Category Archives: Interviews

Dear Young Job Seeker:

Dear Young Job Seeker:

By Alicia Morga

From Fast Company

Editor’s note: This blog is written by a member of our expert blogging community and expresses that expert’s views alone.

WSJ.com has a new blog series that follows seven college seniors as they transition into the “real world.” Since these seven young people are no doubt no longer in need of employment, I will address the thousands of young folk out there without a blog on WSJ.com.

There is a wealth of advice and information online about how to write a resume, do an interview, get a job, etc. I interviewed and hired a number of recent college graduates as CEO of my start-up and this is what I would have told all those candidates if I’d had the chance before they met me.

The Resume

Lose the objective. I don’t know who taught young job seeks to put an objective at the top of their resume, but I’d like to shoot them. Your objective is to get a job. Period. I will be able to tell if you get this job if the meat of your resume addresses it. So you should have several resumes for all the different types of jobs you are going after.

Have someone else proofread your resume. Spelling errors are the kiss of death. It automatically tells someone you don’t or can’t pay attention to detail.

Don’t just list what you did but highlight achievements and wherever possible make them quantifiable. Did you increase membership by 150%? Were you able to raise over $100K for your alumni donation drive? Even if your only prior work experience was babysitting the iguana next door, find something to highlight.

The Interview

There are a number of signs that give young, inexperienced candidates away: the poor handshake, failure to look me in the eye when talking, not coming in prepared–haven’t thoroughly read the Web site, don’t have questions for me, didn’t spend time looking up key terms/vocabulary used by the industry.

Come prepared. For instance, have ready examples of behaviors that put you in a good light. Like an example where you had a difference in opinion with a boss, what was it and how did you handle it. Did you speak up? Did you pout?

Practice interviewing with a friend–for the first 15 minutes, answer every question as wrongly as you can. For example, what is your greatest weakness? I like to procrastinate. How would your last boss describe you? As always late. Then spend the next 15 minutes coming up with solid answers. When you interview you’ll remember the session and probably not take yourself so seriously.

Dress appropriately. This doesn’t mean suits in every case but it does mean I don’t want to see your cleavage or the waistband of your underwear–ever.

Be prepared to answer any question on anything you have listed on your resume. One of the number one ways I learned about a candidate was around the listing of Excel on their resume. If someone said they were an Excel genius or Excel expert on their resume I would ask them about that.

Alicia: “I see here you are an ‘Excel expert.'”

Candidate: “Yes, I can do anything in Excel.”

Alicia: “Oh. Good. So you can pivot table?”

Candidate: Slight pause. “Yes.”

At this point I would know this person does not know what I’m talking about, so I would up the ante.

Alicia: “What about writing a macro?”

Candidate: “Yes, of course.”

Alicia: “Okay. Please give me an example of a macro you’ve written.”

Candidate: “Um. ”

Kids, don’t let this happen to you. If you don’t know how to do it don’t put it on your resume. And if you are asked about your level of proficiency with something, just be honest. That’s all the boss is looking for–will this person fake it or will this person own up but emphasize an ability to learn?

At the end of the day, when you’re running a business, you don’t have time for the fakers. You just want someone who will be accountable and honest.

Also, remember that you are interviewing them. Someone who comes in with a sense of worth (but not cockiness) is a much more enjoyable interview. If you approach it like, “I’m here to make a connection with another human being,” I guarantee you will have more success.

The Follow Up

Usually you won’t know right away if you got the job. I still think it’s good form to send a follow up email of thanks. You can even ask for a business card at the end of the interview if you don’t have the boss’s email. Just show good manners.

Finally, if someone who is interviewing you opts to give you feedback–do yourself a favor and listen. If someone cares enough about you as a human being to go past their trepidation and tell you something about how you are coming across–consider it a gift. What they say is obviously not the word of God, but feedback does tend to point in a direction. You may want to consider what that direction is telling you.

In my time as CEO, I found most recent college graduates had no skills whatsoever in online advertising, but you see, I didn’t expect them to. I was looking for something else: integrity, a work ethic, and a willingness to learn. That, I know, you have in spades.

Finding a job is tough. It takes a lot longer than you would think. My advice? Become an entrepreneur.

