Why you are the best candidate for the job: Why Are You The Best Candidate For This Job?

The Hiring Manager’s Guide to Hiring the Right Person – Business Guides

By Adam Bryant

Illustrations by Antoine Corbineau

Over the course of speaking with almost 500 leaders for my weekly “Corner Office” series, I’ve asked every one of them, “How do you hire?” Their answers are always insightful because after years of interviewing countless job candidates, they’ve learned the best approaches to help them get right to the core of who a candidate is and how he or she will work with a team. Learn the strategies these chief executives have developed through trial and error to help you go beyond the polished résumés, pre-screened references and scripted answers, to hire more creative and effective members for your team. And if you’re on the other side of the job hunt, you can gain insight on what your interviewer is really looking for in a candidate.

Avoid the Standard Job Interview

Use these basic principles to avoid the common pitfalls of the interview.

A typical job interview is little more than a social call with some predictable choreography. A conference-room meeting, a pristine résumé and the standard questions: Where do you want to be in five years? What do you consider your biggest failure? What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Add in some small talk — maybe the candidate and the interviewer have something in common, like an alma mater or an acquaintance from an earlier job — and that’s largely it. The candidate seems good, and the references check out. So an offer is made, and fingers are crossed that everything works out.

Then, a month later, the new hire misses an important deadline or starts complaining about the work. Cue that sinking feeling: You start wondering if hiring this person was a mistake.

Of course there’s a better way. Here are three principles that can help you hire the right person:

1. Be creative. Every candidate will be prepared for commonplace interview questions. Find new ways to truly understand how a person thinks.
2. Be challenging. Put the candidate in situations where they are more likely to show their true selves.
3. Allow your employees to help. You are not the only person who is going to have to work with this candidate. There is likely already a team of employees you trust that will have to interact with him or her every day. Their opinion should matter.

Get Away From Your Desk

You’ll have a much better sense of your candidate if you get them out from behind a desk and watch how they behave.

The Goal

“I can get a really good sense of whether I want to be working with somebody when I walk them through the place.” —Patty Stonesifer, chief executive of Martha’s Table. 

As you’re sizing up job candidates, there are two key qualities to check for:

• Is the person genuinely interested in the work of the organization?
• Do they treat people as equals, regardless of their title?

If you take them out of the office or conference room to see how they interact with others, you’ll get a better sense of their personality.

Take Them On a Tour

Stay in the building and show the candidates around your company, and maybe introduce them to some colleagues.Things to pay attention to:

• Are they asking questions about what everybody does and how things work?
• Are they curious?
• Do they treat everyone they meet with respect, and show interest in what they do?

For Patty Stonesifer, who now runs Martha’s Table, a Washington nonprofit, the tour is a key test for any job candidate.

“I can get a really good sense of whether I want to be working with somebody when I walk them through the place,” said Ms. Stonesifer, a former top Microsoft executive who also ran the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for years. “I’ll stop and introduce them to a half-dozen people, and see if it’s just a handshake or whether there’s some curiosity and interest.” 

Share A Meal

Take a candidate out for lunch or dinner. Going to a restaurant will reveal all sorts of clues about someone. For many leaders, this is the most important part of the interview process.

The key is to watch whether the candidate is considerate of others — an essential quality of effective team players.

Things to pay attention to:

• Are they polite to everyone who is serving them?
• Do they look people in the eye (a sign of respect)?
• Are they irritated or flustered by problems?
• Can they keep a conversation going, with smart questions?
• Do they barrel through the restaurant, or let others go first?

“You learn so much in a meal,” said Carol Smith, the publisher of Harper’s Bazaar. “It’s like a little microcosm of life.”

The candidate’s personality comes out during a meal, providing answers to key tests for Ms. Smith: “Are you going to connect with us? Are you going to be part of the team, or are you going to be one of these independent players who wants to take all the credit? Are you good with assistants?”

Throw Some Curveballs

Unusual questions will get candidates to open up and provide insights into what makes them tick.

