Coaches and Business Leaders, How can a job seeker can land the interview they want?
To help you land the interview of your dreams, we asked hiring managers, executive coaches, an business leaders this question for their best insights. From describing your value to the employer to conducting company research, there are several recommendations given by business leaders that will help job seekers get their foot in the door for the roles they really want.
Here are 11 ways to land the interview you want:
- Describe Your Value to the Employer
- Ask Your Network For A Reference Letter
- Practice Makes Perfect
- Reach Out to the Hiring Manager Directly
- Dig into Your Niche
- Network With People Who Can Get Your Application In Front of The Right Person
- Share How You See Yourself Helping The Organization Meet Its Goals
- Know 1-3 Facts About The Company, Product, and CEO
- Tailor Your Cover Letter to The Specific Role
- Persistence is Key
- Conduct Company Research
Describe Your Value to the Employer
Short term? My best advice for career shifters is to deal with this transition by taking a mental break first…then internalize, realize, and visualize. Try to identify your relevance in terms of value to a prospective employer, internalize on what your passions are and some transferable skills and accomplishments to relay to hiring managers, a solid resume and some email communication templates (or cover letter), and a lot of patience and willpower.
A good rule of thumb for the job hunter seeking a new role in a new industry is to identify your transferable skills and portray those first on your LinkedIn profile and resume. Reverse engineer your career path from your ideal job’s description and see what you have and what needs up-skilling.
Matthew Warzel, President, MJW Careers LLC
Ask Your Network For A Reference Letter
If you’re a good employee and always have been then don’t be afraid to ask for a reference. The good word of another person can be a big help in landing your desired interview. Many people feel a bit apprehensive when it comes to asking for a reference, especially from people they work with. It’s important to overcome that feeling and be willing to reach out for a reference.
Just remember, if you’ve been doing a bang-up job, there isn’t going to be much of a reason for someone you’ve worked for not to be willing to give you some glowing reviews. Don’t hold yourself back. You’ve done the work, you’ve put in the effort. You’ve earned your references, so go and get them. It could be the key you need to getting higher quality interviews and finding better opportunities.
Soji James, Expert Certified Personal Trainer, 1AND1 Life
Practice Makes Perfect
A great way to land the interview you want is by preparing ahead of time. This means knowing what you want to say about your experience and qualifications and having a great elevator pitch ready. Practice makes perfect, so don’t be afraid to rehearse your interview in front of a mirror or with a friend. First impressions are key, so make sure you dress the part and exude confidence when meeting your potential employer. By doing this, job seekers demonstrate that they are both persistent and interested in the position.
Adina David, Recruiter and Career Coach, Jobzhut
Reach Out to the Hiring Manager Directly
Instead of applying to the job online, be more proactive to get yourself in front of the hiring manager, instead of a (potentially) Human Resources / Recruitment inbox.
Find who the hiring manager is by looking at the job poster (person who posted it), a mention in the job description about who it reports to, or use a logical assumption of what the title of the hiring manager could be, then search for that person on LinkedIn, or by using an x-ray search.
Once you find the probable Hiring Manager (if multiple possibilities, that’s okay), reach out to them directly with a message on LinkedIn or an email.
There are multiple tools to find people’s professional email addresses.
Write a VERY customized and unique email to the hiring manager explaining why you’re reaching out directly, why you’re interested in that specific role, and that specific company.
Mike “Batman” Cohen, Founder and CEO, Wayne Technologies
Dig into Your Niche
As a job seeker, it can be tempting to present yourself as a “Jack of all Trades.” While this approach may convey a broad range of skills to the potential employer, it may not be the best method to display your unique individual skillset and professional passions. The application process is an excellent time to home in on your niche. Many job seekers have utilized this approach as a competitive advantage in their job search to land interviews.
To start, you can identify a growing challenge in your industry and highlight how your unique background can help solve it. You can also describe, in a cover letter, any advanced training or experience that you have. Lastly, developing a personal brand as a thought leader is also an excellent way to highlight your niche. Employing any of these three techniques could provide you with a competitive edge over other applicants and help you land the job interview that you want.
Brittney Simpson, HR Operations Manager, Walker Miller Energy Services
Network With People Who Can Get Your Application In Front of The Right Person
My best tip for helping job seekers land the interview they want is networking. In today’s digital age, making connections is more important than ever — especially because meeting people who work at the company can help get your job application in front of the right person.
Besides knowing people who work at your target company, networking is useful for:
— finding mentorship opportunities
— accessing job-relevant information
— building up your professional social media presence
— developing your skill set (such as your communication and interpersonal abilities)
To network more effectively, try doing the following activities:
— update your LinkedIn profile and post on your feed regularly
— create a dedicated work Twitter handle and follow industry professionals
— attend networking events and seminars in your city
— treat people you meet with respect and get their contact information after speaking with them
— think about how you can help others who are also looking for advice or work
Samuel Johns, CPRW and Senior Career Counsellor, Resume Genius
Share How You See Yourself Helping The Organization Meet Its Goals
Interviewers like it when you have researched the company you are interviewing with. Look at their website. Look at what their goals are and which ones they have achieved. Share their mission and vision statement with them. Share what you saw on the website that you liked about the company. Share how you see yourself helping the organization meet its goals if hired. This technique will make you stand out in an interview.
Beth Smith, Life Coach and Owner, Thriving With Resilience
Know 1-3 Facts About The Company, Product, and CEO
As a job seeker, you need to research your company. Have 1-3 facts ready about the company, the product, the industry, and the CEO. It can all come from the company website, but it’s a minimum requirement to answer ‘why are you interested in us?” or to use as a segue in translating the company’s purpose with your interest and skills.
Tony Deblauwe, VP Human Resources, Celigo
Tailor Your Cover Letter to The Specific Role
It may seem all too obvious, but researching a company and then tailoring your cover letter can go a long way in helping you land an interview. The vast majority of applicants simply send in an application and a general cover letter that is absent of specifics, and the result is they get lost in a pile of other candidates doing the same.
Including a cover letter that talks about business specifics, identifies their accomplishments, and then directly correlates them to your experience, not only connects you to that company in a very personal way but shows your true interest in their position.
By taking the time to research a company and being detailed in your cover letter about your knowledge of their business, you can effectively demonstrate that you are a strong candidate and land the interview.
Greg Gillman, Chief Revenue Officer, MuteSix
Persistence is Key
Persistence is a key to success. Following up after an interview, whether it is to thank the interviewer or to inquire about the status of the hiring process, shows that you are interested and willing to put in the extra effort. It shows the interviewer how passionate you are about that position and what kind of performance they can expect from you.
So it is a humble suggestion for all job seekers that they should focus on building persistence in their personalities. Because it puts a very positive impact on the other person and provides a lot of benefits in professional life.
Gerrid Smith, Chief Marketing Officer, Joy Organics
Conduct Company Research
Before beginning your job search, it’s important to spend some time researching companies that interest you. This will help you better understand the types of organizations that fit your skills and interests and identify potential employers. To learn more about a company, visit its website and read its “About Us” page. You can also search for news articles and blog posts about the company.
Finally, check out the company’s social media accounts to see what kind of culture it has and what sort of content it shares. Significantly by doing so you will understand perfectly everything related to that particular company to which you are going to apply.
Daniel Close, CEO & Founder, We Buy Houses in Kentucky
