How to get a job

I SPOKE with five executives who hire people. They gave me five great job-hunting tips. Check them out.

1. Negotiate from strength

If you have a job now, you are in a stronger position than if you are unemployed. Hang onto your present job and look for a better one on the side.

A bold but risky strategy is to let your employer know you are looking. He might boost your pay to convince you to stay.

Be careful, though. It could backfire. Employers like loyalty and it is usually better not to let the boss know you intend to abandon ship.

2. Meet their needs

Most employers have a specific job to fill. Learn the job requirements, then structure your cover letter and resume to match them.

Emphasise the positive but don't say a single word that is not true. Resume lies - even small ones - can comeback to haunt you.

If you are going to brag, do it at the interview. It is verbal, off the record and you can sound like Superman with less risk of it getting you into trouble later.

If the boss asks, 'Do you have a particular skill?' the correct answer is usually 'Yes'. Save 'No' for jobs where you have absolutely no knowledge in the field. In a job interview after I graduated, an employer asked me if I knew Management Accounting.

I said 'Sorry, but I don't.' Actually, I had taken one course and knew a bit about it. I should have simply said 'Yes' since it is the answer he was looking for. I could have taken my minimal expertise and developed it further on the job. Instead, I advertised that I didn't have the skill he was looking for and - you guessed it - I got a rejection letter.

3. Don't play hard-to-get

Don't bargain too much during the interview. Bosses tell me that most positions have only a narrow salary range, so they don't have much room to negotiate.

It may be better to take what you are offered. After you are hired, you can work your way up the career and salary ladder.

Regardless of the position, show enthusiasm. Employers like to hire someone who is keen.

If you play hard-to-get, you risk sounding as though you don't care. Bosses like to see a 'can do' attitude. They want someone who will throw themselves into their work.

4. Getting to know you

One recruiter said: 'We dislike hiring someone we don't know but usually,we have no choice.'

Reduce the employer's risk by getting to know them. Stay around. Go to lunch. Have drinks. Prolong the interview. Don't be in a rush to leave.

An executive told me: 'Between two job seekers, I am more likely to hire one in which I have invested my valuable time. A longer interview works to the candidate's advantage.'

At the interview, try to make the employer feel comfortable. Don't show up looking weird. A human resource professional told me:

'Most women do OK with style but men need help.'

The most standard interview attire for men is a white shirt. It shows respect if you also wear a tie. Don't wear an earring. Un-spike your hair. If you have a tattoo, hide it. Try looking more like Frank Sinatra than Sid Vicious.

5. Where to search

Here are three good online job sites. In brackets is the number of Singapore jobs they list.

www.jobsdb.com (13,000)
www.st701.com (7,000)
www.monster.com (2,000)

- The New Paper