How To Prioritise Interviews In A Jobseekers Market
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In a busy jobs market where opportunities are bountiful and your choices unlimited, it is of vital importance that as a candidate who is open to looking at new positions, you know precisely what it is that you’re looking for before you begin your search for a new job. You will be courted by many in a buoyant jobseekers’ market so deciding what roles are suited to you and what potential interviews you should be going for, is something that, as a candidate, you need to evaluate very clearly. Your time is precious so you cannot afford to be wasting it interviewing for jobs to which you are not suited.
Below are some useful tips to consider prior to deciding what roles you should be applying for, in addition to the thought process you should go through before deciding with whom you would like to engage.
Motivational Fit
You must ascertain very early in the process if the role is at the right level for you and therefore if the trajectory in terms of career is correct also. If you do not do this and then move into a role where you are carrying out the same duties as before there will be issues. This is because there will be no real prospects for you to move upwards within the company, meaning a bad move for you on a personal level. If your immediate supervisor is unlikely to be moving elsewhere soon, the move for you then, from a career point of view, will have been a bad one.
Think about what is important for you to gain in the next few years’ experience wise. Look into what positions would help to achieve this and put your energy into submitting the best possible CV and cover letters to these companies.
Cultural Fit
You must know the culture of the company you are interviewing with and know that this is a culture to which you are suited. Think about previous positions you have held and map out the pros and cons of the culture. What did you like/dislike and what other companies have similar cultures to this? If you move to an organisation where the environment is formal for instance, with this being an environment that you are neither comfortable with nor even like, then you don’t want to find this out when you start in the company on your first day. It is vital that you find this out from the company themselves, prior to agreeing to meet with them through asking the question or researching the company online through the likes of social media and news.
If you are availing of a professional recruitment company make sure to include this information when speaking with them and ask for help on doing research so that you are confident in your knowledge that this is the right company for you.
Competency Fit
Before you decide to go for an interview for a job, you must be 100% certain that you have the capabilities to be able to perform the tasks in question. Once again, your time is precious, so if you don’t have the skills required to carry out the role, please don’t waste your time by going forward for an interview for a position to which you are not suited. Also make sure that the job is on your level and not below it. Every job you move to should broaden your horizons and challenge you.
Ensure that you are provided with a comprehensive job specification for the role in question. Make sure to ask questions of either the company or the agency if any aspects of it seem ambiguous to you. It’s far better to know that you can actually do the job prior to the interview, rather than finding this out on the day of the meeting itself. Clarity regarding the nature of the role is of key importance, prior to interviewing with any company for any job.
