Andrew:  One of my biggest obstacles is getting through the initial phone interview and on to a face-to-face interview.   What do I need to know to ace the phone interview?

I’ve interviewed hundreds of human resources professionals.  HR professionals are trained experts whose jobs depend on hiring the best possible talent for their employer.

A phone interview is usually conducted as a preliminary step in the hiring process; an HR recruiter has seen something on a resume that sparked their interest and is calling to get more information before the candidate is asked to attend a more formal, face-to-face interview.

Make no mistake: a phone interview is an interview.  Even though it is over the phone, it is an important first opportunity for you to make a great impression and be invited to the next step in the interview process.

Here are some tips on how to ace the phone interview.

1.)    Don’t wing it.  Most likely, you will receive a phone call from a recruiter asking to talk about position X with company Y.  Under most circumstances you will want to politely ask to call them back at a mutually scheduled time.

Why?  There’s a good chance you are not in front of your resume when they call and most likely you do not have the job description in front of you.  You might be driving, at the store, or somewhere else. In addition, if you are like most job seekers, you’ve been applying for a lot of jobs and it can be hard to keep track of each position. You want to be in a comfortable space with both your resume and the specific job description in front of you and you want to have given yourself the opportunity to review in detail the job description they are calling about.

2.)    The preliminary phone interview will be aimed at specific areas of your background and experience.  They are determining if you meet the key qualifications to be considered amongst those candidates that will be asked to a face-to-face interview.  Remember, the HR professional doesn’t want to waste anyone’s time – yours or the department they are representing – they need to make sure the candidates they are ranking have the right qualifications.  Be prepared to talk about specific dates in your work history, companies you’ve worked for and your specific levels of experience.

3.)    Be prepared to talk generally about your salary requirements and other job-specific details.  A big part of the phone interview is to feel you out to make sure you are on the same wavelength with the company about the job.  HR recruiters don’t want to take you through the time and effort of the job interview process and then find out later that your salary requirements are much higher than what’s being offered.  In addition, they might explore other job-related requirements: Is being on the road 30% of the year okay with you?  Are you comfortable with possible relocation?  Are you okay with the commute?  Are you okay working under contract for the first three months?

4.)    Don’t be shy to ask about the job interview process so you know what to expect. It is reasonable to ask when you should expect to hear back and about the interview process.  It is also reasonable for you to ask about the salary and benefit package if the recruiter does not bring it up.  You also want to make sure that you are not wasting YOUR time.

5.)    Try to get contact information of the person who is calling.  You want to respond with a thank you note/email and to be able to reach out later if you have not heard back.  Remember, even if you do not make it to the next step, it is a good idea to keep in contact with the recruiter. You might see a different job at the company later on that you recognize as a good fit and it is helpful to have a contact there.

As a job seeker, it seems rather abstract to think of yourself as a ‘product,’ but in fact, much like a brand of peanut butter, an automobile or a type of orange juice, as the job seeker ‘product’ you too are trying to satisfy the desires and requirements of a specific target audience.  And in the employment marketplace, your target audience also has a lot of choices to consider.

In the job seeking marketplace, you must compete strategically to persuade and influence your audience’s perception of what you have to offer so that you will get the upper hand in the interview and ultimately, the job offer.

So it is important to consider the ‘brand’ of your product.

One of the most common strategies in successful branding is to develop a believable brand promise that creates a positive perception about a product in the eyes of the targeted audience the product seeks to influence.  As a job seeker, you must develop a strong, consistent and believable brand promise about what your ‘product’ has to offer in terms of skills, talents, experiences, accomplishments and, of course, how these things differentiate you from your competition.

As a ‘product’ in the employment marketplace, we have the power to create our own brand promise and influence the perception of a targeted audience – in the job seeker’s case, the audience being a potential employer.

The successful brand will trigger a response from the targeted audience, which will initiate a call back for an interview and ultimately, if the job seekers is successful in demonstrating the relevance of their brand promise to the position they are applying, a job offer.

