If you’ve gotten an interview request from your resume submission, congratulations! However getting called is usually only a first step. The first interview is usually a screening interview to go over your resume and dive deeper into your experience and motivation for the role. Very often organizations will invest a short time (15 minutes to a half hour) to gauge a candidate before making the investment for face to face interviews. Here are four tips to maximize your chances to be brought in for a formal interview.
1. Have you done this job before?
Is this a role that you are currently doing or have done in the past? For example, if the opening is for a product manager, have you been a product manager before? Have you performed that role even if it’s not the title you may have held? This is your chance to show what you’ve done before and how it matches the role.
2. Have you worked in this industry?
Do you have experience in the industry that you’re seeking? For example you want a job in Xbox. Have you worked in the computer gaming industry before? If it’s a role on the hardware side, do you have experience with gaming hardware? This is your chance to demonstrate knowledge of the industry that you want to work in. You can showcase your knowledge of where the industry is going and your knowledge of the important issues and challenges ahead.
3. Do you have “Same-as-skills?”
Do you have comparable skills that apply to this role? If you’re a software developer, have you developed with the same tools and technologies needed for the role? Here’s your chance to explain how your skills fit the role and how you would do the job.
4. Passion
Are you excited and enthusiastic about this role? Can you convey how this role is a dream job for you? Is this an industry you are excited about? This is your chance to explain why you want the job. Don’t under-estimate this last one because interviewers want to see someone who really desires the role.
It’s desirable for a candidate to demonstrate strength in all four of the above, but often a gap in one can be compensated by strengths in the others. So when going into your next interview, think about how to present yourself strongly along these four areas.
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Follow up by giving first, before asking for anything: Networking is a two-way street, where you get more when you give first. Offer something of value first.
It reminds me of the Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt movie, Pay It Forward. It’s a good reminder that before we receive we should think about how we can give first. And as the movie reminds us, it’s good karma to give to others.
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Universum, an “employer branding company,” just released its top 50 most attractive employers list. Google takes top honors on for both business and engineering positions in this survey of 120,000 students. I’ve included the top 10 from each list below. If you’re preparing for a Google job interview, check out this list of 140 Google interview questions.
Fight the urge to attack your previous employer or boss. Remember the saying, “accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.” Jerry Weissman gives us more context on why being positive is key.
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I just finished reading a fascinating US News article titled, “The Growing Job Crisis Needs Solutions Now.” Here are some interesting facts about the current job crisis:
The United States has lost jobs for 21 months in a row
17% of Americans are either unemployed or underemployed
Twice as many people today fear that they are going to get laid off
Food stamps feed 1 in 9 Americans
More men than women have been losing jobs
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Determine why you’re the perfect candidate for the job
As a job candidate, it feels unusual to lead an interview. However, you have more at stake than the interviewer. Don’t let a poor interviewer threaten your chances at getting an offer or the next round of interviews.
Throughout the interview, find opportunities to address your key selling points during the flow of the conversation. Politicians are very adept at doing this. They use what I call the “springboard tactic” – immediately answering one question and then quickly moving to another question. The springboard tactic is a clever way of answering a question while quickly moving onto a more pertinent point, such as why you deserve the job.
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According to a recent University of Missouri study of 327 job seekers, successful job seekers develop a job search plan and find ways to react positively to interview rejection.
In addition, the study recommends that job seekers analyze and improve their interview skills.
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Maintain good posture. Here’s how you can easily improve your interview posture: lean forward during the interview. It’s subtle way to demonstrate that you are interested in what the interviewer is saying.
Keep eye contact. Need some tips on how to practice eye contact? Place a Post-It note on a wall, look at it, and rehearse your interview answers. If you can find a picture of your interviewer, you can tape his or her picture on the wall instead. For those of you who aren’t comfortable maintaining eye contact, it’s fine to look away for a second. After a brief pause, retrain your gaze on the interviewer.
Give a firm handshake. Many interviewers perceive candidates with limp handshakes as having poor presence, low self-esteem and questionable self-confidence. Fight that negative first impression with a strong handshake.
Be still. Some candidates sway their head, move their body, or tap their feet. These movements can distract the interviewer and may be interpreted as a sign of nervousness, impatience, or boredom. By the way, do you remember the movie, The Blair Witch Project? Yes, excessive movements can cause nausea.
Use purposeful hand gestures. A few hand gestures here and there can convey energy, excitement, and passion. Do try to make your hand gestures purposeful; the same gesture over and over again can be monotonous. Avoid crossing your arms during the interview, which is widely perceived as a defensive stance.
Project your voice. A strong voice is easier to understand and demonstrates confidence. Concerned that voice projection might come across as shouting during the interview? Have no fear. Cara Hale Alter tells me that most people can increase their voice volume a notch without jarring others’ ear drums.
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