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How To Use LinkedIn To Your Advantage: Tips To Build Career Success. Here are Four Ways to Make the Most Out of your Time on LinkedIn.

January 29, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Social networking can feel awkward and uncomfortable, even when done online. Many people tell me they find LinkedIn overwhelming and instead of using it to their advantage, they avoid it at all costs.

But the reality is that when it comes to networking and career development, LinkedIn is one of the fastest-growing and most valuable assets to access. In 2019 alone, LinkedIn had 645 million accounts, and 40% of those users actually logged on every single day. With over 30 million companies now active on the platform, there were over 20 million open job postings in 2019 alone.

It isn’t just for networking and job hunting. If you are looking for marketing your business, Hubspot found that traffic from LinkedIn generates the highest visitor-to-lead conversion rate at 2.74%, almost three times higher than Twitter and Facebook.

I get it… LinkedIn could feel like another app to master, and another thing to spend your time learning and building. The trick is to optimize what you are doing on the platform and how you are showing up to other users.

Here are four ways to make the most out of your time on LinkedIn.

1. Make your account appealing to the eye.

First impressions matter, and not just in person. Before ever meeting you, 41% of recruiters have admitted judging candidates by their photos. When people want to learn more about you, they will head straight to Google, and your LinkedIn profile will likely be one of the first things to pop up.

Although there are a handful of things to remove immediately from your profile, one of the most important aspects to keep updated is your profile photo. Get this: LinkedIn profiles with photos get 21 times more profiles views than accounts without a picture. Your ability to provide a visual on who you are actually contributing to someone’s decision-making. Studies revealed that the visual cortex of your brain controls more than interpreting images, it actually makes decisions. You want to share images that motivate your audience to connect you.

This isn’t limited to your profile. When you publish content, be sure to also include pictures. Updates with images are five times more likely to get comments and interactions than ones without. This doesn’t mean post a picture of you and your coworkers at happy hour; be thoughtful about what images you use. If you struggle to find photos, you can always turn to stock photography sites like Unsplash for access to a library of professional photos— for free.

2. Use the app to your advantage.

Look at the LinkedIn app like any other social media app. This means following and engaging with accounts you are interested in. When you are on the job hunt, find companies you want to work for, and make it a point to follow their accounts so you can stay aware of the company’s current happenings. The “companies” tab will display updates, employees and job postings, all in one central location that will then make its way over to your newsfeed.

Once you land an interview, you will already be well up to date on their latest product releases or corporate announcements, and this makes you stand out more than you realize. Job hunting is like dating, and by knowing the ins and outs of the company, you’ll come across as more interested in that actual company, versus giving off that usual job hunter vibe that tends to say: it doesn’t matter if you hire me, or your competitor does.

Companies want to feel wanted, just like romantic partners do in dating!

The app also contains a pulse tab, which allows you to see personalized articles and topics related to your industry and target audience. If you find something valuable, you can share articles onto your own profile. The more valuable content you share, the more of a following and personal brand you can create for yourself. And of course, make your own personal brand if you really want to excel in your career!

Dedicate a little time each morning to sift through the app. With your morning cup of coffee, spend 10 minutes finding articles worth sharing, or work towards building content around your industry (articles, blog posts, etc) so you can establish yourself as a thought-leader in your niche. If you commute to work or travel often without wifi, save article titles that you find intriguing and download them into your library to read later.

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2. Contribute content to the LinkedIn platform.

Out of the 645 million LinkedIn accounts, less than .5% are actually contributing new content. When you consider that nearly half of LinkedIn’s community is logging on every day, this place is a goldmine for sharing content and being seen. Low competition means high view opportunities, a recipe for success.

Set time aside and make a list of content articles you would like to author. If topics don’t immediately come to mind, you can use the articles as inspiration for your own content. If you find an article you liked within your realm of subject matter,, read the comments section to find questions that other viewers may have posed as a way to search for and address gaps that weren’t covered on the topic.

This allows you to then build an article around content that the market is showing you there is a need for. If you are answering a question you see commonly asked, you can always go back and share your article with the users who asked. Remember: sales go down in your DMs, or in the comments section! When you show yourself as a content provider and an educated voice to answer user questions, business opportunities tend to follow.

4. Connect with the right people.

Remember the days in school when you were willing and excited to be friends with just about anybody? LinkedIn is not the place to have that same mentality. Just because you got drinks a few years back in college doesn’t necessarily mean you want to connect with them on this professional platform. Your level of reach depends largely on how social and engaged you are on the platform, not necessarily how many people are connected with you.

Start by connecting with existing professional and personal contacts in the industry you are working in, or want to move into. If you meet a new coworker or connect with a professional during a networking event, seek out their account and send them a LinkedIn request that contains a short personalized message.

Building yourself on the LinkedIn platform will make you a more attractive candidate and garner you more opportunities in the future.

Get intentional with your usage and the app with becoming a career changer, not a time suck.

Forbes.com | January 29, 2020 | Ashley Stahl

The Resume Writing SEO 2020 Guidelines. Is your Resume Picked Up Online?

