They left a voicemail yesterday afternoon asking for an interview this morning. This means they’d like to hire you based on your resume. So, how do you keep that chance alive with a great interview?
Related:8 Simple Interview Questions To Ask Hiring Managers
Is it time to panic? No- prepping is EASY.
The Secret
Studies show that:
Our FIRST impression
Our LAST impression, and
How someone made us FEEL
...are pretty much the only things we remember when we meet someone new.
Hiring managers want reliable, engaged, competent employees that are easy to manage. They hire people they LIKE - so leave them with a strong positive impression through these four easy steps.
The Four Essentials to Handling Last Minute Interviews
Know what the company does
Know what the job description asks for
Know which of your skills makes you the RIGHT person to solve their problems
Have your OWN questions ready for the interviewer
A Cheat Sheet
Fill out the following template:
Google this information: (XYZ company) is in the _______ business. They are (new to the industry, established in the industry). Their major products are ____________. Their major competitors are ___________. (Bonus: Recently, the company did ____________.)
The Job Title is _____________. They need someone who can Organize X, Sell X, Manage X, Design X, Service X, Solve X (summarize the top three points from the Job Description/Posting under these categories or a better one you come up with).
If you can take a copy of the job description/posting with you, that’s even better. Be very familiar with it ahead of time, but refer to it freely in the interview - that’s OK. They will see that you are engaged and interested in the process. Believe it or not, often interviewees just sit like lumps, waiting for the next question.
My experience ______________ makes me the best person to fill this empty position and solve the problems related to that role because ________________.
You ARE the best person but you need to be able to tell them WHY! What is it you understand better than another candidate, can deliver better, can execute better? Think of the jobs you’ve had and stories you could tell about them. Just giving examples of times you executed the skills needed in the job posting (and did a great job) is all you need to do.
Bonus: If you have old performance reviews you can scan or remember, you may find great examples of your top skills or accomplishments there. Tell them about any compliments you received for your work.
Ask the following questions before you leave, even if you have to ask if you are permitted to ask questions:
1. How did the position become available?
This is good information for you and makes a lasting impression on the interviewer about your savvy and engagement - Was the person promoted or fired or did they quit or is it new?
2. What kind of problems do you see this position/new hire solving?
Good to know and shows you care about their needs.
3. How will you define success for the person who gets the job?
This tells you a lot - what do they really want to see from the right candidate? Is it sales performance or client retention, for example? It shows them that you care about doing well for them.
Don’t Forget Everything!
Finally, take all of this with you in a note or on your phone. Study the first three points HARD while you prepare, and be early so you can refresh your memory and be on time (of course).
Keep your questions ready to ask and DON’T LEAVE without asking them. Say, “I just have few questions, if we have time.”
Pulling out YOUR questions when you want to ask them is perfectly fine (again, put them in a note somewhere such as on your phone if you can, that’s easiest). It makes you look prepared and organized.
Hitting All the Right Notes
You’ve walked in now showing that you are:
Prepared
Engaged
Skilled
Smart
Easy to manage
Leave them with a big “Thank you! I hope to hear from you- it sounds like a great place to work!” and they won’t soon forget your name.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
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
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Make 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
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Are 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.
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
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Your 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.