4 Signs Your Interview Isn’t Going Well

You did it – you got the interview. You may think the hard part is over, but don’t sit back and relax just yet. There’s a lot that can go wrong during an interview, and in many cases, small things that happen during the conversation can cost you the job.

So how do you know if your interview is going off the rails so that you can hope to turn it around? There are a few telltale signs you should look for.

1. They don’t try to sell you on the company.

Have you ever heard the expression “An interview is about you trying to get to know the company just as much as they’re trying to get to know you?” It’s true – you should be evaluating the company as they’re evaluating your experience and skills. But if you’re doing this and the interviewer isn’t working hard to sell you on the company’s good traits, it’s probably not a good sign. Companies want their chosen candidate to accept the job offer, so for their top picks, they’ll typically try to mention job perks, company culture, opportunities for growth, and other positives.

2. You’re only asked the easy questions.

This may seem counter-intuitive. After all, if the company likes you, why would they ask you the challenging questions? But interviewers ask tough questions to candidates they’re considering because they want to see how they think on their feet, and see how they will react to tough job situations. If they aren’t actually considering you, they’ll stick with the easiest questions to answer.

3. The interview never gets personal.

When interviewers are interested in a candidate, they will attempt to get to know them on a deeper level than questions like “What are your strengths?” can accomplish. They will often engage in chit-chat to make sure you’d be a good culture fit, and to make sure your personality will mesh well with other team members. If questions stay surface-level, there aren’t follow-up questions based on your answers, and the interviewer is cut-and-dry instead of diving into more personal questions, you’re probably not a top candidate.

4. There’s no mention of next steps.

Typically, at some point in the second half of the interview, the interviewer will bring up salary expectations, references, or follow-up interviews. Even if they don’t do this, they’ll at least tell you at what point you should hear back about moving forward with your candidacy, or the estimated time that they’re trying to fill the position. But if an interview ends without a discussion about what the next steps in the process are, it probably means there won’t be any.

So what can you do if you start seeing some of these signs throughout the interview? There’s a chance that you may not be able to turn it around if the interviewer has already made up their mind – but there are a few tactics you can employ to give yourself the best shot.

Stay positive.

Remember that there’s a good chance the interviewer is having a busy day, has a million other things on his or her mind, or just doesn’t have a very friendly or engaging personality. By projecting confidence and positivity, you have a chance to turn around their first impression.

Ask great questions.

This approach has two potential benefits. One is that you can ask the interviewer outright if they think you’d be a good fit for the role – that way, if they bring up a specific concern they have with you or your experience, you have the chance to address it. Second, many recruiters and interviewers find that the type of questions a candidate asks say a lot about them. By asking insightful, thought-provoking questions, you may be able to increase the interviewer’s positive perception of you.

Think of it as practice.

Even if you feel pretty confident that you won’t get the job based on these signs, you can at least view the interview as good practice for a job that’s a better fit for you. Try your best, and make a mental note of what you can improve the next time.

Interviews are difficult, and no one likes knowing that their conversation isn’t going as well as they’d like. But by employing these tactics, you can have a better sense of what your interviewer is thinking, and attempt to course-correct to get the job.

The All-Time Best Way To Find A Job

A certain man, we’ll call him Patrick, was in dire financial straits. His business was failing, his wife had left him, and he was behind in his mortgage payments. Patrick’s desperation was so strong that he started playing the Lottery.

After several months without winning the Lottery, Patrick became really desperate, and decided to go to church to pray. He sat in a back pew, so as not to disturb anyone else, and started praying. “Oh, God,” he prayed, “You can see how badly off I am. Please, please, please let me win the Lottery.”

A week later, he still hadn’t won the Lottery. So he went back to church. “God, this is Patrick. I’ve been Your faithful servant for many years. I really need to win the Lottery.”

Another week went by. Still no Lottery winnings. This time, Patrick didn’t even bother with church, he sank down to his knees in his living room. “Oh, God, are you sure you have the right Patrick? I’m Patrick O’Donaghue, and I’m from—”

Just then a blinding light filled the living room, and a thunderous voice said, “Patrick, my son. Help me out here. Buy a ticket.”

I tell this story to demonstrate the best-kept secret to job-hunting success: You won’t get anywhere without plunging in.