January 29, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

I’m invisible online,” said Joe, 57, a director at a large tech company. “After I send my resume in using my computer no one is calling me for an interview. I suspect they either notice my age and decide that they don’t want somebody as old as me, or I don’t have the resume written correctly. The bottom line is that no employer is calling me. What am I doing wrong? Can you help me improve my resume and get discovered,” he asked.

One of the problems when you submit your resume online is that you don’t realize the importance of keywords and how they affect your resume’s performance in getting found. The SEO (Search Engine Optimization) that you incorporate into your resume is what the electronic robots are searching. They find what the recruiter requested or they don’t. In Joe’s case, they aren’t finding him at all. I took a look at his resume and realized the problem. He doesn’t understand about how to use SEO strategies to get found.

There are many mistakes that Baby Boomers make on their resumes that can prevent them from being discovered by a recruiter. How this all works is that the recruiter or hiring manager types in some specific words that he or she is looking for in the candidate. Typically these are things like job titles, specific work tasks or skills that are needed to do the job. The typical recruiter has over 100 resumes to search through. Often times for large companies and Fortune 500 organizations there can be hundreds of resumes that are received for every one job posted. All the initial search and streamlining of those applicants is done electronically. This allows the employer to shrink the applicant pool down to 10-20, a more manageable amount to search and review.

Unfortunately one of the biggest complaints recruiters make is there are many people out there applying for jobs that they are not qualified for. That makes this whole process more challenging for everybody.

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Here is some advice that will help you when you’re trying to create your own SEO to optimize your resume so that it can be found more easily by employers.

Be Technology Ready. Most companies use employment software to handle the application process. It’s called ATS, or applicant tracking software, and is used by the employer when you apply online. The system often cannot read: text boxes, tables, color ink, photos, or see any graphics. These could be eliminated from your resume and the space is left blank for the recruiter so they miss these things you were trying to stress. You want to eliminate these obstacles from your resume. A clean resume that is easy to read is essential to get through the system.

Target the Job Title. Employers hire for a specific job. You need to make sure that the job title that you have and/or the career objective states the name of the job you’re looking for. For example, Career Objective: Nonprofit Executive Director.

Outline Work History using Keywords. When defining your work experience outline the major job duties that you have had in that position. It is important that the first sentence captures the most important work tasks you have performed. This is because these are some of the keywords that a recruiter is likely to use when searching through the applicant pool. Be sure to address your skills and abilities to fit the exact position you are applying for. Do not generalize. You need to include the essential experience that’s necessary for performing that position.

Stress Results. Results get attention! List your specific accomplishments. Note your actions on your job and what was the outcome of your work. List your innovations and new things you have developed and implemented. Did you save time or money? Did you make money? Have you created something new? Did you improve something? These are the kinds of results that employers want to know about.

Create a Summary of Qualifications. This consists of four to six sentences that highlight your key experience, strengths and top accomplishments. This is often the first part of any resume read. It needs to be strongly persuasive and you can outline top skills here.

Do not create a list of competencies

One error that many people make is they create a list of competencies or skills and put them across the page in tables. This is an ineffective way to get your keywords across. All keywords need to be involved in sentences and part of your accomplishments that you’re talking about in your work experience section.

Incorrect:

Project management Supervisor Manager

Organizational Development Human Resources Employee Benefits

Employee Relations Contract Management Compensation

More effective:

Use the words in sentences that demonstrate the skill. Example:

· Managed the human resources department employee benefits area negotiating contracts with better terms and lower fees.

Repeat Key Skills

As you create the resume you might use the words that foster the skill you want to emphasize. For example, you could mention project management three or four times throughout the resume. That keyword will be one that the algorithms notices first. That works if you’re looking for a job in which you need to use the skill of project management or if you’re looking for a job as a project manager. Keep in mind that you want to be addressing the skills for the job you’re going after so if it’s a promotion make sure you stress the skills that you have used the most that fill the need stated in that promotion job ad.

SEO when understood is not that hard to incorporate into your resume so you will be found and called in for an interview, the sole goal of your resume.

Forbes.com | January 29, 2019 | Robin Ryan

Career Coaches on the Biggest Mistakes People Make in the Job Search

January 27, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

How often, during a tough week at the office, have you heard your friends say, “Time to update my résumé!” You’ve probably said it, too.

Most people take this approach to the job search, and it makes sense. There’s so much you can’t control about the process, but adding new bullet points to your résumé feels actionable and straightforward.

But when it comes to thinking about your next career move, this isn’t the best place to start, says Jenny Foss, a career coach, certified professional résumé writer, and the voice behind the popular career blog JobJenny.com. “Job seekers will be in much better shape if they think about what they do (and don’t) want in that next job BEFORE they update the résumé,” she explains.

What other not-so-intuitive traps do we fall into? Here, seven experts who coach people through these very scenarios share how to job search the right way:

MISTAKE 1: NOT STARTING WITH YOU

Founder and lead coach Evangelia Leclaire agrees that people often initially focus too much on job search tactics, like their résumé and elevator pitch. “I suggest you focus on you first as the foundation,” she says. “The beliefs, attitude, and energy a smart person will bring to a job search will determine their success.”

Specifically, she advises spending time building up your confidence. Because you’re often competing with hundreds of candidates, it’s easy to doubt yourself, but that’s counterproductive, she explains. “We behave how we believe. So, if you believe that you are not enough or think, ‘I don’t have enough,’ your attitude, approach, and actions will reflect that.”