The Goal

“I think if someone is self-aware, then they can always continue to grow. If they’re not self-aware, I think it’s harder for them to evolve or adapt beyond who they already are.” —Tony Hsieh, the C.E.O. of Zappos

Smart candidates will be prepared for all the usual interview questions, and will try to find clever ways to turn any negatives into positives, worried that any admission of weakness or vulnerability will count as a point against them. This strategy usually backfires with chief executives, since it makes a candidate seem less honest and trustworthy.

To get beyond the rehearsed answers, many executives have developed their own interview questions to better understand what a candidate is really like.

And we don’t mean brain-teaser questions like, “How many golf balls can you fit into an airplane?” Laszlo Bock, the former senior vice president of people operations at Google, said that while the company once used those types of questions, it ultimately decided that they were a complete waste of time. “They don’t predict anything,” Mr. Bock said. “They serve primarily to make the interviewer feel smart.”

Here are some unusual questions that will reveal a lot about a candidate:

Interview questions to ask

WHAT IS YOUR NATURAL STRENGTH?

A person’s natural strength is not about their current title or what they studied in college. It is a particular skill or ability that, for them, comes as naturally as breathing but that others may find difficult. Other ways to ask this question: If everybody is in the top 5 percent of the world at some skill, what is yours? Or what is your ninja skill?

WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL WOULD YOU BE? AND WHY?

This may strike you as silly, but the answer can tell you a lot, particularly when candidates explain why they chose a certain animal. If you want to test it before you use it in a job interview, try it out at your next dinner party.Ask enough people this question, and you’re likely to hear some surprising answers, and gain valuable insights that will tell you whether they’re right for the job. The chief executive who often asks this question, for example, says that if she’s hiring somebody for sales, she likes to hear a predator as the answer, like a lion. If somebody is going to be working in teams all the time, a social animal may be the right answer. The “why?” part of the answer will also tell you a lot about their level of self-awareness.

WHAT QUALITIES OF YOUR PARENTS DO YOU LIKE THE MOST?

We’re all influenced by our parents, often more than we’d like to admit. So it’s a good bet that the answers to this question will reveal a lot about the candidate. You can also ask how these qualities come out in their daily lives.One chief executive takes this question a step further and asks people about the qualities of their parents they like the least. (That may be a bit too heavy for some people, though.)

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST MISPERCEPTION PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT YOU?

The answers to this question will reveal candidates’ level of self-awareness. Do they know how they come across to others, even in ways that may not be a true reflection of who they are?This can also be a bit of a trick question, too, because what really matters is how people perceive you – in a sense, there is no such thing as misperception; in this context, perception is reality.Tony Hsieh, the chief executive of Zappos.com, uses this question often. Here’s what he’s listening for with this approach: “I think it’s a combination of how self-aware people are and how honest they are. I think if someone is self-aware, then they can always continue to grow. If they’re not self-aware, I think it’s harder for them to evolve or adapt beyond who they already are.”

More About Hiring

Get a Second — and Third — Opinion

Talking to other people about a candidate can help you confirm your perceptions or prove you wrong.

The Goal

“Well done is better than well said, and there’s no substitute for good referencing.” —Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania.

Even if you think you are the best judge of character, always take the time to get more opinions because we all have blind spots.

Tom Brady, who has been quarterback for the New England Patriots through seven Super Bowl visits and five championships, was only chosen in the sixth round of the N.F.L. draft, noted Brian Halligan, the chief executive of HubSpot. “I think people overestimate their ability to pick,” he said.

Make Them Run the Gantlet

To get different perspectives on candidates, ask a number of your colleagues to meet with them. They’ll spot things that nobody else sees.

“When we’re finished assessing whether someone has the skills we’re looking for and has the experience we’re looking for, we do something we call running the gantlet,” said Peter Miller, chief of OptiNose, a biopharmaceutical company.

Mr. Miller has job candidates interact with 15 or 20 people within the company, and each has what he calls a “blackball vote” to veto hiring any candidate. Ultimately the person you hire is going to interact with many people in your company, so they all have an interest in ensuring the person is a good hire.

