Pop Quiz: What do you say in an interview when asked “Why do you want to work here?”
- I heard the benefits here are really great.
- You guys are so much closer to my home than where I currently work.
- I really, REALLY need a job.
- I’m ready to settle down and get married, and I figure my chances of meeting someone are much better in the workforce than at the bars.
Although answers A-D might be honest, chances are pretty good that they won’t land you the job. So what might be a better answer?
Prospective employers are usually pretty good at vetting candidates they are interested in (vet: to subject to thorough examination or evaluation). But many candidates have no idea of the positive impression they create when an employer sees that candidates have done a thorough vetting of the company they are interviewing with. Here are a few tips to get you started.
- Review the company Web site, especially the “About Us” and “Our Company’s Philosophy” pages.
- Read the executive and employee bios on the site.
- Go out to LinkedIn and read their bios there. LinkedIn profiles can be a goldmine of company information. An additional benefit here is that LinkedIn might show a shared contact that you weren’t aware of who could put in a good word for you.
- Read the company’s annual report if it’s online. By doing so, at the very least you should be able to get a feel for the company’s financials and business philosophy.
- Google the company’s products and services and see what’s out there on the Web.
- Check the newswire for press releases.
- Search the blogosphere to see what’s being written about the company.
- Check out the user forums and see what customers are saying about them.
Bear in mind that the Web is not always a source of reliable information, so there is no substitute for your own direct investigation of the company. Talk with as many current employees of the company as you can and don’t be afraid to ask “the tough questions.”
After you’ve done a thorough vetting of the company, your response to the question, “Why do you want to work here,” will likely be more refined, intelligent, and impactful. Compare the answer below to those at the beginning of this article:
“As you can tell from my resume, I’ve focused much of my career on embedded systems development in the medical devices industry. When I saw the posting for this position, I suspected that this might be a good match. I took the opportunity to review your Web site, and was very impressed with your product line. Additionally, a review of your annual report clearly demonstrated that you are a stable and growing company as well as a leader in this industry with innovative products such as X, Y and Z in your production plans. I also couldn’t help but notice that the reviews I read on ‘X Blog’ and ‘Y User Forum’ demonstrated that your existing products are being very favorably received by the public. So, when I originally read the requirements for the position, I had no doubt that my skills and experiences were an excellent match, and that I could make a significant contribution. But after a thorough review, I also had no doubt that this was a company I could truly enjoy working for.”
With an answer like that, you’ll certainly get an “A,” and you might just get the job!
Company XYZ was looking for a .NET developer. After posting a job description on a couple of job boards, the hiring manger soon had a pile of resumes that would take him well into the next two weeks to review.
Meanwhile, Steve went to his local .NET user group meeting and, while striking up conversation over pizza with another member, happened to mention that he was seeking a .NET development position. In between bites, the fellow user group member commented that his company was looking for a .NET developer. Some further conversation ensued and it was determined that Steve was actually a pretty good match for the position. The fellow user group member personally connected Steve up with the hiring manager. The hiring manager, agreeing that Steve was a good match, happily swept the stack of resumes into his recycle bin and hired Steve.
Andrew was at that user group meeting as well—and he, too, was looking for a .NET position. But Andrew didn’t mention it to anyone. He was responding to the job ads and competing with lots and lots of other candidates who were doing the same.
What’s the moral of this story? Well, there are two, actually. The first moral is that personal introductions can sometimes be far more effective than an impersonal response to a job ad. But how do you get those? Well, that’s the second moral of the story: when looking for a job, get out there and let lots and lots of people know that you are looking. Just a few good ideas for this:
- Go to your local User Group meetings and let people know that you are looking.
- Post on your Facebook and LinkedIn what type of position you are looking for.
- Send off an email to any recruiters you’ve worked with in the past and let them know you are back on the market.
- Put in a call or an e-mail to past co-workers and bosses and let them know that you are seeking a new position.
A bit of creative thought should generate another dozen opportunities to personally let people know what you are looking for. The point is simply to start communicating to people—lots of people—that you are searching for that particular position.
It’s amazing how often I hear of someone eventually running into that person who responds with those oh so welcome words, “Hey! I know someone you should talk to!” Give it a try the next time you’re looking for that next career opportunity.
