3 Things to Build Rapport During Job Search

Rapport means making a connection. You can connect on many levels.

The interview is to backup your resume and make a stronger connection about your ability to produce future results. It's also to see how you will fit in with the rest of the staff and work environment.

Balancing Actr
You need to make the interviewer "feel okay" about you and your abilities. You need to talk to the level of the open position so you don't appear over- or under-qualified. You need to talk to the level of the interviewer so he/she doesn't feel threatened about you coming on board.

It's all a balancing act that you have to feel out as you go through the interview depending on the conversation. Being able to clearly articulate your past results and how you would handle a given situation, being relaxed, and having a few non-threatening questions of your own is the best way to prepare.

Most people say they have their best interviews when they go into it thinking they really don't need that job (now that's being relaxed).

#1 - Articulate Your Past Results
A key aspect of building rapport is how well you communicate your past results. Making the interviewer "feel okay" about your ability to deliver future results is going to be based on how well you talk about your past performance and how well they feel you will handle certain situations in the future.

When interviewing, you must build rapport through the words you use as well as the body language you display. The right words are hard to come by if you have not given sufficient thought to it prior to the interview. That is where building rapport during the interview ripples back to your resume.

#2 - Resume Rapportr
The resume helps build rapport during the interview because it will be the center of the conversation - at least to start off the interview. Think about it. Why are you there? It's because of your resume. The interviewer will want to expand on the content of your resume, and beyond the first impression of eye-to-eye contact during the formal handshake, your resume will be the focus of attention.

A quick comment about how the content of the resume and the words you use in the interview can play a huge part of building rapport. You MUST articulate the results of what you've done and communicate it well. If you don't, then the interviewer will be left with some doubt and maybe the thought that you did not communicate well. Not good!

#3 - Communicate Like Thisr
Think of it like this - Rapport is communicating the PAR (Purpose, Actions, Results) of each individual effort or project you've worked. This is done in your resume as well as the interview.

Don't just say, "I opened an IT call center" - say, "Streamlined end-user technical support, elevated corporate productivity approximately 25%, and expedited computer problem resolutions 50% by launching a centralized North America IT technical call center within a 3-month period."

You'll be amazed at the level of rapport this creates.

Final Thoughtsr
Building rapport is not isolated to the interview. You build rapport in the communication you use throughout your entire job search cycle. Your resume, networking, phone calls, and interviewing communication are all important aspects of building job search rapport.

I ask you to stop thinking about rapport as just an interview thing and start thinking about it as a job search communication thing. I ask you to challenge yourself about how well you're communicating your career story throughout all areas of your job search.

Take time to really know the results of what you've achieved and use it in your resume, networking, and interview.