Go Beyond References

It may take some effort, but with a little bit of internet sleuthing, you can probably find a couple of people you know, or whom your colleagues know, who have worked with the candidate. LinkedIn can also be a helpful resource in finding references for a candidate within your social network. Always do extra reference checks — not just the ones a candidate provides. Press those people for an unvarnished opinion about the person’s strengths and weaknesses, how the candidate performs under stress, how he or she treats their colleagues, and anything else that matters to your company.

Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania, often reminds colleagues not to place too much emphasis on interviews. “References, and what somebody has done, are more important than what somebody tells you in an interview. Well done is better than well said, and there’s no substitute for good referencing,” she says.

Push for Diversity

Hiring an innovative team starts with finding people who think differently.

The Goal

“I’m always looking for the opposite of what I am, for the most part.” —Lisa Borders, president of the WNBA.

Diversity matters for a lot of reasons. A crucial one is that it provides different perspectives for innovation, problem-solving and creativity.

For Douglas Merrill, chief executive of ZestFinance, diversity matters not because it makes his company look good, but because it truly helps his company. With so many industries facing disruption — and companies creating new playbooks for strategy rather than following old ones — you need as many different perspectives as possible to find the best solutions. “The more perspectives you have, the more likely you’re going to win,” he said. 

Getting Past Implicit Bias

Hiring a diverse team requires pushing through the implicit biases we all have — the ones that can lead people to hire “mini-me” versions of themselves. Removing implicit bias from your hiring process starts early on and should be addressed at every step.

Things to consider:

• Is your job description limiting you? A simple web-tool, textio, can help analyze the language you use in job descriptions to help attract the best candidates. Words like “ambitious” or “driven,” can be seen by female candidates as too masculine in a job description.
• Are you casting the net wide enough? Experience doing certain kinds of work is important, but sometimes people with unusual backgrounds will bring fresh eyes to the task at hand.
• Conduct an initial phone interview before you meet candidates in person. That way, initial impressions are more likely to be based on the content of their answer than their appearance.

Christopher Cabrera, the chief executive of Xactly, understands the challenge of inherent bias. Earlier in his career, he had to hire eight team members. When he was halfway through the process, his boss, who was African-American, pointed out that the first four hires were all white, 23-year-old men.

“I was so embarrassed because I certainly hadn’t done that on purpose,” Mr. Cabrera said. The lesson he learned was that we often just do what makes us comfortable.

“I distinctly remember [my boss] saying to me: ‘How interesting do you think your team meetings will be when you have 12 guys that are 23 years old, white, with the same background? Do you think that that’s really going to be a challenging and rich environment where you’re learning?’ And I just remember thinking: ‘Yeah, that’s crazy. Why would I want that?’ It really stuck with me.”

Lisa Borders, president of the Women’s National Basketball Association, said she focuses on diversity of skills in candidates.

“I’m always looking for the opposite of what I am, for the most part,” she said. “I think so many of us, because of unconscious bias, hire people who look just like us, who have the same skills that we do, to complement us. That’s not a complement at all. That’s a duplicate. So I am often looking for the person who can complement the skills I already have. ”

More on Hiring for Diversity

Assign Some Homework

See your candidates in action by giving them a small task to complete at home.

The Goal

“I often give the person a real problem, whatever I’m wrestling with right now, because you can learn a lot about a person that way,” —Jane Park, chief executive of Julep.

When you’re interviewing someone, you’re trying to get a sense of the answer to the question, “I wonder what it would be like to work with this person?”

So why not find out, instead of guessing?

In the ideal world, you’d be able to bring them on as a freelancer or a consultant, but that’s not realistic in a lot of cases. You can, however, give them some homework to see them in action. Not only will you get a sense of their work, but you’ll also find out how committed they are to working at your company, rather than just applying for jobs. In addition, writing samples will also give you a clear sense of how that person thinks and communicates. “

I often give the person a real problem, whatever I’m wrestling with right now, because you can learn a lot about a person that way,” said Jane Park, chief executive of Julep. “Are they going to be my partner and be able to see the strategic issue as well as how to execute on it? Are they interested and engaged and curious about it?”

