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Resume and Interview Tips to Stand Out in 2021
The document outlines strategies for job seekers to stand out in a competitive job market, emphasizing storytelling during interviews, properly showcasing skills, and understanding employer stakes. With a shift towards remote interviews and increased job competition, it encourages individuals to present themselves confidently and capitalize on their experiences without selling themselves short. Additionally, it highlights the importance of networking and utilizing available resources for skill development.
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Resume and Interview Tips to Stand Out in 2021
- 1. STANDING OUT IN YOURJOB SEARCH IN 2021 Albert Qian Albert’s List January 14, 2020
- 2. About Me ■ Contentstrategist and writer for tech companies in the San Francisco Bay Area ■ Founded Albert’s List, a community of 45,000 members on Facebook to support and connect job seekers to various resources — bit.ly/findyournextjob ■ Born and raised in the San Francisco BayArea.
- 3. The Problem Too manyof us are sitting at our desks suffering in a state of silence and hoping someone will finally notice us. Is this you? 🙌 🙌
- 4. The Solution Find away to get noticed. Stand up for what makes you amazing. Show up like never before. Is this what you want? 🙌
- 5. Agenda ■ The Stateof the Job Search ■ Best Practice #1: Learn toTell a Story ■ Best Practice #2: Don’t SellYourself Short ■ Best Practice #3: Play the Game inYour Favor ■ Best Practice #4: KnowWhat’s at Stake ■ Great—Now How Do I Get Hired?
- 6. THE STATE OFTHEJOB SEARCH
- 7. What’s Changed: Interviewsare Remote ■ 62% of workers are now remote. ■ Many interview processes are occurring over Zoom. ■ After the pandemic is over, remote work will continue. ■ Dressing for the Interview: Business casual or formal still good, sweats good for bottom
- 8. What’s Changed: COVID-19is an Excuse ■ 2020 is a mulligan—every employer understands that COVID-19 happened. ■ Indicate as such on your resume and within your interview. ■ Employers and hiring managers should understand that everyone went through financial challenges and more.
- 9. What’s Not Changed:TheMarket is Competitive ■ More than 30 million Americans are out of work, and that includes people who have stopped taking benefits. ■ Companies are receiving more applications than ever. ■ As COVID-19 mutates, more lockdowns and uncertainty loom
- 10. What’s Not Changed:Interview Homework ■ It’s a competitive market and employers can take advantage. ■ More than ever, employers need to find a way to weed out the great from the good.
- 11. The Onus isOnYou to Stand Out ■ Don’t depend on luck. ■ Build the skills. ■ Create the confidence. ■ Stop selling yourself short.
- 12. How this PresentationWasCreated ■ 40+ mock interview sessions and 5+ resume review sessions in 2020 onAlbert’s List. ■ A lot of conversations with job seekers. ■ Join us for future sessions or sit in the hot seat yourself. ■ Email albert@ajobslist.com.
- 13. BEST PRACTICE #1:TELLTHEBEST STORY
- 14. An Interview isMoreThanAnswers ■ It’s not just the what or the how, but also the why. ■ Stories help you stand out from a competitive market. ■ Luckily, interview stories offer a model you can use.
- 15. What’s in aStory? ■ What: Explain the challenge? ■ Who:Which people were involved? ■ Why: Describe why the problem was important. ■ How: How was the problem solved? ■ Other Elements: Hero, Good News, Business success
- 16. The STAR Method ■Situation ■ Task ■ Action ■ Result
- 17. WhatAbout Personal Questions? ■Your authenticity matters. ■ Reflecting on your journey will help you a lot here. ■ Know how your career connects.Why did you take your previous jobs?
- 18. Finally, a NoteAbout COVID-19 ■ 2020 is a mulligan—every employer understands that COVID-19 happened. ■ Keep your answers short—whether furlough or layoff.
- 19. Example Storytelling Questions ■Walk me through your resume. ■ Why do you want to work here? ■ Tell me about a time when you… ■ Can you explain why you did… ■ Name a project you are proud of…
- 20. BEST PRACTICE #2:POSITION YOURSELF
- 23. Lessons #1 From2020 ■ Job seekers regularly sell themselves short on their resumes and job interviews. ■ Minimizing project and career successes. ■ Ignoring what hiring managers care about (more on that later).
- 24. Where Does SellingYourselfShort Appear? ■ Resume ■ Interviews ■ Online Presence ■ Networking
- 25. Example: Resume “Authored blogposts about SaaS solutions” “Served as the editor-in-chief of the company blog, increasing blog views by 30%Y/Y” WhatYou Might Write WhatYou ShouldWrite “Developed software using the MEAN stack” “Collaborated with product management team to develop software using the MEAN stack, increasing app engagement by 25%”
- 26. Example: Interview “I helpedmy boss create marketing collateral to drive product interest” “I co-led a marketing program that involved creating marketing collateral, leveraging social media, and email marketing—which led to 20% more sales” WhatYou Might Say WhatYou Should Say “I’ve created a few software applications in my time” “I’m very passionate about healthcare technology and have helped several companies develop applications with 15% increased user engagement year over year— including over iOS and Android”
- 27. A Note AboutContracting & Consulting ■ Market yourself as a consultant to look better. ■ Place your multiple contracts under one employer—yours or a firm. ■ Longevity still matters—but the COVID-19 mulligan applies.
