact. College graduates aren’t expected to know everything yet. Rather, they are expected to have a list of reasons why they are a better candidate than someone else. They are supposed to be able to say what makes them so great, in other words. You need to be confident about your own skills and abilities in order to be able to do this.
Polhill also believes that networking is key to getting a job. This is why he recommends students start to collect business cards, while also printing their own. Doing so will ensure that they start to build a professional network around them, and to get their name out there. Being memorable is very important, which is why Polhill feels that people should send a thank you note after having been invited for a party, for instance. It shows respect and appreciation, key skills that prospective employers look for.