Never, Ever Go To A Job Interview Without These 10 Things – Liz Ryan

Apr 232018
 

The key to a great job interview is preparation.

As somebody who has interviewed thousands of candidates I can tell you that it is very sad to meet a candidate who is smart and friendly — but also, sadly unprepared for the interview.

When you ask a candidate, “What do you know about our company so far?” and their answer is, “Not too much, to be honest — just what’s in the job ad!” it’s a sad moment.

How can the candidate recover from that unfortunate start? They’ve already sent the message that they don’t care very much about the opportunity.

If the job is the kind of entry-level job people often take at the very start of their career, that’s one thing. A teenager doesn’t need to know the intricacies of Target’s corporate structure in order to do a great job as a Target cart attendant.

It’s different when you’re interviewing for a so-called Staff Professional role or any Knowledge Worker job. You have to do your research before the interview.

Your research not only equips you with information that will help you create the connection you want to make at the job interview (if it turns out that you like and respect the people you meet, and the job sounds interesting to you), although that is one benefit.

The other important reason to do your research before a job interview is to help you compose questions about the job.

There are certain things the employer needs to know about before they will hire you. There are certain things you need to know about the role and your prospective next boss, too — before you’ll know whether or not you want the job.

You should plan on at least two hours of preparation time before an interview.

If that sounds like a lot, think about how many brain and heart cells you will invest in the job if you take it!

You need to know as much as possible about the people you’re thinking about working with — before the interview begins.

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Ten Things Outstanding Job Candidates Do Differently – Liz Ryan

Apr 172018
 

I was an HR leader for a long time. I hired thousands of people, and I noticed some striking things about the recruiting process.

I noticed that a small percentage of the job candidates stood out — for all the right reasons. These folks didn’t have better educational backgrounds than other candidates. They weren’t better-connected than other people, and they didn’t have fancier ex-employer brands on their resumes.

They had something else going for them. The outstanding job candidates we met were well-prepared for the interview and they knew their own abilities — and that combination got them the job!

Most job candidates, if we are honest, don’t do a great job of preparing for a job interview. They miss their golden opportunity to orient themselves to the company and the opportunity before they arrive at the employer’s facility.

Then, they tend to disappear into the chair and leave almost no impression on the interviewer. What a shame!

You can be one of those candidates who leaves interviewers thinking “Wow, how do we get this awesome person on our team?”

Here’s how!

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Why You Should Never Ask This 1 Question in a Job Interview – Dominic Umbro

Apr 102018
 
It could raise some red flags for the recruiter.

What you say to a recruiter in an interview can determine whether or not you get hired.

Asking the right interview questions is a great way to demonstrate interest and show that you’ve done your homework on the company.

But asking about promotions the wrong way can raise a red flag and seriously hurt your chances of getting the job.

When interviewing with a recruiter, you only have one chance to make a great first impression.

Asking smart questions about the company’s goals and their expectations for the role at hand is a great way to convey your enthusiasm and sell yourself.

But it’s important to tread lightly when asking about potential promotions.

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Top Technical Interview Questions – Alison Doyle

Apr 022018
 

Here is a list of the top technical interview questions that are most often asked by tech employers and recruiters. Depending on the job you’re interviewing for you will be asked about the skills, experience, certifications, competencies, language, processes, systems and tools you have that are a match for the job requirements.

Be prepared to share examples of your skills, as the apply to the job for which you’re interviewing.

Taking the time to match your qualifications to the job description, will make it easier to respond.

Before you head out to a job interview, review the list and make sure that you’re prepared with answers.

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Here’s How to Ace the Curveball Interview Questions You Never Saw Coming – Courtney Connley

Mar 132018
 

A well-prepared interview candidate knows the answer to the most common questions — things like “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” and “Where do you see yourself in five years?” – like the back of their hand. But even the sharpest candidates can be stumped by an unexpected curveball question.

According to bestselling management author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch, these questions are designed to knock you off your game in order to see how you respond to the unexpected.

Welch tells CNBC Make IT that the key to answering curveball questions like “How many tennis balls can fit into this room?” or “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?” is to understand what the interviewer is trying to learn about you.

