Why Preparation Is Key In An Interview

Why Preparation Is Key In An Interview

To quote Shakespeare, “All the world’s a stage…” When you go to an interview, you’re networking your way into a company, or are even talking about your job search with acquaintances, you most certainly are on stage. When interviewing, it behooves the job seeker to be prepared. Most people agree that dressing professionally and looking the part is a good idea. Most people totally understand that knowing where and when to show up is a good idea. However, so many resist the suggestion to rehearse what they are going to say. I can’t even tell you the number of times I’ve heard, “Oh, I interview really well, I don’t need to worry about practicing.” Oh, really? If you think you do, try answering these questions off the cuff: Pitch me in 10 seconds what you can do for me. Why should I hire you? Go. Describe yourself in seven words. What were your three biggest accomplishments at your last position? What are the measurable results from these accomplishments? Give me your 30 second elevator speech. Could you answer without hesitation in the required amount of time? Is your answer relevant to the position you are applying for? If not, you need some help with your interviewing skills (ask someone you know, or hire a professional) and developing your personal brand. If you don’t know what you’re all about and what you have to offer, or if you can’t convey it succinctly, why would an employer want to hire you? You need help figuring that out and help rehearsing it until it naturally rolls off your tongue, like an experienced actor recites her lines. In addition, think about when you are interacting with others. Imagine the conversation turns to your career. In casual conversation, do you know your Unique Value Proposition? Can you explain what you do well, the successes you’ve had and what you’re looking for? The people you know may know someone who could get you into your dream job. If you’re not confident in who you are and prepared to pitch to anyone, you may risk missing out on an opportunity. It takes a lot of insight to get good answers to these questions. Like the coaching an actor needs to learn how to get into character, you may benefit from working with a good career coach. A specialist in personal branding can help you hone in on what really makes you stellar and how that relates to your audience. They can help you pick the right words for the maximum impact, and be available to help you go over it again and again until you’ve nailed it.

5 Ways To Get A Job

There are plenty of ways to get a job, but are you taking the right approach to your unique job search? Recently, when explaining to a client that it was important to vary his approach to finding and applying to jobs, I stumbled upon the “Five Fingers of Job Search.” In general, you are going to have the best results by spreading out your “hand” and tapping into more jobs. Certainly other ways to get a job, but if you follow these recommendations, you are bound to be successful. Ways To Find A Job To find the most jobs, you will want your fingers to spread over the following job search resources: 1. Online Postings You can find hundreds of jobs online, but so can everyone else! Most employers are requiring this, so you will have to comply in order to be considered. Follow-up is especially crucial when submitting your applications online. Just because you have applied, doesn’t mean it was received! Some popular job search sites are: CareerBuilder.com, Indeed.com, and Monster.com. 2. Community Agencies Your local job service or Career One Stop office, libraries, and many other municipal or public agencies may offer not only job search assistance, but computer and other training. 3. Staffing Agencies These used to be thought of as temporary agencies, but increasingly are placing folks in permanent positions. They can be an invaluable source of jobs. Try to develop a relationship with a specific recruiter at each agency in your area and follow up with them regularly. 4. Newspapers (Actual Printed Ones) Many of my clients find jobs they eventually receive offers from via small, penny saver type local papers. Don’t disregard these as a source for potential job leads. 5. Employers Many employers advertise only on their internal job boards and/or websites. Identify employers in your area for whom you would like to work and check their career pages regularly. Likewise, when applying for jobs you want to vary your approach to increase your chances of obtaining an interview and job offer: Ways To Apply For A Job 1. In Person Occasionally, you may luck into a direct contact or interview with the hiring manager when you present in person with a resume or to complete an application. This is an excellent way to stand out from the other applicants who are sitting at home applying for jobs online. 2. Snail Mail A postcard with a brief note and, if pertinent, a link to your profile or resume or with your e-mail address can make all the difference. The employer doesn’t even have to open an envelope! 3. E-Mail Many employers provide e-mail addresses for their staff or follow specific conventions that can allow you to “guess” an e-mail address. For example, firstname.lastname@company.com is a common e-mail convention. 4. Online Again, applying on line is a necessity these days, but so is following up. Complete the online application, but you may want to follow up with another application method to insure your resume is received. 5. Database Careerbuilder.com and Monster.com, as well as other job search websites, often provide the ability to post your resume online for employers to find. This is not a bad idea, but be aware that scammers can also see your resume and seek you out to sell their services to you. You can also use the concepts to get a job as a way to vary your follow-up approach, as employers have different styles and preferences just like everyone else. When following up try each of the following: Ways To Follow Up 1. In Person Many times someone not accessible by phone is very accessible in person. It is also harder to ignore or delay someone standing right in front of you versus a nameless person on the phone. A face with a name will go a long way toward making you stand out to an employer in general. 2. Snail Mail This method is often forgotten in today’s electronic communication wave. But, employers still get mail and they will be more likely to get your resume if sent vial the post office with a quick follow up note. Or, the postcard mentioned above! 3. E-Mail If an employer is someone who likes e-mail, you can often obtain information about the hiring process or time line or to request an interview. I always like the reasoning behind offering: I am going to be in your area tomorrow and just thought I would see if it was possible to schedule a little time with you… 4. Phone Pick up the good ole phone and call! Have a phone script ready to outline what you will say to the employer and have a clear goal in mind for the call. 5. Fax Also kind of old-fashioned, but can be very effective. Most companies do not hesitate to publish their fax numbers. If you need to do a Google search, use the following in the search field: company name, city, state, fax. If you are looking for work and looking for better ways to get a job, you will be more successful applying the above principles. In fact, you should notice results immediately.

