Having a business plan might help you land job

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Dear Joan:
I am preparing for an upcoming interview for an internal job posting and I was trying to locate material for developing a "business plan" for that position. I would like to use a format like this in my interview to show what I plan to do once I get the position. Do you know of any such material?

Answer:
That's an interesting approach. I have only one caution; if your plan doesn't fit what their vision is for the job, you probably won't get it. On the other hand, if you feel reasonably certain that you can find out enough information about the job, it might be worth a try. It certainly is a novel approach. In any event, I would put a disclaimer in the beginning of the plan. The disclaimer should make it clear that you don't have enough information on which to develop a complete plan, however, your plan is a way to show them how you think and approach problems.

Before you begin, call your trusted inside contacts who are in a position to know more about the job and the department. Find out as much as you can about things such as departmental problems, budget, reporting relationship issues, employee concerns, expected results and customer concerns. Handle these informational interviews carefully, since you don't want the hiring executive to hear that you are inappropriately nosey. Instead, position yourself as an interested candidate who is trying to discover if you could make a significant contribution.

Here are some thoughts about what you might include:

·        List the opportunities the department has and how they could have a positive impact on the company.

In addition to what you learn in your research, mention any special insights you have from working with the department in the past. If there are any weaknesses, state them in terms of "opportunities". Choose positive words, so as not to sound accusatory or judgmental. Include some examples of how you have approached similar opportunities in the past and converted them into actual results. If there is anything in particular you know to be an effective solution, mention it and give examples to support your ideas.

·        List the threats the department faces.

Be careful here. It's important to state things that everyone would support. If you look out of touch with the real issues, they may begin to second-guess the rest of your plan.

Give examples of how you have tackled issues such as these in the past. Spell out your approach. Depending on the issues, it may be appropriate to mention how you've worked with your co- workers in the past to arrive at consensus, calm an angry field force, or analyze data to arrive at an appropriate strategy. If you have special technical talents, point to how they would be used to avert problems and keep the company on the cutting edge.

·        List some of the strengths you see in the area and how you plan on leveraging them.

Here is an opportunity to praise what has been done to this point. People like to feel good about what they have accomplished. If your business plan implies that they messed up or didn't capitalize on opportunities, they won't be very receptive to the would-be hero who has analyzed things (from afar) and wants to ride in and save the day.

·        If you can, include an environmental scan of the competition and other outside forces to show you have a big-picture perspective.

Depending on the size and scope of the job, it may be important to show that you have a broad perspective. This is particularly true if the job is in middle or senior management. Site articles, quote experts and draw from any other data you have available. Then show how your plan would address some of these issues.

·        Identify how you will contribute to the bottom line and show a return on their investment in you.

Like any good business plan, yours should include projections about financial results. Get creative if you must, but use facts and figures to illustrate the contribution your efforts will make to the bottom line. In the final analysis, that's the whole point of a business plan- to present a viable plan to create revenue by bringing new products and services to market. You want to make them realize that you are the best investment they could make. 

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