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Step-by-Step Job Interview Preparation |
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You’ve landed a job interview. Now you need to make sure you’re ready for it. Follow our handy checklist to help you take the right steps before, during, and after a job interview to maximize your chance of landing the job.
When You Get 'The Call'
Things to remember when an employer phones to schedule a job interview:
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Be positive and enthusiastic about the opportunity to interview.
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If you’re caught off guard, be honest (for example, “Forgive me, but I’ve sent out several resumes this month. Could you refresh my memory about the position you’re referring to?”).
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Write down the date and time of the interview you have scheduled.
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Write down the Name, Title, and Department of the person you’ll be meeting.
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Ask about parking lots or public transportation and where to enter the building – then write it down.
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Ask if there is anything specific the interviewer would like you to prepare or bring to the meeting.
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In closing, be sure to thank the caller and confirm the interview date and time (for example, “Thanks again, Ms. Lee, I look forward to meeting you on Monday the 16th at 9:00.”).
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Five-Step Guide to Finding Your First Job |
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Whether you're about to start your first career, or you've gone back to school to pursue a new one, finding your first job in any field is a big step.
This 5-step guide can help you organize your job search, identify the best opportunities and pursue them as efficiently as possible:
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Self-Assessment:- Your degree can probably be used to pursue a variety of careers, so you need to decide which jobs will be rewarding for you. Figuring out where your passions lie and what will make you happy is key. Common mistake: Assessing the job market, identifying fields with the most opportunities, and focusing on those. Instead, ask yourself, "What skills do I have? What makes me feel successful?" Use those answers to point your job search in the right direction.
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Start researching and get networking:- The key to finding the right job is knowing where to look and how to network. Search job boards, go to trade websites in your field of interest, attend job fairs, visit company websites to look for job postings, and contact human resources departments at companies you'd like to work for. Also, don't forget to network. The people you know — and the people they know — are some of your best resources for finding a great job and gaining important industry insights.
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Top Ten Interview Blunders |
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People often spend countless hours working on their cover letter and resume to secure a coveted interview, but then make mistakes during the interview that can't be undone. This new guide focuses on preparing interviewees so they can shine during a job interview and avoid common blunders.
The Top Ten Interview Blunders are -
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Don't forget to carry your resume and work experience / qualification documents
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Don't come unprepared. Be ready to speak about yourself and your qualifications without rambling. Use appropriate terms and examples that match your abilities to the specific job for which you are interviewing.
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Don't be late. Map out how to get there or call in early.
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In a phone interview, try not to use a cell phone. If possible, use a landline phone instead. Cell phone connections can hiss, crackle, cut out, and may disconnect the interviewer. If a hiring manager gets dead air, they may become frustrated or not call back.
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How to Explain Work History Gaps in the Interview |
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Not many people follow a seamless, unbroken career path. Many job seekers end up with an employment gap to explain at a job interview. And there's a simple, three-step method to explain this to your potential employer: acknowledge, reassure, and redirect.
Here's how it works:
1. ACKNOWLEDGE
Describe the situation very briefly and factually, and acknowledge that it is a valid concern. Keep your emotions out of it. Don't be detailed, defensive, or apologetic. Just stick to the facts.
Example:
Between 1999 and 2003, I was _____. I can understand that the situation might concern you, Mr. Smith.
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How to Answer the Salary Question |
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We all want to be honest and forthcoming in an interview. So when the question “What are you making now?” or “What kind of salary are you looking for?” comes up, it’s tempting to just cite a number or a range and move forward – but try to resist the urge. If you reveal your salary expectations too early in the process, you lose two big opportunities:
1. The opportunity to make them love you before they know your price.
2. The opportunity to demonstrate your ability to handle an uncomfortable situation confidently and respectfully, without caving (a prized skill in most jobs).
To Answer or Not to Answer?
If you’ve done your homework, you should have a fairly good idea of the typical salary range for someone with your level of experience in the kind of position you’re seeking within your market.
