Wait, there’s a special way I’m supposed to be reading a job description? 

Of course, there is!

There’s a special madness to everything in this world.  You could be reading the wrong things, or reading the right things in the wrong way.

How to Properly Read a Job Description:

Be Aware of Templated Descriptions

First of all, when you’re looking at a job description, here’s one thing to keep in mind.  Most of the job descriptions are templates that hiring managers or HR have in their holsters ready to fire out to find job candidates.  If the template needs refining, they simply apply some minor changes to the description before posting it wherever need be. This one-size-fits-all approach can be a source of confusion as sometimes the job roles may actually be different than what is detailed in the job description.

 

Do Not Adjust Your Resume Description

Candidates sometimes make the catastrophic mistake of adjusting their resume to fit a job description: Absolutely-DO NOT do this.  If you’re going to adjust your resume, make changes based on the job requirements, not the job description.  The job requirements are the very heart of the position the employer seeks to fill and provide the most useful information that a job seeker needs.  

Most job postings break down into two parts.  First is the narrative, the job description. This is the first thing you read and is usually communicated in broad and general terms.  The second is the job requirements. These are most often found towards the end of the posting. These are typically bulleted and straight to the point.  

 

Focus on Job Requirements

The job requirements are the most important set of information in the job description.  

Why?  

Because this is the information that the hiring manager sends HR to let them know what they need.  HR then takes this list and puts it right into the requirements, with the first couple of points generally being the most important to the hiring manager.

If you focus on the requirements, you should get a good grasp of what’s needed to succeed in the position.  The rule of thumb is that if you match up to at least 75% of the requirements you should apply for the job.  

 

Final Thoughts

The best advice that I could give someone is to really break down the description and compare it to your skill sets. If the match looks suitable, then hey, go for it. If you’re still not sure, don’t be afraid to call or email to find out more about the job.

 

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Unlike the traditional job search methods that involved a newspaper and a brief case full of resumes, in this day and age there are many initial outlets to search for a job without leaving the comfort of your own couch.  However, managing your job search leveraging these outlets is a task in and of itself; they can get cluttered and complicated, and it may be hard to sift through and find exactly what you’re looking for.  I have narrowed the laundry list of job search methods down to four:

Recruiting Firm

Leveraging a recruiting firm is a great way to land the job you’ve always wanted.  All candidates need to do is give the recruiting firm a current resume, and let the experts do the work.  Recruiters are highly experienced in the fields they recruit for, and their sole purpose is to place their candidates in the right positions.  They are dedicated professionals that do great work.

LinkedIn

Linkedin is a great tool to help someone find a job.  Referred to by some as the facebook for grown-ups, LinkedIn is a professional networking site that enables the end-user to create a profile that lists his or her professional experience, education, skills, and more.  Utilized by the majority of innovative organizations for the purposes of recruiting candidate as well as marketing innovative organizations for the purposes of recruiting candidates as well as marketing, LinkedIn is a great place to find a job.  The site even goes as far as to pick up on specific keywords in your profile and recommend specific jobs that may be interesting to you.

Job Websites

Websites such as monster.com, dice.com, and careerbuilder.com provide people searching for employment with a wide variety of different job opportunities.  These sites are confidential, and the end-user can submit everything to the hiring organization online. Typically candidates immediately obtain a confirmation of receipt from the hiring organizations they apply to, and receive an update on the status of their documentation in approximately one or two days.

Craigslist

Many job seekers consider Craiglist.com to be underrated.  The site has gotten a bad rap as a scary place full of scam artists and strangers.  What many don’t realize is that Craigslist is chalk-full of professional opportunities and job listings.  The site also features new postings every day and provides a great resource for finding local work.  People sometimes view Craigslist as a scary place with a lot of scam artists and strangers.  I’m not going to lie, there are definitely mischievous people on craigslist but then again there’s a whole job market available too.  Craigslist provides a great way to find local work, basically in your backyard.  Another plus of using craigslist is that there are new postings every day, if you don’t see one today check back tomorrow and you may be pleasantly surprised.

All a job searches take a little time, and a little luck.  The opportunity of your dreams may have just opened up, and it’s your job to go out and find it!

