After spending hours of distributing your resume, here it is.You got an interview. The one and only chance to prove that you are exactly what the company is looking for. Talk about stressful. Here are a few tips that should help you make the most of that first job interview.
The first thing you need to remember is to smile. Not only does it ease the interviewer, but they will take on the attitude you put forth, which will also help to ease your nerves.
Talk confidently. Yes, it is nerve wracking to go to a job interview, but don’t let your interviewer know that you are nervous. When you speak do not use fillers, such as “ummm,” or “hmmm.” Using fillers like those will make it seem like you do not know what you are talking about.
Be yourself. Yes you need to smile and be confident, but do not become someone you are not just for an interview. If you are hired you will be working side by side with these people and they need to know that the person they interview is going to be the same person they get when they hire you.
Practice these things before going into your interview. Think about what are some logical questions they might ask you at the interview and answer them out loud while looking in a mirror so you can make sure that you are smiling. If you think about what you want to say before you say it in the job interview, then you should be able to eliminate those unhelpful fillers.
While there are many other factors that go into securing your job, such as creating a professional and accurate resume before your interview, if you follow these tips they should help you make the most of your interview and, hopefully, help you land the job.
One of the most powerful tools you can use in your job search is networking with other people. It is not just networking with other professionals within your industry-networking can also take place with friends, family and acquaintances who will put you in touch with people who can help you with your career. However, networking must be done with an element of finesse. It can be so obvious to others with whom you network that you are just using them for their knowledge, contacts, and their career positions. In order to prevent this perception, you must be willing to reciprocate, to help the people with whom you network, either now or in the future.
You also have to be careful about distributing your resume to those with whom you network. Feel out the situation. How is the conversation going? If you feel comfortable, ask the other person if he is willing to receive your resume in case he knows of an available position. If you are doing an informational interview that you arranged with a contact, you should not be pushy and try to turn that interview into a job interview. Use this type of interview to find out about career trends, types of companies that may have job openings within the next six to 12 months, and to learn about other people with whom you may network.
Be careful-people who graciously agree to speak with you in an informational interview may get offended if you try to push your professional resume at them-if they are interested in you, they will let you know. Always be prepared by carrying a copy of your resume and other job related documents with you-a good tip to remember wherever you are out networking.
Instead of just sending out a generic resume, today’s job candidates need to take the time to tailor their resume to fit every job being applied for. While this may make the application process take longer, it will be well worth the effort in the long run. Here are a few tips to tailor your resume and help make the application process go faster:
Keep the information on your resume up to date. Just got a new cell phone? Change the contact information right away. It is easy to forget to change such a small thing, but you shouldn’t wait until you’re applying for a new job. An out-of-date phone number can have big, negative consequence (such as not being contacted for your dream job).
Read the job qualifications and duties carefully. Add the same keywords to your resume so that it will make it through the recruiter’s software scanner.
Use separate resumes for experience in different industries or a functional resume for two or more closely related industries. It makes it easier to add crucial keywords to your resume when tailoring it to a specific position.
Learn to be a cut and paste, toggle expert. Not all job application databases will let you upload a resume into different information fields. Become familiar with Control+C and Control+V to copy and paste. PCs use the Alt+Tab keys and Macs use the Apple+Tab keys to toggle between screens. Copy text from your resume first, then toggle to the job application page and paste the text into the information boxes.
Name your resumes generically and modify the name each time you upload it to an application database. For example, label your updated resume “Edit512” for the industry it addresses and the date you updated it. Do not name your resume with a company name. It is too easy to upload your Xerox resume for an IBM position, and forgetting to change the name will count against you as a job candidate.
Following these easy tips will help you to be more prepared for your job search.
Mock Interviews – A Great Way to Prepare for the Real Thing
If you are the type of person who gets very nervous during a job interview, practicing your interviewing skills in a mock interview setting may be for you. A mock interview is when you have someone such as a career coach, a counselor or a friend act as an interviewer to let you practice answering interview questions.
Most people are so nervous during an interview that they forget to listen for related questions. For example, the question “Tell me about your strengths” is related to the more challenging question of “Why should we hire you?” If you can list your strengths, you should be able to answer the second question by showing how your strengths and expertise would add value to the organization. Another interview question that throws people is, “Tell me about yourself.” Many people do not expect such an informal question. If you wrote a cover letter for this position in which you told the reader about your background, then use the cover letter as a starting point to answer the question. Highlight your skills and accomplishments and share why you would like this job and how you would be a good fit for it. Be careful that you are not confusing “Tell me more about yourself” with “tell me about your personal life”. The employer wants to hear about what your will bring to the organization professionally-not what is going on in your personal life. Videotaping a mock interview is especially helpful because it can show you your body language and the unconscious messages it is sending. For example, raised or hunched shoulders may signal you are afraid, while excessively shifting your weight around and fidgeting may indicate that you are very nervous or have something to hide. Seeing how you act on video will allow you to eliminate distracting behaviors and concentrate on providing solid answers to the interview questions. Practice the answers to the mock interview questions and monitor your body language until you feel comfortable enough to do a real interview and you will see how calm and collected you will be the next time you are sitting across the table from a hiring manger.
