👨🏫👨🏫 👨🏫 👨Guidance
1. know your strengths (and your weaknesses)
Jobs are like people. They’re both unique and have their own special characteristics. As part of your interview preparation, take stock of your strengths, weaknesses and skills. Identify how they align with the organization. Highlight specific skill sets that are mentioned in the job description and cite examples of how you best performed those skills. Have good answers for any job requirements that you don’t meet. Be honest. If you don’t know how to use certain programs or machinery, be proactive and say you’ve already begun learning and if hired, you’ll be ready to go.
highlight specific skill sets that are mentioned in the job description and cite examples in which you demonstrate those skills.
2. become an expert
You must research everything. You need to learn all you can about the job, department, company and field. Pull the latest annual reports and read as much as possible on industry websites. Talk to people. Conduct your own mini interviews with friends in similar positions. Better yet, talk to current or former employees of the company. Armed with this information, you will feel a whole lot more comfortable as your interview day gets closer.
3. practice makes perfect
Have a friend pretend to be the hiring manager and conduct some mock interviews. Treat it like a dress rehearsal complete with your professional attire. Set up a camera and record it. Go through a list of common interview questions and answers; have your friend throw in a few surprise questions as well. Answering these practice interview questions will help you get used to thinking on the fly and making adjustments spontaneously. Watch the recording and make any adjustments as needed to ensure you look and sound your best.
4. dress for success
You want to look like you belong at the company when it's time for your interview. It's always a safe bet to dress a little more formally than what you think is the standard is at that company. For instance, if during your research you found that employees often wear jeans and a polo shirt, show up for your interview wearing a suit and tie. Bring a binder with a pen, paper, copies of your resume and references. Also, make sure to arrive five to 10 minutes before your interview is scheduled to begin. You don’t want to show up too early and catch your hiring manager in the middle of something. Or worse, sprint into the interview 10 minutes late grumbling about traffic. During the interview, try to exhibit good posture (don't slouch!), use relevant hand gestures and maintain steady eye contact. If you look, act and sound confident, you’ll be confident.
5. ask smart questions, listen smarter
this is your chance to find out everything you can about the position. approach your interview like a reporter or detective.
This is your chance to find out everything you can about the position. Approach it like a reporter or detective. Ask leading questions that will provide insight into what the job is really like on a daily basis. Craft some questions beyond what you found out from your research. You want the interviewer to know you did your homework. Whatever you do, don’t ask about the salary, benefits and vacation time. The hiring manager will most likely cover it during the interview. And if not, that can be handled at a later date.
6. before you wrap
Ask if they have any concerns with your experience and provide solutions to alleviate those issues. If you think you could see yourself working there, state that. “I’ve really enjoyed learning about this position and would like to be considered for the job. What’s the next step in the process?” As you’re getting ready to leave, shake hands and ask for a business card.
Got it all down pat? Good! In that case, you should be all set to succeed. Plus, if you want to find out about new opportunities the moment they become available, be sure to sign up for Randstad's job alerts. Just tell us the kind of position you want, and we'll email you when we find it.
1. how to find online job postings
For all too many job seekers, trying to navigate the online job sites for a job is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. This is especially true when searching using simple, non-specific keywords like “engineer” or “software developer.” The result is a return of thousands of results, many of which are completely irrelevant to the job opportunities you are seeking. There is a better way!
Using job boards effectively goes beyond exhaustive searches. You should now be viewing job boards as a primary networking resource to find and be found. Knowing how to successfully search and navigate job boards will not only maximize your time, but enhance your results. Start by following some basic best practices for your job search efforts, and then utilize the advanced job search technique used by recruiters.
2. aggregate — don’t aggravate!
One of the easiest ways to start your online search is to use a job aggregator. These websites will scan through various job boards — like employer sites, small industry boards and newspaper classifieds — and will return results based on your search criteria. An aggregator can help you save time during the job search and may direct you to a position you wouldn’t have found using a traditional job board.
Another benefit of using an aggregator (and some job boards)? The ability to create saved search alerts, which will send appropriate jobs directly to your email inbox. Randstad offers a similar feature: You can sign up for job alerts and we’ll email you when a position is posted that matches your requirements. Try it! You might be surprised by the effectiveness of this approach.