The resume, the cover letter and the interview are the three most common touch point opportunities a job seeker has to influence an employer’s perception and opinion.  The job seeker wants to persuade the employer that s/he matches the requirements of the job posting in every way – from the experience, the talents, the qualifications, the skills and expertise; and prove added value to the company and to the department.

In most cases of job postings, it’s not too difficult to  determine the most essential requirements and skills the employer is searching for. But in each stage, it is up to the job seeker to connect their relevance to the job posting’s requirements.

The resume and the cover letter are the first touch points and it is up to the job seeker to make the connection from the job posting requirements to their ‘brand’ in order to influence an employer to contact them.

The interview is commonly the most difficult part for job seekers.  It is at this point where you must translate in a person-to-person conversation the elements of your ‘brand promise’ that came across in the resume and cover letter that influenced the employer to contact you (trial) for an interview.

Dear Andrew:  I’ve been a working professional for more than 20 years and was recently laid off.  I’ve been following your site, applying for jobs and networking like crazy.  My problem?  I don’t have a college degree.  Seven years ago, I was half-way through college and began an internship my junior year and it quickly turned into a full time job and I put my degree ambitions on hold.  I always told myself I was going to go back to school, but never did.  Now, I find that many of the jobs I know I’m qualified for require a college degree.  I can’t lie, but how do I make my real-world experience count for something.  Should I get a college degree?

Bottom line – yes! Get a college degree!

The dilemma of not having a college degree is faced by many job seekers. It becomes particularly difficult because of those dreaded Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that are programmed to ask qualifying questions. In the case of a college degree, if that’s a requirement, even if you have ‘real-world’ experience, you most likely will never be considered if you don’t have one.

In today’s economy, the skills and expertise you obtain from going to college pays off in big ways.

Consider this:

If you are from the baby boomer generation, you are one of about 76 million people that were born in the United States between 1946 and 1964.  Baby boomers make up more than a third of the nation’s work force and fill many of its most skilled and senior jobs. However, these college-educated, highly skilled boomers will be leaving the workforce in droves over the next 10 years and as a matter of fact, the first class of baby-boomers reached retirement age last year.

Now consider this:

There were only 46 million born in the era following the baby boomers, known as Generation X.

While this huge gap is one of the things work force planners worry about, it also provides the greatest opportunities for younger workers, particularly those with a college degree.

If you have a college degree, your chances of finding a job are improved overall.  I know a lot of people whose liberal arts degree has no connection to their current career.  In these cases, employers might require a degree simply an indicator that you took the time and dedication to get the degree, or it is simply an across-the-board equalizer for employees or job candidates. In other cases, degrees are required because they are specific to the position, whether it be scientific or technical in nature or requires a specific training and accreditation, such as teaching.

Now I know there are stories of great and successful people who never got a college degree. I know of a few successful people who never earned a college degree. But these are the exceptions; the majority of professional, white collar jobs require you have a college degree and your chances of success are improved greatly by having a college degree.

For those who think that obtaining a college degree is too expensive think about this: According to the US Census Bureau, during a lifetime, the average earnings of a person with a Bachelors degree is $2.1 million.  The average lifetime earnings for a person whose education stopped at a high school diploma is $1.2 million – almost $1 million less!

How do you complete that degree program you started?  Here are some suggestions:

If you are currently employed, find out if your employer offers a tuition reimbursement program.  Often, employers are willing to foot part of the bill for you to gain new skills.  Now is the time to take advantage of this benefit.  It is often as simple as filling out the paperwork.

One big advantage is that the traditional culture of college today is very different than what you may have experienced 10 years ago.  For example, you can earn or complete a Bachelors or a Masters degree from one of Colorado’s most respected colleges through CSU Global.
Part of the Colorado State University system, CSU Global is Colorado’s only online-oriented campus.  While many colleges might allow you to take a few online classes as part of a degree program, CSU Global is designed specifically as an online campus and is set up so that you can get the most from an online educational setting.

CSU Global offers an 8-week course format and multiple start dates that allow students to start when the time is right for them.  For the adult learner, the convenience of 100% online classes is ideal, particularly for those who work full time, have families and are unable to get to a traditional campus.

