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Change is good! While you were happy with what you were doing, sometimes losing your job has a positive side. Don’t dismiss the thought. No one likes to be displaced and have to start a job search. But this may be a golden opportunity to explore options beyond the career track you are presently on. Somewhere in the back of everyone’s mind is a dream that was never pursued, a path not taken, a goal that was never realized. Now may be the time to give voice to an unspoken passion that may be your life’s work. Dear JVS, I recently submitted my resume to a small manufacturing company and received a call from their H.R. department two weeks later. We talked for 15 minutes, but I was not invited in for an interview. What happened? Puzzled Dear Puzzled, You just had your first interview via phone. This is a screening device used by overburdened H.R. departments that have received hundreds of resumes for one position. This is an effective way for them to save time, money and to screen out most applicants who made it through the scanners and initial reviews. The best practice is to be prepared! Have your resume near your landline and with you if you are responding via your call. Know critical information about the companies and individuals you have contacted. Keep detailed notes to use at a moments notice. Respond to all questions and use the same principles you would use in a face-to-face meeting. Do not let the caller go without asking for an interview. Your chances of moving through the selection process are better in a personal interview with the hiring manager. Without a specific understanding of the questions you were asked and how you responded, it is difficult to know why you couldn’t get past the first hurdle. Meeting with a JVS Career Counselor to discuss your interviewing skills, how you self-market and if you are sending your resume for jobs that match your skills and accomplishments may be the key.
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