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De-Stress Before Your Job Interview

By Job Journey on Monday, November 17, 2014

Job interviews can be a little nerve racking. Will the interviewer like me? What if I say something that sounds stupid? What if I don’t know how to answer a question?

To help you gain your interview confidence, take a deep breath and follow these seven tips for conquering your fears and de-stress before your job interview.

1. Get your portfolio together.
Don’t scramble to put this together the night before. No one knows your work better than you, so be your biggest advocate on interview day and have a stellar portfolio. While getting your portfolio ready, showcase your best projects. And, be sure to include plenty of copies of your resume in case someone unexpected joins the interview. On your resume, make sure it’s easily laid out for readability, organized, shows your training/education background, and lists your job history. Also, include a list of references for extra bonus points.

2. Prepare for interview questions.
Expect to be asked questions like:

Tell me about yourself.
Why should I hire you?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What can you bring to the team?
Do you have any questions about the job?

These are typical questions interviewers use to learn more about you. A few days before your interview, practice answering these questions and watch yourself in the mirror so you can see your facial expressions or ask a friend to listen and give you feedback.

3. Do your research on the company and the position.
Not only will you need to be prepared to answer questions about yourself, but you should also be able to speak about the company and the position you’re seeking. What do you know about them? What do they do? Find out when they were founded, how many locations they have (if more than one), and some interesting facts about the organization.

Also, be able to share about the skills you can bring to the job. What are some specific duties you’re interested in? How do your skills match the job? Also, come up with questions you have about the job. How do you see this position growing with this company? What skills does the perfect candidate have? Questions like these will show that you’re taking initiative in learning all you can about the position.

4. Drive by the interview location the day before.
A big stressor for interviewees is the location of the interview. If you can, do a test run the day before. Get a feel for the traffic and identify just how much time you need to get there. And remember, you will want to arrive at your interview at least 15 minutes early, so factor that into your drive time.

5. Plan your outfit.
What are you going to wear for your interview? The key is to always wear professional in attire on your interview day. Get your outfit prepared the evening before your interview and make sure it is clean and wrinkle-free. Also, include your accessories such as shoes, a tie, or jewelry. Having your clothes ready to go will save you time on the big day.

6. Get a good night’s rest.
Go to bed early the night before your interview. Allow yourself to get enough rest so you wake up feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to face the day. Don’t stay up late trying to prepare, and be sure to set your alarm!

7. Stay calm on interview day.
After you’ve checked in for your interview, use your last few minutes to take some deep breaths, remember what your goal is, and remind yourself that you can do this. Remember to think positive.

Do you have any additional tips for de-stressing before an interview? Share them here!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Job Interviews

How to Answer “Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?”

By Job Journey on Tuesday, November 11, 2014

One common interview question that tends to catch even the most prepared interviewee off guard is, “Why did you leave your last job?”

Although you may not be sure how to answer this question without hurting your chances of landing the job, it’s important to remain confident when telling interviewers what you can bring to their company. So, here are some tips on how to answer this critical question without working up a sweat.

Keep it simple.
As a general rule, interviews aren’t the place to air your dirty laundry. While honesty and open communication are necessary and respected elements of any interview, there are a number of creative responses to answering this age-old question without disclosing too much.

If the reason you left your previous job would take 30 minutes to explain, don’t go that route. Your interviewer has a busy schedule and doesn’t need a lengthy explanation. Instead of ranting, raving, or adopting a style of full disclosure, try to hone your reason down into a shorter, truthful answer.

Don’t badmouth your previous boss.
You won’t get along with every boss you’ll ever have, and interviewers know that. But, telling them how awful your boss was will only make them concerned that you’ll talk the same way about their company if you left. Instead, try something like:

“After speaking in length with my manager, we decided that my vision for my role wasn’t the same as their overall goals. I decided it was best to part ways so they could find someone better suited to their vision.”

You don’t have to say, “I was fired.”
There are a number of reasons why employees are terminated from their jobs, and if you’ve experienced one of them, you aren’t obligated to simply say so. Instead, dig deeper into why you were let go. Did you lack the skills necessary for the job? Were you desperate for work that wasn’t right for you? If so, try some of these phrases:

“I really needed to find a job, and I made the mistake of accepting one that wasn’t the right match for me. It was a mistake I’ve learned from and won’t make again.”

