Career Tip #1: Qualifications are not the only things that count in an interview.
Personality and chemistry are major factors in getting hired and many times the most “qualified” person does not get the job. Creating rapport with the hiring manager should be your primary mission in a face to face interview.
Career Tip #2: Tailoring your resume and cover letter to the position you are applying for may make all the difference in your response rate. Because hundreds of resumes are received for each open position, if it is not immediately obvious how your experience relates to the open position, your resume will end up in the reject pile.
Also – DO NOT apply to positions you are obviously not qualified for. It wastes time – both yours and the company’s.
Career Tip #3: Be extremely careful when using resume templates. Often when applying to jobs online, your resume will be automatically uploaded into a database, and if your resume is formatted with tables or unusual layouts, it will import incorrectly and be unreadable.
Keep your resume format simple and easy to read in a chronological format. Fancy is NOT better.
Career Tip #4: Many people eliminate themselves from consideration for a role, simply by disclosing unrealistic salary expectations. Always educate yourself on local average salaries for the position you are applying for prior to any discussion and keep your expectations realistic.
Remember, compensation can come in many forms in addition to base salary: flex time, benefits, bonuses, stock options, commissions, etc. Negotiate and evaluate the value of the overall package.
Career Tip #5: Government regulations and technology changes happen at a rapid pace. Long periods of unemployment can result in gaps in your knowledge or skills, making reentry into your field an even greater challenge. Consider using those time periods to upgrade your technical skills by taking continuing education or recertification classes to stay abreast of changes, and actually increase your marketability in the workplace.
Career Tip #6: A first interview is not the time to choose to express your unique personality through your clothing choice unless you are in the arts or design field. For those of us in more traditional industries, dress for the job you want. Ladies, keep the skirts at the knee or below and refrain from revealing large amounts of cleavage. Men should wear a well fitting suit, white dress shirt and modern tie. Classic styles in navy, black and neutral colors are always best.
Bottom Line: It is always better to be over-dressed than it is to be under-dressed during an interview.
