Examiner, First Article

I recently was asked by Examiner.com to become a contributor for their segments on hiring practices. Of all the things I write about, they liked my comments on hiring practices? Wow.

Anyways, here's what I submitted:
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Job Seeking Advice - with a Nashville, TN flavor.

It's no secret, the economy has been bad for several years. Many people have lost their jobs. Many more are underemployed. But there is a secret. Right now, there are people in the job market who are advancing their careers. There are others that, though they have lost a job, found a better job on the rebound.

How do they do it? Luck might be a factor. However, successful people do not rely on luck - it's akin to hoping to win the lottery once you get laid off. Instead, follow some tried and true methods. But, more than that, add some spice, and some techniques that have been found to work in the local Nashville area.A few simple changes to one's resume, interviewing skills, and assessment-taking skills can provide just enough of an advantage to help you land the job.

Resume
This is like the fisherman's bait. Use a resume that speaks to the individual employer - just like a fisherman knows what kind of bait will attract the desired trophy fish. Jobseekers should have two main documents: a resume and a Curriculum Vitae (CV). The word "resume" essentially means "to sum up," and so it should. The term "Curriculum Vitae" could be literally translated as the "story of one's life."

The resume should be one page. It should highlight career experience, accomplishments, relevant certifications, and education. A good resume will include a brief statement of objective, and this is the best part to tailor to each prospective employer. Try to use key words that the employer puts in their job description.

The Curriculum Vitae should be a bit longer, with more detail. This document should not be tailored to each individual employer. A CV will typically run two pages in length for a professional with 3-5 years of experience, and up to as many as 8-10 pages for a professional with over 20 years professional employment. Generally, however, a good CV is between two and four pages in length.

Neither a resume or a CV should contain certain information. Specific information that should not be included would be:
- Why the candidate left a position
- Derogatory statements or information about the candidate, or any employer listed.
- Problems of a personal nature that affected the candidate's work.
- Negative information of any sort.

Interviews
Interviews provide the candidate with an opportunity to sell himself/herself to the company. At the same time, the candidate should be observant for any potential red flags that indicate the employer might not be a good fit. Remember the sales aspect of this part of the hiring process, as the employer has many candidates applying, and will want to know why they should hire you over someone else.

The initial interview is commonly a phone screen. These are used to determine whether there is a broad fit between the applicant and employer. Often discussed are working conditions, duties, hours, salary, and other basic information. While some say that it is "conventional wisdom" to avoid discussing salary until later, the fact of the matter is that Nashville employers generally like to discuss whether salary ranges fit or not. Discussing salary ranges on the front end is not only advisable, but can really save the candidate's time and the employer's time, as well.

In person interviews are often the second or third step of the hiring process. Depending on the employer, there may be one or several interviews in person. Typically, an in person interview will take an hour, though some run much longer - including the occasional all-day interview.

A big topic of any interview is the questions that the interviewer might ask. Simple questions should be answered directly. Other, more detailed questions require a bit more thought and preparation on behalf of the candidate. These include thought provoking questions, questions regarding preferences, and behavioral questions (more on behavioral questions later). Ultimately, any interview question can be boiled down to one of three main topics: A) Why does this candidate want the job? B) Why should the company hire you? C) What value do you add?

Behavioral questions require the candidate to describe a particular situation, their response, and the end results of the actions taken. A quality candidate has several specific instances in mind that have been hashed out ahead of time. Many people will jot down several specific instances in preparation. Since the candidate almost never knows when a behavioral question might pop up, they will be prepared at all times.

Remember - the ultimate goal of the interview is to sell yourself. Hiring managers often hire people they like, so be likable. It should go without saying that appropriate dress, hygiene, and manners are to be expected. Promptness is always appreciated.

Assessments
Many prospective employers will have the candidate submit to an assessment. These vary in nature and importance. Some companies will not hire a candidate unless they perform to a certain level on an assessment. Some companies simply use the assessment as yet another tool to understand the candidate in greater detail. In either event, the strongest strategy is to answer questions honestly and to the best of your ability.

Strong candidates will ask questions about the assessment before taking it. For example, many assessments in sales want an "either-or" mentality. But many others desire candidates to answer in shades of gray. A quality candidate will prepare by learning about the assessment in advance, and will answer honestly, while keeping in mind the way the assessment works. In the above example of a sales assessment, it is not false at all in most cases to change one's answer from a 5 to a 4 on a sliding scale - particularly on questions of personal opinion.

Unfortunately, many employers take assessment results far too seriously. So be mindful. And if you don't get the job because the assessment score was unacceptable, rest easy in the fact that the company either puts too much faith in the assessment, or you really were not a good fit. If they put too much stock in the assessment, it is an indicator that this company is not sure how to hire properly, and this is a good indicator that employment there will be on rocky grounds, at best. Conversely, if you aren't a good fit, your employment there would be on rocky grounds anyways.


Final thoughts
Searching for a job is an art form. There are many people out there looking, and many others trying to find quality candidates. It is not uncommon for one prospective employer to think your resume is the best they've seen, and the next to think that your resume is lackluster, at best. In short, interviewers are not perfect, companies are not perfect, and candidates are not perfect. The most successful people are the ones who can adjust with the times, and "go with the flow."