Posts

#JobSearch : How to Show Your Soft Skills During an Interview. What can Distinguish you More than Anything are the Soft Skills you Possess.

/in /by

Many professionals get caught up in trying to make their hard skills and expertise sound good, and forget to highlight the soft skills they have. When you’re talking about high-level executive positions, every candidate will have similar hard skills on their resumes and cover letters. What can distinguish you more than anything are the soft skills you possess, since those are unique to every individual.

Here are some tips for demonstrating these soft skills in an interview, even when you aren’t specifically asked about them. 

Important Soft Skills That Translate To Any Job

According to a recent Forbes article, the most sought after soft skills as a result of the global pandemic include:

  • Communication
  • Adaptability
  • Intrapreneurship
  • Leadership
  • Teamwork
  • Organization
  • Creativity

Of course, there are plenty other skills you could have, but these are some of the main ones that translate to any given job. Some of these skills may not fit naturally into your resume, but you can include them in your LinkedIn profile and you definitely need to mention them in your interview. 

Like this Article?  Share It!    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

Demonstrate How Your Soft Skills Have Worked Previously

You’re going to be asked mostly about your knowledge and expertise in an interview. But if you really think about it, you likely used a mix of your soft skills in order to earn the knowledge you have today. Consider a particular aspect of a previous job you were an expert at. You may have become an expert at it because of repetition, but you also likely had to use critical thinking, innovative thinking, problem solving and more to achieve the result. Demonstrating these soft skills allows an interviewer to really see how your mind works, which is extremely beneficial when the outcome of the project you’re describing was successful. 

Relate Soft Skills to the Job Description

Every good executive resume service will tell you to tie your soft skills in with the job description when writing a resume. It’s also important to remember the aspects of the job description when talking about your soft skills in the interview as well. You can talk specifically about a project at your previous job, but be clear about how your skills can translate to the job you’re interviewing for. Don’t make the interviewer try to piece this together themselves, since they could miss out on a key point you’re trying to make.

Your job at the interview is show why you are the best candidate for the position. Don’t make the hiring manager connect the dots between your achievements and your skills. Talk about the openly and clearly, showing yourself as the ideal fit.

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Ms. Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog |  June 4, 2020

#CareerAdvice : #JobInterview -Two(2) Ways to Learn the Unspoken Rules at a Company Before Accepting a Job. A #MustRead !

/in /by

When you’re interviewing for a new job, you probably want to know what it’s really like to work there. But most interview advice misses the mark when it comes to culture. How do you figure out the unspoken rules about company culture and communication before you take the job?

Unfortunately, you can’t simply ask directly. Companies often give lip service to values such as openness, honesty, integrity, and work-life balance, so it’s rare that your interviewer will come right out and contradict those.

A company’s culture is determined by what the organization actually respects, which can often vary from theory to practice. We’re all prone to self-deception.

To see the culture clearly, you’ll need to look past the words and focus on actions that show its respect for employees’ time, environment, thoughts, contributions, and effort.

CONDUCT A VISUAL INTERVIEW

When visiting a company, before you get to the actual talking part, do a visual interview. In 2019, the employee experience is a good indicator of how a company feels about its employees’ well-being.

When you visit the office, notice what are people wearing. Is the dress code t-shirt and shorts? Button-down and jeans? Are flip-flops optional? The spectrum of office formality to casualness provides your first clue as to how a company treats itself.

Take into account how much space, light, and quiet is each employee provided. If you find it crushing to work in a status-driven hierarchical environment where the corner office is the grand prize, pay attention accordingly. Or if the tumult of an open-floor plan feels like chaos instead of a productive workspace to you, choose wisely.

When they ask if you’d like a coffee or water, take them up on it, and get it yourself. This gives you an opportunity to visit the cafe or pantry. Notice whether it’s large and well-stocked, with a wide variety available or messy and tiny. Are they scrimping on supplies and offerings? Or is it a Google-esque cornucopia of snacks, drinks, and menu options? Great generals quip that “an army marches on its stomach.” Does your future employer agree?

Similarly, I’ve heard that a trip to the bathroom is the most revealing way to find out how a company feels about its employees. Because the bathroom is invisible to the outside world but something employees use every day, investments here show a conscious effort to improve the daily routine.

If the bathrooms are dingy, dimly lit, depressing dungeons that have not been painted since the 1970s, how discretionary is employee happiness to this company when nature calls? A clean, well-stocked, and well-maintained lavatory says the organization cares.

These visual cues give a glimpse into a company’s culture as it is actually practiced. You can’t read too much into them, of course, but they provide clues.

Like this Article ?  Share It !You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing  Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

FSC LinkedIn Network:   www.linkedin.com/in/fscnetwork

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & type job search, resume,networking) in Blog Search: https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Continue of article:

ASK THESE FOUR CRUCIAL QUESTIONS

Meeting practices, office communications, and the sanctity of days off are the biggest tip-offs to a company’s hidden culture. So after your visual interviews, ask questions face to face with your interviewers to reveal what the company values in these areas.

Some companies prefer inclusion and consensus while others value efficiency and rapid decision-making. You might ask, “Are meetings inclusive, with a dozen people or more, or limited to five or six decision-makers?” Big meetings mean no hurt feelings but no speed either. Smaller, sparser meetings mean streamlined agendas, but you might not always be included.

Asking them to discuss a time when negative employee feedback on a decision caused it to change at the company can be eye-opening. Some companies are hierarchical and simply don’t work that way, while others are immensely receptive to employee feedback. Neither’s right, but one may be more right for you.

You might also ask, “What is the rhythm to the work here? Is there a time of year when it’s all hands on deck and we’re pulling all-nighters, or is it pretty consistent throughout the year?” If your interviewer lets you know it’s all-nighters all year, that’s a different culture than a 9-5 office environment. You could continue with, “How about during the week or month? Is the work pretty evenly spread throughout the week or month or are there crunch days?” A performance-driven company will let you know it values outcomes over an easy schedule, and vice versa.

Company culture regarding emails and Slack are especially important in our always-online world. You might ask, “How do you handle the flood of emails and Slacks at your company? What works for you?” Some workplaces expect round-the-clock surveillance of your device and instant replies. Others are much more comfortable with “do not disturb” and waiting until the morning.

In all of these conversations, a pleasant, open, nonconfrontational tone is best, regardless of what works best for you. You’re there to learn about their culture, not judge it. Open eyes, open ears, and open-ended questions are the best way to find a company’s hidden culture before you start.

Author: Marc Cenedella is the founder of Ladders Inc. He has been writing on careers for 20 years at Ladders careers site, where you can sign up for his weekly newsletter.

 

FastCompany.com | October 9, 2019