Build a Winning Interview Package

Build a Winning Interview Package
By Ty Ferrell Sr.
Controlling your Destiny and Getting Your Dream Job.
This is the first of several articles I will publish that will speak to controlling your destiny with respect to finding and getting your dream job. There are important documents you need to build before you go to any interview. I use the term “build” because this procedure requires a lot of research, critical thinking and condensing all of your experiences and skills into a few pages. It starts with building an impressive resume that grabs the attention of potential employers.
It is my intention to offer enough help through my articles for anyone to build a strong resume and give a command performance in any interview. It is imperative that you have a well-constructed resume ready before you start your interviewing.

Here are the generic or basic components you will need for any interview.
•        Resume
•        Core Competencies
•        Objective Statement     
•        Cover letter
•        Elevator speech/commercial
•        Application Letter
•        Thank you letter

We will break them down one at a time in separate articles that will help put a winning interview package together landing that job for you. I am a firm believer that all your focus should be on completing one segment at a time. You will find each completed segment will help you construct the next part.

The Resume
A resume is a brief recap of who you are and what you have accomplished in your life. Another term for resume is Curriculum Vitar (CV) or Vita, so if you see those terms in any document just know it means resume.

When a company receives your resume, it will be one of many. Will your resume stand out and be memorable? This article is to make sure your answer is YES!
Your resume must be a well-constructed document of your qualifications, experience and academic achievements that will compel the reader to want to know more about you; like a well written book that keeps a reader turning the pages. Your resume must also be relevant to the position you are seeking. Example, if your background is an office manager and you are seeking a department manager position in a retail store, speak to your leadership and organizational skills overall and not specifically about the industry from whence you came. The purpose of this article is to point out just how important your resume is in job seeking. Far too many people see the resume as just something they need to put together to go along with whatever else they may need for an interview. I cannot say this strongly enough; without an outstanding resume, there most likely will not be an interview. You must view job seeking as a full time job itself. The more time and attention you put into it, the better your outcome. Remember, we are talking about you controlling your destiny. 

There is so much to say about how to create a winning resume, rather than re-write the book I will suggest a good path to begin. Here are the basic parts of a resume
•        Contact / Identifying Information
•        Career Objective Statement
•        Experience / Employment History / Skills
•        Awards / Honors
•        Education
This article will address the first component needed to start constructing your resume, your
Core Competencies
Core competencies are your areas of expertise, abilities, fundamental knowledge or skill sets that you have or do very well and make you a qualified candidate for a particular position. We all have these competencies but may not readily know how to articulate them when asked.  That is because most people do not spend much time thinking about them; we just do what we do. This is a very important segment of your interview package. It will be the cornerstone to building the rest of your resume. Your objective statement, experience, skill set and qualification sections are all moving parts of your competencies.   
Here is a great way to get to know your competencies, prioritize them and be able to communicate them verbally or in written form with just a moment’s notice. 
Here is what you need.
•        Pencil
•        Notepad
•        One hour of uninterrupted time to stay focused
•        On a different day, another hour of uninterrupted time to stay focused

Here is what to do.
Think about processes (skills) your use with respect to getting things done and reaching goals. An important point to remember, you may use your true competencies (skills) in several places.  For example, on the job you may make sure all tasks are completed on time. At home, a parent may make sure all homework assignments are completed and handed in on time. In the community, you may be on a committee and are instrumental in making sure your meetings start and stop at the proper times. All of those actions fall under a competency called time management.
Set aside the first hour and complete your lists of what you feel are your competencies. Think about it and list them all. The list should have twenty five to thirty competencies.  On a different day set aside another hour to review your list several more times and start crossing out things that you do not think are real marketable competencies. You should end up with nine or ten very strong competencies.

Some basic competencies that employers look for are:
Time management
Leadership
Organization
Problem solving
Follow up
On a separate sheet of paper, make five columns using each of the competencies headings just named.  Write each one of your nine or ten competencies under the appropriate column. Going forward, these are the terms you should use when talking about you skills (competencies) with potential employers. This is the foundation that you will construct your resume from and will get you ready for command performance interviews.
For more information, visit my website at http://arcofsuccess.com/