How to Make a Potential Employer Fall in Love with You??

How to Make a Potential Employer Fall in Love with You??

Do the Right Things Right

Looking for ways to impress a potential employer? Want to make your resume or job application stand out from the pack? I have been recruiting for a local mid-sized beverage company and in the past month, I've reviewed dozens of resumes and applications for 14 different positions. Over 60% of applicants had no relevant experience for the role. Some of them clearly did not read the job description properly and there were a number of candidates from within the country applying for jobs in UAE, for example, thinking they are applying for local jobs!

Some of this advice may surprise you. Some may even make you angry because it doesn't seem fair or right to you. I can't guarantee that all recruiters / employers will agree with me, but why take a chance in this employers' market?

Apply for jobs for which you qualify.

My "no" pile of applications is increasingly made up of people who don't even remotely qualify for the advertised position.

Unless you can make the stretch and fit between your qualifications and background and the described opening, you are wasting your time. Each application or resume gets less than 5 minutes of a recruiter's time. You need to quickly qualify yourself as a potential candidate because the employer doesn't have or take the time to do it for you.

Write a targeted cover letter that introduces your key qualifications and highlights your "fit" with the position for which you are applying.

Address the letter to the person conducting the candidate search, when known. Additionally, the cover letter needs to specifically address the available position. Spelling and correct grammar do count. So do the font and the spacing of words on the page, an attractive overall appearance, and the "feel" of the paper if you are sending your application by post.

Target the resume to the job.

Would you like to know how many people are looking for a "challenging opportunity to utilize my skills with a progressive employer who will provide opportunities for growth?" Don't even ask; the answer will break your heart if this is how you routinely describe the position you seek in your resume. Even more importantly, in this day of instantaneous electronic publishing, no one needs to photocopy 100 resumes at an instant print store. Customization counts. Customization is everything when you are looking at substantially different opportunities, too. Say, you are looking for a training position or a marketing position. The identical resume won't sell your skills for either field.

Lead with your strengths. What makes you different from 400 other applicants?

On your customized resume, start out with the background and experience most important for the position you seek. The stage of your career is also highly relevant to the placement of information on your resume. If you are just graduating from college, lead off the first portion of the resume with your education and degree.

A seasoned veteran will start with an accomplishment summary and then list jobs, titles, companies and responsibilities chronologically. An Executive, HR applicant has to kick start from front-lining any of the HR certifications, and then listing the core HR related exposures. A network administration applicant should lead with his or her certifications (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and list software and hardware experience (Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server) before listing jobs and education. The key is to make it easy for the resume reviewer to see that you are qualified for the position. You want your resume in the coveted "yes" pile awaiting an interview or phone screening.

Yes, I said, "phone screening." Forward thinking employers don't waste their time or yours these days without an initial telephone interview. Be prepared to schedule a date and time, usually during the 8-6 p.m. work day. (Your potential employer is already working ten hour days.) The phone interview eliminates most of the "yes" resumes from contention.

Be prepared for a mini-interview and to give the interviewer your salary expectations. People who play coy when I ask about salary are not invited to visit in person. Why would I waste our time interviewing an applicant who is making Rs. 70,000 or more, currently, for a Rs. 50,000 job? And no, you are not going to be such a wonderful candidate that I blow away the salary range. In nine out of ten situations, the salary range is set with a large number of variables in mind including the local job market and the salaries of co-workers.

Preparation counts for both the phone screening and the potential face-to-face interview.

If a company has set a time with you for a phone screening, research the company in advance. Visit the website to see what the employer does. Many organizations even describe their company culture on their websites these days. If you take just a few minutes to do your homework, the quality of the interview goes up exponentially.

Invited to the Interview?

You've done the right things right. Your materials and credentials made a good impression. You passed the interview phone screening and you've been invited to the company for that all important interview. How do you continue to build the relationship with the potential employer that will lead to an eventual job offer?

Take time off work for the interview; don't expect the potential employer to extend their day by several hours to accommodate your schedule. If you're currently working and looking for a new position, hopefully you've saved up your vacation time. A recruiting employer is often willing to interview a good candidate late in the afternoon, but rarely will the interview extend past 7 p.m.

(Remember, most potential employers start work by 8 a.m.) You don't want your potential to contribute as an employee assessed at the end of a ten hour day either.

Make the right, positive impression at both the interview and with the company staff. I am sure I do not need to tell you to arrive early, dress up for the position for which you are applying and bring an additional resume with references. Remember to treat every person you encounter with dignity and respect. The receptionist is reporting his impressions of you to the HR Director/Manager. Count on it, especially in small to mid-sized organizations. Be unfailingly polite throughout every interaction you have with the company. Each person is assessing your potential "fit" within their organization. Don't blow your chances by behaving boorishly.

You might be asked to fill out an application, so bring your resume and other needed information to complete the document. If it is a big company, it is likely your application information is entered into an employment database and used for company records. The filled out application makes the data entry easier. It also allows the company to obtain your written permission to check your references, employment history, do criminal background checks if you are hired, and more.

The actual interview is another subject. For purposes of this article, remember that the purpose of the interview is to determine if you and the organization are a good fit. The real purpose of an interview, sorry to tell you, is not to gain you a job offer. Do you feel confident that you can do the job and grow with the company? Have you conveyed this to the potential employer? If so, you'll be asked back for a more-intensive second round of interviews at most companies.

Follow up after the interview with a thank you letter, and perhaps a phone call. Good manners always count. Doing the right things right will result in more interviews, better job offers and a more successful career. Take a little more time at each step and your application will definitely rise above the others.