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Let’s begin with your prep work, when applying to a position it is useful to print out the job description along with your customized resume. Highlight the areas in the job posting that directly relates to your experience and file it.
This helps you stay organized and it will be easy to retrieve when accepting an interview appointment. It refreshes your memory and hopefully it will remind you of what appealed to you most about the job.
After the appointment is set
It is time for you to start feeling EMPOWERED because you’ve made it to the next step. It’s been confirmed that your experience qualifies you for the job….Now the powers that be just want to see if you fit into the corporate culture. Take the energy of knowing you made it to the second cut and bottle it for the day of the interview.
Start surfing the net
Conducting market research on the company via their website, blog and social networks is essential. Get a sense on what’s happening by reviewing recent news features and press releases. Invest the time in reading their business overview. Analyze their company profile on Linkedin and checkout if they have recently hired people with similar backgrounds. Revisit your resume and see how it compares to the new hire’s credentials.
Get emotionally ready
Start by writing a list of what makes you nervous…Are you tired of being labeled over-qualified? Unsure of how to explain a career change? Anxious about the circumstances leading up to your dismissal…then confront it.
If your issue is that you’ve been labeled as being “overqualified”, it does not have to become an overbearing concern. State that you are still willing to GROW. Most employers question whether this is possible for seasoned employees. It’s a given that you need a certain level of experience, but don’t let it get to your head. There is a thin line between confidence and arrogance and a longer line at the unemployment office.
The goal is not to step over the line even though you may know your field inside and out. You haven’t been hired yet to confidently say which internal operations potential employers are using. It may feel good to speculate, but that’s all it is…speculation.
Preface responses with a market research tone and say “As an outsider looking in… I noticed that XYZ Company does…This, that or the other. Mention something that is slightly different from your previous experience and articulate your interest in learning more about that technique, method or strategy.
The sticky questions
For those who are in career transition, it is imperative to connect the dots between each industry and or role. Make is so plain, that is spells out why a person like you wants to change careers. Now if you cannot articulate why, then it’s time to invest in career mentoring and interview coaching. Getting called back for an interview is a step in the right direction. Don’t get stuck on that step. Learn how to speak your passion and talents so that employers jump at the chance to hire you.
And for why you left your last position, indicate whether you were downsized, unapologetically state whether it was a lay off and share if other people lost their jobs as well. State that you stay in touch with your colleagues, via networking on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter. If not you should at least start reconnecting on Linkedin. Be sure to mention if they can provide a reference for your work.
Key… Do not let a lay off or firing set the tone of the interview. Employers want positive people and the experience they walked out of the door with.
Create a few of your own
I’m a big advocate of walking into the interview with an agenda. Prepare to ask no more than three questions of the interviewer(s). Why only three? Well if you have litany of questions then you have not done your homework (market research). In most cases, when you’re asked, “Do you have any questions?”, this is a not so subtle cue that it’s time for the interview to end. Do not delay the interview by asking questions to draw out the process. Gather as much information before and during the interview. Remember communication is a two-way street, you should size up the company as well. Can you see yourself walking into the office every day? Do they seem organized? Are they asking standard versus situational questions? Were they nodding in agreement when you were talking?
Whether you are going on your first interview or hundredth, follow our surefire steps to landing your next job. Once you’ve prepared for next interview then you’re ready to get HIRED.
“Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity”- Henry Hartman
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