| Have you been on more interviews than you can | | | | at your resume, and think abut how it consistently it |
| count lately? While it is very encouraging to get called | | | | reflects what you tell employers in an interview. |
| and invited to interview for a job that interests you, it | | | | If your resume states that your career objective is to |
| can become very frustrating when the interviews | | | | seek an entry-level sales position, and you proceed to |
| never evolve into job offers. While many people tend | | | | tell the interviewer that you have no interest in working |
| to blame their resumes when they don't get the jobs | | | | in sales and that you are terrified at the prospect of |
| they want, their resumes aren't always the problem. If | | | | making a cold call, you can bet that this type of |
| you are getting invited to interview on the basis of | | | | inconsistency is going to keep you from getting the job |
| your resume, the document isn't likely to be the culprit. | | | | offer. Further, it is likely to keep you from ever getting |
| After all, you are getting called in for the interviews, the | | | | any type of offer from the company because the |
| resume itself must look pretty good. | | | | recruiter will not be happy that you wasted his or her |
| It is important to understand that you aren't likely to get | | | | time applying for a job that you did not want to start |
| every single job for which you interview. Some jobs | | | | with. |
| are meant for you and some jobs are not. However, | | | | Another common problem occurs when what your |
| when you habitually get overlooked when it comes to | | | | resume says about your work experience contradicts |
| job offers, or even second interviews, it is a good time | | | | what you say in an interview. Recent graduates often |
| to step back and try to figure out where you have | | | | put internships and volunteer work on their resumes as |
| room to improve. You might just be having a string of | | | | documentation of experience, yet tell interviewers they |
| bad luck, but there might be something going on that | | | | don't have any experience in the field. Does your |
| you can fix pretty easily. | | | | resume show that you completed an internship in a |
| In such situations, the problem typically is either a | | | | doctor's office and list the tasks that you performed |
| function of (a) your interviewing skills or (b) | | | | during your internship? If so, when a recruiter asks you |
| inconsistency between what your resume says and | | | | if you have experience, are you going to say "no" just |
| what you are saying in the interview. | | | | because it wasn't paid experience? If so, you are quite |
| Interviewing Skills | | | | literally shooting yourself in the foot. |
| The best way to assess your interviewing skills is to | | | | Fixing the Problem |
| seek out the assistance of someone you can trust to | | | | When you keep getting interviews, but you never |
| give you an honest opinion of how you come across | | | | seem to get the job offers that you want, it is time to |
| in an interview. Set up a mock-interview situation with | | | | reflect on how prepared you are for your interviews. |
| a friend that you trust to be honest with you. | | | | Preparing for an interview is homework. In order to do |
| Better yet, apply with an employment agency or visit | | | | well in a job interview, you need to research the |
| your local one-stop career center. Let the recruiter or | | | | company and the requirements of the job and figure |
| job developer you meet with know that you are | | | | out how you are coming across to interviewers. |
| concerned with how you are coming across to | | | | Make a list of the questions you were asked on your |
| prospective employers. A good recruiter or job | | | | last interview, and really put some thought into how the |
| developer will gladly work with you to polish your | | | | questions should be answered. Get feedback from |
| interviewing techniques. After all, their goal is to help | | | | other people about your answers. This will help you |
| match applicants with jobs. Getting you placed will be | | | | figure out the best way to respond to similar questions |
| their victory just as much as it is yours. | | | | in the future. |
| Inconsistency Between Resume and Responses | | | | Remember that getting a job offer as the result of an |
| Do not lose sight of the fact that your resume is | | | | interview is like closing the sale. You resume got you |
| getting interviews for you. Something that your resume | | | | the appointment. Now you have to figure out what it is |
| is "saying" appeals to prospective employers. If it didn't, | | | | that you have to do differently during the appointments |
| they wouldn't be inviting you to interview. Take a look | | | | to get the end result that you want. |