Some practical tips to boost your confidence? Leclaire suggests jotting down your competencies, character traits, and core strengths and using those to create a vision for your next chapter. She also recommends crafting a narrative about your future ambitions and repeating it daily, both in your mind and out loud.

These mental exercises can be powerful motivation. “You don’t want to end up in a job you hate, or simply tolerate, because you weren’t honest with yourself or didn’t believe you could grow into bigger and better opportunities,” she says.

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MISTAKE 2: THINKING LIKE A HISTORIAN, NOT A MARKETER

Once you’re clear on what you want, is it time to update your résumé? Yes, but maybe not in the same way you’ve done in the past.

Foss often tells her clients that a résumé is a marketing document, not an autobiography that details every role and responsibility you’ve ever had. “Just like in marketing, you’re trying to prompt a purchase decision. In this case, that purchase decision is, ‘Invite you in for an interview,’” she shares. “The easier you make it for decision makers to quickly connect the dots between what they need and what you can walk through their doors and deliver, the better the odds they’re going to want to talk.”

What does this look like in practice? Foss recommends digging into job boards and companies’ careers pages. Pull a few postings, and find the themes and criteria that keep coming up. “For instance, if you pull five job descriptions and four of them indicate in some form that they need someone who can solve complex problems and navigate ambiguity—and you can absolutely do these things—then you need to make it clear very quickly on your résumé that this is you.”

MISTAKE 3: NOT LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE

With that said, don’t forget about all of the skills that you bring to the table. “The biggest mistake smart people make during their job search is not looking at their experience in a holistic way,” says Dorianne St Fleur, a career strategist and the founder of Your Career Girl, a career development agency for black women. “While it may seem like a no-brainer to solely focus on your project management experience if you’re applying for a project management role, consider highlighting the complementary skills you bring to the table as well.”

For example, she explains, if you’re a project manager who also has experience in web design and operations management—and those skills are relevant to a specific role—find a way to highlight them. “Showcasing how your specific background allows you to bring a new perspective to your work will help you stand out among the hundreds of job seekers vying for the same position,” she explains. Just make sure to make it feel like a value add, not a random sidebar of your career. “It’s your job to connect the dots.”

MISTAKE 4: OVEREMPHASIZING WHAT YOU WANT

Another part of your job? Showing a company what you can do for them, not vice versa. “One of the biggest mistakes even the savviest job seekers make is they put too much emphasis on what they want,” explains Emily Liou, career happiness coach and founder of CultiVitae. “When asked, ‘Why do you want to work here?’ or ‘Why are you interested in this role?’ . . . they may catch themselves stating, ‘I want to grow and am ready for greater challenges.’”

But, she cautions, employers don’t really care—at least not initially. “What they want to know is: How will you make our lives easier? What are you going to immediately contribute? How are you going to solve my problem?”

FastCompany.com | December 2, 2019 | BY ADRIAN GRANZELLA LARSSEN

Considering A Career Coach? It Might Be A Good Idea. Study/Survey of 1K Employees about their Experiences with Sources of Professional Support, and Revealed some Interesting Findings.

January 25, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

To explore the benefits of career coaches, the ZenBusiness team surveyed 1,000 employees about their experiences with sources of professional support, and revealed some interesting findings:

Employees that utilized a career coach report a median salary of $50,000—$7,250 more than those that had not
62% of people have had a coach/mentor during their career—86% said the assistance helped advance their career
Workers who sought help from a coach, mentor, or sponsors earn the highest number of promotions (3.5) compared to those only using a sponsor (2.8), only using a mentor (2.6), and using neither a mentor nor sponsor (1.7)

If you’re considering a career coach to help guide your next moves, here’s how you can get started:

Identify Your Career Goals

Create a list of what you want in your current career. With the 35% of people who have utilized a career coach; career coaches were deemed extremely helpful for updating resumes (55%), prepping for job interviews (47%), and creating career plans (38%). Supplying a list of what you need will equip coaches so they can help you navigate your next career step.

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Nurture Professional Relationships

Make it a goal to network more this year. Reach out to co-workers or professionals you admire. Attend local events. Participate in conferences and update your social pages often. This proactive attitude can pay off in exclusive career opportunities and a great network of experienced professionals.

Initiate Mentorship Programs At Work

If your company doesn’t have a program in place to foster professional relationships, consider taking the initiative. Invite your colleagues to lunch and bring groups of people together often. Organize happy hours, volunteering days or team bonding exercises. Facilitating face-to-face interactions between different team members can not only help you form meaningful connections at work, but it will also make your job more enjoyable.

Forbes.com | January 24, 2020 | Shelcy V. Joseph

How to End the Perfect Cover Letter. The Truth is, the Cover Letter is the Only Piece the Recruiter will Read.

January 24, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

You’ve written an amazing intro and compelling body copy that perfectly highlights your achievements, but you’re having a hard time making it through the final stretch — “How in the world do I end this cover letter?” you might be thinking to yourself. The truth is, closing a cover letter is a difficult task for many job seekers. There’s a lot of pressure because, sometimes, the cover letter is the only piece the recruiter will read.

