This afternoon I interviewed the CEO of a mid-sized (500 person) company for a newspaper article I'm writing; he told me that he got 25,000 resume submittals last year. How many folks did his company interview? Three hundred and eight. How many did they actually hire? Eighty. Getting a job there seems like a pretty long shot, right?
I say, not necessarily. Because if you're one of the eighty they hired, getting the job might have seemed like slam-dunk. What would have separated you out from the crowd? Actually meeting the specifications for the position is a pretty good start. Having an advocate (READ: headhunter, former colleague, employee referral) who will pitch for you is another.
You have to be able to interview well too. It's unfortunate (or not) but a turkey monitor can't be used to assess your value-adding potential. One quick suggestion I have is that you spend your (in person) time listening to what your would-be boss has to say instead of thinking about what you might say to impress him/her. It's an easy way to stand out. Your boss-to-be, at the very least, will come away thinking that you'd be a respectful worker, a team player, and not too much of a headache. He/she will likely come away from the interview with a "feel good" vibe without actually knowing why.
And after the interview, write a thank you e-mail or note. Follow-through matters.
Do all this and you'll stand out from the crowd. You're likely to be one of the visible ones in the pile of 25,000!
Can you write more about "It's getting kinda crowded"..?
I am making a list of the "It's getting kinda crowded"..
John..
Posted by: John Papers | December 28, 2010 at 05:45 AM