I need a job…

In this type of marketplace, it is becoming more and more common to hear the phrase, "I need a job."  A large number of those professionals are in need of a position for financial reasons, however there are plenty of sales professionals who are financially secure but are in desperate need for a job due to the lack of challenge and the insatiable hunger for something new.  As sales professionals, we are addicted to the win and are driven by the ability to drive our own destiny.  Therefore, when some of these talented individuals find themselves with out a professional purpose, they start to go a little stir crazy.  I recently placed a senior executive and before landing his new position, he told me that he had worked without a break in jobs since 1975.  He thought he would love the freedom of not working but he discovered that he missed the action of the sale and working in a fast paced environment.  He did not necessarily need the financial currency but he certainly craved the intellectual currency.  After all, when you are out of work there is only so much "Regis and Kelly" to watch.      

As a job seeker that is desperately seeking for a job, it is important that your interview style and answers don't scream, "I NEED A JOB!!" at an interviewer.  The reason this neediness is a huge turnoff to prospective employers is because it leads them to believe that you will only take the job due to the need, not due to your want.  This will lead them to believe that you will not perform to the highest standards in the role in addition to the fact that they assume you will leave their job as soon as you find something better.  Think about it: as a salesperson we have been in situations where we have a deal in our pipeline that is so huge, it will literally make our year.  You're at the end of the process and the name is all but signed on the bottom line when you start to get emotionally attached.  Your desire for this deal is so apparent that not only can your whole team tell, so can your client.  At the end of the process, you are so desperate for the deal to close.  Unfortunately, when that happens, you typically lose the sale due to the fact that you were so focused on closing the deal that you weren't focused on the subtleties that would have kept the deal moving forward.  It is very similar to the interview process of a job.  Sometimes your desperation can translate to the hiring manager and create a sense of need for the position and negate the sense of desire you may have for performing the job to the best of your abilities.    

Therefore, no matter what the nature of your need for a job is (be it for financial, professional or mental reasons) you need to focus on the interview process and the things you need to do to ensure that things progress.  Any sign of desperation will turn your interviewer off and may cause you to lose an opportunity.  Focus on your answers and the questions you need to ask.  You are a professional salesperson who knows how to fight through ups and downs.  So breathe and believe: you are going to get that job!