As always, Stout staff like to help. Feel free to contact us and let us know how your search is going.
One aspect of a candidate’s job search that often gets overlooked is the email address they are using. A seemingly small item, but hiring managers do take notice. A couple of points:
GatorBaiter@Yahoo.com
I’m not sure what it means, or what significance it holds for the candidate using this for his email address, but I do know that it comes across as less than professional when I see it on a resume. No, I’m not going to dismiss candidates out of hand because of their less than professional email addresses, but it does leave at least a bit of a negative impression.
Your Email Address Has an Electronic Footprint
Is your address linked to a twitter account? If so, will those tweets strengthen or weaken your chances of getting hired when viewed by a prospective employer? Left an angry rant somewhere in the past with this email address in the post? You could be surprised where your email address might lead someone.
No News Is Better Than Some News
Chances are pretty good that nothing unsavory will turn up on a search of your email address, but chances are very good that there will be a search. Minimize your risk by simply creating an email address whose sole purpose will be for use during a job search.
Changed Your ISP Lately?
When you do create that new professional email address, don’t lose out on future opportunities because you used an address that was associated with your then-current internet service provider. Sure, you sent out that notification email (again) telling everyone to change your address in their contacts list. But do you really want to count on that? Consider using a service such as Google to create an email address that can follow you around no matter who your ISP is.
As always, Stout staff like to help. Feel free to contact us and let us know how your search is going.
There seems to be some confusion floating around out there regarding responding to job postings. This month’s tips will clear up some of those misconceptions.
Myth: If a job posting is over a week or two old, don’t bother responding to it. They’ll already have all the candidates they need.
Fact: Although the majority of candidates do come in that first week, if the job posting is still up 3-4 weeks later, it is very possible that a good-fit candidate has not yet been found. When you run across these older postings, this can sometimes be the best time to respond since the need is still there and there will be far fewer resumes to compete with.
Myth: If a job posting lists salary/rate as “commensurate with experience,” don’t bother submitting. They’re only fishing and there’s no commitment to the position yet.
Fact: Although that may be true in some cases, these days more and more recruiters are often forbidden to post the salary for positions which are very much alive and ready to be filled. When you run across an attractive position which lists the salary as “commensurate with experience,” by all means apply for it.
Myth: Simply submitting your resume to a job posting is sufficient.
Fact: When we first put up a job posting, we will sometimes get hundreds of resumes that first week. If you want to maximize your chances of getting noticed, simply do what almost nobody else does—include a paragraph or two highlighting why you are a good fit for that position. That one action alone can move you over to the short stack.
As always, Stout staff like to help. Feel free to contact us and let us know how your search is going.
Recently, I was looking on a popular resume board for candidates with a particular skill set. One candidate came up as a match, but was anonymously named as “confidential,” presumably because he was still with his current employer. Which brought the question to mind: How does one keep a low profile when searching for a new position while presently employed?
My “confidential candidate” may have been trying to fly low under the radar, but given the size of his present company, his particular job description described in his profile, and the fact that his boss is looking at resumes on that very site to fill other open positions, it’s probably safe to say that his posting was less than confidential.
The fact is, for most of us there will come a time when it is simply time to move on, but it may not be the right time to broadcast that fact to bosses or co-workers. As demonstrated above, posting your resume on a job board is not the way to conduct your job search confidentially. So when semi-anonymity truly is important, here are some tips for job searching without being too obvious.
- User Groups: User groups typically have job announcements, and they are generally targeted to the audience of that particular user group (for example, Java jobs are announced at a Java user group). This is a good opportunity to make a contact with a hiring manager or recruiter. Strike up some casual conversation, and rest assured that they will give you their contact information to have a more private conversation at a later time.
- Online User Groups: LinkedIn, for example, will certainly have a user group specifically dealing with the area you work in (or want to work in). As well, there will be an accompanying Job Board section that employers and recruiters will post to. When you join that group, you will also be notified of any new job postings.
- Bar-as-venue MeetUps: Common these days are events being held at bars for bringing together hiring managers, recruiters, and prospective candidates. Hey, who could fault you for being at that bar at the same time as all those hiring managers and recruiters? Check online to see when such events are being held in your area.
As always, Stout staff like to help. Feel free to contact us and let us know how your search is going.
