| Today's job market presents challenges that we | | | | The other applicants all wanted a job offer from |
| have not seen since the Great Depression. | | | | Ortho; all had the will to win, but none had the will to |
| To acquire a position in today's job market demands | | | | prepare. |
| that a person be better prepared to meet a potential | | | | Later in my career, when I was vice president of |
| employer. In addition, the job seeker must maintain a | | | | sales for AtriCure Inc., a medical device company, I |
| high level of self-confidence throughout the | | | | had the opportunity to hire many sales |
| job-hunting process. | | | | representatives. More than 80 percent of the |
| Yet, only a small percentage of job seekers take the | | | | representatives I interviewed had not done any |
| time to prepare for an interview. Moreover, a job | | | | preparation for the interview. They couldn't tell me |
| seeker's confidence level, after multiple rejections, is | | | | who our competitors were, or the difference |
| often more volatile than the stock market. The | | | | between our products and our competitors' products. |
| combination of lack of preparation and a low level of | | | | All 80 percent told me they wanted the job. They |
| self-confidence is a guaranteed recipe for remaining | | | | had the will to win, but they did not have the will to |
| among the unemployed. | | | | prepare and consequently were not hired. |
| Someone who knows something about preparation | | | | I came to the conclusion that if job seekers would |
| and building self-confidence is Hall of Fame basketball | | | | not take the time to prepare for an interview then |
| coach, Bob Knight. In May, Knight gave the | | | | they would not be the type of individuals who would |
| commencement address at Trine University in | | | | be successful with our organization. I looked for |
| Angola, Indiana. | | | | people who had initiative, and their preparation prior |
| "You can never spend too much time on preparation. | | | | to the interview made that determination for me. |
| The will to prepare is far more important than the will | | | | The litmus test of the "will to prepare" helped us build |
| to win," Coach Knight, who has won more college | | | | one of the strongest and most respected sales |
| games than any other basketball coach in the history | | | | forces in medical sales. |
| of the NCAA, told members of the graduating class. | | | | Statistically, there is currently one job for every five |
| The virtue of preparation is a subject that Coach | | | | job applicants in the United States. How does a |
| Knight has taught throughout his coaching career. As | | | | manager decide which one of those five will receive |
| a student at Indiana University in the 1970s, I heard | | | | a job offer? I posed that question to three sales |
| Coach Knight repeat similar words: "It's not the will to | | | | managers with years of experience in hiring personnel. |
| win that is important, it is the will to prepare." | | | | Each one said that decision was based on the |
| Those words had more impact on my ability to begin | | | | applicant's level of preparation and ability to convey |
| a career after leaving IU than any class I took while | | | | self-confidence during the interview. The interesting |
| in college. | | | | part of that answer is that preparation and |
| There is no doubt the philosophy of the "will to | | | | self-confidence feed off each other. That is, the |
| prepare" helped me earn my first job offer. Along | | | | more you prepare for an interview, the more |
| with more than 300 other Indiana University | | | | self-confidence you will convey to the person sitting |
| students, I was interviewed by Ortho Pharmaceutical | | | | on the other side of the desk. When people ask me |
| in the fall of 1978. I received the only job offer that | | | | how they can build their self-confidence, the answer |
| Ortho extended. | | | | is easy: Preparation. |
| Later on, I was told the reason I was selected was | | | | I hope the seniors at Trine University were paying |
| because I had done my homework prior to the | | | | attention when Coach Knight said: "You can never |
| interview. You see, not only had I studied the family | | | | spend too much time on preparation. The will to |
| of Ortho's products, I knew the company's | | | | prepare is far more important than the will to win." |
| competitors. I had spent time talking with | | | | Every student in every college and university in this |
| pharmacists, physicians and pharmaceutical sales reps | | | | country needs to hear and internalize those words |
| about Ortho's reputation in the industry. When I | | | | before being handed a diploma. If they do, they will |
| walked into the interview, I was prepared to sell the | | | | have learned one of the most important lessons in |
| company's product if the interviewer had asked me. | | | | how to acquire a job in challenging times. |