Put Pen to Paper

Some suggested questions to ask a candidate to answer in writing:

• How do you plan to be successful in your first 100 days on the job?
• How would you describe yourself in 500 words?
• Write a proposal for a specific strategy to implement in the new role.

“I’ve found that there are so many biases that we create or imagine when we’re going through the hiring process — this person came from that school or they seem very polished, whatever the biases might be. But when you have them put pen to paper, and compare that against a field of candidates, you get a much clearer picture of how they think and work,” said Kris Duggan, chief executive of BetterWorks.

Don’t Set A Deadline

Allow your candidates to set the deadline for the homework you assign. This allows you to determine their work ethic and how well they manage their time.

Mr. Duggan asks candidates to set their own deadline and then tracks very closely how well they perform relative to that. “That’s one way we can test for their behavior: Do they get it done on time, or do they make excuses because it’s late?” he said.

Trust Your Instincts

If you have doubts about a candidate, figure out why.

Once you’ve been through the entire interviewing process, and followed most of the suggestions above, you have to make a decision. What so many executives have told me is that they’ve sometimes made the mistake of not listening to the doubts they had about the person they were interviewing.

“What I’ve found from all the interviews I’ve done in the last 10 years is that whatever nagging suspicion you have during the interview process about their behavior will be magnified 10 times after you hire them,” said Mr. Duggan of BetterWorks.

It’s always a tricky balance in hiring. You may feel some pressure to fill the role quickly — the work has to be done, or you’re worried the slot may be taken away from you. So you may want to hire one of the first people you meet. On the other hand, you can’t wait forever, endlessly interviewing people to find that perfect candidate.

At some point, it’s a roll of the dice. Nobody has a perfect track record in hiring. But borrowing some of the strategies from all these chief executives should help improve your chances. 

Why Are You the Best Candidate?

Why Do Employers Ask This Question?

Hiring managers ask, “What makes you the best candidate for this job?” to determine whether you are a good fit for the role. They also may want you to describe skills and traits that help you stand out among other job seekers. With the proper response, you can convince interviewers that you are competent, capable, and can bring something to the role that no one else can.

How to Answer “Why Are You the Best Candidate?”

When replying to this question, offer detailed and relevant examples of your skills. Talk about past events that highlight your qualifications, and describe how you intend to apply those abilities to this new position. You can also list virtues and attributes that will benefit you in this field. Delivering a brief explanation in an upbeat and self-assured tone can make a great impression on your interviewer.

Responses to Avoid

Try to avoid comparing yourself to others when discussing what makes you the best candidate. Insulting remarks about your fellow applicants can come across as arrogant, negative, or rude. Also, steer clear of responses that overpromise results and set unrealistic expectations for your job performance.

Examples for Answering “Why Are You the Best Person for the Job?”

This question gives you a chance to wow potential employers with your passion and skill set. Use the following sample responses as a reference and guide as you prepare your own answer.

Sample Job 1 – Retail Worker

“My previous retail experiences have helped me learn to function well under pressure and keep a cool head when working in a fast-paced environment. Dealing with long lines and frustrated customers during the holidays and massive sales events allowed me to hone my customer service skills. I know these abilities will make me an asset to the company.”

Sample Job 2 – Restaurant Server

“Aside from my friendly and attentive nature, I have a penchant for sales. When I worked in other restaurants, I used to come up with funny and creative hooks to encourage guests to order desserts, extra drinks, and even buy additional meals to take home. My managers were always impressed with my ability to upsell.”

Sample Job 3 – Tutor

“I am the best candidate for this job because I am passionate about education and helping students. As a child, I struggled with my schoolwork due to a learning disability. My teachers wrote me off as a bad student, but I found a tutor who explained my lessons in ways that made sense. I always appreciated the effort they put into helping me, and I want to do the same for other learners.”