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There are a lot of practices that people think exist in the interview room.  These are mostly misconceptions and they might have stemmed from folktales, old family stories, or even other people’s idealistic imaginations.  When it comes down to it, all interviews are different.  Each interviewer has their own way of doing things and you should be prepared for any kind of curveball they will throw your way. 

These are the top five misconceptions of interviewing

1. The Interviewer is Prepared

Many people think that the interviewer is compiling a whole load of questions and looking at your resume diligently.   In fact, most of the time the interviewer hasn’t even seen your resume yet! Yeah that’s right, why else would they open up the interview with “tell me about yourself”?  Usually, the most prepared person in that interview is the actual candidate…as it should be!

2. Keep Your Answers Short

When answering interview questions, many people think they should keep their questions short, for what reason?  Sometimes your answer can lack substance if you don’t go into depth.  Do you want to sell yourself short?  In most interviews, it’s encouraged to open up and talk, especially in the interview asks you a long thought out question.  However, stay on point, don’t talk too much and read queues of your interviewer to ensure you are keeping them engaged.

3. It’s Not About the Looks, It’s About The Skill

Unfortunately, when someone is considered to be hired, it’s not solely based on skill alone.  Interviewers see first, before they listen and they want someone who is presentable.  If you look good, you probably are good at what you do.  In other words, dress for the part.

4. The Best Candidate Gets the Job

This isn’t always true.  On one hand, being qualified for the job may give you a leg up, but it doesn’t put that leg in the door.  If a less qualified candidate has a good relationship with the interviewer or the interview is going very smooth and both parties see eye to eye, this in turn will be more of an advantage than the actual qualifications.

5. Yes! I Have an Interview, So Now I’m In the Running!

This is one of the greater misconceptions that candidates have.  Just because you have an interview doesn’t mean you have a chance.  Sometimes interviews are set up for jobs that have already been filled.  Reasons for this include experiments and studies or the candidate that originally got the job is on hold.  But, then again I guess it’s better to have an interview than to not have one, practice does make perfect. 

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Everyone wants to know what to ask for when conducting an interview.  They wonder “should I keep it simple and not overwhelm the candidate?” or the opposite; “I should definitely ask challenging, in depth questions to really see what this person is all about."  The best thing to do is mix it up.  This gives you the best chance to really find out who you are potentially hiring. 

Here are the 5 Questions you should ask when interviewing:

1. What are your weaknesses?

This is a great question to ask because it really makes the candidate think about themselves and identify the need for personal improvement.  The person that says they don’t have weaknesses isn’t honest with themselves and you, how could they effectively represent your company to your customers?

2. What is your greatest strength?

Unlike the last question, about weaknesses, this question is strictly a singular question.  If you ask someone about their strengths, plural, they’ll start listing of the things that YOU want to hear.  An added bonus to this question is that it helps ease nerves to start the interview.  I recommend this to be one of the first interview questions.  People like to talk about themselves in positive ways, it shows you what they can do and helps get the interview going smoothly.

3. Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

Finding out the mental goals of the candidate, is key to help a company in the long run.  This question also lets the candidate take a step back and really think about what he or she would like to accomplish and allows you to put their goals in perspective with the company’s.

4. Talk about a time in your life when you had to overcome obstacles

This is a key question because it helps reflect the attitude and determination of the candidate.  I remember when I first got this job, I was asked this question and it really made me think about hard times in my life and getting through them.  No matter what the trial or tribulation is, the candidate should have an anecdote that they are aware of and that can help them through other difficult times. 

5. How would a best friend/family member describe you

I believe this is one of the most key questions you could ask a candidate in an interview.  The reason for this is that it’s not only how the perceive themselves, but how others perceive them.  Another good aspect of this question, is that it helps the candidate indirectly describe what’s good or bad about themselves that they wouldn’t tell if asked the directly.

Asking the right questions are important to helping your company staff and position itself with the best employees to ensure future growth.

By Jake Pinto

RELATED BLOG:

7 REASONS YOU NEED TO TALK TO A RECRUITER 

When applying for a job with a new prospective employer, it’s usually a good idea to send a follow-up or thank-you email, assuming you really want the job. There are a number of reasons for this: for one, it shows that you really enjoyed meeting with the people at the new company and that you really want the job itself. Second, and perhaps the most important, it puts you back into the minds of these prospective employers, as they are undoubtedly sifting through a number of other resumes and interviewing other job applicants. The more you can stay on all their minds, the better chance you have at getting the job above another applicant who is just as qualified and charming as you. The follow up / thank you email is an ideal way to do this without going overboard by sending, say, a thank-you gift basket.