No one, she says, expects an exact answer like, “I, Suzy Welch, could fit 3,435 tennis balls in this room deflated and 1,115 inflated.” Instead, hiring managers want to see how well you can think in unexpected circumstances and how creative you can get with your response.

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Transferable Skills Guide: Identifying Your Transferable Skills – Kayla Strickland

Mar 052018
 

What is a transferable skill?

Time management. I needed it when balancing a handful of demanding courses, a capstone paper I really wanted to hit out of the park, part time work, bills, (at times) a social life and rest. I need it just as much in my current role as Customer Support and Operations Manager at Addgene. In this role, I balance my daily tasks, meet cross-team project commitments, respond to any issues raised by team members, and plan for the future of the team. All while still paying bills and having a life outside my job.

The same can be said about teamwork, communication, writing, management, and creativity; I have developed these skills through school, jobs, and volunteer work, and I guarantee you have developed them through similar experiences in graduate school. These skills will be useful anywhere I work in the future; they are transferrable across most, if not all, industries and work environments. This is why they are called transferable skills.

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Ask a Credible Career Coach: Can I Negotiate When the Job Description Lists a Salary? – Emily Liou

Feb 262018
 

Dear Career Coach,

Can you still negotiate compensation when the job posting explicitly lists a salary? If so, what’s the best way to approach this?

Signed,
Nervous Negotiator

Dear Nervous Negotiator,

Negotiations are often nerve-racking for candidates because they don’t want to ask for too much and have an employer withdraw an offer.

But I want to give you reassurance that as much as you fear losing out on an opportunity, companies also fear losing great talent (like you!) by coming in below expectations. That’s why companies and candidates often have an open discussion to meet somewhere in the middle.

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In Job Interviews, Credibility Comes From More Than What You Know – David G. Jensen

Feb 052018
 

What do you think makes a scientist credible? The first thing you’re likely to think of is their technical skill base. You might say that a cell biologist projecting credibility must have a fair number of publications in their area of expertise, or a very special niche that they are known for, right? To some extent, you’d be correct—but that’s only when it comes to technical credibility. In reality, your overall credibility is composed of much more than that technical skill base.

This is particularly true early in the interview process, when you must get past nonscientific interviewers such as recruiters or human resources (HR) personnel. If you have an interesting CV, the first step of the interview process is likely to be a 20 to 30 minute phone call with a recruiter or HR professional to establish mutual interest. The crucial thing to remember about these screening interviews is that, to make it to the more detailed onsite interview with the scientific experts who will respond to your technical expertise, you first have to establish a general sense of credibility.

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  •  February 5, 2018
  •  Posted by at 11:29 am
  •   Comments Off on In Job Interviews, Credibility Comes From More Than What You Know – David G. Jensen
  •   Career Success, Interviewing

What To Say When a Job Interviewer Asks, ‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years?’ – Suzy Welch

Jan 232018
 

You probably know this interview question all too well: “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

It’s a difficult one to answer, and not just because you have to gaze into your future.

“It’s an infuriating question because honestly, who knows how the future will unfold?” bestselling management author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch tells CNBC Make It. At the same time, “you know they expect you to answer by saying something like, ‘Right here, at this fabulous company!'”

Most candidates will end up giving a response about how they hope to still be with the company at that point. But the hiring manager has likely heard that dozens of times before, and won’t be impressed.

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  •  January 23, 2018
  •  Posted by at 9:33 am
  •   Comments Off on What To Say When a Job Interviewer Asks, ‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years?’ – Suzy Welch
  •   Career Success, Interviewing

How to Answer the Job Interview Question, ‘What’s your favorite website?’ – Courtney Connley

Jan 162018
 

Hiring managers don’t just want to know if you’ve got the skills for a specific position. They also want to know if you’ll fit into the company’s culture, and an easy way to do that is trying to understand who you are outside of the office.

While some employers may inquire about your hobbies and side hustles, one common question candidates can expect to be asked in an interview is, “What is your favorite website?”

According to career strategist Mary Grace Gardner from The Young Professionista, this question allows interviewers to gain insight into how you utilize your down time.

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