Looking for a job? First time job seeker?

That resume of yours may get you an audience, but it won’t close the deal for you. Especially in today’s market, you need the tools to go from opportunity to job. And that means knowing the following:

“Industry experience required”
Nothing in a job posting is more negotiable than experience (within reason). Managers will often gladly trade experience for a candidate with a demonstrated ability to take initiative. That said…

• Do a gut check. If the job requires an advanced degree and years of management experience, and you’re just out of school, think twice before carpet bombing the recruiter. But if the experience requested is only a few years, game on.
• Learn as much as you can about the company and the industry before the interview. Start by Googling the company and its competitors. Find industry groups, many of whom can give you an industry primer if you call them. Look up the names of trade shows, and see if you can find presentations for download. Read them. During your interview, refer to this research and ask about anything—anything—that stands out; it could be an acronym you couldn’t find explained or some other jargon. It doesn’t matter what the question is… it’s the demonstration of your initiative to do the research and form the question that matters.
• If that previous bullet sounds like too much work, immediately bend over and extract your cranium from your rectum. Last week, the world changed. (Or haven’t you noticed?) Easy Street has been closed for renovation.

“Ability to adapt to fast-paced environments”

The company isn’t sure what the job will entail, maybe because management is too lazy to think it through, or maybe because things are simply moving too fast. If you need a lot of structure to be happy, this will not be the job for you, opt out. But if you know how to handle ambiguity and get things done despite a lot of “noise,” this is your ticket. What to ask about in the interview: the top boss. If the top boss is a tough cookie, take the job; if the top boss is a waffle, or if you get any hesitation about the top boss’ capabilities or an answer that talks to politics of any kind, be wary that the flexibility required is result of oft-shifting priorities.

“Hiring Manager”
HR might love you, but this is the person making the decision. Be nice to everyone, and make no mistake: the last interview you do, with the hiring manager, is more than a formality. It is the real deal, and if you walk in thinking, “Hey, HR loves me, I’m in,” you’ve got another thing coming. That kind of arrogance will lead to two things: (1) you will get bounced, and (2) the hiring manager will wonder what the heck HR was thinking by sending you in.

“Phone Screening”
#1 thing you need to do: be liked. While you’re thinking of the hiring process, I’m thinking about all the days that follow the hiring process and if you’re the kind of person I want hanging around every. day. of. the. year. You’ll have a chance to tell me about your qualifications in a moment, right now, I need to know if you can connect with me as a human. And by the way, be ready for this.

Qualifications
No two people do the same job the same way, so don’t talk about your qualifications as if you are some automaton. Show me who you are and what makes you a better choice than the other candidates. Notice I did not say “tell me,” I said “show me.” Dress the part, shake my hand, look me in the eye, speak confidently, offer to show me an Excel macro you wrote, bring a writing sample… whatever it is, show me.

There is a lot, lot more that can (and will) be said in this area… if there is something you would like to see explored at more depth, like specific interview questions, what to look for during a site visit, etc., let me know. And for “10 Critical Differences Between Executive Job Candidates and Executive Job Getters,” see this article on Northwestern University’s website.

Posted under Self-Development, Gen X & Gen Y