“Under new leadership, my company let some employees go. This cleared the way for me to have the opportunity to apply with your company.”

Or, if you weren’t a good fit for your old job, go a step further and research the company culture of the place where you’re interviewing. List some of their well-known traits, like corporate giving or community involvement, when using this response:

“I’d prefer to work in an environment whose company’s culture is more suited to my own.”

If you were let go because of downsizing, make that clear.
Interviewers understand that businesses go through ups and downs. If you were let go due to downsizing or economic turmoil, be honest about it. Try using one of the following answers:

“Unfortunately, my position was eliminated when the company decided to scale back.”

“I knew the company was downsizing, so I decided to seek another job before my position was eliminated.”

Show your strengths.
Though talking about previous jobs can be a tough subject, it can also show the interviewer the skills you can bring to their position. If your old job was wearing you down or wasn’t right for you, try some of these answers to show that you’re focused on your career:

“When I decided to take my career down a different path, my previous employer didn’t have the opportunities I needed.”

“I believed I’d learned everything I could in that position, and I wanted to find a new challenge that would help me better utilize my skills on a daily basis.”

“I was ready for a change, but it didn’t seem ethical to take company time to go on interviews. I left so they could find someone more suited for the position while I looked to better my career path.”

“I didn’t believe there was any room to grow with my former company.”

Be honest.
If your reasons for leaving your previous job were unavoidable, like moving, personal issues, or illness, explain those reasons and be honest. Your interviewer will understand, and you’ll show that you’re personally committed to your life as well as your career.

Try not to dwell on this question for long. Your interview shouldn’t be about past jobs, but rather about the job you’re trying to get. Always use any opportunity you can to remind the interviewer what a great asset you’d be to their company.

How have you answered this question during an interview? Let us know in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Job Interviews

Interview Showdown: You vs. the Competition

By Job Journey on Tuesday, October 21, 2014

After a while, all the different interview tips can begin to run together and even feel stale. Dress to impress – done. Do your research – check. Be prepared – got it. It can seem like every job seeker out there is following the exact same advice, and you begin to question if it’s even possible to stand out from your competition during job interviews.

The truth is, though, many candidates don’t follow commonsense advice, and actually doing what is recommended will put you at the top of the group. But, how can you go from the top 10 to the number one choice? The answer is to give potential employers what they’re seeking. An article from Forbes specifically pinpointed five things every employer wants to hear, so check out these statements and how you can incorporate them into an interview.

“I am a loyal employee.”
Talented employees don’t present much value to employers if they lack loyalty, so hiring managers look for candidates who have a history of allegiance and appear to want to stick with a job for a long period of time. That means you should never be negative about past employers in an interview or in your resume. Instead, focus on the opportunities they provided to you and what you learned. Also, make sure you express excitement about this new job opportunity and how you would like to stay with the company long term.

“I will complete the job/assignment you give me with excellence.”
Hiring managers usually don’t have any problem narrowing down candidates to the top few that could adequately complete the responsibilities of the position. What they really want to find though, is the candidate who will go beyond adequate and actually excel at the job. To show you’re willing and able to complete assignments with excellence, communicate in detail some examples of how you’ve done this in previous positions. And, if you really have prepared for the interview and done your research, you should be familiar enough with the new job’s responsibilities to give an example of how you could apply a new idea to one of the tasks to improve the process or results.

“I am open to learning, adapting, adjusting, and to receiving feedback on how I can improve.”
The ability to adapt is a top commodity in today’s workplace, and employers want to hire people who are able to adjust to the company’s, customers’, and industry’s changing needs. During the interview, highlight the wide variety of your experiences, skills, and interests, and how you could apply them to this new position. Also, give examples of how you’ve sought to learn a new skill on your own, used feedback constructively to change how you approached a project, and adapted your plan when a project didn’t go as expected.

