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#JobSearch : Do This One Thing To Ace Job Interviews And Get Hired. Got Interview? MUst REad!

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When preparing for a job interview, candidates often equip themselves with an arsenal of qualifications and rehearsed answers to standard interview questions. They do their prep, gather their career marketing materials, and get all their facts straight and ready to respond to hiring managers’ questions. Those are important activities that can help you make it to the next step in the hiring process. There’s one thing, though, that you can do in addition, that will help tip the scale in favor of you over other candidates: connect emotionally.

Although hiring managers will tell you all the logical reasons they made a decision on who to bring in to fill their open position, humans make decisions based on emotion. The amygdala, the part of your brain that processes emotions, activates first during decision-making. The rational elements of decision-making follow that initial emotional response.

Making emotional connections in a job interview can set you apart from other candidates by creating a memorable impression and demonstrating your command of important social skills. Here are 13 ways you can establish that connection:

1. Research. Dive into the digital footprints of your interviewers. Scour Google and LinkedIn to glean insights into their professional journey and personal interests.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You Have to be ‘Sharpened‘?

 

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Article continued …

2. Relate. Review the results of your research to find commonalities or points of interest that you can relate to during the conversation. Perhaps you both went to the same college, or you both follow Oprah on LinkedIn.

3. Listen. Be present and listen intently during the interview. Show that you are fully engaged by nodding, maintaining eye contact, and reacting appropriately to what the interviewer says. This attentiveness is the language of respect.

4. Tell Stories. Facts inform, but stories resonate. Share anecdotes that illustrate your experiences, especially those that demonstrate empathy, teamwork, and passion. Be sure to combine facts and stats with a big helping of emotion.

5. Express Enthusiasm. Let your genuine excitement for the role and the company’s vision and mission radiate. A warm, earnest smile can be the spark that lights up the room, or, in virtual interviews, the Zoom screen.

6. Use the Interviewer’s Name. People love the sound of their own name. Use the interviewer’s name naturally during the conversation to create a more personal rapport.

7. Mirror Body Language. Words account for only 7% of a communication; the rest is made up of body language, tone of voice. Use your body language to signal agreement and establish rapport—just tread the fine line between mimicry and mirroring with care.

8. Be Authentic. Authenticity is the foundation of your personal brand. It fosters trust. Be honest about your experiences and feelings.

9. Show Empathy. When the opportunity arises, show that you can understand and share the feelings of others. This could be responding thoughtfully to something the interviewer has said about the company or the team. For instance, offering a copy of your resume when the interviewer cannot find hers is a small yet impactful act of empathy.

10. Find the Emotional Why. Try to find a deeper emotional connection to the work and share a personal narrative related to the company’s mission. For example, if you’re applying to a healthcare company, you might talk about a personal experience that makes their healthcare mission meaningful to you.

11. Exude Positivity and Gratitude. Convey a positive attitude throughout the interview, and express gratitude for the interviewer’s time and consideration. Avoid being Doug or Debbie Downer and casting blame or expressing negativity.

12. Ask Meaningful Questions. Pose questions that reflect your deep dive into the company’s ethos and signal a genuine interest in the interviewer’s perspective. Show that you respect the interviewer’s opinions and perspective.

13. Reinforce the Emotional Connection. Post-interview, take a moment to reflect on the peak of your emotional engagement. Use that moment as a core message or theme for a personalized thank-you note that rekindles the shared connection.

Applying these strategies with thoughtfulness and sincerity can elevate you from a mere candidate to an unforgettable prospect. It’s this emotional resonance that often tips the scales and transforms a prospect into a successful hire.

Forbes.com | January 7, 2023 | William Arruda

 

#JobSearch : In A Competitive Job Market, Here’s How To Win The Interview. White-Collar Positions are Tougher & a Lot More Competitive Today.

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The job market has become tougher and more competitive for white-collar professionals. On a nearly daily basis, companies have announced significant layoffs. Since more people are hunting for jobs, the competition becomes more intense.

For those who’ve been laid off, the job search is more difficult. When you have a job, there isn’t as much pressure. If you don’t get the offer, you still have a job, even if you don’t love it. A person who is in between roles doesn’t have that luxury. With high inflation and everyday costs rising, being without a job causes stress and anxiety over the family’s financial situation.

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

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, Llc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, the UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of our corporate partners for the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment!

 

Article continued …

You Want To Be A Problem Solver

The goal is to help improve the work-life of your new boss. Before launching into your elevator pitch, ask the hiring manager, interviewers, human resources personnel and others involved with the interview process questions, such as, “With all the applicants for this role, why did you select me for an interview?”

The rationale behind this question is to elicit a response from the hiring manager to discuss in detail why they selected you and what they need help with. The interviewer will look for reasons why you were chosen. They’ll articulate all the positive things you have that are critical to the job.

The follow-up question should be, “What are the top pressure points I can help you with?” The interviewer will lay out all the problems that must be addressed by asking this seemingly innocuous question. With a little probing, you’ll learn about an array of issues weighing them down and needing to be immediately fixed.

