A few years ago, Nathan, my son-on-law, landed a wonderful position with BB&T Bank in Knoxville. He had done a rigorous job search after getting his degree in communications in May. For the bank position he knew he was up against other candidates who had MBAs and previous banking experience. Nathan brought his experience in pushing a lawn mower, stacking Cheerios in a grocery store, and wiping runny noses in a day care. And to top that off he was 24 years old and a new college graduate.
And yet the position was given to him – downtown office, professional associations and promising growth opportunities. Upon asking why he got the
position rather than the other candidates, he was told this by the lady supervisor – Nathan was the only candidate who stood up and shook hands when she walked in for the interview. How interesting!
One more example of how personal skills outweigh GPA, degrees and technical skills every time. A smile, a handshake or a new hair style may do more to secure new opportunities than adding another credential behind your name. And while Nathan was eating caviar at the bank receptions, his “experienced” competitors were likely grabbing a taco and bemoaning the fact that no one is hiring.
Yep, that was just the start for him – due to his amazing people skills, he quickly moved up the ladder and went through a leadership program…when they begged him a second time. He was clear on what his non-negotiables were, and one of those was that he didn’t want to be transferred all over the country. They wanted him bad enough they came back with an offer that secured our position in the one place we wanted to live, and he was able to start branches in a new territory and build some great teams.
Now all of the skills he got from banking and managing are an incredible asset to his current career as a realtor. You never know what jobs that are “just a paycheck” as you’re building up your funds will do for your future. In a time when we were pinching pennies and wondering about our future, Nathan (and I) hopped in the workforce with great attitudes knowing our jobs were simply a means to an end. Out of that, he now is in his dream job helping people through a huge change/transition in buying a new home, and he has an extreme advantage from his banking experience as well as being a Nashville native – the one location we didn’t compromise on. Because of his background and his authenticity and clear passion for what he is doing, he has impacted so many families and created lifetime relationships as the only realtor his clients will ever choose to work with. The power of a smile, honesty, integrity and an incredible sense of humor goes a long, long way!
Ashley,
Great “rest of the story.” And those personal skills of respect and integrity continue to serve him very well.
Where I work I get the chance to see job candidates in the waiting area before the interview and I’m astounded by the lack of professionalism on a daily basis. They obviously don’t listen to 48 Days
David,
Isn’t it amazing how they think their credentials are the only thing important?
That’s simply awesome Dan. I love hearing things like that.
Go, Nathan! This story is such a great example of how “treating others the way we want to be treated” goes a long way.
Great story. I have hired a lot of people for my own office over the past twenty years. Nearly each and every time I weigh how the person presents more so than their credentials.
Clark – yes even in your medical field attitude and personality win out over training and skills. An interesting fact that a lot of people ignore.
And if he take the extra step by asking the reason behind getting hired, he might never have learned why he got the job. So many great lessons in there!
I’ve seen and experienced this several times in real life. You’re in the room because your resume shows you “check all the boxes.” Once you get in the room it’s more about whether they would want to work with you than whether you can do the work. Go Nathan!