The key to any successful communication or interaction is understanding the other person’s point of view. If you take some time out to understand what the employer’s problems are then you can put together an effective job hunt strategy.
Problems arise when you get caught up in the stress of your own situation. Once that happens you fall into the same traps that so many other job hunters fall into and immediately lose ground.
At the very least you can avoid becoming another problem. At best you will easily move your resume to the interview file instead of the circular file. Below is a list of things to keep in mind if you really want to make a good impression on your next employer.
1. We know that times are hard but don’t beg. Confident and enthusiastic, good. Desperate and needy, bad.
2. We already know what we can do for you. Try to stand out by focusing on what you can do for us.
3. The point of the interview is so that we can figure out if we are a good fit for each other. It ‘s not a venting session for how bad your former employer was.
4. Don’t copy and paste your job description and expect to get called for an interview. Your resume should detail your results and accomplishments.
5. A generic resume is a useless resume. If your resume looks like it could be submitted to almost every job at every company, chances are you won’t be hired for any job at any company.
6. Don’t submit the same unchanged resume to different jobs at the same company. You call it maximizing your efforts. We call it spam.
7. Don’t apply for jobs you’re clearly not qualified for. Not only will you not be considered for that job but you might be dismissed from consideration for any other jobs at that company you applied for.
8. Use a professional email address for your resume and job applications. Your friends might be impressed with divalicious1@email.com and mustangman@email.com but we think they are unprofessional at best.
9. While we’re on email addresses. Check your email everyday and return messages promptly.
10. We understand that your last position paid more money and provided greater responsibility than this job is offering. You might think you’re overqualified but lose the arrogance or you’ll stay underemployed.
11. Even though we may say something polite to you and continue with our questions afterward. Understand that your interview ends the moment you answer your cell phone during one.
12. Do your research and be prepared. The purpose of every business is to make money. Your interview answers and questions should reflect that you understand how the company makes money and your role in that process.
13. A phone interview is still an interview. Kids yelling, honking your horn at ‘idiot’ drivers, or hearing that some guy is the father on Maury are all unacceptable background noises.
14. One or two thoughtful and well designed follow up contacts means you’re serious about getting the job. Ten or twenty means you’re a stalker. No one hires stalkers.
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Do you agree that the recent Unemployment Extension is teaching Americans to stay Unemployed? Why? Why Not?
Definitely not. Few people if anyone can feed their families off of unemployment benefits alone. Millions of hardworking Americans don’t just suddenly give up their pride and work ethic to stay unemployed by choice.