Most job hunters use conventional methods for obtaining interviews. Unless you use unconventional getting the interview techniques, you will have to stand in line for a chance to meet the hiring manager. You can distinguish your CV and application from other candidates by following these unconventional getting the interview techniques.
This is a targeted method and not meant for those who are shy. You contact the hiring manager and ask whether he would rather meet on Wednesday or earlier in the week for an interview. Another method to follow is to give a time frame, for instance, telling the interviewer that you will be in the vicinity during the next week and would like to make use of the opportunity to hand deliver your CV.
If you indicate how you can benefit the company and that a trusted source referred you, you stand an even better chance for getting the interview. If you fail to impress the person, you may fall back on enquiring if he knows about another department in the enterprise that may have a need for an employee with your qualifications, experience and skills.
If you feel direct unconventional getting the interview techniques are a bit too aggressive, you may consider a similar but more subtle approach. With this technique you still enquire about possible openings without directly asking for an interview.
You contact the recruiting manager and ask whether he be may interested in a discussion on how you can benefit his department or perhaps have knowledge of another manager at the company who has a need for an employee with your skills. If the person shows interest, you casually state that it is a coincidence. The odds are now in your favor. Instead of you being on the requesting side, you now find that you are in demand.
Now is the time to state your main skills and benefits to the employer. Your skills, experience and qualifications must match the company’s particular needs. The drawback with this method is that the manager can get of the hook fairly easily. If there is no person within his company who may need your skills, ask if he perhaps knows about other companies that can benefit from your services. Don’t hang up without offering to deliver or fax your CV. Once you have done that, you can call to follow up.
Don’t give the person the opportunity to say no. Once you have stated your background and purpose in short with a clear indication of how you can benefit the company, move on to the next step of getting a set date for an interview. If you ask if you can perhaps meet for an interview, you may get a no, but if you ask when would suit you best for an interview and give the person a choice of for instance Monday or Thursday morning, the person is more likely to respond with a positive answer.
If the person still refuses, you can indicate that you know that his time is valuable, but you will only take up ten minutes and show how it will be benefit the company. Indicate that you are willing to compromise on time and a place to fit in with the person’s schedule. End your request with a statement such as ‘Reasonable for you?’ or ‘That is reasonable, do you agree?’ Since nobody likes to be called unreasonable or sound unreasonable, you are likely to get the interview.
Most managers are busy, but if you state that you will not even take more than fifteen minutes of the hiring manager’s time, it shows that you care about his work schedule. Mention that you will explain how you will be able to increase the sales, production, or motivate his staff, within ten minutes. When an interview is granted, show that you regard his time as valuable by staying within the time frame that you promised. Focus on the specific issues and outcomes. By doing this, you prove that you keep your word, are able to get straight to the point and make a good impression in a short time span.
Hand your CV and contact card to the person, should he want more information. You should make use of the opportunity to expand on your ideas and possible benefits to the company if he asks you for more information during your visit. Make the most of it by following up within two days.
Should the manager still be too busy to grant an interview, you can suggest a discussion over lunch or breakfast, as a token of your appreciation for his busy schedule. He will listen to you during lunch since you are paying.
One of the best unconventional getting the interview techniques is to use suggestions for improvement to get a meeting. Do your research. Find a list of the company’s products and services from their website, annual report and marketing materials. The annual report is the ideal source for finding information of their short and long term plans. Use the knowledge to come up with a solution to their problems or to show how you can help them reach their goals. You don’t have to call the hiring manager for this. You can pass your suggestion on to one of their key employees and call to set up a meeting for the discussion of the solution or suggestion. Once you get the meeting, you can indicate your availability for employment or mention that you would love to participate in the project or process for improvement.
Areas that you can target for improvement include suggestions on how to improve the advertising, sales, increase customer satisfaction or enhance their image, product changes, and suggestions for a new product or service line etc. This approach not only demonstrates that you have initiative and that you care about the specific company, but also gets in you in a position for an informal interview.
Even though these unconventional getting the interview techniques may sound aggressive, they are sure fire methods for getting the hiring manager’s positive attention.
When you find it difficult to get the interview, you can revert to one of the following unconventional methods:
Call the hiring manager and state that you will be in town during the next week and would like to schedule a meeting. To make sure you get the interview, you can end your request with two alternative dates for the meeting
Schedule more than one interview in the same area over a certain period. If the hiring manager is still reluctant to schedule a meeting, you can mention that you have an interview with their competition on for example, Tuesday, and will have Wednesday open for an interview. Name the competition. Since the manager wouldn’t want to lose a potential beneficial employee to his competition, he may grant the meeting. Apart from this, employers want people who are in demand. It will sound like you are the flavour of the month and he wouldn’t let the opportunity pass to hire you.
Once the manager knows that you will only be available for the next week and it is clear that you may get hired by the competition, you can mention that you would rather see him now, since your trip has already been paid. Companies try to keep their costs down and would prefer not to have to pay for another trip.
When you get the interview, you should also set up other interviews. This way you cut down on costs, time spent on interviewing, and at the same time broadens your job prospects.
You can bypass this response by stating that since you will be in the area, you will gladly hand deliver the CV or even fax it. Point out that you appreciate his time and understand his tremendous workload. You are therefore willing to make it easier by making sure that he receives it in person. You have then changed an obstacle to an opportunity for a quick personal meeting with the hiring manager.
You may not always be in a position to hand deliver your CV, but then you can make use of modern day technology such as fax and emailing. Most faxes are seen as priority mail and normally reach the right person. Call the hiring manager to say that you will be faxing your CV and will call to hear if he received it. He will keep it close by since he wouldn’t want to be caught off guard. Other applications may all still be in one pile, but yours will get priority. Do follow up and use the moment to provide your background and possible contribution to the company.
By using slightly unconventional methods to get the interview, you set your application apart from the hundreds of other more traditional methods to get the interview. You will be noticed and get the opportunity to meet with the relevant person.
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