If you want to land an interview with your cover letter, you don’t want to sound vague or wishy-washy. Your cover letter should illustrate why you are the best fit and how you will help the company or organization reach success. However, when writing the closing paragraph of your cover letter, it’s easy to have a passive voice, because you don’t want to appear overconfident. For example, if you say, “I look forward to hearing from you,” that’s great — but that alone doesn’t seal the deal. The closing paragraph of your cover letter must be one of the strongest elements because it is the last impression you leave in the reader’s mind.

Here are five phrases to include in the final paragraph of your cover letter that will help you seal the deal for your next interview.

Examples for How to End a Cover Letter

1. “I am very excited to learn more about this opportunity and share how I will be a great fit for XYZ Corporation.”

Strong cover letter closings are enthusiastic and confident. You want the reader to have the impression you are truly passionate about the position and working for their company. This statement will also illustrate your ability to fit into the company culture and how your personality and work ethic is exactly what they’re looking for.

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2. “I believe this is a position where my passion for this industry will grow because of the XYZ opportunities you provide for your employees.”

It’s always a good idea to explain what you find attractive about working for the company and how you want to bring your passions to the table. By doing this, you can illustrate how much thought you dedicated to applying for the position and how much you care about becoming a part of the company.

3. “If I am offered this position, I will be ready to hit the ground running and help XYZ Company exceed its own expectations for success.”

By adding this piece to your conclusion, you will be able to add some flare and excitement to your cover letter. The reader will become intrigued by your enthusiasm to “hit the ground running.” Employers look for candidates who are prepared for the position and are easy to train. Therefore, this phrase will definitely raise some curiosity and the reader will want to discover what you have to offer for their company.

4. “I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how my qualifications will be beneficial to your organization’s success.”

Remember, you want to make it clear in your cover letter how the employer will benefit from your experience and qualifications. You want to also express how your goal is to help the organization succeed, not how the position will contribute to your personal success.

5. “I will call you next Tuesday to follow up on my application and arrange for an interview.”

The most essential part of your closing is your “call to action” statement. Remember, the purpose of your cover letter is to land an interview. Don’t end your cover letter saying you’ll hope to get in touch. Explain to the reader the exact day and how you will be contacting them. When you state you will be following up with the employer, make sure you do it!

Remember, the closing of your cover letter is the most important element that will help you land your next interview. By crafting a strong, confident and enthusiastic closing paragraph, you will leave the reader feeling like you would be the best candidate for the position.

GlassDoor.com | August 5, 2019 | Posted by Heather Huhman

Three Things An Interviewer(Recruiter) Won’t Tell You.

January 24, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

An interview is similar to a game of poker. Players look for “tells” and keep their cards closely guarded.

A job interview is a negotiation, a game of “cat and mouse” between a company and a candidate. As a candidate, you share your best material and remain vigilant in hiding your least flattering moments.

You can’t expect a company to behave differently. Hiring managers need to convince you to choose their company over competitors.

For that reason, they want to position the opportunity in the best possible light. Don’t be surprised if an interviewer leaves out a few important details.

1. The Position Is Short-Term

Many positions are created to address a short-term problem.

An assistant position created to help a team of sales reps who are facing a surge of business that is not expected to last.
A compliance position to help a company respond to a new regulation that will likely only last until the next election cycle.
A design engineer whose role will be focused on creating a prototype that might not make it to production.

In the wake of the financial crisis, banks were forced to hire hundreds of “loss mitigation specialists.” The primary function of this position was to work through the glut of distressed debt incurred prior to the meltdown.

Today In: Leadership

Once that pig worked its way through the snake, banks no longer needed the positions. Some were transferred into different roles while others saw their positions eliminated.

A company won’t tell you the short-term nature of the position you apply for, because it would dissuade good talent from accepting offers. This is a riddle you need to solve on your own by asking yourself pointed questions about the long-term need for the position.

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2. The Company Is Struggling To Retain People

You might be the fourth person to apply and accept an offer for the same job in the past year. Why would a hiring manager admit that to you?

First, it is embarrassing. Rampant employee turnover says more about the manager than the employees who leave.

Second, this information would lead to more questions about the position and company.

This should not stop you from trying. A great question to ask any interviewer is, “Why is this position open?” A follow-up might be, “Where is the person who previously held this role?”

If that person was promoted or transferred to a different position, you likely have nothing to worry about. But if they left on their own terms, it is perfectly acceptable to probe for more information.

Most people find out about bad morale on their first day. You can sense it in the way your peers interact with each other and management.

But during the interview process, it is difficult to pick this up if your radar is not searching for clues.

3. You’re On Your Own

Most new employees will get off to a slow start. A Gallup poll found that only 34% of employees strongly agree that their manager knows what project or tasks they are working on.

From an on-boarding perspective, many companies get it wrong. For that reason, nearly 33% of employees start looking for a new job within six months of starting, according to a Harvard Business Review survey.

Regardless of how busy the hiring manager is, they will not admit how they will disappear as soon as you accept your job offer.

They will tell you the exact opposite. You will hear about how closely the two of you will work. They might tell you how they will be with you every step of the way.

This might be true, but feedback from actual employees would point to this being the outlier.

You can mitigate some of this risk by asking for specific questions about your on-boarding.

