The United States has reached unprecedented unemployment rates. When jobs do open up with the reopening of the country, will your resume be ready? There may be hundreds, if not thousands, applying for the same position.
Take a few moments to ensure you’re at the front of the pack.
1. You’ve got less than 2 minutes, make it count!
When handed a stack of resumes from the HR team, it can range anywhere from 20-50 applicants and a hiring manager might spend up to two minutes reading and scanning your resume, if that. In that time, you’d must capture his or her attention to not discard, but to further scrutinize.
DO include a list of skills and DO make ensure they’re relevant to the job for which you’ve applied. DON’T waste time with information that’s irrelevant or superfluous. If you include a summary, it should be more informative than seeking a job. Share highlights which your work or education experience won’t include.
2. Always include a Cover Letter
Yes, these are time consuming, which is why many hiring managers appreciate reading them. Your cover letter should illustrate why you want the position, why you’d be valuable to the team, and why you’re the best choice overall. It can take time to write and include in the job board, but it’s worth it. Finding a full-time job should be considered a full-time job.
Try and avoid creating a “stock” letter by ensuring your experience, background, and education matches effectively the position. If you’re a seasoned photographer applying for a marketing position, consider highlighting your skills that are most relevant above your portfolio of images.
3. Preferred Requirements are the most important
When a job description is written, the manager will likely start with the job tier’s minimum requirements. These usually include education and years of experience, certifications, that sort of thing. It’s the “Preferred Requirements” where a manager can make the job specific to the role and what’s going to set candidates apart.
Take Preferred Requirements VERY seriously. These shouldn’t be seen as “optional” and you should specifically address each one, if you can, within your Cover Letter, work experience, and special skills section on your resume. Additionally, these requirements also mean you should be able to speak to your experience. If you indicate you know CSS, ensure you actually have that experience and can speak to it in detail during an interview.
4. Expect a panel interview with structured and technical questions
You will encounter this process often and can make or break a candidate. HR may provide a list of standard questions. All candidates should be prepared to pull from their experience.
When asked the questions, don’t be afraid to take a moment to gather your thoughts. The more specific you can be and related back to the question, the stronger you will fit the role. Notes are taken during these panels, so be prepared for lots of writing by the panel. In fact, a lack of writing can indicate what you’re saying is irrelevant. Feel free to ask if your answers aren’t what the panel is looking for so as you can pull from another example. Thinking on your feet will actually help in this situation.
5. Pull from all of your experience, and not one role or project
Panels may get fatigued hearing about the same job or assignment, no matter how much you think it also applies to the next question. Consider taking a moment if you can’t think of a new or varied answer drawing from experience.
The structure of a panel interview is to not only gain additional insights into a candidate, but to also see how well he or she can “think on his or her feet” in answering the unknown. Several questions may ask you to pull from a negative or failed experience. Be prepared with an example and to explain how you both recovered and learned from the experience.
Remember, you’re not the only candidate. Ensure you can demonstrate how you’re both different from others and the best fit for the role. The most prepared candidate for the position will always rise to the top.
Do you have any tips or advice that’s helped in your career? Feel free to share in the comments below.
This article has been adapted from an earlier posting on http://ross.schmadebeck.com