How many interviews?

Is there a relationship in the number of resumes sent to the number of interviews scheduled to the number of offers extended?

Many students believe that casting a broad net will result in multiple offers. In reality, in a competitive job market the more targeted your search the better. Why? Because when your resume results in an invite to interview, it will only take a couple of minutes for a good recruiter to determine if this is a serious career choice or a fishing expedition. No employer wants to be the default.

How should you go about your search? Start with what you want to do. Research the field and the leading employers. This is not a five minute exercise. This is a project with a time commitment similar to what you would spend on your final college thesis. You need a lot of detail about each employer, their competitors, their customers and where they generate revenue. This applies to non profit and government agencies as well as Fortune 500 companies. If the non profit is losing funding because dollars are going to a different agency, this is not a good sign for the future.

Next you have to figure out what you would like to do with that employer. Most employers have human resources, finance, product development, manufacturing and marketing departments. If you are interested in marketing, what do you want to sell? And who do you want to sell to?  Again, don’t think the non profit is immune to sales. What is the story you have to tell to obtain a grant over others?

Where are the jobs you are looking for? Many job seekers narrow their search to a 10 square mile radius. As a new college grad, try not to limit your options. You can live anywhere for a couple of years to gain the skill set to return to your ideal location.

Don’t focus on the negatives. Consider your strengths. What can you bring to an employer that will help them be successful?

Now develop your story. Where do you want to work? What do you want to do? Are you willing to relocate? How will you add value to the employer’s exiting team?

Tell everyone you know what you are looking for. The more precise your description, the easier it will be for people to help.

It does not matter how many interviews you have. It matters that you get the one you want. And it matters that the conversation results in an offer.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 1:18 pm and is filed under Misc. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.