Can you tell me what my first day will look like?
Will I be assigned someone to train with?
What does the training look like?

If the interviewer is vague about answering these questions and can only offer generic platitudes, rest assured that you will be on your own from the start.

Seek Feedback Elsewhere

A candidate and an interviewer will only share so much. Both typically shine a light on the positives.

Your interviewer will check references on you, both from names you provide and others that they dig up personally. If this is part of their diligence, why can’t you do the same?

Websites like Glassdoor can offer a general glimpse into how people feel in the company, but be careful in putting too much weight on the surveys you find here.

The best performing and happiest people in a company don’t have time to sign up for an account and offer a raving review. They are busy making money. You’ll likely just get the unhappy opinions if this is where you stop.

Check some references of your own. If you are applying for an engineering position in a specific office, run a search on LinkedIn with that location and position.

You are bound to find current or former employees who worked in that role and most will be happy to offer five minutes of feedback. You can learn more from a short conversation with someone in the role than in the rest of the interview process combined.

Remember that both parties need to thoroughly vet the other in the interview process. Don’t focus all of your attention on selling your strengths and experience without investigating whether the role is one that fits what you are looking for.

To follow Ian’s writing, connect at 5on4 Group.

Forbes.com | January 24, 2020 | Ian Mathews

Got Kids?: What You Need to Get Hired in 2020. (i.e. Job Trends)

January 23, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Welcome to 2020, a new year and a brand new decade offering you the perfect opportunity to find the job of your dreams. 2020 follows a year that brought us an unemployment rate at a record 50-year low of 3.7 percent. This is an excellent time to find the job of your dreams, as long as you know where to look for the jobs. Currently, the recruiting industry, like many industries, is facing a war for talent.

As a leader of a company that recruits for 150+ clients including numerous Fortune 500 companies and many government agencies across the country, I see trends evolving that will affect a job search. There are many jobs available, but not enough candidates skilled to fill these jobs. Before we get into the skills needed to acquire these hot jobs, it’s important to recognize the cultural shifts occurring in the world of work. If you’re aware of these trends they can guide you in your job search.

Knowledge Work Rules

First off, the U.S. is continuing the long-term trend towards being a knowledge worker-based economy. Compounded with the important push to increase women and people of color in STEM-driven industries and roles, many companies are beginning to normalize remote work and flexible schedules. This allows companies to be based anywhere, opening up the pool of talent. If you don’t live near Silicon Valley, Seattle, or New York, you may still be able to work for a startup or Big Tech company, if you have the skills they are seeking.

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Automation Creates New Opportunities

As technological innovations such as Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and robotics continue to mature, we’ll see major changes across the board in all industries. Automation is set to shift work away from rote tasks that can be completed efficiently via AI. In automation’s wake, new positions will emerge that co-exist and support AI.

Strong Workplace Culture is an Attractor

In addition to this major driving force of change, there is a continued increase in strong workplace culture as a requirement for workers and job seekers alike. Companies that do not create a diverse and inclusive workplace will be at a loss, as a strong workplace culture is linked to talent attraction, innovation, and better productivity. When seeking a job, target companies that you have researched to be certain their culture aligns with your values.

Contingent Work Opportunities in 2020

Contingent work offers many benefits that align with the trends listed above. Contingent work is flexible, skills-focused, and offers opportunities that may allow workers to get their foot in the door in any industry. Contingent recruiting firms provide all types of jobs to their clients, including business and professional services, light and heavy industrial, healthcare, and IT roles. There are numerous opportunities available to work for top companies. Many clients are known to provide formalized training to contingent workers, enabling upskilling necessary to stay ahead in the workforce. Contingent work also offers job opportunities for those with expert- or advanced-level niche work experience, especially in the IT and professional services sectors. Since hiring is based predominately on skills, Contingent positions are normally not plagued by a gender gap, ageism, or other problematic issues.

As a company that hires 10,000 Contingent workers every year, we see popular jobs such as:

These roles require numerous skills, but these top skills are the ones that are the most sought after:

People skills/EQ: Candidates with good people skills are very marketable. The ability to communicate effectively, be adaptable, have empathy for others, be creative, and have a deep understanding of human behavior sets you apart from the crowd. Our clients often go out of their way to retain candidates with good people skills.
Program and Project Management skills: Candidates who have these are effective leaders. They understand risk and cost management, are great communicators, have knowledge of Salesforce CRM, Agile, are tech-savvy, and critical thinkers.
Data Analysis skills: Candidates who have programming languages such as SQL, R or Python specific to the position, the ability to mine and visualize data, critical thinking and reasoning abilities, and expert mathematical abilities are in demand. The next level of data analysis will require predictive modeling and machine learning knowledge, so those interested in applying for data science positions should consider upskilling for marketability.
Cloud computing skills: Many positions such as software and DevOps engineers, back-end developers, systems administrators, and Data Scientists will increasingly require cloud skills as this job market continues to expand. There are numerous opportunities in SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS. Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, and Google Cloud are top cloud providers currently.
Programming Languages and Operating Systems skills: Knowledge of languages such as SQL, Java, JavaScript, Python, .NET, C#, HTML, and CSS is critical for a number of IT positions. Experience with Linux and Unix is also in demand.