“What do you mean, Jack?” you demand. “I have a resume, and it’s posted on Monster.”

To this I say, Good for you. But what else are you doing to market yourself? Are you on LinkedIn? Are you on Facebook? Twitter? Do you post regularly to these sites? What LinkedIn groups do you belong to? What message are you posting about yourself?

If you’re going to get anywhere, you have to plunge right in. That means making sure your resume will show a prospective employer how you can solve his or her problem(s). Sometimes it means convincing that employer that his or her house is on fire, and that you’re the fire fighter.

How about your LinkedIn profile? Are you one of those people who doesn’t show your face? Do you understand why a picture is so important? And yes, I get that you’re worried about putting your picture out there. Just please be aware that LinkedIn advises that you are 14 times more likely to have your profile viewed if you have a photo. Let’s face it; humans are visual. And we want to do business with people we know, like, and trust. In the case of a LinkedIn photo, the adage is correct that “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

And what else have you done to draw attention to yourself? Do you at least repost material you find that may interest your prospective customers or employers? Do you blog? YOU: “Who, me? Write a blog? Myself?” Yes, you. Writing isn’t the horrible fate you’ve always thought it was. When the teacher assigned a 500-word composition as a punishment, she or he never realized that you weren’t learning your lesson, you were learning to hate writing, to associate it with being punished.

So try. If you fail, try again. And again. Read blogs you like, and try to approximate what they do. Read everything you can get your hands on. You’re probably going to be using your native language, for crying out loud. Make your first attempts offline, in MS Word or some other word processing app. If you devote just 15 to 30 minutes each day to writing, you’ll get better. You’ll at least get good enough to write your own blog posts.

Do you post to Facebook and Twitter? On LinkedIn, have you joined any groups that interest you? Try answering a few posts, as writing practice for your blog.

The important thing through all of this is that you need to explore ways to get yourself known. The old way, where you just walked into the company and filled out an application, is no longer viable. Today’s world demands that you show your value, that you network with others. You need to take an active role in selling yourself. As the Lord said to Patrick, “Buy a ticket.”

This post was originally published at an earlier date.

3 Things To Think About Before Changing Careers

1. Decide what you want.

As a Career Makeover Coach, when I meet people for their first consultation, I ask them, “So what do you want to do?” More often than not, I get a blank look and a shrug of the shoulders. This is especially true of the individuals who were working and got laid off or terminated. Even if they hated their previous job, they were not planning to go anywhere, and now that they are suddenly out of work, they are at a loss as to what to do next.

What I don’t want for any of my clients is that they take a job that they wind up hating. My belief is that life is too short to spend it doing anything that you hate for a living. Jobs are insidious in that they can trap you into thinking that you have to “settle.” You don’t.

Knowing what you want to, however, can be a tricky proposition. You need to get in touch with what you are. Consider the following questions and really give them some thought. What are your talents? What are your natural dispositions and inclinations? What are your special and unique gifts? Are you good in math? Are you a writer? Are you an artist or a musician at heart? Do you enjoy working with your hands? What kinds of problems do you like to solve? What are your hobbies? How do you love to spend your time? Wouldn’t it be better for everyone involved if you could spend your time in a job that called on your best assets and rewarded you in ways that go beyond a paycheck?

This desire for work that is meaningful accounts for the popular idea that you can follow your passion and find your next job. I know some people discount this notion, and some people think that is hokey or “woo-woo.” I don’t. I think you should investigate carefully what you want to do with your life and then go for it instead of settling for a job or career that just makes you miserable.

Life is a journey, and it is all about learning. When I was young, I was lucky enough to land a job that was perfect for my natural aptitudes and general dispositions. As the school librarian for four different elementary school libraries over the course of 30+ years, I was definitely in my element. I loved books, and they surrounded me! I loved kids, but I loved not being solely responsible for them all day long, too. I especially loved the periods of solitude where I worked on cataloging and shelving, and just “being,” while doing a job that I felt was meaningful while it was also personally fulfilling. I didn’t get rich, and for some periods during my early career, I had to opt for second jobs to pay the bills, but I managed.