Top 10 Degrees That Can Get You A Job With Handsome Pay

Top 10 Degrees That Can Get You A Job With Handsome Pay

One of the significant criteria for taking up a degree course is the range of job prospects offered by it. Getting a reputable degree is the foundation for building a successful career. However, some subjects help you get a job with handsome pay more often. Here are some degrees that can help you get a fatter paycheck: 1. Medicine And Dentistry This field stands as the most lucrative areas of study. It is considered to provide the students with some of the most highly rewarding outcomes in terms of salary and long-standing prospects. Veterinary science is now considered as a separate area of study from medicine. It is placed second in terms of employment with 85 percent of graduates finding employment in the U.S. right away and 3 percent being employed overseas. 2. Education According to the statistics gathered by educational experts at SolidEssay.com, 92.6 percent of students graduating with degrees relating to education ended up with a job right away. 15 percent were in full-time or part-time study and one percent were employed overseas. 3. Law 88.6 percent of 2011/12′s law graduates have found employment or further study such as an MBA in Law. Law offers well-paid employment prospects for students and is a degree most in demand by employers. 4. Biological Sciences This is a rapidly growing sector with 87.1 percent of students gaining employment in related industries just after completing graduation. 5. Mathematical Sciences 86.5 percent of the students graduating with mathematical sciences degrees were employed or studying further within six months of graduation. It is the most sought after qualification by the employers and students. 6. Language The ability to speak another language is most appreciated and it is proven by 86 percent of 2011/12 language graduates being employed with attractive income. 7. Engineering This degree provides students with some of the most lucrative job prospects in the market. 85.4 percent of engineering graduates have found employment or have moved into further study within the last year. 8. Humanities The humanities subjects are not left far behind either. 85.4 percent of students graduating with historical and philosophical studies have found employment or taken up further study within six months of completion of their degrees. 9. Architecture Building and planning is another profitable area of study. This is easily proven with 85.2 percent of its students finding a job or taking up the option of further study within six months of graduation. 10. Business Studies This area offers the students a wide range of job prospects in numerous sectors. 85 percent of business studies graduates did very well in their career. These subjects offer some of the most rewarding degrees to students, as they are able to venture out into the uncertain employment world with confidence.

Unemployment Quick Tip: Target, Target, Target!

Most job seekers who have been out of work for a long time tend to think they need to cast a wide net. In other words, they believe they must open up their job search and apply to anything and everything they might be a fit for. That’s actually the wrong thing to do. In this labor market, hiring managers are looking for people who are the right fit for the job. The responsibility to prove you are uniquely qualified rests on you. Since you can’t possibly be perfect for all those jobs you are blasting your resume to, your time is wasted. Here’s what to do instead: Identify your Interview Bucket List – a list of 50 companies in your local area that you would like to work for. Follow them on LinkedIn and then set up Google Alerts on them as well. Each day, review the info that comes in about these companies and try to find something of relevance that you can discuss with people who work there. Contact and invite people who work there to connect so you can ask about what you saw in the news and start to build a relationship with them by email. Once they accept, see if they might be willing to let you conduct an informational interview so you can learn more about the company first-hand as a way to prepare yourself for applying to future openings. The secret to getting hired after being unemployed for a long time is to show you are focused on getting a job with a firm you know you can do great work for. This means doing your homework and connecting with people already working there. In doing so, you’ll gain the knowledge and information you need to stand out when you apply for jobs at the company. Getting hired requires a strategy that targets who you want to work for. Without it, your job search is unfocused and puts you at a disadvantage as compared to better-informed, better-connected job seekers.

How To Use Twitter As A Job Search Tool

How To Use Twitter As A Job Search Tool

When I suggest using Twitter as a job search tool, I often get blank stares and responses such as, “Twitter, really? I’m not into the whole tweeting thing.” The good news is you don’t have to be. You can be an observant follower and still reap many benefits. Twitter gives you free information about people, organizations, and job listings. Start To Follow People And Organizations Following someone on Twitter simply means receiving their posts which are called “tweets.” Every time the person posts a new message, it appears on your home page in real time. To start the process, use the search function to find people or organizations you want to follow. Once you find them, click on the follow button and you will begin instantly receiving their updates. The best part about Twitter is that you don’t need to get the person’s permission. Anyone on Twitter can follow any person or organization. Who Do You Follow? Begin by following organizations you are interested in pursuing. Next, follow employees in your target companies. The information you will receive will be valuable in helping you research the culture and mission of an organization. Job Listings An easy way to search for openings is to use the hash tag sign or what some people refer to as the pound sign which is the # symbol. The hash tag is Twitter’s filing system. For example, if you search #Seattle and #jobs, you will find tweets for openings in Seattle. Start Now Take your first step of setting up your free account.  Go to www.twitter.com and click on the “Sign up now” button.  Within minutes you will have access to information that might just help you land your dream job.

