Last week, The Chicago Tribune highlighted the story of a Saint Paul man that has been the “first runner up” for three jobs in the last year. The good news is, the job market in the Twin Cities is hot, and there are definitely jobs available. However, if you’re wanting to make a move, but can’t quite seem to find the right thing, do you need more than a little luck to be the person offered the job at the end of the interview rainbow?
Sometimes it is the timing. . . . which can feel like luck. . .
Have you ever submitted your resume to a role, only to have the hiring manager call you and tell you that he or she wishes you would have applied a week earlier? Yes? You’re not alone. Sometimes the timeline of a hiring process is motivated by the need to fill the role because no one else inside the organization can do it, sometimes there are legal considerations for the timeline for filling a role, or explosive company growth driving the need to find and hire people ASAP. Whatever reason is dictating the timing for how quickly or slowly a hiring process moves, it’s difficult to get most hiring managers to take a step back in their process to consider more candidates. So knowing when to submit your application at the right time can be key to making sure you’re being considered. So if you’re not working with a Recruiter that has the inside scoop on what’s happening with the timing on a role, make sure you’re submitting your application as soon as you see a job, not expecting that you’ll be able to apply online next week.
Do you know what you want in your next role?
If an interviewer asks you what you want in your next job, do you know how to answer that question? It’s one of the most common interview questions, yet it’s one that candidates stumble on again and again. Why do interviewers ask it? They want to make sure it’s the right job for you. While it’s a difficult question to answer when you don’t know much about the job, they ask it in a first interview because they assume you don’t know much about the job and will give a more honest answer, not one that you think they want to hear. If you use Google to find advice on how to answer this question perfectly, you’ll get 100 answers from 100 different experts. Bottom line, you’ll want to be honest, and if you don’t feel like you know enough about the day to day expectations of the job, you can at least show you’ve done your research to talk about why you are impressed with the organization as a whole.
Are you asking this one critical question?
At the end of the interview, are you asking your interviewer about concerns they have about your ability to do the job? You might be thinking that this is a terrible question to ask because it gives your interviewer the opportunity to tell you all the things they wished you had talked about in the interview, or that you had accomplished in your career. And you might be thinking that you don’t want to hear about that from someone you just met. However, those are the two reasons you want to ask the question! It will give you the opportunity to address any of the things they bring up in response. This is your chance to impress your interviewer further by giving examples of ways you actually have done the things that they think are lacking in your experience, and the opportunity to understand what other people they’re considering have gotten the interviewer excited about.
Are you working with a Recruiter?
We know that our opinion is biased here, but we believe you should be working with a Recruiter. You might be saying that you don’t have enough experience, or you have too much experience, or wonder why a Recruiter would want to work with you. However, we want to encourage you to take the first step to reach out and introduce yourself. Of course we’d love you to work with someone on the Ambrion team, but if you have a trusted referral from a friend who had a great experience working with a Recruiter, we’d encourage you to explore that. Recruiters understand the market, what’s happening, and where you can win right now. The right Recruiter will present you with the right opportunities, and arm you with the right tools to be the best candidate for the job. Lastly, a great Recruiter will want to build a relationship with you and be a resource for you beyond your current job search. He or she will gladly answer your call when you’re contemplating your next career move, want to check in on the market, and should treat referrals you pass along from your network like long lost friends. If you haven’t considered working with a Recruiter, there’s no time like the present.
It can feel like a little luck goes a long way in a job search, but if you’re tuned into what’s happening in the job market, are working with a Recruiter, and can explain what you want out of your next role, you won’t have to fall back on that lucky penny or pot of gold to get that job offer.