Interview & Resumé Tips
You've landed the interview for your ideal job... now what?! The interview allows for you to showcase your skills, previous experiences and personality to a prospective employer so it is crucial to be well prepared. Here are some interview tips to best prepare you for a successful interview.
Prepare for Success
- Do some research on the business before the interview and if possible, the key individuals you will be meeting with. Know the company, and why you want to work there.
- Dissect the job posting. Review in detail and be prepared to discuss your relevant skills that are specific to the job. How will your previous experiences prepare you to be successful in this position?
- Plan ahead in regards to a broad range of possible questions, including responses to behavioral-based questions.
- Role-play. Articulate previous accomplishments. Verbalize how these achievements show your ability to increase profits, reduce expenses and improve efficiencies. Draft responses that best describe answers you wish to respond with, if necessary.
The Interview
- Account for anything that will impact your ability to be early, including traffic, any needed arrangements, parking, etc.
- Go by yourself. Tell your friends and family how well you did afterward - not at the reception desk.
- Dress appropriately, be well groomed and turn your cell phone off.
- Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake and make frequent eye contact. Show you want the job with your interest.
- Provide a current resumé and bring additional copies for any additional individuals who may be present. Possess the ability to go into explicit detail with regards to any information listed on your resumé.
- Always be positive - especially in regards to past management
- Use examples of how your skills and abilities would fit the job. You're ready for this (above), so take advantage of being well prepared!
- Answer questions as directly as possible. Don't elongate an answer. Don't tell a novel when a paragraph is sufficient
- RELAX AND BE YOURSELF.
What to do Afterward
- Send a short thank you note following the interview, preferably hand written. The return on a $.44 stamp is priceless.
Resumé Tips
Your resumé is the first introduction a prospective employer has to you and your qualifications. Think of this as your 30-second elevator pitch. Here are some tips for generating a resumé that will help you land the interview.
- Title. Use a title that most accurately matches your qualifications, not what you think an employer wants to see.
- What is the purpose? What is the value proposition you offer to a potential employer? A resumé should be a concise snapshot of your professional qualifications, highlighting your strengths, skill sets offered and previous accomplishments. Your goal is to secure an interview. Sell yourself and land the job at the interview.
- Eye of the beholder. Be friendly to the eye when designing your resumé. Use bullet points rather than long paragraphs. Again, this is your 30-second elevator pitch. In a sea of hundreds of resumés, make sure they see YOU.
- Don't fluff it up with unnecessary verbiage. Employers are looking for previous results that will translate into their business model rather than paragraphs derived from resumé templates. Be clear and concise with previous achievements.
- Ask why. Why is each line included? Does it serve the goal of promoting you, your skills and the potential for an interview? If not, get rid of it.
- Be specific. Companies look for candidates that can best meet the needs of their respective openings, often requiring a unique skill set and/or knowledge base. Read the job description or posting; if you have what they are looking for then make sure to state it in your resumé.
- Keep it professional.
- No pictures. Unless you are trying to land an interview where they need to see how great looking you are you should avoid placing your picture on your resumé.
- Use professional fonts, such as Times New Roman and resist the temptation to use colors, designs or other graphics.
- Do not list your favorite hobbies or personal interests.
- Proofread. As many times as you need to. Don't throw away a perfect opportunity because of grammatical or spelling errors.
- Good luck!!
