We all know that acronym KISS, right? Keep It Simple Stupid.
In this high speed digital age of tweeting, blogging and mobile apps, we expect things quickly and efficiently.
My experience tells me that employers and recruiters today have the same expectations when dealing with job hunters – getting information from them quickly and efficiently, as they are super busy like you and I.
Based on this reality, largely created by the Millennial generation, most of us want things that are simple and easy to understand, such as; mobile friendly WebPages, short snapshots of news from social media feeds or a simplified food menu when eating out or ordering online, as Gordon Ramsay would always scream and shout about.
Knowing that the world moves so fast, I would recommend that job hunters think about KISS to help get what they want. Here are my top two tips for today, based on recent interviews candidates have had with my clients:
1) When a connection, recruiter or a potential employee asks you a question about work you would like, don’t confuse them by giving too many options – people will be more likely to remember you and offer you the opportunities you want based on exactly what you tell them you want and are good at doing.
2) When you are asked a question at an interview, make sure you answer thatquestion. Time and time again, my clients get put off when they ask a question and the interviewee, through nerves, excitement or pure fear, doesn’t answer the question directly and tells a long-winded story instead – often unrelated. Communication is the biggest reason for your success or failure at interviews. Lots of it is physical (the way you give off a positive or negative ‘vibe’), but also a lot of it is verbal. If you give the interviewer what they want, they will trust you, like speaking with you and be more likely to offer you that job you want.
When you are next asked a very specific question about what job/s you would like, or asked to explain your experiences at an interview, imagine asking your iphone (or similar) to find something on Google/Twitter/Facebook, only to find that the text is too jumbled and skewed because your ‘phone is having a bad day or is confused. How would you feel?
Luckily, most ‘phones are pretty efficient and consistent, giving us what we want and when we want it – it is no surprise we call them smartphones!
Keep It Simple (and be) Smart
If you would like any further advice about interviewing or finding that perfect job, please get in touch – twright@nonprofitstaffing.com