Good Deed Speaks Volumes
Had to have our house treated for termites (2nd time within 12 months) which is a major pain in the butt and major headache for home owners in South Florida.
Open food and medications have to double wrapped in plastic and tied with duct tape…and you have to leave house for 48 hrs ughhh!
I have a greyhound so stayed in a pet friendly hotel in Coconut Grove, a very cool, urban town in Miami.
The long/short of it was my dog, out of her comfort zone, got overheated on a walk and basically collapsed on a sidewalk.
Kind strangers stopped, including a car with 2 young men.
Noticing the fear and panic in my eyes, these young samaritans asked if I needed a ride and wound up driving me and Pearl (my dog) 6 miles out of their way to a pet emergency center.
During our ride, between thanking them profusely, my 2 new heroes said they were chefs at a major hotel in Miami and were on their way to work.
Despite being late and inconvenienced they both said they were “dog people” and just doing the right thing by stopping and helping.
When we pulled in to the hospital, assistants were waiting and swept Pearl out of the car. I gave my final thank yous and handed them a $20.00 bill, the only cash I had in my fanny pack, for a car wash.
Weeks later I wrote their boss and explained what happened and how lucky he was to have these gentleman as employees.
His response was:
” …They did let me know what happened and they both did the right thing! These guys both show the same care and comfort to our guests and employees here at the hotel so it sure doesn’t surprise me that they act this way outside of work…”
-Michael DeGano
Director of Food & Beverage
EPIC Hotel
Here’s the catch.
When interviewing a candidate for any job in golf/hospitality find out what they do on their free time. What makes them feel good? What’s important to them outside of work? Maybe ask for an example of a kind or generous deed they’ve recently performed or experienced. Do they volunteer or give back to a charity or friend or relative…whatever.
You can gauge the quality of a candidate by the way she/he lives their lives without getting too personal.
9 times out of 10 if doing for others turns them on, they’ll be stellar employees.
STICK OUT in a Good Way!
So you’re interviewing for a golf job…any job whether it’s a Caddie, GM, F&B, Outside Operations (seasonal), Chef, Tournament Manager, Sales Rep etc…doesn’t matter.
Regardless of the position your goal is to get an offer!
You had the interview. Hopefully you did your homework and a little research on the employer. You felt pretty confident answering questions, made a decent case as to why you’re “the one” for the position and got the interviewer to open-u, talk about the position and even a bit about herself.
Let’s say the she’s interviewing 5-7 people for the position.
How are you going to stand out and be memorable after the interview?
At the very least you’re probably going to send a Thank You e-mail which ehhh most decent candidates do…safe but boring.
Do something different.
How about sending a hand written Thank You note…you’ll need a pen and a note card made of paper. They still exist, I swear. Bet you’ve never done this.
Or kick it up a notch and send a big 8 X 11 envelope with a hand written letter or note and maybe a copy of an article or topic you both discussed?
A lot of you are probably saying I’m not comfortable doing that or it’s too much work or that’s not me.
Well here’s the deal.
You want to stand out in a positive, professional way and being more creative and personal with your follow-up will separate you from the pack.
Exerting a little extra effort will go a long way especially if you’re pursuing your “perfect/dream” job.
Even if you don’t get it, you’ll be remembered in a good way and who knows maybe down the line they’ll think of you for next opportunity.
Ready to find your “dream” golf job and stand-out from the crowd, click here to register and sign-up for our White Glove Service.
The Savvy Tour Guide
Recently returned from a 3 1/2 week trip to Israel. Was long but a very cool experience full of religion, history, hummus and chopped salad.
Joined a mission/tour of lawyers and judges from Miami most of the time but spent some alone time away from the group before and after the tour.
When I first arrived in Jerusalem I ventured out on our own to the “Old City” and took in all the sites including stunning architecture, holy places like the ‘Great Wall” and kind of just wandered around until we ran into a very nice, friendly guy who spoke perfect English. I obviously looked like tourist…must’ve had that doe eye “where am I” look.
My new found friend asked if I would like to see where Jesus had his “last supper’? Heck yeah. Went to 10 years of Catholic school so I was very familiar with Jesus’ last gathering. (heres 2 pics of last supper location. Not really how I envisioned it but cool nevertheless).