Armed with these insights, you can then specifically tailor your pitch. Since you now have a good grasp of what is mission-critical to succeeding in the role, you can clearly and concisely share how your skills, responsibilities and talents are perfectly aligned with tackling the pain points.

Likability Counts

Throughout the interview process, you want to come across as friendly, helpful, a team player and someone who will add value to the team and company. Let them know that you appreciate the opportunity and will do everything within your power to help make a positive impact, while also being easy to work with.

Most interviewees believe having an Ivy-League pedigree or coming from a marquee brand company is sufficient to get the job offer. Certainly, having a top academic background and working at premiere companies help. However, the manager is only human and wants someone easy to get along with.

The new employee could become a liability if they hire a rockstar jerk. The person could be pompous, arrogant and rub co-workers the wrong way. This will impact the boss. Senior-level managers and staff will question the manager’s hiring decisions and blame the person for making a mistake in bringing this person aboard.

Now Is Not The Time To Play Games

There’s no reason to play “hard to get.” The job market for college-educated office workers is too intense for playing games. Since many candidates will be competing against you, stand out by letting the supervisor, hiring manager and human resources professional know that you want the job. Explicitly tell them, “I love the opportunity and enjoyed meeting with everyone. I’m all-in with your corporate mission and would love to accept the job, if it is offered to me.”

Don’t Forget The Niceties

One of the best ways to stand out is to be friendly, polite and accommodating. Set up convenient interview times for the hiring personnel, and thank them for the invitation to interview. Thoroughly research the company, the job description, its people, management, finances, products and services and reputation relative to competitors. The goal is to arrive at the interview with a lot of knowledge about the organization, which everyone will notice and respect you for it.

What To Do At The End Of The Interview

As the interview winds down, ask the hiring manager, “Is there anything else that you’d like to know about me? Am I the right fit for the role?”

The first inquiry can flesh out any lingering questions the interviewer has or forgot to ask. You can also tell by the tone of the person’s response how well you did. If the answer is short and curt, it’s not a good sign. The latter inquiry will draw out the real thoughts of the manager, as they’re put on the spot.

It’s a bold call to make this ask.The interviewer could say, “You are great for the job. We’ll have you back for a follow-up interview.” If the person is hesitant or offers reasons why you may not be selected to move forward, it gives you one last chance to address the concerns and launch into one last pitch, extolling all the reasons why you’re right for the role and will add value, if hired.

Forbes.com | March 3, 2023

#JobSearch : Former Co-Workers Could Be Sabotaging Your Interview. You can Get Sabotaged When Applying for a New Job. A MUst REad!

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You can get sabotaged when applying for a new job. There have been many instances when a job hunter with all the right skill sets and experiences was knocked out of contention due to disparaging comments made by former employees.

Recruiters refer to this as a “back-door” reference. On an unofficial basis, behind the scenes and without the candidate’s knowledge, former colleagues get wind that a person is interviewing and go out of their way to deliver unflattering opinions about the person to people at the new company.

 

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

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

Article continued …

Now, human resources, the hiring manager or other executives at the company are placed in an awkward position. They’ve received an unsolicited negative reference citing issues of the person not being a team player; they botched a big deal; are difficult to work with or some other action that raises red flags.

Armed with this knowledge, they have a couple of choices. If the applicant has impeccable credentials and is a perfect fit for the role, the company may want to bring up the negative reviews during the interview process. It would make for an uncomfortable conversation and blindside the applicant. However, raising the topic would allow the interviewee to offer their side of the story.

Some managers may elect to halt the interviewing process, offering vague comments to the candidate that they are going in a different direction, placing the role on pause or have already isolated a person for the job. This action signals that the managers lack confidence in themselves.

They could continue the process, which for mid to senior-level white-collar professionals, may mean three to six-plus interviews with several people conducted over about three months. After the culmination of the process, they’d possess sufficient information to render an intelligent decision, including the damaging unsolicited performance review. On the condition of extending an offer, the firm could require the candidate to submit references from their last two or three employers. The responses may be in complete contradiction to the allegations levied against the person.

This happened more frequently pre-pandemic when interviewing was nearly 100% in person. You need to be prepared. As companies pivot toward hybridization and workers back in the office, the pattern will start again. Staff will deduce you’re there for an interview, sizing up your new wardrobe and haircut. You could be that person walking into the building and navigating the hallways into the meeting rooms when a former co-worker recognizes you.

Some People Just Can’t Let Go Of Past Grudges

An empathetic person would make a mental note to say something positive about the candidate to help their chances of getting hired. Managers and human resources place credence on internal referrals. They feel more comfortable hiring someone well-known and highly regarded by a currently valued worker.

Unfortunately, there will always be people who harbor past grudges and can’t let go of prior arguments and disagreements. Some may feel that the person got a promotion, but believe they richly deserved it. There may have been some long-standing rivalry or they just disliked the person.

