subject: CAREER GUIDANCE ON HOW TO GET YOUR IDEAL JOB [print this page] CAREER GUIDANCE ON HOW TO GET YOUR IDEAL JOB
By Arshad Husain
Resume Creation Guidelines
To create a results-oriented resume, follow these guidelines:
Begin by reviewing your current resume. You should have an up-to-date version that includes all of your past job titles, duties, and dates of employment. As always, when preparing a resume, make sure there are no unexplained gaps in your employment history that would raise concerns with potential decision makers. For each position noted on your resume, note the specific results that you achieved, rather than just the duties you were assigned. For each position, restate your description so that it includes the words "which resulted in ..." This exercise will help you think through and articulate the results you have achieved.
Ask yourself:
How, specifically, did my work benefit my company and its business operations?
What were the specific contributions I made to the bottom line?
How much money did I bring in to the company through my initiative and effort?
How much money did I save the company, and how did I accomplish this?
How did I improve processes, reduce errors, improve customer satisfaction, or streamline operations?
Use specific, quantifiable language wherever possible, as in these examples:
When discussing total increased sales or cost savings implemented, use specific dollar amounts or percentages. When discussing improved morale, calculate the percentage of reduced turnover or reduced absenteeism. When discussing successful projects, include the deadlines that were met and specific objectives that were achieved.
For some of the items in your resume, you may have to conduct research to determine quantifiable figures. You may need to contact former employers to collect the data necessary to support your results. It is important to note that if you include specific results in your resume, they should always be supportable; a decision maker should be able to verify your claims.You may have worked in a support position, and cannot easily measure results. You should still be able to tie your work results to the productivity and results of your team or department. Consider discussing measurements of results with your team leader or department head; they may have insight into additional ways to quantify the contributions that you have made on the job.
After you have included all of the specific, quantifiable results, review your work and choose which results to include in your resume. Include the most dramatic and important accomplishments. Try to demonstrate a pattern of achievement throughout your career history. Use powerful action verbs to begin each statement, such as "managed," "created," "spearheaded," "implemented," and so on.
Note the following examples of traditional resume sentences that have been restated to highlight results, and consider how you could adapt these examples to your own effort:
A newspaper editor: "Worked on deadline and improved reader satisfaction," is restated, "Brought the product to market on schedule and improved reader satisfaction, which resulted in a 30% increase in circulation and a 25% increase in ad revenue over three years."
A facilities manager: "Managed the facilities department and supervised vendor contracts," is restated, "Implemented significant improvements to the facilities department, resulting in a 25% reduction in annual employee absenteeism and $18,000 in annual savings through new vendor contracts."
customer service representative: "Took over a struggling department and implemented new customer-service procedures," is restated, "Turned around a struggling department by implementing new customer-service procedures, increasing annual sales by $1.5 million."
A public relations executive: "Served as liaison to print and television media," is restated, "Served as liaison to print and television media, netting my company $75,000 in publicity over a six-month period."
Interview Preparation
Anticipation
Anticipate the typical questions you are likely to hear during job interviews. These include:
Why do you think you would be an asset to our team?
Why do you want this job?
What do you think your weaknesses are?
Practice
Practice means planning the answers you will give to the questions you think you're likely to hear. Practice may include saying the answers to questions out loud, to yourself, or in a practice session with a friend who has agreed to help you prepare.
Research
Research includes familiarizing yourself with the company, its core business, and major initiatives. It includes gaining as much knowledge about the company as possible before sitting down for the interview. This can be done via the company website.
Guidelines for the Interview
To use effective interviewing skills, consider the following guidelines:
Prepare for different interviewing styles.
For an informational interview, during which you will try to learn as much as possible about the job market, a possible opportunity, or a particular company, plan to bring along a written list of questions. Be respectful of the other person's time, and remember that he is doing you a favor by granting you this interview.
For a behavioral or situational job interview, prepare by reviewing your job history. Remind yourself of times when you overcame challenges, took on additional responsibilities, handled difficult clients, or worked within specific time constraints. You will want to take advantage of this opportunity to discuss your past accomplishments, so make sure that your success stories are fresh in your mind.
For a job interview, prepare to discuss the particular job in question.
