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#CareerAdvice : Got a #JobInterview ? Make Sure you Bring these 8 Things… You’ve Done your Research, and you’re Prepared. Now Follow this Checklist.

October 22, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

When you’re preparing for a job interview, many things go through your mind. Most of them involve what you need to say and the questions you’ll need to answer.

But don’t forget–there are also a handful of physical items you’ll want to bring along. Wondering what to bring to an interview? Use this as your checklist:

Odds are, you wouldn’t leave the house without it anyway, but make sure to bring your phone with you so you can enter the directions to your interview location, especially if you’ve never been there before. If you don’t have a smartphone capable of GPS navigation, print out directions. The worst thing you can do is get lost, which will make you late, which will likely prevent you from moving forward in the interview process. On your phone’s notepad app, or on the directions you’ve printed out, write out the name and contact information of your interviewer(s). This way, if something does go wrong on your way to the interview, you can let them know. This will also help ensure that you don’t forget your interviewer’s name–a major faux pas.

2. IDENTIFICATION

It’s not quite as common nowadays, but you never know if you’ll be asked for identification, so it’s worth bringing anyway. When in doubt, ask the person who set up your interview in advance–better safe than sorry!

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3. BUSINESS CARD

As a job seeker, business cards are great for networking and interviewing. Your business card should include your name, job title, email, phone number and any other contact information you think is important. Give your card to your interviewer, or anyone else you talk to about the job.

4. NOTEPAD AND PEN

You may be used to taking notes on your laptop or phone, but in interviews, it definitely looks better if you have paper and a pen handy to jot down notes like people to contact, addresses or anything else mentioned in the interview that you want to remember later. Being prepared with your own supplies to capture important information that your interviewer provides you with is a surefire way to make you look proactive and thoughtful.

5. RESUME

Print out a few copies of the most updated version of your resume. You should also have extra copies in case you need to reference it during the interview–or if extra interviewers show up.

6. REFERENCES

Bring an updated list of your references. Your interviewer may or may not ask for these, but again, it’s best to be over-prepared. The list should have at least three professional references, along with how they know you and how to contact them.

7. A PORTFOLIO

Depending on the kind of job you’re after, it might be valuable to bring a portfolio of your past work. This can be a folder, binder or even a website shown on your tablet. Your portfolio should be organized in a way that makes it easy to reference during your interview. The contents of your portfolio will depend on your profession, but there should be quality examples of your work and accomplishments.

8. QUESTIONS

At the end of every interview, you will be asked if you have any questions. Have a list of questions ready to go so you’re prepared. These questions can be about the rest of the hiring process, company culture or anything else you’re interested in, but remember: You want to your questions to be specific and reflect the fact that you’ve done research, so your interviewer can see your true interest in the position.

When thinking about what to bring an interview, a lot of things come to mind, but the eight above are the most essential. While they might seem simple, it’s important not to forget them–they really might make a difference on the day of your interview.

FastCompany.com | October 22, 2018 | BY ANISA PURBASARI HORTON 3 MINUTE READ

#CareerAdvice : #JobInterview – Really Want that Job? Don’t Make these Six Mistakes….Don’t Do What these Overeager Candidates Do.

August 20, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

As in romantic relationships, hiring managers avoid an overeager suitor. You know the type–after one date or one conversation, they’re calling, texting, and wanting to see you every day in a constant attempt to convince you that they’re “the one.” Unfortunately, this only has the opposite effect. Desperation is relationship repellant, and that’s true when it comes to hiring as well.

If you want to avoid turning hiring managers off with an excessively keen attitude, make sure to fix these bad habits.

1. OVERSELLING YOUR STRENGTHS

Have you ever been to a department store where the salespeople keep trying to push the store credit card? With every “No, thanks” the salesperson gets, the more they list benefits and tell you how great the card is and why you’d be a fool to walk out without it. Interviews can go the same way. You have to sell your strengths without overselling.

The Fix: Ask strategic questions, listen, and treat the interview like a business meeting–which is what it is.

If the interviewer says, “We’re looking for someone who can expand our product market to Canada,” your response should consist of more than, “Sure, I can do that!” Go deeper. Ask about their strategic plan and the biggest issues they face as they try to accomplish the expansion.

You may not have the job yet, but offer suggestions as if you do. Tie the topic to an example from your own career, where you overcame a business expansion challenge. Give them specifics about the results you got.

