Knowing that you’re the best candidate for a professional job opening and navigating the relentless steps required to get hired are two entirely different things. Despite having the qualifications, experience, and corporate-fit, there can be significant challenges between landing your dream job and getting passed over, and it’s called the “selection process”. Keep reading as the experts at TRIAD Engineering Corp. explain more.
To interview well and stand out as a candidate, job seekers must practice a laundry list of answers to questions specifically intended to give the employer insight into personality, competency, and character. The game is a fine line. You’ll absolutely need to acknowledge some realm of professional “weakness” by discussing it openly and not grossly flipping it into an in-genuine “advantage”, which is what all candidates fall back on, and that hiring managers see right through.
Communicate your skills and traits
Candidates must realize what recruiters are “shopping” for and become expert at communicating these skills and traits. From the start, it’s all about the employment application. Submitting a resume and required job application takes a lot of time, yet it is the most important step because it will ultimately gain you the first interview.
There’s a saying that if you’re invited to interview, you’re already qualified to do the job. Remember this, it’s a small piece of confidence you can tuck away because the face-to-face is simply about them meeting you in person. Do you have good hygiene? Do you look like you should work there? Do your homework, dress exactly as they do, and then go a notch above. Finally, it comes down to if they like you. Always be a professional, smile, and be warm and engaging. Always ask thoughtful questions.
Your cover letter
Correspondence is another essential part of landing your dream job. While it takes a lot of time to customize that first cover letter (perhaps you’re applying for multiple positions and it’s just one more headache) you must do it. Hiring managers appreciate being addressed directly because it shows you’re familiar with organizational structure and key players that will ultimately have the say in extending an offer of employment.
Always start from a “master” document that you can tweak to fit each application, but always proof-read before you hit that send button to avoid embarrassing typos. In your cover letter, include relevant skills and experiences you enjoy to give the reader a sense of who you are as a person, rather than just another degree.
Use company lingo whenever possible. Engineering and professional roles each have proprietary systems, continuing education programs, professional associations, and specialized traits. Use these to your advantage to shine and demonstrate your comfort level in the profession.
Your work portfolio
Pour over your work portfolio and make sure that it appropriately shows your professional strengths and most relevant work to the position you’re interviewing for. Supplemental materials can always be provided upon request. Give the interviewers a variety of your work including reports, drawings, models, and technical documents. A hot trend today is becoming the author of an ebook.
Navigating technology in the application process can be tricky if you aren’t aware of it. Essentially, companies have rolled out software that automatically searches applications and resumes for keywords before candidates are forwarded on to hiring managers inboxes. All this means is that you need to use words on your resume and application to match exactly the words the job description is “shopping for”.
Get to the top of the interview list by telling them you have exactly what they are hiring for. 5 years experience, yes use “5 years”, you can elaborate on either your cover letter or thank you note post-interview.
Show interest and enthusiasm for the job
Finally, hiring managers are absolutely aware that computers can unwittingly overlook a truly qualified candidate and they’re prepared to listen. One of the most vital parts of landing your dream job is to communicate early and communicate often. Job offers are always granted to the most interested, most engaging candidate. Now isn’t the time to be shy. Follow up and then follow up again.
Interesting related article: “What is Engineering?”