Presenting Yourself: Staying at the Top of Your Game
Whether you are a long time consultant or a newbie, it always pays to take the occasional step back and look at how you presenting yourself to potential employers.
As a staffing company, we have seen all kinds of resumes, interviewed all kinds of candidates, and worked with thousands of hiring managers. In our everyday process, we see Consultant Best Practices at work and know how they can benefit new candidates to the field of consulting and veterans who are the best and brightest in their field.
To make sure you are at the top of your game, there are a couple of best practices we recommend you re-evaluate at least annually.
Resume
Of course, let’s start with the biggie.
Is your key experienced highlighted, close to the front of your resume? Many hiring managers are under great time demands and they may not look past the first page of your resume. That doesn’t mean you should cram it all into the front page, but use the front page to highlight the skills, job roles, and knowledge that sets you apart.
Have you included details about certifications, languages, and applications that you know? At EDGE, we focus on highlighting your skills for a certain position, but we also try to show our hiring managers what other skills sets and knowledge a consultant can bring to the table. Think of it as cross-selling. The more we can cross-sell to our hiring managers, the stronger chance you have to be placed.
Is it up-to-date? Yes, that sounds obvious, but it is good to look at your resume and make sure the most up-to-date information is upfront and any new skills sets or job roles are included.
Interviews
In the consulting business, phone interviews are the norm. But, onsite interviews are also common. In either case, we recommend you prepare for each interview rather than wing-it. You will come across more confident and make the best impression your potential employer.
- Plan ahead and be prepared. That includes talking to your recruiter about what they know about the project and the company. Also, take some time to research the company online to have a general knowledge of who they are and where they serve customers. You will want to be able to answer the standard interview question, “What do you know about us?”
- Review your resume and work history to refresh your memory about high points, key projects, and job responsibilities you have held with other organizations.
- Compare your skills and work history to the job description. Take time to write it out, so you will have direct points and examples to share during the interview. The more relevant and prepared you appear in the interview, the better chance you have to walk away with the job.
- Practice answering questions about yourself and your work history. Work on speaking precisely and clearly.
- Be prepared to answer the age-old question, “Tell me about yourself.” Have a short, two or three paragraph narrative about yourself that you can memorize and share briefly.
- Be on time for the interview. First impressions stick.
“Our clients are usually looking for very specific skills sets. They need a person with precise expertise to get their job done. However, they are also looking at how well candidates communicate, how they interact with the interviewing team, and how prepared they were coming into the interview process,” said Colleen Marhenke, EDGE recruiter.
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