When you are targeting companies to go work for, you are targeting from a vision, solution, and culture perspective, but when it comes down to it, you’re actually developing relationships with people. That’s the name of the game. Connecting with people is going to be something you learn how to do in this process if you’ve never done it before. But it’s not as hard as it sounds.

Sending letters, creating a resume, and all that stuff will be a breeze, but actually picking up the phone and calling somebody? You might or might not be thinking, “you have got to be joking?” If this is a first time thing for you, I can understand that intimidation, but you’ll be fine after the first round. You just need to understand some basic principles about connecting with people and shift your perspective a little bit.

Believe it or not, there are lots of people that tend to freeze up when it comes time to actually calling the prospect employer or go to the interview. Just a simple phone call can be nerve racking! Even if you’ve rehearsed it over and over, there is something paralyzing that comes over people when actually making the call.

A lot of times the main reason this happens with people, is because of the perspective that people are coming from of what an interview actually is. Most people see it as a one-sided coin. This is because they know that they need a job, so they feel that the ‘interviewer’ has the upper-hand and can take the interview in any direction.

Try to keep in mind that this is a two-sided coin. The interview really means that two people are coming together to see about each other. So look at it as more of a coming together and meeting of the minds. Not only must the person like you, but you must like this person and company as well.

Get out of the mindset that you ‘need’ a job. What you need to do is adopt the attitude of service.

Don’t expect anyone to just ‘give’ you a job. You are here to feel a need because you have something this company needs. So in reality, this company that you’re so called “applying” for ‘needs’ to hire you. They need to hire you because you have something of value that they need, and in your meeting you need to decide if that company is going to be a good fit for you to serve.

Remember, this is just a meeting or a get together. You are going to bring your best and you expect no less from the other side. Place the ball back in your court by shifting your focus on who has choices. You both do, and you both are here to discuss mutual benefits of you coming together to work together. Not only must you serve the interests of this company to make it work, but this company must serve the interests of your endeavors to make it work.