If you feel it’s in your best interests to avoid the question, your reply should respectfully and professionally communicate three general principles:
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Your interest in the opportunity;
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Your expectation to be paid in line with market conditions and your experience level; and
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Your willingness to discuss salary history once you and the company decide you’re the right person for the position.
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You Did THAT on Your Resume? Really!? |
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If these five resume errors were rare, there'd be no need to discuss them. Unfortunately, they're not only common, they're also forehead-slappingly obvious, once you think about it. So, in the sarcastic spirit we give you five really common Did you REALLY do that on your resume? resume mistakes that you really don't want to make.
1. You listed your email address as howruhoney @ howruhoney.com. Really!?!
Great job, Honey! Personal branding is important, and every company needs a real "Honey" on staff!
2. YOU WROTE YOUR RESUME IN ALL CAPS. REALLY!?!
NICE MULTITASKING! YOU ASSERTED YOUR AUTHORITY BY SHOUTING AT THE HIRING MANAGER WHILE DEMONSTRATING YOUR POOR TYPING SKILLS AT THE SAME TIME.
3. You skipped the Professional Summary. Really!?!
Smart move! Make the hiring manager search for the stuff that's relevant. Your time is too important to spend it highlighting your unique value at the top of your resume.
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Applicant Tracking System |
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Ever wondered what happens to your resume when you apply for a job online through a company's website?
Does your resume have keywords?
The above two questions my seem different however are very closely interrelated.
Almost all organizations today use an Applicant Tracking System also known as ATS. An ATS is a database-type program that helps employers store, organize, screen, sort, track, and reply to all the resumes they receive. Small organizations don't use ATSs yet, but all of the really big employers—and a growing number of mid-sized organizations—use these systems. For each job opening, the employer programs specific, job-related words and phrases into the ATS. Roughly, what happens is your resume goes into the ATS, gets scanned, and if it doesn't contain enough of those words and terms, the ATS smacks you with a generic rejection email and stores your resume in the dreaded "future consideration" bin. End of story.
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How to ensure employers spend 30 minutes not 30 seconds reviewing your CV |
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We know the average CV gets reviewed in less than 30 seconds. We also know the average CV does not get to interview. The question this newsletter looks at, therefore, is how to ensure a recruiter or employer spends 5 minutes getting excited about your CV then 25 minutes talking to colleagues about what a great candidate they are about to meet.
If you can achieve this, not only will you (to state the obvious) get to interview, but the interviewer will be willing you to succeed.
Before sending off another CV, run through this quick checklist and determine if it needs adapting or re-writing.
Check your profile
Does your CV open with a list of skills and keywords? Don’t bore your reader. Employers want to know how you can solve their problem right now. Don’t annoy them by failing to answer this urgent question.
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How to deal with closing questions at interview |
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Leaving the interviewer with the right picture is a vital step toward securing a job offer. That means being able to handle the questions in the last 5 minutes of the interview with a skilled, planned approach.
Search the internet and you’ll find mixed advice about how to close an interview. We asked a group of employers for the typical questions they ask and what they expect in a good answer.
If offered, will you take the job?
The consistent recommendation is to be enthusiastic and positive. You can go away and reflect later on whether you want the opportunity but above all, be enthusiastic in the meeting. Even if you think you don't want the job, keep your options open at this stage. Employers are looking to judge your level of commitment – if they put an offer out to you and you don’t accept it looks bad on their part.
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Make ‘How you say it’ count |
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Effective communication consists of what you say and how you say it. Interviewers will often actually place more emphasis on the ‘how’, often without realising it.
By ‘how you say it’ I mean how you express yourself. This means your body language, confidence, manners and general approach. For example, asking a question at the start of the interview, irrespective of what the question is, shows confidence and a keen interest. This has just as much impact as smiling.
