3 Tips for job seekers based on A & B personality types

You’re a Type A person. You’re ambitious. You’re organized. People tell you you’re sometimes impatient — but all you want is to have things done well and on time. 

Or you’re a Type B person. For you, it’s not about winning but enjoying the game itself. You don’t thrive in stressful situations, and you seek out situations where you can be thoughtful and creative.

It doesn’t matter if your career personality test shows that you’re Type A or Type B — or somewhere in the middle. Today, we’re presenting three great job hunting and job interviewing tips that will appeal to your personality type.

You might also be interested in learning about the top 10 things NOT to do in an interview.

Network, network, network

Connections on LinkedIn will only take you so far. To really juice your job search, you’ll want to shake some hands and engage in real conversation. The more people you meet in person, the more likely your chances of building a relationship with someone who can refer you to job opportunities. In addition, you can truly discuss your skills, job experience and career aspirations — try doing that on a one-page resume!

It’s not too difficult to find professional networking events in your area. Start by looking at professional groups — you’ll find associations based on profession (accounting, real estate, information technology and so on) and affinity networks for women, Hispanics and African-Americans, among others.                   

Type A networking tips: Networking is a chance to show off your ambition. Before you go to a professional networking event, mentally prepare a short list of your accomplishments to share with other people.

Type B networking tips: Enjoy yourself and really try to engage in meaningful conversations. Show off your creative side and talk about your career hopes.

Prepare for the interview

Don’t go into an interview blind. You need to truly understand the company you’re applying to — specifically, what it does, how it’s performing and what its corporate culture is like. Preparation begins with research: Go online and, if possible, spend some time talking to people already working at the company. You want to be able to speak confidently about what you like about the employer, and the value you can bring.

Through preparation, you’ll be able to tailor your conversation with the hiring manager. If the company is interested in certain skills, be ready to talk about your relevant job experiences.

As part of your preparation, be sure to find out the company's dress code. You don’t want to be too overdressed — and you most definitely do not want to be underdressed! Remember, the dress code at Google will be different than the one at Goldman Sachs.

Also, be sure to get directions to the office. Plan to arrive a little early.

Type A job interview tips: Prepare three or four success stories that you can share with the interviewer. Know these stories by heart but do not memorize them, or you may come across sounding rehearsed.

Type B job interview tips: Planning — a true Type A characteristic — will benefit you here. Sit down and really think about potential job interview questions you’ll be asked. If you have time, ask a peer or a family member to help you with a mock interview.

Follow-up

Once you’ve had that initial interview, it’s important to remain involved in the hiring process. Remember that hiring managers and interviewers have a lot of their plates, and your job is to make sure you’re not forgotten. A brief email to follow up after interview, asking politely for an update on process or timing, is always appropriate.

Be cautious when it comes to follow-up. The goal is to remind the recruiter that you’re interested in the position and want to be considered. Push too hard or contact the interviewer too frequently, however, and you might come across as too aggressive or impatient.

Type A follow-up tips: Your organizational skills will come in handy when it comes to follow-up. Plan in advance by marking follow-up dates on your calendar.

Type B follow-up tips: Use each follow-up call and email as another opportunity to promote yourself and reiterate your interest in the role.

A final thought

Both personality types have strong suits when it comes to searching for a job. By embracing your strengths, you can elevate your job search and make a strong impression on potential employers.