If you’re a teenager or college student, or the parent of a teenager or college student, then you all know what time of year it is…time to find that much needed summer job. While the economy has picked up a bit, there are many places, including here in Michigan where scoring a summer job is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Don’t give up – there are things you can do to help make your summer job search a success. Seasonal Jobs
Head to your local garden centers, greenhouses, and home improvement stores. Many of these retailers hire extra help during the summer as more people are busy with remodeling and home improvement projects during the warm summer months. You could also check out your local government agencies, as they also hire students to help with extra lawn work during the summer. If you enjoy working with children, there are always parents looking for childcare while their kids are out of school for the summer, or you could look into opportunities at local youth camps. Application/Interview Etiquette
Even if you are only putting in an application, dress professionally. If you are offered an interview on the spot, you want the hiring manager to focus on your qualifications and work ethic, not your short shorts or ripped jeans. Carry your resume and reference information with you to make the application process go faster, as well to show that you’re prepared in the event the employer asks for a resume. Digital Dirt
Don’t think that because you’re only seeking summer employment that a hiring manager may not “Google” you or look you up on Facebook. If your status updates or tweets are filled with profanity and/or pictures of your weekend escapades, the hiring manager may decide right then and there that you are not the type of person who would be a responsible employee. Clean up your digital dirt before you start applying for jobs and remove inappropriate posts/comments from friends who have access to your online profiles. Finally, make sure you have a professional greeting on your voice mail. An employer doesn’t want to hear “This is Joe – hit me up” when they need to leave a message for you. Simply state your name and confirm your phone number in your voice mail so that the employer knows they have the right person.
With a little bit of patience, hard work, and perseverance, you will surely land that coveted summer job.
If you are like most people who have been job searching during this recession, you have sent out hundreds of resumes. It takes a lot of time to do this, but it may only take one interview to give you the opportunity you need. Organization is key to cutting down on the time it takes to apply to jobs.
Create two folders on your desktop. One is for resumes. Name it “Resumes2012.” The other folder is for job descriptions. Name it “JobDescr2012.”
Use a uniform way to name each resume you create. You should be tailoring your resume to match the skills/qualifications in each of the jobs your applying for. Even if you only tweak a few words on an existing resume, you should still rename it.
Create names each resume keeping in mind your word processing program’s file naming protocol. Use something like SmithIBM0512, where Smith is your last name, the company to which you are applying is “IBM”, and follow that with the date. Make sure you change the company name on each resume you send in, even if you decide not to edit the resume. A hiring manager at IBM, for example, will not appreciate receiving a resume labeled Xerox and may see this as a lack of attention to detail. You may think it is not a big deal, but it is a major mistake, just like if you have a job and send one client’s paperwork with their name on it to a different client by accident.
Save a copy of each job description to which you apply. Do not rely on the description to still be online when you get an interview call 3 months after you’ve applied. Name the job description file something like IBMauditor0512, with IBM as the company, auditor as the position and 0512 the date on which you applied.
If you are diligent about organizing your job application files, you should even be able to pull up a job description when a recruiter calls you out of the blue, in response to your resume submission. Having the job posting information at your fingertips will show recruiters and hiring managers that you are organized and ready to take on a new job.
If You're Serious About Your Job Search…You Should Be Serious About Your Resume
Many job seekers assume that if they follow online templates that you can easily put together your own resume and that it will be good enough for you to be able to land the perfect job. However, if you are new to the job market, or, getting ready to make a career change, you need to understand that resumes aren’t just a piece of paper you cut and paste your career history on.
Rather than trying to get by with a substandard resume, you are much better off hiring a professional. When you hire a company to write your resume, you will get a writers who can use their expertise to make sure that everything is perfect. Experienced resume writers are skilled in knowing what employers look for in a resume, as well as can tell you the best format to represent your career history and objective. Professional resume writers know the information that needs to be included on your resume, as well as information that should be left off.
With so many resume writing services available online, it is easy to think that you can just select any one of them to create your resume. Be careful. Your resume is your first step in getting you in the door to a new career. Before you pay for their services, always ask for the writer’s credentials, as well as for references from former clients. You want a service with writers who will understand your goals, optimize your career highlights, and commit to writing you a resume that will market your value and generate interviews.
With all of the new ways people are looking for jobs (online job boards, social networking sites, etc.), many people forget that job fairs are just as popular as ever in today’s employment market.
Job fairs normally offer employment opportunities at companies in your local community. They are full of small companies and large corporations looking to recruit new candidates. Thinking about relocating to a new area? Larger corporations may also be willing to discuss opportunities at other locations, as well.
Job seekers are just as likely to be able to secure an interview at a job fair as they are posting their resume online. Better yet, some job fairs offer on-site interviews during the job fair. A good candidate is a prepared candidate. Research in advance which companies are at the job fair and decide which ones you need to spend time with. Have plenty of copies of your resume with you and dress in professional attire. If you have business cards, pass those out as well. Networking is key in any job search!
The next time you see a job fair advertised in your area, take the time to attend. Being active in your job search does not mean just sitting by your computer or phone waiting for someone to reach out to you. Check your local news stations, newspapers, and professional organizations to find job fairs in your area. You never know where your next employment opportunity may come from.
