DO THE PROJECT
proactivity is a cheat code
My team and I filled a VP of Design role recently. Huge brand, exhaustive search, top 3 candidates were neck-in-neck.
As is often customary, the tiebreaker was a design project.
After the 3 projects were turned in, the winner was clear. This winner did not simply edge out the competition, she obliterated it. She took the requested assignment, doubled it, then organized it.
Other candidates sent a quick sampling of their taste and sensibilities. She sent a 15-page deck organized into sections that outlined her entire thought and execution processes. She did it with joy and excitement. The taste factor was spot-on, but more importantly, the proactivity factor was off the charts.
Some people conflate proactivity with desperation. Quite the contrary. Of the 3 candidates, this woman needed this job the least. But she wanted it the most.
A while later, we were filling a similar position, this time at the Director level, for a smaller brand with a cult following. There were several incredible candidates in the running, and then we talked to a new guy.
The new guy was this brand’s biggest fan, and acted accordingly. He didn’t wait for the project stage. He didn’t even wait for the interview. In advance of all of that, he curated a selection of his existing portfolio, positioning his experience to fit the brand and the role, with the cult brand’s logo at the top, and emailed it to us. As a first step.
Prior to even interviewing for the role, the new guy had it in the bag.
If you make the mistake of scrolling LinkedIn, you will see a barrage of candidates airing grievances. “I made it through 4 rounds of interviews, they told me I was qualified, then they hired someone else.”
What these people miss is that in every high stakes role, there are multiple A-players up against each other. They’re all “qualified.” At the final stage, all other things being equal, the company will choose the candidate who wants (not needs) it most.
We have a million stories like this. Just last week we saw a comp package jump from $400k to $600k purely because the candidate showed up with a project and a clear articulation of how he would tackle the role.
We have stories to the contrary as well. Candidates who listened to gurus who told them to “never work for free” and feared that the company would steal their work. And thus, opportunities slip away.
Top brands need proactive people. Proactivity is a cheat code because it can be demonstrated before employment.
Smart hiring managers screen for capability. The formula for capability is experience + attitude + resourcefulness. Proactivity signals all three.
If the opportunity in front of you is a hell yes, then don’t hold back. Take the risk, accept the challenge, over-deliver, increase your odds.
“Do the project” is an approach to life. It’s open-hand vs. closed-fist.
Living this way won’t always work out in your favor, but the small amount of effort you’ll actually “waste” will be a rounding error in your overall outcomes.
“Choose possible happiness over certain stagnation.” - Shruti Menon