How to Search for a Job and Ace the Interview Process

A lot of us want to get a new job but we don't try hard enough. Job search is a process just like losing weight or running a marathon. Know what you want.

Steps

1. Decide what you don't like about your current job and write it down. Read this list every morning. This will be a key motivator to look for a new job and it will set a criteria of what you want and don't want in your next job.
2. Update your resume. Spell check it and have it read by at least 2 or 3 friends. Let them point out errors and fix the resume. Ask them to be constructive.
3. Boost your own confidence. Tell yourself getting the right job is a 4 to 6 months process ( it will keep you less frustrated if you don't get a job right away).
4. Post your resume on major career websites. See the external links for suggestions. Set up a search agent from these websites.
5. Make an application goal. Apply for a minimum number of jobs every day. For instance, you might choose to apply for 6 jobs a day which match your closest interests. If you can't find 6 jobs in your field, find a close match and apply.
6. Apply for jobs looking at the minimum requirements. Sometimes employers ask for unrealistic qualifications, however if you apply you might hear from them still as they realize they were asking too much.
7. Apply to same job or in a same company every few days. Employers like to see the same resume 3 to 4 times. It shows enthusiasm and motivation.
8. Do your background research. Once you have an interview:
   • Research the company and specifically the business unit or department. Get as much background information as you can get.
   • Research the people who are interviewing you (use the internet search engines). You will be surprised how soon you find something about them. If you don't find anything, try Linkedin. It is a career networking site were a lot of professionals register themselves.
9. Prepare for the most tricky questions and write down the answers before you go for an interview. Key questions often asked include:
   • What are your weaknesses?
   • Why do want to work for so and so company?
   • Tell me something about yourself.
   • What are your strengths?
   • Tell us what our company or agency is all about - What is our purpose/product/service?
10. Be savvy about phone interviews. If it is a phone interview, it's usually with a PR person who knows very little about the position and technical terms related to a specific job. Make sure to use keywords and buzzwords while answering questions because you are trying to paint a picture with words, since the interviewer has no visual clues of you. Do this and you will pass the phone interview.
11. Be punctual. Always arrive early for a personal interview.
12. Be neat. Look your best. Always wear a suit. Have your shoes shined.
13. Be inquisitive. Do ask questions and write down the responses.
14. Be polite. After the interview, do not forget to send customized thank you note or email.
15. Be persistent. Keep interviewing. The more you interview, the better you become at it.

Tips

• On each interview, bring a nicely typed up brief list of items that you want to make sure you bring up during the interview - A top-10 list you might say. Keep list in front of you. Try to work some of these points into your responses. For example, if you are certified in something that applies, make sure you mention this. If you are an excellent listener or communicator, make sure you mention this. Use these items where they fit...but don't over do it. This is the list of things that you would otherwise say "I wish I had mentioned that...".
• Don't take rejection personally. Reason for not getting a job is typically a better qualified candidate was chosen. Stay in the game...Keep swinging...Each interview increases your chances of landing a new job.
• After each interview, debrief yourself. Afterwards, try to see yourself from a "fly-on-the-wall" perspective. Be objective. Ask yourself what you did wrong, what you did right, what you could have done better, how you could have made a better impression, what questions were difficult to answer, etc. Quickly write these things down. Research and/or think about areas where your answers could have been better. Review these notes before your next interview. You will be surprised at how much better you perform in each successive interview.
• Don't rely on spell checkers or your own editing alone. Make sure to do the reading manually and through your friends or trusted colleagues. A spell checker will not pick up on word sense, nuances and ill-formed sentences. Your friends will be better at pointing out where more clarity is required.
• Be early for the interview. Try to be 15 to 20 minutes early. Use any wait time to review your notes. Being late or just barely on time tends to cause stress and it can show during the interview.
• Allow extra time for finding a parking place. It can sometimes be challenging to find a parking place at an unfamiliar site. Bring quarters to load up the parking meter if parking meters apply.
• If asked about something you know nothing or very little about, it's better to say what you know and then be honest and say something like "This is not my strongest area...but I'm very willing to learn."
• Interviewers are sizing up your personality, deciding what type of team player you will be, evaluating your ability to learn and judging your character . It's not all about your level of technical knowledge. Someone who shows a positive personality and teamplayer qualities can have a big advantage over those who just show a technical side.
• Use your time during the interview wisely and efficiently. Be careful about going off on tangents and wasting valuable time. An hour-long interview can go by really fast. Try to be efficient in the words and thoughts that you express. Try to leave 10 to 15 minutes at the end for your questions and so you can diplomatically size them up as well. Bring a wrist watch to help you keep track of time.
• If you are asked a question that can consume a lot of time, efficiently state what is most important. Then say "I can go into a lot more detail on this if you like." Many times the interviewers will say "No...that's OK...you did well on that." They have a business schedule to keep also and want to be careful that the interview time is not squandered.
• Many interviewers like to ask a question towards the end such as "What three adjectives best describe you?" Be prepared to answer such a question.
• Many State jobs, county jobs, federal government jobs and private sector jobs require drug testing. This can be accomplished by a urinalysis test or by cutting a small strand of your hair and sending it to a lab for analysis. The hair-strand approach can detect drug usage from months ago because of the internal molecular structure of your hair. If you are taking illegal drugs, be advised and consider ways to stop. If you are taking legal pharmaceutical prescriptions, write these down on the form that you sign so the lab will understand the situation. The form has a place for this information.
• Find a balance between stating your good qualities but not coming across as someone who is bragging about themselves.