3. using advanced search techniques
It doesn’t matter if you're using an aggregator or a traditional job board. To conduct more advanced searches, understanding Boolean logic is your secret weapon. If you haven’t heard of "Boolean" before, don’t fret. Its name may sound complicated or scary, but it's quite easy to master. Boolean logic has been used for decades by database administrators because it's an information retrieval tool that allows several search words and phrases to be combined using operators or commands.
From an execution standpoint, there are probably five Boolean operators you should at least be aware of when navigating job search sites.
“or”
Using this operator allows you to combine keywords so that a page or document is retrieved if it contains any or all of the keywords. For example, “nurse or pediatric” will find all instances in which the words “nurse” or “pediatric” appear.
“and”
“And” can be used to combine terms so that information is retrieved only if all those terms occur in the same place. Searching for “software and engineer” will bring up results where both keywords occur.
“not”
This operator will prevent any results in which specified terms occur together. This is helpful when a specific keyword may have many meanings. For example, “engineer not mechanical” will find instances in which “engineer” occurs but “mechanical” doesn’t. However, it's important to note that this operator is not recognized by Google. If you’re using Google to job search, use the minus sign (-) in place of the “not” operator.
“near”
This is particularly helpful if you want to search for words which appear near each other. When you use this operator, the search will only find instances where your keywords appear between one and 20 spaces of each other.
“ ”
Quotation marks allow you to search for words or a phrase exactly as you type it. For example, “financial analyst” will only find results containing those two words in that exact order.
Finally, while there are a few other Boolean operators that can help you narrow your searches even further in future, mastering these basics will dramatically improve the accuracy and success of your searches and avoid further frustration.
4. find and be found
Job seekers aren’t the only ones using job boards. Many recruiters frequent resume databases to search for available candidates — even more so now that networking events, conferences and job fairs are prohibited. By posting your resume online, a hiring manager could find you and invite you to apply for a job you didn’t even know existed.
If you choose to post your resume, consider the following:
Use a dedicated email address for your job search.
Focus on niche job boards for your location, industry or position type.
Use a Microsoft Word version of your document named with your target job title(s).
Refresh your resume weekly so that it remains at the top of search results.
If you really want to make sure you're posting a resume that has all the right components, then check out our complimentary resume builder which can put together a polished document for you that checks all the right boxes.
key takeaways
Job boards may be the only way to find work for a while, so it's a good idea to get comfortable using them. Try experimenting with various search strings, following the tips we've outlined, to see which work best for you. Once you have identified the appropriate search strings, you can also set job search alerts and tweak your search parameters so you can receive emails when new jobs are posted that meet your criteria. Finally, if you find a position that interests you, be sure to review our tips and best practices for submitting applications before you click "submit."
Find out the moment opportunities become available by signing up for Randstad's job alerts. Just tell us the kind of position you want, and we'll email you when we find it.
1. how to find online job postings
For all too many job seekers, trying to navigate the online job sites for a job is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. This is especially true when searching using simple, non-specific keywords like “engineer” or “software developer.” The result is a return of thousands of results, many of which are completely irrelevant to the job opportunities you are seeking. There is a better way!
Using job boards effectively goes beyond exhaustive searches. You should now be viewing job boards as a primary networking resource to find and be found. Knowing how to successfully search and navigate job boards will not only maximize your time, but enhance your results. Start by following some basic best practices for your job search efforts, and then utilize the advanced job search technique used by recruiters.
2. aggregate — don’t aggravate!
One of the easiest ways to start your online search is to use a job aggregator. These websites will scan through various job boards — like employer sites, small industry boards and newspaper classifieds — and will return results based on your search criteria. An aggregator can help you save time during the job search and may direct you to a position you wouldn’t have found using a traditional job board.
Another benefit of using an aggregator (and some job boards)? The ability to create saved search alerts, which will send appropriate jobs directly to your email inbox. Randstad offers a similar feature: You can sign up for job alerts and we’ll email you when a position is posted that matches your requirements. Try it! You might be surprised by the effectiveness of this approach.
3. using advanced search techniques
It doesn’t matter if you're using an aggregator or a traditional job board. To conduct more advanced searches, understanding Boolean logic is your secret weapon. If you haven’t heard of "Boolean" before, don’t fret. Its name may sound complicated or scary, but it's quite easy to master. Boolean logic has been used for decades by database administrators because it's an information retrieval tool that allows several search words and phrases to be combined using operators or commands.
From an execution standpoint, there are probably five Boolean operators you should at least be aware of when navigating job search sites.
