top 10 job seeker tips
I’ve been in HR for a minute (going into my 19th year - gulp!) and I often get asked if I have any tips for job seekers, so here’s my honest, no bs, top ten tips:
1. Only apply to jobs that you’re qualified for.
Listen, I know it sounds like I’m giving out basic advice here, but you would be shocked and appalled at how many people apply for EVERY job advertised on Indeed on any given day. I was once tasked with recruiting for a Service Plumber role for a Mechanical Contracting company. Despite my attempts to clearly articulate the REQUIRED qualifications (i.e. Journeyman Plumber with 3+ years of commercial plumbing experience) - and by required I mean essential, not nice to have - I received 1201 applications. Of said 1201 applications, 36% (so, 432 candidates) did not have plumbing experience. Not only were they NOT journeyman plumbers with 3+ years of commercial plumbing experience, but also, in some cases, they had probably never even unclogged a toilet with a plunger. They were accountants, they were customer service representatives, they were truck drivers, but they weren’t plumbers.
2. Be thoughtful, do your research, and customize your application.
Know the role that you are applying for and how you, your skills and experience can add value to the organization. Take the time to research the employer - know the space they’re in, know their mission/vision/values and research their culture, research who their competitors are, research what their contributions have been and research what their challenges are. You can find out all sorts of information (the good, the bad and the hideous) about companies on the internet machine (company websites, blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, news outlets, Glassdoor, etc.). Customize your application to show that you’ve taken the time to research the company, that you’ve been thoughtful, and that you want THIS job, not just A job.
3. Don’t be sloppy.
It may sound petty, but as someone who has done a lot of recruiting in her life, know this: Spelling counts. Grammar counts. Not having words cut off in your PDF counts. All of it, it counts. First impressions matter. I can’t stress this enough. From your first point of contact with an employer, you are shaping the impression that they have of you. Take this seriously - as seriously as you would a first date with someone that you’ve had a crush on for weeks. If you want to get to the second date, you’ve got to put in the effort. And at a bare minimum, it means you need to take the time to check your spelling and grammar.
4. Follow the application instructions.
I was recruiting for a Leadership position for an innovative, tech start-up and within the job posting, I made it crystal clear that the company was EQUALLY focused on hiring someone for cultural fit as they were for technical qualifications and/or experience. In the application instructions, I asked all interested candidates to apply with a resume AND cover letter that outlines why their skills, experience and personality would make them an excellent candidate for the role at said start-up. And you know what I got? 300+ boxed Indeed resumes with NO cover letters. And you know what they got? Rejection notices.
5. Be on time.
I can’t tell you how often this happens. I set up a time (in ADVANCE) with a candidate to conduct a prescreening interview over the phone. I send a meeting invite, they accept, and then I call them at the agreed upon time. The phone rings. And it rings. And then I’m invited to leave a voicemail. So I do, and an hour later, the candidate calls me back and says something to the effect of “oh, I thought you mean 2ish - not 2:00 on the dot.” I meant 2:00 p.m. I meant 14:00. I meant the time specified in my meeting invite. Again, whether you mean to or not, it creates an impression that you’re unreliable, not that interested, or can’t tell time. (Hint: None of these bode well…). When you have an interview, plan ahead. Assume things will go wrong. Expect the unexpected. Be on time.
6. Practice your stories and make sure that they’re true.
Here’s the thing, you can anticipate at least 75% of the questions that you’ll be asked during an interview IF YOU READ THE JOB POSTING. The qualifications section generally outlines the skills, experience and competencies that the hiring team is looking for, so anticipate what questions you’ll be asked and be practice your “stories”. Be prepared to tell the interviewer why you’re interested in this job, this company, this role, be prepared to explain how your skills and experience make you a good fit for the position, be prepared to tell a story about how you handled a difficult interpersonal situation, be prepared to talk about how you prioritize tasks, stay sane and organized, be prepared to talk about your strengths and areas for development, be prepared to give examples of how you demonstrate the technical skills required for the role, be prepared to tell them about a time that you took initiative, be prepared to tell them about a time that you demonstrated creativity, innovation and the ability to work in the grey (because we all know that work isn’t black and white). When you tell your stories, make sure that they are concise - a good formula is to explain the problem, what your role was, what action you took, what the outcome was, and what you would do differently if you faced the same situation again (in less than two minutes). Oh, and make sure your stories are true, and that you’re not ripping off some other work superhero’s story. When I interview someone, and they tell me a great story, I often ask if I can speak to the person that managed them when they saved the day. That’s when shit gets real, quickly.
7. Wear pants.
In today’s technological world, I conduct my fair share of video interviews. And I’ve seen a lot more than I signed up for. I once interviewed a candidate on video and he looked very professional - neatly combed hair, hipster glasses, a neatly pressed shirt, a spiffy blazer and a VERY cool bowtie. All was going well, until question 3 when I noticed that there was a full-length mirror behind him, which reflected the fact that he wasn’t wearing pants. Don’t. Forget. The. Pants.
8. Don’t be THAT candidate.
You know which candidate I’m talking about? The candidate that turns a weakness/area for development question into a positive (I’m a workaholic, I take on too much, blah blah blah). Be honest. Be genuine. Tell me the truth. If you tell me that you haven’t had a ton of experience in one area or that you need a refresher on a specific computer application, I’m going to respect you more and feel like you have integrity. Because it’s all going to come out if you get the job; so just be REAL.
9. Don’t be rude.
When I’m conducting interviews, I often ask a question that is seemingly unrelated to the job. A few months ago, I asked a candidate this question, and here’s how our conversation unfolded:
Nice HR lady (me): Outside of work, what is your greatest accomplishment?
Rude Candidate: I think that’s an inappropriate question. Frankly, I’m not going to indulge your nosy question, and I’m going to speak to your HR department about it. How would you like it if I asked you the same question?
Nice HR lady: (1) I’d be happy to share my answer to the question: I’m not a particularly athletic (or quite frankly, coordinated) person, but in 2007, I climbed Kilimanjaro. It was the most grueling physical and mental challenge of my life. I trained for months, I put my big girl pants on, and I conquered the crap out of that mountain. (2) I ask that question not to be nosy, not to be intrusive, not to trap you, not to find out if you have two wives and six kids. I ask this question because it gives me a lot of insight into WHO you are, what makes you tick, what drives you, it gives me a sense of how determined you are, how resilient are you, what kinds of cool hobbies you have and it allows me to connect with you on a human level. And (3) I am the HR department - consider your complaint lodged.
Rude Candidate: (Silence…)
Lesson: Don’t be rude to the nice HR lady.
10. Don’t be cookie cutter. Be authentic. Don’t try to be who you think they want you to be. When you do this, they can see it. They can smell it - and it doesn’t smell good. It smells like lies and plastic, and plastic is toxic. Be yourself. Show them who you are. This doesn’t mean that you should include a picture in your application (please, please don’t do that). I mean, show them that you have a personality, show them your passion and enthusiasm, show them your sense of humour, and show them your quirky, lovable self. They will remember you. They might even hire you.
be happy, be well,
saira