Don’t Apply For Any Job Nor Go For An Interview Without Reading This

Angelina Matthews

If you are determined to land your dream job and get a good compensation, you need to focus on these 10 areas.

#1 KNOW WHAT YOU WANT AND WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU!

Asking these 7 questions to identify what’s right for you:

1. What really motivates you in your current job?
2. What do you like about your current job?
3. What would you like to change or improve?
4. Are these changes/improvements possible?
5. What’s the next step if you stay in the same company?
6. What are your values esp. core values and what really matters to you? (Money, health, family, work life balance, success, faith…?)
7. What do you want in your next job (i.e., what are the key elements you are looking for? Cross refer to your values.)? 2Rs + CLAMPS = Roles, responsibilities, challenge, location, advancement, money, people, security. And do deeper for each category.

When a job opportunity crops up, compare what it offers with your self-assessment. You’ll be in a much better position to judge whether that’s the right job for you.

#2 REINVENT YOUR JOB SEARCH STRATEGY!

“Insanity is keeping doing the same thing again and again but expecting different results.”
Unknown Author

If you want your job strategy works, don’t do the majority of job seekers do: i.e. look jobs on job boards, click and apply. Stop wasting your time and hoping in vain because the automation tracking system can easily exclude a qualified candidate who doesn’t know how to write keyword CV.

You should model a proven successful strategy. Do what top headhunters do: they don’t waste their time on job boards. Instead, they go directly to the source of the job, i.e. decision makers. You should do the same: present yourself directly to the hiring managers.

#3 TURN COVER LETTER INTO A MINI SAELS PITCH!

The purpose of a cover letter is to introduce yourself to a potential employer, show your interest in the job opening, catch the recruiter/employer’s attention and motivate them to read your CV.

Forget about focusing on your goals or interest. Instead turn your cover letter to a mini sales pitch. Demonstrate your value proposition and how you can solve their problems. Your chance of getting your CV read and get an interview will be substantially increased.

#4 WRITE A COMPELLING CV THAT GET YOU INTERVIEWS

Many job hunters do a lousy job of writing a good CV. The reason, I think, is because they assume the CV is all about themselves. Their past history, facts about them. Yes, these are important but it doesn’t help hiring managers to understand what exactly you can deliver.

What recruiters/hiring managers care about most is can you add value to my bottom line and do the job well. E.g. Having 20 years experiences in career coaching doesn’t guarantee someone is a good career coaching. Of course, it shows he/she is able to do the job but still not answering the question of how well he/she can do the job. If there are sample achievements like “the client I coached got a job in Apple in 30 days”, or “my client got a 30% pay rise after working with me…”. These will immediately attract hiring manager’s attention.

Same for your CV. If your goal is to get an interview, you need to write it in a way that the reader can easily judge whether you can deliver the result they want. Else, your CV will go to the bin.

Remember it is YOUR job to help them figure out whether you can deliver but not throw them your fact sheet and let them to figure it out.

#5 OPIMISE YOUR LINKED PROFILE TO GET HEADHUNTED

Did you know Linkedin has over 546 million users in over 200 countries? 90%+ recruiters and HRs are using Linkedin to search for candidates. Linkedin is the preview of your online CV. If you don’t have a linkedin profile and get it right, your opportunity cost is high.

10 Things You Must Get Right

1. Choose a professional portrait
2. Write a compelling headline
3. Write the summary that encourages your reader to continue reading your profile in detail
4. Complete your work history accurately and effectively
5. Must list your achievements in your work history
6. Use the right keywords so that you can be found by recruiters and employers
7. List relevant skills and interests
8. Get endorsements and recommendations
9. Build your online network. The more relevant connection you have, the wider your network will be so you will appear in more searches.
10. Publish articles, share posts and comment other’s posts to demonstrate you are an expert in what you do

#6 HOW TO WORK WITH HEADHUNTERS AND MAKE THEM WORK FOR YOU

Headhunters don’t work for individuals but companies. If they approach you, it shows at least they think you are a placeable candidate. Be helpful and be resourceful. If you are not the right candidate for a role they try to fill, recommend them someone you know. In this way, you are also helping other talent in your industry. Give before you can receive.

