You have a killer resume and you feel like you aced the interview. If you want to maximize the positive impression that you leave following an interview, be sure to send a thank you note to the interviewer. Keep the interviewer thinking about you
With so many people applying for every job, you need to set yourself apart from the crowd even after the interview is finished. This is often even more important than the initial impression because the interviewer is looking to actually hire or do second interviews at this point. You need them to think about you in positive terms for this to happen, and when they receive your thank you letter after the interview, you are showing them that you were grateful for the opportunity to talk with them, as well as are serious about the job. Exhibit class and ambition
Face it, the competition is steep, but as every company is now finding out, it’s not all about the skills. Many people with matching skills are going to apply for the same jobs. Just because they have the skills to do the actual job doesn’t necessarily make them a good fit for working well with a team in a corporate setting. A simple thank you note for the interviewer’s time and consideration shows that you are not only ambitious, but that you also have the class to recognize social protocols. This attribute can be invaluable in a business setting and is not something that even the best resume communicates. Show courtesy
Courtesy is very often lacking in the workplace. Always remember that while you are applying for a job in a company, the person doing the hiring is is also human. Showing them courtesy is a great way to generate a positive attitude on the part of that person. More importantly, if you flubbed part of the interview, it also gives the interviewer a reason to overlook the mistake and give you a chance. If you are courteous before being hired, then chances are you will be a pleasant person to work with. Remember…being polite never hurt anyone!
Failure is inevitable in a job search. The likelihood that you will find the perfect job and that you will get that job in your first search is next to none. This means that you will have to search again and again. You will fail. You will fail at finding a job. You will fail at landing a job. But that is not a bad thing. Failure is your greatest tool and I am going to help you understand why.
Rethinking: Failure will cause you to rethink the way you go about your search. Obviously something is not working so you will have to rethink how you are going about your search and do something new. That is a great thing. Rethinking and finding a new way to do something is one of the best things you can do for your search.
Focusing: Failure will also cause you to focus your search. Focusing you search will make it more successful and if you fail repeatedly, then you will take the time to focus your search.
Motivating: Failing again and again can be disappointing, but more than that it can be incredibly motivating. If you really want to land the job then you won’t let the disappointment keep you from searching. Instead you will let the disappointment motivate you until you find the job that is perfect for you.
Failure really is your best tool. Use it. Let your failure lead you to rethink your search process, help you focus your search, and most importantly, let your failure motivate you to keep going until you finally find the job that you have been waiting for.
How To Answer "Do You Have Questions For Me?" Like A Pro
When you are finished with your interview, it is not uncommon for the interviewer to ask you one final question, “Do you have any questions for me?”This is one of the most dreaded questions an applicant may be asked. There is a war that goes on inside most peoples’ heads when this question is asked: “If I don’t ask any questions, will they be offended because I don’t want more information?” or “If I ask too many questions, will it seem like I wasn’t paying enough attention?”
These are not uncommon thoughts that may be running through an applicant’s mind. Hopefully, by the end of this post you will have a better idea of how to handle when this question is thrown to you, and you will be able to answer it like a pro.
Be Honest: If you truly do have questions, then go ahead and ask. If your interviewer didn’t want to know your questions, then they wouldn’t honestly ask. Employers expect that you will have questions. Do your homework before your interview and have a few questions prepared.
Be Appropriate: Don’t ask inappropriate questions or questions that are silly or funny. It will annoy your interviewer and can make them feel like you are wasting their time.
Don’t Repeat: Pay attention and don’t ask questions that have already been answered. It will only make you seem incompetent and like you don’t pay attention. If the only questions you’ve prepared have already been addressed, you can go into more detail, or just let the interviewer know that any questions you had coming in to the interview have been addressed.
These are some good guidelines for answering questions. However, if you don’t have any honest and relevant questions, then you can always simply tell them that you have no further questions and look forward to hearing from them. This is a perfectly acceptable way to end the interview and leave the interviewer with a impressive picture of the value you would offer as an employee.
Are Your Social Media Profiles Speaking For You or Against You?
Social media is a great tool for your job search and job application process because it allows you to get your name out to the entire world. Employers are starting to utilize social media sites to not only find prospective applicants, but also to investigate current applicants. This means that you need to make sure that your online profiles are showing off your best attributes and give the impressiona that you would be a great employee.
Here are some things that you should be aware of so you don’t lose opportunities due to what is on your profile.
Vulgarity or Obscenities: Refrain from including vulgar or obscene words in your profile or your posts. These could be offensive to employers and could give them a bad impression of you. You also need to watch what your “friends” post on your profile. While you may not have posted the information yourself, the content still reflects on you.
Negativity: If you have a lot of posts that are negative or if you are overly negative in your own posts, you can put off employers. Employers don’t want to work with people who are negative and will bring them down. So
Bad Talking About People: If you talk bad about people in your life currently, then what will keep you from talking bad about your potential coworkers or employers? Even though you may say, “I would never talk bad about my employers on the internet!” the potential employers looking at your profile will not know that. They will only know what they can see in your posts.
Social media can be a great tool for your job search. However, if not used properly, it can also be one of the biggest obstacles in your search. But make sure that you utilize it so you get the most desirable results and check to ensure that you don’t have anything on your profiles that could be harmful to your opportunities.
Picking your references is a very important part of your resume,yet many people do not take them into proper consideration. Your references are important for potential employers to get an opinion of you from someone other than yourself. This means that the references you choose to put on your resume need to be competent, reliable, respectable, and trustworthy sources who your potential employers will listen to and respect their opinions of you. This also means that you want to pick people who will talk about you in a good way. Below are some ideas that may help you decide who to pick for your references and who to avoid.
Teachers/Professors–New Graduates or College Students: Teachers or professors that you have a good relationship with and who you have done good work for are a great option for references because they get to see your work, but they also can see how you work with other people. However, do not pick teachers that have not seen your academic work. Art and music teachers may have been good friends and teachers, but they do not get to see your writing, computer skills, or other skills that are applicable to your job. This can be ignored if your field of work is applicable to art or music.
Direct Supervisors/Managers– Professionals: Direct supervisors are a good choice to put down for a reference. They are able to see how you work while also being reliable and respectable people due to the nature of your relationship with them. Avoid putting supervisors as references if you have had major difficulties with them.
These are both excellent types of people to put as references. They will give the type of recommendation that you want without being biased due to familial connection or long term friendship.
In order to make your resume stand out, you want to add some of your own voice to it. It makes it more interesting to potential employers.
That’s not as difficult as it sounds. You essentially want to provide potential interviewers with a glimpse into your being through your work history, education, awards and accomplishments, and the manner in which you speak about these. That means you want your personality to shine through right from the first word.
But of course, you also want balance. In other words, don’t go off the deep end trying to be creative. That could be a turn off.
Start with your objective. What do you want to accomplish with your resume? Don’t simply write “To secure a job in ____________” where you fill in the blank with your industry. Instead, make the objective focused on the goals of the company you are interviewing with and put your personality into it. Something like this:
To become a member of a forward-looking team that respects individuality, creativity, and critical thinking.
This kind of objective tells your interviewer what you have to offer without being “I” focused and tells them what you are searching for in an employer (forward-looking). Plus, it adds a touch of your own personality.
When you use words that you would use in your normal speech, that’s your voice. It makes your resume more personal and increases your chance of making a positive impression – and getting the interview.
You have a killer resume and you feel like you aced the interview. If you want to maximize the positive impression that you leave following an interview, be sure to send a thank you note to the interviewer.