By simply having a business conversation, you’re able to sell yourself without overselling. Remember, it’s not about you–it’s about the company’s needs. How can you solve their problem?

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2. TALKING TOO MUCH

When you give answers to questions you weren’t asked, or go on at length, you can ramble yourself right out of a job. Unfocused talk shows you don’t listen well and can’t answer a simple question. I get it: One topic often leads to another, and you get excited about the subject, but be careful. In addition to being rude, you can open yourself to questions you don’t want to answer.

The Fix: Trim the fat by practicing your answers ahead of time. Your interview isn’t a therapy session, and practice really does make perfect. With practice, you get your answers right and tight. Try to do a few mock interviews too, with a friend who will be honest with you when you get off track.

3. REVEALING YOUR STALKER TENDENCIES

It’s one thing to perform in-depth research on a company or interviewer, but it’s another to list all the ways you’ve stalked them online. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in favor of Googling companies and interviewers, but you have to keep it professional. Be careful not to get into their personal life.

The Fix: Don’t focus on personal pages during your interview prep. With Google, everything comes up, but in an interview, you have to avoid initiating topics that you found on non-business-related sites like personal social media pages. If the interviewer brings up a personal topic, don’t respond with something like, “Oh, yes, I saw your Facebook post about that!” Follow their lead.

4. SHOWING UP UNANNOUNCED

“We’ll be in touch” doesn’t mean “show up to the office unannounced to drop off materials and check in.” Once the interview is over, the last thing recruiters or hiring managers want to see is a candidate returning when they weren’t invited.

The Fix: This comes back to preparation. If you have prepared properly, there should be no need for additional materials. Leave the ball in their court. In your post-interview thank-you email, say you’re available if they need additional materials or information. That’s what’s expected. Don’t follow up multiple times, especially when you haven’t heard anything back the first time.

5. TAKING A CASUAL INTERVIEW ENVIRONMENT TOO FAR

The interviewer is not your friend and shouldn’t be treated as such. The best interviewers have a way of making you relaxed and comfortable, but be careful not to get relaxed to the point where you’re talking in a manner and tone that’s unprofessional. No matter how casual the environment, or how much rapport you have with the interviewer, keep it businesslike.

The Fix: Always remember that an interview is a business meeting, and don’t do or say anything that you wouldn’t in that context. Simple, right?

6. SAYING ‘YES!’ TO EVERYTHING

It’s tempting to think that saying “Yes” to everything the interviewer says gives you an advantage, but it doesn’t. When an employer is seeking new employees, they’re looking for fresh ideas, new insights and immediate impact. They’re not looking for people to agree with everything they say or maintain the status quo.

The Fix: Remember that they want to hear your ideas, and they’re not looking for cookie-cutter answers. They decided to call you for an interview because YOU had something they were looking for. Be yourself, and give them something only you can give!

Interviewing is hard enough. Don’t give interviewers a reason to eliminate you from the process before you’ve even had a chance to showcase your skills. But if you’ve got the right qualifications and can maintain a healthy balance between interested and overeager, you’ve got a great shot at scoring the job.

FastCompany.com | August 20, 2018 | BY NIYA ALLEN-VATEL–GLASSDOOR 4 MINUTE READ

Your #Career : 5 Ways to Take Your #JobSearch to the Next Level… There’s No Shortage of Great #CareerAdvice , But One of the Most Powerful Resources you can Tap is Somebody Who Recently Landed a Job Themselves.

May 15, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

For one, they’ll have a more accurate view of the labor market. (For example: Ever had a grandparent tell you that the best way to get a job is to walk right into the office and ask for one? Not exactly the case anymore.) But for another, the fact that they’ve managed to break through and score a job means that they usually have insight into how you can do the same.

To get some of these invaluable tips, we reached out to Katherine L. from Denver, who found a job on Glassdoor last summer and has been thriving at her new company. Here are five of her tips on how you can take your job search to new heights in order to land your dream role.

Tip #1: Use Job Alerts

It’s no secret that the job hunt can be a slog, so any time you can automate part of the process, you should. If you’re tired of scrolling through job listings to find the right match, you might want to create a job alert. Job alerts do the heavy lifting for you when it comes to finding the job that’s right for you. Just enter the job title you’re looking for, the location you’re targeting and your email address, and you’ll get personalized job search results delivered to your inbox daily.

