Kaye Monty

The articles out there about the economy and jobs are bleak but every now and then there is a glimmer of hope.  Business Week’s Liz Ryan wrote that there is still a talent war.  Even though there are a lot of candidates competing for that elusive job opening not every applicant is a qualified job seeker.  When it is an employer’s market, more job seekers than job openings, employers can afford to be more selective.  This means that job seekers need to make sure to put their best foot forward at all times.  I was reading another blog that echoes Liz Ryan’s point about what employers are looking for in the ideal candidate.  Employers are not only looking to hire hardest working employees but also the smartest.  This does not necessarily book smart but employees who make an impact.  These employees are the problem solvers who can look at the bigger picture and come up with creative solutions.  

As a job seeker, you need to take stock of how you made an impact in your previous jobs.  Even entry level candidates can make an impact.  You do not have to come up with solutions to ending world hunger.  Creative ideas can be as simple as increasing attendance at an event because it demonstrates your ability to solve a business problems or objective.  Remember to come up with facts to support your statement.  ”As a result of my idea, we increased event participation by 10% and raised an additional $500 for the event compared to the prior events,” are much better than simply indicating that you had more participants.

As an employer, behavioral interviewing can help identify the top performers.  This style of interviewing asks for specific examples of how candidate reacted to a situation in the past.  You ask a simple question such as, “Tell me about the time when you led a project.”  You can ask follow-up questions about how they dealt with a conflict, pressure or deadline.  It gives relevant information especially if they will be applying similar skill sets to the job.  I never did like the hypothetical questions that some intereviewers would ask.  People have different ideas of how they see themselves and what they really are.  However, looking at what people have done in the past will most likely show what they will do in similar situations in the future.