Although it has been a while since we officially endorsed another site, it's certainly not for a lack of quality reading, learning and entertainment out there. Though I've referenced Guy Kawasaki's excellent site off and on since the beginning of the year, he's not received the official louisgray.com stamp of approval - until now.Kawasaki, who rose to prominence as the chief evangelist at Apple Computer during the iconic computer maker's earliest times, has tremendous credibility in the Silicon Valley marketplace, and continually offers advice to those who want to break in or expand in the market. This evening, he posted a great "how to" on obtaining a job in Silicon Valley. Both informative and humorous, the piece gives job prospects that edge that may mean the difference between winning a position, and finding yourself back on the street.
As I had commented on the blog, one of the major things to do before any job interview is research the heck out of it. Learn as much as you can about the company and what they do before setting foot in the office. Make sure you not only can discuss their product, but also their market. Learn who their potential customers are, and why they have advantages over the competition. If you're just there because you badly need a job, and you haven't done your homework, that will be quickly discovered.
A few years ago, when speaking with a prospective employer, I was asked if I felt I could take on the task of running the Web site of one of their competitors - a major public company. If I said I couldn't do it, it would show weakness, but it was a large proposal. When I said, "Yes I could do it, but it would be a major cleanup job," the interviewer said, "That response just earned you an offer." That showed me that a little bravado can do you well, especially if you not only show the willingness and energy to excel, but the knowledge of the competition, to say what you believe they would want to hear.
Guy Kawasaki is a guy (no pun intended) who knows his craft, and is doing a great service by extending his consultancy to the blogosphere. If you're interested in business, technology, marketing, presenting or venture capital, his site is a must read.
Listening to ''Primer'', by Christopher Lawrence (Play Count: 6)