“I had a saved, filtered search on Glassdoor and I got emails with jobs in travel and tourism that I might be interested in. I saw listings for my current company and thought, ‘I have to check it out — I keep getting recommended jobs from there.’ Once I did, I thought the company looked super cool,” Katherine said.

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Tip #2: Look for Jobs That Align With Your Interests

A lot of folks feel pressured to find a new job ASAP, whether out of financial need after a long period of unemployment or a desire to leave a toxic environment. But if you can take a little bit of extra time to find a job and company that you’re really passionate about — not just one that will pay the bills — it’ll likely pay off in the long run.

Katherine had always been passionate about travel and tourism, and was, in fact, on a career break traveling southeast Asia when she first started searching for jobs on Glassdoor. For her next opportunity, she became increasingly convinced that she wanted to marry her interests with her 9-to-5.

“What really drew me to my current company was the fact that I’m very passionate about travel and hospitality… We do vacation rental management, so we essentially help people earn their maximum possible vacation rental income, so it fit into my whole career curve,” Katherine said.

Tip #3: Research Everything You Can About a Company

Learning as much as you possibly can about a company before you apply will help you decide whether or not it’s right for you. Plus, research shows that nearly nine in ten hiring decision makers(88 percent) agree that an informed candidate is a quality candidate (Source: Aptitude Research Partners, 2017).

Katherine relied heavily on Glassdoor to scope out the companies she was applying to.

“Other sites may provide a job description, but I just love how Glassdoor has reviews, too. They’re very candid, and people don’t hold back. I really appreciate that — it lets you hear the good and the bad,” she said. “I felt the information I came across was very reflective of how it actually is now — I knew what I was getting myself into, rather than being thrown off guard.”

A few other things Katherine recommended looking into were benefits, company photos and, of course, salaries.

“Sometimes, I would see jobs and think, ‘Oh, that’s a really great opportunity!’ But then once I saw the salary, I realized that it actually wasn’t practical for where I am now. Rather than getting yourself all the way to the end of the process and realizing it’s not going to work for you, Glassdoor lets you set opportunities aside in the beginning,” Katherine said. “With Glassdoor, you get the actual jobs, reviews, salaries and benefits all in one spot.”

Tip #4: Discover Which Questions Interviewers Ask

One of the best features on Glassdoor is the interview reviews section. Using this tool, you can explore individual companies to see how difficult their interviews are, whether candidates have had a positive or negative experience, how often candidates tend to accept offers and even which questions recruiters and hiring managers at that company ask. For example, a recently-hired Senior Recruiter at Glassdoor reported that they were asked questions like “Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult manager?” and “What makes you a great recruiter?”

You can also enter the name of the position you’ll be interviewing for to see which questions candidates for those roles are typically asked. Someone interviewing for an Executive Assistant position could be asked “What’s the toughest job you’ve held so far and why?” or “Describe a time when you had to manage up.”

This was a feature that Katherine made sure to leverage before heading into her job interview.

“I was definitely all over the interview reviews just so I could see what to expect and give myself an idea of what I needed to focus on,” she shared.

Tip #5: Remember — Once You’re Hired, the Work’s Not Over

Even if you nail the interview and land the job, as Katherine did, you can’t rest on your laurels just yet. All of the information you’ve gathered in the research phase and interview process should all be leveraged to help you thrive once you actually start the job. To really wow your new colleagues, take everything you’ve learned about what the expectations for the role are, what success looks like at the company and how you can most effectively collaborate with your coworkers and use it to become a star employee.

Katherine, for one, was able to put all the knowledge she gathered to good use and in just under a year, she was promoted to a new title and a new team.

“It’s neat to see how coming across my initial job on Glassdoor has led to further career opportunities at my current company,” Katherine said. “Thanks to Glassdoor, my current role is by far the best fit I’ve had in my professional career.”

GlassDoor.com | May 14, 2018 | Posted by Emily Moore

Your #Career : #Unemployed – 5 Ways to Make Money in the Middle of a #ResumeGap …A resume gap might seem a Bit Scary to Navigate, But it Doesn’t Have to Be.

May 7, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

A resume gap might seem a bit scary to navigate, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you were already planning time off between jobs or lost your job due to an uncontrollable circumstance, there are ways to take control of the situation — and still earn money and valuable experience while searching for your next career opportunity.

Here are five ways to make a resume gap work for you.

1. Become a Freelancer

There’s a freelance job for virtually every line of work: copywriting, social media management, product design, graphic design — the list goes on. Search for freelance jobs relevant to your career field, and work on your own time.

