The Interview Process Sucks. Here’s How to Make it Work for You From A Controller’s Perspective
We've all been through the traditional application and interview process, and no one is a fan. It's painful; it's impersonal; it's only slightly better than letting a monkey throw darts to select which candidate to hire.
To start, candidates must submit their application to a web portal and then fill out a form that asks for all the same information in the resume. To try and game the ATS (applicant tracking system), you play the keyword game. You make your resume less readable for a person hoping that it will be a shining gem to the computers.
Next comes the waiting game. How long will it take to receive even the most courteous of responses? No one can tell. Day, weeks, months, years pass. And then finally it happens. You get a stock email asking you to let a recruiter know when you can do a phone screen.
As you make the call, you regurgitate basically the same info in your resume while trying to sound like the most courteous and charming version of yourself.
If you're lucky, you will get the chance to advance to the next stage, where you get to sit down with your potential employers and once again read the information off of your resume. But you're here to dazzle and wow; you change up your tone, you add in some hand gestures, you make eye contact, and you smile excessively.
"It's working!" you think. Hook, line, and sinker! You leave after an exhausting day of explaining the same story again and again to a chain of company employees.
Then you head home and man the phone lines like a mad person. Every call could be them; You're on pins and needles.
And then, it happens... You receive another stock email explaining that while you weren't a great fit for this role, they will surely think of you in the future for other opportunities and keep your info on file until the end of time.
Why do we put ourselves through this circus when job searching? It's painful, ineffective, and gives us a PowerBall Odds chance of securing our dream role.
To stick out in the job market, you need to think and act differently. You need to put together a submission packet that makes hiring managers want to put you at the top of their list and immediately reach out. No, this isn't a dream, and yes, I'm going to explain how to do it.
Be Better
I'm sure this is where I'll lose a good chunk of the readers who were hoping for a "hack" or shortcut to win in the hiring process, but here it is. To improve your odds of getting an interview and job offer, you need to be the best that you can be. If the job asks for one credential or an alternative, have both. If they ask for a bachelor's degree, have an MBA. If they want someone who has a hands-on approach, be able to explain the different projects where you've dug in, learned, and drove change with measurable results.
However, there is a caveat to this first piece of advice: you must start the job search process 2-5 years before hitting the "submit application" button. If you want to stand out, go to Indeed and LinkedIn and identify the roles you wish to in the next few years. Then, and this is also a tricky part, put together and act on a plan to achieve the requirements. Sign up for classes, learn new skills, lead new projects; do whatever it takes to meet and exceed the base requirements.
Whatever you decide to do to beef up your candidacy, put a plan together and stick to it. Find ways to keep yourself accountable and on track to make your dreams a reality.
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Never Submit Only a Resume
I'm guilty of this sin, and so are you. When job searching, we focus on quantity over quality and blast off our resumes to a vast number of job postings. "It's a numbers game, you think," and each submission is your lottery ticket.
But, the odds of the right hiring manager seeing the brilliance behind your resume, which looks just like all the others, is a losing proposition. You should develop a candidate package that adds color and light to your story to increase your odds.
You can include the following:
Summary of volunteer projects describing your role, the challenge, the solution, and the measurable outputs.
A cover letter describing why now is the right time for a new position, why this role is perfect for your background/skillset, and some personal details that help connect to the reader.
A listing of articles or other projects published that demonstrate your professionalism and expertise in your field.
Letters of recommendations from mentors and colleagues that share details on your personal characteristics, motivations, and interests.
What happens when you add one or more of the above items to your resume submission is that you will instantly stand out. Remember, most people skip this step. Then, as you add more items, you indicate to the hiring managers that you have carefully considered this role and your fit for it. You show effort and initiative. Even better, the hiring manager can begin to get a much clearer view of the person and professional they can't get from others.
"I think the cover letter can be really lucrative to someone who really wants to get their foot in the door at a target company or for a position they've been gunning for," said Wendi Weiner. She is a personal branding and career expert at The Writing Guru.
In my career and during my last job search, I included three of the above additional items and quickly attracted the interest of employers. I advanced to the late stage of 3 interviews and landed a job offer that increased my salary by 50%. The hiring manager knew he had to have me and literally moved mountains to bring me on board in less than two weeks of the initiation of our conversations.
Have a LinkedIn
The first place I go and nearly all hiring managers go when they hear of a new name is LinkedIn. They want to find out more about this new person who has entered their sphere, and if done right, LinkedIn can help give you another boost of landing your new role.
What is most disappointing is to realize that a person isn't on LinkedIn, or their profile is only bare bones. No picture, no posts, no nothing. What a loss!
Instead, you can use LinkedIn to make recruiters fall in love with you practically. If you have a recent and professional picture and use your profile to share posts and articles that demonstrate your interest and passion in your career and industry, you will, once again, stand out.
The key with LinkedIn is also to use the platform professionally. I cringe when I see others share tasteless political and meme posts that distract from their value. If a recruiter is turned off by what you post and engage with, your chances fall to 0%.
Conclusion
By putting more effort and attention into your career and then sharing that information with recruiters, you can and will stand out in the job market. Because most people stick with the same submit, repeat, wait strategy of blasting out resumes, they become jaded and disengaged with the process. Instead, find ways to build a professional package that tells employers that you are the person, and they need to hire you immediately. The final point is that there are no downsides to putting extra effort into your job search and the information you share. The worst-case scenario is that you don't get the job but going through the steps of detailing your career and value proposition, you will have a much clearer sense of where you fit it and thrive.
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