Over the past few days, the flat screen in the background has managed to find it’s way to the NFL combine, providing a backdrop of 40-yard-dashes, 225-pound bench presses and vertical jumps while I conduct phone interviews and work on my laptop (hey, I work for myself so I can do that). Each year the NFL has over 300 participants, and the week long grind of tests are not limited to just physical assessments either. Draft prospects must endure grueling interviews, IQ tests, and the infamous Wonderlic test, where participants are asked questions such as, “if a box of golf balls sells for $22.75, how much will 4 boxes cost?” and which number out of a group of numbers is the smallest. Why these questions are asked is neither here nor there, but suffice it to say that is deemed important enough to include in the process. For the 300 plus football players, the NFL combine represents the biggest job interview of their lives. A couple hundredths of a second on the 40-yard dash or the way personality questions can literally be the difference between being drafted in an early round with a boat load of guaranteed money, or falling to a later round (or not being drafted all) and no assurances of a contract let alone a roster spot.
As I have been watching the draft, there are a few things that came to mind that are absolutely valuable and applicable for job seekers who are now in the process of interviewing, or will be some time in the future.
1. Be Prepared! – once the college football season ends for Seniors and underclassmen who declare for the draft, the real fun begins. The majority of players invited to the combine start training with elite trainers in facilities designated to improve performance with respect to speed, power and explosiveness – all so they can be at peak performance levels. Anyone who thinks players sit around after the last whistle is mistaken. It takes hard work and preparation. The same applies to you as an interviewee. If you are not prepared by researching the company, having an understanding of the potential role, and thinking of relevant questions to ask, you can expect not to do well.
2. Know your competition – in the combine this is much easier because players in respective categories know who they will be competing against, and who they need to strive to perform like. If I’m a Cornerback, I know that Morris Claiborne sets the bar in my group. Likewise if I’m a Quarterback, the measuring stick is Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III; For Running Backs it’s Trent Richardson; for Wide Receivers it’s Justin Blackmon, and so on. As a participant in the combine, I know I can improve my draft stock if I can perform at or near the level of the best. As a job seeker, you too need to strive to be the best so you can get the job. However it is not so cut and dry who your competition is, because it largely is a mystery. It may take a few rejections, but if you carefully follow up with the interviewer after not being selected, there are certainly areas they can suggest for improvement (see Overcoming Rejection, and Turning it into a Strength). One hint that is useful to try if you don’t know who was selected for the position is to check LinkedIn in the following weeks and see who’s name suddenly pops up in the position. If you can find it, study their background and see where you differ, or where you may have an advantage. Ask yourself if there are areas you didn’t talk about enough, or important things you forgot to mention? Doing this a time or two will help you be that much better prepared the next time around, and will subconsciously give you the profile of who you need to beat.
3. Prepare yourself mentally – players in the combine are prepared to take the IQ tests and Wonderlic, and if they don’t then they can’t expect to perform well. Mental preparation is as important as physical, because there have been guys in the past who have seen their draft status slip substantially due to poor performance in this area. A big part of the game is mental; this alone can end up being the difference between players who have successful careers, and more talented players who do not. Before entering an interview, be focused, and be composed. Visualization is key too. Picture yourself in the perfect interview, mentally preparing answers to potential questions in your mind beforehand. Think of 4 or 5 of your greatest professional achievements about 30-45 minutes before your interview, and have them fresh on your mind. You will be surprised how you can wind in personal accomplishments to answer nearly any interview question. And if you do so, you will already have a leg up on most candidates who don’t understand this.
Be prepared, know your competition, and prepare yourself mentally. The top performers at the combine executed on all three points. How are you doing with each as an interviewee?
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