I have great news! My job search has come to a successful close. As of this week, I have accepted a full-time position as an instructional design manager with a software company. I’m excited about this role and happy to get to change gears from being tastefully boastful about how good I am at working to having a job where I actually get to do some paid work. I’m way pumped up about this opportunity and the fun challenges it will bring. Hooray and woo hoo both!

I’m including several numbers in this article. Keep in mind that while I pride myself in my ability to count and do basic math, I’m dealing with a very small sample size. (See the “Learn More” section for issues that can be caused by having a small sample size when it comes statistical information.) This article can only barely be called “research” and is more appropriately described as me sharing my personal experience. With that disclaimer, on to the numbers!

As a bona fide Excel nerd, and meticulous planner, I have kept detailed records on my job search journey from layoff through my exciting new job. Here are a few statistical highlights of what on earth I did with myself since my position was eliminated oh-so many months ago.

What are your job search insights? What worked well for you? Share your ideas in the comments.

When interviewing, whether it’s an initial phone screen, video conference or in-person meeting, there are a few questions you need to be ready to answer early on. Having good answers prepared will set the tone for the interview and increase your chances of continuing in the hiring process. 

When I’m in an interviewer role, I tend to start with “Tell me about yourself.” Here are examples of bad, good and even great ways to answer this question.

Personally, I ask this question to give people a chance to talk and tell me whatever they want to tell me. As a hiring manager, I look for people who can present themselves well, summarize information and figure out what to do with minimal direction. This question gives the candidate a chance to summarize what they see as the important points of who they are and what they do in the way that makes the most sense to them.
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Remember, this question is your opportunity to shine. For a couple of minutes, you get to set the tone for the interview focusing on your best qualities, what a great fit you are for the job and why people will enjoy you as a coworker. A good candidate will use this time to tell me why they are a good fit for the job and why I might want to work with them. A bad candidate will freeze, not know where to start, ramble on endlessly or tell me their life story. 

In a job interview setting in the United States, there are several things that employers cannot legally ask a candidate. These include marital status, age, how many they have, how many children they plan to have, their religion and many more personal, non-job related details.

When asked an open-ended question like “Tell me about yourself,” many candidates will volunteer much of the information that the employer can’t ask. This presents a couple of issues. For one, in a job interview setting, candidates should answer questions in a way that positions them in a good light for the job. Answering with personal, non-job related details makes the candidate sound unprofessional and not very focused on their professional life.

​In addition, volunteering personal information may cause interviewers to jump to conclusions about the candidates suitability for a role. Mentioning that you have small children may cause interviewers to think you won’t be able to travel for work, will want to leave early all of the time, or will miss work for family reasons. Minimize these issues by thinking through your answer before the interview.

Prior to the interview, review information about the company, the open position and the person or people who will be interviewing you. Review the posted job description, review insights you’ve learned from current employees, refer to something you learned from viewing the interviewer’s LinkedIn profile and be ready to summarize your background to present yourselves as a strong candidate for the job. Practice telling your story before the interview, ideally getting feedback from a friend or family member and adjusting your presentation. Find that balance between knowing what you want to convey, and saying it in a way that doesn’t sound overly rehearsed.

“Hi. My name is Jenny. I’m 35, my husband and I have been married for 5 years and I have a 2 year old daughter named Elizabeth.
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My hobbies include crocheting, playing volleyball, visiting art museums and going to a weekly Bible study group at Holy Christ Almighty Non-Denominational Church.”

In an interview, you’re presenting yourself as a possible employee. In this example, there was absolutely no information on you as a job candidate aside from those that can be insinuated (possibly incorrectly) from the information that was provided.
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While it’s helpful to add a few personal details to show that you are an actual human being with interests that don’t involve spreadsheets and sales projections, professional information, including work experience and qualifications, takes priority over personal details.

“Hi. My name is Jenny.
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As you know from my resume, I have 10 plus years of experience as a project manager. Most recently, I worked at EFG Company managing software implementations. I also have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and I’m pursuing my Project Manager Professional (PMP) certification.”

The interviewer already thinks you have the basic qualifications to do the job (ergo the interview). Now is the time to include details that didn’t make your resume. Tell them what you liked about your most recent position, your specific accomplishments or what you’ve learned. In addition to the focus on your job-related skills, tell them a little about you as a person. 

“Hi. My name is Jenny.

As you know from my resume, I have 10 plus years of experience as a project manager. Most recently, I worked at EFG Company where, in the last year, I successfully managed 50 software implementation projects for small to medium sized companies.

In that role, I really enjoyed working with business analysts to help companies with both project management and change management. I learned a lot about working with vendors and customers to promote software adoption.

When I’m not at work, my hobbies include crocheting, playing volleyball and visiting art museums.”

​This is a pretty good answer. It’s complete, goes beyond resume bullet points and includes a few non-work details. What’s missing is the connection between you and the organization. How are you uniquely qualified for this position? What experiences will help you do the specific job at the organization? What beliefs do you hold that align with the company values? What do you have in common with the interviewers? Answer the unasked questions “why should we hire you instead of the other qualified candidates?” and “what are you like as a person?” Connect the dots for people so they can see how great of a fit you are for the position.

“Hi. My name is Jenny.

As you know from my resume, I have 10 plus years of experience as a project manager. Most recently, I worked at EFG Company where, in the last year, I successfully managed 50 software implementation projects for small to medium sized companies. 

In that role, I really enjoyed working with business analysts to help companies with both project management and change management. I learned a lot about working with vendors and customers to promote software adoption.

Since XYZ Company works predominantly with small companies, and you’re focusing on customer retention, my experience on helping customers update their business processes to align with new software will help with that initiative. I’m excited about the kinds of customer retention projects I would get to work on in this role with XYZ company.
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When I’m not at work, my hobbies include crocheting, playing volleyball and visiting art museums. Alan—you’re a volleyball player too, aren’t you? I saw a picture of your company team on the website. Playing on a company team is always a lot of fun.”

What components do you think are critical when answering the “Tell me about yourself” question? Include details in the comments below.

As someone who has been laid off 3 times, I have applied for about 3 bijillion jobs over the course of my career. This has made me a resume nerd. I’m always learning about the best format, writing a punchy introduction, tailoring my resume to each position and having the right level of detail on my LinkedIn profile. Which leads me to...

On the other side, I’ve also been a manager searching for computer trainers, instructional designers, technical support specialists and more. 

​As a hiring manager, believe it or not, I very much want you to be the perfect candidate for the position I have open. While searching for a new career opportunity is no picnic, being on the other side of hiring is also challenging. Unfortunately, many candidates who apply for a job are either not qualified or represent themselves poorly on a resume. Which brings me to my...

As a job candidate, it may often feel like we are at odds with hiring managers, and the companies trying to fill open positions. Want to know the truth? As a hiring manager, I’m really hoping that you are the right candidate for the opening I have.

I’m trying like crazy to find just the right person who can do what I need done and who will enjoy working at my company. Each time I come across a resume that includes a great list of skills, but who makes one or more of the mistakes listed above, you're making it harder for me to sell your skills to my boss and get you the salary you want.