Qualifications Will Get You an Interview, But They Wont Get You Hired

Qualifications Will Get You an Interview, But They Wont Get You Hired Anyone who has ever gone through job search will likely be able to tell you about at least one interview they aced, only to find that the company “went in another direction” when it came time to select their new employee. This phenomenon is quite common â€" dark horse candidates get chosen all the time â€" but those who get the short straw in this situation nevertheless continue to be amazed and bewildered by the experience. Why did they hire him???   I’m far more qualified than he is!” Evidently, the manager saw him as a better fit for their organization. “But I’ve got everything they asked for in the job posting!   The other guy doesn’t!” There’s more to it than that. “He doesn’t have the industry experience that I have, either!   I don’t get it!” It isn’t that simple. It doesn’t need to be so perplexing.   If you clearly understand the various phases of the interview process and their corresponding focus, you can close the deal successfully. With each phase you mis-read, on the other hand, the likelihood increases of your ultimately being rejected. Overview of the process: Many job seekers grasp the fact that the interview is in fact a sales pitch.   For any sales meeting to end successfully, the salesman must know intimately all the features and functions of the product he is selling.   In this case, you are both the salesman and the product.   Simply stated, then, you must be able to articulate your value as an employee. Of course, it doesn’t stop there.   No matter how good it is, the customer isn’t going to buy your product if they don’t need it.   That means that you must also know the needs of the buyer (in this case, the hiring manager).   Research, then (via the company website, web searches, networking connections, etc), is invaluable.   Anything which gives insight into identifying pain points for the company can provide you with an opportunity to sell a solution. The final step is to connect the dots.   Show the interviewer how your skills match with their needs.   Don’t make them work to see the connection, but spell it out for them through an impactful and compelling narrative.   That’s when the buyer will be motivated to make the purchase (or to hire you). “But I did all of that!” Wait, that’s just the overview.   You may not have done this as effectively as you think.   There are distinctly different phases to this process. Phase 1  â€" Qualifications: In order for you to get the interview in the first place, you had to convince the pre-screener that you possess the skills for the job.   You likely spent significant time working on your resume, crafting engaging accomplishment stories to highlight the moments in your work history when you really made a difference.   No doubt your networking conversations also highlighted these skills. In most cases, the opening phase of the interview process will similarly be focused on these same qualifications.   That means that the interviewer’s questions are likely going to deal with your education, work experience and hard skills. In simple terms, they want to know that you can do the job.   The better you can demonstrate your abilities, the more impressed the hiring manager will be.   This is where all the work you did on those accomplishment stories will pay off:   the details (and especially the measurable results you achieved) are critically important, so share them confidently. “You’re preaching to the choir.   I did that, and did it very well.   Why didn’t I get the job?” Because that was only phase I. Phase 2  â€" Passion: The hiring manager wants more than your abilities; they want your passion, too.   If all you want is a paycheck, you’re not likely to inspire confidence that you’ll be truly engaged and productive on the job.   Thus, the interviewer is looking for assurances that you love what you do. The manager wants an employee who wants to work for their company, so you can expect a change in the type of questions you’ll be asked.   You’ll hear things like “Why did you get into this line of work?”, “Why do you want to work for our company?”, “What do you like most about your job?”and so on. Did you notice the change in focus reflected in those questions? “Umm …” When asked about your passion, if you answer by citing your skillset, education and work experience, you may miss the mark completely.   Although you could still be quite diligent in connecting conversational dots, you’re likely not connecting the right ones.   Another great accomplishment story here isn’t going to impress if it doesn’t address the question which was posed to you. “Oh.   So if I make sure that I sell my passion, I’ll get the job?” It’s a step in the right direction, but we’re not quite there yet.   There’s still one phase left. Phase 3  â€" Cultural fit: No matter how qualified and passionate you are, you won’t get hired if you don’t fit in with the team.   Someone who’s disruptive to departmental cohesion isn’t worth bringing into the fold, even if he’s excellent at his job.“No problem.   I’m a nice guy.   This should be easy.” Hang on.   We’re not talking about something so simple as whether or not you’re a jerk.   Team chemistry is more complex than that.   People who are otherwise good employees often “just don’t fit in” to a particular departmental or company culture.   And there could just as easily be friction between your style and your manager’s, too.   No one is necessarily the bad guy when that happens; it’s just not a good match. The manager will want to know that you’ll be a good complement to the team before making the decision to hire you, so selling the fit is critically important.   Most managers have experienced, first hand, what happens when a disruptive employee is brought on board, and they’re accordingly cautious about avoiding a repeat of the experience. Before you can sell a good fit, though, you’ll first need to identify whether or not one exists.   That means engaging in a dialogue about the manager’s style and the departmental culture.   Asking the manager questions like “How do things get done around here?”, “What soft skills are valued?”, “How would you describe your leadership style?” and “Can you describe a typical day and how you and I would interact?” will help to uncover elements of fit.   Once the chemistry is thus clearly defined, showing genuine enthusiasm for the team culture is a great way to convince the manager that you’d be a great addition. See the Big Picture:  In order to truly ace the interview, you must be sensitive to the change in focus as reflected in the type of questions you’ll be asked.   Be alert to whether you’re being asked about your qualifications, your passion or the matter of fit, and target your responses accordingly. It all boils down to this:  the hiring manager wants to know that you can do the job, but he also needs to be able to picture himself having coffee with you on Monday morning.   He’s going to be spending 40 or more hours with you each week, and he doesn’t want to do that with someone he doesn’t like.   Qualifications, then, are what will get you the interview, but it’s rapport that will get you hired. Author:  Bob Bozorgi is the COO of Executive Trackers, LLC, a sales, marketing, and executive search firm based out of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Myth #5 Internships Arent Paid. University of Manchester Careers Blog

