Five Sure-Fire Steps to Landing That Job

Just getting one’s foot in the door can be a grueling challenge. But it doesn’t have to be. Not if you’ve done your homework! Most employers receive countless resumes on a daily basis. Most consist of anywhere from one to six pages. Put yourself in the employer’s position. (Doing so can be unbelievably helpful to your cause.) It may sound corny, but the old proverbial Golden Rule holds a great deal of merit in all areas of life! Use this old adage to your advantage! In other words . . . .

Now, let’s say that you’re the employer: you’ve just run an ad for a new staff member; as always, you have a hectic day scheduled at the office. Your receptionist walks in and hands you a stack of mail. Would you be more inclined to want to read the short or the lengthy letters contained inside each envelope? Think about this. You’re already rushed for time and somebody wants you to spend an hour reading their lengthy, six page resume? If it looks short and to-the-point, do you think it might catch the employer’s eye (and perhaps provide the employer a deep sigh of relief?) Which ones do you think will make it into the wastebasket first? More importantly, (getting back to the Golden Rule) which ones would YOU throw into the wastebasket first?

Step 1

Create a professional-appearing resume: A well-written and well-received resume consists of a one-page resume and a one-page cover letter. (No more, no less!) A well-planned resume has no place for wordiness or lengthy details. So how do you accomplish this task?

At the top of the resume, centered, should be your:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone Number

Next should be listed your Career Objective. In other words, what is your objective, or what is it that you want to accomplish in your job search? (Example: “CAREER OBJECTIVE: To utilize my education, skills and experience as a ___________ in order to fill a position as a _______________.”

The next section of your resume should consist of (and should be titled) your job “EXPERIENCE”. The simplest way to accomplish this section is, to first, sit down and create a list of jobs you’ve held.

• Gather together the company names, addresses and telephone numbers.
• Create a list of your three primary functions/duties on each job.

Your last section should consist of a list of (and should be titled) your “EDUCATION”.

• Gather the names of schools, technical or vocational colleges, universities you’ve attended;
• The address for each;
• The subject in which you majored (your primary area of study);
• The degree (if any) you earned.

You now have your one page resume! That’s right! A resume is really just a brief, concise list of information about what you have to offer the organization at which you wish to apply for a position!

Your cover letter should be a brief letter to the employer in which you introduce yourself and the intent of your mailing. (It should be brief and to-the-point!)

Step 2

Never under-estimate the power of a first impression: Look your best and speak your best. What does this mean?

The interview is where the action happens. What action? The process of being assessed/evaluated. The employer is going to not only want to know that you can do the job. The employer is going to want to know that . . .

• You are personable (can get along well with others)
• Are not going to offend anyone with your unusual manner of dress, or lack of responsible personal hygiene,
• Are not going to bring a negative, “Murphy’s Law” attitude to the job (“if it can go wrong, it will.”)
• So, YOUR job is going to be to:
• Look fresh and clean,
• well-groomed, (if you’re a guy, no long, scraggly hair on your head or your face)
• If you’re a girl, no heavy make-up or wild hairdos,
• (and unless you are applying for a job as a stripper) be conservatively dressed.
• Do not speak badly of anyone . . . especially not a previous employer! (Remember, the person interviewing you is your potential employer and is not going to want to think that you would speak badly of him/her!)

Step 3

Remember that how you speak reveals who you are: Earlier, I mentioned Murphy’s Law. Your prospective employer is going to want to know that you are a positive thinker. Our words are merely our thoughts spoken aloud.

• Say nothing bad about anyone! Represent yourself and others in a positive light.
• It should be needless to say, use no foul language of any kind.
• If you’re asked whether or not you have any flaws or downfalls, you will be obliged to speak of at least one negative, past experience. Just be certain to make this experience one that you learned from and to include the important lesson that you learned as a result of the negative past job experience!
• Be personable. This means, even though this is going to be a somewhat stressful experience, be as relaxed as possible. Smile from time-to-time while speaking.
• Be a good listener. If you need to ask to have a question repeated, don’t be afraid to do so. Your prospective employer will understand that this is a somewhat stressful experience for you.
• Don’t be afraid to blow-your-own-horn! If you don’t, no one will! When you’re asked for your strengths, state two or three of them proudly!

Step 4

Don’t bombard the employer with information: You may have wondered why I didn’t include the providing of references along with the resume and cover letter. That is because too many job candidates make the mistake of saturating the prospective employer with too much information. Some helpful ways to avoid this pitfall are to:

• Have at least three personal (and unless you’re new to the job market) at least two professional references, their addresses and phone numbers written down and in your pocket or briefcase, so that you will be able to provide these upon request if you are asked.
• Be direct: don’t beat around the bush. Make sure that your responses during the interview are to-the-point. Being too detailed can wrongly imply dishonesty.

Step 5

Display respect, consideration and proper ettiquette: Remember that a prospective employer is, above all, a human being who gets tired just like everyone else. There are a couple of things you can do to show your appreciation of his/her time taken out of their busy schedule to fit you into it!

• Once the interview is concluded, shake hands, look directly into the employer’s eyes, smile and say “thank you.”
• If you’ve just been interviewed by more than one individual, do this with each individual involved in your interview.
• Make certain that you were aware of each interviewer’s name at the start of your interview so that you will be able to immediately write and mail a cordial “thank you” card to each person immediately following your interview. Mention in your card how proud you would be to represent their organization.

Getting that job doesn’t have to be a daunting experience! If you include the above steps you can rest assured that you will have better than a fair and square shot at it! Remember . . . if you can DREAM it, you can ACHIEVE it!