However, the follow-up/thank you email also needs to be properly written, which is probably another reason people avoid taking this extra step when applying for a gig. As with anything written, there is a proper structure for these follow-up / thank you notes to prospective employers which should be followed if you want the best chance at getting the job. This structure is broken down below, based upon the example letter included here.

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How to Properly Write a Thank You Letter / Follow-Up Email

1. Address the Meeting Briefly

Off the bat in this follow-up/ thank you email, you will want to recall the interview, what you enjoyed about it and what your impressions of it were. This example letter instills confidence in the person writing it from the outset by reminding the reader of their talents, yet also thanking the reader, or more specifically the prospective employer, for being straightforward and clear about the job that needs to be done. By doing all of these things, the employer is reminded of how well the interview went.

2. Compare and Contrast

People who are interviewing for new jobs at big companies are usually working somewhere else that is similar or have worked in that field for a similar company. As is the case in this example letter, the candidate delves deeper into the discussion about the state of the IT industry they are working in, recalling a conversation that was clearly had during the job interview. Yet the candidate moves on to compare the company he has worked for in the past doing a similar job but how he could do much more for the company who he is applying to, demonstrating value as an employee, if they are hired. In fact, the candidate even goes as far as to say “we” in the letter, making the assumption that they are already a team. By doing this, the prospective employer is already envisioning the candidate as being part of their team, albeit for the purposes of the letter. However, the candidate takes this strategy to the next level by outlining how they will help the company if they are hired, without coming right out and saying that.

3. Outlining Strategy

The prior paragraph goes directly into a list of ways they will help the company to succeed. This is risky, as they may say something that the candidate may think won’t work, but it also displays honesty and transparency they will have when working for the company, which an employer greatly values. However, as long as the project strategy, as bullet-pointed here, is well-defined, it doesn’t necessarily matter to the prospective employer if it will actually be implemented—they just like to see that the candidate will have thought everything through if they are a part of the team. This is important for a worker in general in the IT industry, as business climates are constantly changing and the employee, company, and methods for attaining goals will have to adjust.

4. Closing with Anticipation

After outlining what they would do if part of the company team, the closing is a paragraph about anticipation for the future. There is a brief recap of their skills and the fact that there is much more to the industry that they would be happy to talk about. The second to last lines is also one of the most important, as they finally come out and say how interested they are in working for the company, basically “asking for the sale.” This is much like presenting the ring after a long time living together—you want to work for this company and you look forward to the next steps.

While this candidate is not guaranteed the job by writing this follow up / thank-you letter, they have definitely helped their chances and left a good impression on this prospective employer. And this is really all they can hope to do.

 

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A few years ago, a good friend of mine gave me this piece of advice after she had been released from a position unexpectedly.  I find senior managers can be released from a position if they do not share in the management philosophy leadership promotes or believe in the plans the company is implementing to grow. Being fired is not only related to poor performance, which is something I have learned from working with candidates over the years. It can take one by surprise.

So back to the advice.  She told me, “The best thing you can do, Lisa, is to pretend you were fired today. You would start to make a list of all the activities you would do to land your next job. Take that list while you are working and do one item a week to ensure your bases are always covered.”

She formulated this golden nugget of advice in hindsight.  She thought she was secure with her firm since she was growing revenue.  So she never went to lunch with people in her network. She did not have a resume ready or even loosely constructed.  She did not make calls to former colleagues or school mates in business to stay abreast of their progress. I mean she was too busy working hard in her job.

She did not see that the direction of management was changing and, essentially, she did not share in this philosophy of this new direction. And one day, she was let go. She was blind-sided.  She shared this piece of advice with me to ensure that it did not happen to me. And I have shared it with countless people over the years to pay it forward.

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So let’s pretend you’re let go today.  What would you do? Here are some things I would do to get myself back in the saddle again (this list is by no means exhaustive or in any particular order):

Step by Step Job Search Advice

Step 1

Pull out the resume and ensure it is updated and reflective of my achievements (not just a list of tasks. Be sure I have a cover letter that can support my resume

Step 2

Make sure everyone I worked with at any level is connected to me on LinkedIn

Step 3

Get recommendations on LinkedIn where it makes sense. 