Myth #5 Internships Arent Paid. University of Manchester Careers Blog Really, an “internship” is just a period of work experience. Sometimes they’re the traditional eight-week placement undertaken in the summer vacation, but they can also be anything from a two-week opportunity to a year-long full-time position. Some employers use student internships and placements as a means of recruiting graduates to full-time roles. And, as this Guardian Careers article attests, a good internship is one that is paid at the national minimum wage or above. Acquiring experience of working life alongside your degree is essential for getting a good job after university so it’s important that internships are paid so students can afford to do them. (The Careers Service does not endorse unpaid internships â€" you can read more about this here). If you’re looking for an internship, you can find hundreds of opportunities with companies both big and small and in a variety of sectors on CareersLink, but there are also many of other places to look, including the websites of any companies you’re interested in. Keep an eye out for the University-run Summer Experience Internships programme launching in February, which offers paid internships within the University and with local charities and not-for-profits. All Internships Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted Internships work experience

The beauty of retrospect what I wish I had done for my career during my time at Uni. University of Manchester Careers Blog

The beauty of retrospect… what I wish I had done for my career during my time at Uni. University of Manchester Careers Blog Hi all, I’m Cecily, the new MGP Information and Guidance Support Assistant for the Careers Service. Since I have been spending the past week advising loads of students on how to make the most out of their time at Uni and how to get ahead with their careers I thought I would share with you a few of pieces of advice that I wish I had known. Although first year often doesn’t count towards your degree mark it definitely can affect your chances of securing that dream placement or job.TIP: Don’t throw away an opportunity to show your academic ability! Find a good balance between having fun and getting the grades you want. One simple way to do this is to start your assignments way in advance so you have the maximum time to work on them and still maintain a social life. It may seem like you are minted once that first student loan comes in but trust me, it doesn’t last long. Securing a part time job can be a great way to earn some extra cash and add some essential skills to your CV.TIP: Use Careerslink to search for hundreds of diverse and fun part time jobs in and around Manchester. You’ll thank me once you start edging closer to looming overdraft. Join a society! Not only are they a great way to make friends (cheesy but true) they are a perfect addition to a CV and can be used as examples of teamwork, leadership, entrepreneurship etc which you may be asked about in an interview. TIP: Get yourself to the fresher’s fair to check out the huge range of societies Manchester has to offer. Plus you can get a free slice of Domino’s pizza. This one I can’t stress enough… if you are going in to your final year, relishing in your last 10 months as a student whilst making every effort to not think about the scary future then STOP. The earlier you face the fact that your undergrad uni bubble will end in June the earlier you can get on with exploring the options you have as a graduate and considering what jobs may suit you.TIP: It’s OK to not know what to do! The careers service website is full of information and guidance which can be used to help you figure out what may suit you. If you’d rather talk to someone, give us a ring or come in to the Atrium and we are more than happy to help. My absolute biggest regret was not utilising the Careers Service more. To name a few of its features you can get appointments with specialists in the area you are interested in, people will check and edit your CV and cover letters, give you help with psychometric tests and even do an interview simulation. For free! Although there are tons more tips I could give I think those 5 are probably the most important. The main thing is get thinking about the future early, throw yourself into every opportunity you can and don’t put off going and getting advice and support from the Careers Service until your graduation day! All Make The Most of Manchester Manchester Made Me Student blogs Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted career planning careers Getting started job hunting my story part time jobs work experience

