People quite simply, do not know what techniques work best in their endeavors for a better career move. Furthermore, it is not only the career advancement or job search process that is unclear, employers’ expectations and the way that they manage candidates is often misunderstood.

In the past we have covered many aspects of the job search process, and a summary of some of the main points will be of value to you.

If you subscribe to the philosophy that you should find a job that fits well with your particular mix of interests, skills, and abilities — one you do well and really enjoy doing — then you must do first things first, which is not writing a CV and cover letter.

This is about your “fitness”: you should find a job that is a good “fit” for both you and the employer. And the very first thing you should do is assess your strengths - those things you do well and enjoy doing.

Individuals who organize their job search by doing first things first tend to present a clear and desirable picture to employers: They have goals; they have a record of accomplishments; their pattern of performance is predictable; they bring value and they are a perfect “fit” for the position.

Cover letters are the perfect communication medium for expressing numerous professional and personal qualities - professional writing skills, personality, enthusiasm, motivation and direction. If you want to maximize the impact of your CV, make sure you write a powerful action-oriented letter.

Employers initially screen you “ in” or “out” of consideration based, in part, upon examples of your writing. Writing skills serve as a major indicator for eliminating candidates from consideration. Make a writing error and you may end your candidacy. Employers will spot and act on your mistakes.

Your letter must be well focused so that it actually strengthens the content of your CV, and motivates the reader to take action. Like a good advertisement, it must grab the attention, deliver a powerful message, and result in action. In fact, the principles of good letter writing are very similar to the four main principles developed for writing effective advertisements.

Command the readers’ attention, capture and sustain the reader’s attention by presenting irresistible benefits of your product or service, expand credibility and desire for the product or service by presenting additional evidence that supports the value of the product or service, and stimulate action for purchasing the product or service.

The purpose of your CV and cover letter are to get the attention of the employer and to motivate that person to want to find out more about you — invite you to an interview. You must sell yourself in the interview which includes establishing rapport with the interviewer or interviewers as well as giving evidence of your accomplishments.

If you get a phone call from an employer after submitting your CV, you should assume it is a screening interview. Your CV piqued the employer’s interest enough that he or she wants to know about you, but not enough to commit to a face-to-face interview yet. Always be prepared for an unexpected call that is a screening interview. You must listen carefully, keep your responses and questions focused and remember your goal is to be invited for a face-to-face interview.

For the employer, the purpose of the interview is to determine whether or not you will fit into the organization - your personality and likeability. The employer will be looking for “chemistry”, because in the end they want to hire someone who is both qualified and likeable.

At the interview, your goal is to both give and elicit information and get a second interview, especially if this is your first interview with this employer. Everyone invited to interview for a position is thought to have the requisite skills to do the job. What will set you apart from the others is how well you convince the interviewer(s) that you are the “perfect fit” for the job. You must communicate many qualities other than your skills and experience.

You need to ask questions and listen to the answers. The questions you will ask provide you with information you need to determine whether this job is right for you. Your questions will make the right impression if they are geared to determining more depth about the position and the qualities needed to excel on the job. Your talk should be focused, and avoid long rambling responses.

Remember this, the interview is two-way traffic. It is as much about you interviewing the employer, as the employer interviewing you. At the end of the day, you need to determine whether or not this is the company that you want to work for, that these people are the colleagues who you will enjoy working with, and importantly - that this is a career position. Preparation will go a long way to avoiding costly mistakes. Good Luck!

(Based in Dubai, David Thatcher, [email protected], is managing director of career management firm Bernard Haldane Associates in the Middle East.)