Try To Work And Play Well With Others

You don’t always have to be a people-pleaser, but try to get along and make friends and allies instead of enemies. It’s essential to be honest and trustworthy and deliver on your promises. Be respectful to your boss, co-workers and staff. Burnish a reputation above reproach that will follow you to the next job. Remain humble in your victories, and don’t blame others when you fail to achieve your objectives. Avoid talking badly about co-workers behind their backs. Praise and applaud your colleagues when they do well. The advice is both helpful for excelling in your career and minimizing the number of haters who are wishing for your downfall.

The Broken Recommendation Process

Recommendations from former employers are mostly a farce. Nearly all businesses ask for one to three or more references when applying and interviewing for a new job. This is one of the many standard practices that don’t make sense, but continue to happen out of habit.

The reality is that the applicant will seek out only those professionals who will say positive, flattering and overly kind things about them. It’s an open secret that everyone helps each other out in this aspect of the job search. Few people would say anything negative when asked to submit a reference. If that happens, the candidate would cast it aside and choose another person to write a reference. The result is that the company receives questionable references that may not be wholly accurate and are tilted in favor of helping out a work friend. Nevertheless, employers pretend that the reference checks are legitimate, which checks off another box on the interviewing to-do list, and have some cover if the newly hired person turns out to be a dud.

 

Forbes.com | October 28, 2022

#BestofFSCBlog : Over 6K Reads! Interviewing In A Recession Will Be Tougher—Here Are Questions To Prepare For And What You Should Ask. It Will be Harder to Get a New Job. A MUst REad!

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It will be harder to get a new job. Record-high inflation, interest rates and costs, a likely recession and other economic and geopolitical matters led many companies to lay off workers, enact hiring freezes and rescind job offers. In this environment, pace yourself, as you might be in for a drawn-out interview process. Hiring, for many businesses, will seem like a luxury.

This mindset will make human resources and hiring managers closely scrutinize each candidate and hold them up to the highest standards. You will need to prepare for tough questions designed to weed out people. Here are a few questions HR loves to ask and how to effectively answer them to help get you through the hiring process with flying colors.

Show Your Genuine And Authentic Self

A hiring manager wants someone who they like. This runs contrary to what everyone has told you in the past. It’s essential to have all the right skills and background required in the job description; however, it’s all for naught if the interviewer doesn’t warm up to you and can’t envision working with you every day. Establishing a great first impression is the key to winning over an interviewer. You want to exude confidence, enthusiasm, motivation and humility.

This sounds trite, but be yourself. Most job applicants put on a serious demeanor and answer questions robotically, trying to sound professional. They are stiff, conservative and lack any display of humanity. It’s a big mistake. Don’t change your personality because that’s what you think the manager wants.

Let the hiring manager see the real you. The secret to interviewing is that the supervisor wants a person who can do the job, be easy to work with, can form a mutually beneficial relationship and enjoy each other’s company.

 

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

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

 

Article continued …

The ‘Could You Please Tell Me About Yourself?’ Question

Immediately, the interviewee starts talking about delivering newspapers as a kid, referencing some after-school jobs and meanders around talking about personal matters. That is the worst thing to do. The interviewer simply wants to find out about your relevant work experience. The cliché question is not well-structured.

The interviewer wants to be sold on how you can help them. They want an answer that makes them feel you have the right skills, talent, background, credentials and interpersonal and social skills to succeed in the position.

Consider the question: “Please tell me about your post-college work experiences, how it relates to the role and why you will succeed.” With this in mind, start with sharing your current job, responsibilities, daily tasks and share some examples of how you made an impact and added value. This is what they really want to know.

‘What Made You Want To Apply For This Specific Role?’ Question

Let’s be honest. Most job seekers have a “spray and pray” approach to their job search. They fire off résumés to hundreds of job listings, hoping that a few will stick. Human resources and experienced hiring managers are aware of this. Their antenna is raised to detect those who truly want to work for their company and have an affinity for the job at hand. They are not too happy about applicants who just want a job or are solely desirous of having a marquee brand-name company on their résumé.

The question is designed to flesh out the interviewee’s real reasons for applying to the job. We all know that sometimes people desperately need a job and are at the point that they’d accept anything to either get back into the job market, if they’re unemployed, or find a new role, if they hate where they are now and are feeling burned out.

When the job market tightens, getting approval to hire someone is not easy. Usually, there will be a need to get sign-offs from a number of higher-level executives who carefully scrutinize each headcount addition. In light of this scenario, you need to sell yourself as someone who loves the job and holds all the right criteria to do well at the new organization.

Revert to your elevator pitch. If you are unfamiliar with this concept, it’s derived from having the ability to pitch an idea or project to a person in the short time frame of riding together in an elevator for only a couple of minutes. If you haven’t practiced an elevator pitch, here’s what you need to do to address the question.

Provide a 30-second to roughly one-minute pitch of why you are perfect for the position. Presumably, you’ve already read the job listing and are aware of all the requirements. Offer your on-target skills, work history, responsibilities and other factors that address the job description’s demands. Hopefully, you’ve done due diligence on the firm, so you can add targeted reasons, in addition to your on-point background, why you are also attracted to the company and how your skills and interests are perfectly aligned with its corporate mission.

