Sally Schmall, MSWOwner, Academy Coaching
[email protected]://academycoaching.com
Expand on the information conveyed in your cover letter and resume
Demonstrate your motivation and connect your skills to the needs of the employer
Evaluate the position and organization
Assessing your own values and skill sets
Researching the chosen area and organization
Networking
Developing an effective resume
Preparing for and practicing responses to anticipated interview questions
Educational, volunteer and work history Qualifications Career goals, length of commitment to the
area or organization Strengths Weaknesses
◦ If you are transitioning into a new industry you must be prepared to highlight how your skills and previous experiences are transferrable to the setting in which you are interviewing
Gaps in education or work experience
Lack of experience or “unrelated” experience
Multiple positions over a short period of time
Reason for seeking a new position
Offering a brief and honest acknowledgementof the underlying concern
Quickly followed by a shift in focus
Accentuate the positive and transferrable skills
Sell the strength behind the issue
Use language relevant to the expressed needs of the employer
Highlight your skills by sharing examples that will be valued by the employer
Promote meeting the employer’s goals
Take into consideration what the employer is exploring
Emphasize functional skills related to the position not simply the duties involved
Offer complete responses without being long winded
Focus on:
◦Related work, volunteer or educational experiences and accomplishments
◦Identify several transferrable skills
◦Highlight a strength
Focus on:
◦Skills verses duties
◦Provide a clear, quick example of how your skills are transferrable to this position
◦Reference qualifying data
Focus on:◦Neutral or positive reasons◦“seeking a new opportunity such as this
that will allow me to apply my skills in__________”
◦Identify how this position fits into your overall career plans and their needs
◦Point out why you are a good fit for this position
Describe a skill that is directly related to the employer’s needs. ◦“ I am particularly strong in project
management and new product development. Given the role(s) of this position as I understand it, I believe my experience leading teams through change and growth are an asset for a position such as this”.
Select a weakness that can be interpreted as a strength
Demonstrate insight by identifying how / what you have done to address this weakness◦ “I have not yet had lots of hands on experience
with conducting a community analysis so I elected to enroll in a course specifically on this topic. In doing so, I gained a great deal of information that I suspect would be relevant to this position”. For example…”
Clarify the hiring process and timeline
Summarize your qualifications
Reiterate why you are the ideal candidate
Offer a reference sheet to the interviewer(s)
Request their business cards
Make notes on questions you were asked
Send a personal thank you note –address questions that may have been left unanswered
Follow up with a telephone call to check on the status of the process – after that time has passed
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