5 Underrated Tips to Acing a Job Interview

The big day is finally here. You have obviously done your part to sell the recruiter/Hiring Manager on why you should be given the opportunity to come in and make your case for why you should move on in the interview process, and potentially be there next new hire.  Pump your breaks for just a moment sparky.  The interview is as much about selling your soft skills and how you fit in as it is about selling them on how your experience can meet their needs.

Here are 5 underrated and underutilized tips to help you to perform your best in your next interview.

Look the Part.  Forget everything else you’ve heard or read.  You are judged from the minute you walk in the door and before you open your mouth.  If you want to be taken seriously as a candidate for the position, invest in a nice suit.  This doesn’t mean spending a ton of money for it.  There are some retailers that sell really nice off the rack suits at affordable prices.  Keep accessories, cologne and other fragrances to a minimum.

Stand Your Ground.  Hiring managers may try to bully you because they know you’re nervous.  They may even ask you questions to deliberately throw you off to see how you respond and if you can think on your feet.  Stay calm, slow everything down and think about what your responses are going to be.  One of the best pieces of advice that I received when I was doing interviews for the news was to speak in sound bites.

Make it All About Them.  To an extent, this interview really isn’t about you.  It’s about how you can help them.  Don’t waste their time by telling your life story.  Your mission is to prove and show them why you’re the person for the job and how you can help them solve whatever problem they are facing.

Be Yourself.  While it’s important to put your best foot forward, it is equally important to be true to who you are. If you try to be what you think the employer wants you to be, you’ll both be disappointed.

Send Follow Up/Thank You Letters. Following up after an interview is how you set yourself apart from your competition.  You would be amazed at how many people fail  to do this simple, yet vital step in the employment process.  Send an email and a hard copy note to everyone that you came in contact with thanking them for the opportunity and asking about what your next steps are.

10 Foolish Résumé Mistakes That Could Cost You the Job

By: Jeanette Mulvey, BusinessNewsDaily Managing Editor
Source:
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2286-resume-mistakes.html

Foolish Mistakes

Creating a résumé may seem relatively simple, but you might be surprised by some of the things hiring managers say are big no-no’s on résumés. They say they see these mistakes all the time.Here are their tips on how to avoid making a fool of yourself the next time you send out a résumé.

Too many details

Details you can leave out, according to Nancy Shuman, chief marketing officer at Lloyd Staffing, include multiple phone numbers (one is good, preferably a cell with a professional sounding greeting), reference names and contacts, salary by position, and addresses of companies or schools. Shuman said employers can always ask for this data later.

Distracting facts

“Know the line between good information and too much information,” said Sara Sutton Fell, CEO of FlexJobs, a job service site for finding flexible employment. “I once had a candidate apply for a job, and listed on his résumé under ‘Awards & Honors’ was ‘Pig Wrestling Champion – multiple wins in the large pig division.’ This information, while it did most definitely differentiate the candidate, wasn’t in the least related to the job at hand, and was more of a distraction than a positive addition to his application.”

A photo

“Many people make the mistake of adding a photo of themselves to their résumé, thinking that their good looks will help get them an interview,” said Brooke Bakalar Sloane of marketing agency GolinHarris. “However, a company legally cannot consider your picture in determining whether or not you are qualified for a position, and thus many companies immediately discard résumés with photos.”

Foolish fonts

“Using Comic Sans, Papyrus or any other cheesy font screams ‘I don’t know what I’m doing,’” said Garry Polmateer, principal, information strategy company, Red Argyle.

Cute email addresses

Inappropriate or “cutesy” email addresses, are a no-no, say Kyra Mancine and Stacey Bershod of catalog company QCI Direct. “Get an email address that is professional to put on the top of your résumé,” they write. “Seeing ‘loverboy22@hotmail.com’ or whatever is not going to win you any points in the job search.”

Odd hobbies

“Don’t put strange hobbies or interests on your résumé,” said Kevin Spence, president of Career Thoughts, a career guidance website. “There are better ways to show off your individuality. I once had an applicant who mentioned on his résumé that he was a marionette and knife collector. Those may both be legitimate hobbies, but my ‘serial-killer alarm’ went off. He may have been qualified for the position, but he didn’t get a call back.”

Elementary school

“I don’t think you should put your elementary school on your résumé,” said Elaine Simon, assistant manager at EFA Diamonds. “Of course, I am interested in any college degrees a candidate may have, as well as any vocational training.”

Too much blank space

“I’m not saying to make it so wordy and crowded that it looks like a newspaper, but having a résumé that is only half a page tells me that you don’t have enough job and/or life experiences,” said Brenna Smith, founder and CEO of SheNOW. “Even if you’ve never had a job, you should at least have volunteer work, extracurricular activities, leadership positions, etc. Don’t submit a résumé showing only your objective and education.”