‘Do You Have Any Questions?’

This easy-sounding question gives job hunters a hard time. The question is typically standard in the hiring process. The interviewer is asking it to be polite and wants to ensure that you fully understand the role, its requirements and what to expect if the company decides to move forward with you.

Since most job seekers know this question will inevitably come up at the end of the conversation, they obsess about it throughout the entire interview. The candidate becomes more preoccupied with what to ask at the end of the meeting than being present in the moment and actively listening to the interviewer.

Here is an easy solution. Think of how you hold a conversation with family and friends. You don’t wait until the end to say something. You interject when you feel it’s appropriate. Don’t worry about waiting until the end of the discussion to ask your questions. Throughout the meeting, pose questions when you genuinely want to probe and learn more about what the just interviewer said.

The interviewer will appreciate that you are making inquiries. They’ll feel you are interested and desirous of learning more. By interjecting with questions, the hiring manager will gain a better sense of you as a person. What’s likely to happen is that the interview process will change from a robotic, question-and-answer format to a lively back-and-forth discussion, in which both parties will learn more about each other and start bonding.

At the end of the meeting, you no longer need to stress out. Feeling comfortable having engaged in a pleasant discussion, you could say, “Thank you! I appreciate all of your insights. You’ve done a great job addressing all my questions and concerns.” If unresolved issues are left, you can add, “I appreciated our conversation. I’m very excited about the opportunity. You’ve been so great in detailing what to expect if selected for the position. I just have one other question. Could you please elaborate on X? I’d really like to gain a better understanding of it.”

Uncomfortable Questions You Should Ask

In an environment characterized by layoffs and hiring freezes, it’s reasonable to feel concerned about switching jobs. You don’t want to be the person who is the last one hired and first one fired when things go awry. To protect yourself, while it will be awkward, you must ask tough questions of the interviewer and everyone else who is involved with the hiring process.

It’s only fair for you to dig into the organization’s financial situation. Does the company have plans for layoffs that were not yet publicly announced? Could the firm offer a contract that guarantees that you won’t be terminated, except if there is a transgression or violation of company rules?

You want to gain the temperature of the company. Is everyone feeling overworked and overwhelmed? It’s only fair to inquire about the safety of your base salary, bonus and stock options. The same holds true for the work style. You don’t want to accept a role only later to find out that the company is canceling the remote work option you signed up for, or enacting salary cuts and slashing bonuses and other benefits.

 

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Forbes.com | July 14, 2022

#JobSearch : You Need To Stop Using Fluffy Language When Answering Job Interview Questions. Like, “Could you tell about me a time when you received tough feedback at work?”

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A good interview question will generally ask you to recall a time when you did (or didn’t ) do something. It might sound like, “Could you tell about me a time when you received tough feedback at work?”

Now, not every interviewer asks good interview questions. For example, in the report “6 Words That Ruin Behavioral Interview Questions,” we learned that fewer than 20% of hiring managers could correctly identify major problems with their interview questions.

But assuming you’re interviewing with a well-trained hiring manager, you can expect to be asked questions beginning with the words, “Could you tell me about a time when…” or, “Tell me about a time when…”

How do you effectively answer that type of question? Simply put, use lots of specific details and avoid fluffy language.

 

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

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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’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

 

Article continued …

In the Leadership IQ study, Words That Cost You The Interview, poorly-rated candidates used 40% more adverbs in their answers (e.g., very, really, quickly) than highly-rated candidates. And poorly-rated candidates used 103% more absolute language (e.g., words like always, never, unquestionably) than their highly-rated peers.

Here are some examples of poorly-rated candidate responses to the question, “Could you tell about a time when you received tough feedback at work?”

  • “I can honestly say I’ve never really gotten tough feedback. But I don’t think tough feedback is always a negative thing. In fact, responding well to tough feedback can show that you are working hard and trying to be successful. But, my personal track record on getting tough feedback is pretty clean.”
  • “There are people who think they are always right and give you tough feedback even though they don’t really understand the issue. It can be frustrating when one is doing really superior work and still gets criticized. That’s why I always make sure to thoroughly understand a situation before I give feedback to anyone.”

Notice how those answers don’t offer any specifics? A well-trained interviewer can quickly see through fluffy responses like, “I can honestly say I’ve never really gotten tough feedback” and “I always make sure to thoroughly understand a situation before I give feedback to anyone.”

Those types of vague and unspecific responses tell a seasoned interviewer a few things. First, it may be that the candidate is lying. Have you ever met anyone that honestly has never received tough feedback at work? Of course not.

Second, it could be that the candidate believes that their clichéd answers sound sufficiently deep and thoughtful to impress a hiring manager. That’s a disturbing level of arrogance. Third, perhaps this is a candidate that is utterly lacking in self-awareness and truly hasn’t heard or internalized tough feedback.

