association. It gets you a planned raise and, by defining
your success in relation to your boss’s supervision, it leads
into the next step . . .
SPARK THEIR INTEREST IN YOUR SUCCESS AND
GAIN AN UNOFFICIAL MENTOR
Remember the idea of figuring what the other side is really
buying? Well, when you are selling yourself to a manager,
sell yourself as more than a body for a job; sell yourself, and
your success, as a way they can validate their own
intelligence and broadcast it to the rest of the company.
Make sure they know you’ll act as a flesh-and-blood
argument for their importance. Once you’ve bent their
reality to include you as their ambassador, they’ll have a
stake in your success.
Ask: “What does it take to be successful here?”
Please notice that this question is similar to questions that
are suggested by many MBA career counseling centers, yet
not exactly the same. And it’s the exact wording of this
question that’s critical.
Students from my MBA courses who have asked this
question in job interviews have actually had interviewers
lean forward and say, “No one ever asked us that before.”
The interviewer then gave a great and detailed answer.
The key issue here is if someone gives you guidance,
they will watch to see if you follow their advice. They will
have a personal stake in seeing you succeed. You’ve just
recruited your first unofficial mentor.