In this phase of my career as a Career Makeover Coach, I get to indulge my love of writing and sharing my experience and expertise with others. I love encouraging people to take chances on themselves and considering the possibility of re-inventing and re-tooling themselves. I did it, so why not you? The first task, however, is to get clear about what it is you want to do and what you already know how to do well. If you are unclear, try reading What Color is Your Parachute by Richard N. Boles, Careerealism by J.T. O’Donnell, StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath, or taking an online assessment. If you need to, invest in a program like the Pathway Planner™ which is an in-depth career assessment tool that points out various aspects of your personality, aptitudes and inclinations. You can use it as an educational and career-planning tool to help you discover what career possibilities best suit you.

Finding the right career match for yourself will increase your probability of meeting success and satisfaction. If you are struggling in this area, there are several different assessments that can be found online for free or for a fee.

Some people benefit from journaling and describing in detail the type of job they believe would be best for them. Find a strategy that will work for you, and spend some time thinking deeply about where you want to take your next step professionally. There is no point in accepting the first thing that comes along if you are likely to be miserable. Your first priority as a job hunter or career switcher is to get in touch with what you believe your mission and purpose is, and find a job that is in alignment with that mission or purpose. You will enjoy a job that is in alignment with your core values far more than you will enjoy one that you feel has no real meaning.

2. The second thing to consider is whether your resume reflects what you want to do as opposed to what you have been doing.

Many people mistakenly believe that a resume is a strict summary of everything they have ever done and everything they have ever accomplished to date. Your resume should, instead, reflect the value that you bring to a potential employer. You need to answer the question, “What is in it for the company to take a chance on hiring me?”

Also consider: What problem(s) can you solve? Can you make the company money? Can you save the company money? Those are the main reasons anyone ever gets hired, so you need to craft your resume accordingly. The REAL purpose of your resume is to get you invited for an interview. If you forget that fact, you miss the point of writing a resume that presents you in the best possible light.

3. The third thing that you cannot afford to overlook is your LinkedIn profile.

Many people still don’t understand the real value of LinkedIn or know how to leverage it to help them land their next great job opportunity. Do not skip having a professional looking and fully optimized LinkedIn profile, and do not skip over the fact that you need to engage with individuals and groups inside of LinkedIn. Once you have fully optimized your profile, find Groups that are related to your professional area or interest. Join groups where you could interact with individuals who have the job or do work that you would enjoy. Like, share, and post articles that you see from others. Post articles of your own as long as they are well written and provide value.

Don’t mistake LinkedIn for Facebook. The purpose of your LinkedIn profile is to help you shine professionally. Facebook is for fun, friends, and family. Never confuse the purpose of the two platforms. Keep all of your LinkedIn messages and updates professional. Connect with others who are in the same or similar field. Reconnect with alumni with whom you may have lost touch. Use LinkedIn for networking virtually while you are also getting out of the house and networking in person (the fourth thing you should know about job hunting or career changing).

There are many moving parts to the job search process, and I have only touched on three and alluded to a fourth, which is networking. 

Changing jobs or careers can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. You can be successful if and when you learn the process. Take the time to know what you want and use your resume and LinkedIn profile as tools for helping you land the job or change to the career that will fulfill you both financially and emotionally.

5 Factors To Consider Before Accepting Your First Job

Often, new graduates will settle for something that is outside of their field of study or something that doesn’t even require their level of education because they are just looking for a job…and at some point in the search, any job starts to look pretty good. My caution, however, is to stay true to what it is you truly want to do instead of defaulting too quickly to whatever is available.

Life has a funny way of leading you in a certain direction based on the seemingly innocuous decisions you make on any given day or any point in time. The decisions you make right after graduating college, however, can set you on a course that will either serve you in unexpectedly delightful ways or will set you on a course that will not serve you in the long run at all.

Recently, I spoke with a young woman who is 25 years old. She has a degree in communications and PR, but she said that while she was still in school, she had decided that she hated everything about PR. It was “too late to change [her] major,” she said, so she stuck with it. Now, as a relatively recent graduate, she has a degree that is useless to her because she hates what the degree says she can do.

Between the time she graduated and now, she has been working as an administrative assistant, and she didn’t like that either, so she quit. When I asked her what she was going to do next, she indicated that she was thinking of getting her license as a Realtor. In the meantime, she would be taking over some extra shift work at her 2nd job, and she would probably do some odds jobs to pay the rent and her other expenses until she settles on something.

