The job seeking process is often driven by “What kind of job I want/need” attitude. However, nothing can damage your resume more than such an approach. This very attitude can turn your candidacy down during an interview. The thing is that when you seek employment it is not about you trying to get what you want! When it comes to getting hired, it is about what does the company wants/needs and how can I relate to addressing those needs. When you realize it is more about the employer rather than you, you will significantly increase your chances of getting the employment you want. In this article, we would like to share some ideas of how you can get to what hiring authorities want to see on your resume or hear during an interview.
- Hiring managers expect to see a clear presentation of your professional skills on your resume. Long sentences about how “talented” and “hard-working” you are make no sense unless you mention what specifically you achieved and why it has any significance. It is not with how many adjectives you use to describe your skills, but it is how many achievements you have got and what those achievements are.
- Personalize your job search. Don’t make your potential employer feel like they are one of many companies on the list. Do your homework and make your employer feel special. It doesn’t take much to personalize your cover letter and send a thank you note afterward. - Be relevant. Hiring managers appreciate when all of the information included in the resume is relevant, which means they don’t have to search for such information throughout the whole document. People who review resumes like candidates who understand the difference between the resume and autobiography.
- Make it clear. Make sure your resume brings a clear message to a potential employer. Think about the structure of your resume before starting to write it. Ask yourself how to articulate own skills, experience, and educational credentials so that your resume would have unity in diversity.
- Spend some time to prepare for an interview. When invited for an interview, do research on your employer and particular job opening to demonstrate how interested you are in the opportunity to work with the company. It won’t be a free-form conversation on a random topic. When you learn more about your potential employer and the one you will be talking to at an interview, it will give you confidence.
- Listen and ask. When you come in for an interview, one of the best things you could do is to carefully listen and ask some quality questions. Don’t rattle off the answers before an interviewing person ends the questions. Remember, nothing can show your interest in the position as much as asking good questions. This is where your homework comes in. Ask about the procedures, the department roles, or any other aspect of business management. It will also give you a nice opportunity to demonstrate how you could fit within the context of the company.
If you manage to give hiring authorities what they want/expect to see, there is no question you will be standing out against the rest. Obviously, it never guarantees anything, but it surely gives you decent chances of being hired.