The underlying causes of these fluffy answers don’t really matter; what’s important is that a competent hiring manager will not react well to these types of responses. A candidate who wants to impress a hiring manager will demonstrate a command of the details of their career history and forthrightly share specifics.

This doesn’t mean that a candidate should wallow in their failures. Share specifics about the tough feedback you received (or whatever the question asks) and then immediately share specifics about what you learned, how you grew, what steps you took next, etc. Good interviewers want details, and generic fluffy answers undermine their confidence that the candidate is honest and self-aware.

Forbes.com Author:  Mark Murphy  Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.

 

Forbes.com | May 23. 2022

#JobSearch : 3 Signs Hating Your Job Might Be Hurting Your Job Search. Is Hating your Job Might be Costing you Job Offers ?? Great REad!

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You might utterly dread going to work every morning despite having a decent job that looks good on paper. Or, even though you’re ready to land a new job somewhere else, you might hate your job some days, while other days aren’t so bad. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, hating your job might be hurting your job search and costing you job offers. 

             Hating your current job might be costing you job offers

Here’s how to know if your feelings about your current job are impacting your job search:

You can’t separate your skills from your experience.

When you’re unhappy at work, it’s easy to focus on everything that’s missing. Maybe your current company isn’t as up to speed on the latest technology as your previous companies. Maybe every new idea you suggest seems to fall flat because leadership likes doing things a certain way. Maybe your current team is known for starting but never finishing anything, and it makes you want to flip a table.

Still, while all of those things might be true, your dissatisfaction with your current job might be hindering your job search if you have a hard time seeing the skills you’ve gained and the results you’ve brought to the table in spite of your less than pleasant experience at work. You may not like how things have panned out, but if you’re an ambitious, driven high-achiever, then odds are you’ve found some way to make an impact and deliver great work. But, if you aren’t able to communicate that in your resume because of how much you hate your job, then it’s costing you job offers.

 

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

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

 

Article continued …

You don’t have high hopes for your next job

This can sometimes occur when you’ve been at the same company for so long you’ve forgotten better companies exist. It can also happen when you’ve worked at a string of companies that have repeatedly disappointed you. Either way, because companies have let you down, it can be tempting to assume that all companies are the same.

Of course, there are no perfect companies. Not to mention, there are plenty of companies that could care less about their employees. But, there are just as many companies that do care about their employees and that have healthy work environments their employees enjoy. However, if you let your poor experiences at past companies stop you from even trying to find a company that matches your values and career goals, then you’ll be stuck accepting opportunities that aren’t any better.

Your interview presence is giving it away.

By this point, you’ve likely heard of how unprofessional it is to speak ill of your current or previous companies, and you might do your best to not say anything negative about your current employer. Still, if you feel strongly about how much you hate your current job, your words might say otherwise, while your body language might show it.

On top of that, if you haven’t been able to acknowledge the skills you’ve gained while working there, then you may be tempted to brush over or downplay your contributions in your current role when you could be highlighting those skills to further add to why you’d be a great fit for the next position you desire. These mistakes aren’t necessarily detrimental, but it certainly isn’t helping you stand out ahead of other candidates who aren’t letting how much they hate their job get in the way of landing a new one.

You might not have even noticed that you were making any of these mistakes. But, as a career coach who’s worked with high-achievers in dozens of industries, it’s a common issue that tends to fly under the radar. To fix this, the first thing you need to do is make peace with how things have panned out at your current job. Then, decide not to let anything you’ve experienced stop you from getting a better job than the one you want to leave. Once you do, you’ll be in a better place to make better choices as you pursue the next opportunity in your career.

 

Forbes.com Author:  Adunola Adeshola coaches high-achievers on how to take their careers to the next level. She is the author of the guide How to Go From Zero Interviews to Dream Job Offers.

 

Forbes.com | February 16, 2022

 

#JobSearch : Job Interview Preparation Tips to Help You Stand Out. Be Prepared to Address your Biggest Weaknesses, such as Gaps in your Résumé.

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You have put time and effort into your job application, perhaps polishing up your résumé and crafting a well-constructed cover letter, earning you a coveted interview. Now is your chance to show why you are a great candidate and how you would fit in with your potential team.

If you do your homework, you will be prepared for anything the interviewer throws at you.

1. Study the job description and the employer’s mission statement.

Get into the right mind-set by reminding yourself what the job entails and reading the employer’s mission statement, if it has one. Make a list of reasons why this job may be the right fit for your career journey, such as the skills, experience and network you would gain. Focusing on how this job will help you achieve your career goals is a good way to get excited about the role—even if it is not your dream job. This will help you to express why you want the job and to convey enthusiasm during the interview.

Think about what makes you the best candidate for this job. Look at your résumé, and pick out which parts of it align with the job requirements. Write down examples of how you tackled particular projects or problems in your previous experience at work, school or elsewhere in your life that demonstrate you have the skills the employer is looking for. As you work through the job description and mission statement, make a list of your proudest accomplishments that could be used as examples. If you are suffering from imposter syndrome, this can also help you recognize why you are the right person for the job.

