Want to stand out in the field of candidates? Consider going straight to the top

Q: You've studied a small local company carefully, and you have read up on the company's CEO and other top managers. An appropriate job is open and you submitted your resume. A few weeks have passed and no one has responded to you. Is there another way to get an interview?

Nick's reply: The personnel office may realize what you might already suspect: There is no match between you and the company. If that's the case, then move on to another opportunity. Don't waste your time or the company's.

But if you really believe you're a good fit, then skip the letter and the resume. I'd call the CEO and explain that since this is a small company and you know its business pretty well, you felt the best person to go to was the one at the top.

"Thanks for taking my call. I want to help you with this job you have open, but I'd like to get a bit more information about how this position fits into the company's bottom line. In other words, I'd like to work up a plan for you about how I could bring profit to your business. Would it be possible to speak briefly with the manager to whom the job would report?"

That's it. Point blank. In terms the CEO can relate to: profit. The two key phrases are these: "I want to help you" and "I'd like to work up a plan." This reveals your confidence and your awareness of the bottom line. The call is respectful, to the point and very specific about what you want: to talk to the boss and to demonstrate your ability to do profitable work.

What if everybody who wanted a job started calling CEOs? Don't worry, they won't. Most people will be afraid to call a CEO because they lack:

• gumption
• preparation
• motivation
• smarts
• enthusiasm
• a plan
• and something useful to say.

Take a close look at that list. It describes a candidate who is worthy of the CEO's time -- and worthy of the job. Most people apply for jobs because it's easy to submit a resume. But they won't call the CEO because they have nothing valuable to talk about. Think of it this way: If you're not ready to call the CEO to talk about the job, you're probably not ready to have that job.

Personnel offices process resumes. CEOs deal with people. That's the opportunity in this approach.

Your objective is to stand out. If you submit a resume and a letter you once again engage the process. Call with a solution and you engage the CEO. You're the standout.

If American business would get down to brass tacks when hiring and if it would talk about "the work" and about profit, then I think we'd get out of this economic mess a lot faster. Instead, business is bogged down in hiring processes that don't work well in hard times. I'd trade you 2,000 resumes for two people who step up and show me they understand the work, can do the work and can do it profitably. While no busy manager is going to field calls from every applicant, a good manager will recognize a candidate who is ready to get to work.

Your challenge is to prepare for that phone call. That's where most people will fall on their faces. They lack the gumption required to get ready to talk to a CEO. And that means they're not worth hiring. Get ready, and go for it.

Copyright 2009. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate

Nick Corcodilos is author of "Ask The Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job" and the host of www.asktheheadhunter.com. He can be reached by e-mail at seattle@asktheheadhunter.com or at North Bridge Group, P.O. Box 600, Lebanon, NJ 08833. Sorry, no personal replies.