Master the Fundamentals: Interviewing and Resume Writing

By Jo Miller

Q: I suddenly find myself back on the job market after 15 years in continuous employment. I have not had to interview in a long time and I am anxious to know how interviewing etiquette may have changed.

A: The job market may have changed, but the basics of good interviewing remain the same. You only have one chance to make a positive first impression. Be prepared, with at least two copies of your resume. Have letters of reference and personal documents like photo identification and social security available in a portfolio. Arrive early so you can be on time. Introduce yourself confidently, and maintain eye contact with the interviewer throughout the interview. Listen carefully to each question, then answer as clearly and specifically as you can without going into unnecessary detail. When the interview concludes, thank the interviewer, and make sure you are clear on any required follow up and next steps. As soon as you arrive home, mail the interviewer a thank you note that is either handwritten or personally signed.

If that all sounds like a lot to ask, remember practice is the key to perfecting the art of interviewing. Set yourself up with a friend or trusted mentor to do some practice interviews, and consider applying for a wide range of jobs if you need more real interview experience. The more practice you get, the more natural you will feel in a real interview situation.

Q: I am a technical recruiter who reads hundreds of resumes every week to select people to interview. I have to make fast decisions, so if I have a hard time getting to the point of a person’s qualifications for the job it is unlikely they will be selected, even if they have the skills I am looking for. Please let your readers know that recruiters want to help, but your resume has to work for you not against you.

A: Is your resume working against you? Here is a basic checklist to follow every time you send out your resume to help your recruiter choose you for that interview.

• Check spelling and grammar.
• Update your primary job objective for each job to which you apply.
• Ensure the basic facts are correct: check your contact details, and job titles, company name and dates.
• Use a plain typeface, simple formatting, and clean, plain white paper. Complex formatting such as columns or borders or resumes printed on unusual paper are harder to scan into the employer’s resume database for future searches.
• Keep it simple and easy to read at a glance. Use short sentences, brief descriptions, bullet points rather than telling a long story, using long sentences and large blocks of text.
• Leave off anything that may encourage discrimination or distract the reader from their task of considering your suitability for the job or encourage them to discriminate against you. Do not include information such as your age, marital status, religious or ethnic background physical characteristics such as height or weight, or obscure hobbies.

Executive Coach Jo Miller coaches leaders, executives and business owners. Jo is a senior coach and instructor with Results Life Coaching, and President of Silicon Valley Coach Federation. She is known as a dynamic, results-focused coach.

For more information or to book a sample coaching session visit jomiller.net.