You left the interview feeling pretty good. In your opinion everything went very well. You felt prepared, confident, relaxed, and you believe that you did a great job in answering all of the interviewer’s questions. In fact the interviewer assured you that your resume “looks promising” and that someone would get back to you soon.
Confident that the job is yours, you put additional minutes on your cell phone and waited. Three days go by – no call. An entire week goes by – no call. Week two goes by – no call. What’s going on? Surely the employer has made a decision by now! So why haven’t they called?
You call up your friends and ask the dreaded question – “You think they found someone else? You think I should call to see what’s going on? Your friends assure you that the position has not been filled, and urge you to call. Biting the bullet you pick up the phone and call, only to learn that “the thing you have feared the most has come upon you.” The position was already filled!
Disappointed and depressed you beat up your brain trying to figure out what went wrong, but you’re shooting blanks - you can’t figure it out.
Assuming you already posses the skills, credentials, and experience to fill the role that you are applying for this week I want to shed some light on the situation, and share 4 possible mistakes that you could be making during your job search process that may be keeping you unemployed.
- 1. You Failed To Sell Yourself During The Interview: It’s imperative that you think of the interview as a sales meeting and yourself as a product. The objective of this sales meeting is to sell a product and that product is YOU! With this in mind here is what I need you to remember. Your image, which encompasses the clothes you wear, your hair styles, accessories, personal style, whether you are fit or overweight, wear makeup or not etc. is your packaging. Like any other product on display, these are the things that initially peak the interest and gets the customer who in your case is the interviewer/potential employer excited and interested in learning more about the features (your skills and experience) and benefits (what you bring to the table) of the product (you). Now understanding the product analogy, I need you to honestly answer this question. When you (the product) are placed side by side on a self with similar products how attractive and appealing are you? Would a customer shopping for the features and benefit that your product can provide be motivated to buy; Or will they be distracted by a similar product on the next shelf that has a prettier bow, fancier box, or more vibrant colors? In short if you have credential you need to look like you have credential. You need to look like your impressive resume! Never make the mistake of believing that your skills are more important to the employer that your appearance. To be truly successful you need to possess the skills required to get the job done, but you also need to look the part. Looking the part increases your credibility and shows that you take pride in appearance - which is one less thing that the employer has to worry about!
- 2. Your Career Objective Is All About Your Goals And Really Doesn’t Meet Employer's Needs: Did you not read the job posting? Then why didn't you weave some of that content into your resume? Who cares that you are "seeking a position with upward mobility that enables you to effectively use your skills and talents." Relevance people? What about the employer's needs? The debate my friend is what are you going to bring to the table. Why should we hire you? Perhaps you may want to consider rewriting your objective to focus more on how you will use your "strong leadership, motivational, and interpersonal skills to improve productivity and increase customer satisfaction." (Or whatever mojo in your arsenal that is relevant to the employer)
- 3. You Didn't Take The Time To Brand Your Resume: If the truth be told the screener does not thoroughly read your resume - at least not the first time! Personally I look for resumes that are inviting. Meaning the design is eye catching, polished, clean, and the applicant has effectively used the white space to enhance readability. Resumes that do not fit this criteria are sent to my "Don't Waste Your Time Folder." All others are saved for future critique. Equally important to me when reading the resume is whether the applicant has established him/herself as A Jack Of All Trade Master Of None. You are a Jack of all trade, master of none when you provide a laundry list of your skills (aka your product features ) and task performed but failed to identify or zero in on your top three to five strengths. Highlighting your strengths gives you the opportunity to now sell the benefits of your product. Benefits represents results you've obtained, and accomplishments you've achieved. Benefits are important because they substantiate your strengths, increases your credibility and gives your product the edge over similar products. My friend it's imperative that you sell the "steak and the sizzle" if you want employers to buy!
- 4. Fit - During the interview it is important for you to demonstrate that, not only do you have the skills that the prospective employer is looking for, but that you "fit" in with the company's culture. eg. If the company that you are applying to has a "serious, get down to business" culture, and you are a fun outgoing person with a bubbly personality, you may not be a good fit. Why? Your perky personality coupled with your high pitched" "Good mornings" have the potential to drive your co-workers insane! Similarly, if the job requires you to be outgoing and friendly and your personality is reserved, shy or introverted, you would not be considered a good fit.