Step 4

Put my vendors, clients, prospects and other external corporate connections into LinkedIn to connect with me.

Step 5

Devise a target list of companies where I would like to work based on industry, geography, discipline, or benefits needed

Step 6

Shore up on certifications and necessary professional development requirements in my field

Step 7

Look up when conferences related to my profession are taking place and make plans to attend

Step 8

Join profession/industry-related association to network with like-minded individuals

Step 9

Brush up on interviewing skills through a course and/or with friends that I trust to help me

Step 10

Make coffee/lunch appointments with friends, former colleagues and other professional connections to stay current on what is going on in their lives, at their companies, and in a global sense.

STep 11

Help someone with their professional goals: maybe introduce two people that can help each other; get your former colleague into a company he has been looking to gain as a client; mentor a student that is looking to obtain their first job

STep 12

Get a massage—in other words, do something to take care of yourself physically and mentally

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Now take the list---and start doing it now while you are working.  Don’t get overwhelmed. Just put in your schedule one item per week to start.  Call a former colleague and meet them for breakfast. Arrange to meet someone from another department you have not seen in months for your 3 pm Starbucks run. Contact a local college for an interviewing tactic class.   Is there a college grad in your extended family or neighborhood that needs help finding a job? Call them and ask what you can do to help. Helping people makes you feel good, allows the person you are helping get what they need and they will remember you when/if you need help in the future. We must give to get.

But Lisa, I am already not working…what do I do?  Let’s audit the list. How many of the items above are you doing?  When was the last time you invested in yourself – professional conference attendance, skill certification or personal care (you feel tired and spent, yes?—so take care of yourself to have all your energies to focus on the search).  Have you created a target list? Are you marketing yourself using LinkedIn connections you know and those you do not know? Or are you just responding to job postings…you need to network and market yourself to land your next job. Passive searching will not work in this economy.

The bottom line is this. You do not need to practice this concept perfectly.  And you certainly do not want to be so on top of networking for your next job (unless you are not working) that you lose your current job.  But the key is to build your network in a genuine manner by helping and giving at a time when you do not need it, so if this happens to you, it will already be in place – or at least started – to help you when you do need it.

By Lisa Rangel

 

Feeling a little uncomfortable in interviews?  Don't feel like you're getting the respect you deserve?  Might be time for a little training in interview etiquette.  Don't worry, it isn't hopeless, here are a few ideas to get you back on your toes and earn the attention of your interviewer positively.  Tell employers to pick you, after fine tuning your interview skills.

1. Time to have dinner with fussy Auntie Judy.  Let her make comments on your table manners.  These days, table etiquette seems to take a back seat. You want a stickler for rules to spot the bad manners that could trip you up in an interview. You might have developed some bad habbits, sitting with your feet tucked under the chair, elbows on the table or slumped over.  Aunt Edna would never stand for this would she?  Earn the respect of interviewer and improve your image by sitting up straight with your hands nicely folded in your lap.


2. Tape a formal practice conversation.  A lot of us have developed the habit  of saying "like" too much. "I, like, can't believe, like, the job market is so, like, bad" or my personal pet peeve, "yah know what I'm saying?" Studies prove that interviewers were more likely to perceive a job candidate as less professional if the person said "like" too much, as compared to "uh." This is a habit that needs to be broken. Like, NOW.  Ya know what I'm sayin'?


3. Practice wearing your nice clothes.  Many of us work in more casual environments, where nice clothes are optional.  If you've been out of work, then you probably haven't put on a nice pair of slacks in a while.  I don't know about you, but after a long period of time, that pencil skirt and black pumps kind of make me feel uncomfortable if I haven't worn them in a while.  Time to go out to a nice restaurant, the opera or anywhere else where people dress up. Guys should know how to handle a tie when they eat (no, you don't flip it over your shoulder), and girls should know how to sit properly and not flash half the town when they get out of a car. No one wants an interviewer distracted because you can't walk in those shoes and find that suit jacket too tight.  Take your suit out and break it in before your next interview.  It's nice being comfortable in your own second skin.

In conclusion, sit up straight, speak clearly and dress to impress.  Remember you want your employer to be to meet a comfortable, confident, professional You so they pick YOU for the job.


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