I didn’t get the impression that this smart young woman had any real idea what she wanted to do. She did say she wanted to do something “meaningful,” and I don’t know where getting her realtor’s license fits in with that, but perhaps she truly has a passion around helping people buy homes that wasn’t readily apparent during our conversation.

The thing that was apparent to me is that she is adrift with no real sense of direction or purpose, and the more odd jobs and temporary gigs she takes, the more difficult it will be for a future employer to take her seriously as a candidate. Even if she were to figure out tomorrow what she wants to do for the next few years, she would have a challenging time of it working up a resume that would get her the job unless she knew someone who was able to give her a fantastic recommendation.

The point of all of this is that you need to have some sort of plan, and you need to keep the following five things in mind before accepting your first job unless you want to be derailed before you have even gotten started.

1. Create a 5-year plan.

Everyone at every stage of life should have a 5-year plan. You don’t have to expect that everything on the plan will pan out exactly as planned, but as with anything in life, if you don’t have a plan, you are going to wind up spinning your wheels. Benjamin Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” So, even if you aren’t sure you will be able to follow through on everything in your plan, at least create one. Having a sense of where you want to be in 5 years will simplify some of the decisions you have to make now. For example, ask yourself: “If I take this job now, will it set me on the course I need and want to be on if I stick with my 5-year plan?” If the answer is “yes,” then you continue to consider taking the job. If the answer is “no,” unless there are other extenuating circumstances, you should probably turn the job down.

2. Consider the longer term trajectory starting with your first job.

This consideration is an extension of the first one. Whatever decisions you make now concerning your career will likely have an impact on what happens to you moving forward. My first job, for example, was one I took out of a sense of desperation. I felt tremendous pressure from my parents who wanted me to be gainfully employed so I could have health insurance. Back in those days, you had 60 days to find something or you were kicked off your parents’ plan, and you were out of luck. This was hammered into me by my mother who worked for the state and carried the insurance plan for the family. She was determined that I would not go one day without insurance, and back then there were fewer options available than there are today. You were either insured by your employer, or you didn’t have insurance unless you had money to pay for a single-payer policy. So, I took the first job that was offered to me even though it wasn’t with the district I wanted, and it required a 40-mile commute one way. I was lucky in that I was able to get a job with the district I wanted to work for a year later, but if that hadn’t happened, I might still be living in a rural area not far from where I grew up. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but that wasn’t what I wanted. Know what you want and consider the consequences of settling for something less before you make a decision out of desperation.

3. Create a list of the pros and cons of taking this particular job as your first job.

I recommend that you list the reasons for taking the job, and then list the reasons not to take the job. Which list is longer? How bad are the cons? How good are the pros? Weigh that list carefully, and let it guide you toward making the right decision.

4. Remember that it is your life…and your decision.

Your parents, friends, and other relatives love you, and they want to see you happy and settled. Resist their efforts to rush you into making a decision, however. If you let them pressure you, and you wind up making a mistake, you will be the one who pays for it in the long run. Resist their good intentions and listen to your own counsel—your gut or your inner intuition—in making a decision about whether this job is right for you or not.

5. Ask the right questions before you take any job.

When you are offered a job, that is not the end of the conversation; it is only the beginning. Be prepared to ask a lot of questions before saying, “yes.” You are making a momentous decision, and you can’t afford it make it lightly. Craft a list of questions about the expectations of your employer, ask about benefits and perks. Make sure the salary is one you can live on and don’t be afraid to ask if you can negotiate some details before you say “yes.” You will appear to be less desperate and more professional to the people who are hiring you. To the extent that you can, know what you are getting into, and know that you can deal with it before accepting the offer. Also, get as much of the terms of your employment in writing as you can.

Accepting your first job right out of college is a big deal, and it can make the difference between setting you on the career path you want for yourself or creating a detour from which you may never fully recover. Know as much as you can about the job before saying “yes.” You will be glad you did.

