By J.T. O'Donnell
I saw this video a while back and couldn't stop laughing. I don't know if it's the kid doing the interview, the one over-the-top guy that connects with him about a monkey mug, or how crazy the interview questions are, but I guarantee anyone that's ever interviewed for jobs has felt the way these interviewees felt at least once. It takes everything in our power not to want to get up and leave an interview that is going wrong, and yet, we stay in hopes of getting the offer. Why do we want the job so bad? Shouldn't red flags be waving wildly through our heads that we should chalk it up to a bad fit and move on? Nope. Instead, something inside us says, "I just got to get this job offer." Well, I say, if it felt wrong in the interview, it's going to feel wrong on-the-job too.
I should know, it happened to me....
Many years ago, I was living at home after college. I graduated in the last recession and the job market was horrible for new grads - just like it is now. I was miserable in my hometown and desperately trying to find a job back in Boston where I went to college. I finally got the call from a small company I had applied to that specialized in translating documents. I had spent a year abroad and spoke French, I also had a degree in Engineering - it was these two points that got me the interview. I should have known the moment I got there that something wasn't right. The first person to interview me was the CFO and he asked me questions like, "How well do you take criticism? Do you have a high tolerance for being yelled at?" He proceeded to explain the owner of the agency was a bit challenging to work with. He defended him by saying he was a very intelligent guy (went to MIT, etc.), but his people skills left something to be desired. I, eager to get out of my hometown, squelched the desire to leave the interview and simply said, "Oh, no problem. I've got really thick skin." I was asked similar questions by the other two managers who interviewed me, but again, instead of being honest, I gave them the answer they wanted to hear.
Finally, I was then ushered in to meet the owner. He was disheveled-looking in clothes that made me wonder if he slept in them. He began asking the most random questions I have ever heard. I was stuck in his office for over an hour while he went on-and-on about with random stories about translation that had no relevance as far as I could tell to the job I would be doing. Once again I should have known, as I finally escaped the interview two hours later, this job was not for me. But, I was young and naive.
The next day they offered me a job - the VERY next day. (C'mon now, who does that?) Yet, I swallowed my concerns and said 'yes,' thinking I could at least stand the job long enough to get settled in Boston and start looking for a new one. What a critical error on my part. The job was a nightmare. The office dynamics I experienced make the ones on the show "The Office" look ideal. There was screaming and crying almost daily. I was so drained leaving there every day, it left me with no energy to look for a new position. My husband was my boyfriend at the time. He felt helpless watching me become depressed. I gained 20 pounds as I tried to eat my problems away.
And then I snapped...
On my year anniversary, I anxiously awaited my paycheck, which was supposed to include my raise. I had been told it was significant and my hard work would be rewarded. I was proud of the fact I had dealt with the male version of Miranda from "The Devil Wears Prada" for 52 weeks. I was sure I would see big $$$. I was making $28,000/year. I opened the check, calculated the increase, and realized I had only gotten a $1000 raise. I imploded. I walked into the CFO's office and resigned. He chased me down the hall, begging me to go home and think about it. He said, "Please! You are the longest person we've ever had in this role!" I returned the next day and said I would stay on, but that was the first day of my last days there. I went on a mission to find a new job. It took four months to find one. When I resigned, the owner wouldn't speak to me and asked me to leave immediately. The employees wouldn't look at me either. I think they just hated the idea I was free.
Taking that job changed the way I looked at interviews for ever. So tell me....what was your worst interview like? Did you accept the job when it got offered to you? How'd it go? Can you relate to what I experienced?
Bigstock
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
BigstockMake a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
- How did I learn about this job?
- How did I apply for the job?
- Did I earn an interview?
- What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
BigstockAre you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
BigstockYour job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
- Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
- Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
- Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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