Page 114 - James Caan - Get the Job you Really Want

a candidate walked in who was beautifully dressed and
immaculately groomed – the perfect look. During the interview
she questioned the very job title of ‘Receptionist’.
She said, ‘I wouldn’t call the position “Receptionist”. I think it
devalues the role.’

‘Really,’ I said, ‘that’s interesting. What would you call it?’
She replied, ‘I would call it Director of First Impressions!’
Of course, I had to smile.

‘Because,’ she went on, ‘that is exactly who I am. I am the
first person somebody meets. I firmly believe that when people
come into the o≤ce, they sit in reception for five or ten minutes,
sometimes longer, and my interaction with them is what sets
the tone for their perception of Hamilton Bradshaw.’

I looked at her and thought, ‘She’s absolutely right.’
If I was walking into Hamilton Bradshaw, she is what I would
expect to see. The right tone, the right level of friendliness.

Companies spend so much money on getting their branding
right, on marketing themselves, on the look of their website, all
to create a consistent impression. And yet when that is put to
the test, when somebody walks through the front door of the
building, the look and feel of the reception may be completely at

odds. I gave her the job. And when she asked for some business
cards, we happily printed them up to say ‘Director of First
Impressions’.

102 get the job you really want