Day 3: Case Study in Stages of Preparation to Improve Chances of the Job Offer!

We invite your feedback on this exercise in sequencing preparation stages that increasingly improve your chances at being a final candidate for a job offer.  We will initiate the first stage at finding a job ad and responding with no preparation and then add preparation stages that are additive and improve the efficacy of the job hunting.

NOTE: the estimates of success are expressed as a % and have a wide range of variation. These are qualitative estimates and are based on the basic logic that the preparation steps enhance the candidate’s selection chances.

Find Stage with Generic Response:  The candidate has found a desired job in an acceptable company.  They send off their generic resume/CV 95% loaded with technical qualifications and await a call for an interview.  Chance of a call is about 1%.

Analytical Stage: The candidate has found a desired job in an acceptable company.  They conduct a job ad analysis and know the key technical, business (how you do good science) and social (how you work with other people) requirements.  They tailor the 2 page resume only to the job requirements which is now 1/3 technical, 1/3 business, and 1/3 social.  They send off and await call. Chance of call is about 15%.

Network Referral Stage: The candidate takes the Analytical Stage resume, searches, and finds a second level networking contact in the company that is an alumnus who agrees to review the resume.  The networking contact has suggested changes to the resume that are completed. The alumnus contact then personally refers the resume to the hiring manager for consideration.  Chance of a call is about 60%. Interview scoring as top candidate is about 50%. Resume is also submitted via company website.

Mock Interview and Negotiation Training Stage: In addition to the Network Referral stage, the candidate completed 4 hours of “inclusive communication techniques” that are techniques to answer interview questions tailored to the business role and interest of the interviewer: be authentic, not go defensive, and build rapport. Three sets of mock interviews are conducted using behavioral questions relevant to the Analytical Stage results.  Additional preparation on salary negotiations is practiced based on company research and networking data.  Interview scoring as top candidate is about 80%.

Over the Top Stage: Additional coaching and training on using Project Management language to describe one’s research, using six sigma or continuous improvement language to describe team productivity projects in the lab, using very basic financial literacy language to describe lab operations, and the language of SWOT analysis to provide context to answers – each will contribute a fundamental understanding of business that is highly desirable in a scientific / technical professional. Interview scoring is about 125%.