1. Employee Referrals
Employee referrals are the best sources for finding candidates. You can make use of online job boards to look for people you may know within specific companies. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with them and ask for a referral, if appropriate.
2. Show internships and not GPA.
For most employers, experience wins. If you’re beyond having recently graduated, stop focusing on your academic achievements and highlight your internships and job history instead. Once you’ve established yourself in the workforce, skills and results matter more than earned grades.
3. Expect any kind of interview format.
Interview formats can vary widely. Always be prepared for a phone interview. (If you’re caught at a particularly bad time, don’t be afraid to reschedule.) And don’t let yourself be caught off guard if you are being interviewed together with 2 to 3 other applicants. Some companies do this to gauge of how you carry yourself in front of others (and possibly competitors). Be prepared for anything before you walk into an interview room so that you can remain cool and confident.
4. The interview process takes time.
With changes in hiring patterns, it now usually takes 3 to 5 weeks before people receive a call for an interview, then another few weeks for an offer. Be patient. Don’t send a follow-up email too quickly. If you’ve gotten an interview, it’s acceptable at the close of the interview to ask how long it may take to hear back.
5. Highlight these top three skills.
According to Forbes, these are the top three skills employers are looking for:
- The ability to work in a team.
- Ability to make decisions and solve problems (as of 2015, these skills tied for second place).
- Strong ability to communicate verbally with people both inside and outside of an
If you’ve earned a college degree, the odds are that you already possess the points on this list; if not, consider networking events, volunteer work, free online education, or additional classes for further learning. In both work and life, the ability to communicate well with a variety of people and make good decisions can lead to great things.