Finding a job can be difficult and beyond stressful. It can also be exciting and highly rewarding. Preparing yourself in the best way possible to fully showcase your skills will make you stand out to potential employers. By following these quick and helpful hints, you will be on your way to land that dream job.
Tailor Your Resume
Whatever job you’re applying for, tailor parts of your resume to fit the job description. If you’re applying for a non-profit organization, volunteer work is important. If you’re applying for a graphic design position, experience and work samples may be more beneficial. Re-work and update your resume for every new application to ensure the best results.
Other Resume Tips
Speaking of resumes, here are a few more tips to make it stand out among a sea of applicants.
1. Take off anything from high school. Unfortunately, employers really don’t care if you were caption of the track team or involved in Spanish club. College involvement is much more impressive.
2. Update your references periodically and always notify your references before you send in an application.
3. Never make stuff up on your resume. Lying about a skill or experience and failing to perform in the professional workplace will not only embarrass yourself but also affect the entire company.
Do Your Research
Never go blindly into an interview. Research the company before you apply and interview. Familiarize yourself with the company’s mission, past work, involvement and key stakeholders. Preparation is the key to professionalism.
Consider Possible Interview Questions
By considering possible questions you may get asked in an interview, your answers will be better constructed and will convey exactly what you want to say. Typical ones may include: Why do you want to work here? What are your future plans? How will you help our company?
Other questions may be more job specific. Looking at the job requirements, qualifications and company background information, is a good place to start preparing for possible interview topics.
Consider the Dress Code
Make sure you show up to your interview dressed to impress. First impressions are important, and the way you are dressed is the first chance the employer gets to see who you are. If you are interviewing for an attorney’s office, a pant/skirt suit would be appropriate. If the job is with a recording label, casual dress that shows off your personality will do the trick. *Important:* If you are unsure, always air on the side of more professional rather than casual.)