Statistics show that only 5 applicants typically get a face-to-face interview out of the hundreds that apply for roles. How can you increase your chances of getting to the interview stage? Are you missing out on any steps in your current approach? How prepared are you for the entire job application process today? Keep reading to learn more tips that you can follow when you begin applying for your next job.
Update Your Resume
This may seem like the most simple task as you prepare for a new job but it is extremely important. No employer wants to see a resume that does not have your current work experience listed. Every time that you start a new position, gain a new certification or learn a new skill, it should be recorded. Keeping your resume up to date allows you to be ready to apply to a job without having to spend additional hours preparing the document.
Practice Your Elevator Pitch
You never know when you will meet someone that can offer you your next job or tell you about a great company that you should work for. Regularly practicing your quick elevator pitch could give you the opportunity to capitalize on the moment that it happens. The concept is to not be the person that goes on for 10-15 minutes talking about how they would love a certain role and collectively loses the interest of the others involved. Quickly selling yourself on your ability to bring value is what they will be looking for.
Learn About The Company
Don’t enter into the interview process without knowing everything that you possibly can about the business. Knowing who will be interviewing you and any useful information about them could give you an edge. You may find that the hiring manager went to the same college and can create a connection immediately. IIn your research of the company, you should also be researching the typical salary for the role as well as the benefits that the companies offer their employees. Calculating how the new income would fit into your current budget can help you determine if it will work for you. In the gig economy, it is common to have a side hustle to generate extra cash for new purchases, vacations, and other things.
Prepare For Questions About Your Experience
What value do you bring to the role? You may have a college degree in the subject or have worked eight years on projects directly related to the role. The key will be to relate any of your relevant previous experience to the new role you are applying for. It may not seem like your two years of retail experience can help you be an account executive, but you may have more customer service experience as a result of that role – which will help you in your new position.
In your preparation for discussing your experience, you should be ready to complete a quick background check as a part of the process. Connecting all of the areas of your past experience ahead of time will save you from having to come up with connections on the spot.
Create Questions About The Role
Read the job description. After you do this, start listing all of the questions that you have about the job. Ask them to define your responsibilities. Tell them you’d like to hear how you will be evaluated for your effectiveness in the role. Are you required to work on holidays? Creating a long list of questions and then proceeding to narrow them down to a handful of the best questions will have you ready when the opportunity arises to quiz them.
Be Honest About Your Past
Have you voluntarily left your previous roles or were you fired? How would your previous coworkers describe you if asked? Are there any potential red flags in your profile? Honesty is always highly regarded, yet some people still believe they can lie and get the job. This can cause you to always be looking behind your back for the HR department to find out what you have been hiding. Getting ahead of any potential issues by being the first one to bring them up will tell the hiring committee that you have moved on from the mistake and are a reliable judge of your own character.
Maintain A Positive Attitude
Now that you have read more tips on how you can be more prepared for your next job, you can get started. There are thousands of jobs and you can rise to the top of the list if you put in the work ahead of time while maintaining a positive attitude that you will find the right fit. Check out our website for more helpful articles like this one.
A married father of three, Justin Weinger works in private equity as a Corporate Finance Manager, he is also an avid blogger and personal finance enthusiast with a strong history of working in the automotive and publishing industry.
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