Mastering this approach is not beyond you. You need to:
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Take the initiative to shake hands and introduce yourself, rather than be asked
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Enter the room confidently
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Sit down only when invited to
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Mirror the body language if you can. At least ensure you don’t fidget, slouch or fold your arms.
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Why you must persevere with recruiters |
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Only on the odd occasion do you find people who extol the virtues of recruitment consultants. The funny thing is it’s the same few people who seem to get all the luck when it comes to job hunting.
If you ruled out the prospect of using or have an ingrained negative view of recruiters, you could well be hindering your job hunt. Consider the basics:
Why do they exist?
Recruiters are paid to fill jobs for their clients (employers). Employers know advertising can be costly and managing the response time consuming. It is far easier to give the job to a consultant and then review 3 or 4 CVs rather than having to filter 200 inappropriate ones.
As the recruiter becomes more familiar with an employer, they get an unrivalled insight into the needs and preferences that influence hiring decisions. A successful recruiter will become a trusted advisor for a hiring manager and the first port of call when a vacancy arises.
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What is commercial awareness and how do you develop it? |
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From lawyers to shop-assistants, marketing executives to HR managers, candidates that are business-savvy often get the job. The trouble with commercial awareness is the term itself. It sounds scary and if you run a quick search online, you’ll get 50 different views as quick as Jack Robinson.
Well, it’s not as scary as it sounds.
Why? There’s no killer definition so don’t worry about searching for it. Commercial awareness is a broad concept meaning different things to different people. The general ethos is having knowledge of how issues affect each other, leading to the ability to identify tactics that move a business forward. Sensible definitions include:
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How an organisation attracts and keeps customers and what impact the wider economy has on that particular business.
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An interest in business and an understanding of the wider environment in which an organisation operates: its customers, competitors and suppliers.
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The purpose of your CV is simple; to get you the interview. To do this you need to consider two things. Firstly the structure – is it presented professionally, ordered correctly using suitable headings helping an employer to instantly spot the information they need. Secondly, the content – how do you structure sentences, what language do you use, is it concise and do you demonstrate achievement and value?
Having reviewed thousands of CVs it’s clear many have structural issues. This is a simple error easily fixed by following a few simple guidelines. Generating the content can be tough; following a sensible structure for your CV should be easy.
Whilst I’m not an advocate of templated CV’s, there are only so many sections an employer wants to read, so try following the below and tailor for your situation:
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Interview coach: dealing with situational questions |
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A good interviewer knows the importance of asking questions that require you to think on the spot. Often referred to as situational, competency based or behavioural question, the employer is attempting to see your skills and attitudes in action. This is clearly a much better technique than just asking you to name your skills, so you can understand why interviewers do this.
The problem for us, the interviewees, is how do we prepare for a random question? We talked to James Rudall, Managing Director of Conversion Consulting (a leading outsourced inside-sales company), to get under the skin of what the interviewer wants:
What is your most important interview question?
How would you calculate the number of petrol stations in central London? Candidates are told they may use the whiteboard and if required, involve all the people in the room.
Why do you ask this quite bizarre question?
We want to understand how a candidate reacts to a pressure scenario, given they are not warned before-hand. Do they stumble and waffle? Or do they step up to the challenge and attempt to find an answer.
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The purpose and power of a well written cover letter |
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If you think a cover letter is a formal approach reserved for old-fashioned application processes, then you should banish your pre-conception. When you email your CV to a recruiter or employer you must include text in your email. This is your cover letter. Every single application or e-correspondence you make with a prospective employer forms part of your ‘pitch’.
This week, we talked to Keith Corbin, who spent 15 years within senior HR management roles at Thomas Cook, to ensure employers agree with this sentiment. Here is Keith’s advice:
In my experience the cover letter is alive and kicking and still an important part of the job search process. If the CV can be described as a foot in the door, then the cover letter could be described as that vital first impression of the person at the door.
Making that first impression with a prospective employer in an age of social networking becomes ever more vital. Suspend your judgement and make sure that your cover letter gets you through the door before your competitors.
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