Tips from our hiring managers and recruiters

From writing your resume to interviewing, there are a lot of moments where putting your best foot forward will help you to stand out as a qualified candidate in the hiring process. To help you feel confident in your experience as a jobseeker, our team of outstanding Serco Recruiters and Hiring Managers have compiled the following tips:

1. “Review the job requirements and qualifications prior to applying and update your resume to clearly reflect all the desired qualifications and experience that you have. Your resume is the first thing that recruiters look at and having those keywords, skills and qualifications listed on your resume is so important.” – Riley Figliozzi, Recruiter

2. “Prepare for a virtual/video interview like you would for an in-person/onsite interview. Read the interview email confirmation in its entirety to ensure the expectations are completely understood and you are well prepared to nail your interview. Give yourself enough time to double check your settings on your computer and find a location that offers good lighting with no glare.” – Tiffany Ravenel, Lead Recruiter

3. “If your Recruiter doesn’t tell you who you are interviewing with, ask them! Go to LinkedIn and review their profiles, get to know the people you’ll be interviewing with and potentially working with in the future. Doing this can help your interview by discussing what things they have done in their career you have also done or would like to do and learn from them. This can add to a great conversation in your interview, but also helps you in making a decision if offered a position.” – Amy Doherty, VP of Talent Acquisition

4. “For an in-person interview, make sure you dress appropriately for the role and give yourself extra time to get to the location in case of traffic and other things outside of your control.” – Ron Rodriguez, Recruiter

5. “Be yourself! We are in a people driven business and want to add people that are comfortable enough to be themselves while remaining professional.” – Quinten King, Hiring Manager

6. “Do your homework and know as much as possible about the position and company you are applying/interviewing with. Come prepared with questions! A well-informed candidate presents confidence and will help elevate you to the top tier of potential candidates.” – Mike King, Recruiter

7. “During your interview, focus on your experience and achievements that are related to the posted job description or the requirements of the job. In a few short sentences be able to acknowledge and demonstrate your experience and accomplishments to convey you can perform the posted job. This can make an enormous difference when you are being considered for a position.” – Karen Teele, Lead Recruiter

8. “When completing your application, be accurate. Most companies verify your former employment, education, certifications and other data. Discrepancies or misrepresenting your information could make the difference between an offer or not. Being transparent and straight forward about your skills and experience ensures you convey necessary information to your Recruiter.” – Ana Zorrilla, Recruiter

9. “Ask a trusted friend or family member to run through a trial interview with you before you have the real one. It can shake out the worry beads, hone your answers, and get you in the mood/mindset for an interview. For an extra boost of confidence before your interview, strike a power pose. This will trick your brain into feeling powerful and comfortable which will come across in your body language.” – Amanda Price, Hiring Manager

10. “When answering behavioral questions during an interview, follow the STAR method to guide your response: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Using this method can give a candidate confidence that when these questions arise, they will have the framework to answer the question thoroughly, touching on all points an interviewer wants to hear.” – Collin Murphy, Recruiter

11. “For candidates with customer service backgrounds, it’s helpful to share examples on how you managed customer issues in the workplace. In your resume or in your interview, walk through a situation where you remained professional and patient, all the while having a customer-centric outlook. Inform the interviewer on what went wrong, how you made it right and how you now work to prevent that from happening in the future.” – Mary Sciortino, Recruiter

12. “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is a top priority at Serco - we are deliberate about the teams and culture we are building, and we strive to ensure equity for all opportunities and throughout the hiring process. We recognize that some individuals may need accommodations in order to best communicate their qualifications in an interview. If you require an accommodation at any point during your candidate experience, please communicate any preferences with your Recruiter.” – Gabriella Levi, Manager, D&I and Engagement