Things to Remember

When trying to make employers believe that you are the best candidate for the job, it helps to believe in yourself. Be sure that you speak with confidence when answering this question to show that you have faith in your ability to succeed. Providing examples of your relevant skills and traits can help persuade interviewers to move on to the next steps of the hiring process.

Similar Questions Employers Will Ask

• Why Are You Qualified For The Job?
• Why Should We Hire You?
• What Experience Do You Have In This Field?

how to answer this tricky question

Most hiring managers and interviewers use a wide range of questions to determine if a candidate is right for the job. In order to get a job, your answers to these questions are critical. So, if you don’t know what sets you apart from the competition, you may be at sea when you hear your interviewer ask you, “Why are you a good fit for this job?” Therefore, candidates should do their homework in advance to answer these questions with confidence. Why do interviewers ask this question? How do they expect you to answer these questions? We’ll discuss steps you can take to prepare for an answer in case you’re asked why you’re right for the job, look at some real-life examples, and give you tips on how to give great answers. nine0003

Interview question; Why are you a good fit for this job?

During an interview, your interviewer or hiring manager may ask you, “Why are you a good fit for this job?” In most cases, employers tend to ask these questions to understand how confident you are in your ability to perform your duties. When faced with this situation, what is the best way to answer the question “Why are you a good fit for this job?” However, before we answer this question, let’s first try to understand why hiring managers ask these questions. nine0003

Why do employers ask why you are suitable for this job?

Every interview question has a motive and serves a purpose. In that case, why would the hiring manager ask, “Why are you a good fit for this job?”

We understand if you think this is a ridiculous question. Also, they can get an idea of ​​your talents and experience from your resume. On the other hand, the hiring manager wants to know more about how your skills and experience match the requirements of the position. nine0003

In addition, the recruiting manager must select the most qualified candidate from the group. To make their choice easier, they hope that you will say something that will make you stand out from the rest.

Basically, there are a number of reasons why an employer might ask, “Why are you a good fit for this job?” or similar request. To name a few, they include:

• Determine what makes you different from other applicants for this position.
• Make sure you know what the position entails and what qualifications they are looking for in a potential employee before you apply.
• Rate your confidence in your ability to complete the task.
• Observe how you react to difficult situations.

Meanwhile, hiring managers can sometimes ask this question in a different way. Below are some examples:

• “Why should we hire you?”
• “What makes you unique as a candidate?” nine0020
• “What makes you a better candidate?”
• “Explain why you are the perfect candidate.”

When answering any of these interview questions, you should go the extra mile and sell yourself to the recruiter to convince them that your skills and experience are the right fit. Now let’s see how you can answer questions like “Why are you a good fit for this job?” on examples.

Why are you a good fit for this job? How do you answer? nine0005

Essentially, your answer should serve as a promotional tool for the hiring manager. No doubt it can be difficult, but below you can have saving grace. Using these methods, you can compose a powerful answer:

#1.

Identify your strengths and focus on them

The first thing to do is to identify your specific capabilities for this role, depending on your previous experience and the requirements of the position. There are ways you can define your core competencies, but you can use the following framework; nine0003

• Learning
• Personality
• Good Skills
• Achievement
• Experience

If you are fresh out of college, you should only focus on the value your education will bring to the organization. While you are in college and completing your studies, there is a chance that you will be able to gain new insights into this sector, which will increase your chances, so identify them.

No. 2. Determine the priorities and needs of the company

Find out what the corporation desperately needs. Make sure you are familiar with the job description and the company. Check if your abilities and experience are in line with day-to-day duties at work, as well as the main mission and goals of the organization. On the websites of many companies, you can find out what they do and why they do it.

#3. Create your shortlist

To better understand the needs of the company, take a look at the list of your strengths. Identify a few distinguishing characteristics that best illustrate your suitability for the role and your ability to contribute to the company’s success. nine0003

#4. Write your presentation in an elevator

Prepare a summary of the best qualities you can share with a hiring manager during an interview. Meanwhile, it will be nice if it turns out to be spontaneous or sincere. Therefore, make sure this letter reflects your speaking habits.