How To Figure Out What’s Next In Your Career

Figuring out what to do next in your life is a problem everyone faces at one point or another. If you’re just out of school, or you’ve gone as far as possible with your current form of employment, it’s only logical to take a look at what will do next. There are a few steps you may want to consider before you decide what to do next, especially if you aren’t quite sure of what you want to happen next.

Once you have searched through these sources, you can begin to understand what is next on your path through life. Find out how to figure out what’s next in your career:

Consider what you want, not what you think you SHOULD want.

A lot of people sit miserably in jobs they hate for most of their lives because they followed the career path they thought they ought to have, rather than one they wanted to take. For some people, money is all they need, but if there are some extra things you need for job satisfaction, these need to be taken into account.

What are the hours you’re looking for? Do you have any special conditions? Does your prospective employment allow you to fit to what you need to be happy in your work? If not, is there a way to find one that will? When considering your career path, you need to figure out what you want to be doing, not just what job you want to have.

Play to your skills.

Sit down and figure out what you’re good at, every talent and skill you have, and all the ways you can apply them. Take the time to write them all out and focus on exactly what you can do. Get some help from friends if you can in order to figure out what you want to be doing for a living. There are ways to apply even the strangest skills. Only when you know all the things you can do can you figure out where you need to go next.

Consider all sources.

It’s important to consider every piece of guidance when deciding what you want to do next. You need to figure out where you want to go and what you want to do. You need to take every possible career path. Consult friends, family, guidance counselors, really give yourself time to think. If those don’t quite work out, then be sure to consider every source. If the normal cannot give you what you need, then perhaps you need to look to the stars. Some believe that astrology can help you track your future life and figure out what you should be doing. 

The future is a hard thing to deal with. There are many critical junctures in a persons life and every new job choice gives the opportunity to find what you want to do for the rest of your life. Even if the next choice of job isn’t the big one, something enjoyable with a decent pay check is far better than the alternatives.

How To Spot A Jerk Boss During An Interview

Once upon a time, you nailed that interview. You put into practice all the tips you’ve read on the web on how to control your body language, how to answer all those sneaky interview questions, and you really felt as if you left a pretty good impression on your interviewer.

You get the call after an eternity of sleepless nights and anxious walks with your phone glued to your hand. In the end, you do get the job and… bang! Only a month later, you realize your boss is a bad person. A real jerk, if you have to be honest.

Does this sound familiar?

The question is – how do you spot that jerk boss right on the spot, so that you save everyone’s time by acknowledging the fact that you wouldn’t fit in that company right during the interview?

Here are a few points to get you started with, when YOU assess your future boss during your next interview:

They are too nice with you.

Yes, you’ve read it – too nice. (Well, first of all – nice and boss don’t go that well together.) Jokes aside, during your first encounter with the manager, the connection should come naturally and authentically. Don’t get me wrong, there might be many bosses out there who would really be nice because that’s who they are.

In most cases, however, it either means they are hiding something under that perfectly polished body language (or their office desk) or they are too desperate to have you on board, as they are faced with fluctuation of labor in the company. In other words, beware if you hear phrases like, “We are flexible with the working hours, you might come and leave as you like, as long as the job is done!”

They don’t listen.

If you want to be a good communicator, then you should be able to listen – especially, if you are a leader. If you catch your future boss checking their laptop/computer/iPad too often, then it either means that you are doing a really bad job during that interview, or that he/she is a self-centered jerk. These types of managers also tend to forget asking if you have any particular questions about the position and the conditions in general, while they go on boasting about how successful their company is.

They take all the credit.

These managers would brag about how they magically revived the company after it had been almost destroyed by the previous owners, or how they went from 20 to 100 employees in just over a year, all because of THEM. You see, it is more than adorable that the company is growing like a sponge. As the company grows, you will, too – which is quite good news.

However, if you hear them say, “I had my first office in a garage and now look where I am now,” it means they most probably haven’t yet realized what one of their most crucial roles as an entrepreneur is – to value their subordinates and all the hard work they have done.

They bad mouth other job seekers like you, or even their own subordinates.

Saying things like, “You can’t even imagine the type of person I interviewed earlier today…” or “The Marketing Manager is going to have a lot to explain about the situation she put me in!” is, and should always remain, a bad sign!