 

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

Article continued …

2. If you are nervous about the job interview, prepare answers to tough questions about gaps in your résumé or background.

Make a list of anything in your background or résumé that makes you feel nervous and prepare explanations for gaps you may have in your experience. “If there’s something that freaks you out, sit down and…think about how you’re going to present it in the best possible way,” says Pamela Skillings, chief executive of BigInterview.com, an interview training website.

If there is a gap of time in your résumé when you weren’t employed, think about what you gained during that time. Perhaps you learned important life skills or experienced personal growth, which you can present as assets. For example:

  • If you were traveling, you could talk about what you learned from exploring new cultures, and how you would bring those insights into your job.
  • If you were caring for a child or a loved one, you could discuss how the experience shaped you and gave you fresh perspectives.

“If there’s something that freaks you out, sit down and…think about how you’re going to present it in the best possible way.”

— Pamela Skillings, BigInterview.com

Prepare to address any gaps in your knowledge or experience. If the job description mentions anything that you are not fully familiar with, read up on the subject until you are comfortable discussing it at length. If there are requirements in the job description you don’t have direct professional experience with, think about what you have done at work or elsewhere in your life that demonstrates you have the skills required. If a job requires previous management experience and you have never been a manager in title, perhaps you have led a project, mentored and trained colleagues or filled in for your boss while they were away.

If, after carefully considering your work experience, you still have a gap you can’t fill, acknowledge it and prepare to talk about how you would learn this skill on the job.

3. Practice your interview question responses ahead of time.

Study some of the top interview questions that may be asked of you.

“Practicing is key,” Ms. Skillings says. “A lot of smart people don’t do it because it feels awkward, but it makes such a huge difference.” Practicing talking about yourself is important at any level of your career. Even senior executives who are “great communicators” sometimes struggle to talk about themselves, she says.

You have already compiled a list of all of the reasons you are a great fit for the role. Now it is time to synthesize and communicate them. If you can’t find someone to practice with, do it in front of a mirror or record a video of yourself. If you don’t like to talk up your own accomplishments, focus on communicating, clearly and efficiently, why your skills and experience meet each requirement of the role. Practicing helps you to identify anything that might distract from the substance of what you have to say.

Top tip: Observe the way you present yourself. If there is anything you are not fully comfortable with, now is the time to address it. If it is your posture, practice sitting up straight. If you notice a distracting habit, like playing with your hair or fidgeting, be aware of it and try to avoid it. Find an alternative place for your hands, such as on the table.

Be authentic. A May 2020 study found that people who behave authentically during a job interview do better overall than those who try to cater to an interviewer’s interests and expectations. This is because it takes a lot of mental energy to try to be someone you are not, which ultimately increases anxiety and could ruin your efforts to create a positive, authentic connection with your interviewer.

In brief
  • To prepare for an interview, study up on the role so you can explain how you meet each of the job requirements.
  • Be prepared to address your biggest weaknesses, such as gaps in your résumé.
  • The best way to learn how to interview is by practicing your Q&A with someone you trust, on camera or in the mirror.
4. Make your final job interview preparations.

Write down some thoughtful questions, and be prepared to ask them during or at the end of your interview.

To help combat nerves, visualize a successful interview. Many top athletes use this technique before a big game to focus and reaffirm their positive outlook. Some CEOs have also credited the technique with helping them achieve their goals.

Resources
  • WSJ Jobs Summit on March 4, 2021: Register for this free online event that provides recent graduates and workers looking for new opportunities with practical strategies and insights to navigate the competitive job market.
  • Mindset: The New Psychology of Success In this book, Carol S. Dweck describes the power of mind-set in unlocking success in work, school and life.
  • Biginterview.com This website offers video training and AI-driven virtual interview practice tools.
What to read next

 

 

WSJ.com – February 19, 2021 – Deborah Acosta

#JobSearch : 5 Interview Questions to Ask During COVID. Not Only are the Questions you will Be Asked Different, but the Questions YOU ask SHOULD be as Well.

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It’s clear that the global pandemic that has consumed 2020 has also changed the way our professional world operates.  If you’re in an active job search or feel like you may be one of the next victims of a layoff or furlough at your work place, understand that interviewing has changed.

Not only are the questions you will be asked different, but the questions YOU ask SHOULD be as well. Companies have reinvented their work environments due to COVID, and it can leave candidates with questions that need to be answered.

As you prepare for your next job interview, there are some things you will want to consider:

✅ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦?
Companies usually have an onboarding process that may include a week or more of touring the office, meeting key department heads, attending new employee orientation, etc. If you are working remotely, onboarding from home can be tricky. So, what are the plans they have in place to integrate you into your new team? The sooner you are incorporated and engaged, the sooner you will be able to demonstrate you were the right pick for the job.

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

Article continued …

✅ 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬? Asking this question gets to how they value their staff. You can ask how many employees they had to lay-off temporarily or permanently. How a company treats and values their employees will show you a lot, and may help you determine whether this is a place you want to work.