“or”
Using this operator allows you to combine keywords so that a page or document is retrieved if it contains any or all of the keywords. For example, “nurse or pediatric” will find all instances in which the words “nurse” or “pediatric” appear.
“and”
“And” can be used to combine terms so that information is retrieved only if all those terms occur in the same place. Searching for “software and engineer” will bring up results where both keywords occur.
“not”
This operator will prevent any results in which specified terms occur together. This is helpful when a specific keyword may have many meanings. For example, “engineer not mechanical” will find instances in which “engineer” occurs but “mechanical” doesn’t. However, it's important to note that this operator is not recognized by Google. If you’re using Google to job search, use the minus sign (-) in place of the “not” operator.
“near”
This is particularly helpful if you want to search for words which appear near each other. When you use this operator, the search will only find instances where your keywords appear between one and 20 spaces of each other.
“ ”
Quotation marks allow you to search for words or a phrase exactly as you type it. For example, “financial analyst” will only find results containing those two words in that exact order.
Finally, while there are a few other Boolean operators that can help you narrow your searches even further in future, mastering these basics will dramatically improve the accuracy and success of your searches and avoid further frustration.
4. find and be found
Job seekers aren’t the only ones using job boards. Many recruiters frequent resume databases to search for available candidates — even more so now that networking events, conferences and job fairs are prohibited. By posting your resume online, a hiring manager could find you and invite you to apply for a job you didn’t even know existed.
If you choose to post your resume, consider the following:
Use a dedicated email address for your job search.
Focus on niche job boards for your location, industry or position type.
Use a Microsoft Word version of your document named with your target job title(s).
Refresh your resume weekly so that it remains at the top of search results.
If you really want to make sure you're posting a resume that has all the right components, then check out our complimentary resume builder which can put together a polished document for you that checks all the right boxes.
key takeaways
Job boards may be the only way to find work for a while, so it's a good idea to get comfortable using them. Try experimenting with various search strings, following the tips we've outlined, to see which work best for you. Once you have identified the appropriate search strings, you can also set job search alerts and tweak your search parameters so you can receive emails when new jobs are posted that meet your criteria. Finally, if you find a position that interests you, be sure to review our tips and best practices for submitting applications before you click "submit."
Find out the moment opportunities become available by signing up for Randstad's job alerts. Just tell us the kind of position you want, and we'll email you when we find it.
how to research company information
Checking company information doesn't have to be hard — at least as long as you know where to start. Use these five sources to gather important insights.
1. why you should research using company websites
What do you know about a company? A natural place to start is with their website. Specifically, look for a section titled "About Us," "Our Mission," "Who We Are" or similar. That should give you some basic — but valuable — information about an organization’s history, mission statement and culture.
For example, in the About section on Randstad’s homepage you can find press releases, leadership bios and corporate social responsibility links. All of these should give you an indication of our values, the behaviors we reward and so on.
2. why you should research using company websites
Many of these websites are now highlighting additional company information, such as reviews from employees and job seekers and salary information.
Some even include videos which will provide an inside look at the company culture at your target organization.
One of the best job boards to use in your research is Monster.
Two reputable rating sites you should use are Kununu and Google My Business.
3. why you should research using paid services
These services will search the internet and return information about a company’s finances, executives, press releases and more.
Most of these services will offer you a free trial, but then you’ll have to pay after your introductory period ends.
4. why you should research using news reports and industry publications
News reports and industry publications will provide you with outside perspectives on companies, or inform you of any positive or negative press that organization has received.
Enter the company’s name in the text box on Google and filter by News, and you’ll see links to published reports from news organizations and industry publications.
Results are often filtered by relevance, so you might have to scroll through a few pages to find the most recent stories.
Pay attention to the source of the results. You’ll find information from large established news organizations here, as well as smaller independent companies, so you may find differing opinions about certain events or stories.
you can also set up Google Alerts for the company or any of its executives, and you’ll receive a notification when they're mentioned in the news.
5. why you should research using social media
In terms of what you look for in the company, monitor how it interacts in the social community and responds to criticisms or questions from customers and the general public.
Take note of any trends or recurring issues so you can cater your resume to showcase skills that might help solve these problems.
If you’re looking for firsthand information about the company, reach out to any employees that you might be connected with on LinkedIn and see if they’ll be willing to answer questions you may have.
how to put your valuable research into practice
Now that you know where to go to gain key insights, it's time to put everything you've learned to use. But what's the best approach?
write down the values that matter to each company you're interested in, and make note of whether those are personal traits or skill sets.
