3 SIMPLE TIPS TO INCREASE YOUR INTERVIEWING SUCCESS

Always a bridesmaid, never a bride? Or should it read, always coming in second best during an interview and haven’t gotten hired yet!

Did you ever think it was your interviewing skills that prevent you from getting hired?
If this sounds like you, listen up. If you continue on this path without making a change, you’ll probably run out of job opportunities long before you hear, you’re hired!

The well stocked employment toolbox contains 3 items: a RÉSUMÉ (cover letter, thank you letter, and reference sheet), NETWORKING connections, and INTERVIEWING SKILLS. You need all three to be successful in your job search.

Here’s some good news, 2/3 of your tools are working for you. Getting called to interview means your résumé and or your networking are capturing exactly what you’re fishing for. Yeah! Many don’t ever hear their phone ring, so consider yourself ahead of the game.

Yet, you’re still longing for the ultimate prize of getting hired. Frustrating, I know. Below are three tips on how to get back into the game and win that job interview.

1. Research the company you’re applying to. Obvious? If that were the case the unemployment lines wouldn’t be as long as they are. Read up on the company’s history, mission statement, product portfolio, and how they’re viewed by their competitors. It will help you make a decision to either accept or decline the job offer knowing more about what you’re getting yourself into if hired.

2. It’s a buyers market. Ask not what that company can do for your future, rather know what you bring/offer the company to make it better. They are looking to hire someone to make the headaches go away, not add to them. Knowing your value and articulating it with confidence is totally underrated and what the hiring manager is yearning to hear. Don’t make them beg you, cause they won’t.

3. When it’s all said and done ask for the job. Go on, you’ve earned it. You got yourself all spruced up, put on your right and left guard, and gave thoughtful concise answers to every question. Now it’s time for dessert. As in the close and asking for the job. By the way, asking what the next step is, is not a close. Just in case you thought it was. It’s not your job anyway, so push the envelope. Look the hiring manager straight in the eye and ask  if there’s any reason they wouldn’t hire you today on the spot, right now! Crazy, I know and very bold.

Of the numerous complaints hiring managers share about interviewing candidates, the lack of closing always makes the top of the list.
Hiring managers want to know you want them. And, in the world of job interviewing this is considered proper etiquette.

Really.

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I received an email from a friend of a friend the other day asking if I would critique his résume. He wanted to change industries and didn’t know how to go about revising his résume.

I realized this information is helpful to everyone looking to change jobs and/or industries, so I thought I’d share.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for sending me your resume.

So here’s a question for you…have you seen any job postings you’re interested in applying to?

Why do I ask this?

You need to decide what it is you want to do in your next job first.

Which of your many transferable skills do you want to continue doing? By identifying the job/industry/position you’ll discover if they are valuable in the job you want to pursue.

If they aren’t, perhaps the job titles need to be revisited.

I looked on my favorite job board indeed.com, and plugged in nonprofit planned giving as a keyword search. I’m certain your skills are in sync with the job requirements however they aren’t listed on your resume as accomplishments or that you’ve had experience demonstrating those skills.

Bottom line is a resume needs to marry the company’s desired skills  with your accomplishments.

Does this mean you need a lot of different types of resumes?

I knew you’d ask that

NO. Here is the remarkable thing happens when you focus and have a solid plan of action-the jobs you want to apply to are all looking for the exact same skill set in their new hire!

Crazy, I know, but true.

So, step one is to decide what you want to do in your next job.

And here’s a secret. If you decide it isn’t what you really want to do or it’s not getting you calls to interview, you can change your resume to reflect a different set of transferable skills.

Today’s job market is flooded with resumes from job seekers who place the burden on the hiring manager to uncover their value to an organization.

The point of the résume is to show the hiring manager how you can make their job easier when they hire you, not make it harder.

I hope this helps others realize how important having a focused résume will bring faster rewards.

Leave a Comment

I received an email from a friend of a friend the other day asking if I would critique his résume. He wanted to change industries and didn’t know how to go about revising his résume.

I realized this information is helpful to everyone looking to change jobs and/or industries, so I thought I’d share.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for sending me your resume.

So here’s a question for you…have you seen any job postings you’re interested in applying to?

Why do I ask this?

You need to decide what it is you want to do in your next job first.

Which of your many transferable skills do you want to continue doing? By identifying the job/industry/position you’ll discover if they are valuable in the job you want to pursue.

If they aren’t, perhaps the job titles need to be revisited.

I looked on my favorite job board indeed.com, and plugged in nonprofit planned giving as a keyword search. I’m certain your skills are in sync with the job requirements however they aren’t listed on your resume as accomplishments or that you’ve had experience demonstrating those skills.

Bottom line is a resume needs to marry the company’s desired skills  with your accomplishments.

Does this mean you need a lot of different types of resumes?

I knew you’d ask that

NO. Here is the remarkable thing happens when you focus and have a solid plan of action-the jobs you want to apply to are all looking for the exact same skill set in their new hire!

Crazy, I know, but true.

So, step one is to decide what you want to do in your next job.

And here’s a secret. If you decide it isn’t what you really want to do or it’s not getting you calls to interview, you can change your resume to reflect a different set of transferable skills.

Today’s job market is flooded with resumes from job seekers who place the burden on the hiring manager to uncover their value to an organization.

The point of the résume is to show the hiring manager how you can make their job easier when they hire you, not make it harder.

I hope this helps others realize how important having a focused résume will bring faster rewards.

Leave a Comment