Wondering why you were passed over? Perhaps it is because you were focused on the employer’s apparent needs and unaware of underlying issues that might be impacting the hiring/promotion decision: your years as a self-employed entrepreneur, negative attitude, a careless personal appearance, reluctance to accept constructive feedback, aversion to change or failure to keep skills current?
If you’ve never thought about these things, then you would be wise to proactively address these concerns before a prospective employer or your boss makes the decision.
When the recruiter calls, here are some things s/he will be thinking about while conducting a screening interview:
- Does the way you look, sound, and behave positively represent the company image?
- Will your actions and goals promote company mission and goals?
- Can you do the job or learn it quickly enough?
- Will you fit the company culture and will fellow employees want to work with you?
- Are you dependable? Can you be relied on to work in the employer’s best interests?
- Do you have relationships with company stakeholders or can you bring a valuable network (outside contacts) to the employer?
When you are being considered for promotion:
- Can you answer “yes” to all the above questions?
- Can you confidently perform your role without frequent support and affirmation?
- Do you ask for/succeed with important projects that are beyond the scope of your job description?
- Are you adding top- or bottom-line value?
- Do you have good working relationships with peers in other departments?
- Are you building relationships with leaders outside your functional area?
- Is your work visible beyond your immediate department?
- Do you recognize the contributions of your team members/contributing colleagues?
If many of your answers to these questions are “no,” then you have some work to do!
Ellie Vargo, MRW, CCMC
ev@noteworthyresume.com