Here’s a head to toe look at what gives Girl Scouts an edge in a competitive market:
Use your head – Girl Scouts are taught to set goals and plan how to achieve them. What are your job search objectives? List out the big things you hope to accomplish and the little steps it will take to get there.Whether you were ever a scout or not you can use their example to find your next career. Just remember to make new friend but keep the old, because one is silver and the other is gold.
Ears are for hearing – Listening to customers is an essential part of the sales process. Girl Scouts know it can increase their orders if they take the time to pay attention to their patrons. Potential employers are no different. It’s easier to sell your skills if you are aware of exactly what they want.
Look Out – Keep your peepers popped for opportunity. Girl Scouts know how to spy the spots where they won’t be able to keep cookies in stock. Think Troop Beverly Hills when they set up shop outside of a gym. Are you fishing for a job in a diluted talent pool? Try looking at how your skill set could fit into another function, like fund raising.
Give it a Grin – Kids are naturally sincere smilers which gives them an advantage in pushing cookies. After all, Girls Scouts are made of practically the same ingredients like sugar, spice and everything nice. Grownups have to give it a little extra effort. If you have to, practice your smile in the mirror so it looks confident and not creepy.
Dress to Impress – Girl Scouts know to keep their clothes pressed and clean. Cookie time is no casual arts and crafts meeting. It’s a time to get all duded up with the full uniform, hats, sashes, vests, skirts, socks, badges and pins. You should look impressive in interviews too. Don’t skimp on pieces of your suit.
Back it up with Badges – You don’t have to wear your awards on your chest but Girl Scouts aren’t afraid to acknowledge their accomplishments. They know it’s not bragging, it’s building credibility. Showing what they’ve done accompanies explaining what they plan to do, which is something of significant interest to an interviewer as well.
Super Shoes – Although going door to door is discouraged these days for safety sake, Girl Scouts know that selling cookies will still mean pounding the pavement. Working the booth means being on their feet for hours at a time so selecting comfortable footwear can mean the difference of making the last minute sales or calling it quits early. Job hunters need to be prepared to be on their toes for the long haul too.
What are your favorite flavors of Girl Scout cookies? How many boxes are you buying this year or are you boycotting the cookie sale because of the decision to allow transgender scouts in troops? Let me know in the comments below.
By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer with experience in web, film, photography and animation as well as traditional fine arts like painting and sculpting. In addition to writing for Nexxt, she is co-founder of a design and promotion company. Heather’s spare time consists of making puppets, teaching Sunday School, building Legos and doing science experiments with her children.
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