The 2020s are set to bring numerous advancements by way of technology. The contingent and gig workforces will both become more mainstream, as an increasing number of workers opt for flexibility. AI will require full-time traditional workers to upskill their knowledge and become adaptable to rapid changes. For those seeking to become more flexible, or to have the option to work for a variety of companies instead of limiting themselves to only one, contingent work is a great option that can lead you to the career of your dreams.

Author: Sue Bhatia founded Rose International, the 24^th largest IT staffing company in the U.S. Headquartered in St. Louis, MO, Rose International employs thousands of people in all 50 states, and has offices and service delivery centers in 20+ U.S. cities and India.

GlassDoor.com | January 21, 2020

7 Mistakes that can Derail a Promising Job Interview.

January 23, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Applying for your next big career opportunity requires a lot of work. You need to reach out to your network, arrange informational meetings, talk to recruiters, submit résumés, prepare talking points, and ace the preliminary interview.

Beware of the following seven things that can derail your interview at this all-too-critical stage of the game:

1. NOT LOOKING THE PART

Your appearance makes a huge difference—that is the conclusion of a recent study by JDP, a consumer reporting agency specializing in background screening. The majority of respondents said they worry that some aspect of their dress will cost them the job.

Here’s my advice: Research the way people dress in that company, and dress a cut above that. A job interview is a formal event, so dress as you would if you were making a client presentation in that firm, or having a meeting with senior management. In many instances that means wearing a suit or jacket, and making sure your top and bottom coordinate.

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2. GOING OFF MESSAGE

Straying from your message in a job interview can be dangerous if it makes you sound unfocused. Make sure to bring every answer back to why you are a highly desirable candidate.

If asked about your former boss, for example, show how he mentored you in ways that make you ready for this new assignment. If you’re asked about a time when you failed at something, tie that back to lessons learned that will help you in your new role. If you are asked about volunteer work you’ve done, show how it reflects the values you bring to the company. Reinforcing the same message over and over again may feel repetitive to you, but it will make you sound focused to the interviewer.

3. GETTING INTO YOUR PERSONAL LIFE

You’ll come to the interview prepped with key messages, but if the discussion moves into personal topics, gracefully shift back to your core arguments.

Some interviewers will quiz you about your personal life. According to the JDP study, more than half of job candidates (59%) are asked about their personal life, and 37% of women are queried about their plans for children, despite the fact that this is illegal. Interview questions about parental or marital status—as well as race, religion, sexual orientation, age, or disability—are not permissible under Federal Equal Employment Opportunity laws.

That doesn’t always stop interviewers from asking. When I was 37, I interviewed for a speech writing job. The CEO for whom I’d be writing said out of the blue, “Well, at your age thankfully you won’t be having any more children.” I remained silent, passed up the job, and had a child at age 44.

Besides being inappropriate, these personal questions can derail you from your professional pitch. You can get caught up in “well, I’m not sure,” or “my partner and I are just starting out, we don’t know if we want children,” and before you know it, you’re sharing more than you like. If you feel any topic raised is out of line, return to the points that will help you get the job.

4. BECOMING RATTLED BY A QUESTION

Questions can fly at you from all directions, and it’s important that you not get rattled. Take time to answer each question, and prepare as fully as you can.

For example, suppose you’re asked about a recent project you led, and you freeze, unable to think of an answer. Don’t start babbling, which is what we often do when we’re nervous. Instead, pause, think it through, and provide a thoughtful answer. You’ll look more confident because you’re not afraid to take a moment to collect yourself.

More broadly, prepare answers to as many questions as possible. By spending time in advance thinking through the tough questions, you’ll ace them when they come to you.

5. GETTING TOO CHUMMY

If you’re lucky enough to bond with the interviewer, be wary of becoming too familiar with that person.

Let’s say she compliments you on your shoes or your shirt, and suddenly you feel the two of you are friends. This might lead to your tone becoming less grounded and your words becoming less polished and more akin to the language you use in everyday chats with friends.

You might even disclose things that are better left unsaid, such as, “You know, this interview process has been awfully long, and I’m glad we’re at the end of it.” While it’s good to develop a friendly rapport, stay on a professional footing.

6. LOSING YOUR CONFIDENCE

In the interview, there may be moments that surprise you or unnerve you, but that’s when it’s most important to remain confident.

The interviewer may disclose, for example, that there are nine other candidates being interviewed, when you thought you had been short-listed. Avoid dropping your eyes, showing disappointment in your face, or slouching in a body position that shows you’re disheartened.

Instead, sit tall, make direct eye contact, keep your arms open, and keep a receptive expression on your face.

7. NOT CLOSING

As the interview winds down, reaffirm your interest in the position and ask about next steps. Many candidates walk away from a job interview feeling confused about how they did, and what the future holds for them.

In affirming your interest in the position, you might say, “I was excited about this opportunity when I came in today, and I am even more excited now.”

Asking what the next steps are further reinforces your commitment. It also can elicit from the interviewer some sense of where you stand. If your future boss says, “I have enjoyed our discussion, and we’ll get back to you within a week,” that’s cause for believing it’s full steam ahead for you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

FastCompany.com | January 23, 2020

15 Interview Questions You Should Be Prepared to Answer.

January 22, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

No matter how many you go on, job interviews can always be nerve-wracking. You put on your nicest clothes, print out your resume, and remind yourself to smile real big–and just when you think everything is going well, the interviewer hits you with a curveball question you aren’t prepared for.