Leverage the headhdunter’s industry knowledge to find out as much info as you can about the job market in your niche, companies you want to work for and salary info.

Don’t work with any headhunter. Do your reference check. Discern the good and bad headhunters by asking good questions. A good headhunter must be a specialist not generalist. They should know their industry inside out. They are your consultant not just sales. They act professionally and must have high integrity.

#7 WELL PREPARED FOR THE INTERVIEW

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

You should never go to an interview without thorough preparation. Esp the first round. After all, you have only one chance to impress your future employer.

4 steps to get well prepared for an interview:

1. Positioning yourself right for the interview. It’s an invitation to explore each party’s suitability for each other not a one way interrogation.
2. Have the right focus. Make solving the manager’s problems like his staff your goal not giving smart answers to outsmart the interviewer (unless your interviewer is someone doesn’t know the business). Preparing for demonstrating your capability of doing the job not memorizing best answers given to you by career counsellers, employment advisors.
3. Research: There is no short cut. You must do in-depth research into the companies you interview with. Learn about their business, business model, product and services, competitors, people esp the interviewers and people in other departments you may work closely with
4. Write it down: Put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager, think like an owner, develop a plan how you will do the job, solve problem add profitability, reduce cost…etc. Write down your plan and strategy on paper and bring to the interview with you.

#8 ACE THE INTERVIEW IS NOT ABOUT INTERVIEW SKILLS

You think if you have great interview skills you can win the job offer. Not necessarily! It’s not about interview skills. Anyone can do a good job should interview well. You should change your mindset by thinking yourself as an employee or consultant not interviewee. Employer invites you for an interview shows they think you can be a potential hire. An interview is a two way meeting not one way interrogation. The goal of the interview is not about doing the interview but demonstrating whether you can do the job.

#9 TAKE CONTROL OF THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

You must know the interview process so that you can be prepared for each stage. The interview process usually has 2-5 rounds. Preliminary/fit interview with recruiter/HR personnel, first round with hiring manager, second round with a panel or back to back one to one interviews with multiple related functional heads or managers in other departments this person will work with closely, final round with functional head/global head and or CEO, subject to seniority. For some positions require special technical skills, there will be some technical test. E.g. financial modelling test for investment analyst.

If the recruiter/HR do their job properly, you should be properly and timely briefed, prepared and debriefed before and after each round of interviews. Make sure to remind your headhunter/HR prep you for the next round and give you feedback after each round of interview. In reality, not many can or have time to fulfil their obligations. Then you need to something to prepare yourself and keep yourself in the loop. Get yourself prepared and hopefully get feedback after each round of interview too.

If the manager likers you, they will help you by giving your insights and insider info so that you can be better prepared for each interview.

#10 FOCUS ON NEGOTIATING A TOTAL PACKAGE NOT JUST SALARY

A good job offer is not just your salary. It’s a total package composed of base salary, bonus, upside and other benefits. A good job offer starts with a company taking care of your needs so you can take care of its needs. That’s the foundation of a good deal.

What to do to be able to negotiate a good package?

1. If you don’t ask, you’ll never get. It’ll never harm if you ask. So, be prepared to negotiate and be reasonable too.
2. Know your value proposition and bargaining power.
3. Get accurate salary info and structure your counter offer accordingly.
4. Know what you CAN and CAN NOT negotiate.
5. Look at the total package, don’t stuck on base salary alone and break the deal.

Watch 10 tips’ video here

“If you can dream it, you can achieve it.”
– Zig Ziglar

There is so much I want to share with you. After all, finding a job is not easy You must have a strategy and an approach that has proven working. To learn more or get your questions answered, connect with me on social media links below