Ok I got the Interview, now what?

Congratulations! You are in the second stage of your job search, the face-to-face interview. It is now time to prepare for the interview by doing some detailed homework. By homework I mean detailed research into several key areas of the interview namely:

1. The job description
2. The company and industry
3. The interviewer/s

You might scoff and say, "Pah! I'm a grown up and I don't need to do 'homework'". Wrong. Doing this background research will give you the important confidence you need during the interview itself and help you get the job!

Typical process Employers go through to fill Job applications

1. Position opens due to:
- current person leaves
- company is expanding
- current person is fired and/or retrenched
2. Manager submits request to his/her manager for repacement with Job Description (JD) document
3. Manager's manager approves and JD is submitted to HR
4. HR places ad in local paper/magazine (based on JD) or online job portal and/or hires a Headhunter who does the same
5. HR/Headhunter wait for responses until the designated deadline and reviews resumes based on JD
6. Headhunter/HR submits shortlisted candidates to manager for review and interview
7. Manager submits shortlisted candidates to his/her manager/peers for review
8. Manager's manager/peers interview candidate and if all candidates rejected process is repeated from step 4
9. If approved HR/Headhunter offers candidate contract for negotiation and sign off
10.If candidate rejects contract 2nd candidate is offered if suitable else process is repeated from step 4
11.If candidate signs contract he/she will start work after completing notice period

Minimum hiring process period till job is filled - 3 months (unless they are really desperate)

Tips on looking for jobs in the newspapers

In Retrenchopolis, fortunately or unfortunately for the jobseeker, there is only one paper that they can refer to look for jobs and that is the Recruit section of the Straits Times. Some tips to help you when you leaf through the pages:

1. The most number of jobs always occur on Saturdays so you can save your money and just buy that edition. The rest of the days pick up a free issue of Today.
2. Take your time to scan the pages. I suggest you do a quick scan followed by a thorough look through the second time around in case you missed anything.
3. Have a pair of scissors handy so that you can cut out an ad that you find interesting straight away.
4. Get ready a file or folder to keep the ad cutouts so that you don't lose any of them.
5. Once you have identified a few, prioritize them in terms of interest and submission deadlines.
6. Also note what the ads are asking for in terms of resumes, pictures, current salary, payslips, your first child, etc.
7. Save money and email the recruiters instead of snail mailing them. Email is entirely acceptable in this day and age.
8. In fact if the recruiter does not leave an email address it really does not reflect well on them and you should think twice before applying to a company still stuck in the last century...
9. Finally do not scoff at jobs advertised in the papers! More than 50% of my previous jobs were obtained via this channel.

How to make full use of Online Job Sites

Online Job Sites are pretty straightforward to use. Just follow these simple steps and you are set to go:
1. Sign up by filling in some of your details
2. Upload or input your resume
3. Set up your alert email to search for the jobs that you are looking for
4. Sit back, relax and wait for the emails to come
5. Occasionally some employers searching on the online Job Site would ask for your full resume

That's it! It's really that simple though they have some fancy names and variations for the tools that they have. If you have more time you can visit the site and try different searches to see what it turns up.