Cv For Interviews

Posts Tagged ‘Recruiter’

Congratulations, you are one of the progressive jobbers who have realized that a voice Curriculum vitae is huge positive statement on your job application. Why? Because your resume is probably your best shot - and in many cases the only shot at you getting an interview. Typical busy bee recruiter has less than 2 minutes for a resume - if at all that. Your voice CV buys you some additional time, if you get some of the smarts:
Decide the approach for your voice CV: (A) I am going to present highlights from my resume (B) I am going to add information to my resume (C) I am going to build intrigue with a story or an achievement (D) What are attention grabbers - in a 1 minute voice recording you should have 3 or 4 attention grabbers.
Here is your check list:
1. I have a script before I can record
2. I have rehearsed and heard myself, I slept over the script and it looks good
3. Someone listened to my voice CV and gave me feedback (not a patronizing friend)
4. My voice CV adds value to my job resume - in 4 or 5 specific points
5. There is quantification of my achievements that a recruiter can relate to
You have a great voice, then
(not because you can sing in the shower or your friends thought so)
Do not get carried by the voice and try to sound good
Do not over stylize
Remember not everyone with a great voice made a great orator or a singer
Nothing unusual about your voice resume then
Good, focus on the content
Speak slowly, clearly
Choose words that make you sound better
Short sentences help you sound better
Choose to present in lists
Remember some of the greatest singers or orators did not have the best of voices
End note: Your voice CV is about your career and not your voice - So try one.
I have a voice CV, but do not know of a place to post it?
Oh that’s easy
GoRecroot is one of the better places for a multi media career portfolio.

Nearly all job seekers are well aware of the importance of a resume when applying for a professional opinion, but few realize the vital role that an accompanying cover letter plays in the selection process.  In fact, your cover letter is just as important to your job search as is your resume. 

Consider this: recruiters and managers often receive dozens, if not hundreds, of applicants for every one available position.  With so many applicants to review, interviewers do not have much time to determine if you are qualified for the job.  In fact, a recruiter typically spends between one and two minutes quickly glancing over a resume, hardly enough to thoroughly investigate if your skills set and experience is a good match for the position. 

This is why a cover letter is such a critical tool to the job seeking process.  The purpose of a cover letter is to clearly express your interest in and qualifications for a position to a prospective employer.  So while the resume is a generic advertisement, your cover letter tailors your application to each specific job.  By condensing your resume into key points and drawing the recruiter’s attention to the most relevant areas of your experience, you are assisting the recruiter in matching up your qualifications to that of the open position.  And by taking the guesswork out of your resume, you greatly increase your chances of getting a call for an interview.

A cover letter has to “sell” your qualifications to a complete stranger and convince them that you are worthy of an in-person meeting.  Therefore, as you can imagine, it is not an easy document to write.  There are several guidelines, though, that should assist you in the cover letter development process.

Typically a cover letter is less than one page in length and has four main sections: the introduction, a highlight of your qualifications, a summary of why you are interested in the position, and a concluding follow-up.  Before you start listing a litany of skills, though, it’s important to do some research on the company and the position for which you are applying to give you a better understanding of the company’s products or services, history, values, and target customer market. This will help give you a better idea of what recruiters are likely to be seeking in a candidate, and allow you to tailor your cover letter to specifically address those areas. 

Part 1 - The Introduction:

Your cover letter should be addressed to the hiring manager, whenever possible.
Specifically mention the position(s) that you are seeking
Let the recruiter know how you heard about the position.  If you saw the position advertised or were referred by someone, be sure to include this information.
Grab the reader’s attention and stimulate their interest in you right away!!

Part 2 – Summary of your Qualifications:

Highlight your strongest qualifications for the position you are seeking.  Be sure to limit your qualifications to only those that are the most relevant to the position. 
Show, rather than simply tell, the manager your qualifications by including specific, credible examples from your experience. 
Quantify these qualifications whenever possible by focusing on pertinent figures, projects, awards, and equipment/software/tools you’ve used that are relevant to the job you want.  For example, rather than highlighting your “excellent customer service skills” indicates that you “achieved a 98% customer satisfaction rating” or “increased department sales by 25% in the first quarter”.

Part 3 – Why you are Interested in the Position:

Let the recruiter know why you want to work at their company.  What is it about the company that appeals to you?
Why does this particular position appeal to you?
Indicate why you are a good fit for the company.  How will be an asset to the team?

Part 4 – Conclusion and Follow-up:

Refer employers to your enclosed resume so that they can review your qualifications in further detail.
Request a personal interview or meeting with the hiring manager.
Indicate how the recruiter should contact you.  Be sure to provide a working phone number or e-mail address.
Set a time to follow up.  For example indicate that you “will call to follow up on Monday afternoon”. 
Thank the reader for his or her time.

One final note: your cover letter is the first impression that recruiters will get of you.  A strong focused cover letter can convey a powerful, positive first impression.  A weak non-focused letter, though, can kill any interest a recruiter may have in your qualifications, regardless of how strong of a fit you may be for the position.  Be sure that you proofread carefully for grammatical and typographical errors before sending any correspondence.

A job interview is stressful. The person who hasn’t made a lot of changes isn’t practiced at what is involved (nor should they want to be), and the person who has made a lot of changes doesn’t have any idea as to what’s involved either, or they wouldn’t be making so many changes!