No. 5. Practice your answer

Prepare to answer the question naturally. As a general rule, you will want to prepare your response ahead of time, but this should not make your verbal response appear forced or prepared. Call a friend and have them ask you, “Why are you a good fit for this job?” Do it differently, approach it from different angles, and diversify your answers, trying to identify and clarify your main points each time you do this multiple times. nine0003

No. 6. Answer confidently

During the interview, do not be afraid, look sharp and be confident. Stay focused and speak your mind during the interview. However, you should be aware that hiring managers may not use these exact words or phrases when they ask why you are a good fit for the job?” Either way, it’s still a great solution and a good idea to visually explain why you think you’re the perfect fit for the vacant position. This will allow the recruiter to know and understand your unique qualifications. It will also give you an advantage over other candidates and increase your chances. nine0003

Interview Question: Why are you a good fit for this job Examples

Below are some examples of why you are a good fit for this job that the interview should help you with:

Example 1: Response to a managerial position

My education and experience jobs make me a good fit for the job. I am also a good candidate for this job because I know how to lead and talk to people. In my last job, I managed no more than eleven people and set up an advanced communication system that increased production by 45% in just eight months. I am confident that, given the opportunity, I can do more with this organization. nine0003

Example 2: answer as computer programming

As a self-starter, I am always open to tackling new challenges and learning new skills on my own using my little time. For example, as a student, I taught myself six programming languages ​​simply because I had a strong desire to learn more about the field. I am the driven computer scientist you are looking for and I have the ability and enthusiasm you are looking for. nine0003

Example 3: Answer as a nurse

As a fully licensed registered nurse with more than 6 years of experience. I have done many different medical surgeries in the real world. This includes preparing for surgery and dispensing medication. With the financial assistance I received, I was able to conduct and complete the process of researching and analyzing data on forward-thinking nursing practices. I am well suited to supervise the organization of hospital files because I am good at accounting services, paperwork and running a business. Since I can communicate with patients in person, it is easy for me to be of great help to them. I believe that my experience and success will help me achieve a lot, as well as my dream of a more active approach to patients. ” nine0003

Advice on how best to answer the question: “Why are you a good fit for this job?”

Whenever you provide answers or answers to questions such as “Why are you a good fit for this job?” During the Interview, you should always keep the following points in mind:

• Plan ahead: Preparation is the key to a successful interview. Make sure you know what you are going to talk about. Before the interview, practice formulating your answers so that they are crystal clear. nine0020
• Provide examples that are relevant: When possible, demonstrate your value to the firm by providing tangible examples of your abilities.
• Make sure your answer is related to the company’s goals: Explain how your specific skills will benefit the organization.
• Focus on your own needs and desires: It is very important to demonstrate why you are the best candidate in your answer. Don’t compare yourself to other applicants and don’t say why you’re better. nine0020
• Speak with conviction: With confidence, you will show the hiring manager that you are confident in your abilities.
• Honesty is the best policy: Honesty is the best policy when it comes to describing your abilities. So, be honest with your interviewer about your qualifications, personality, experience, and what you plan to offer.

Conclusion

Why are you suitable for this job? is one of the scariest but inevitable interview questions. On the other hand, the best answer to this and similar questions is not a mountain that cannot be climbed. nine0003

In principle, this question can be answered in different ways. On the one hand, you can simply describe why you are a good fit for the position based on your unique personality or set of characteristics. To do this, spend some time before the interview comparing your skills and experience with the requirements of the position. Do your best to articulate why you are the ideal candidate.

Another way to respond is to emphasize your distinctive abilities. Mention your strengths, if you have them. You can also demonstrate your suitability for the position by highlighting your previous accomplishments. However, your achievements must match the position you are applying for. nine0003

Why are you a good fit for this job? Frequently Asked Questions

What are the possible follow-up questions after you are qualified for this job?

