Some say we are starting to come out of the recession but there are still many people that are out of work. In the Technology field I can honestly say that there are jobs but direct apply is not working for most of us because there are hundreds of resumes that are posted all over the web.
This is a good and a bad thing and your success will rely on your skills as well as your ability to control the Interview. The good thing is that you have a recruiter’s are reading them and making calls. The bad thing is that if your resume is not perfect you will not be getting a call.
When interviewing candidates I looked for several things and find that the most knowledgeable candidate who really wants the position is the candidate that can answer a question before it’s asked. The best interview quality that you can have as a job seeker is a person that reads the job descriptions of the position that is being applied for thoroughly. You do not have to know about Citrix Administration if the position that you are applying for doesn’t use Citrix.
Do not over answer the interview question either. This turns out to be a common mistake and may make you seem a bit too confident. Your main approach should be that of a candidate who wants to improve on the existing environment and not try to belittle what is already in place. The Candidate should also use some examples when interviewing referring to issues and suggesting resolutions.
Example: “Are your user accounts being locked out? In my last position we were having this issue and I asked my Supervisor if I could find a solution for this issue.” Then tell them what you did to correct the issue. This is always a good approach, because it demonstrates that you are a person who cares about efficiency. This example is telling of the fact that you are concerned there is a problem. You are paying attention to your environment and you are also thinking analytically.
I know that this is easier said than done. There are many people who are able to get an interview, but they are being overlooked because they are not able to sell their skills during that interview.
I remember being out of work for over two months. I called every temporary and permanent agency in New York and was told almost the same thing from everyone. “Apply for an account online and then submit your resume to the jobs you are qualified for online.” I remember being out of work in the 90’s and basically I just got on the train and went to 42nd street and got a newspaper and would find a job within a matter of days if not hours. As the Internet is becoming more and more popular, and as there has been a weak supply of jobs, corporations have begun avoiding the services of recruiters.
Computers are also the future, so any job you have, you are going to need to know the basics. Not to worry though, because even if you have never used a computer before (they may look intimidating), they are actually very easy to work with.
For those of you unfamiliar with Computers there are always free tutorials on websites like YouTube, Google, heck if you’re a great PC user already you can even learn HTML, SQL by going here, I’ve built whole functional websites by using information posted here.
Now let’s get back on track. There are several things you can do to get better odds of getting an interview by using a recruiter. You see, what people are going to have to realize is that recruiters have the inside track with most of the companies that are Published on sites like Yahoo, HotJobs.com and CareerBuilder.com. I remember applying for a position for a job for three months and never got a response. Then out of the blue, I got a call from a recruiter describing the same job. It was a recruiter who got me in for an interview. At the end I did get the job using all of the strategies mentioned above.
There is no miracle in getting a job. It is like everything else in the life – the most prepared will prevail, especially in today’s job market.