How To Ask For LinkedIn Recommendations

In all of the conversations I’ve had with recruiters and hiring managers, I’ve never once heard that a weak recommendation cost a candidate consideration for an opening. It’s not likely that a silly recommendation on your profile will damage you. However, when considering candidates, recruiters do say that they notice these three things about LinkedIn recommendations: 1. They count to make sure there is a strong ratio between the number of connections and the number or recommendations. A large network with few recommendations is a red flag. 2. An equal number of recommendations received to recommendations given is a red flag. It makes it look like the recommendations were mere reciprocity. 3. Recruiters look for quality (meaty) recommendations, and disregard flakey or fluffy ones as not credible. So, how can you increase your number of meaty recommendations? How To Ask For LinkedIn Recommendations In years past, you didn’t really ask for recommendations, you wrote your own letter, presented it to your boss or mentor and asked them to make any changes to it and sign it. Back then, you needed only about three of these. So, it wasn’t always obvious that you actually wrote all of them yourself! But with LinkedIn, you may end up with over 20 of these, and if you wrote all of them, it would be obvious. So, here is a way to ask for a freshly written rec without burdening your manager or mentor. Remind them that a LinkedIn recommendation isn’t a full letter; it takes only about 10 minutes and doesn’t need to be longer than three short paragraphs. Give them something specific to recommend about you. For example, “Would you mind talking about the ATT project we did together and the role I played?” Suggest three specific personality or professional traits you want them to mention. For example, “Would you mind mentioning my work ethic, ability to work in teams, and depth of experience working with large enterprise accounts?” The Anatomy Of A Good LinkedIn Recommendation Being specific in your request will help you avoid the “She’s a good person” type of recommendation. But you might also suggest the following format to help them whip something up even faster. Qualify your relationship with the person. “I’ve known Jane for five years, and during this time, we’ve worked on countless projects together.” Show that you’ve already taken action to vouch for them. “When I became a manager in the department, I specifically requested that she join my new team.” Describe a project they worked on that exemplifies a professional quality such as leadership or initiative. “On a project with ATT, we were in danger of delivering late. Jane stepped up and found three additional resources to share the work. Through her leadership, we saved the project and… ” Close the recommendation with a call to action by re-emphasizing those professional qualities “If you are looking for a super organized, easy to get along with and tenacious project manager, Jane would be my first choice.”

5 Ways Body Language Can Cost You The Job

5 Ways Body Language Can Cost You The Job

What your body conveys can tell far more about your feelings than you suspect. How you stand, your eye contact (or lack thereof), and the position of your hands, among other things send a message. Your body language establishes a tone you subconsciously convey – Don’t let that cost you the job! Most of the time, you have no idea you are giving off these signals. They are quite automatic. Oftentimes you have no idea that you are conveying what you are thinking in your body language. You can exhibit some control over negative body language with improved self-awareness and practice. Here are some negative gestures to think about and avoid: 1. Crossing Your Arms In Front Of You This signals that you are resistant to ideas and not open to others’ opinions. When speaking with people – especially during an interview keep your hands in your lap. When standing, keep hands at your sides. 2. Looking Down When Speaking Looking down is a sign that you are disinterested or feel inferior. Make sure you maintain eye contact without staring. This will let the other person subliminally know that you are interested in what they have to say. If the eyes are the window of the soul, looking at someone when you are talking to them is a strong indicator that you are engaged. Eye contact is good; staring is creepy! 3. Checking Your Watch There is nothing that screams boredom more than the continuous checking of the time. Do not look at your watch when speaking with someone. You want to convey continued interest in what they are saying. The exchange of information should be an engaging one – not a situation where you appear to be focused on something else. 4. False Smiling A smile is one of the very best ways to communicate sincerity and a friendly, approachable demeanor. Don’t force a smile or smile the entire time. That will look odd and raise questions in the mind of the person you are interacting with. A natural smile will resonate during the interview.  A genuine smile involves the entire face – a fake forced smile uses only the mouth – and studies indicate that people are very good at seeing the differences. 5. Poor Posture Standing up straight with your shoulders back displays confidence and self-assuredness. Slouching immediately makes you look smaller and is indicative of lack of self-confidence. Your posture serves to deliver a clear and positive message about how you should be treated. Leave a lasting positive impression with good posture. Avoid inappropriate body language and learn how to identify it in others. Make sure you prepare and feel good about yourself to feel good about your interactions with those you know as well as people you are meeting for the first time.