If you are undergoing a job search and you have spent some time on Linked-In, you probably have noticed articles with titles such as the following:
What NOT to Say on an Interview
Five Fatal Mistakes on Your Resume
Keywords That Kill a Resume
What Do Interviewers Look for in a Candidate?
And the list, as well as the articles, continues. The real problem is that if you read all the advice, especially by employment gurus, there is a real danger that you can come away confused and doubting yourself. The fact is that if you are not confident, that’s two strikes against you before you even start.
The first thing you should do is listen to your common sense. If the advice that you are reading or hearing seems logical to you, trust your gut and instincts. The real reason for conflicting advice is that everyone approaches a job search from a unique perspective. Although there are things that should not be on your resume or things that you should not say in an interview, the majority of these articles serve to complicate rather than simplify.
Here is the bottom line:
You need to have a good resume, a document that represents who you are, what you have done and what you have accomplished.
You need to answer the interviewer’s questions honestly, but thoroughly.
And finally, you need to ask some good questions of your own.
Here is what you have going for you: if you are called for a phone screen or interview, your resume is probably adequate because it piques their interest enough to call. As a matter of fact, you hold the advantage if they call. Why? Because they want something from you: answers. You just have to give the right ones.
Conversely, if you have been sending your resume to postings and hear nary a word, your resume probably needs fine tuning. Either that or you lack the qualifications to the jobs to which you have applied.
If you seem to be struggling, take a deep breath, step back and assess the situation. Call or email someone who is interested in you and your situation because a fresh set of eyes or an objective voice can make all the difference.
James 1:5
