All About the Angles: How to Approach Your Job Search

The goal of a job search is, of course, to land a position. This is not rocket science. The issue is that many job seekers look at resume writing and interviewing from the wrong perspective.  If, as a job seeker, you are too focused on reiterating what it is that you want, you’re going to miss the boat. The key to being successful in your job search is putting the employer first.

Many job seekers lack experience making decisions from an employer’s perspective, and this is to be expected. Not everyone can be an HR professional. But this lack of experience should not hinder candidates from presenting themselves in such a way that employers can see their potential value within the organization. By taking the time to get to know the organization before beginning the application process, job seekers have a much greater chance of being called in for an interview and hired. Here are some resources that job hunters can use to get informed:

• Company Websites
• Recent news stories about the company or the industry
• Company Social Media Pages
• Hoovers.com, BizJournals.com

All of these online resources can get job seekers up-to-date on the happenings within a certain company. By taking the time to review these sources, you can utilize this information to discern exactly what the company is looking for (beyond the general job description.) If you still have questions, conducting informational interviews is another option for gathering important information.

Once you have enough information about the company that you feel you have a good grasp on the real needs behind the posted position, start customizing. Take your resume and re-organize your information so that the most pertinent skills and experiences are highlighted and located near headings. Focus on results, because that’s what they really want to see. If you’re called in for an interview, ensure that you focus on meeting the company’s needs, rather than talking about how much you want to work for a company that you can grow with, or whatever it is that you want.

If you prepare by looking at your application and interview from the employer’s perspective, you’ll be able to show them that you are exactly what it is that they need.