You got the resume in the right hands, the recruiter loved you during the phone screen and now, it’s time to talk with the hiring manager. Before you go in there, you should know that hiring managers have their own ideas of “awesome for the job” and sometimes they do not align with that recruiter’s vision of the position.
Related: 6 Things Job Seekers Do That Hiring Managers LOVE
So many times, this is where a prospective hire goes north or south. Because it is ultimately the hiring manager who you’ll be working for, and his or her thoughts on the interview and you as a candidate are what’s going to matter. And throughout the process, the hiring manager is going to be thinking one these things:
I don’t know exactly what I want until I see it.
I am not sure how you’ll help me.
I am meeting with you as a courtesy to the HR team.
I have another candidate in mind.
I know, totally unfair and not very cool, but it is true. The good news, here's how you overcome each and every one of these objections, and how you can leave the interview and follow-up situations in the best possible position to be selected for the role.
1 & 2. I don't know what I want until I see it/I am not sure how you’ll help me.
In my role as hiring manager, I have to admit; I am really bad at reading resumes. They don’t work for me for a variety of reasons. Mostly because they are generic and I think the job I am hiring for is very specific. Plus, I like narratives and visuals and those are hard to execute in a resume.
So, to overcome this hiring manager thought you should do two things: one, ask direct questions about the role and the tasks and working with me. Get at my expectations for the role and when you get there, tell me stories, or show me examples of how you did that for someone else and totally rocked it. Then, I will start seeing you as what I want AND how you can help me.
Two objections handled via one tactic. If you want to read more about what questions to ask: read this.
3. I am meeting with you as a courtesy to the HR team.
This one is tough. We trust our recruiting partners to bring us the best candidates. Sometimes we aren’t feeling it, but it is very easy to overcome this one by showing me why you killed the phone screen. Chances are you did great in that scenario because you were energetic, excited, and had excellent answers to their questions. You bring that same level of energy, excitement, and focused answers to questions, it is easy to overcome this objection.
4. I have another candidate in mind.
Of all the objections, this is potentially the toughest to overcome. First, because you don’t know that this may be the case and two, it is impossible to elegantly ask about it. So, the advice here is this: Assume that there is someone else who is also awesome from a skills point of view, and focus your energy on determining if you and the hiring manager can connect and grow the role and company together.
I am a big believe in hire for attitude/culture train for skill. If you and I hit it off in an interview and I can see working with you and growing my company with you, the other candidate will have something to live up to.
Keep in mind that getting a job is a two-way street. You need to be impressed with the hiring manager, too. So, if they do not read your resume before hand, or fail to respond to your follow-up message, that is a reflection of their approach, and should be taken into account if and when you get an offer.
This post was originally published at an earlier date.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.