A young and ambitious student, ready to grow and develop, wants to find his or her first job, comes for an interview, and there they are asked about their experience and promised to get a call. The joke is funny, but the situation in the labor market is common. In the current climate of crisis, the situation of young professionals looks even sadder.
Where to start?
Explore the job market
Here is an entertaining quest “Job Search”, where to start? First, you need to calmly sit down and immerse yourself, to answer the questions: why do I need a job, what do I want to achieve with it? Such simple questions will help you formulate the main thing – your goal. Be positive, get interested in the search, and maybe even hire a write my paper service to get help with your college assignments, so you have more free time for the research and go through this path as something new.
Now you’re not just a job seeker, but a researcher. Look around, there are so many opportunities and job openings: someone you know needs an assistant in a business, an ad for a course group has been posted, a position has become available at your parents’ job. All in all, turn on your attention. Sometimes this requires you to detach yourself from your major and consider options for allied professions. Think back to what you are good at and what you can offer an employer. You have a set of advantages: youthfulness and mobility. What other strengths are there? Acknowledge your value and refuse to have too high or too low expectations. Now you can look for jobs, select the options that interest you, and match your needs and capabilities.
Write your resume
When the preparatory stage is passed, and you have the right vacancy to apply for, proceed with your resume. But how to present yourself? What kind of sample text to write to make the presentation a success? The purpose of the resume is to make you stand out from all the other applicants, to make you memorable, and to get you called back. That’s why you should thoroughly work on the image you want to create with your resume. Include a business photograph to show the employer your understanding of the job and your seriousness of purpose. Edit your CV yourself or hire the best writing service to do it for you, so the resume looks literate. It is important to include your competencies – the skills you already have.
Put what you think is valuable data in the first positions after the basic information (full name). The employer will pay attention to this and understand what value you represent to the company as a specialist. Your CV should be client-oriented, based on the requirements and expectations of the employer and the company’s clients. You have researched the job openings and know what is expected of a specialist for this position, and with a set of these characteristics, you emphasize that you are in fact what the company is looking for. To do this, you need to identify your strengths, select valuable qualities, and match them to the company’s requirements. Anything that matches can be placed prominently at the top of your resume. And, not to be unsubstantiated, it is important to explain where you got these skills from.
Next, list your work, internship, or volunteer experience, starting with your last (recent) position. It’s all pattern: start and end date, company name, job title, and (most importantly!) a list of the responsibilities you’ve had. It’s not that significant how many of these jobs, but feel free to list small companies, and temporary part-time jobs – it’s an indicator that you’re trying out, developing, and interested in the work.
The next point is education – periods of education, name of the educational institution, faculty, and specialty. Then specify additional skills you have: knowledge of the language or computer programs, license, achievements in sports. This will help the employer determine your usefulness to the company.
At the end of your resume, you should give your personal information, date of birth, and place of residence (marital status is not required).
Prepare for the interview
There are two important points of preparation for the interview: technical and meaningful. Technically everything is simple: find out the address, calculate the route, and clarify who will conduct the interview (this person’s name and position). Study the company’s website, so you can ask meaningful questions and show your interest in the meeting. And most importantly, be on time. And how do you prepare for a meaningful conversation about yourself? In general, an interview can follow one of the following scenarios:
First. A structured biographical interview: the recruiter asks the candidate about all stages of life and work history in sequence. Why and how you chose the vacancy, what was the reason for dismissal – questions you will be asked for sure.
Second. Behavioral interview: the recruiter wants to see how the candidate fits the desired type of company employee. If they are looking for punctuality, pedant, and diligence, these qualities will be discussed. If they want an active, goal-oriented, courageous employee, they will ask the candidate to tell about situations, in which these very character traits appeared.
Third. Situation or case interview: a situation is modeled, in which it is necessary to solve a problem, to make a decision. In this way, the candidate shows himself in his work and reveals his potential, attitudes, and priorities.
Fourth. Personality-oriented interview: This technique is often used in job interviews. The candidate is asked questions about some other people, he/she subconsciously project the situation onto himself/herself and answers how he/she would act. For example, answering the question “why do people lie?” or “what motivates people to work more efficiently?” will be talking about yourself.
Fifth. A separate item worth highlighting is the group interview. Here it is important to show stress resistance, friendliness, and the ability to work in a team, to show yourself as a leader.
How to present yourself: What should you say?
You can prepare in advance for possible “tricky questions”. Tell me about yourself – this is usually the question that starts the interview: you just walked in, haven’t had time to catch your breath from excitement, and such a question flies in. That’s why it’s worth practicing in front of a mirror beforehand the laconic, clear, and convincing speech, as well as gestures, so you will feel more confident.
Typical questions at a job interview
Generally, at a job interview, you will encounter the most typical questions possible. Many people don’t understand why an employer would ask them. Let’s think about it.
- Why did you choose this position? This assesses the autonomy of your choice.
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years at our company? How well aligned are your plans with those of the company?
- Why should we hire you? Your strengths. What can you bring to the company? The answer should also be rehearsed in advance so that it sounds convincing.
- Why do you want to work for us? The information you learned on the organization’s website will come in handy.
- What are your weaknesses? Tell about them and explain how you overcome these difficulties and work on yourself.
You may be asked about your salary expectations. Prepare in advance anchor points that make it clear what the employer should pay you for list your skills, abilities, and other strengths that will be valuable to the company. Marital status, difficult life circumstances, and unreasonable “wants” cannot be points of reference.
These questions are asked to assess your suitability for the company, not to “cut” or find a reason for rejection.
Some useful tips
At the meeting be friendly and energetic – a job interview is not the time to be shy, a slight smile will help relieve tension. Prepare a little self-presentation, rehearse what you are going to say. Make up some smart (just relevant) questions, such as: “What challenges might I face in this position? What plans does the company have for the next few years?” Be curious, show your interest. And remember, an interview is not just an interview, it’s a negotiation. Pay attention to how you were treated, what kind of reception you received, whether the conversation was friendly, and only then make a choice.
If you feel a lot of excitement before the interview, use the “5 minutes before” rule. You need to go into a quiet, empty room and stand in the pose of a hero – straighten your back, put your hands at your waist, chin forward – and say: “I can do anything, I believe in myself.
You can call your parents, relatives, or friends. If they have free time, talk to them about your excitement or discuss any events or topics.
Do you realize that sitting in line for an interview is stressful for you? Try walking down the hallway with slow steps. Don’t be embarrassed by strangers. Otherwise, you may say that you are tired of sitting, and your body needs to move.
You can try to describe your feelings and emotions while waiting. Open notes on your phone and start writing everything that you think – it helps to distract and analyze your thoughts. The excitement is unlikely to go away, but your head will be occupied, and that’s a lot. Then, after the interview, you can reread what you have written and think about why these thoughts came to your mind.
Remember, a job interview is not only about presenting yourself, but also about getting to know your future management. If you already see at the first meeting that your bosses don’t show you the respect you deserve, you may want to think about whether you are ready to accept it when you get the job. The choice is always yours.