Luckily, you’re not going to let that happen again and you’re planning ahead to ace this month’s interview. The best way to for anything is to do your research ahead of time–which is why we’re here to help.

If you’re preparing for a big interview in the New Year, prepping beforehand with these 15 interview questions will help you get one step closer to that dream job.

1. Tell me about yourself?

Most interviews start with this question and how you answer it will make your first impression. If you stumble over the answer and aren’t quite sure what to say–you’re lack of confidence in yourself is showing. If you start listing all your greatest accomplishments and talk too much, your ego might look a little too big. You need to find a good balance between being confident, but not pretentious.

The best way to prepare for this question is to prepare an elevator pitch about who you are. Skip your personal history and give about 2-3 sentences about your career path and how you ended up in this interview, applying for this job. You don’t need to be too detailed, there are plenty of more questions coming. You just want to leave enough curiosity that the interview becomes excited to learn more about you throughout the interview.

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2. Why do you want to work for [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][insert company name]?

When a hiring manager asks this question, not only do they want to know why you want to work for them, but they also want to know what you know about the company. This question tests how well you know what the company does and how passionate you are about the work they do–so make sure you know the company well and can speak truthfully about your desires to work there.

3. How did you hear about this job?

When asked this during an interview, don’t just say you heard about the job on a website. This is your opportunity to go into more detail about why you love this company and what motivates you to want to work there. Moreover, if you have a personal connection at the company, this would be a good time to mention their name!

4. Tell me about something on your resume.

Everyone has something on their resume that they’re really proud of. Whether it’s a skill or achievement you’ve listed or a specific place you worked, considering answering this question with the most interesting thing on your resume. Plus, don’t just say something relevant to your most recent position–you’re already going to be asked about that. Instead, think back to one of the older positions listed on your resume and talk about how that job helped you grow into the person you are today.

5. Why are you looking for a job? Or, why are you looking for a different job?

This question might seem innocuous, but this is how interviewers weed out the people who are either a) just looking for any job b) were fired from their last position or c) might have a high turnover rate, meaning you won’t be sticking around for too long. Focus on the positives and be specific. Think about why you are looking for a job: did you just graduate and this will be your first real job? Are you switching career paths? Are you leaving a current job for this one?

If you are currently working somewhere, you should also be prepared to answer, “why do you want to leave your current job for this one?”

6. Why should we hire you?

When asked this question, keep in mind that the recruiter is looking to hear what skills you have that you’re going to bring to the team. Don’t give a vague answer, such as, “I’m friendly and a hard worker.” Instead, be specific, summarize your work history and achievements, and use numbers when possible.

For example, say how many years of experience you have or name some of the accomplishments you made at your last company. The more specific you can be about what your skills are and how valuable of an employee you are, the better the interviewer will be able to picture you working there.

7. Where do you see yourself in five years?

This can seem like a heavy question during an interview, especially when you haven’t prepared for it ahead of time. Keep in mind that you’re in an interview setting–so you don’t need to go into all the details about what your personal life goals are for the next five years. Focus on your career goals and be realistic.

If you plan to work at this company for five years, make sure you understand who would be working above you and what potential career growth there is. The hiring manager asks this question to find out if you set realistic goals, if you are ambitious, and to confirm that the position you are interviewing for aligns with these goals and growth.

If this position isn’t exactly a job with a lot of future opportunities, you can simply answer this by noting that you are not certain what your future is going to look like, but that you believe this position is going to help you navigate yourself in the right direction.

8. Tell me about a conflict you faced at work and how you dealt with it.

This question is important to ace because it helps an interviewer understand how you deal with conflict. It also helps test how well you think on your feet–so if you prepare ahead of time with a specific example, you’ll avoid the awkward moment of silence while you try to think of an example.

Once you have an example in mind, simply explain what happened, how you resolved the issue in a professional manner, and try to end the story with a happy note about how you reached a resolution or compromise with your co-worker.

9. What is your dream job?

Similar to the “where do you see yourself in five years” question, the interviewer is looking to understand how realistic you are when setting goals, how ambitious you are, and whether or not the job and company will be a good place for you to grow.

Again, try to set aside your personal goals (don’t say your dream job is to be paid to take Instagram photos) and focus on your career goals. Think about how this job is going to set you up for the future and get you closer to your dream job. But, don’t be that person who says, “to be CEO of this company.”

10. What do you expect out of your team/co-workers?

This question is meant to understand how you work on a team and whether you will be the right cultural fit for the company. To prepare for this answer, make sure you research the company ahead of time. You can always tell a little bit about what a company’s culture is like by looking through their social media profiles or reading their reviews on Glassdoor.

11. What do you expect from your manager?

Again, the hiring manager is looking to understand what kind of employee you would be and whether you will be a good fit to add to their team. In some interviews, your future manager might be interviewing you. Answer this question as honestly as possible and pull examples from your current manager if you can show how they positively help you work better.

