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O P I N I O N
Down in the dirt
Sharing something personal about your history is a great way to connect with a selection panel – and, of course, to win work.
M aking a strong first impression and connecting with the selection panel are critical to being chosen for a project.
Unfortunately, many introductions at project interviews begin like this: “Hi, I’m Johnny Appleseed and I’ve been a project manager at ABC Architecture for 12 years. I’ve worked on five schools. I’m excited to be here today!” When AEC professionals start with a “name, rank, serial number”-type statement, they miss an opportunity to differentiate themselves from the other shortlisted teams right out of the gate. Here are four powerful types of introductions that will make a great first impression at your next interview: 1)Lessons learned. Everyone talks about years of experience. But interviews are not won based on how long you’ve been in business. Share the lessons learned that apply to today’s project. If our hypo- thetical PM above used this technique, his intro would be:
“In my 12 years as a project manager at ABC Archi- tecture working on five schools, the most important lesson I’ve learned that applies to your project is ______. My name is Johnny Appleseed and I will…” “When AEC professionals start with a ‘name, rank, serial number’-type statement, they miss an opportunity to differentiate themselves from the other shortlisted teams right out of the gate.” Everything you say should be stated in a way that benefits the client. Starting with something other than your name will grab the panel’s attention. And keep it short – 30 seconds at most.
Scott Johnston GUEST SPEAKER
See SCOTT JOHNSTON, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER June 11, 2018, ISSUE 1252
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