These days, landing your dream job is a little harder than before. Employers have a larger list of candidates at hand, so the expectations are consequently higher. This sudden transparency between recruiter-candidate is due to the online world. It is easy for everyone now to get an e-mail alert whenever their dream job is available in the city.
However, having a larger pond of candidates doesn’t mean that it is easy to pick the ideal candidate. The new employee must have the required technical skills plus soft skills that enable them to collaborate with the team easily plus the same values as the culture of the company has. It definitely isn’t easy to hire somebody.
So, the recruiter needs your help also. They need you to show them your enthusiasm and talk more during the interview about the reasons that inspired you to think that what they offer is your dream job. That means that you need to sell yourself. Don’t confuse bragging about your own accomplishments with selling your skills. These are two completely different techniques, and the latter won’t get you far.
To get in the shoes of the perfect salesman, you need to build a connection of trust between the recruiter and you. Do your homework beforehand and understand what exactly they are looking for. This means reading any information about the company, reading their website, blog, and even going on social media platforms to check the profiles of old employees. You can learn more career tips on how to apply for certain jobs that are shared by experts throughout the web. Once you gather these together, you will have a bigger picture of what they want from you, and you will be able to be more assertive in your persuasion.
And here comes the difference between bragging and selling yourself. You also have to remember to be honest with the person in front of you. Sweetening things up can get you the job. However, there are chances that you will be underqualified, and you will be overwhelmed by the situation. Also, the recruiter usually works in the PR department, and they are well accustomed to the human nature. They will find your dialogue false and unnatural.
So, stick to an open, firm, and honest discussion, and respect your discussion partner. There’s no problem not knowing some notions with which the recruiter is testing you, and instead of guessing the answers, tell the truth that you haven’t worked with these notions before. Afterward, you can continue with expressing some educated guesses of yours, but make sure you clearly state that these are just presumptions.
Sharpen your senses during the interview. Don’t just rely on the homework you did back home but also read the person in front of you. The most underestimated opportunity at the interview is asking questions. These are the best way to show your interest in the position, while also getting to know the recruiter better. An interview doesn’t work in just one direction. You need to be present and aware of what is happening and be proactive.
Listen to the recruiter and after they finish talking about the responsibilities of the new position, step in the conversation and assure them with examples from your life or career that you are well accustomed to these tasks. After all, an interview is for the employer a way to get to know you better, and hiding behind the ideas already expressed in your CV won’t do you much good.
Furthermore, an excellent salesman pays great attention to the unspoken messages of their partner. There are many ideas expressed by the interviewer through his gestures. Psychologists discovered that communication relies on words for only 7%, while the body language together with the voice tone takes up the rest. So, usually, the recruiter will have an everlasting smile on their face because that is required during the interview to build trust.
This is why it is recommended not to rely on their smile, but pay attention to their eyes, gestures and body posture. If they continue to look at you after you finished an answer, it means that they expect you to give a deeper explanation of your idea. If they sigh lightly while looking away, you should support your case with more facts to gain the trust back.
However, a salesperson will never stop after their first visit. They will keep in touch with their prospects by following up. You don’t want to seem like an annoyance to the recruiting team, though. So, you can send up to two emails. The first one can be a “Thank you” message for the opportunity, and the quality talk you had during the interview.
Make sure you ask the employer the time frame of their hiring decision during the interview. Use this time point to send the second e-mail, but keep it short. Show interest in the position and ask them if they need anything else from you. If they haven’t taken a decision yet, any extra details will help you bring the odds in your favor.
All in all, when the interview is just about you and the key person that can get you to your dream job, you have to sell yourself. There is nobody to rely on out there, but yourself. So, do your homework, show up prepared, be proactive during the interview, and make sure you follow up. Happy hunting!
Your career mentor,
Bud
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