• Why did you leave your previous job?
• What are your salary expectations?
• Why are you interested in this position?
• Additional question

What should you avoid when answering the question why you are suitable for this job?

Answering the question: “Why are you suitable for this job?” you should avoid saying the following in your answers:

• Don’t give an unequivocal answer.
• Try not to sound like a vain jerk or snob. Always keep your demeanor discreet and confident.
• Answers should be short so don’t talk too much.

What are the key skills you need to demonstrate when asked why you are a good fit for this job?

There are basic skills needed to answer questions about why you are a good fit for the job. They are:

• Technical skills
• Communication skills
• Scientific skills

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Common mistakes candidates make when looking for their first job

Publish a resume with a blurry description of the position sought

Undoubtedly, the first “meeting” of the employer and the applicant occurs when viewing the resume. We often come across the fact that candidates simply indicate “young specialist” as the desired position, while in the dialogue it turns out that a person is ready to consider only a narrow block of proposals, for example, office positions, and here the offer will be limited depending on the education of the applicant. nine0003

Our advice is to help you find yourself, don’t outweigh the task of assessing your experience and education and understanding your career path options. Do it yourself and create a resume for every job that you might be interested in.

Do not overdo it – 10 different resumes from one candidate (and employers on career sites see how many resumes are created by one person) will confuse any recruiter and make you doubt that you understand what you want to do. nine0003

Although there are concessions for young applicants: at the beginning of the professional path, you can consider 3-4 career paths.

No one should have any difficulties in compiling a resume now, since career sites such as hh. ru offer a very logical and thoughtful structure, and a resume from the resource can be easily downloaded to your computer and used independently.

However, questions often arise related to the experience of a young applicant: it either does not yet exist, or it is minimal. It is important to understand here that most employers will select an employee for a starting position, focusing on his personal qualities. nine0003

When a candidate cannot yet be assessed on professional skills due to minimal experience, it is his ability, potential and character that will play a key role, and their correct assessment will help reduce the risk of selection errors. This is something to keep in mind when writing your first resume.

Please indicate what you did during your student days: you were a group leader, participated in a university-wide project, went to study in another country as an exchange student. Write about anything that can demonstrate your key qualities that are important in the position you are applying for. The only restriction is to write short and to the point. nine0003

Underestimate the importance of their social media profiles

Many young professionals are surprised when we talk about this, objecting: “Social media is personal.” Nothing like this!

The recruiter will use all sources to get the most complete picture of your profile. Social networks in this matter are a great help.

By studying your page, you can understand what you are interested in, what topics resonate with you, what you read, watch, write, where you go, how you spend your free time and what your hobbies are. When looking for a job, you should take this into account and critically consider the content of your page. nine0003

You do not have to delete all photos with friends, from vacation and subscribe only to the Vedomosti page.

However, some content can be hidden from strangers by setting its visibility. Just try to look at your profile through the eyes of an employer and supplement it with the information that best describes your interests, horizons and hobbies.

Unfortunately, in our practice there was a case when the employer withdrew the offer from the candidate 3 days before the expected start of work. The reason was that the future leader decided to get to know the type of the new employee better and found his VKontakte page. nine0003

Approximately 15 results of participation in tests and surveys from the category “what color are you?” were posted on the wall in a row. or “Which of the Addams Family are you?”. The manager decided that he would not work with such a specialist, given the main value of the company – the ability to value his time and the time of his clients.

You should also pay attention to the email address and skype login – funny, but we are constantly faced with the need to send a great resume of a young applicant to a client with contact details such as, for example, koshechka, utenok007, barabashka18. nine0003

Use a limited number of search channels

We recently had a career counseling session with a young job seeker. With an excellent education, fluency in English, bright achievements during his studies, an athlete and a handsome man. In general, a really interesting candidate for starting positions.

After we met, we were even a little surprised why he wanted to use our services. However, having dug a little deeper, we saw a problem – the applicant posted a resume on the hh.ru website and sat down to wait for a flurry of calls from employers. The flurry, of course, did not arrive. In order to find an interesting job quickly, you need a whole strategy. nine0003

Young job seekers in general often complain that they cannot find a job for a long time. At the same time, when we begin to understand the reasons, it turns out that in addition to posting a resume, they do not take any more independent steps.

