How can I get an internship or job? Bump into the “right guy”

Remember the old movie “Working Girl”? Harrison Ford and Melanie Griffith crash a wedding to meet the “right guy” … You need to meet the “right guy” to get into an organization.

True story. I wanted to get into a major NY bank. I searched out a senior decision maker in the area. For me it was the online area. He was an SVP.

I searched him out and found him to be active in the UJA. Attended a UJA banquet in midtown Manhattan. (I forked over the $125 for the dinner.) During the course of the evening, I made a point of introducing myself and participating in conversation with him. The conversation involved a group of approximately 5 or 6 people.

The next Monday, I contacted him and referenced the banquet. I sent him a cover letter and a copy of my resume.

Within 3 days I received a call from the company’s Human Resources Department. Over the next few weeks, I went in for a series of interviews and received an offer. (I happened to turn down the position.)

The point here being the entry-point of your resume is critical.

My resume was received by an SVP who simply forwarded it to HR. He barely knew me and was certainly not going to vouch for me…. But since the resume had come from “upstairs” you could be sure that they were going to take a close look at it. If the resume has simply come in with the pile of resumes from Monster or CareerBuilder, I doubt it would have been noticed.

Should I Create a Video Resume?

The subject of video resumes seems to come up more and more often.

Bottom line. When someone watches your video resume… You cannot rebut objections. You cannot read body language. You cannot rebut preconceived notions based solely upon your appearance.

In most cases, do NOT create create a video resume. In general; it’s a bad move. Please take a look at this video.

Some people will immediately have an opinion of this individual based upon his look, accent, or body language. He may be a great candidate for a position and he will not get the interview.

Of course if you are looking for a on-screen media opportunity, sales, or other appearance-related job, use your judgement, be careful, and consider creating one. Be careful.