EVOLVING YOUR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Perhaps you have just completed a MOOC with hopes to find a new career opportunity, and if so, then we should discuss a potential candidate filtering process that a company may do when thumbing through numerous applications for a position.

Sometimes thinking about what is occurring on the other side of the table can help you to prepare your application and interview and increase your chances of landed your desired job.

Let’s assume that a major pharmaceutical company in the United States has posted a job opportunity and 100 qualified candidates have applied. Now let’s break the screening process down into three key phases – Application Review, Phone Screening, Panel Interview.

During the Application Review phase the number of qualified candidates has been reduced to 50 candidates.  A project team has reviewed each submission and assessed the written eligibility requirements to apply.  They may be screening against criteria such as a test, years of experience, years of direct experience and possibly endorsements from within the company.

The Phone Screen phase is a one-on-one discussion between you as the candidate and a recruiter for the company.  This process could reduce the numbers to 30 candidates and they were screened against criteria such as basic understanding of the requested job functions, experience performing the requested job functions, knowledge sharing and collaboration, problem solving, technical aptitude, and both independent and team work experience.

The Panel Interview phase is where the final candidate(s) would succeed in being identified.  The panel may be comprised of team members that represent the diverse areas of the organization and would each bring their own perspective when interviewing candidates.  They would be likely measuring you against criteria such as: motivation, strategic thinking, attention to detail, adaptability, communication skills, leadership, and team work.

The next time that you find yourself preparing for a job application then remember that there are skills and traits that you need to present in addition to the written job description.

Good luck in evolving your career!