Tips for Job Interview Success – Do You Know the Source of Job Hires?

June 9th, 2010

If you become proficient in how to prepare for an interview you will increase your chances of receiving a job offer. But to use your interview skills you need to be able to source opportunities and get invited for an interview. In February of 2010, CareerXRoads released their 9th annual Source of Hire study. I’d like to share some of the major findings of the study, as they may give you some new ideas of where you should be spending your time hunting for opportunities.

Interesting Findings from the 2009 study are:

  1. 51% of all job openings were filled by internal candidates. This high number is influenced greatly by the poor economic conditions that have existed over the past few years. In “normal” conditions this number would be about 35%. It is expected that hiring should start to move back to the 35% range in 2010. This is positive news for job seekers.
  2. 75% of all external hires are attributed to just five sources: Referrals (26.7%), Job boards (13.2%), Company Career Site (22.3%),    College (6.3%) and Direct Sourcing (6.9%). It is my experience that too many job seekers rely primarily on job boards, like Monster and CareerBuilder, for their job search. I feel that it is not appropriate to spend the bulk of one’s time on an area that is only responsible for filling 1.3 out of every 10 openings.
  3. Referrals account for the largest percent of external hires at 26.7%. To be referred you must network. Networking is a skill that few take the time to understand let alone master. Learning how to network effectively will pay huge dividends in a job search campaign. Many jobs are never advertised, so the only way to learn about them is through talking with others in the know. Learn more about The Networking Game.


  4. The career job boards source only 13.2% of hires. This figure has been flat for years and most survey respondents reported that they were reducing their reliance on career boards during 2009. The key point here is that if you are one who relies heavily on career boards for your job search you need to diversify. If not, you will miss out on most of the quality job opportunities.

Again, the source of the above data is the CareerXRoads 9th annual Source of Hire study. CareerXRoads is a staffing strategy consulting firm.

The above date strongly suggests that you need a diversified approach when searching for job opportunities. The data also suggests that if you are not using networking in your search you are missing out on 26.7% of the jobs that are filled externally. Make appropriate changes to your strategy and see the number of interviews you get increase.

If you are looking to increase your interviewing skills check out Terry Truscott’s Job Interview Success System.

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Tips for Job Interview Success – How to Energize Your Success Stories

June 8th, 2010

As we near the end of spring 2010 it remains a very tough job market. In tight job markets, hiring companies hold the upper hand as there are more individuals seeking employment than there are jobs available. With more candidates after the same job, it takes more interviews to get an offer than it does in a normal job market. So the challenge is to learn how to set yourself apart from the competition. Remember, the most qualified person does not necessarily get the job. It is the candidate who best convinces the hiring manager of their capabilities to make an impact in the organization. Learning how to prepare for an interview is a critical skill in today’s job market.

One way to set yourself apart from the competition is to create and relate success stories in an impactful manner. The key is that your story must evoke emotion and interest from the hiring manager. A success story told without enthusiasm, using passive words will not register with the listener. Inject energy into your voice as you relate your successes using action oriented words.

Some examples:

    Passive – My responsibilities include communication between marketing and sales.
    Active – I re-energized communication between marketing and sales.

    Passive – I received the employee of the month award.
    Active – My superior performance earned me the employee of the month award.

    Passive – I am the call center manager.
    Active – As the manager, I orchestrate the activities of the call center.

The action oriented statements will catch the attention of the interviewer. You would then explain, again using words of action, how you re-energized communication, earned the employee of the month award, and orchestrated call center activities. This strategy ties your actions to the accomplishment, further building your credentials in the eye of the hiring manager. To get you started, here is a small list of action oriented words:

    Solve(d)
    Create(d)
    Design(ed)
    Led
    Close(d)
    Author(ed)
    Resolve(d)
    Implement(ed)

Brainstorm some of your own. You will be surprised how they make your success stories come alive. You will be perceived as a doer and someone who gets the job done. Most candidates talk in generalities about their previous job responsibilities and skills. You can set yourself apart by relating the specific results that you have achieved. If you do this effectively your job offers will come more frequently.

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