The good thing about freelance gigs is that, generally, they’re flexible. If you’re busy applying for full-time jobs, freelance work gives you the freedom you need to attend interviews at all times of the day while still earning extra money.

See Open Freelancer Jobs

2. Work as a Consultant

In today’s digital world, it’s easier than ever to start your own business. You can work as a consultant for another company or create your own consulting gig. This type of work exists in many different fields, and it’s important to pick a niche where you have deep knowledge and experience on a subject.

While that path to becoming a consultant might differ depending on your field, it’s essential that you build your brand and start networking to be successful. Consulting can be a good option if your gap between jobs will be a prolonged period, such as a year or longer. This way, you have the right amount of time to build up a client base and obtain even more skills to list on your resume.

See Open Consultant Jobs

3. Develop Your Own Business

Do you have a hobby or skill people would pay for? Maybe you bake delicious cakes or are good at detailing cars. Armed with those skills, talk to friends and family, and start advertising your services.

If people will pay for something you typically offer for free or do as a favor, hone in on that and market yourself as a legitimate business. Make some cheap business cards and get your name out there!

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4. Join the Gig Economy

The infinitely growing gig economy is a great way to supplement your income, even if a task won’t necessarily benefit your career. Look into pet sitting, ride sharing, delivering groceries or even renting out a spare room on Airbnb. Don’t feel like leaving the house? No worries; you can still make money from the comfort of your own home through methods like investing in real estate on the web, working as an online bookkeeper or selling old items you don’t use anymore.

If you think earning an income through the gig economy is right for you, keep up your professional life by going to networking events, volunteering or interning part-time. These events can still be listed on your resume while you earn an income with other jobs on the side.

See Open Lyft Driver Jobs

5. Learn a New Skill

This might not make you much money right now, but learning something new you can put on a resume could mean more money in a future job. Maybe you’re only somewhat familiar with CRMs — take a course and master Salesforce, and you’ll quickly become the go-to person in your next office.

Better yet, learn some HTML or CSS coding from a free online resource. Or look into Coursera or Poynter’s News University, where you could earn certifications in fields such as marketing, journalism and online media.

Three Tips for Addressing a Resume Gap

Ready to enter the workforce again? Here are a few helpful tips for mentioning a gap on your resume or in an interview.

Address the gap clearly. Instead of ignoring it or waiting for the interviewer to ask about it, talk about your resume gap and anything relevant to the job you did during that time. If it was parental leave, state you wanted to be home to take care of your child. It’s all about being honest — addressing the gap head-on during the interview will get you further than not being straightforward about your job history.
Prepare what you’ll say ahead of time. Frame your job gap as productive time away from the office. Did you stay home with the kids and manage all the bills? Talk about how you became proficient in Excel and learned how to budget. Did you choose to take a sabbatical and travel the world? Discuss how adaptable you are and how much you learned by immersing yourself in a foreign culture.
Keep it positive. Regardless of whether or not you were let go or left of your own accord, position the circumstance in a positive way. Instead of saying you had problems with your previous manager, talk about what you learned about yourself as a professional, and what you do and don’t want out of a workplace.

You don’t have to be afraid of your resume gap. Leverage this time and use it to your advantage — learn relevant skills, get a certification in your field or explore new career opportunities. Good luck!

Jacquelyn Pica is a writer at The Penny Hoarder. Find her on Twitter @JacquelynTPH.

Glassdoor.com | May 7, 2018 | Jacquelyn Pica

Your #Career : These Are 5 Beliefs You Need To Ditch When You’re #JobHunting …When the Going gets Tough, it’s Easy to Succumb to Negative Thoughts. But Try your Best to Get over These Mentalities that Can be Detrimental to your Job Hunt.

May 3, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

We all have different filters through which we see the world that influence our attitudes and behaviors. One filter that is common to many is that of the “victim.” When circumstances become challenging, we sometimes use this “victim filter,” to ease certain ego bruises we experience. This filter leads us to feel victimized by events perceived to be beyond our control.

When going through the interview process, we subject ourselves to all kinds of vulnerabilities that may compel us to play the victim card. This kind of mentality can be especially detrimental when it manifests during a job hunt.

