Preparing for Vancouver’s......daylife?

I went to a classy Vancouver Night Club last Saturday. You know what time I had scheduled in my agenda to start preparing for the evening? 4 o’clock PM. My friends were not coming to pick me up until 7PM!!! Even then, I was still applying my fancy Elizabeth Arden lip gloss as I hurried out the door. Three hours it took me to get ready because I showered, I primped, I curled, I brushed my teeth, I flossed, and finally, I had to decide what clothes to wear so I could match my make-up! My question is, why do ladies spend so much time preparing for parties and night clubs, and yet, lack the preparation time required for interviews?

Preparing for your nightlife should be no different really than preparing for your interview—hygienically and aesthetically speaking; however, there are a few more preparation tips you should know:

First, make certain you know yourself. Know your work and volunteer history; your education including post secondary, certifications, and professional development; personal attributes that would be a great asset to the company; and any awards you may have received. In addition, make sure you know your strengths and weaknesses. Remember to always back up your strengths with evidence and remember to talk about your weaknesses genuinely and how you working to improve them.

Second, know the company. Research, research, research the company. Know what kinds of products or services they offer. Know the company’s mission and vision statements. Knowing the company will help you to answer the questions Why do you want to work for this company? and What makes you the best fit for this position? Have you ever been asked what you know about a company to answer that you have no idea? Did you get the job?

Third, practice! Practice answering typical and behavioural interview questions such as Tell me about yourself or What are three skills you would like to improve? For a great list of questions to practice answering, check out the following link from the City of Vancouver website, http://vancouver.ca/humanresources/interviewprep.htm.

Fourth, generate a list of questions to ask the employer. Again, you can refer to the City of Vancouver’s link above for great questions to ask the employer. Asking the employer questions demonstrates your interest in the company and where they are headed in the future; in addition, you are making sure the company will be a good fit for you. Remember, interviewing is a two way street; the company is trying to find a good candidate to fill a position and you are trying to find a company for whom you will be proud to work. My fave question is In your opinion, what does an ideal candidate look like for this position? If the employer answers with attributes or qualifications that you possess, that were not discussed in the interview, here is your opportunity to speak to them.

Fifth, print extra copies of your resume and cover letter in case there are additional people in the interview room. Always offer additional copies of your resume and cover letter in case the interviewers do not all have copies. Additionally, make sure you have copies for yourself that you can use as a cheat sheet in your interview. It is always nice to have something to refer to rather than relying solely on your memory.

Finally, do a dry-run of the travel to the interview. You will know exactly the route you will take and how much travel time to allot yourself in the morning. Hopefully, you will be relaxed and not applying your lip gloss hurriedly out the door. Happy job shopping!

Keys Please!

Just like you need keys to unlock the world to a luxurious Lexus driving experience, so might you need keys to unlock the world to your idyllic place of employment. By keys, I am referring to “key words.” Ponder this: When you submit your resume electronically, it is scanned by an electronic scanner for key words. Key words are those words in the job posting (attributes, skills, certifications, etc.), that the employer is seeking in an ideal applicant. When your resume is scanned electronically, the scanner is looking for key words; the more key words you have included, the more “hits” you will get on your resume; the more “hits” you get on your resume, the better your chances are of having it seen by the employer! And all ladies want to be seen, don’t we?

Here is an example: You are seeking office employment. You have a job posting that states, “experience with Microsoft Office, minimum wpm 50, great telephone manner, presentable, and approachable individual required;” if you possess all these key requirements, you ought to think about incorporating these key words in your documents.

The same holds true when you apply in person with tangible copies of your documents. How do you think employers scan through the multitudes of resumes and cover letters they receive efficiently and effectively? They scan for key words! You would be surprised to know that, from my experience, about less than 10% of applicants do not include key words in their resume and cover letters. So, ladies, now that you have the keys to unlock this useful information, open the door; you never know what wonderful things are awaiting you on the other side. Happy job shopping!