How To Get Hired by Me

Since posting 4 job opening two days ago, I’ve gotten something like 200 applications and countless emails and phone calls.  I’m encouraged by the interest.

But it means that competition will be extra tight. So, here is a big handout to those smart enough to do their research and read my blog: tips about how to get hired by me.

1) Follow the instructions: If it says put your application into the body of the email AND as an attachment, do both! I can’t believe how many of the applications haven’t followed this simple rule. I ask for this specifically to make sure people can read and follow a simple instruction.

2) Write a great cover-letter: I normally will throw applications to the ‘no’  or ‘maybe’ pile after looking at their cover-letter–before even getting to the CV. If it reads well, is professional, pithy and indicates they have the basics of what I’m looking for, great. If it’s unprofessional, poorly formatted or clearly standardized for every application, they hit the ‘no’ stack pretty quickly.

3) Be modest: I dislike nothing more than cover-letters that start by saying something like: “I’m the perfect person for the job” or “I’ll do a better job than anyone else”. Let your accomplishments and background speak for itself. Don’t hide your weaknesses in a false display of strength.

4) Send a short CV: One page, two max. Never more. Keep it pithy and always relevant. And I don’t care what conferences you’ve attended in the past or the title of every single one of your publications. I’ll ask you if I want to know what teams you played on in high school.

5) Show up to your interview on time: Don’t come an hour early. Don’t come one minute late. Show up five minutes early, maximum. Show me your punctual, not bored to death by life.

6) Dress appropriately: Dress respectfully, but don’t overdress. We’re a professional charity, not a bank. For men, nice pants (nice jeans OK), dress shirt and a sport jacket is perfect. No tie. Equivalent dress for women.

7) Do your homework: Study up on jhr before you get in. It’s obvious if you don’t know much about jhr, and it  never looks good.

8 ) Be confident and calm: This is the hardest part, but you really have to be  yourself. We only get so many times to meet before we hire you or not, and, like it or not, most of the time the job goes to the person that is most confident (but not arrogantly so). If you have problems with your nerves don’t worry–we all do (I get nervous too you know!). Learn how to control your nerves better than the next person.

9) Present a vision: The most impressive interviewee’s normally say to me “This is where you are now, and this is where you should be and this is how I’m going to take you there.” If its done realistically and intelligently, it inspires confidence and demonstrates that you’ve done your homework and put a lot of thought into jhr and why you want to work with us.

10) Show me this is the accumulation of your life’s work: If everything you’re done in your life has prepared you for this job, you have a shot. If all the hard work that you’ve poured into school, previous jobs, volunteer experiences and life in general has come together and made this the perfect job for you, you have a good chance. If you can walk right into this job and kick a lot of butt, than you might just get hired.

11) Show me the passion: I need to know you care, and care a lot. Not in a school-yard way, but in a mature, intelligent and composed way.

12) Let me know you’ve read this blog

Tagged as: nonprofit hiring, nonprofit interviews, nonprofit job applications