For starters, try to keep detailed notes as you go about conducting research (an Excel spreadsheet might come in handy).
You should also be on the lookout for keywords or distinct phrases used by each company. A lot of this terminology will likely appear in job postings, as well.
Finally, weave all of this information together and work it into your resume and cover letter. It's the only way to ensure that your candidacy stands out in today's unusually crowded talent marketplace.
key takeaways
However you approach the job-application process, don't underestimate the importance of developing comprehensive, fine-grained knowledge of the companies you're interested in. No matter your industry or profession, research is the essential first step — even before you start tailoring your resume for a given opportunity. Just follow the steps we've outlined in this article and you should be in a great position. It's also an essential part of the process of preparing for an interview.
Ready to start writing the resume? Check out the next installment in our resume tips series: resume tips (part 2): how to format your resume.
what’s the best resume format?
There’s no one answer to this question, unfortunately. That said, you don’t have to worry about selecting from a huge list of contenders.
two resume formats are by far the most common:
reverse-chronological resumes
skills-based (or functional) resumes
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Both have strengths and weaknesses — but those strengths and weaknesses ultimately depend on the companies you’re interested in as well as your previous work experience. For greater clarity about how to format your resume, let’s dig into this more closely.
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how to make a reverse-chronological resume format
Generally, a reverse-chronological resume format is most effective when you have previous experience in the industry that you’re looking for new opportunities in. The basic principle? When listing your experience, start with your most recent professional experience and work backward from there. For each role that you’ve held, include the name of the company, the dates you worked there, a brief description of your position and a bulleted list of highlights.
reverse-chronological resume template
To stand out from the pack, make sure your reverse-chronological resume includes the following information:
your name and contact information
your career objective
your complete professional experience
your education
your skill set
relevant business associations, memberships or volunteer work
references (optional)
how to make a skills-based resume format
A skills-based resume format — sometimes referred to as a “functional resume format” — offers a lot of benefits if you don’t have a lot of previous experience in a given area or field. That’s because it calls attention to your skills, interests and abilities, as opposed to narrowly focusing on your work experience. For many of the same reasons, this style of resume is also often a smart choice if you have any large employment gaps, frequently changed jobs or held different job titles over a long period of time at a single employer.
skills-based resume template
Eager to develop a skills-based resume? Make sure you don’t omit any of the following:
your name and contact information
your career objective
a clearly defined list of your skills together with bulleted highlights of instances in which you put those skills to use
an overview of your professional experience, include all relevant employers
your skill set
testimonials from clients or employers (optional)
best practices for formatting a resume
Whatever approach you decide is right for you, there are a few universals — or best practices — that hold true for all resumes. So be sure to keep the following guidance in mind as you put together your resume.
Length: Keep it to one or two pages maximum (depending on years of experience), unless you’re applying for a highly technical position that requires additional explanation.
Borders: Common resume borders are usually one inch on each side. The default borders on Microsoft Word should suffice.
Font type: The most common font is Times New Roman, but Arial, Century Gothic, Garamond and Georgia are also popular. Make sure you select a font that’s easy to read.
Font size: The most commonly used font size is 12-point font; however, you may need to slightly increase or reduce this size to fit all of your information on one or two pages.
key takeaways
as the old saying goes, “form follows function” — which is something you should bear in mind as you decide on the right resume format to represent your candidacy.
If you have plenty of previous professional experience in the industry or space, a reverse-chronological format is probably the safest bet. If, on the other hand, you’re a relative newcomer, a skills-based resume might be the right approach. Either way, you should be sure to deploy the best practices we’ve outlined in this article. Put it all together and you should be able to craft the perfect resume in no time.
Finally, check out the next installment in our comprehensive resume-writing series: resume tips (part 3): contact information.
Once you’ve selected your resume format, it’s time to start building. But before you get to your experience and job skills, you need to make sure you begin your resume with accurate and concise contact information. Let's go over some of the basics that you should consider when placing your contact information on your resume, piece by piece.
contact information to include on your resume A lot of this might seem straightforward, but many people miss the boat — and wind up tarnishing their candidacy — by omitting key contact information on their resume. So, to get things started, let’s break down all of the contact info that needs to be included:
your name your address your phone number your email address social media and online portfolio links Got it? Good! Now let’s just walk through these one by one to make sure there isn’t any confusion.
name Your first and last name are sufficient. person standing outa middle initial is sometimes merited if your first and last name are considered somewhat generic — for example, “John Smith” — and you want to stand out from the crowd.
