How to get hired
Ai is currently (and rather proudly, in this economy) hiring a few more hands for a busy spring season. We have several jobs posted and have heard from hundreds of people in the past few weeks. We’ve seen many good resumes and have a full slate of interviews this week.
Unfortunately, we’ve also heard from many people who are, to put it bluntly, doing it wrong. As our dear friend Loren has attested, few things about job placement are worse than misdirected or inappropriate contact. So I’ve made a short guide to getting one’s foot in the door properly–and what it takes to do it right. Here’s your 10-point plan for getting a job:
- Read the job posting twice. If you’ve found a good job and are questioning whether you’re a good fit, sit on it. Leave your browser for an hour, then come back and read the want ad. The right jobs will become obvious. Those are the ones you should reply to.
- Follow instructions. If the ad asks for a cover letter, write one. If it asks about foosball proficiency, as one of ours famously did, mention it. This is your first deliverable: get it right.
- Do your homework. Googling a company takes minutes and gives you a huge advantage. More than once we’ve been swayed to interview a candidate based on a love of dogs and an appreciation of Jack. One guy even sent us a photo of his dog. (We met him, too.)
- Customize. Write a cover letter that speaks to the position you’re replying to. A resume geared toward the position helps, too.
- Don’t spray and pray. I have received any number of responses to our IA position–a targeted, talent-focused role–from IT executives, software developers and designers. This position is wrong for all of them. “Getting the resume in front of the hiring manager” doesn’t work, because I’m not filing good resumes away for future reference; I’m marking them as not doing #1 on this list.
- Don’t be pushy. Related to #5. Why did I receive 11 calls from placement firms when our ad says, “No recruiters, please?” Because they all believe in the no-no above. Sorry, guys, but we made our preferences explicit, and all you’re doing is ignoring our request.
- Be respectful. Showing up a few minutes early for an interview is a great first impression (and at Ai, it often means we’ll start early, too). If you’re running late or have to cancel, call us–we’re people too, and we understand. Standing us up or rolling in late is much worse.
- Ask good questions. Everyone likes to feel like they’re interesting, and interviewers are no exception. Don’t you want to know more about our company? Our client types? What all those photos on the orange wall are for? Immerse yourself and show us you want in.
- Be thankful. Not grateful, silly; just send a thank-you note. A few sentences in an email is plenty. Just let us know that you’re paying attention and you’re still interested. It’s not a decision-maker, but it adds to our overall impression.
- Smile. Enough said.
Ai
Re: #7, it does not make a good impression if you come super early either. You would not show up forty minutes early for a dinner party – the same goes for a job interview. It is just common courtesy. Suggestions if you find yourself early: relax, mentally prepare for the interview, walk around the neighborhood to see if it’s a place you’d enjoy working, review history/facts about the company. Showing up super early can only lead to a scramble and a potentially annoyed, distracted and rushed interviewer.
If memory serves correct, Ms. Leslie was almost 2 hours early for her interview and here we are over a year later :).