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.
Learn more about Kenneth Fisher and Fisher Investments at Wikipedia
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