3 Ways Building Trust Will Get You Hired

3 Ways Building Trust Will Get You Hired 3 Ways Building Trust Will Get You Hired As heard in a recent job-search workshop:Participant: “Just get me an interview, and I’ll get the job.”Leader: “OK. How are you sure that one will lead to the other?”Participant: “I’ll show my enthusiasm and just tell them how great I would be for this job!” Leader: “And they will believe you … why?”Participant: “What do you mean by that? I have a right to be trusted!” Not so much! Your reputation for being the go-to person and the faith that people have had in you up until now don’t automatically transfer to new people in new companies. Unfortunately, you have to go back to square one and build your reputation from the ground up once again. Arthur Ashe, the great tennis player, put it this way: “Trust has to be earned and should come only after the passage of time.” It might be that you are a perfect fit for that ideal job you are pursuing. Even so, it is necessary to build confidence in your abilities at every stage of the hiring process in order to seal the deal. Ultimately, every offer of employment should be seen as a hiring manager’s statement of trust: “I believe you can do this job better than anyone else I can hire, and therefore I want you on my team!” A leader in one federal agency recently confided that it frequently takes his department a full year to complete all the reference and background checks necessary for a candidate to earn the trust necessary to be hired. Of course, in most other areas, the process is not nearly so long, but it still takes time to complete. Think about ways in which your cover letter,  résumé and  interviews all play into that larger trust-building objective. 1. Credibility. You need to demonstrate why you should be taken seriously. Does your writing present a clear message that conveys your value? Do you present yourself as a true professional? Do your claims pass the “this stands to reason” test? Do you claim expertise, or do you build the case to show you have it?Are you boisterous in your assertions, or do you back them up with facts?Are the promises you make for the work you can produce realistic?Can you show the credentials necessary to claim expertise in your field? 2. Integrity. It’s unlikely that anyone will ask outright for you to prove your professional integrity. And no one is likely to say in an interview: “I cheated my way to where I am.” Yet, many skilled interviewers have the ability to give candidates enough rope to hang themselves.Are you honest enough to admit your flaws when asked for your areas of weakness and show how you turn them into strengths?Are you willing to shoulder your share of responsibility when talking about something that didn’t turn out the right way?What do you say about the boss you hate or the co-workers who fail to live up to your expectations? 3. Reliability. In order to show that you will be reliable in the future, demonstrate how you have been so the past.  CAR (Challenge-Action-Result) statements on a  résumé  can go a long way toward this. Explain what you were mandated to do within what limits, how you went about the task and what you achieved. Who wouldn’t  want to hire a candidate who has a record of being on time and under budget on a regular basis? Show reliability by establishing and meeting realistic expectations. When you tell people what to expect and when to expect it, and then deliver on your promise, you gain a track record of success. It is perfectly fine to talk about an employer’s goals with time frames in an interview. Sometimes they will knowingly set unrealistic expectations in order to determine how much you will bend yourself into a pretzel to say “yes” to everything. You can respond honestly in a situation like this by saying, “I understand and share your objective. However X, Y and Z factors might make a different timeline more achievable and realistic.” And then you can clinch it by saying: “I can promise you my absolute fullest efforts, but don’t want to over-promise on a timeline that I honestly don’t think can be met.” When you think about it, the glue that holds any relationship together is trust. And no one wants to risk hiring someone who hasn’t shown trustworthiness. Frame your stories and messaging to demonstrate this critical personal characteristic, and you’ll be well on the way to building a long-lasting relationship. Happy hunting!  Arnie Fertig, MPA, is passionate about helping his  Jobhuntercoach  clients advance their careers by transforming frantic “I’ll apply to anything” searches into focused hunts for “great fit” opportunities. He brings to each client the extensive knowledge he gained when working in HR staffing and managing his boutique recruiting firm.