“You will never have to tell me what to do twice.”
The workplace is a busy place, and managers normally don’t have time to continually tell employees what they need to do. They need workers who can listen the first time they have tasks explained to them and then can go do their jobs with confidence and dependability. And, while this is a little more difficult to show during an interview, it is still something that you should at least mention. One good way to get this idea across is to discuss a situation where you took on responsibility and completed a task with minimal supervision. Carefully listening to the interviewer and not making them repeat themselves is another way to prove that you’re up for the job.

“I am easy to correct and instruct.”
While this one really goes along with the previous two statements, the fact that three of the things employers want to hear have to do with listening, following instructions, and receiving feedback is a major sign that you need to incorporate these issues into what you share during your interview. Employers understand that workers, especially new hires, won’t know exactly what to do and will make mistakes – they are most concerned with how you’ll handle the learning process. So, again, highlighting how you’ve learned new skills and the process that was involved is very important for setting you apart.

At the end of the day, an employer wants to find the best candidate for the job. Use this to your advantage by giving the hiring manager a full picture of what you have to offer. By communicating to the employer that you have what they’re looking for, you’ll shoot ahead of your competition and to the top of the hiring list.

Are there other things you’ve discovered potential employers really want to hear? Share an example of how you’ve communicated your value during an interview in the comments section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Job Interviews

Phone Interviews: Impress in 30 Minutes or Less

By Job Journey on Wednesday, October 1, 2014

When you’re on the hunt for a new job, you know that interviews are just part of the process. You may love them or hate them, but they are expected and shouldn’t come as a surprise. But, these days more and more employers are using phone interviews to screen out candidates, which could cause anxiety for some job seekers

Forbes explains that this allows employers to “sort through candidates without committing to the expense and time required for on-site meet-ups.”

Job board and career advisement site Monster.com echoes the same observations. “Many companies use phone interviews as an initial employment screening technique for a variety of reasons. Because they’re generally brief, phone interviews save companies time. They also serve as a more realistic screening alternative for cases in which companies are considering out-of-town, or out-of-state, or international candidates.”

With that reality in mind, it’s important that job seekers begin to anticipate the likelihood of phone interviews. Here’s five tips to help you ace your next phone interview and make the right impression within the first 30 minutes.

Treat It Like Any Other Interview
As one hiring manager told Yahoo Finance, “A phone interview is still an interview, not an informal phone call with a friend.” You still have to be ready to put your best foot forward. SO, be ready for some tough interview questions.

Set Yourself Up For a Win
Before your phone interview, you need to have confirmed several pieces of important information. Double-check the exact time of the call; find out the anticipated length of time the call will last; and clarify who’s calling whom, and who will be on the call. All of this information will help you know what to expect and be better prepared for the interview so you’ll make a good first impression.

Check Your Sound
Obviously you want your phone and environment to be conducive to the best call possible, but there’s another sound element that’s even more vital: the sound of your own voice. In fact, Forbes found that a job candidate not sounding awake, alert, and excited is the number one phone interview mistake. “Without visual cues, interviewers are paying extra close attention to the content of your answers and anything else they can glean from your voice. So, lackluster answers or low energy could be interpreted as a lack of interest…”

That means you need to be fully awake, have warmed up your voice, and have a smile on your face by the time the phone rings so they’re immediately impressed with your voice.

Do Your Homework
Just like an in-person interview, you should thoroughly research the company, position, and interviewers prior to the scheduled call. One of the plus-sides to phone interviews is you can have all your notes spread out and readily available to you during the conversation. However, don’t think you can research on the fly while you’re talking with the potential employer. You want everything organized in front of you so that when you need to reference your notes you aren’t distracted and the interviewers don’t hear the sound of rustling papers or typing. Being prepared to ask a thoughtful question or make an insightful comment will start the interview out on the right foot.

Be an Active Listener
In a phone interview, you don’t have the luxury of facial expressions or body language to aid in your listening and comprehension – you have to utilize your active listening skills. This is important throughout the entire phone call and vital to giving an overall good impression, but it’s especially important for the beginning of the call. You’ll want to match the names of the interviewers to their voices, allowing you to better phrase and direct your responses as the interview proceeds, and help you in the very important follow-up process.