While walking to the famous destination this nice man who never announced he was a formal guide proceeded to ask tons of open-ended, questions like;
Where are you from?
Where have you been?
When did you get here?
How long are you staying?
Who are you with?
Why are you here?
Etc…
Found it fascinating how smooth this guy was at asking qualifying questions. In fact, I could tell he was sizing us up whether or not we were long term customers or just a quick hit.
Turns out we had a planned tour that was extremely detailed and thorough so he made the most of his short time with us. He spent about an hour with us and my husband tipped him pretty well.
What’s the lesson here?
When you’re in an interview be like the tour guide and get the employer (or person you’re interviewing with) to talk about themselves and the job to which you’re applying.
People love talking about themselves and love being around people willing to listen. Stick with open ended questions.
Another tip I give to candidates and friends/family when interviewing is “close the deal” by asking something like:
“Based on what we discussed, do you think I’d make a good fit for this job?” OR “How do I rank compared to other candidates you’ve seen?” OR “How do my qualifications compare to other active candidates”?
I hate when people say “trust me” but I’m telling you trust me on this. Not many people have the “cajones” to close a potential employer and if you do you’ll stick out from the pack.
There’s ton’s of psychology going on when a person commits to you out loud. It’s almost like she can’t take it away once she says it.
I could on and on about the benefits of closing.
Doesn’t matter what type of job you’re pursuing And you don’t have to be “hardcore” or in your face aggressive.
Simply ask the interviewer how you stack-up vs. the competition. If you ask they they will remember!
If you got your interviewing “mojo” working and ready to move one step closer to landing your dream golf job, click here to get started.
(Click the above link, register for free, then click the “White Glove” tab. If you’re already registered, log-in and click the White Glove tab).
Dawn Schlesinger
Chiefgolfjobologist
Learn an Interviewing Tip or Two Ordering Mock Cocktails
Was in NYC last month and one of the things my husband and I like to do is watch broadway plays and eat!
Before seeing “Glass Menagerie” starting Sally Fields, which by the way was a pretty intense show, grabbed dinner at The Lambs Club, right across the street from the theatre…couldn’t have planned an impromptu reservation any better.
The Lambs Club is an old established thespian club (started in the 1800’s) with a dining room dripping in history including one of those big 10ft high and wide fire places.
Got the feeling that it was the type of place that probably makes killer cocktails.
My instincts were spot-on.
Once seated, the waiter came with a drink menu.
Included were 3 beautifully described Mock Cocktails. Been laying off “the juice” (alcohol) so was excited to order a special “virgin” libation.
Couldn’t decide on which one.
Torn between the Cucumber Cooler or Rosemary Blush…the blush caught my eye.
However instead of going with my gut I asked the server for her recommendation.
After a couple of qualifying questions she suggested the Cucumber Cooler which arrived beautifully presented.
Took one sip and immediately knew it was too tart!
Wound up timidly, sending back my drink and getting the citrusy Rosemary Blush which was perfect.
What the heck does all this drink talk have to do with recruiting?
I’ll tell you what…once you know what you want don’t deviate from the plan OR let someone else change your mind.
Same rule applies to hiring.
When you’re interviewing a club candidate, know the qualifications you want and the type of person that will excel in the position. And never deviate from needed qualifications.
How do you know what you want?
Learn from past employee/employees, what you liked and disliked about them and write it down. (For new positions list your top qualifications needed for that particular postion).
For example, if you’re seeking a General Manager did the last one have great people skills, did he give good “warm and fuzzies” by interacting with the membership and guests daily or did he prefer staying behind a desk?
Did he communicate with the Membership Director and help create new marketing ideas or did he have poor sales skills .
Was he weak or strong on budget management?
Were employees motivated or was there high turnover?
Did Board members push him around or did he command respect from the Board?
You get my drift.
Go a step further and develop a job ad and/or job description (or at the very least update an existing one) around these wants. Theres a big difference between job ads and job descriptions….we’ll discuss this topic another time.
Once you figure out your “Want List” (notice I use Want vs Wish list…wishes are something you would like to have, wants are needed), Don’t deviate from the list when interviewing candidates.
If you’ve done the work and know what you want, do not let a candidate or anyone else for that matter talk you into hiring a someone for the wrong reasons.
Don’t sway from the plan.
You’re more likely to hire the best candidate if you develop a plan and stick to it!