5 Things You Should Leave Out of Your Resume - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

5 Things You Should Leave Out of Your Resume - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Literally millions of words have been written about that document that has long been the centerpiece in the typical job search, the résumé. (From time to time over the years I’ve written a few of those words myself!) Normally, résumé articles/blogs focus on what to make sure to include in your résumé. In this post I am going to take a slightly different approach. I’m going to tell you FIVE things you should leave out of your résumé, as well as one thing you may leave out of it, if you so desire, usually with minimal risk. First, the FIVE things you should leave out of your résumé 1.  Career Objective Rare indeed is it that a résumé doesn’t prominently feature (usually at the top) a “Career Objective” statement. It’s in this section that you briefly outline the type of career opportunity you are seeking, what in effect it will take to make you happy in a new job. But you know what? At this very early stage in the job-hunting game, when you are likely to be among hundreds (perhaps even thousands!) of other candidates simply throwing their hats in the ring, the last thing a hiring professional is usually considering at this point is what will make you happy! If you actually become the candidate of choice later on in the process, and negotiations begin in earnest to hire you, then and only then will most hiring professional become interested in what is going to make you happy. Until that point, the hiring professional is usually concerned about just one thing: Finding the very best candidate(s) for a position (or positions) he or she is trying to fill! You would be far better served to include an “Executive Summary” of what you can specifically offer a hiring company in place of a “Career Objective.” 2.  Irrelevant/Out-of-Date Work Experience While you of course want to avoid having any significant employment “gaps” in your résumé whenever possible, that does NOT mean that you will want to include every single job you’ve ever held since entering the workforce. Nor is it necessary to include, say, jobs held briefly outside your area of professional expertise, if you were perhaps blindsided during The Great Recession and had to take a temporary (or part-time) position to survive! Remember, we hiring professionals are human too and we understand that a lot of bad things happened to a lot of good people during the recent recession! Normally, it is entirely acceptable to include, say, the last ten or 15 years of relevant experience for the new position being sought. If the hiring professional becomes genuinely interested in you as a candidate, he or she certainly will ask you to explain any “gaps” in your résumé that may be of concern. 3.  Any Phraseology Employing the Word “I” While it may seem counter-intuitive to try to explain a particular job function or significant career accomplishment without employing the word “I,” you are nonetheless strongly advised to avoid using this personal pronoun in your résumé. Why? Because such phraseology can easily, and quite unnecessarily, brand you as somewhat of a self-serving prima donna, someone who is more of a grandstander than a team player. Many companies today actively seek team players and tend to avoid individual “stars,” and as the saying goes, “there is no ‘I’ in team.” To illustrate this point, consider two very different ways you could express a significant accomplishment in your current position. Here is one way: I was responsible for increasing total revenue in my department by $1 million in fiscal 2013, while at the same time, reducing overall expenses by nearly $500,000. . . . Here is another, better way of saying the same thing, while positioning yourself as a true leader who highly values a teamwork approach: Led a team that was recognized companywide for increasing total department revenue by $1 million in fiscal 2013, while at the same time registering an overall reduction in expenses of nearly $500,000. . . . A subtle distinction without any real difference? I think not, and most other hiring professionals will have the same attitude and opinion. 4.  