Professional Job Application Preparation
Professional Preparation to Land your Dream Job - Job Application Preparation
I have been working with one of my clients now for almost a year. She recently identified an advertisement for her dream job and when I looked at the Job Description I agreed that the position could have been designed with her in mind. She didn’t rest on her laurels though and in fact, I have never seen anyone prepare to apply for a position as well as she had. She did everything she could possibly have done to show how well she was a perfect fit for this role.
So what did she do that impressed me so much?
Tip #1: Selectiveness. She hasn’t applied for every position that has come up. She was incredibly selective and chose to apply herself to a position that she really felt like she was capable of getting. She hasn’t responded to every Easy Apply she has seen on LinkedIn and she has done her research on possible companies that she would like to work for.
Tip #2: Social Media. She LinkedIn with relevant people from the company and started to follow them on Social Media. She became aware of the people who had done the job in the past and was able to glean important information from them.
Tip #3: Application. When it came to submitting her initial application, she took a lot of time to research the company and really understand the Mission, Vision and Values. She read the financial report and understood everything the company stood for. Therefore, in addition to having a perfectly tailored CV & Cover Letter ready, she was able to answer all the Application Questions relevantly. She employed me to help her discuss her answers and think about what the audience wanted to hear. We used the CARL Method (Context, Action, Results, Learnings) to answer every scenario based question meaning the recipients got a full and complete response to their offerings. She put a lot of effort into applying for this position and ultimately it ensured that she got an interview.
Tip #4: Mock Interview. For the initial interview she had to undertake a standard panel interview. For this we brainstormed the structure and potential questions based on a standard interview practice. She went off and researched the company in even more detail than she already had, meaning that she was able to answer very detailed questions about the company and the position for which she was applying. Knowing that the Financial Director was on the panel, meant that we prepared to be quizzed on financial experience and performance. This is a great tip – know your audience and prepare for the kind of questions you would expect to receive from somebody in their field! Two days before the interview we then conducted a Mock Interview from start to finish before she received my feedback at the end with some small areas to improve upon. This was great practice because when she had finished the interview she did say that the panel had gone easier on her than I had!
Tip #5: Learn. In preparation for the actual face to face interview she went away and relearned everything that she had written in the initial application form. This is important because when a company uses an ATS system to recruit from, it is very likely that rather than having your CV in front of them, they will have your full application. This can form the basis of the interview questions. In addition to this, obviously relearn what you have in your CV and Cover Letter – it is even better if you can have a copy of each in front of you in the interview. If you have a portfolio, or a project case study that may back up something you have prepared for in the application or you suspect will come up at interview, it’s a great idea to take that along with you also.
Tip #6: Round 2 Interviews. Her Round 2 interview was to give a presentation on a specific topic to the same panel. The Presentation Specifications were not super clear so she went back to them for some clarifications. Don’t feel like you can’t do this – it shows initiative and thought. With the clarifications in mind she chose a Real Life Case Study to back up the theoretical nature of the presentation. This is an excellent way of making a dry topic come to life. This meant that rather than simply demonstrating the theory she was able to produce real examples, case studies, photographs and financials. She used her past experience to help her to demonstrate her ability but at the same time she used the company to which she was applying as her example – making her look informed and ready to start the new position. She prepared her presentation in powerpoint using the company standard template and graphics and she submitted it to the company 24 hours in advance of her presentation slot. In addition, she printed it off into a booklet and took that along with her.
I have never seen anyone put so much effort into applying for a position and her effort was so well targeted she couldn’t help but be invited to interview. Her dedication and enthusiasm was so clear and I couldn’t have been prouder of her efforts.
What have you been doing wrong?
How many of you are guilty of just sending out applications left, right and centre without actually researching the company to which you are applying? How many of you know that you don’t really meet the criteria but you’ll just apply anyway? How many of you are applying for things and not even remembering what you’ve applied for? How many of you feel like you are never receiving responses to your applications? Is it possible that you just aren’t targeting your efforts enough? If you have found a position that you really want, why not get in touch and we can go through the process you might want to take to help you land your dream job? Email me on: yourconsultant@candehrconsultancy.com