US News explains it this way, “Employers usually have far more qualified candidates than they can interview, so they’ll look for ways to narrow down that pool. If you sound low-energy, unfriendly, distracted, or simply unprofessional, or if you chronically interrupt or don’t communicate clearly, they’ll put you straight into the ‘no’ pile.” That means you must learn to ace phone interviews if you hope to impress potential employers and land the job you want.

What have been your own experiences with phone interviews? How do you prepare for and treat them differently than face-to-face interviews? Tell us in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Job Interviews

Do This During Your Job Interview and You Won’t Get Called Back

By Job Journey on Monday, August 11, 2014

The number of articles and blogs online about the mistakes people make during an interview would lead you to believe that interviewees would have learned from other’s hard lessons. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always seem to be the case. A recent survey of 115 hiring experts about the worst interview mistakes people make reveals that interviewees are guilty of committing some very avoidable errors during their time in front of a potential employer.

Here are the three worst mistakes respondents said they saw job seekers make during their interview and how you can avoid making them.

1. Lie About Your Experience

Want to start your relationship off terribly with someone who could determine if you get hired or not? Lie about your work experience or education.

Even the slightest fib or stretching of the truth could do irrevocable harm to your potential to get hired. If an employer finds out after you’ve been hired that you lied about your abilities or knowledge of a key part of your new job, you can expect that you won’t be there long. And if they do research about you before you’re hired and find out you’ve been dishonest, don’t expect to get a call back anytime soon.

“In this era of massive information availability, anything you say about your experience, your past performance, or your education that isn’t accurate can most likely be checked,” said Erika Anderson, a contributor for Forbes Magazine. “It’s much better to be upfront about anything that’s less than stellar, and offer a simple (non-defensive) explanation.”

2. Show Up Late

Things happen. Tires go flat, kids get sick, and bad weather can set anyone back. But when you know you have a job interview coming up, preparing for any situation is the key to showing up on time.

Take the appropriate steps to make sure that on the day of your job interview, nothing but a serious emergency could cause you to show up late or miss the chance to show an employer why you’re the best person for the job. Put gas in your car and check your tires the day before, set your alarm to give yourself plenty of time to get ready, and do a final review of any research you’ve done. And if you’re unfamiliar with the location of the interview, drive there from your home in the days before so you know how to get there, preferably around the time of your interview so you can account for traffic.

If something completely unforeseen does come up and you know you’ll be late, call ahead to the employer and let them know about the situation. Be prepared with another time when you call so that if they ask to re-schedule, you know of a few times you’re available.

3. Answer Your Phone (Call or Text)

This is pretty simple. Unless there is an emergency situation in which you are waiting on a phone call (in which case you should probably ask to re-schedule the interview), you shouldn’t even have your cell phone turned on when you walk in the building.

We know how tempting it is to check your phone while you wait to meet your interviewer, but it’s not worth it. Employers want to know you’re focused on the task at hand and will be if they decide to hire you. Don’t give them any reason to think you’re anything other than excited, determined, and completely focused on what you can bring to their team.

Everyone understands that mistakes can happen during an interview, but there are some that are worse than others, and several that are avoidable. What have you done to avoid these interview mistakes? Let us know in the comments section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Job Interviews

Three Sure Signs Your Interview Went Well

By Job Journey on Monday, July 14, 2014

The moment you walk out of a job interview, there’s usually only one thing on your mind: How did it go? Sometimes you may feel like you nailed it, other times you may feel like you crashed and burned, and other times you may not have a clue how it really went.

There is no exact science to determining what an interviewer thought of you and if you’ll be offered the job, but there are some indicators that signal you made the cut. Watch for three signs to decipher if the interview really did go well.

1. The interview lasts longer than expected.
Interviewing you is most likely not the only responsibility on the interviewer’s plate. In fact, it was probably added on top of a very long to-do list, so you should feel proud, and hopeful, if the hiring manager spends extra time with you. Taking the time to go beyond the superficial, checklist questions to ask more insightful follow-up questions means the potential employer is truly interested in what you have to offer. Carolina Ceniza-Levine, an author and career-coach, told CBS News that it’s also a good sign when interviewers “ask for their calls to be held or for a later appointment to be pushed back in order to focus solely on you.”

