Six tips to get a job interview
Any number of occurrences could be keeping you out of interview rooms. These six are among the most common.
1. You fail to tailor a cover letter that addresses the specific requirements of the position as described in an ad. You note duties and responsibilities while ignoring accomplishments. (Step back and review why you made a difference at former places of employment.)
2. You neglect to use contacts who can make a direct introduction. Employers give greater consideration to candidates who are referred by employees, friends and acquaintances. (Referrals move you from stranger to insider — or at least not-so-strange status.)
3. You send correspondence and resumes to people at a company who are not even remotely involved in the hiring process. Even if your contact ultimately remembers to forward your self-marketing documents, they frequently do not come to the attention of a recruiter or hiring manager until long after the job has been filled. (The takeaway: Follow up with your contact.)
Six tips for gettin a job interview
4. You have unrealistic job aspirations — the little engine that could, can’t. (Stop applying for everything in sight; you know better.)
5. You price yourself beyond the salary range of the job. (Hop onto Salary.com or Payscale.com and smell the coffee.)
6. You are less than positive about your qualifications in phone screens with employers. Vague or indirect responses won’t put you in interviewing category No. 1. (Bone up on phone screening tips.)
When you’re guilty of any of these deficiencies, you know what to do.
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