Junior Job Hunter: I'm trying hard not to mess up any more interviews

When we heard from him late last year, our junior job hunter was heading to Melbourne. He wanted to break into the front office and escape his previous temping role in a smaller Australian city. If you haven't read his December article click here. Today he tells us about the importance of having a good technique in interviews and job searching.

In April last year I had my first interview after returning to Australia from the UK. It was an entry-level role with an insurance firm. I expected to use the job as leverage, something which would benefit me in the short term.

I went into the interview confident and was prepared to wing it (the only real preparation I did was checking the company's website). I left confident. I thought I had nailed it and I was expecting a job offer. So I was surprised when HR told me that they wouldn't be pursuing things any further.

It confused me and made me wonder what I had done wrong. What did they expect? I thought I was overqualified!

Today I have a different perspective. Back then I had been out of the career job-hunt for more than 18 months. I suppose I like to think that I was rusty.

Turning things around

So to 2010. I have been developing strategies towards my attempt at a career break. I've attempted to take some advice from comments left on my articles on this website last year.

For example, I bought the book What Colour is Your Parachute?, which was recommended by a previous eFC reader. I have been highlighting key points in the book to assist my search. It outlines some excellent strategies and is helping me adopt a different approach.

Initially I worked on tweaking my CV, listening to comments from friends and family. I then tailored each CV to highlight key skills for each job I applied to. I am applying through several online job sites, but just this alone hasn't produced results. So I am attempting to apply for jobs through friends who work(ed) in companies of interest in order to get my CV through to these employers.

Getting in the back door

I have called recruiters specifically about positions and if I didn't fit the job description, I have asked about other suitable roles and met with them to get my CV out. I have also looked at smaller/boutique firms in financial services (something recommended in the book) because this gives me a better chance of speaking to the person directly in charge of hiring.

I even wrote a mock equity analyst report for a mid-cap energy stock for a position I applied for, in an attempt to demonstrate my skill set and my enthusiasm for understanding the business.

I am now attempting to get the names of (to quote the book) "people who have the direct authority to hire me" (as an alternative to HR). It can become frustrating to have HR say that this job needs "a circle". Here's a CV of "a triangle, a square, a rectangle, and a circle. We'll take the circle!" (I do generalise and this isn't true for all HR obviously).

It is challenging however, to attempt to call a director to try to sell myself and ask for an interview (I'm still trying to get the nerve up!).

I have arranged two upcoming interviews. Eleven months on since that fateful interview last year, I am hopeful that the diversity of my strategies used to find work will pay off and be demonstrated in these interviews.

The key lesson I have learned is that the interview is not all about how the job can benefit myself and my aspirations, but just as importantly how I can benefit the organisation. I hope to convey that this time.