A leader, who is meant to see the value in people, cannot analyze the behavior of others in front of a potential job candidate. Unless they are psychologists, they are not allowed to do that. This type of talk should alert you that, as talented and skillful you are, your manager might be talking about you next time.

Their office says it all: Signs are everywhere.

Some entrepreneurs are so good at their ‘social game,’ that you will never know who they really are and how they really treat their subordinates, until you pay attention to their office space. I think that the more lavish the office space is, the tougher the boss will be.

Pay attention to details in the interior, such as too many photos of your future boss shaking hands with important people (politicians, writers etc.), or too many statues of things you can’t even name, or strange figures with clocks hanging from them, or a desk wide enough to fit your bathroom. If you have the feeling you are in a palace, rather than an office, then chances are that this boss tends to do things their way.

Practice says it all: The déjà vu.

If you feel like you’ve gone back in time when stepping into the office and their attitude resembles an ex-boss, who you weren’t much fond of, then most probably you would be right in turning the offer down. I recently was at an interview, where the manager and the office space were so familiar to me that I was planning to run half-way through the interview. There is a small chance I might have been wrong but I decided I would pass, considering the fact that they even looked alike.

Don’t forget to take this list with you on your next interview, just in case you forget any of the points. And, do make sure your future boss doesn’t see it, or you won’t have to make a decision at all!

What Are The Next Steps After Getting A Promotion?

It’s exciting, no doubt about it. Your expertise, hard work, and perseverance paid off. You got the big promotion you were working toward. Then, along with exuberance, reality sets in with a bit of nerves for this new challenge. Now you have to deliver.

Even though promotions are exhilarating, they can also leave recipients uneasy about the change. Going from a position you had proven yourself in to a position with some inherent uncertainty will put a knot in the most confident stomachs.

Oftentimes, the easiest kind of promotion is where you’re promoted into a new environment with a new team to work with. That is like a clean slate. Much harder can be the transition within a business unit. Not to mention, the move from peer to boss can definitely be a minefield. Like it or not, we create an identity at work and many of our co-workers identify us with our role. Change our role or give us more responsibility, and people around us sometimes have difficulty adapting. There are also occasions where the person promoted has difficulty adjusting. Let’s take a look at some of the steps the newly promoted can take to ensure a smooth, effective transition.

Listen

Embrace the newness and recognize your stakeholders—those affected by your work and your team’s work. Even if you are working with some of the same people, there is a good chance you have new stakeholders, or new relationships with stakeholders. Meet with them and listen to their feedback. From employees to suppliers to customers to your boss, they will let you know what’s going well and what needs improvement from their perspectives. Note the emphasis on listening. You don’t need to promise the world just because you’re in a new role. You are there to gather their feedback so you can ensure expectations are met. You will learn a lot when you actively listen and these people will notice your engagement.

Plan

Your promotion was a competitive process. Your boss saw something in you to give you this opportunity. There is almost always a learning curve to your new position, but during the transition, put together a plan for yourself and your role going forward.

You bring a skill set, expertise, and a new perspective. These are all ways you can add value. Determine 30-, 90-, and 180-day milestones about what you are going to learn and how you will proceed in making positive contributions. Utilize the SMART principle for goal-setting (Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, Time-based). The promotion is not the high water mark. You have greater things in store.

Communicate

Be as transparent as possible about your goals and expectations. This communication should be the case up and down the chain of command; and you have to actively invite feedback and demonstrate a willingness to listen to it.

Once you have developed your plan and milestones, meet with your supervisor to discuss. If you have not worked closely with this person before, it may be helpful to meet regularly, at least while you get your feet wet. Get to know his or her expectations and communication preferences. See to it that you’re both on the same page strategically and tactically.

The same holds true if you have any employees reporting to you. They should be aware of the direction you want them going, and they should know how you prefer to communicate. Share your goals and plans. Research has shown that we are more successful at working toward goals and implementing new habits when we communicate them to others. We allow people to hold us accountable. In a team environment, there is no other way to move the needle.

Finally, you may be asking, “Why so much emphasis on communication preferences?” Relationships at work function much better when the individuals involved have clear understandings. This becomes even more important in workplaces with flexible schedules and working arrangements, different communication media available, and where teams are distributed and function in a virtual environment. Sending an urgent email to your boss when she only checks email once a day can be useless.