Any Statement/Claim That “Stretches” the Truth There was a timeâ€"long, long ago, it now seemsâ€"when résumés were pretty much taken at face value. If a candidate “stretched” the truth about something in his or her work experience, chances were pretty good that it wouldn’t be discovered because many companies simply weren’t all that diligent about checking the veracity of each and every claim made in a résumé. You should know that time has long since passed. Today, with many companies still extremely cautious about adding new staff, you can be assured that, if you become a serious contender for a position, virtually each and every significant claim you make in your résumé is likely to be verified. Best advice: Stick strictly to the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! 5.  â€œReferences Available” This is another one of those résumé elements that have become standard over the years, primarily because of perpetual usage by most job seekers. Today, it has largely become just unnecessary “noise” in a résumé. If you are seeking a professional-level career opportunity, let me assure you that the hiring professional automatically assumes you will have references. That does not mean, however, that you won’t need to provide references at some point in your job search. It just means you don’t have to indicate that you actually have them because that is presupposed. And now for the “bonus” element that you may leave out of your résumé, if you feel the need If you are someone who has relatively long tenure in the workforce, you may have a genuine concern about including dates of graduation in your résumé. Perhaps you fear that including these dates may unnecessarily subject you to possible age discrimination, which even though illegal and substantially ill-advised, nonetheless remains a fact of life. So, the question often becomes: Is it “safe” to leave out dates of graduation? Some hiring professionals strongly argue for always including them, while others (like me) believe that including them or not including them is extremely unlikely to significantly affect your candidacyâ€"provided the remainder of your résumé strongly positions you as a candidate highly deserving of a “second” look! If you would like to learn more about the elements, the approaches, that make up a job-winning résumé, check out my Kindle single entitled, “Résumé Writing Made Easy!” on Amazon.com. Included are SIX fully editable résumé “templates” you can download to your desktop, laptop or tablet and begin turning your run-of-the-mill résumé into a job-winning WOW! résumé. __________________________________________ This post is a modified excerpt from Skip’s latest book in the “Headhunter” Hiring Secrets Career Development/Management publications series,  Career Stalled? How to Get  Your  Career Back in  HIGH  Gear and Land the Job Your Deserveâ€"Your  DREAM Job! For a “Sneak Peek” at the first THREE Chapters of  Career Stalled?, email Skip’s editor, Michael Garee, at mlgaree@headhunterhiringsecrets.com, and put “CS? Three FREE Chapters” in the subject line.  NOTICE:  Offer ends Oct. 8, 2014! Going on a job interview soon? Know someone who is? Download Skip’s FREE PDF entitled,“How to ACE the Job Interview, by clicking  HERE.

4 Ways to Use Technology to Boost Your Career CareerMetis.com

4 Ways to Use Technology to Boost Your Career â€" CareerMetis.com Whether you are searching for a new job or aiming for a promotion, there are things you can do to help improve your chances of getting the position you desire. In this day and age, that means utilizing the technology available to you.Fortunately, there are a number of tech tools to help you stand out from your competition. Here are a few that could help give your career a boost.1. Get to know your computerPeople should strive to understandhow to use their own computeras much as possible. Rather than rely on your company’s IT department, get to know your laptop and its many programs.evalIn addition to the basics like Microsoft Office or Google, some jobs now require that you have at least a general knowledge of more advanced technologies like online databases, web analytics or blogging.To gain this knowledge and become more confident with technology at work, enroll in a programming course, read up on tech-related articles and/or ask a member of the IT team to teach you more about th e industry.2. Use artificial intelligence to your advantageThanks to advancements in artificial intelligence You might find that you are wasting time on social media and other websites that are taking away from productive work. By getting a handle on your time and accomplishing more, you could impress your boss to get the promotion you desire.Embrace technology, rather than run from itRegardless of whether your job plans involve a tech-related position, learning all you can about a number of types of technology and then using specific types will only help you in your career.Embrace the role that technology plays in your world and expand your knowledge as much as possible.