As a candidate, it’s your job to ensure that:

You’re able to articulate yourself professionally and sell your experiences
Your professional documents tell a clear and formatted story
You’re prepared for each interview

If you can’t check these boxes, then there’s work to be done beyond adjusting your attitude. However, if you’re confident that you’ve met the criteria discussed above, and you’re still experiencing interview rejection, it’s important to counter the negative thoughts that may result. Let’s examine some common victim mentalities.

1. “IF A PERSON I REACH OUT TO FORGETS TO FOLLOW UP, THEY MUST NOT WANT TO HELP”

People are usually well-intentioned and willing to help. Before assuming that someone has dropped off the face of the earth to avoid helping you, consider that they may have simply forgotten, or your approach didn’t work! People get inundated with messages all day, so it’s your job to be thoughtful about standing out.

Consider the following strategies before writing a person off:

Take the initiative to follow up and nurture your leads
When reaching out to someone for networking purposes, remember to ask for advice, not a job
Refine and retry your messaging–a/b test your strategies to see what works

Reframe your thoughts to, “This person forgot to get back to me, but it’s my job to follow up and make a great impression.”

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2. “I DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT EXPERIENCE, SO I WON’T BOTHER APPLYING”

Job descriptions often set out a wish list of qualities required of candidates that are more aspirational than mandatory. Though you might not have the years of experience, your skill set might nonetheless still fit the bill for a given position. Less experience also means a lower pay grade, which can be an advantage for an organization.

Break the job description down into tasks, and if you feel you could succeed in each area, don’t hesitate to apply.

Reframe your thoughts to, “I can’t change my work experience, but if I get rejected at least I went for it!”

3. “JOB HUNTING IS HARD FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME”

Whether you’ve been laid off, fired, or left a job, it’s tempting to think that you’re the only one struggling. You need to acknowledge that job hunting is hard for everyone; and you can’t pretend that there won’t be rejection involved. “You’ll need to build the confidence to move on from setbacks and get back on the horse,” says Work & Life Coach Minda Miloff. It’s important to fill your life with meaningful hobbies and projects, so when a challenge presents itself in one area, your confidence remains intact!

Reframe your thoughts to, “Job hunting is hard for everyone. I will show empathy and help those in their job search whenever I can.”

4. “I’VE BEEN REJECTED FROM SO MANY JOBS–IT’S NOT FAIR!”

When an organization makes a choice about who gets the job, the decision may not always be based on criteria that is transparent to you. Though the outcome might not be what you hoped, there is always something to learn and a tangible skill to be gained through each interview, says Miloff. Assume that the competition is stiff, and you can’t predict how things will unfold. Focus on what you can learn from each interview, and use that to drive yourself forward.

Reframe your thought to, “I’ve been rejected from so many jobs, but I’ve learned from each rejection, and I know that all it takes is one person to say yes.”

5. “I’M NEVER GOING TO LAND THE JOB I WANT”

While you need to project the confidence that you’ll be successful, it’s important to monitor your expectations and be realistic that there is a chance things won’t work out. Interviews should be viewed as a performance about “delivering the best of who you are on the spot,” says Miloff. At some point, you have to say, “I did my best,” and that’s a helpful countermeasure to feeling knocked down.

Reframe your thoughts to, “I will land the right job eventually. I accept that it might take time, commitment, and grit on my behalf.”

It’s normal to indulge in some necessary pity parties. However, career development requires mental toughness, strength to recover, and self-awareness to recognize your own weaknesses or alternatives for why things didn’t work out. Rejection is an unavoidable part of the process, and so the quicker you learn to bounce back and re-strategize, the more success you’ll find!

FastCompany.com | May 3, 2018 | BY STACY POLLACK—GLASSDOOR 4 MINUTE READ

Your #Career : 8 Expert-Approved Tips for How to Find a Job Today (Bonus: Live Stream Podcasts)… The #JobHunt : It’s Something We All Go Through in our Lives, Yet there’s Still a Surprising Amount of Mystery Around It.

April 28, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

The job hunt: it’s something we all go through in our lives, yet there’s still a surprising amount of mystery around it. Do I need to write a cover letter? What’s the best way to prepare for an interview? And why do I never hear back, even after sending dozens of applications?

We know that many different aspects of the job search process can be confusing — and as a company whose mission is to help people everywhere find jobs and companies they love, we wanted to provide some clarity. That’s why we hosted How to Get a Job Live!, a livestream dedicated to helping people beat the competition and get hired. In it, we heard from job search experts, recruiters and even Glassdoor’s Chief Economist about what it takes to find the right company for you, stand out from the crowd, write an excellent resume and more.