- 28. Even though Itook breaks from Cisco between 2011-14 for other roles, I group it so it looks continuous
- 29. What’s the Lesson? ■Where possible, go into detail about what you have done and done well. ■ When in doubt, don’t hold back. ■ Focus on the strategic value to your future employer.
- 30. Example QuestionsTo ShowcaseYour Potential ■Tell me about your proudest project… ■ Share a time you were successful… ■ What would you like to accomplish in your next role? ■ What are you most passionate about?
- 31. BEST PRACTICE #3:DON’TTELLA LIE
- 32. Yes,There areTrick Questions ■Hiring managers will ask questions that could trip you. ■ Knowing the answers to these questions in advance helps. ■ Writing them out helps as well.
- 33. Why AskTrick Questions? ■Assessment of risk. ■ Understanding how you operate under pressure. ■ Seeing how you think. ■ Weeding out the bad candidates in the interview process.
- 34. Example: “Why didyou leave your last company? “I was unfortunately laid off by my previous employer. I wasn’t doing well and it was time” “I was no longer happy and so I left.” “The previous company I was at was going through changes. Unfortunately, I was a part of those changes.” “The company decided to go in another direction and unfortunately, I wasn’t in those plans." WhatYou Might Say WhatYou Should Say
- 35. How to NavigateTheToughQuestions ■ Reduce your risk as much as possible. ■ Script your answers far in advance. ■ Understand that it is sometimes filler.
- 36. Example Questions toAnswer Strategically ■ Why did you leave your last job? ■ Where do you see yourself in five years? ■ What do you think about doing extra work?
- 37. BEST PRACTICE #4:KNOWWHAT’S AT STAKE
- 38. The Hiring Hierarchy Fundamentals Skills Stakes ResilienceCharacter Commitment Dynamics Vision Metrics Leadership
- 39.
- 40. What it LooksLike in the Interview ■ Sharing what you understand about the role. ■ Knowing what each person cares about. ■ Answering the question like you did your homework.
- 41.
- 42. What are yourBoss’ stakes? ■ Why are they in the job? ■ What are their goals? ■ How do you fit with their goals? ■ What pressure(s) do they face?
- 43. Getting clear onyour Boss What matters to you + what matters to the boss And Where the two intersect
- 44. Questions to askyour boss ■ What can I do to make you look really good? ■ What are your top priorities today? ■ What is your vision for this role? ■ How do you lead?
- 45.
- 46. Example:What is atstake for your customers and investors? ■ They pay your bills (#1) ■ They serve the vision ■ They make your executives nervous ■ They make you pivot ■ Essentially… they own you Write it out for your next job interview!
- 47. Example: Getting clearon your customers and investors What matters to you + what matters to them And Collaborating towards success
- 48. Example: Understanding What’s atStake in a Job Description ■ What do you think is at stake? – Professional social media presence – Building new assets while maintaining existing ones – Track bottom-line results – To name a few… ■ What do you think the interview questions will be? ■ How will you communicate that you know what’s at stake?
- 49. Example: Understanding What’s atStake in a Job Description ■ What do you think is at stake? – Startup environment where independence is valued – Table stakes software engineering experience ■ What do you think the interview questions will be? ■ How will you communicate that you know what’s at stake?
- 50. GREAT—NOW HOW DO IGET HIRED?
- 51. Connect toYour NextJob ■ More than 30 million Americans are jobless ■ It’s not who you know or what you know — it is who knows you ■ Consider reaching out ■ Focus your networking
- 52. Interview InYour Favor ■Best Practice #1: Learn toTell a Story ■ Best Practice #2: Don’t SellYourself Short ■ Best Practice #3: Play the Game inYour Favor ■ Best Practice #4: KnowWhat’s at Stake
- 53. Level UpYour Skills ■Many places are offering free courses (Ivy Leagues, Udemy): https://coronavirus.providence.org/blog/uf/609098130 ■ Consider a certification (HubSpot, Salesforce) ■ Invest in yourself (LinkedIn Learning, Lynda) ■ Take advantage of scholarships – Google: https://grow.google/certificates/ – Udacity: https://www.udacity.com/scholarships
- 54. Join Albert’s List ■https://bit.ly/findyournextjob ■ Meet 45,000 recruiters, job seekers, hiring managers, coaches, and more. ■ Get/Give advice, discover jobs, get referred, or network with others.
- 55. Q&A + Let’sConnect ■ Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/albertqian ■ Send me an email: albert@ajobslist.com ■ Follow me onTwitter: @albertqian
- 56.