3 Communication Strategies Learned From Meteorologists

3 Communication Strategies Learned From Meteorologists Ive always thought that being a Meteorologist/weather-woman would be a great job. What other job do you know of that wont damn you for making a wrong forecast or wont hold you accountable? Meteorologists have a wonderful skill in ambiguous language. What is the difference between Partly Sunny and Partly Cloudy? How do you really measure a percentage for a chance of rain? And whats with a temperature range of somewhere in the 60s? Doppler radar has certainly made us all more knowledgeable about weather patterns, however, it doesnt take an advanced degree to figure out that the dark green shadow over my city means bad weather. Its happening. I can see it out my window. All kidding aside, we can learn a lot from this occupation and how they communicate. We all need to learn a little CYA. Lessons learned from a Meteorologist: Dont over-commitNever promise something you cant deliver or know cant be delivered. Do your researchKnow what previous patterns have been. At least youll be able to speak with accurate historical data. Leave yourself wiggle roomSpeaking in generalities can often prevent backlash. While these lessons work for a meteorologist, I realize they wont work for every occupation. Use at your own risk.

Resume Writing in Criminal Justice - How to Write a Winning Resume That Will Land You the Job You Want

Resume Writing in Criminal Justice - How to Write a Winning Resume That Will Land You the Job You WantIf you're wondering why resume writing in criminal justice is important, you've got to realize that with a well-written resume, you have a fighting chance at landing a job in the field. Most hiring managers would be happy to give a chance to someone who has demonstrated a strong work ethic, self-discipline, and high moral standard. For most employers, hiring someone with these traits are indications of someone who is honest, sincere, and someone who can help contribute to the greater good. This is the reason why it's essential to write a resume for a job in criminal justice.You will also discover that the odds are really good that your resume writing in criminal justice will stand out from the rest. Of course, there are all sorts of potential resume writing in criminal justice companies in different sizes and types. But in general, you need to stick to your strengths and avoid those that will only place you on the back burner. A resume that only includes skills related to the position you are applying for is likely to fail. You will need to know how to craft a resume that can succeed at landing you a job at that particular agency.With resume writing in criminal justice, you need to bear in mind that in this line of work, you'll need to impress upon your employer just what it means to be a team player. To help you in this area, it would be useful to learn how to utilize the skills you've developed in a non-arbitrary way. It would be better if you would do so in such a way that you could demonstrate your ability to influence and solve conflicts. By way of resume writing in criminal justice, you'll get to showcase your interpersonal skills.The effectiveness of resume writing in criminal justice is based on how professionally you're dressed up. You need to find a way to be comfortable in whatever attire you happen to wear. You need to get yourself situated where yo u feel safe. When you do so, your boss will find it easier to appreciate your professionalism and what you bring to the table. There is no rule that says you have to wear a suit or a tie to a job interview.As for the formatting of your resume, do not worry about it. Many employers will be more than willing to accept a well-formatted resume. Rather, you need to think carefully about the message you want to send through your resume. The fact is that the style of writing and the layout of your resume can have a profound impact on the outcome of your application. This is particularly true when your resume is about a career change, a promotion, or an award you won.But don't take this information as a license to show off the writing skills you are boasting about. Instead, consider that the focus is on the content, and not on the grammar and punctuation. There is no point in showing off your writing skills to your boss if you won't take responsibility for the content of your resume. What g ood would it do to fill out a resume and then offer your boss all the grammatical errors and misspellings?With resume writing in criminal justice, remember that the substance of your resume will determine whether you are hired or rejected. Avoid using flashy fonts, colorful headers, and excessive footnotes. These things may make you look effortless, but they could really hurt your chances of landing a job at a prestigious company.