Sincerely,
Alicia

For more salient advice from Alicia, visit www.aliciamorga.com

A Job Search is a Job

A Job Search is a Job

The Number 1 Step to Win an Interview

by Peggy McKee

From SelfGrowth.com

Many of us have the wrong idea about the job search. We believe that our skills, the industry requirement for skills, and our dedication to hard work is enough. This is never the case and in today’s environment this is even less so as you may be competing against dozens and sometimes hundreds of candidates for the same position. For those with some knowledge of statistics makes the process into something of a numbers game. The number 1 step you must take is to get on the numbers treadmill and start collecting interviews.

Human resources departments know they must have great sales representatives and the medical sales area is an intensely competitive business. Unfortunately, these people are sorting through reams of resumes of which yours is just one. Because of this, job hunters have to recognize they are playing not only a skills game but a numbers game where they need enough resumes, calls, and emails out there to rise to the top and in this case, the “top” equals an interview.

John Lucht has been a popular job search process writer for decades. He recommends sending out 1,000 resumes to get 8 interviews and 3 offers. In today’s market, his numbers may even prove conservative. I realize this may seem impossible, but it is not. First, as a great sales person, you may have this many contacts already in your rolodex. Second, you can easily and at little cost develop the lists of companies and recruiters to get this ball rolling.

Begin by crafting a good cover letter that you can tailor to be specific to your search and start hunting down a list of recruiters and human resource contacts in the companies you will want to target. Next, create a powerful resume that says you are the hire with the experience, productivity, plan and attitude to fit a company’s business goals. Next, make that all-important trip to the post office and office supply store to set your interview-winning effort in motion.

As you contact your prospective employers and recruiters, be sure to reach out in each media possible. Send the letter, make the call, fax the resume, send the email and preferably all of these when the opportunity exists to each source. Remember you have to be NOTICED before you will win the interview. Make being noticed a statistical certainty.

Additionally, ensure you have posted your resume on every single possible job board and that your LinkedIn profile is current and telling your story.

Sound impossible? Sound too difficult? I’m sure you’ve exerted far more effort winning sales from clients. And if you are out of work, this is your JOB. In a couple weeks, time you can have your resume in front of 1,000 or more individuals who can make step one – the Job Interview – a reality.

Author’s Bio

Peggy McKee has over 15 years of experience in sales, sales management and recruiting. She knows how hard it can be to land your dream job, and can help you with what you need to do to succeed. Her website, Career Confidential (http://www.career-confidential.com) is packed with job-landing tips and advice as well as the practical, powerful, innovative tools every job seeker needs to be successful.

Job Seekers: Do you Make these Critical Mistakes?

At job interviews, it can be tempting to put down a past employer or boss. This can be a serious mistake.

Perhaps you have had a career with many ups and downs. Maybe you have a boss who is a nightmare to work for, or a job that bores you to tears. You may have financial problems, personal issues and much more.

Regardless of all that, remember that no one likes a whiner. During job interviews, if you come across as a person who is bitter, habitually angry or negative in general, you have likely killed your chances of getting an offer.

As far as possible, avoid discussing negative experiences or pointing out negatives about people, organizations or industries. You may think you are being realistic and truthful, but you will create an image of negativity in the minds of the people interviewing you.

They may start to perceive you as a habitually negative person who has a difficult time getting along with people. They may think of you as a person beset by failure wherever you turn.

That’s definitely not the sort of image you want to project.

It is true that you may have to mention facts like failure in business or personality clashes with a former boss. However, make an effort to balance the negatives with positives. Let them know how you dealt with the situation and what you learned from it.

That way, you can project yourself as someone who is open to new experiences, does not fear failure and is willing to learn from all situations.

Another issue many job seekers have to grapple with is lack of self-confidence.

Being interviewed for a job can be an ego-dampener. You are evaluated by several others who pass judgment on you. There is a chance that you will be rejected and labeled “not good enough” for the job.

Apart from that, you are often unsure about how to handle tough interview questions and how you should position yourself.

All of which is more than enough to rattle even those with high levels of confidence. Your emotional state may go up and down sharply during the run up to an interview as well as during the event.

The problem is that lack of confidence tends to show through clearly. Your tone of voice, handshake and overall body language reflect your mental state.

And you must have confidence in yourself if the interviewer is to have any confidence in you.

One of the best ways to build up your confidence level is to be well-prepared. Do good pre-interview research to uncover facts about the company and the job. Prepare statements of your accomplishments, skills and qualifications. Decide how you are going to present yourself at the interview.

Building up your confidence and avoiding negativity can go a long way towards ensuring your success at job interviews.

James Westt has authored articles and essays on many subjects. He is an expert on career development and relationships, but has also written about what is asthma and about nebulizer supplies for asthmatics, among other topics.