If your resume is more than one page, put your name on each page in the same place. Under very few circumstances should you use nicknames. For instance, if you are named “Richard” but you are known as “Rich,” list your full name on your resume. address How to write your address on a resume depends on the location of the job you’re applying for: pinpointsif you’re applying for a local job, feel free to include your complete address on your resume. If the job is in a different city or a state, your full address isn't necessary. Just list your current city and state.
If you decide to include your address on your resume, list your full mailing address in a standard, two-line format. Do not list a P.O. Box. phone number List a number that is specifically yours, not a general work phone number. Write your number with area code first in the format (XXX) XXX-XXXX. Set up a professional voicemail greeting which includes your name and phone number in case you receive a call from a potential employer that you do not answer. email address Use a personal, yet professional-looking email address, such as john.smith@email.com. If you do not have a professional-looking email address, create a free account on Gmail. Avoid using a work email address if possible. Make sure that you check your email regularly. social media and online portfolio links You may choose to include a link to your social media profile or an online portfolio (depending on the role for which you are applying). Unless it is required during the application process, consider this optional; however, if you feel it would increase your chances of landing an interview, you should include it. LinkedIn is the most professional platform for businesses and job seekers. If you are asked for a social media link, it’s a good idea to use your LinkedIn profile. Make sure that online portfolio links are valid and typed correctly. Using a URL shortener may look less professional than a custom URL with your name. Wix, Weebly and WordPress all have templates for professional-looking online portfolios. Delete unprofessional social media profiles before your job search, regardless of whether they are associated with your name or not. They can and will be found. key takeaways No resume is complete without contact information. It’s also the first information that a recruiter or hiring manager is going to see, so it’s important you check off all of the boxes. And if you keep these best practices outlined in this article in mind as you craft your resume, you’re sure to strengthen your candidacy.
Looking for additional resume advice? Head on to the next installment in our series of resuming-writing guidance: step 4: qualifications and highlights.
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how to format your accomplishments on your resume
Regardless of format, your career highlights, or resume qualifications section, should be found at the top of your resume, directly beneath your contact information.
Use the same header sizing and font as for your other major sections.
Title this section Career Highlights or Career Qualifications.
A summary paragraph of career highlights is the best format to use with a skills-based resume or if you are relatively new to the workforce.
Listing your resume highlights in bullets works well if you have lots of qualifications or relevant work experience.
Bullets allow you to choose the most important pieces of information based upon the position for which you are applying.
your resume qualifications section should go at the top of your resume, regardless of format.
example of career highlights paragraph
Sometimes referred to as a summary of qualifications or a statement of qualifications, your career highlights paragraph provides the perfect forum for you to give decision-makers a quick glimpse of who you are as a professional. Look at the example below for guidance on what to write:
Experienced manager with over two years’ experience leading a sales team. Provide elite customer service and training to companies with technical and accounting issues. Top performing employee on regional quarterly performance reviews. Proficient with various programs, such as Microsoft Excel. Currently looking for a position with upward mobility; my modus operandi is to always improve my skill set and inspire my colleagues to make similar improvements.
example of career highlights bullets
You want key qualifications on your resume to stand out and catch the eye, and bullet points are the best tool to use for accomplishing that goal. If you have a significant amount of work experience, consider formatting your qualifications section like this:
Nationally recognized and award-winning designer and UX developer.
15 years’ experience leading data development department.
Guided and managed 30+ clients through two major corporate mergers.
Expertise in 10+ data development systems and servers.
a great resume is all about readability: use bullet points to help your accomplishments stand out.
don't forget about keywords
Find keywords by seeing which qualification or experience words appear most often in the job descriptions.
Incorporate these keywords throughout your resume. Computers and recruiters quickly scanning your resume will detect these buzzwords and phrases.
Use synonyms for those keywords as well, because your resume must still read well to hiring managers.
It's easy to get overwhelmed when writing your resume, but if you break it down into steps, and follow the directions above, you'll have all you need to create a great career summary section that displays your resume qualifications in the best light.
Need more resume-writing help? Check out the next installment in our resume-writing series, which focuses on how to write and organize skills on your resume.
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