Professional Input on Applying for Future Jobs

Last week during class we were joined by two professionals, Elana Leoni and Don Rescigno, both having many years of experience in the business industry and hiring employees. They shared with us many helpful tips that set you above any competitors for the same position that you are applying for. The first tip that made a large impression on me was to make sure your resume sticks out. It's not just about packing tons of information on a piece of paper, they actually recommend doing the opposite. Even if you have had lots of previous work experience the hiring team normally spends between 30 seconds to a minute looking at each resume. They have many to sort through so they cannot spend all day reading every line of each resume given, by making yours stand out they are more likely to spend time observing your qualification and possibly calling you back. Elana and Don also mentioned that you may present your resume with previous work experience that relates to this job your applying for. Although you may not have just came from that position, future employers like to see that you already have skills that qualify you for this job.

A question was asked whether or not the physical resume was required anymore or are they too outdated. But Don and Elana said the physical resume is still important, that along with a strong cover letter can greatly affect your application. However, they did say this in modern times of business there are many companies not requiring the physical products but instead lookup applicants profiles online. With programs such as indeed and LinkedIn, the demand for physical resumes has dropped significantly. In many ways, there is no comparison, you can message previous employers directly to see if someone is a good candidate for your business. You can interact with their profile seeing how many jobs and education they've collected. As well as friends and acquaintances too; your more likely to hire someone who is connected to a professional you already know of. In an article by forbes.com, Niall MacCarthy shared the following study that a well established LinkedIn profile gives future employees a 71% higher chance of getting a callback for that position. With numbers that high, anyone would be ignorant not to use a program that puts you ahead. In today's business society it is crucial to adapt to online sites, not using these tools sets you far behind the majority of your competitors. 

Moreover, Don stressed how important it is to be authentic when you meet with members of the company. It's not just about saying the answers you think they want to hear but also to put your personality into the interaction. Even if you answered all the questions correctly and met all the qualifications, if you can't have an organic conversation they might not consider you. In another article by forbes.com, this one discusses the two most common mistakes that take place during a job interview. Ashira Prossack says that these are talking way too much and being shy and not talking enough. Many times people go into an interview as if they were giving a presentation, with all the questions memorized and they unknowingly relay all of them. In their nervous state, they might find it hard to stop talking and almost come across sound robotic. This won't appear good on the applicants part, the company might consider them sounding this way when speaking to clients or business partners. As well as taking too much could be a problem, talking too little is also just as unwelcome. It will come across disengaged with the entire situation and that you are not interested in this company. Applicants should take note and try to find the perfect balance between saying just enough but not saying too little. 

Another remark that Elana claimed towards the overall interview process is to think of at least two questions you would like to ask your interviewer. For any job interview, it is important you take your time and do the research on the company and the position you are applying for. Naturally, once you have done this, these questions may form from a genuine curious standpoint. A well thought out question may impress the interviewer, which can set you above the competition. It displays great interest in the company and the type of passionate people they would like to hire and be apart of the team. In this article by Derek Doeing he goes through 40 of the most common interview questions that are used. Using these questions you can formulate your own responses you would like to ask the company representers. For example; one question states "How many people were on your team at your last job?". This can help you formulate a question for them, which could be along the lines of "Are the projects within this company meant to be performed individually, or do you encourage team collaboration?". These questions can help you become the most prepared for any circumstance thrown your way during an interview.