10 “HARD” THINGS YOU NEED
TO DO TO “EASILY” GET HIRED FASTER.

How can you speed up your search for entry level jobs in business and get hired faster?  You must be willing to work hard and do the hard things.

It’s not easy to “do” hard.  Here are some coveted tricks and tips for recent college graduates seeking entry-level jobs in business:

1) GET UP EARLIER.   Waking up earlier will force you to get a head start on your “to-do list”, giving you a chance to charge your batteries, organize the day ahead and accomplish your goals before you’re pulled in a million directions.

2) MAKE THE CALL THAT YOU HAVE BEEN AFRAID TO MAKE.  Pick up the phone and make that call.   Have a script in front of you so that you are prepared.   The worst thing that can happen is that you will be told THANKS, BUT NO THANKS.

3) LOOK HARD FOR THE ANSWERS THAT YOU DON’T HAVE.   Don’t accept the status quo.  It’s the person who goes the extra mile who will reap big rewards.

4) DELIVER RESULTS, NOT EXCUSES. There is no excuse for making excuses.  The hardest things in your entry-level job search will be the easiest to avoid and the most important to accomplish.   Stop pretending that accomplishing hard tasks does not apply to you and tell yourself that making excuses to avoid these tasks is just not an option for you.  Set your goals and work hard to achieve them.

5) DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL OR LOOK FOOLISH. It is always easy to play things safe.   You need to lead when no one else is following and banish the fear of failure.  “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10000 ways that won’t work.” was Thomas Edison’s philosophy about viewing failure as a very important component of success.

6) DO THINGS THAT NOBODY ELSE IS DOING.  Be innovative and do the unexpected.   Move forward, even when there are barriers.   This is how you will get yourself noticed and get your foot into the door.

7) FOCUS ON GIVING, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY SEEM LIKE YOU HAVE NOTHING TO GIVE.   In Adam Grant’s book “Give and Take: A Revolutionary Guide to Success,” he maintains that “givers”, the people who are committed to helping others, often get ahead because they make those around them look better and feel good.  Work hard to determine how you can “give” something to a potential employer.

8) CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE REJECTED YOU.   It’s hard to put a smile on your face when someone has just rejected you.   Remind yourself that nothing is ever personal and that saying something negative will never result in anything that is positive.

9) RUN FAST, EVEN WHEN YOU’RE OUT OF BREATH.   It’s always much easier to slow down.  It is a very competitive job market and slowing down your pace, however, could provide someone else with the opportunity to get that job offer instead of you.

10) WORK HARDER THAN YOUR COMPETITION.    Be willing to put in the extra hours that will deliver extraordinary results.  Remind yourself that if you believe it, you can achieve it.

Entry-level job seekers who get hired faster in a competitive job market are eager and willing to do the hard things that unemployed people don’t have the courage to do.   Embracing the hard things in your job search will set the stage for your success.

Think hard, do hard.   You need to do the things that scare you and that no one else is doing.  The results will surprise you and you’ll get hired faster.