A second page

“One should not have a second page unless it’s simply listing references or is something that provides an example of what the résumé itself references,” said Sean Smith, president of advertising agency Third Street. “If you can’t get your résumé down to one page, it sends a message that you lack the ability to communicate in a succinct manner – which is becoming increasingly crucial in our bullet-point, social media world.”

“….a note from the keeper of the IB alumni blog….I’m not sure I really believe this to be true. Someone with 20+ years of work experience may not be able to fit all the details on one page”

Careless inaccuracies

“Take great care to get work dates, titles and responsibilities consistent and correct,” advises Patrick Lynch, president of career consulting firm The Frontier Group. “I have seen clients who have had inconsistencies between their résumé and LinkedIn cause them issues when interviewing. I have also seen the worst-case scenario where a job offer was rescinded because one of the candidate’s job titles was not corroborated by their past employer.”

Why Your Cover Letter Is More Important Than Your Resume

Posted on jobtrakr.com

Last week we received an email from a reader who after reading one of our posts on resumes inquired whether it was necessary to include a cover letter if you have a personal statement/objective on your resume.  After all they do more or less the same thing, right?  Well, not quite.

Your personal statement is all about you, whereas your cover letter is all about your employer.  Sending your resume without a cover letter is like saying you only care about your needs rather than the employer’s. It’s application etiquette, so make sure you’re in compliance.

Most recruiters and hiring managers would like to see a cover letter.  They want to see written in black and white why you want to work in that particular role for their company. If you don’t say what they want to hear, then it’s on to the next one.

There’s a very easy way to work out what to include in your cover letter: look at the job posting.  Treat the specification like a question that you are answering and exactly match your skills and experience to the job requirements. If you are switching careers and don’t exactly match what the job posting is looking for, use the space to make a case for your transferable skills. Keep in mind that your resume is factual whereas your cover letter should be persuasive. It’s a sales document; an attention-grabbing bit of writing to make the employer want to meet you.

Seven Steps To Cover Letter Success

1. Your cover letter is your first chance to get your reader interested – what’s going to grab their attention?
2.  Always include your name and contact details in case your cover letter and resume get separated.
3. Address your reader by name – never “To whom it may concern”
4. Demonstrate your confidence, enthusiasm and self-belief in the first sentence. Make your reader want to know more about you
5. Don’t start your sentences with “I”. Remember, this letter is for the employer, not for you
6. Never go over one page.
7. Double and triple check your spelling and grammar.

First impressions are everything, and this your chance to make a great first impression from the outset.

Source:
http://jobtrakr.com/2011/11/09/why-your-cover-letter-is-more-important-than-your-resume/

5 Questions You Should be Asking Your Interviewer

By Maro Onokpise

The part of the interview that could determine whether or not you’re going to move on in the process or not is when the interviewer asks you if you have any questions.  I’ve been hearing from a lot of hiring managers and recruiters that they are amazed at the amount of people that don’t have any questions.

This is the opportune time to make one final impression on a potential employer. Unfortunately, a lot of job seekers aren’t taking advantage of the last 5-10 minutes of the interview to stand out.  The key to a great interview isn’t always about how well you answered questions, a lot also has to do with the questions you ask.

I have to draw a distinction between asking relevant questions and asking questions just for the sake of asking them.  You may not get the opportunity to ask as many questions as you would like, so it’s a great idea to have some questions prepared that you can refer to once that time comes.  To get clarity around the role that you’re interviewing for, and to give you the best chance at success, you’ll want to get answers to the following questions:

Why is the role open?

Is this a newly created role or has someone left or been promoted.  It’s always interesting to hear why a role has become available.  If it’s due to someone moving up within the company, that’s a great sign of what could be for you.  If the previous employee left the company all together, you probably should find out why so you have a better idea as to what you’re getting yourself into

What challenges does the interviewer see in the role?

It’s a good idea to get the interviewer to talk about the challenges versus the problems with a position.  It shows that you are looking at things with a positive lens.  Some challenges may be structural, while others may have to do with a gap in abilities and the responsibilities of the position.  Either way, it’s best to find out which if you plan on succeeding.

What are the firms expectations

If these haven’t been covered during the course of your interview, ask this question directly.  In addition to the long term success of the role, you want to find out what the firm plans on doing to stay ahead of the competition.  I’ve worked at places where we relied on our name alone and stood by while our biggest competitors innovated and ultimately took market share.

Be careful how you pose this question.  The interviewer may not know the answer, and you don’t want to scare them off.  Use this opportunity to see how the company defines success and what success in this role means to them.

What are the priorities?