CSU Global’s degree programs provide real knowledge for real world applications in career-relevant, accredited degree programs.  A quality degree from a reputable institution really does matter to employers and also provides you with the competitive edge you need to succeed.

Recently, CSU-Global announced five new online bachelor’s degrees and two new online master’s degrees designed to provide students with career-relevant skills and knowledge. Each new online degree was developed for an industry of rapid growth where highly qualified employees are in demand and each has been fully accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The new degrees are:

• Bachelor of Science in Accounting
• Bachelor of Science in Communication
• Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration
• Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration and Management
• Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Professional Studies
• Master of Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration
• Master of Healthcare Administration and Management

Their Bachelor’s degree programs are designed specifically for students who either have Associates degrees from a 2-year college or for students who want to complete a degree program they may have already started earlier in their lives.  CSU Global allows credit hours already earned at another college to be used towards the completion of your degree at CSU Global. In addition, the online campus experience is designed to provide the maximum interactivity. All of the classes are online and through this unique experience you communicate with your professors and other students from throughout the globe in tailored online chat rooms at times that are most convenient to you. CSU Global is also one of the most affordable ways to finish your degree and provides a full range of assistance to help you apply for student loans and scholarships.

Click below to find out more about CSU Global.

About CSU Global
Degree Programs
Admissions
Tuition and Aid

Andrew -

It happened again.  I saw the most perfect job!  I had all the right qualifications, experience and skills and the company was exactly where I saw myself working.  I was so excited as I wrote my resume and cover letter!

I waited and waited and I didn’t hear a peep!  Not an email, a phone call or even a form letter.

Why don’t employers call me back?!!  It is so frustrating and I feel like I keep sending my resumes to the proverbial black hole!

Perplexed in Superior

Dear Perplexed:

One of the most common complaints and the most frustrating experiences for job seekers is finding the perfect job posting, putting your blood, sweat and tears into your resume and cover letter, following all the application instructions to make sure it is sent in on time and then not hearing back from the company!

The job seeker is then left to sulk and rationalize as to ‘why’; and then the voices start.
My resume stunk.
I’m too old.
I’m too young.
I’m over qualified.
I asked for too much money.
My resume didn’t reach the company.
Should I call? The job posting says no calls!
I’m no good.

And on and on and on it goes…..and before we know it, these ‘stinking thinking’ thoughts have dampened your confidence, courage and overall self esteem.

So why don’t companies call back?  It seems simple enough. Send everyone who applies an automatic response that says something like:

“Thanks for applying. We are honored you want to work for us.  We’ll be reviewing resumes through June 30 and then making some decisions and will contact you if we believe you are the right fit moving forward.  If you don’t hear back from us, please know that we truly appreciate your interest in working for us and will keep your resume on file.  Again, thanks for applying!”

At the very least, this response lets the job seeker know that the resume was received and that there is a date in which decisions will be made.

But a lot of employers choose not to respond to resumes that have been submitted and believe it or not, it usually has nothing to do with you personally or professionally.  It has more to do with the process of applying and how companies go about searching for talent.

For example:

•    You’ll see a few job postings in today’s list that say something like ‘…we will accept resumes until such-and-such a date or until we receive X number of resumes.’   OK – so that’s the clue to get your resume in quickly….for all job postings!  The fact is that HR offices are overwhelmed with resumes applying for the various positions they post.  HR executives have told me that many times, they will only review the first 50/75/100 etc. resumes simply because they don’t have the bandwidth to review more than that and they are usually successful in identifying candidates in that first batch of resumes.

•    Computerized Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are searching for keywords and phrases in each resume and will identify the candidates with the highest ranking for the position. Yes, a computer is determining if you will be hired!  Some may call it cold and heartless, but HR execs call it efficient.  If your resume does not match the keywords and phrases the company is looking for, your resume most likely will never be seen by an HR recruiter. How do you overcome this? The job posting is a road map for the job.  In your resume and cover letter, use EXACT keywords and phrases listed under requirements, qualifications, years of experience, background, etc.