✅ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝? Most companies will have a protocol in place by this time, but you should know what it is. If they don’t have one, you may want to rethink this company.

✅ 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬? There are many different types of changes they could have made. There are physical changes within an office building, such as office spacing, cleaning procedures… They could also be offering mental health support to employees struggling with the challenges of this long-term pandemic or losing a family member. The types of supports they have made gives you an idea of the culture and how well the company works together.

✅ 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞? This is an obvious question, but there are ramifications if it is. What tools do they supply to outfit your office at home? Do you know how to use the technology and collaboration tools? What are you expected to provide yourself?

The more you know about specifics before accepting an offer of employment in today’s unpredictable work environments, the more focus you will be able to give to your new job duties.

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 | November 23, 2020

#JobSearch : How To Tell If The Company You’re Interviewing With Is Not Interested In You. Interviewing is a Lot Like Dating.

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Job seekers always wonder what happened in their interviews. After six to 10 Zoom meetings over the course of five months, communications from the company have abruptly stopped. You’re left wondering, “Did I do something wrong? Do they not like me?”

In the past, companies would freely share feedback and constructive criticism. The firm would divulge what the candidate did right and where they may need some help. The human resources person would also share some insider tips, such as, “Tell Bob when he meets with Karen, the hiring manager’s manager, he should give the same elevator pitch he gave to the manager. It was very strong and Bob’s background was right on point. Also, Karen is a big Giants fan and alumna of New York University. I know Bob went there too. So, tell him to talk about football and NYU.”

Over the years, things have changed dramatically. Companies are now reluctant to share feedback. It’s due to several factors, including concerns over saying something that could be misconstrued as racist, sexist, ageist or some other form of discrimination; human resources hiding behind technology; the discomfort people have with telling people bad news; the recent rise in rudeness and the lack of civility.

Since you can’t rely upon feedback from the company, here are some ways you can interpret and infer from the actions of the company and interviewers what they really think.

If you hear, “It was a pleasure meeting with you. You’ll hear from someone,” that is not a good sign. What you want to hear is something specific. “It was a pleasure meeting with you. Jane Doe from human resources will contact you Monday or Tuesday with the next step and who you’ll meet with.” There’s bonus points if they reference a specific day and time and the names of the folks with whom you’ll be meeting with. It’s even better if they offer the entire agenda, how many interviews will take place and a time frame in which they hope to conclude the process and extend an offer.

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

Article continued …

“Thanks for coming! It was nice to meet you. We are at the very early stages of the interview process and have a number of people that we plan on speaking with. The job advertisements garnered a large amount of résumés and we still need to go through them all.” Interviewers tend to hide behind these types of clichés. If they’re into you, the wrap-up statement would have been more positive with a call to action. Their vague statement can be interpreted as, “We don’t hate you. You’re okay, but we’re going to keep looking to see if we could find someone better.” They are also hedging their bets by not outright rejecting you, since they may not find a more appropriate applicant.

If you ask a lot of relevant, smart questions and don’t receive complete, well-fleshed-out answers, it’s an ominous sign. When the interviewer doesn’t offer in-depth commentary on the responsibilities of the job, the people with whom you’ll work with, the possibility for advancement and a feel for the corporate culture, it’s not a buy signal.

If an interviewer really likes you, they will go to great lengths to answer any and all questions. They’ll gladly provide color and robustly describe the role. They do this to sell you on the job. That’s a very good sign. When you feel that the hiring manager is in selling mode, as opposed to interrogating you, that’s a big tell that they want you to come aboard and join the company.

The absence of an effusive discussion of the responsibilities and job requirements denotes that they’re not that interested in you. To be fair, it could be that they’re not a good interviewer. This is a commonplace occurrence. It’s a weird quirk in the interview process that companies generally don’t train managers on the basics of hiring. They naively feel that a hiring manager can figure it out on their own. Some are natural at interviewing. Many are not that gifted and a lot are really bad at it.

When you’ve received consistent communications and they abruptly break off, it’s a warning sign. If your recruiter ignores your calls or leaves messages for you at super early or late times (knowing that you won’t be  around), it’s troubling—especially because they only get paid if they place you. They may have moved on to find more candidates for the role, since they are concerned that you may not be selected. If you try to follow up with the company by making  phone calls, sending texts and emails and don’t hear anything back, it’s not looking good. There are some caveats, such as unexpected business matters that need attending to, a family emergency, illness or other short-term distractions.

“We may have some new roles opening up and will keep you in mind.” It’s true that sometimes they really mean what they say and are interested in hiring you in the right role. Most likely, it’s a polite way to say that they’re not going to extend an offer, but they at least like you.

Other things to watch out for include your LinkedIn invitations to connect went unanswered, you receive calls from other recruiters about the job you just interviewed for and the position was reposted on job boards. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you are completely out of the running, but it’s not a good sign.

Hiring managers are just as uncomfortable as you are with regards to the interviewing process. Arguably, they have more to lose. If the manager hires a person who turns out to be a dud, senior executives will question their judgement. This makes the hiring manager cautious about hiring and tries to find out any reasons why the applicant could end up becoming a problematic employee.