Research the company by going to its website and familiarizing yourself with its contents. You should have an understanding of the company's core business and mission. You may also consider requesting informational interviews with friends or acquaintances who may be employed by the company in question; by reaching out to them, you may be able to learn more about the company, its mission, and its business.
Review the job description as it was advertised. Make sure you understand its requirements, challenges, and opportunities for growth. Anticipate that the interviewer's last question will be, "Do you have any questions for me?" Everyone always asks this question. Make sure that you have something you want to ask, which will be your way of communicating your enthusiastic interest in the position, the department, and the work that they do. If your interview was comprehensive and all your questions were answered, you can always fall back on a general inquiry, such as, "Can you tell me a little bit about the major initiatives coming up on the agenda?" or "Tell me what you think makes this company a great place to work." Practice talking about your accomplishments out loud. Many people feel uncomfortable discussing their strengths, achievements, and talents. Practice doing this so that you feel comfortable telling potential decision makers about your past successes and accomplishments.
Ask a friend to help you practice your answers by staging a mock interview. Give yourself the opportunity to hear what your answers sound like when you are saying them out loud to another person.
Turn the conversation to a discussion of your strengths and talents.
Look for areas of overlap between the requirements of the sought-after job and your demonstrated work results. You can say, "I notice that this job requires certain skills. Let me tell you about some of the successes I've had in this area, because I'm really proud of the work I've done."
Make sure that you discuss your accomplishments in terms of quantifiable results, whenever possible. You may want to draw the interviewer's attention to areas of your resume of which you are particularly proud. Remember that some of your skills and talents may be best showcased by a discussion of what you've done in addition to your formal employment history. It is perfectly acceptable to discuss other arenas in which you have demonstrated excellence and leadership skills, such as in your volunteer work or nonprofit board participation.
Even if you are nervous, give complete answers to people's questions. If you are not sure whether you answered the question fully, ask, "Did I answer your question? If not, let me try again." If you are generally uncomfortable singing your own praises, remember that this is what the decision maker is expecting to hear from you. In a job interview, you have to be able to confidently discuss your talents, your worth as an employee, and the skills that you bring to the table. Prepare for difficult questions. Watch seasoned, articulate guests on television talk shows and news programs, and notice the skillful ways in which they can respond to a difficult question by turning it to their advantage. Very often, a person who is skilled at the art of interviewing effectively can respond to a difficult question by smoothly turning the conversation back to his strengths and talents.
Make a list of the questions that you are hoping no one asks you. These are the questions that you must assume are coming, and for which you must prepare solid answers. Preparing solid answers to those questions will help you reduce your anxiety and boost your confidence when you walk into an interview. Practice saying your answers to difficult questions out loud. A formal job interview should not be the first time that these words have ever come out of your mouth, especially if you are discussing something painful, such as an unhappy departure from a previous position. Consider asking a friend to role play an interview with you and let you practice how you might best respond to some of the difficult questions you anticipate.
When a difficult question comes during the interview, avoid dodging it or trying to get away with a lame joke. A decision maker will be more impressed by a straightforward answer to what he realizes is an uncomfortable question.
If a potential employer asks you about a recent gap in your employment history, acknowledge that fact. Consider this possible response: "I'm glad you asked me about that. I am trying to proceed carefully and make sure that the next job I accept is a really good fit for me and for my skills. That's why I'm so excited about this opportunity with your team. I think it's a perfect match for me." Then go on to explain specifically why you would be a great choice for the position being discussed.
If a potential decision maker correctly points out that some of your skills are lacking, acknowledge that fact. Consider this possible response: "You're right that I haven't had a chance to develop that particular skill yet, but I think my resume demonstrates that I am a very quick learner." And then give a concrete example of a time in which you successfully learned new skills on the job very quickly, or took on additional responsibilities beyond your job role. Behave professionally from start to finish.
Make sure you arrive early for the interview. This may mean finding out in advance where the building and department are located, finding out where parking is available, and so on. Bring along extra copies of your resume, blank writing paper on which you can take notes, and the list of questions that you plan to ask the interviewer. Bring your appointment calendar, in case the interviewer inquires about setting up a second interview. Smile at the other person and create a comfortable atmosphere. Engage the person in a meaningful, two-way discussion.
Send the person a follow-up thank you via written note or email. This small courtesy will be appreciated and will help create goodwill between you and the decision maker, and will leave a positive impression in the other person's mind.
