Richard Nelson Bolles seminal book called “What Color Is Your Parachute?” has been in print since 1970s and for a good reason: Richard takes a bold approach to career hunting and job seeking. He delivers an approach that most students, career changers, and potential job candidates don’t think of. “Finding a full-time job is a full-time job” – his famous line augurs well with his approach.
Did you catch yourself saying or thinking the following?
“Ah, but the economy is sailing through depression”
“There aren’t any jobs to my liking”
“No one’s hiring”
For once, we won’t bother with statistics anymore. It isn’t about the number of jobs or opportunities (there are plenty to choose from). What causes the turmoil is the incredibly low rate of employability? If it’s not about your employability, then there’s something wrong with your approach.
Employers struggle to find the right people all the time while candidates – who have all the potential – don’t really shine through until they get through the door. Here are some top tips to get through your interviews easily:
#1 – Show up even before you are called
This is 2014. The reach of Internet has exploded. Almost everyone has access to the Internet today and that includes your employers. Before they call you, there’s a probability that they might do a quick search about you on the Internet and your Facebook page, your twitter account, and your Google + profile is likely to show up first.
Every instance of a social update is an open ticket for the world to watch you, real time. Your employers now have processes in place where they’d check out who you are before they even consider your application.
How do you look like on social media networks? What do you discuss or talk about? These things reveal a lot about you.
#2 – Confidence is where it starts
Confidence — in what you do, say, and be – makes all the difference. Remember the scene in The Pursuit of Happyness where Will Smith plays Chris Gardner’s character? Chris just walks into a leading stock broking company in the worst possible attire – along with patches of paint – and still walks away with the job. To get that confidence, you’ll need experience.
You’ll need knowledge in your domain. Gain knowledge by investing in resources, learning, reading a lot, and by asking questions. Gain experience by going beyond your call of duty – pick up part-time jobs, internships, and provide free work to showcase these as your achievements.
In short, you are making a great entry even before you get to the interview.
#3 – Asking your educational credentials is a habit; but it won’t matter
When employers ask for your degree, understand that it’s a cultural habit. It’s not the primary criteria for your selection. Whether you are a multiple-degree holder or a fancy MBA, your employers care less about that. What they care about is about what you can do for them. What value do you bring to the table? Why are you better than thousands other potential recruits?
When you go to that interview, you’ll do well to have answers to these questions.
Businesses suffer from the regular “hire to fire later” syndrome. One big problem that most companies face – apart from attrition – is the acute shortage of employable candidates. If you are pining for a job that pays you well and enables you to do what you love doing, its your duty to convince them that you are the best person for the job.
Show them what you got. Convince them that you’d do miracles if they give you a chance.
It’s again back to showing up and selling yourself well.
#4 – Personal Branding, and everything that leads to it
Candidates are rarely trained to “present for success” — blame the education system, peer influence, lack of initiative on the part of scores of schools and colleges. Starting with how you write your resume while preparing to apply for jobs and all the way until you actually get the job — your presentation matters. Your confidence shines through.
Yet, you believed that your education was all-too-important. You thought that a degree could fetch you a job. Over 800,000 graduates roll out colleges each year. How exactly did you think you would compete with them when “everyone” passed?
Now, that presentation can’t be fluff. There’s got to be meat in there. To get meat, you have to go shopping. Look to work on projects. Create something. Write regularly. Have something to show them. You could host events, launch seminars, write a blog, and work on side projects. You could do a lot to spice up your personal brand.
#5 – What skills you got?
Your degree is perhaps a benchmark to weed out those who couldn’t even muster up a college degree. It’s a tool that employers use to “shortlist”; but it’s not the only determinant factor using which employers “hire”. Do you have skills that matter? What do you bring to the table? What skills can you proudly claim to have mastered?
Now, please be advised: knowledge is aplenty. It’s available at the click of a mouse and information just plays right into your hands. What’s not available, can never be duplicated, and can absolutely be unique to you is how you utilize this knowledge to apply and solve real problems.
#6 – You are sending out vibes
The lack of employability skills among job aspirants isn’t just attributed to experience, credentials, resumes, and the works. It’s also about the way you shake hands and how you maintain eye contact.
Your body language will make impressions on others, which in turn determines your success. Other things such as posture, voice clarity, tone, and even the way you sit and stand will affect your interviews, relationships with others, and in your business interactions.
Who teaches that in college? Even if they do, who is paying attention? In the end, who is paying for the consequences?
#7 – Demonstrate employer-employee match
The match results are usually, “Not found”. Employers are looking for people to solve problems. For instance, all business needs sales (they look for people who can persuade, follow-up and sell); engineers (to innovate, solve technical issues, create software, etc.); Support staff (empathy, patience, understanding, and follow through).
So when employers interview you, they are looking for answers that resonate with what they are looking for. Candidates go to interviews and say things like:
“I am hard working and punctual” [Were you not expected to be, in the first place?]
“I am creative, innovative, and always willing to learn” [Everyone has to]
Really? What did you create? Is there an example through which you can demonstrate what you are saying? What was the last thing you learnt?
The key here is to demonstrate and not just talk: Instead of saying you can communicate well, show them your blog. Instead of naming a list of skills, show them a portfolio. If you have to convince them about your leadership skills, narrate stories of how you led teams (with or without a job) with some of those side gigs you managed to work on.
How do you prepare for interviews? Do you have any other suggestions? – I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Author Bio :
Alpesh Patel is a freelance writer and blogger. He is an expert in online education, online degree courses and the developments taking place in this domain. In his spare time, he likes to read novels and write about online business degree.
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Good luck in your search.
Joey Trebif
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