2. They schedule a second interview.
The same principle from the first sign applies to the second – time is valuable. As Justin Honaman, director at Coca-Cola Customer Business Solutions, told CareerBuilder, “The hiring manager does not want to waste any more time interviewing you if you are not a fit. (An) invitation to the next round is a win!” An employer isn’t going to waste anyone’s time by going through another interview for no reason. And, if they schedule your second interview before your first interview is even over, you know they’re interested and eager to learn more.

3. Your references get called.
Once you find out that a potential employer has contacted your references, you can pat yourself on the back for being at the top of their list. Hiring managers won’t make the effort or take the time to contact references unless they’ve narrowed down the field to a few candidates and are nearing a decision. “A firm will not spend the time to do background checks and talk with references if you are out of the candidate pool,” agrees Honaman. Often, doing those final checks is simply the last step for wrapping up loose ends prior to making a job offer.

So much energy goes into preparing for an interview, and then afterwards you’re left to wonder how it went and mull over what you wish you’d done differently. A word of warning, though – don’t spend too much time worrying about how it went. Instead, use that time wisely by making a list of things you did right and things you could do differently next time. Or, stop and go over the questions that may have stumped you. Now that you have time to think about them, prepare some answers for next time. And, don’t forget to send thank you notes to continue making a good impression.

Have you found these three signs to be true in your interviewing and job hunt experiences? What other signs have you discovered that are good indicators of how an interview went? Please share your experiences with us in the comments section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

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8 Tips to a Job Interview over Lunch or Dinner

By ibk on Friday, September 10, 2010

At some point in your job search or career, you may be invited to a job interview over breakfast, lunch, or dinner. While meal times are usually relaxing and entertaining, business-related dining for a job interview is more professional and employers use the opportunity to test an applicant’s social skills. If you’re nervous about attending a job interview over lunch or dinner, don’t panic. Use these tips to help improve your dining etiquette and get the job.

Arrive early. Many lunch interviews will take place during office hours, so interviewers may be pressed for time to get back to the office. Be respectful of their time and show up when expected.

Dress appropriately. Even though you might be in a casual restaurant, be sure to dress appropriately for the interview. For instance, you might wear a suit if you’re applying for a more professional job or a nice pair of slacks if it’s an industrial job. Depending on what kind of job you’re applying for, make sure you find out what is appropriate for that specific field.

Turn off cell phone. You’re making a first impression from the minute you step into the restaurant. Stay focused on why you’re there. To avoid possible distractions while dining, it’s best to leave your cell phone in the car during an interview. If you’re expecting an emergency phone call, be cautious and let your host know in advance. If you must take your phone with you, put it on silent.

Make conversation. Prior to your interview, gather as much information as you can and talk with the interviewer about what you know about their company and their job. It’s easy to get nervous during an interview, but don’t let that prevent you from being conversational. Chat with your interviewer as you’re ordering your food.

Use good manners. Be sure to sit up straight and engage yourself with your surroundings. Don’t slouch on the table. Since it’s an interview, you’re going to get a lot of questions so avoid talking with a mouth full of food. Also, avoid ordering food like spaghetti or lobster so you don’t make a mess, and remember to keep your elbows off the table.

Follow the interviewers lead. Mirror the body language of your host. If they lean forward, do so too. Also, follow their lead when ordering your food. Stay within the price range of your host, but if your host asks you to go ahead and order first, pick something that isn’t too expensive. Also, be sure to make your food choice quickly. Don’t spend a lot of time trying to decide what you want to order. Remember the reason you’re there is to interview, not to hang out with friends.

Be polite. Don’t be rude to a server or restaurant staff because it will reflect badly on you. Don’t forget your host is watchful of your behavior so be sure to say please and thank you when necessary.

Send a follow-up thank-you note. In a situation where you and other candidates may possess equal qualifications for a job, a thank-you note can be used as a tie breaker. So, after your lunch or dinner, be sure to follow up with a thank-you note.

Most interviews conducted during a breakfast, lunch, or dinner setting are a little different than being in the interviewer’s office. These interviews can reveal your social skills and how you act in situations other than the business environment. Remember that confidence goes a long way in every interview so be sure to smile and maintain eye contact when necessary. Relax, enjoy the food and company, and show potential employers that you’re the perfect match for the position you’re interviewing for.