Preparing for the interview de-stresses the situation considerably. Yet, 78% of all candidates - regardless of the level for which they are interviewing - wing it! And frequently cause themselves to be weeded out in the process.

Like so much of the interview, seemingly innocent questions can trip you up. You think you are answering them in a way that puts you in the best light, but you’d be surprised at how many people completely miss the boat. Merely to hope an interview has a positive result is not enough. That’s basically forfeiting your ability to drive up the percentage of a positive outcome.

For instance, in response to the question, “Why do you want to work here?” some people will say things such as:

“I’ve worked in this industry for 15 years and been very successful. I feel I can make a difference in your organization. I have a proven track record of leadership. I’ve read in the paper that your company is having some problems, and with my experience as a Director of XXXXX, I can help straighten those out.”

That answer may sound good and appear to suffice, but on a scale of 1 - 10, it ranks about a 4!

Why? The answer shows no research, no thought, no consideration. It sounds stock and could suffice for any number of companies. Overall, unimpressive.

In my experience as a recruiter, I’ve found that while mid level management tends to UNDERanswer the question, upper level management will often OVERanswer the question. One group doesn’t provide enough information because of a limited lack of experience. The other group has been around, worked their way up the ladder in more than one company, and in their attempt to sound thoughtful, intelligent, and wise, end up saying very little at all.

Let’s look closer.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK HERE?
Here’s where you get to show off your research. Tell the interviewer what you’ve learned about the company, and why it’s appealing to you. SPECIFICS are the key here.

Relate those specific examples from your experience to what you’ve learned about the company, their focus, and their market. Look to your personality and what motivates you and how that relates to any details you learned from the ad, your recruiter, your friend who referred you, or from where you learned of this opportunity.

For instance, perhaps their ad stated that they were looking to establish a marketing department from ground up. If you thrive on growth, challenges, making things happen - there’s your answer - along with examples of how you have grown, established, or done market research in a parallel situation.

And you might ask, “What if it’s not a high profile company? What if it’s on the small side and local?” Right. Not every company is the size of General Electric or even a regional public powerhouse that you can look up in Dun & Bradstreet.

But most librarians are more than willing to help you find any information that might be present in any of their research books. Local newspapers may have done stories on the company, and the library would have those too. And these days, most companies have a website.

Share what you can do and why you feel you can make a contribution and benefit the company. This question is about how YOU can benefit the company, not how the company can benefit YOU.

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF
Some interviews are lost right at this point. This is not an invitation to go on ad nauseum about everything that has happened to you since you were five years old or since your first job out of college. Nor is it the time to shrug your shoulders and give an unplanned, one-sentence answer.

Some people, especially those who haven’t prepared and have a tendency to talk when they get nervous, find themselves rambling. Put together a nice little 2 - 3 minute verbal bio about your career, your qualifications, and why you are interested. Know what you’re going to say in advance.

A FEW POINTS TO REMEMBER
In recruiting we used to say, “‘A’ candidates for ‘A’ companies, ‘B’ candidates for ‘B’ companies and ‘C’ candidates for ‘C’ companies,” and a ‘B’ candidate is not only some one who’s talents and track record is only so-so, it’s also an ‘A’ candidate whose poor interviewing skills MAKE him a ‘B.’

Knowing who you are, what you want, what you have to offer and what you’ve accomplished - and having it all on the tip of your tongue - can make or break you for a job offer - not just for your perfect job, but sometimes for even finding ANY job.

Being able to sell yourself, your skills, how you can benefit a potential company and then being able to close the deal necessitates taking the time to research and learn the company. It means knowing yourself well enough that you can apply aspects of your capabilities to the individual facts and details of that INDIVIDUAL company - and that you can do it smoothly without groping for words or just winging it.

And last, but not least, the words of Peter Handal of Dale Carnegie Training, echo the importance of interview preparation, including what strikes most people as silly - role playing. But as he said, “you only have one chance to make a really good impression,” and if you don’t take it seriously enough to study and thoroughly prepare, someone else will, and that’s the person who will get the job!

Do your homework before EVERY interview! There’s no chance to make a second good impression!

For many, the interview is the single most stressful part of the job search process. Any number of things can go wrong, and a big part of being successful is avoiding simple mistakes. The following is a list some of the most common mistakes during an Interview.

1. Failure to research the company: An interviewer will expect candidates to spend time researching and reading about their company. Do your homework before the interview; really know what the company does and who their competitors are. If you have not taken the time to review the employer website and understand what they are recruiting for, then you are reducing your chances of continuing successfully through the interview process.

2. Not clear on what you’re interviewing for: Be familiar with the job description so you can draw on your experiences, talents, strengths and abilities to connect with company needs. Highlight how you’re suited to that particular job.

3. Not marketing yourself correctly: Define yourself. What makes you different from others? Know your major strengths and accomplishments as they relate to the job you are applying for and the company.

4. Not asking meaningful questions: Have at least 3-4 intelligent questions to ask the recruiter. It’s OK (it actually leaves a positive impression with the recruiter) to have them written down in advance and to reference them at the appropriate time. Interviews are an exchange of information, and not coming in with questions shows that you did not prepare for the whole interview.

5. Under-dressing for the interview: Professional attire and attention to detail still count. You can never be too professional. Remember that everything - your appearance, your tone of voice, your conduct -contributes to the impression (positive or negative) that you make. Be presentable - wear a pressed suit and shirt and polished shoes.