Couldn’t make it? No problem! Register here for access to the livestream recordings, and read on to learn a few of the top tips from our panel of experts.

1. The Time to Apply Is Now

Good news for anyone thinking about moving onto a new opportunity — we’re undoubtedly in a job seeker’s market, according to Glassdoor Chief Economist Dr. Andrew Chamberlain. The U.S. has seen nine years of continuous economic expansion, allowing businesses to add jobs at a steady clip. Some particularly hot industries, like healthcare and tech, are hiring even more. With so many opportunities available, companies are working hard to attract the best and the brightest to their companies, which can result in improved benefits packages, higher salaries and other perks that entice candidates.

It’s important to remember, though, that these favorable conditions won’t last forever — after all, what goes up must eventually come down. Chamberlain’s advice: Take advantage of the job seeker’s market while it lasts. If you’ve been thinking about finding a new job, there’s no time to apply like the present.

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

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2. Bolster Your Skills

Just because there are tons of open positions, though, it doesn’t mean that recruiters are lowering their standards — you’ll still be competing amongst other talented candidates. And as technology has advanced, employers expect potential employees to have more specialized, technical skills. One of the best ways for you to stand out from the crowd is to show employers that you’ve mastered hard skills like these. In particular, Chamberlain recommended familiarizing yourself with data analysis, as nearly all roles work with data in some form and can benefit from deriving insight from it. If data analysis isn’t your strong suit, consider taking an online course.

3. Include the Most Important Resume Info Up Top

Your resume is the first impression recruiters and hiring managers have of you — and if you don’t grab their attention, it will likely also be the last. The average recruiter only spends about six to seven seconds on a resume, so make sure it’s easy for the reader to gather all of the most important information with just a quick scan. One way to do that, suggested job search expert Scott Dobroski, is to include a professional summary up top that doesn’t just state who you are and what job you’re looking for, but the unique value you bring to the table and your most valuable skills.

4. When in Doubt, Write a Cover Letter

On most job listings, you’ll see “cover letter optional” — something that causes a lot of confusion for job seekers. Is it truly optional, or is it just a test to weed out less committed candidates? Most of the time, cover letters aren’t required, Dobroski said, but attaching a well-written one can only help your application. For one, it shows strong communication skills, which are a necessity for nearly any role, Chamberlain pointed out. For another, it gives you an extra chance to sell yourself. Cover letters should be quick, one-page documents that provide added color on why you’re interested in the opportunity, what you’ve achieved in your career, how you did it and why you’re a good fit for the job.

5. Research, Research, Research

The single biggest mistake you can make in an interview is not preparing for it beforehand. This means looking up the basics of the company (industry, products/services, recent articles), common interview questions (making sure to practice the responses aloud with a friend), information about your interviewers and more. This will help you come across as a more informed, passionate candidate.

6. Always Negotiate

One of the biggest misconceptions job seekers have about negotiating salary is that their job offer will be rescinded if they ask for a higher salary. But this is virtually unheard of — as Dobroski said, “I’ve never seen that to be the case.” So be comfortable asking for more, but make sure it’s based on hard data around what your market value is. Use Glassdoor’s Know Your Worth tool to help inform the range you ask for, although you should make sure not to start with your lowest acceptable salary in a negotiation! Finally, don’t forget to see if you can negotiate additional benefits — companies are often willing to accommodate requests for additional vacation days, workplace flexibility and more in order to seal the deal with a strong candidate.

7. Don’t Judge a Company By Its Industry

In the second half of the livestream, recruiters from Facebook, Salesforce and Kaiser Permanente shared insight about their company cultures, how candidates can stand out and what they look for in interviews. One of their main pieces of advice for job seekers: Don’t assume you can’t apply to a company because of the industry they’re in! Claire Arnold, recruiter at Kaiser Permanente, shared that you don’t need to be a doctor or nurse to work at her company. While about 70 percent of Kaiser’s positions are healthcare related, they still have tons of open jobs in fields like administration, marketing, IT and more. Similarly, you don’t need to be a software engineer to work at tech companies Facebook and Salesforce. While yes, they do have many open technical positions, they also need talented folks in roles like sales, recruiting, finance, HR… the list goes on.

