BECOME AN INTERVIEW DETECTIVE USING LINKEDIN
by Rob Ridout
One of the most vital
aspects of any job interview is your ability to successfully interpret the job
specification. For many, this elusive document often carries with it very
little information, which in turn provides no insight into the vacant role and
therefore impacts your chances of a successful interview. This is where your
detective skills are needed. Finding the exiting
incumbents profileThere is a part of the
job specification that is always left out and is vitally important - who
was the incumbent in the role? This is the starting point of investigating your
alignment with the vacant role. My tipFirst, find the
previous incumbents profile on LinkedIn. By simply inserting the job
description title and choosing the company name in your search fields you have
a good chance of finding the profile(that’s if it's not a new role).You can also use google
this may also take you to recruiters who have advertised the role. These
recruiters may have added additional information not included in the job
specification. LinkedIn vs the
Specification Job ResponsibilitiesJob Specifications are
notoriously thin on the complete and most up to date role description. Often a
job description is either old or slightly and quickly updated. Any additional
information that you can gain for your interview is an advantage that you will
need. My Tip
Once you have
found the incumbents profile look to see if there are additional
responsibilities not included in the job specification. Most individuals
complete their own Linkedin profile before moving into the market and often
include critical info not included in the specification. This will give you a
more up to date, “hands-on” version what the role encompasses. What was the previous
role occupied by the incumbentWhat the outgoing
incumbent did as a job before their current role will provide you with great
guidance when designing your interview strategy. Aligning your experience in
previous roles vs the role on offer you will give you an upper hand. However,
use this strategy with caution as you will need to ascertain if the outgoing
incumbent experience was the correct “fit”. Normally if that person was in the
role for a while then that indicates a good “fit”. My Tip
If the person had
strong experience with a specific software package not mentioned on the job
spec and you have that experience, then mention that experience in your
interview. This may have been a major selling point for the previous incumbent
when he/she applied but not mentioned in the job description. You can also just
add that bit of information into the interview as a side comment to a specific
question. The last word from my
side on this important topic. By far the most
important part of the specification is the minimum requirements section. You
should always draw attention to the parts of your CV that indicate that you
meet these minimum requirements. This can be done in your cover letter or first
page of your CV and then replicated in your interview. Rob Ridout Send your CV for a
free assessment to rob@isantya.comor visit our website
for further information on our career coaching and CV/LinkedIn writing
packages.
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