We advise young professionals to act proactively: post their resumes on all job portals (at least three), update them daily, thereby keeping them in the top of the search, monitor new vacancies of the profile of interest every day and respond to them. nine0003

In addition to these most obvious ways, we also recommend an independent study of the most attractive options for the applicant.

Make a list of specific companies you want to work for, write cover letters describing what you want to do and the reason why you want to work there.

Most companies’ websites have career sections through which you need to send a resume and cover letter, you can also use the contacts listed on the pages of companies of interest in social networks. The more actively you act, the faster you will find a suitable option. nine0003

Do not ignore companies whose professional activities are related to the selection of young professionals for customers. These companies often have services for job seekers, such as resume writing or career counseling. Candidates who have used such services are, of course, recommended to employers as soon as possible.

Not preparing for an interview

The key to interview success is preparation. And it’s not just about finding all available information about the vacancy and the company. It goes without saying that a young applicant must know all the requirements for the position, have key information about the company’s products, the most high-profile events in its life – the more details you can study these aspects, the better. nine0003

But the most important thing is to prepare yourself for the interview. When a recruiter cannot base his opinion about a candidate on his previous experience (which, I repeat, a student or graduate has little or no at all), he has to draw conclusions about the applicant’s personal competencies.

In this case, the interview is most often situational or projective – the candidate will be asked to discuss what his decision would be in this or that hypothetical case or recall examples from life when he showed one or another trait of his character. nine0003

In this regard, it is worth thinking in advance about what character traits can be useful in the job you are looking for, which of them you have and, most importantly, what life situations and decisions prove their presence. Remember in advance the most vivid situations from your life, whether it be achievements in sports, resolving disputes with classmates, community projects – everything that will help to show by example how you coped with a particular task, using your strong character traits.

I well remember a candidate for a trainee position related to SMM, who, when asked “What achievements or projects would you like to talk about?” answered: “Well, what achievements can I have at the age of 21? Well, I graduated from university. nine0003

In this case, the employer will think that

1. you really do not have any achievements, you are lazy or simply not interested in work, since you do not want to spend time on the company
2. not proactive
3. simply do not know how to politely and tactfully maintain a conversation, what can we say about external communications.

Don’t ask questions to the employer

The most common mistake young job seekers make is their unwillingness to take on an active role when a potential employer gives them the floor. nine0003

Any interview usually ends with the words: “What questions do you have?” No matter how naive it may sound, 80% of young applicants relax and directly ask about the salary.

Wait! The interview is not over yet. And the overall impression very much depends on what you ask the recruiter or potential manager at the end of the meeting. We must not forget a simple rule: the first, last and unfinished action is best remembered.

The end of the conversation should be treated with due attention and think over the ending in advance. Ask about what projects are planned in the near future by the department you want to get into, what specific functions will be assigned to you, who works in the team and how responsibilities are distributed between them, what values ​​the company shares, and so on. nine0003

A question about salary can and should be asked: it will show that you are a goal-oriented and reasonable person who values ​​yourself and your work. The main thing is that this question should not be the first and not the only one.

A recipe for success

• Think about where you want to develop. Create several resumes for interesting vacancies, 3-4 options will be enough.
• Prepare your resume properly. Due to lack of experience, you will be judged on other parameters – primarily abilities, potential, character. Indicate any projects where you have proven yourself, whether it be the functions of the head of the group, participation in student activities, internship programs. nine0020
• Edit social networks. Just look at your profile through the employer’s eyes and add information that will help him learn about your interests, hobbies, horizons.
• Regularly monitor vacancies and respond to them (not only on job sites, but also in public and blogs). Conduct an analysis of companies in the market, find those that interest you, write in each cover letter, call if necessary. Pay attention to companies that are engaged in the selection of young professionals for other brands.