8. Ask Questions in an Interview

Even if you feel like you’ve gotten sufficient information already, you should always take an interviewer up on their offer to answer any questions you might have. In this situation, interviewers aren’t just trying to help you out — they also want to see if you can ask questions that demonstrate that you’ve done your research and have critical thinking skills. One question that Ashley Core of Salesforce loves to hear is “How have you given back to the community?” At Salesforce, community service is huge, so this proves that candidates did their due diligence in the research stage.

9. Don’t Take It Personally

Near the end of the livestream, recruiters were asked what the best piece of career advice they had ever received was. According to Facebook Recruiting Director Liz Wamai, it was “Don’t take it personally.” This is especially applicable in the job search. When you get rejected, it’s easy to get down on yourself, and think “What’s wrong with me?” But oftentimes, recruiters will pass on a candidate not because they don’t like them, but simply because they don’t have the right role for them at the moment or they need a little more experience under their belt first. If this happens to you, don’t get discouraged — if you keep applying thoughtfully and bringing your best self to the interview, it’s only a matter of time before you get an offer.

GlassDoor.com | April 26, 2018 | Posted by Emily Moore

Your #Career : Are You Prepared for Your #JobInterview ? Don’t Say Yes Before Reading This….We’ve Simplified your Prep Work into Eight Foolproof Steps, So you can Walk into the #Interview Armed with the Information and Confidence you Need to Seal the Deal.

April 24, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Getting ready for a big job interview can be stressful, and the best thing you can do to calm your nerves is to ensure you’re adequately prepared. Improvising responses and questions on the spot works for some people, but there’s no reason to leave it up to chance, especially if you have your heart set on a new gig.

We’ve simplified your prep work into eight foolproof steps, so you can walk into the interview armed with the information and confidence you need to seal the deal.

Step 1: Get Acquainted With the Basics

If you haven’t done so already, look up the company you’re interviewing with on Glassdoor to get an idea of what they do, how big the company is, who their competitors are and what their business model is. How do they make money? What’s their core mission? What are their corporate values? You should be able to answer all these questions before heading into an interview with them.

Step 2: Research Your Interviewers

If you know who you’ll be meeting with, look them up and learn about their professional background. Find out what their role at the company entails in as much detail as you can, as well as what previous positions they may have held. This will help you ask more intelligent, insightful questions during the interview, showing that you’re an informed candidate.

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

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Step 3: Get Your Q&As Straight

On that note, come prepared with a few thoughtful questions for each interviewer so that you don’t feel pressured to think of them spontaneously. It’s also a good idea to review commonly asked interview questions, and consider what your answers would be. You can also check out the company’s Glassdoor interviews page to see what previous interviewees have been asked.

Step 4: Practice Makes Perfect

After you’ve done the prep work, rehearse your responses to questions you anticipate being asked, either by writing them out or having a friend or family member ask them. There’s no need to memorize a script, but practicing can help ensure you feel comfortable talking about your experience, skills, challenges and insights.

Step 5: Pack Your Bag and Plan Your Outfit

Get prepared with a professional-looking bag or backpack packed with copies of your resume, your portfolio, a notebook, a pen and anything else you think you might need for the interview.

Pick out what you’ll wear at least a day ahead of time, so you don’t have to worry about it the morning of. If you’re not sure what to wear, check out photos of the office on Glassdoor or the company’s website, then dress yourself a step above whatever you see online. For example, if everyone seems to wear jeans and T-shirts to the office, you definitely don’t want to show up in a suit, but perhaps you’d want to wear a nice pair of dress pants and a button-down shirt. This shows respect for the formality of an interview, but helps you avoid looking overdressed and out of place.

Step 7: Plan Your Route

If you’re heading into the office for an in-person meeting, make sure you have your route and method of transport mapped out. If you’ve never been to the area where the interview is before, you can even do a test run to see how long it will take you to get there. On the day of, be sure to add in buffer time in case of traffic, slow train service or other delays. If applicable, be sure you have also thought through how you’ll deal with stepping away from your current job duties should the interview occur during your normal work hours.

Step 8: Eat, Sleep and Relax

Getting enough sleep and eating well in the days leading up to your interview is crucial when it comes to being at the top of your game. It’s normal to be nervous before a big meeting, but don’t let that stop you from getting good shuteye the night before and some high quality, nutritious meals beforehand.

If you’re struggling to get to that calm, focused state of mind that allows you to make the best possible impression, try whatever relaxation techniques usually work for you, whether it’s meditating, listening to a podcast, watching your favorite TV show or fitting in a high-intensity workout.

Now go out there and crush your interview!

