Tips For Applying And Interviewing In A Down Economy

The current economic times not only make it difficult to find a job, but they also make it harder to stand out when applying and interviewing for that perfect position when it becomes available.  The following tips are all based off of conversations I have had with candidates and hiring managers in the AEC community and the feedback they have provided about the application/recruitment/interview processes. 

Applying

• Avoid over-applying to a position or multiple positions within a company as this usually makes you look desperate and moves your resume to the bottom of the pile.  Companies keep the resumes they receive on file.  Instead try to get the name of a contact person who you can periodically check in with or send a quick email to. 
• Customize your resume/cover letter to the position that you are applying for.  Be sure to include keywords that are listed in the job description and provide specific examples of how your skill sets match up with what the employer is seeking.
• Submit your resume through the company’s website instead of a job board.  This one I kind of comical as many firms pay to post ads but many hiring managers say they give preference to people who apply through the actual firm website.  It shows a little bit more interest on the applicants side and also give the hiring manager the belief that you actually looked at their website instead of just applying.
• Apply on-line and also mail in an actual paper version of your resume/cover letter.  I am a firm believer in this and many hiring managers have told us that it helps to be able to physically hold and review an applicants qualifications instead of seeing a summary online.
• Spell check your resume and cover letter.  Nothing is worse than reviewing a resume or application that has the name of the company spelled wrong or other simple spelling mistakes.  Every job you apply for should be carefully thought out and reviewed before submitting.  Often times you only get one chance to impress or catch interest from a potential employer.

Interviewing

• Don’t take phone screenings/interviews lightly.  Many times applicants assume that a quick phone conversation is no big deal, but many hiring managers use these quick 5 minute conversations to gauge level of interest and competencies.  Make sure that if you are actively applying for positions that you are answering your phone in a professional manner. 
• Dress appropriatly…..this one should be a given, but I can’t tell you the amount of times I follow-up with a client after an interview takes place and one of the candidates that interviews shows up in jeans and a t-shirt.
• Answer all questions accurately and keep them brief.  In difficult times people have a tendency to add abilities that they might not really have in an attempt to get the job….This only ends up hurting you more once you get laid off for inability to perform the job tasks.  If an interviewer wants you to elaborate in a certain area they will ask.  There is no need to go off on tangents as it normally just turns reflects negatively.
• Send a thank you card to each person you meet with and try to incorporate a specific point of interest that was brought up during the conversation.  Remember that most of the time the people who are interviewing you have offices close together and will notice if you are sending the same thank you to all involved.
• Post Interview Follow-up.  One of the biggest turn-offs that hiring managers touch on is when candidates repeatedly call to check on the status of the decision-making process.  If you do well in the interview and send a nicely tailored thank you hiring managers will remember you based on your abilities and credentials, if you call three times a day to follow-up they will remember you for that instead.
• Social Media.  A great way to add follow-up value without pestering hiring managers is to connect with them via social media outlets such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.  This also shows that you are continuing to think about the interview after it is over and builds up your network at the same time.

Obviously these are only a few of the many factors that can assist in the application and interview process.  If you are an architect, engineer or anyone else in the design community, I would love to hear stories or tips on your experiences about your application/interview process.  E-mail Jeff at jsimeone@dakotadesignstaff.com.

Happy Hunting!

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