The vast majority of interviewers don’t take pleasure in rejecting people. They find turning down people uncomfortable and unpleasant. This is one of the main reasons why you hear vague, perfunctory statements. As decent people, they don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Secretly, they hope that they don’t have to give the bad news to applicants and hope that they eventually get the message and move on.

Interviewing is a lot like dating. It’s not easy to guess what the other person is thinking. I hope this offers you some valuable insights into what’s happening behind the scenes and translates corporate speak to real-life meanings.

 

Forbes.com | October 6, 2020 | Jack Kelly

#JobSearch : Two Of The Worst Things You Can Say In A Job Interview. If you Show Up for the Interview and Say Anything Close to the Following Two Phrases, you will Immediately Diminish your Candidacy…

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If you show up for the interview and say anything close to the following two phrases, you will immediately diminish your candidacy and likely get yourself ruled out of consideration for any job offer at all. The interviewer, especially a very good one, will be evaluating you for the things you say, the things you don’t say, your overall demeanor and presentation as well as your ability to appear contemplative and thoughtful with your dialogue and questions.

As you prepare for your next job interview, you’ll likely be thinking about many different things including the company/organization, the organizational culture, the leadership, pay, benefits, etc. You’ll also likely be thinking about what you want to say during the interview and what messages you want to send as you attempt to show the interviewer that you’re indeed the best candidate for the job.

The problem here is that what you say during the job interview is just as important—if not more—as what you don’t say. Here are two of the worst things you can say in a job interview.

1. Tell me about the job and the company.

Okay—if you show up for the job interview and you haven’t taken the time to understand the core aspects of the job and the company in advance, you will start off sending all the wrong signals. Not only could this simple phrase cause the interviewer to question your seriousness as a candidate, the interviewer may decide in that very moment to effectively end your candidacy for the position.

Yes, it’s okay to want seek out more details and insights during the interview (and you should do this), but you can’t just show up and ask a question like, “What is the job?” or “What does the company do?” and think that this isn’t going to make you look bad—very, very bad.

You have to be far more savvy than this. Even if you were only able to garner very limited information about the job and/or the company, don’t make the mistake of leaving the interviewer with any impression that you didn’t do your homework.

Here’s a better way.

Instead of asking the interviewer about the position or the company, state some details that you are aware of and then engage in a conversation that prompts the interviewer to freely share more details and insights about the specifics of the job and the company without ever concluding that you didn’t even know the basics. Rather than saying something like, “Tell me about the job and the company,” you’d be better off saying something like this:

I’ve reviewed the position announcement and while it was thorough, there are three key aspects of the role that I’d like to get more information about. Can we dig in on aspects A, B and C of the position because I believe I’m uniquely suited to make immediate contributions in these areas as well as some others.

When you frame it this way, the interviewer comes to believe that you have actually done your homework and that you understand the role enough to have already thought about where you might best contribute. She will be impressed by how contemplative you are and proceed to volunteer all sorts of useful information about the position and company that will give you a competitive edge in expanding the conversation and creating moments to be memorable and shine.

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

Article continued …

2. No, you’ve answered everything so I don’t have any questions.

No, no and just no. Under no circumstances should you leave the interview without asking thoughtful questions. Asking questions during the interview shows the interviewer more than just what you want to know; it shows her how you think. And by allowing the interviewer to see how you think, you can gain a leg up on the competition.

Why don’t you have any questions?  Leaders ask great questions so you should plan to ask the interviewer approximately three really good questions. But to ensure that you have at least three great questions you want to ask, you should actually go in with between five to eight questions because you never know how many of these might get answered by the interviewer before you ever get a chance to ask anything. You want to be prepared with your best preferred questions and then have some extra questions on hand.

Prior to applying for any job, it is incumbent upon you to evaluate the specifics of the career opportunity as much as possible and learn all you can about not only the job, but the company as well. Your thoroughness—and hence your questions—will send a message that you are indeed interested in the role and that you have already contemplated how the position might fit with your career interests and align with your career goals.

Here’s a better way.

You should always be prepared with thoughtful questions for the interviewer. And in a circumstance where the interviewer really does answer every question you had prepared, you have to think on the fly and frame a question in response to what you’ve learned during the interview. But, by all means, ask your interviewer some questions.

Most candidates will go into the interview with a goal to show the interviewer what they know and how that knowledge will help them succeed in the job. But when you ask great interview questions, you end up showing the interviewer how you think instead, and this will distinguish you from the other candidates. When you ask good questions, you demonstrate that you have a strategic-thinking mindset that can help to advance organizational efficacy and produce high-value deliverables for success.

The way to bring it home and get the job offer is to remember this. It is not about what you know. It’s about how you think, and the job offer will likely go to the candidate who shows himself or herself to be a strategic thinker with a mindset to advance organizational goals and add more institutional value than the competition.

Forbes.com | August 28, 2020 | Author:  Terina Allen