Eight Practical Tips from Money Management Firm Fisher Investments That Will Help Job Seekers Avoid the Biggest Mistakes
When entering into the workforce, there are many things that can go wrong before, during and after the interview. At Fisher Investments, we have noticed there are eight common mistakes that happen often when we’re looking for good candidates. The following is a list of the biggest mistakes we at Fisher Investments feel possible employees make – and by knowing these mistakes, perhaps you can avoid them in the future. If you are interested in a career with Fisher Investments, please check out our job listings at www.fishercareers.com. In its September 2008 issue, BusinessWeek rated Fisher Investments among the top companies for young professionals – check us out to see why!
1. Using canned expressions like “I want to work with people” in job interviews
Fisher Investments believes many candidates fall into a common interview pitfall by using stock phrases interviewers hear over and over again. “Canned responses are akin to professional suicide,” says Karen Kahn in her book Flight Guide to Success. Try to answer interview questions with a personal style giving the interviewer a clear understanding of you and your abilities while demonstrating your personality, character and people skills.
2. Unprofessional behavior
Whether you like it or not, the professional working world is, well, professional. The last thing you want is a potential employer perceiving you as unprofessional in the way you act, talk, or look. Fisher Investments advises you too not act too casual or overly chummy with your interviewer. Avoid filler words like “Um” and “Like” and remember to pause after communicating a thought. And pay close attention to your appearance – it is important to look the part.
3. Including irrelevant information on your resume
You won a ribbon in a bowling competition in high school? Great! Your team placed third in a summer kickball tournament? Wow! Those are great things, but they don’t belong on your resume. Bottom line: Potential employers like Fisher Investments don’t give much credence to irrelevant fillers on a resume – they could even be a detractor. Stick to academic, leadership, and other unique accomplishments that even a perfect stranger would find professionally impressive.
4. Focusing on duties instead of accomplishments
Showing a potential employer like Fisher Investments your laundry list of job responsibilities is not necessarily impressive, and may negatively affect both resumes and interviews. Why? Because anyone can work a 9-5 job and fulfill tasks – the smart job seeker will work hard to frame job duties as accomplishments. An ideal candidate brings more to the table in the form of innovation and accomplishments. Share your accomplishments!
5. Ineffective networking
The key is to network with tenacity. Truly effective networking is challenging because it requires a systematic approach to identifying, organizing, and following up with your contacts. Your rolodex of business cards is essentially useless without a well thought out plan. It is important to routinely connect with your most important contacts and stay current with what they’re up to; otherwise, it may seem artificial or awkward if you approach them only when you need help with job hunting. Also, Fisher Investments finds many folks don’t take full advantage of their existing networks such as family, friends, and college alumni. Social networking websites like LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook, are also great spots to make contacts. Networking success requires diligent, proactive communication – don’t let procrastination get in the way!
6. Badmouthing former employers
Squawking negative comments about a past employer during an interview will cast a negative tone on what should be a positive discourse. Fisher Investments advises not doing it. It shows contempt and could potentially prompt your interviewer to ask themselves “If this person came to work for us, would they badmouth us too?”
7. Bad follow through
A reasonable amount of proactive follow up is not perceived by employers as a nuisance, but rather is a sign of initiative and desire. Fisher Investments recommends confirming all interviews in advance and making sure to send a thank you letter or email after your meeting.
8. Not doing enough research on the firm
A cursory glance of the firm’s website doesn’t cut it. Fisher Investments believes an ideal candidate should understand the firm’s philosophy and core business. Having a strong understanding of the company will allow you to ask better questions during the interview and demonstrates preparation and a candid interest in the company.