How To Race Ahead Of Others In The Job Application Process
Millions of people across the world lost their jobs due to the economic slowdown resulted by the pandemic. The global economy has gradually started getting back to normal triggering the job market all over again. However, there is competition like never before among jobseekers. Not only millions of those who lost their jobs, but also the freshers are looking for jobs at the same time. It is therefore vital to make the right impression on recruiters to race ahead of your competitors and get hired. Here is how you can do it.
Having a rock solid resume that attracts the recruiters’ attention is critical to landing your next job. Your resume must include all the pertinent components that tell your story in the most effective manner, convincing the recruiter that you are the best fit to their requirement. Here are some of the best practices followed by experts from the job market. These tips will help you craft a winning resume which will help you get your dream job.
Select the right format and font:
Review ideal resume templates that fit your employment situation and tweak it to highlight your skills and relevant experience.
The font speaks for your personality. Stick to 10 - 12 font size and a professional looking font, e.g. Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana etc. that is easy to read. (You can find more Professional Fonts for your resumes here)
Pro Tip: Always upload the resume in the relevant format e.g. 'docx' or 'pdf' on the career websites. Use the 'pdf' format while sending it as an email attachment.
Mimic the job description:
Read the job description carefully. Make a note of all the relevant keywords that match with your work experience and use them in your resume.
Read the job description carefully. Make a note of all the relevant keywords that match with your work experience; and use them in your resume.
Check the company’s website to find out more about the company and the specific job you want.
This research will help you customize your resume according to the requirement. Thus you will be able to send customized resumes for different jobs unlike most of the candidates who usually have just one resume for all.
Pro Tip: Mimicking doesn’t translate to copying. Use the keywords relevant to your job profile. Don't blindly copy the job description as it is.
Proof-read your resume & get it verified:
Read your resume word by word, line by line. The last thing you’d want for the recruiter to find is double words or misused words in it. e.g. you’re instead of your
One often fails to notice their own mistakes. Hence, get your resume reviewed and proof read by friends, family, colleagues or get professional help.
Double check the details of your experience and its order, numbers and contact details.
Pro Tip: Avoid business jargon specific to your previous or current organization. Jargons are often confusing.
Networking is about building and developing professional relationships that can help you achieve your employment goals. widening your professional network could unlock exciting opportunities. Be it a referral, job recommendation or career advice; every connection can have a positive impact on your professional life.
Create a professional Network:
Build and leverage your social media and LinkedIn presence. Social media platforms are a very powerful resource to connect with a diverse population with similar career interests.
Post engaging content on these platforms to foster a community of like-minded people who would interact with you and share their opinions on your content. Your friends, family members, colleagues also could be a part of it.
Pro Tip: Your network isn't only there to help you when you need it. You should help them too. This shows that you respect those in your network. This can increase the chances of your favors being returned.
Send Cold Emails:
Writing cold emails to prospective employers can provide you with great connections and possible opportunities. It also improves your business writing skills.
Find the right person to contact through research. To pique their interest, tell them who you are, where you work and why you are interested in their company.
Always personalize the Email. Add the recipient’s name and refer to some of their notable work you admire e.g. post, article etc. This increases the chances of a reply mail from them.
Pro Tip: Do write a creative SUBJECT line that gives the reader a peek into what your mail is about.
Leverage your Social Media Presence:
Start by deciding who you want to network with. Then research which social media sites these kind of people are most active on.
Start building your network by inviting people you already know to like or follow your page e.g. friends, family and colleagues.
Post engaging content that resonates with your profession and personality. Don’t just post, interact with people by commenting on and sharing content.
Focus on the quality of your social interactions, not on the number of followers. If you offer value and engage in meaningful conversations, your network will grow naturally on its own. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Focus on creating long term relationships.”
Pro Tip: Avoid self-promotion on social media. It’s highly off-putting and will push people away from your network. Instead, think of ways to be helpful.
A successful interview depends on various factors - Understanding the interview type or format; steps you take to prepare for the interview and how you conduct yourself during the interview process. Interviews give you a chance not only to showcase your relevant skills and abilities, but also to find out if the job and the company are right for you.
Prepare for the right type of Interview:
1. Individual Interview: This is the most popular format and typically involves only the interviewer and the interviewee. The individual format can encompass different interview styles involving behavioral or situational questions.
2. Group Interview: This format consists of several candidates interviewing with an interviewer or several hiring managers at once. A group interview allows employers to evaluate differences and nuances in the personalities, skills and qualifications of the candidates by observing how they interact with others and apply their interpersonal and communication skills.
3. Panel Interview: This format consists of several interviewers assessing an individual. The interviewing panel typically consists of a hiring manager, the supervisors or managers and one or more co-workers. Interviewers ask questions in rapid succession, and the candidate's answers allow the panel to see how they fit in with the requirements, values and culture of the company.
4. Technical Interview: This is a unique format typically designed for IT, Engineering and other technical roles. These interviews involve answering a series of technology-specific questions (such as software development applications or data analysis) as well as mathematical or complex tech problems; much like an exam. The interviewer often conducts this interview individually with an interviewee. It can also include situational interview questions that apply to the specific position.
Interview Question styles:
Each type of interview format encompasses specific styles of asking questions. The three types of interview question styles are as follows:
1. Open-ended Questions:
These questions are usually broad in scope. The candidate speaks for the majority of the time during the interview. The questions can focus on topics like; how the candidate's strengths can help them succeed in the role, or how they developed a weakness into a strength. When answering open-ended questions, describe how your skills and experience relate to the job and will help you perform effectively.
2. Situational Questions:
These questions present candidates with a real-world scenario and ask them to solve the problem or evaluate how they would approach the situation. Give specific examples of how you handled similar situations in past roles. If you have no experience, you can describe how you would approach the scenario by referring to similar situations from your personal life.
3. Behavioral Questions:
These questions focus on assessing your behavior in professional positions and the final outcome of your actions. Use the STAR method for answering behavioral interview questions i.e. explain a Situation, the Tasks you performed, the Actions you took and the Results of those actions. This approach can help you highlight exactly what employers look for i.e. Effective Communication, Leadership, Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills.
Practice Makes an Interview Perfect:
Practicing interviewing can do wonders. Most of the people don't practice and end up under-performing in interviews. Here is how mock interviews can help you.
It's a great opportunity to test drive your interview strategy.
They help you reduce your stress and anxiety about interviewing.
They provide you with constructive feedback which helps you clarify responses to different questions.
They boost your confidence as coaches who conduct mock interviews usually point out your strengths in the interview process. By having confidence in your skills, you perform better in an actual interview. Thus you get over all your weaknesses.
Hi I am Ajay, a communication training specialist with a passion for helping people improve their skills. I have 4+ years of experience in creating and delivering customized process training and communication training programs that align with organizational needs and bridge the training gaps. I am a facilitator, presenter, content creator and a manager too. With a multimedia approach to learning, I have developed e-learning projects and created content for the same. I am an expert in grooming trainers with their delivery style and presentation skills. I am a coach who believes in helping the trainees create a vision for themselves and enabling them to deliver the same with ease.