12. How do you deal with stress?

Answering this question will help hiring managers identify any potential red flags you might have. You want to show that you can handle stress in a professional and positive manner that helps you continue working or won’t stop you from accomplishing your goals. Moreover, be specific and explain what you actually do to deal with stress–like taking a 15-minute break to take a walk outside, or crossing items off on a to-do list, etc.

13. What would the first 30 days in this position look like for you?

This question helps a company understand what you will get done in your first month, to three months in the position–and how you answer it will signal whether or not you’re the right person for the job. Start by mentioning what information you would need to get started and what would help you transition into the new role. Then focus on your best skills and how you would apply those to this position right away.

14. What are your salary requirements?

Some interviewers ask this question, others don’t. It’s always better to be prepared, especially because you want to make sure you would be paid a fair wage for the value you are going to add. That’s why we built our Know Your Worth tool–to help you determine what you should be paid.

Note: While employers can ask what your salary expectations are, in certain places it is illegal for them to ask what your previous salary was.

15. Do you have any questions?

The last question you will always be asked during an interview is whether or not you have any questions for the interviewer. This is your chance to really stand out–so don’t blow it by saying you don’t, or that your questions have already been answered. Even if you don’t have any questions–there’s always a question you can ask at the end of an interview.

Keep a list of at least three to five questions in the back of your mind so that no matter what, there are at least two questions you have to ask at the end of the interview. Recruiters say that actually enjoy getting to answer some questions at the end of an interview–they did just listen to you talk about themselves, so ask about them for a change. Once this part is over, you can rest easy and walk out of the interview knowing you aced it!

GlassDoor.com | January 21, 2020 | Posted by Isabel Thottam

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Why Honesty Might Not Always Be the Best Policy at Work. Your Thoughts?

January 22, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

The 24/7 news cycle, chants of “fake news,” and the spread of disinformation on social media had writer Judi Ketteler worried about the state of honesty in the world. Did it matter anymore? Then, came an interaction with a doctor she was interviewing for a project. He stated that his hospital did more of a particular procedure than any other in the region.

That exchange set Ketteler off on an exploration of honesty that she captures in her new book, Would I Lie To You? The Amazing Power of Being Honest in a World that Lies. In it, Ketteler shares some important insights about honestly, as well as distinctions between being honest and sharing the unvarnished truth under any circumstances, regardless of the consequences.

While honesty is a highly valued trait in leaders, it’s usually not just one set of facts delivered without regard for the context or consequences, Ketteler says. In fact, that approach can backfire. “I have friends that I rely on to be brutally honest with me and vice versa. And it works, right? But most of the time in the workplace, I’m going to guess that that’s not a very good approach,” she says.

Being aware of the situation, timing, and individual can help you decide the ground rules for your honest evaluation and feedback. Here are some things that you should think about before you give “brutally honest” feedback in the workplace.

TIME THE RESPONSE WELL

Let’s say an employee just gave a big presentation to the group and didn’t exactly nail it. You may have negative criticism to relay. However, now you have a decision to make: Is it best to share it immediately in front of the group or wait and share the feedback in private?

If you have a culture where sharing honest feedback in front of a room full of people is expected and encouraged, engaging in constructive criticism of the presentation may be the best way to be honest. However, if the individual is going to be humiliated after being criticized in front of a room full of peers or colleagues, you may ultimately undermine your relationship with them.

“We get very impatient with our honesty sometimes, instead of realizing there’s more than one chance and there can be a better way to facilitate something that isn’t going to demoralize,” Ketteler says.

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KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Different people respond well to different types of feedback. A good manager communicates with team members to understand how they like to receive feedback and what helps them best. Some may prefer a short, just-the-facts evaluation while others may want to have longer conversations that include advice about how to improve. Both are honest, but delivering in the way that is most helpful for the employee is going to build a stronger relationship—and, likely, a more skilled employee.

“What happens in the workplace a lot of times is that people don’t really communicate very well with each other about what they need from each other,” she says. Understanding how to frame your feedback is important, too.

BE COMPASSIONATE—TO A POINT

Ketteler says that kindness and compassion can help take the sting out of criticism or negative exchanges. However, you also need to be mindful that being kind or preserving the other person’s feelings doesn’t get in the way of delivering the information the other person needs to hear.

In one study she cites in her book, groups of people evaluated poorly written essays. Some were told a sad story about the writer’s background. Those who felt compassion for the writer tended to inflate the quality of the essay. While that may have made them feel like they were protecting the writer from being hurt over negative criticism, the result was that the writer didn’t get the feedback necessary to make the essay better and improve their skills overall.

“You don’t want to be honest because you don’t want to cause any more harm, but really withholding something that would be helpful for them to know is doing them more harm,” she says.

CONSIDER THE OUTCOME YOU WANT

Sharing negative or hurtful feedback when there’s a reason to do so is one thing. But, before you do, consider the outcome you’re trying to achieve. Will it help the person become better at the job? Or does it not really matter?

As Shelley Osborne wrote in Fast Company in April 2019, “feedback focused solely on shortcomings isn’t effective. But I don’t think that the problem is feedback itself, but the way that managers frame and deliver it.”

Think about whether your employee will truly benefit from knowing everything they did wrong, Ketteler says. “That winds up demoralizing people far more than it helps,” she says.

FastCompany.com | January 22, 2020