Firsthand tips from a Continental Recruiter
Lily Poon is Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist at Continental. She’s compiled this helpful list of tips for how to apply for a job at Continental.
Hello! My name is Lily and I am a Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist based out of California. I have been with Continental for 5 years, and in my current role I provide support to various business areas and hiring managers so that the best candidates join their teams.
I have read countless resumes during my time as a recruiter AND interviewed thousands of applicants. I want to share my experiences with those who are considering Continental for the next step in their career journey to ensure they put their best foot forward while applying.
Here are my personal tips for resumes, applications, and interviews:
- Spell check. Have someone else read your resume for you. Typos makes you look sloppy and lack attention to detail.
- Fonts. Keep them simple and visually appealing.
- Choose an email account that you check regularly. You’d be surprised how often people miss an opportunity because they don’t check their school email over breaks, or no longer have access to college accounts after graduation. If you opt to use your personal email, please make sure it’s appropriate.
- “References upon request.” It is implied that references would be available if requested. Leave this phrase off of your resume; you shouldn’t share other people’s personal contact information so freely.
- Buzzwords. “Team player,” “Go-getter,” and “Hardworking” are all implied. No one is going to say they’re lazy and can’t work with others. Use specific adjectives that describe you.
- It’s not all about a packed resume. Make sure your resume looks neat and easy-to-read (consistent margins, fonts, text sizes). Also make sure it stays relevant; don’t include part-time barista jobs for an engineering internship.
Do not include your personal information.
- Address. Simply keep your city, state and zip code. At Continental we don’t need anything more specific.
- Photo/Marital Status/Kids/Hobbies. This is not information we take into consideration. We are looking for the best fit candidate so you can leave that information out.
- High school information. You’re beyond that now. No need to include it.
Write a new cover letter for each job. I can’t tell you how many times I’ll have position “x” open, but the offer letter is talking about position “y” and addressed to another company. Hiring managers have immediately dismissed candidates for this oversight.
- If you’re blindly applying to a bunch of jobs, it’s probably better to NOT have a cover letter than to copy and paste the same one. But if you’re going to use a stock cover letter – proofread it.
- Do not email a recruiter to tell them you’re interested in the company, then ask them to find a fit for you. They wouldn’t know what roles you’re interested in.
- Do not apply to every single opening. It shows that you lack focus and just looking for any open position. Even worse – applying for a position that you’re clearly underqualified for.
- Avoid too much follow-up. The hiring managers and recruiters are juggling many different tasks and doing their best to stay on top of everything. An email follow-up once a week is sufficient.
- You might want to clean up your social media accounts. It might be that sometimes recruiters and hiring managers check your profile, especially on LinkedIn, but potential coworkers do, too.
- Remember to network. Sometimes, I might not have a position open that’s a fit for a candidate. But when they make a positive impression, I will take the time to refer them to someone else that I know might be hiring.
When you interview, know that how you treat the administrative receptionist and staff will be relayed to the hiring manager. There have been times where a candidate wows the hiring manager, but loses the job opportunity because they were rude or dismissive to the admin staff.
- A firm handshake makes all the difference. It says confidence, enthusiasm and engagement in the meeting. Good posture, body language, and good eye contact also communicate your interest.
- Ask the right questions about the company and the position. Questions that add value to the conversation, not ones whose answers can be easily found online. And don’t wait for the interview to ask your questions; demonstrate your interest by asking your recruiter.
Interested in applying for a job at Continental? Check out our career website: https://www.continental.com/en-us/career
This blog was written by our employee.
