10 things to help you get hired

In my last post I outlined several things to do to not get an interview/job offer. Well I decided to flip it around and focus on some positive things that may help you along the job path. By the way I have to tip my hat to my wonderful wife who made many of these suggestions to me years ago. I initially blew many of them off, but came to discover that she was correct about virtually every suggestion.

1. Hand deliver your Resume
Even if you submit an electronic copy, stop by the main office if possible and walk your resume in the door. Quite often it will get directed to the hiring manager and bypass HR. Even if HR does get it first it will often be noted that you took the time and effort to drop it off. In addition you will have a nice looking resume sitting in the stack with all the hideous ones that have been mangled and decimated by the Monster/Career Bulder/Dice resume gremlins.

2. Show up early and talk nice to the receptionist
Show up a few minutes early, but not too early. If you arrive too early then you just put pressure on the interviewing and/or HR manager. When you first arrive find the restroom, take care of any last minute business and double check your appearance. Then, while you’re waiting for the HR person to make their appearance, chat up the receptionist. I can tell you that almost every person that comes into our office for an interview is being evaluated by our front desk person. She’s been here a long time and has a good feel for seeing if a person is friendly and seems like a good fit for our organization. I always ask her what she thinks after a potential candidate has left.

3. Be prepared for behavioral questions
Behavioral questions are becoming more the norm all the time. Search the internet and find a good sampling of these types of questions. Try here or here or here as a starting point. As many articles point out there is a fairly standard way of phrasing your answers. It’s called the STAR (Situation/Task – Action – Result), or PAR (Problem – Action – Result) method. Go over a list of questions that you think you are most likely to be asked and have some examples ready to respond to those questions. Do not respond with general or non-specific answers. A good interviewer will continue to try to get you to provide specifics. But if you keep giving vague, non specific answers than they will mark you down heavily for that.

4. Ask for business cards
Ask for a business card from each person you meet during the interview process. In addition to showing that you have an interest in the person you just met, it also provides you with contact information that becomes valuable later on in the process. And in a pinch if you are terrible with names like I am, you can sneak a quick peek at the card. This becomes doubly important if you are in a panel type of interview where you have 3-5 people interviewing you at the same time.

5. Be prepared to ask them questions
Besides asking about the obvious responsibilities of the job, have several other questions ready. Ask them what the 3 greatest challenge they see that they expect you to solve if you take the position? What obstacles currently exist to prevent or inhibit you from accomplishing those goals? Is this a new position or are they backfilling this position? What happened to the prior person in this position? Did they leave or get promoted? There are plenty of resources available for these types of questions like here or here.

There are also some questions you probably don’t want to ask during an initial interview. Don’t ask about vacation policies or benefits, etc. Those are best addressed during a second interview. Asking those kinds of questions during the first interview can come off as “What’s in it for me?”.

6. Ask what concerns they have about you
Near the end of the interview make sure to ask if they have any concerns or reservations about you being the best candidate for the job. Listen to their response and address those concerns using a specific example if possible (see the STAR/PAR method above) or you the Feel/Felt/Found response:

I understand how your FEEL about that issue.
I FELT the same way (or I’d FEEL the same way) if I were in your shoes
But here’s what I FOUND out…..(explain why you can address/handle those objections)You may not want to use those exact words, but it’s the response method that’s important.

7. Send each person a thank you card
This should be a hand written card thanking them for their time. Almost nobody does this and it makes a huge impression on most people.

8. Follow up with everyone you interviewed with
Using the eMail address obtained from #4, send them an eMail that night or the next morning thanking them again (this does not replace the handwritten card) and summarizing why your skills are a great fit for the position as they outlined it. Also offer to clarify any outstanding questions or concerns that they may have. If you don’t have their eMail address than this should be done in a mailed letter.

9. Call them back
Wait a day or two and then call them back (you have their business card, remember?). Ask them where they are in the selection process. Ask if there are any outstanding questions or issues about you being the best candidate for the job that you could answer. Then if they haven’t told you that you’re no longer in the running, ask them when you should call back again. Then keep calling.

10. Don’t seem desperate|
I didn’t really have ten suggestions at first, but that just didn’t seem right to have only nine. So after pondering it a few minutes I came up with this, don’t seem desperate for the job in your interview. Rule #1 in negotiating anything is to be willing to walk away. That’s true even in an interview process. Remember it’s not just them offering you a job. You are also offing them some of the most valuable commodity on the planet; your time. Even if this is the only lead you have on the radar, don’t let them know that.