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Job Search Tips for The Experienced Job Seeker

on May 24, 2021 in ABR Blog, Interview Tips

 

The job search process no matter your life stage can come with challenges. Are these things happening to you?

  • Being told that you’re overqualified?
  • Not hearing back after you’ve submitted your resume?
  • No feedback after an interview?

Start out by taking an inventory of your skills and experiences throughout your life. Your past employment, part time work, volunteerism, hobbies, and parenting all require skills that can be applied to the opportunities you are seeking. Never forget that many hiring authorities value your knowledge, maturity and work ethic.

How to Overcome the ‘You Are Overqualified’ Objection

Learn to view objections as a “buying sign” or a “request for more information.” Often the initial objection you receive is not the core objection, but the hiring authority has learned this objection is “safe.”

Too often “you’re overqualified” means something else including:
1. With your level of experience, you’re going to want too much money and must be over our hiring budget.
2. You’re going to accept our job which means you are not under-employed and you will continue your job search.

Most hiring authorities will not voice either of these two concerns, but they are the underlying objection when they state “you’re overqualified.” There are things you can do to overcome this objection including: “I can see where you might be but let me explain why this won’t be a problem”… and then you give precise reasons.

There are other things you can do:

  • Focus on accomplishments and skills more than job titles
  • Make it clear that you are flexible where salary is concerned
  • Reveal the financial advantage of hiring you. (show where you have generated or saved money or cut costs in your past)
  • Demonstrate your high level of interest and loyalty
  • If all else fails, you could ask a direct question “What can I do to convince you that I am the best candidate for the job?”

What You Can Do To Schedule More Interviews

The two most effective ways to schedule more interviews, is through networking and directly marketing yourself to hiring authorities. You do not want your resume to be lost among hundreds of resumes that were submitted as the result of a job board or website posting. Think of all the people you know who are working. Whether they are in your field of interest or not, they could possibly open doors for you as a result of the people they know. When people are working, they learn about job opportunities often and could pass that information to you.

It is also very effective to make a list of companies you plan to target. Then conduct research to identify the person who would be your bosses’ boss. Mail your resume  and put “personal and confidential” in the lower left hand corner of the envelope, so no one will open it, but the person you targeted. Include a cover letter explaining why you would be an asset to their company and department. Then follow up with a telephone call.

Networking and directly marketing to a hiring authority are the methods used successfully by over 50% of people getting hired in todays’ competitive job market.

How to Position Yourself to Stand Out

There are tips you can use to differentiate yourself from your competition including:
1. Only list the last ten years on your resume
2. Include key words in your Career Summary and Core Competencies on your resume
3. Highlight accomplishments and the impact they had on past employers on your resume and during interviews
4. Ask questions that reveal what is most important to each person in the interview process
5. Set up your follow up contact with every conversation or interview
6. Complete the 15 steps in our Career Portal to provide you with many more tips
7. Set up informational interviews which often covert to interviews or new networking contacts

Ready to take the next step in your manufacturing or office career? Contact ABR’s experienced recruiters today!