As an interview coach and owner of Command the Interview, I’ve had the opportunity to speak to many recent graduates who are interviewing for their first job. I thought I’d share three suggestions that I give consistently based on the experiences of my job-hunting clients.
Tell a Story in Your Resume
Even a relatively inexperienced candidate can have a resume that shows the impact they have been able to make in their internships. A recent college graduate is not expected to have years of experience. But what is important is how you communicate about the experience that you do have.
For example, if you worked on a project to create a presentation, you could say, “Created a presentation for the department manager.“ But see how much more powerful it is to provide more context: “Created a 25-page PowerPoint deck used by the department manager to provide a business overview for a critical new client resulting in a successful partnership.” Providing this additional context creates a deeper understanding of the project and its potential impact.
Speak Their Language
Use keywords that are associated with the industry. This helps tailor your résumé for the audience and shows that you’ve done the proper research. Hiring managers and human resources professionals can and do screen out resumes that don’t include the right terminology for the industry. Don’t let this be something that keeps you out.
How do you make sure this doesn’t happen to you? One way is to review industry publications or annual reports. This is also where ‘informational’ interviewing can help you. If you are interested in a particular industry, reach out to alumni who work in the industry to request an informational interview. This will give you valuable perspectives and help you to get familiar with the specific language of the industry.
Know Your Interviewer(s)
When you are invited to interview and are given the names of your interviewers you have a great opportunity to do some research to learn more about them. It is well worth using LinkedIn to discover more details about them. Look at their career path to determine the roles they had before their current position. Doing this may help you identify questions you’ll want to ask. Looking at the background of your interviewers may also uncover what you might have in common with them, as well as their interests and accomplishments.
These are some interview success “nuggets” that I’ve seen make a difference in candidates’ interviewing experiences. I’ll continue to share my learnings in the future. At Command the Interview, we offer coaching that is focused on helping new graduates obtain the job of their dreams. If you or someone you know needs help becoming comfortable with interviewing, please reach out to us at kerrie@commandtheinterview.com.