Staff

Jim,

I liked your article, “Critical help for Courtland, Alabama (IP) Employees” about interviewing for a job. You made some very good points, but missed some important ones.

For example: Losing the tie. That is a big no-no in the sales industry.  I have hired people that initially did not wear a tie. But you better believe by the final interview they had one on.

The car part is interesting. It's funny how people take things differently.  I see a male driving a 4-door or larger vehicle, I think provider. We like providers.  I hired a guy driving a Corvette last month.  He never made it out of training. (He was a superstar sales guy) Yet the seven guys driving 4-door family type cars are doing just fine.

Females, on the other hand, are even more interesting.  Our job is 100% commission.  It takes a specific type of female to pull it off.  She has to have some type of drive. Fine examples are: my husband is in school so I have to work. Single moms. Athletes that like competition. Must be more successful than my significant other.  A-type personalities tend to do very well if they are coachable.

I have a girl in training right now that is gunning to make more than her husband.  She has the biggest drive I've ever seen.  Her husband applied with us a couple of months ago and did not make it in. So she is already ahead of the game.

In my world, we hire a specific person depending on the sales floor’s needs.  We can’t have all super salesmen running around. If we did, there would be no customer service.  We can't have all customer service driven reps running around, either.  If we did, our numbers would drop. So it's a challenge to keep the sales floors even.  And, yes, that means turning down people that are good for the job but just not a good fit at that moment. 

So I would add to that article:

"If you get declined for a job that you feel you are a good fit for, if the position is still available six months from now, always reapply"

Oh and wear a tie and suit. I believe you want to stand out from the rest, not conform.  

Regards,

Chris Canavan

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