Landing THE Job

Sorry I've been absent. A critical person on our team went on to bigger and better things and I have been doing two jobs. Over the last two weeks I have participated in the recruitment and selection of a new employment specialist for the career centre that I manage, “The Works” - Job and Career Services at Lethbridge College. The selection committee saw some interesting applications.

Half of the applicants didn’t bother to revise their resumes for this work and it was obvious that their objective was really something different, even if they told us they wanted this job. The four candidates we did interview were all very different, each one with the potential to do the job and to bring different gifts to our department, but the one we did hire was the only one who followed all of the job search steps outlined below.

Really it was surprising that, with so much information readily available on the web and elsewhere on how to land a job, that only one of the applicants for the role of employment specialist really demonstrated that they knew how to do it. No, we didn’t “settle” when we hired this person simply because they know how to do a job search. Like I said, all of the people we met in person were capable and had terrific potential, but I’m thrilled to say that we’re bringing to our office someone who really walks the talk. I'm hoping to have the person as a guest blogger here soon.

KISS (Keeping it Simple for Seekers)

There is a basic outline that I – and most other “experts” -- recommend that work seekers follow.

• Have a clearly defined career path and communicate it clearly in all the other steps you do.
• Be aware of your skills and how they may benefit the workplace.
• Research organizations to gain an understanding of their needs.
• Align your background with their needs; in your resume and letter, show and tell them specifically how you are a good fit; provide examples that prove you can do what they need.
• Remove from your resume details that may distract from demonstrating that you are a best match for the role you are applying for.
• Be prepared to tell stories during the interview that prove you have what the organization needs; offer examples if they are not requested.
• Have a portfolio ready that shows off examples of your best work; ideally, have it ready online or on a disk that you may provide at the time of application because you may not have the chance to show one off in an interview; a good portfolio may get you an interview.
• Have a list of references ready that will support your claims to fame. Work with your references in advance so they are not caught off-guard and so they know which of your demonstrated skills to support and highlight for each job you are interviewed for.
• Thank the interviewers for their time with a note sent the same day the interviews are held.

There are many strategies you could apply to address each of these points effectively, but that’s the list. Yes, you can find lists like this one all over the web and in lots of books. It isn’t rocket science. And yet, very few people follow the steps. Prove your genuine interest in the position offered by the employer and jump through the hoops. It can make a difference between landing “a job” and “the job”.


...Pam