You need to have a firm understanding of what your priorities are.  If anything major is going to go wrong, it’ll probably go wrong within the first 90 days on the job.  Get an idea as to what their onboarding process is and if you will have to travel for any initial training.

Are you the right person for the job

If you feel that that the interview is going really well, this the question that you want the answer to!  Don’t ask this question too directly.  If you ask too directly, you could get a vague answer.  You need to express your interest and enthusiasm about the opportunity and ask if there are any reasons that would prevent them from moving forward with you.  Hopefully there aren’t any, but if there are any reservations, you want the opportunity to show the interviewer that you are more than capable of doing the job.

Source:
http://jobtrakr.com/2012/01/25/5-questions-you-should-be-asking-your-interviewer/

From Job Search to Employment in 10 Easy Steps

This is a guest post by Vanessa Merit Nornberg, owner of  Inc 500 Company, Metal Mafia.

As an employer, I often see many candidates who are not the right fit for my company. Many times the actions they take in the application process prevent them from even getting to the interview stage and often, even if they do make it that far, they have not truly considered whether the job is the right fit for them.

In an effort to help the right candidates find the right positions, I put together ten tips to help people searching better understand what prospective employers are looking for.

1. Look for a job you will love.  Anything can pay the bills, but not everything can make you look forward to showing up for work every day.  When you begin your search, decide you are going to apply only for the jobs that truly interest you.  Employers know when you are just looking for a job just to get a paycheck, and most do not want to waste their resources on someone who will not stay.
2. Learn about the companies you consider applying to. Once you have narrowed down the type of job you would like, take the time to look up the company proposing the job you are thinking about applying for—BEFORE YOU APPLY.  Is this the kind of place you want to work? Is their product something you feel excited about?
3. Tailor your resume to interest the hiring manager reading it. If the job sounds great, show the company why you are a great fit by highlighting the skills you possess which match those required for the job.  For example,  if you are applying for a job in telephone sales,  but all your experience has been in retail, point out how everything you did on the retail floor was about sales.
4. Write a cover letter explaining the value you could bring to the company. With your tailored resume, send a well-written cover letter—NOT COPIED FROM A BOOK OR WEBSITE—further explaining why you think you could be a great asset to the company to which you are applying.  Be specific.  Saying that you are a team player or a people person is empty. Explain how your ability to cooperate with others or your ease with people will serve you in the specific job you are seeking.
5. Make sure your email address conveys professionalism. When you are ready to submit your cover letter and resume, do so from an email account that shows professionalism.  Email accounts are free, so sending your application from one which uses your name instead of something like xxxlove69@hotmail.com will make the right impression instead of the wrong one.
6. Follow up. Mark your calendar to call or email the company to follow up on your application three days after submitting your application. When you contact the company,  let them know you are very interested in the position and provide a specific reason why.  Confirm that they have received your application.  Ask them when they think they will begin the interview process, note the date in your calendar and thank them for considering you.
7. Follow up again. If you have not yet heard from the company two days after the scheduled interview start date, follow up with another email letting the company know you are still very interested, and highlighting a specific reason why you would be of value to their team.  Tell them you hope to hear from them soon to schedule an interview.
8. Do your homework. If you are granted an interview,  PREPARE for it. Spend time looking at the company’s website in detail.  Pay attention to their products and services, and be able to discuss them in depth. Search articles about the company for more information on how it operates, and finally, see if you can find any reviews or customer input about the company.  Write down any questions your search generates. These are great questions to ask during the interview to show that you have studied the company and are looking to understand the business so that you can help grow it.
9. Use good interview etiquette. When you go to the interview, you need to Arrive 15 minutes early for the interview, not more, not less. Before you enter the offices,  get rid of your gum,  turn off and stow your cell phone, and dispose of any beverage cups you have. Give a solid handshake and introduce yourself to each person you meet–from the receptionist to the interviewer.
10. Conduct yourself thoughtfully during the interview. The interview is your moment to demonstrate who you are and how you can add value to the company,  but also the time to find out if the job will really make you happy. Listen carefully, ask specific questions, and be both curious and honest—the interviewer should get to know you, not just hear the answers you think she is looking for. Your interests and the company’s interests should align, or it is not the right fit. If they do, you will get the job—and probably love it.

Vanessa Merit Nornberg

In 2004, Vanessa opened Metal Mafia, a wholesale body and costume jewelry company that sells to more than 5,000 specialty shops and retail chains in 23 countries. Metal Mafia was an Inc. 500 company in 2009. Fluent in Spanish and French (as well as English), Vanessa has also worked abroad in communications and business development in the video game and jewelry industries.

Source:
http://jobtrakr.com/2012/01/24/from-job-search-to-employment-in-10-easy-steps/