From the course: Writing a Resume

How to use a resume during an interview

From the course: Writing a Resume

How to use a resume during an interview

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- How many in-person interviews will accompany conduct in order to fill an open position? There is no single answer to that question, but in most cases, it is less than 10. So this is great news if you were chosen for an interview. It means odds are very good that you could be hired. So what do you do to increase those odds? First, be prepared. I know, I sound like a broken record, but you can never be too prepared for an interview. Review your résumé, not just your general résumé, but the customized résumé you created which helped you get the job interview. It can get confusing with several different versions of your résumé floating around, so be prepared by knowing exactly what it is you have on that particular résumé the interviewer will have in their hands. Know the skills you listed that are particularly important for this specific job. Have examples ready of how you use those skills. Direct the interviewer to sections of the résumé they might overlook. Explain why the skills, achievements, and volunteer work you have chosen to include is relevant. And don't shy away from trouble spots on your résumé. Gaps, short term jobs, or lack of experience with a particular skill, put a positive spin on them. Second, be careful not to use the résumé to get in the door and then contradict yourself in the interview. Practice what you're going to say and ensure what you say aligns with what is written. I once had a candidate meet with me who during the interview completely contradicted what was in her résumé. I asked her why she would give me a résumé that shows one thing when she really wants a completely different type of job? She explained that after speaking to me, she realized she really didn't want to do that type of work anymore. So, I advised her to go home and rethink her career, get clear with what she wanted and then revise her résumé. Third, don't waste the interviewer's time, but most importantly, don't waste yours. It takes time, lots of effort, and money spent on transportation to go on an interview, why bother if it's not what you want? Be honest with yourself. If you can't articulate why this is the perfect job for you, the interview will not go well. Have a solid reason for being there other than, I need the money. And if you're not a 100% excited about the prospect of working there, it will show in the interview. Fourth, be confident in your abilities. Don't worry about being overqualified or underqualified. If the interviewer didn't think you could be a good fit, they wouldn't have taken the time to invite you in to interview. Study show that women in particular have a tough time with this, but I have interviewed my fair share of men, and they seem to struggle with this too. A good example, or maybe in this case, a bad example of just how easily a lack of confidence can ruin your chances of getting the job is with this particular candidate who had a résumé that met all of the requirements of the job and seemed at least on paper, that she would be a great fit. I started with a phone screen in order to check a few facts on her résumé, starting with the biggest requirement of the job, which was using a particular software and managing others in the process of customizing and implementing it. One of the first questions I ask is about her use of the software and her level of skill on a scale of one to 10. And she tells me she's a six, a six! So, while she continues talking, I stopped listening. I'm questioning my skills as a recruiter, I'm wondering why I called this person in the first place? And I start scanning her résumé again, and then I see it. She's had almost a decade of experience, using, developing, and customizing the software. So I stop her mid-sentence and I asked her if it's true that she actually has this experience? I asked her about her use of the software and she proceeds to spend five minutes detailing all of the things she's done. So, I stop her again and I asked her why on earth she would rate herself as six, when it sounds like she could easily rate herself a 10? And she was silent. She finally said, you know, I have no idea. I can't believe I did that. I couldn't believe it either, lucky for this woman, I chose to dig a little deeper, but you can't count on that happening for you. There is no point in crafting your résumé to showcase your best self if you end up sabotaging yourself in the interview. In the job search process, you don't always get a second chance. So, make sure you don't need one by being prepared every step of the way.

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