LinkedIn: Tackling Your Job Search Like Anna Delvey

Today I published Tackling Your Job Search Like Anna Delvey on LinkedIn. I hope it’s a fun and informative read. If you enjoy it, please leave a comment below!

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Whether you love or hate her, Anna Delvey is fascinating. Through charisma, confidence, and deception, the fake German Heiress managed to con her way into New York’s social scene and into the pockets of some of the City’s wealthiest individuals and entities.

This article does not suggest you should be deceptive about anything on your resume or in the interview. Nor does it seek to cosign Delvey or her behavior. In fact, Delvey’s antics landed her in hot water with the law and a four-year trip to Rikers.

However, there are a few things we can learn from Delvey’s marketing savvy and apply them to the job search.

Delvey Knew her Audience and how to Market Herself.

Delvey clearly spent significant time researching her audience because she was able to seamlessly integrate into an insular social group. She knew how to sell herself to the people with whom she wanted to conduct business.

Likewise, job seekers, should:

• identify and research their audience;
• establish which skills and experiences would most interest their audience; and
• integrate those skills and experiences into their resume, cover letter, and interview answers.

Once you’ve done so, practice your interview questions aloud. This will ensure you sound assertive and confident during the interview.

Delvey was Confident.

Confidence likely came easy for Delvey, as many people have described her as a sociopath or narcissist.

But for students and job seekers, confidence can be a struggle. It’s normal for it to ebb and flow, and sometimes we have to fake it until we make it.

To feel more confident before your next interview, set at least five goals. These goals should be experiences or achievements you want to communicate during the interview.

Once you’ve set your goals, figure out ways to integrate them into your answers. You can use a list of common interview questions to practice.

Confidence is another reason to practice your answers aloud. It will help you sound self-assured and feel more confident during the interview.

Delvey Knew her “Risks” and was Prepared with an Answer.

Everyone has risks associated with hiring or doing business with them. Everyone.

In Delvey’s case, she didn’t have the assets to back her debt, but she always had an answer.

Similarly–and, again, without being deceptive like Delvey–job seekers should know any risks associated with hiring them.

Perhaps you are applying for a position in a market to which you do not have a connection. Or maybe you are seeking work in a field in which you have little to no experience.

Whatever your risk(s) may be, it is unlikely that they are insurmountable. But you should recognize them and be prepared with an honest answer that assuages the interviewer’s concerns during the interview.

While Delvey’s behavior is nothing to aspire to–especially for law students or new attorneys trying to make their way in a world where integrity is everything–there is no doubt that Delvey had certain skills and knew how to market herself.

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