Glassdoor.com | April 23, 2018 | Posted by Julia Malacoff

Your #Career : How To Craft A Strong (And True) Narrative About Why You Got #Fired …Just Parted Ways with your Last #Employer in a Less-than-Desirable Manner? When a #HiringManager asks, “Why Did you Leave?” Don’t Jump into the Reason Immediately. Here’s How to Spin It the Right Way (without dodging the question).

April 18, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Just parted ways with your last employer in a less-than-desirable manner? Chances are you’re finding it tricky to land a new job. You may find yourself in an uncomfortable position when a job interviewer asks you, “So why did you leave your last company?”

You’ll need to walk into that job interview with a narrative that reflects well on you, no matter what actually happened. The challenge is to create a story that positions you positively in the eyes of potential employers–yet remains true to the facts. Here are the four things your narrative needs to accomplish in order to walk that line successfully.

1. SHOW RESPECT FOR THE COMPANY YOU LEFT

First, avoid answering the question directly. Do not immediately say, “I left because . . . ” It may feel like a dodge, but it’s important to lay a strong foundation first. To do that, start off by making it clear that you respect your former employer. No firm is likely to want you if you put down your previous company; any reasonable hiring manager will worry that you’ll eventually turn on them as well.

Sometimes being positive might take an effort, but it’s one worth making. That also means resisting the urge to blast the company on social media or even on platforms like Glassdoor that let you post anonymously. It often doesn’t take a sleuth to guess who might’ve uploaded a rant.

So kick off your account of why you got fired, laid off, or quit on a note of positivity–pretty much no matter what. Employees occasionally leave for high moral principles, criticize a company’s practices, and land on their feet by attracting a like-minded employer. But these scenarios are typically the exception. The general rule to follow is to speak favorably about your latest work experience.

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

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2. EMPHASIZE WHAT YOU LEARNED

Next, turn to the contributions you made in your last job–how you advanced the goals of your company and strengthened your own skills. Sure, there were some areas that were less exciting, but in the narrative you’re crafting you don’t need to discuss everything. Explain how you gained professional experience in the role and how it positions you for the new one you’re interviewing for.

Mention, too, the leaders who influenced and mentored you, and describe how they helped you mature in your role. (By the way, don’t wait long after your departure to let those allies know you appreciated their mentorship. It’s not only common courtesy, but this bridge building will come in handy when you need a reference.)

3. STATE IN ONE SENTENCE WHY YOU LEFT–AS POSITIVELY AS POSSIBLE

The previous two steps should only take a few sentences–don’t spend too much time laying this foundation, otherwise your interviewer might cut you off and press you to give a straight answer.

Now we come to a crucial part of your narrative: explaining why you left your last job. Don’t lie. Clearly and succinctly state what happened, taking care to put the best possible face on the reasons for your departure. For instance, if you left as part of a corporate reorganization, emphasize those changes above all others. Those are “forces beyond your control,” and don’t reflect on your abilities or the quality of your work.

If you quit, explain that you contributed a great deal to your last firm but wanted a company where you could offer still more. If you were fired, explain (with an eye on your new firm) why the fit wasn’t quite right, but why you’re well-suited to this opportunity. Once you’ve laid the groundwork, these trickier lines are much easier to deliver candidly, confidently, and compellingly.

4. SHOW HOW EXCITED YOU ARE ABOUT THE NEW OPPORTUNITY

Your storyline isn’t done yet. Close out the narrative by showing excitement about the firm you’re interviewing with.

As the president of a company I founded and directed for 25 years, I interviewed tons of job candidates, and anyone we hired–no matter their work history, warts and all–had to convince me in their interviews that they’d love working here. The best candidates had researched our firm, and had thought long and hard about the position they were applying for. They talked more about the excitement of the job and spent less time simply praising themselves. They knew about our core offerings and who our major clients were. They did not overuse the word “I” but talked about themselves in terms of what they could accomplish in the new role. This positive, forward-looking, enthusiastic approach not only got them hired, but these were the folks who contributed the most as employees.

Good jobs are hard to come by, while bad jobs can continue to affect your career trajectory long after they’re over. Don’t let that happen. Present yourself in the best light, and others will see you that way. If you can develop, write out, and learn this narrative, you’ll be able to deliver it confidently and spontaneously in all your career conversations.

FastComapany.com | April 18, 2018 | BY JUDITH HUMPHREY 4 MINUTE READ