GETTING HIRED – THE “MUST HAVE’S” FOR YOUR NEXT JOB
Bill Kaufmann, President of My Greener Future
There are two sets of “must haves” when looking for your next job. One is for you to define. The other is for the hiring organization to define. The “must have” that you define is a small list of items that you require before you’ll consider or accept another position. Such items are usually focused on your title, responsibilities, location, compensation, benefits, advancement opportunities, or the type of function and industry where you can succeed.
The hiring organization’s “must have” list is usually focused on the requirements of the position they’re trying to fill. Such items are usually focused on the experiences a candidate has had with comparable results that they have achieved. Examples could be: 5 years of prior comparable experience, project management, budget responsibilities, and so on. Usually these are tasks that an applicant either has or has not done successfully. The greater the compatibility between your list of “must have’s” and the organization’s list, the greater your probability of success to become a candidate rather than an applicant.
Whether or not you become a candidate is dependent upon three things: Your research, your compelling resume and a highly successful series of interviews. Let’s take them one at a time.
1-Research: It’s imperative that you know more about the industry, segment, company, issues, function and key components for success than any other applicant or candidate. The more you know the higher your probability of understanding how to manage your job search strategies for success. You’ll then know how to write your resume and the “hot buttons” of the hiring manager. Holes in your research will produce holes in your knowledge, which reduces your chances of moving from an applicant to a candidate.
2-Compelling Resume: As a result of your thorough research, you’ll know what the key areas to highlight when creating and tailoring your resume. In addition, define the results you have achieved, either directly or indirectly, compared to the key elements of the job being offered. The greater the parallel in content and results with what the hiring manager is looking for, the greater your chances of becoming the primary candidate. A compelling resume is your guarantee to an interview.
3-Successful Interviews: Once you’ve been invited to an interview, you know you’re a candidate. Your research and compelling resume have gotten you this far. Now your job is to “bond” with the screeners and hiring manager through a series of interviews. They’ll be looking at three things: Your business acumen, functional competence and organizational fit. Focus on what you already know based on your research: Their business and functional needs, your ability to help solve their issues, and your “team” attitude.
Your objective then, is to prepare more extensively than your peers. Your advantage is the knowledge of the organization’s “must have” list through your research, then blending it with your own “must have” list. Experience has shown that an organization is more likely to “bend” its “must have” list when they meet a candidate they really want to hire. You want them to want you.
Your preparation and creativity in melding the two sets of “must have’s” will determine the outcome of your job search. Be a candidate rather an applicant. Join us at My Greener Future.
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