The Standout Job Candidate

Aug 27th, 2007 | By Bill | Category: Employment News



The standout job candidate by Luladey B. Tadesse

Landing a job is not just about your credentials and experience. Sometimes it’s the little things that stand out and make you a desirable candidate.

Paying attention to detail, leaving an impression at the interview and conducting a proper follow-up go a long way.

“A lot of people believe that job searching is like baseball, you have to go to first base before you go to second base,” says Darlene Cook, career strategist and coach at Résumés and Beyond, in Baltimore. “What they don’t realize is that successful candidates are skipping a lot of bases.”

Cook says job seekers should aim high — apply to the companies they admire and want to work for, not just those with posted job openings. The goal is to send a résumé and cover letter that will grab the attention of the top managers at a company, or at least a decision maker, who can help you land a job.

So what does it take?

First, you have to get the basics right; prepare a focused, targeted résumé and cover letter. Absolutely no typos tolerated. Make sure you use key words and phrases in the industry that recruiters will look for in your résumé. For example, if you are applying for a publishing job, “editor” and “writer” are important catch words. Such words will stand out when employers browse through thousands of résumés posted online.

Just as important as what you include in the résumé is what you omit.

Joanne Pierson held tons of jobs ranging from housekeeping to warehousing to an administrative assistant in accounts receivable. Her goal is to find an administrative job.

“I am taking off warehouse and housekeeping because it is not the job I am looking for,” says Pierson, 46, a Wilmington resident. If she lists everything she has ever done, she says her potential employer may not bother to read her résumé long enough to see her administrative experience.

Make your résumé succinct and easy to read. Don’t leave the reader asking questions. If you have an uncommon name, and it is difficult to tell your gender, perhaps you want to provide hints in the résumé by adding a middle name, suggests Cook. This avoids surprises when you get called in for an interview.

Depending on how much creativity the job entails, you may want to jazz up your résumé and cover letter by highlighting your accomplishments and experience before listing the chronology of companies you have worked for and your schooling.

“People are designing wonderful envelopes and letterhead,” said John Hawkins, president and chief executive of Aloysius Butler & Clark, an advertising and public relations company in Wilmington. “As you are going through your mail, you say, ‘I have to really open that.’ ”

Since many companies now require online applications, if you want to send a custom- designed résumé, you have to mail it the old-fashioned way.

Make an impression

If you are invited for an interview, you have even more of an opportunity to market yourself. Do your homework. Find out the latest news about the company: Did it just merge with another company? Win awards? What is the organization’s mission?

Show up on time. Dress appropriately.

“Even if the company has a business casual culture, you still wear appropriate business suit, male or female,” says Barry Schlecker, president of The Network Group, a job search firm in Wilmington. “Too many people come overdressed. It’s not a party they are going to, it’s not a date — it’s a business interview.”

Some experts suggest you practice a short answer for obvious questions such as “Tell me about yourself?” or “Why do you want to leave your current job?”

If the job is in online sales, or requires a lot of public speaking and presentations, be prepared for a challenge. Some companies expect you to pitch a sales idea to a group of interviewers. If you know you may be asked to do a presentation, you should prepare one. Candidates particularly good at making presentations may want to take this opportunity to talk about themselves.

“I have seen people who do a PowerPoint presentation that shows you whatever they have done in their life,” said Hawkins of Aloysius Butler. “It shows capability and ingenuity.”

Hawkins liked the presentations because he was hooked for a few minutes and got a chance to learn more about the job candidate than what was on the résumé. It was unique. It made an impression.

“Do not be afraid to brag about yourself,” says Schlecker. “Be prepared to say nice things about yourself. Be positive without being cocky.”

During the first interview, avoid any mention of salary expectation, benefits or vacation schedule. It’s way too early to start negotiating.

Also, if asked why you left a company or your opinion about your employer, avoid being negative.

Linda C. Hall, 57, of Newark, recently was laid off from her job as a medical clerk because her employer filed for bankruptcy. She said she will try not to talk about her employer or its financial problems; her goal is to focus on her qualifications, not bad-mouth her past employer.

Talking badly about an employer only makes the interviewer wonder if you will do the same to him.

When wrapping up the interview, don’t be afraid to ask what the next step is in the job application process and when the company expects to make a decision.

Keep in contact

As soon as you leave the interview, send thank you cards to each interviewer; it doesn’t matter how poorly you think you performed. It’s polite and distinguishes an applicant from others vying for the same position, writes Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps, a national staffing company and author of “Managing Your Career for Dummies.”

More than half of the 150 senior executives polled by Accountemps said they prefer handwritten notes; 44 percent said they prefer e-mail.

After sending the thank you notes, give the company time to make a decision. When it gets closer to the deadline, make the call and find out the status of your application.

If the company offers you a job, be prepared to negotiate. Don’t immediately say “Yes” if you have not had a chance to think about it.

If the answer is “No,” don’t fret. The best way to get better at interviewing and job searching is through practice.

Also don’t be shocked if a company never calls you back.

“Some companies will send you a letter, but it is not uncommon to just be lost in space,” says Schlecker. “I don’t think there is anything wrong if you don’t get a job to say, ‘Can you tell me why I didn’t get the job? Is there something you can do to help me in my next interview?’ ”

If you make a good impression, the recruiter or hiring manager will be honest. That person may even keep your résumé on hand for future openings or refer you to another department.

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