***Use the NFL draft to guide you to get your best job

by learning the 7 key factors NFL teams (and hiring managers) use to select players

The NFL draft is coming up soon and many people like to follow the choices made by their teams, and even play the roles of personnel executives and create their own mock drafts.The factors that NFL personnel executives use to select their draft choices are very similar to the 7 factors smart hiring managers use to hire new employees. Potential draftees know these factors and spend considerable time, effort, and money improving their capabilities to meet and exceed them, to entice teams to draft them at the highest levels, resulting in far more money, better long term contracts, and must better opportunities to play and excel. Knowing and understanding these same 7 key factors will also greatly increase your chances of being hired into the best positions for you.

1. How well your chosen job matches you, the potential employee?Are you passionate about performing in the specific job you are seeking? Do you have the natural talents and have you developed the skills to perform well in the job? Just like a NFL team drafting for the tight end position will want to know if a potential draftee is passionate about playing tight end, has the physical capabilities and talent to do so well, and has developed the necessary basic skills to perform well as a tight end. The MATCH is a critical component of any hiring (and drafting) decision. The more the match becomes apparent to the hiring manager, the more likely you will be offered the position.

2. How confident are you, as a potential employee that the job is a great match?This is frequently overlooked, but is very important. You must know that you will create an excellent match for your chosen job, preferably before ever applying for it. If you are confused about being an excellent match then your confusion will create uncertainty and even conflicts in the mind of hiring managers. Causing the managers to have to consider selling and convincing you of the match, which would require more effort and expense by the company to be sure the match is best. Likewise, football teams would generally pass on drafting a player to play tight end, if that player thinks he might want to be a linebacker, tackle, or defensive end.

3. How motivated are you, the potential employee about performing in the specific job?This is an obvious factor that many potential employees do not reveal, for fear of being rejected or let down. The more you are motivated to perform in the job you are seeking, the more you will be a self starter to do what it takes to study and learn the additional skills needed to perform it well. Highly motivated employees are much easier to train and develop into excellent performers. Likewise highly motivated potential tight ends will be more coachable to develop into the best tight end they can be. If you are very motivated to perform in the job you seek, be sure to express it. Hiring managers will pay close attention to your true motivations.

4. How fast will you, as an employee be able to generate the desired results in the job?Hiring managers want people who will generate the desired results in the position at the highest levels as fast as possible. Gone are the days when companies can afford to hire people and spend considerable time, money and effort to train employees in hopes that they will eventually develop into good producers. Likewise, football teams want to know that a player drafted for the tight end position will be able to play very well and produce excellent results as soon as possible. The more a team pays for a high draft choice to play tight end, the quicker the team will want to recoup their investment by having the draftee play and perform well. Try to visualize what it would take for you to generate the excellent results you want in the job, as if you are already in it. Your hiring managers will also be making these same mental estimations.

5. How long will you, as an employee stay in the job and with the company?One and done may be a new program in college basketball, but will not work in the business world. Hiring managers need to know that you will want to continue performing well in your positions with the company over a long period of time to generate a very good return on the inevitable investments the company will make in you. Managers will avoid job hoppers and job shoppers. They want excellent long-term teammates. Likewise, football personnel executives want their players to be loyal enough to want to stay with the team to get the most from all of the coaching, training and insider secrets they will reveal to each new player.

6. What is your level of integrity?Integrity counts far more than people realize. Companies need to know they can count on every employee to do what they promise and will be very honest. Any hint of untrustworthiness will cause hiring managers to pull away fast. Being honest will be far more important than trying to deceive hiring managers to protect things that appear to be unfavorable. Likewise, football teams have learned to dig deep into the character and integrity of potential draftees to be sure they will step up when they are being counted on. Too many NFL teams have suffered through serious pains and damages caused by dishonest players.

7. Will hiring you make the hiring manager look good?Hiring managers are rated, and rewarded by how well they find and hire new employees who come in and produce excellent results fast, and do so for a long period of time while showing excellent character and trustworthiness. By applying for and seeking the best matching jobs for you, based upon the 6 key factors shown above, you will undoubtedly become a valued and well-rewarded employee because you will consistently produce the best results possible over an extended period of time. You will continue to make your hiring manager look good, and most likely further encourage the hiring manager and the company itself to promote you into better matching positions for you as you grow. Likewise, football personnel executives are constantly rated and rewarded for how well they find and draft the best producing players for their teams. These factors become very important to the players when contract negotiations come up later in their careers. Players that produce very well for personnel managers will be given better long-term contracts. 

Bottom line, you will want to discover and define the jobs that will create the best matches for you, based upon the 7 factors shown above. Apply only for these specific jobs that allow you to fulfill all 7 factors to show hiring managers that will for your desired positions. When done, you will undoubtedly become another first round draft choice.