Sounds easy doesn’t it? Typically, it’s not. When you think about it, job hunting is a lot like being on stage … in your underwear … with the world as your audience. You’re exposed to the harsh judgment of strangers, while you must stand there and perform to the best of your ability, feeling awkward and uncomfortable the entire time. In job hunting, you won’t always receive a round of sympathetic applause at the end. Oftentimes, you’ll need to interview for numerous positions before finally receiving the standing ovation you have been waiting for .. the job offer!
There are a variety of ways to go about looking for a job these days. You can search online, hire a recruiter, look in the paper or network. A lot of jobs are found through personal and social networking. There’s a great services called Linked In that’s like a MySpace or Facebook for your career. You post a profile with work experience and education, and find other individuals that are in the same boat as you. Linked In has a great job board, networking forums and career advice.
The Interview
Once you land an interview, congratulations are in order. Your cover letter and resume were good enough to get you noticed and that is a victory in itself. However, the interview is only midway through the process. The first thing to do once you get an interview is PREPARE.
Research the Employer
Do as much research on the company as possible. Look at their website, their annual report, talk to people who have interacted with the company. These crucial steps will allow you to have questions for the interviewer and prepare you to answer their questions with information that is pertinent to them and to the company.
Research the Hiring Manager
Learn as much as you can about the interviewer. Knowing one or two points about the hiring manager can go a long way. Many an applicant has been hired after sending a box of favorite chocolates as a thank you, post-interview, or mentioning how their favorite team did in the recent playoffs when sending the thank-you note. It never hurts to ask the interviewer’s assistant what their sweet spots are.
Make a List
Prepare a list of questions for the hiring manager. This will demonstrate that you’ve done your homework.
Problem. Action. Result.
When giving examples of your past work experience be prepared to answer questions using the problem, action and result format. What is a problem or challenge you encountered, What action you took to solve that issue and the overall result of your efforts. Practice these so they sound natural.
Know Your Resume
You should basically memorize your resume. No question relating to information that is on your resume should catch you off guard.
Have a great story about an interview? Whether it’s a success story or your worst nightmare, tell us about it so that we can all learn from your experience?
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