Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
Once you receive that coveted phone call inviting you to interview it’s best to remember that you only have one chance to make a stellar first impression.
Keep these tips in mind for your interview:
1. Dress appropriately. Even if the company culture is casual Friday or downright casual, it’s best to dress one step up. It shows professionalism and your seriousness about the position. The time to wear deck shoes and khakis is once you’re hired. For men, get a haircut and trim your facial hair if you have a mustache or beard. For women, keep the jewelry and makeup to a minimum and don’t wear overpowering perfumes.
2. Arrive a few minutes early. Ten to fifteen minutes is advised. It will give you time to relax before you’re called in and will show your professionalism in keeping appointments. To assure that you’ll arrive in a timely manner, drive to the office on a weekday to determine what traffic will be like, where you’ll be able to park, etc. Don’t leave these details till the last minute.
3. Be nice to the receptionist/administrative assistant. If you’re rude or demanding, they won’t forget and they may very well report it to the manager. Be courteous to all. However, it’s also wise to remember that the receptionist or secretary isn’t your best buddy. If she or he starts to talk about the company and disparages it in anyway, keep your opinions to yourself.
4. Turn off your cell phone before you’re interviewed. Nothing is more distracting or irritating than to be interrupted by someone else’s call.
5. Sit appropriately during the interview. Don’t slouch in your chair or bounce your legs up and down no matter how nervous you are. Project an image of success and you’ll be treated accordingly.
6. Never interrupt the interviewer. Yes, you want to get your points across, but barging in on anyone’s comments is rude. Once it’s your turn to speak, take a moment to reflect upon what was said and comment as well as you can.
7. Don’t have a sense of entitlement. If the first words out of your mouth are – “What’s the salary and benefits?” – you won’t be considered for the position no matter how great you believe you are. Always speak about the company’s success and how you would like to make it reach all goals.
8. For the Gen Yers – don’t bring your parents to an interview. Yes, it’s been known to happen and having your mother or father arrive with you isn’t the way to impress a hiring manager.
9. Make eye contact. Don’t stare the interviewer down, but be certain to meet his or her gaze rather than staring off into space or glancing nervously around the office.
10. Be prepared to sell yourself and to answer the usual interview questions. Don’t arrive unprepared. Practice interviewing with friends or family members.
It’s not always easy to ace an interview but it can be done with forethought and practice.
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
In this day of social media, there is a point – at least for a serious job seeker – when too much information will certainly reduce your chances of getting an interview, promotion or the employment opportunity you seek.
While we all enjoy posting our photos and what we’re doing on Facebook, it pays to remember that one day employers may very well be searching that database before they decide to call you in for an interview.
If you think photos of you getting wasted on a Friday night are funny, it won’t be to a hiring manager. If you rant and rave about a particularly touchy subject, a hiring manager will worry that you’ll do the same on the job.
Even if you behave yourself on Facebook, you may leave a trail of crumbs on various websites where you’ve left comments. For some, it’s sport to let loose with unacceptable comments as long as it’s being done from the safety of a computer keyboard. However, if your email address is tracked by a potential employer and they see anything disturbing in your comments, you can kiss that job opportunity good-bye.
In public, we all monitor our responses, never thinking to reveal our deepest thoughts or prejudices. It’s prudent to behave the same way online.
Before you apply for a position, check your Facebook and other social media pages and clean them up. A mentor from my past once told me, “Don’t write anything down that you wouldn’t want to see on the front page of the New York Times.” Great advice. Revisit those sites where you left comments. If you can be identified via your email address, then change it on your resume before you apply for a position.
We’ve all acted foolishly…it’s human nature. But when your livelihood depends upon you behaving in a professional manner, you better make certain an employer can’t find anything negative about you on the net.
Tuesday, June 21st, 2011
What now?
The rule of thumb is preparation, preparation, preparation.
How do you do that? By rehearsing your answers to some of the most common questions asked during an interview.
Here are just a few:
• What specific goals, including those related to your occupation, have you established for your life?
• How has your college experience prepared you for a business career?
• Please describe the ideal job for you following graduation.
• What influenced you to choose this career?
• At what point did you choose this career?
• What specific goals have you established for your career?
• What will it take to attain your goals, and what steps have you taken toward attaining them?
• What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?
• How do you determine or evaluate success? Give me an example of one of your successful accomplishments.
• Do you have the qualifications and personal characteristics necessary for success in your chosen career?
• What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?
• If you could do so, how would you plan your college career differently?
• Are you more energized by working with data or by collaborating with other individuals?
• How would you describe yourself in terms of your ability to work as a member of a team?
• What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
• Given the investment our company will make in hiring and training you, can you give us a reason to hire you?
There are obviously hundreds of possible questions you may be asked. However, by practicing on key questions as to what you can bring to the company and what you want from it, you’ll go a long way toward acing your interview.
Tuesday, February 15th, 2011
It used to be the only part of the employment search a candidate had to worry about was whether the offered salary and benefits were going to be what they required or wanted.
Years ago, that changed with the advent of professional resume writers. With the increasingly competitive job market, it was no longer acceptable or wise to submit a homemade resume.
Now, a new wrinkle has been added to the job search process. Interview coaching.
Many of you may consider this a luxury or unnecessary. Your skills are solid, your background impeccable, your certifications/education the very best.
Even so, is it enough?
It might not be in this economy. Increasingly, candidates are hiring interview coaches to help them over that last pre-employment hurdle.
So what will interview coaching do for you? It depends upon who’s providing the service. At ResumeEdge.com, we provide only those coaches who either hold the CEIP (Certified Employment Interview Professional) designation from the PARW (Professional Association of Resume Writers) or those that are recruiters/human resources managers who have conducted hundreds of interviews in their careers.
Our editors explain to clients the ins and outs of Behavioral Interviews, Traditional Interviews, Lunch Interviews, Phone Interviews, and everything in between.
They provide job interview tips and conduct mock interviews with their clients, preparing them for every eventuality.
With so few jobs and so many candidates vying for a single position, it’s essential to use every resource available…a professional resume service, cover letter writing, and interview coaching.
Money well spent, especially when you get that all important job offer.
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