litmanlive.me

We interview a lot of people who want to come work at LEWIS. In fact, we're actively recruiting right now, having chosen to invest in great people with great skills, positioning us well for the economic upswing. Smart move, right?

And we know that there are plenty of people out there who want a career in technology PR, and who have the potential to make great things happen. They want that great job, I'm sure of it.
So why have I been left feeling less than great after some of the recent interviews we've conducted? One word. Conviction. Another word. Passion. Here's another one. Commitment.

To me, these are some of the vital missing ingredients in a lot of candidates looking to enter the tech PR scene, and I'm wondering if it's a generational thing. Is it?

Imagine you're buying ice cream. And you know that the ice cream seller has something delicious to sell you. He knows it too. But when you ask him which flavor is best for you, and why, he can't really tell you. Instead, you get a shrug of the shoulders and a "vanilla is always good' response. Still feeling excited about that double cone? Meh. Thought not. I'd rather have the chocolate ripple with real toffee and honeycomb pieces please. Because I don't like fruit in ice cream, but do like sweet things, and appreciate texture as much as flavor. (Sidenote: that actually is my favorite ice cream flavor, if you're buying, people of San Francisco...)

Get the picture? Recruiters are looking for you to tell them exactly why you'd be the best fit for their company, and the role that they have available. Generic doesn't cut it, but specificity twinned with conviction, passion and commitment might win the day, even sometimes trumping over experience at the junior end of the scale.

I entered the job market a long time ago, but I still remember the late night cramming and endless resume revisions before embarking on my entry-level interviews. Each interview left me feeling drained, but in a good way. The adrenaline had kicked in, and I was laser-focused on my goal. If someone asked me why I wanted to work for their company, I had a tailored, thought out and researched response. And that strategy worked. Of course, that's also by far the best approach to media relations and PR itself, but that's another story.

It seems like a lot of entry-level candidates today either don't know what they want and how they can benefit your company, or can't explain it, or don't want to explain it, and that's a problem. Is it a lifetime of being told you can be whatever you want to be? That employees would be lucky to have you? Is Gen Y conditioning leading to a generation of candidates who are too cool to act like they really want that job?

It might be old school, but I'd like to see a return to demonstrating real passion and conviction in job interviews. Unfold those crossed arms and lean across the desk with a look in your eyes that blazes with commitment. Allow yourself to get excited and tell me why you want this job, with my company. It's ok. Really.

Louise Thompson is currently hiring AE and SAE level PR people for LEWIS San Francisco. And cannot be bribed with ice cream. Not even a little bit.