You Need More than Credentials
To Land Your Next Job
You walked into the interview with optimism because you met every criterion listed on the application, and then some.The interviewer seemed as enthusiastic about talking to you as you were to speaking with them. You left with confidence that you aced the interview after being assured that your credentials were great.
To your surprise, the phone call you got two days later was not good news. You did not get the job. Your ego was deflated,and your mind frustrated. Get over your disappointment and prepare for the next rejection because rejection is the path to your next job.
Beyond Credentials
We live in a world that is highly credentialed. Unless you are in the high paying medical profession, low paying home care profession, construction, or computer security, your profession is not in high demand. Your qualifications will be stacked against several other applicants with similar credentials. Only one of you will get the offer.
The most important response to a rejection is to find more jobs to apply for. The more jobs you apply for, the more opportunities you have to land a job. Do not limit yourself to location. Your dream job may not be in your neighborhood or your state. Your task is to keep getting interviews. You can always say no to a job offer, but say yes to all relevant applications.
Beyond Your Control
No matter how you show up, your odds of getting the job are close to zero more often than you realize. While private businesses can hire whomever they want and whenever they want, many public industries have strict policies around hiring. They may be required to interview people even though they already know who they will hire. You were selected to validate their process.
Sometimes, companies look for a person who will balance out their work team. They may take someone with less experience who is likely to add different value because of their background.
Perhaps speaking Spanish was not a requirement, but it is a helpful resource on any team. Someone with five years of experience who is proficient in Spanish may be more fitting than an English only speaker with 8 years of experience.
Similarly, you may be competing with people who have the same number of years of experience, but their experience may be more diversified. The point is that every interview is competition.
If you have not been recruited for a position, your odds are only 50% if there is only one other competitor. If three people interview,your odds decrease to 33%, and 25% if four people interview.
You should not be overly optimistic about any interview. But, you should be optimistic about being hired if you land 20 interviews. Each rejection brings you closer to your odds of the yes.
In spite of the odds of each specific interview, approach it like the yes. Help the company see beyond your credentials.
Personally Yours
You have skills beyond your work credentials. Figure out how to bring them into the conversation so the company gets to know you. I slip in that I’m a 4th-degree black belt, not because any company needs a martial artist, but because that achievement speaks to my discipline. I already know every applicant will have a Ph.D., based on the jobs I apply for, but there are few Ph.Ds. who are also martial artists.
Many personal attributes can be assets in the workplace but never show up on an application. Most jobs in the United States do not require a second language. Thank goodness, because most of us speak English only. However, every employer knows that having bilingual employees is an advantage. So, make sure you bring up your language skills in the interview.
Maybe you only speak one language, but you have extensive travel experience in other countries, which allows you to describe yourself as a culture connoisseur. It speaks to your ability to relate across cultures.
Bring up all of your unique personal attributes that represent discipline, diversity awareness, cooperation, independence, and critical thinking skills outside of the work context as well as within the job description. Don’t spend all of your energy showing them that you qualify. They already know that by looking at your resume. Your qualifications got you the interview. Your distinction as a human being will get you the job. Show them that you are the best person, thus, the best person for their team.
Position Yourself
If you can align your personal attributes with the people on the search committee, you may appear more compatible. Do a social media search on the company, the CEO, and whoever the position reports to. Believe me, they are checking your social media sites as well.
Play into what you find without making your prospective employer feel like they have been stalked. Look for their favorite sportsteam, educational background, hobbies,and advocacy work. However, these are touch points, not focal points. Don’t make your research obvious.
Do let the committee know that you have done your research about the company. Tell them what excites you about working there. Mention the size of the company and the scope of their work.
If the CEO has been in the position less than a year, make sure you touch on that knowledge, maybe even congratulate them if the opportunity arises. You are showing a strong interest when you share your knowledge about the unique aspects of the company.
Squash the Competition
Don’t second guess yourself. You know your skills, you know the company, and you know as much as you can about the people. Relax, you can’t play your cards and the competition’s hand at the same time. So, don’t try to outdo the competition.
Try to outdo the search committee’s idea of the ideal candidate. Give them the unexpected. Bring one good idea to improve the company to the interview. Make sure the idea presents you as a forward thinker, but not an authoritarian looking to take over. Show that you are a problem solver but not a critic.
When the interviewers ask you what makes you the best candidate for the job, be mindful not to criticize other candidates. Instead, take a risk to reflect on what the interviewer should be looking for from a candidate.
Tell them how you are the best candidate for the job based on the company’s needs. Do not limit yourself to the job description. This is your opportunity to show them that you understand the job, not just the application.
Back to the Odds
The higher you advance in your career, the stiffer the competition. Landing a professional job could take a year because there are fewer jobs to apply for. Keeping career advancement top of mind can give you an advantage.
Start applying for jobs while you are in good standing at your current job. You don’t need to be unhappy to job search, and you are more likely to exude confidence when you are looking for options. Instead of desperately seeking employment to pay bills, you are looking to build a career.
Don’t bang your head against the wall or beat yourself up over rejections. The higher your tolerance for rejection, the more risks you are going to take. The more risks you take, the higher your chance of landing a dream job.
References
Hund, H. (2017). I Learned the Secret of Interviewing and Got More Job Offers. Medium. Retrieved July 1, 2019. https://medium.com/better-humans/i-learned-the-secret-to-interviewing-and-got-5-times-more-job-offers-61bf5b3256b0
Nova, A. (2018). 10 In-Demand Jobs that Don’d Draw Enough Applicants. CNBC. Retrieved June 30, 2019. 10-in-demand-jobs-that-dont-draw-enough-applicants.html
Papandrea, D. (2018). How Long You Should Stay at a Job. Business Insider. Retrieved July 1, 2019). https://www.businessinsider.com/career-experts-share-how-long-you-should-stay-at-a-job-2018-5
