Do This, Not That: Job Hunting Tips From the Experts (Online Exclusive)

1. Avoid job hopping. Before a person even begins to think about switching jobs, he or she should pause and consider whether the timing is right. Candidates who have stayed with their previous employers for at least four or five years and can demonstrate career progression tend to be most appealing to employers, says Laurie Hyllberg, vice-president with the Kinsa Group, Franklin, Wis., a food and beverage industry recruiting firm.

2. Don’t take a generic approach. The hiring process often begins with a résumé, and it is critical for a job seeker to customize his or her résumé for the particular job that is being sought. “The generic résumé may not resonate with or impress a hiring professional,” says Cathleen Allen, a recruiting contractor for McCormick & Co., Sparks, Md. Hiring leaders are busy, Allen emphasizes, so it’s important for résumés to incorporate relevant details they need to determine which candidates are most qualified for their opening. It is ideal to include measurable results such as a dollar amount saved or the percentage by which something improved. A résumé should not just list the person’s responsibilities; it should highlight the positive impact that candidate made during his or her tenure at an organization. “Also, it’s onerous for the recruiter or hiring manager to research an applicant’s current or past employers,” says Allen. “They [applicants] need to describe who they are and what they do.”

3. Proofread, proofread, and proofread again. “Candidates need to proofread what they write,” says Beth Gartner, senior talent acquisition partner at McCormick. “People sometimes write the way they text or rely on spell-check, which isn’t going to correct the misuse of words such as there, their, or they’re.” Candidates must pay attention to spelling, not just on the résumé, but in all email communication and any other documents submitted during the application process, she adds.

4. Think it through. If a company extends a request to interview, a candidate should outline all the key points he or she wants to make during the conversation, suggests Hyllberg. That way, she says, the job seeker can answer questions thoroughly and thoughtfully. When responding to an interviewer’s question, applicants might try thinking in terms of an abstract for a scientific paper, says Hyllberg. She recommends that the candidate first offer an “abstract” or summarized version of the answer and then support the abstract with relevant details. But don’t go overboard with details unless the interviewer specifically seeks them out, she advises. “Allow the interviewer to ask additional questions and then delve into the details,” she recommends. “That way you don’t get off track.”

5. Tell the story. On the other hand, of course, an interviewee needs to ensure that the hiring authority gets all the needed information. Moira McGrath, president of executive search firm OPUS International, Deerfield Beach, Fla., calls it “the ability to weave a story.” For example, she says, if someone is asked to give an example of the biggest professional problem they have had to solve, “the person who is going to get the job is the one who’s going to be able to answer that question clearly.” So think before answering, she advises. McGrath suggests a response that follows this format: “This was the problem. These are the steps we took to come to some decisions. These are the decisions we made. This is how we executed the decisions.”

6. Answer the question. Allen and Gartner remind interviewees to answer the question that is being asked and caution them against an overreliance on talking points. “It’s fine to come into an interview with some highlights she/he wants to share, but it’s not fine to have an agenda or script,” says Gartner. “The candidate should listen to the question, provide a focused response, and then confirm with the interviewer that the question has been answered adequately by asking if more information is needed. It’s not uncommon … for interviewers to ultimately disqualify candidates for not answering the questions and thus not providing the necessary information.” Allen thinks this may partially be a function of the fact that we live in a world in which politicians and other news figures rely heavily on talking points to get their messages across. “We’re bombarded with a 24/7 news cycle with people who are often not answering questions,” she says.

7. Consider the ROI. Allen notes that looking at the job search process from the perspective of the hiring authority may bring some clarity for job seekers. Prospective employers “all want the same thing,” she reflects. “They want accountability. They want reliability. They want experience. What a lot of people who are interviewing don’t realize is that the hiring manager is making a monetary investment. They are actually thinking of it in terms of [this]: Am I going to get a return on investment from this person? It’s a very corporate way of thinking.”

8. Dress the part. Wearing a suit to a job interview isn’t necessarily a requirement from Gartner’s perspective, but professional attire is a must. When asked about what to wear, she offers this advice: “It’s your decision, but err on the side of caution. It’s not about what the dress code is, it’s about making a very favorable first impression.” To that, Allen adds this recommendation: “Dress for the job you want, not [just] the job you are interviewing for.”

9. Watch the body language. “A professional presentation goes beyond attire,” said Gartner. “It includes things like sitting up straight in the interview chair and making eye contact while talking.”

10. Find the right fit. Finally, McGrath also advises job seekers to be cognizant of the fact that not every job will be a perfect fit, and that’s okay. Companies have different cultures, she points out. Some may put a premium on leadership potential in prospective hires while others may be more concerned about depth of scientific expertise. It’s important for applicants to find a company culture that fits their unique set of skills and personality traits. “The culture of PepsiCo is going to be completely different than the culture of Nestlé,” says McGrath. “Where do you fit in? Just because you didn’t get the job at Pepsi doesn’t mean that you’re not really, really good. It’s just that you didn’t fit the culture of Pepsi. [You may be] more of a Coke person. Or a Nestlé. Or a Kraft Heinz. … So it’s not good or bad. It’s just different.”