•    The job is not ‘real.’  Yes, it’s true, from time to time, companies post jobs that have either already been filled internally or positions that are not going to be filled at all.  Often, it’s a diversity requirement to appear that their hiring practices are fair, but in reality, they have different motives in mind.  But, they can say they posted the job and it was advertised to a ‘wide-net’ audience.

•    The HR recruiter has identified someone outside of the pool of candidates that have applied.  In fact, over 60% of new hires come from referrals. Often the referrals are from an employee of the company through their referral bonus program where employees get paid if they successfully refer someone to be hired.  Other times, it is simply through networking where a candidate has heard about a job and has worked his networks to have calls placed and secured an interview.  The important thing for all job seekers is to try and identify people you know – former colleagues, bosses, neighbors, whoever! – and make connections to the company this way.

•    Should you call if the posting says “no calls” but you haven’t heard back?  Absolutely!  Wait at least two weeks and if you haven’t heard back, contact the company and make sure your resume was received.  Try to contact either the HR department or the hiring department.  Be very polite and explain you’ve sent in a resume and hadn’t heard back and wanted to know the status of the position.

Bottom Line:  Keep applying and keep confident in what you have to offer to employers.  Your education, experience, background, accomplishments etc. are valuable and sooner or later you will find the perfect fit!

New study finds well-organized resumes get first glance

A recent published study by my friends at http://www.theladders.com sheds a new light on how recruiters review resumes they receive for open positions.  Click here to read the synopsis.

In the past, the standard initial resume review time as self-reported by HR professionals averaged 3-4 minutes. The Ladders followed 30 recruiters for 10 weeks (or more accurately, it followed their eyes using eyetracking gear) and it turns out that recruiters on average spend only 6 seconds on the initial resume screening.

Only 6 seconds!  That is the average time a recruiter in the study spent to decide if your resume went into the initial ‘yes’ pile or the ‘no’ pile.

In short, the study confirms what we’ve talked about here before on AH Jobs List before: Resumes must be succinct, easy to follow, written with confident language and relevant and specific connections to the job you are applying. The study also confirmed that it is important to create your resume with strategic, visual patterns that allow the reader to quickly grasp ‘bursts’ of relevant information.

In fact, the study says, “…recruiters tend to follow a consistent visual path when reviewing both resumes and online profiles, so an organized layout is crucial. Because professionally written resumes have a clear visual hierarchy and present relevant information where recruiters expect it, these documents quickly guide recruiters to a yes/no decision.”

The study’s “gaze tracking” technology showed that recruiters spent almost 80% of their resume review time on the following data points:

* Name
* Current Title/company
* Previous title/company
* Previous position start/end dates
* Current position start/end dates
* Education

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEW There was a 60% improvement in how recruiters responded to professionally written resumes compared to self-written resumes.

A final point of the study is that self-written resumes fared much worse than resumes written by a professional. For most job seekers, it is difficult to understand their key areas that make a resume ‘pop’ for success. Professional resume writers have experience in understanding the critical points of your background, expertise and accomplishment and more importantly, they know how to craft a resume that helps to define these important areas of your history that will grab a recruiter’s attention.

According to the study, “…..the ‘gaze trace’ of recruiters was erratic when they reviewed a poorly organized resume, and recruiters experienced high levels of cognitive load (total mental activity), which increased the level of effort to make a decision. Professional resumes had less data, were evenly formatted and were described as ‘clearer.’”

So what can you do to improve your resume?

1.) Invest in having your resume created or re-done by a professional.

2.) Don’t try to get creative. Photos, info graphs, or other clutter are a distraction.  Specific jobs that require creative work will ask for portfolios or other examples of your work.

3.) Make your resume easy to read. It should have a natural rhythm that allows the recruiter to easily understand your career progression based on the six points mentioned above.  In fact, the recruiters in this study responded positively to ‘bursts’ of informational bullet points that helped them to easily grasp the career history and the experience the resumes were touting as relevant to the job opening.