Tips for a good job application and interview.

WHILE my content typically surrounds mental health, I was asked to address this topic by a reader who has been unable to gain employment for a few months. He shared his frustration and asked me to give some tips as to what he may be doing wrong. I have not seen his resume or attended his interviews; however, I can still provide guidelines that will help you stand out from the rest of potential candidates.
I recently became a Human Resources Director for a logistics company. This means I was trained in screening resumes, choosing ideal candidates, and conducting interviews. I will be telling you all, very honestly and straightforwardly, what urged and deterred me from hiring individuals. Please keep in mind that this is just my opinion and not every employer may agree.

First, let us start with your resume/ application.
I strongly advise there be a profile section at the top of your resume. This is a short biography and should include your age and gender, your number of years in the applied field and how many certifications (and a brief description of them) that you have. It should also include whether you are currently employed as well as whether you have attached any references. When I see a resume like this, I automatically put it into the “A candidates” pile as I did not have to search through pages and pages for basic information. Employers have hundreds of resumes to go through, the less information we have to look for, the better. Your job history, duration, experience, and qualifications are to be expanded on below within your resume.

Avoid any possible spelling mistakes or grammatical errors like shortened words or slang of any kind. Triple check it to ensure these are not present. It helps to print out your resume before as you may catch spelling mistakes on paper that you did not on your screen.
Very important tip: your current or most recent employment should be at the top of your resume. When I see a resume that starts with a candidate’s first job and goes all the way down to their current, I immediately think the process has been made more difficult for me. Employers do not want to (firstly) see what your first job was at 18.
Visually space out your information- maybe by bullet points of some form. When there is a large page of mass text without proper spacing, it is very rarely properly read through. Also, please avoid small written fonts/ texts, especially on documents that are not able to be edited. I would not even bother to struggle to read a resume if I have a whole pile in front of me.
Do not add too many details about your hobbies and interests unless they are relevant to the job. For example, if you are applying to be a chef and you volunteer cooking food for the homeless- that is a good thing. However, if you are applying as an accountant, I don’t need to know that you enjoy cricket.

Lastly, do not lie on your resume. I have done many interviews where I have asked people small details about their experiences and certificates, and they did not know how to answer. It is better to say that you are willing to do what is necessary than lie and say you have already done it. Either way, your employer will find out in the long run, and it will ruin your credibility.

Okay, so your resume was chosen and you have an interview scheduled. What now? The first one I should not even have to mention, but you would be surprised at how many people need to hear this- ALWAYS show up at least 10 minutes before your interview. There is literally no excuse good enough for being late. If you cannot make the interview and reschedule the day before, it’s not ideal but it’s okay. But showing up late, even if you message 10 minutes prior, stating a “good enough reason” for being late, you will not be considered a good candidate before you even walk through the door. Plan for every possible hurdle- rain, traffic, finding a baby-sitter- whatever it may be. Make sure you have catered enough time for any scenario to possibly take longer than it typically does.
Be properly attired. It does not matter what job you are applying for; professional attire is still proper business etiquette for interviews. First impressions are vital.
Always walk into an interview with knowledge about the company. It is very frustrating to have to explain what the company does or the job description that you have applied for! It is a waste of time for the employers and shows a complete lack of interest and initiative in a candidate. If you do not know the company, I do not even finish the interview.

Sometimes candidates are asked questions that they assume are for confusion or nervousness. But there is a simple method of answering these questions. How many have you heard these? “Tell me about a time when you had to show leadership?” “Tell me about a time where you had to overcome stress in the workplace?” etc. Don’t let it scare you- use the simple STAR method to respond. Tell stories with a clear Situation, Task, Action and Result. Meaning, expand a bit on the situation, what you believe was the task required, what action (s)you took and what the result was.

Ask questions! The best kind, for example, if you know the company is working on a specific project, ask how it is going and even better- make recommendations- you’d be listed as an A candidate.
This one may sound harsh but do not come in with what we call a “sob story.” These are personal reasons why you may need the job. When candidates do this, some employers actually feel that you may be a burden to the company. For example, if you tell your desired employers that you need this job because you have children or parents to take care of, most of the time, all they hear is that you have dependants that will take attention off your work OR that you may require a lot of time off. The least amount of personal details you give, the better.
Another thing, be respectful to the entire company, we notice whether you say hi to our janitors or secretaries.
While in the interview, pay attention to your body language. For example -always look your interviewer in the eye. I have cut interviews short because the candidate did not look me in the eye while answering my questions. I understand that some people are shy but you need to find a way to step out of your comfort zone, because companies will not hire people if they believe will be uncomfortable with having basic one-on-one conversations. Also, sit up straight – we can tell whether someone will work hard just based on their posture in an interview.
If you are asked a difficult question, it is okay to say you do not know the answer or to take some time to develop a clear and concise one. Nothing is worse than unclear rambling.

Try your best not to insult your current job or your most recent employer. It can backfire and seem like you are difficult to please and not able to maintain healthy work relationships; insulting anyone in an interview is a no-no!
Prepare some interesting questions to ask your potential employer, but do not ask about salary or vacation in your first interview. This is usually discussed during an offer interview. If salary was not advertised right off the bat, there is a reason. This could be dependent on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, working hours, etc. Unless you are made an offer or you are asked directly what kind of salary you are expecting, do not bring it up.
Also, if you are asked cliché questions, do not give cliché answers. For example, if you are asked what you believe your biggest weakness is, employers actually like to see self-awareness and evaluation. But when you give the typical answer that you think the interviewer wants to hear, it can backfire. For example, when people tell me “Perfectionism is my biggest weakness”- all I determine is that this person cannot multi-task and they take a long time to do a basic task.

I hope this has been helpful and that you all get a role you desire!
Please feel free to email any questions or topics to caitlinvieira@gmail.com. If you are interested in private counselling, please contact me at +592 623 0433

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