Top 3 components to a good interview: Good resume, company research, and physical presentation
A Good Marketing Resume
Developing a good marketing resume is not a quick, overnight process; it requires time, strategy, and dedication. By the time you have a good final resume, you should have a solid idea of what key points to discuss during your interviews. If you follow a proper resume development process, you will naturally have reviewed, studied, and analyzed your resume from top to bottom. This is why partnering with the right resume writer is crucial, as some follow a collaborative and thorough process whereas others use templates, which limits the creativity and strategy that can be applied to your resume. I like to use a natural and organic process; hence, the name of my business, Organic Resume Creations.
When the resume project is coupled with some career coaching, the quality of the final resume is far superior than that without the coaching element. The first part of my resume writing process involves a bit of independent career coaching and guidance where I prompt my clients to think and brainstorm on certain key questions. These questions will be the base and objective of the entire resume project, as well as any other career document my client needs.
The most important and basic question is one I have emphasized in previous articles; that is, what are your target positions?
You must know this, because this leads to knowing your target audience. Almost every written document has a target audience, such as letters, memorandums, research papers, essays, and novels. Resumes are not the exception. You will have a difficult time communicating what you should convey, if you do not know who you are saying it to. This question must be answered prior to developing a good resume.
When asked what type of job you would like or what positions you would pursue, many of you say, “I am open to any opportunity.”
That is the worst answer you can give, especially if you are responding to a recruiter. Recruiters have specific job vacancies to fill. Providing them with three positions you qualify for will allow them to present you with the vacancies they have. This will accelerate the process. Otherwise, they will have to talk to you about all their vacancies or thoroughly review your resume and sort through their vacancies for a good match, neither of which they will do. So, naturally, they will move on to the next person who knows what they want and dismiss you altogether. You must know what you are qualified for.
If you are in the situation where you know your qualifications, but are uncertain about which job you would be a good fit for, then you must research. Follow the tips I provide in this article to start your research.
By the time my client and I mutually agree on a final resume copy, they will have been a part of the drafting and revision process. This means they have actively engaged in reviewing, studying, and analyzing the content on their resume and are 90% ready for an interview. 50% comes from knowing their resume cold and 40% comes from researching their target companies.
Company Research
Part of the preliminary independent career coaching involves researching and selecting your top three target companies. These companies do not necessarily need to have a posted job vacancy. You do not need a listed vacancy to send a value proposition letter to a key decision maker in your target department.
One of the most common reasons for rejecting a job candidate is for lack of company research. Researching the company shows a greater interest in them. Employers know when you have or have not researched their company. Follow the tips I provide in this article as a guide to research a company prior to your interview.
Physical Presentation
The final 10% of preparing for an interview is grooming and presentation. The traditional colors for suits are black, dark blue, and gray.
Ladies: purses should be kept to a small size. Shoes should be closed toe. If you wear make-up, it should be of neutral colors. Hair should be kept out of your face. One subtle ring per hand, if you must. Minimal jewelry. Nails should be trimmed and relatively short with clear, pastel, or no nail polish.
Gentlemen: you should be groomed and shaved. Hair kept back, if necessary.
Your physical presentation should be aligned with the caliber of your new resume. When employers call you after reviewing your branded and professionally created resume, they will expect to see someone with the utmost professionalism and appearance.
Now you can use the interview opportunity to your advantage. Instead of walking in not knowing what can possibly happen, you can walk into the interview knowing you have something to say, stories to convey, and a message you want to communicate. The stories should be an elaboration of the bullet points on your resume.
Below are articles I have written to assist you in responding to a few of the most common questions and how to ask for the job.
- Why You Should Love the Tell Me About Yourself Question
- Why You Should Love the Salary Question
- Why Should I Hire You?
- Ask For the Job
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Yuleni Pulido: Professional Resume Writer
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