March, 2015 | Journey

Home/ Archives

Monthly Archives: March 2015

Keep Your Cool: Job Interview Prep Guide

By Job Journey on Tuesday, March 31, 2015

You’ve scored the big job interview you’ve been waiting for, and now all you have to do is ace all those questions, make a good impression, wow the hiring managers, and keep your cool. No pressure.

Okay, let’s be real. While getting a job interview is good news, it can also be a stressful time. You’re worried you’ll mess it up. The questions might throw you for a loop. You might end up looking like you aren’t a good fit for the job.

Everyone has those fears from time to time, but with a few tips and tricks, you can alleviate those doubts and lessen the stress of going to a job interview.

When Preparation and Opportunity Meet
Great preparation prevents poor performance. Lessen your stress by analyzing the job posting and description. Be clear in your own mind about what the company wants in a potential employee. Make a list of which skills and qualities you have that match the job description.

Why is this important? Preparing beforehand ensures that you’ll be able to discuss your skills confidently, and it also reminds you that you’re a pretty impressive candidate.

Assimilate Your Assets
While you’re at it, create a list of 10 assets and qualities you have that could benefit the company. Include certifications, computer skills, professional accomplishments, and unique abilities. Making this list again reminds you why you’re pretty awesome, but it also helps you prepare to discuss those skills during an interview.

You’ll be ready to answer specific job questions with confidence and flair.

Reconnaissance
Like a spy, gather as much information as you can about the company before the interview. Look to your professional network to see if someone knows a little more about the business and can give you a competitive edge over the other candidates.

Being able to confidently discuss the company shows you are prepared, thorough, and engaged.

Practice Makes Perfect
Take some time to practice common interview questions. When you practice interviewing with a friend or family member, the actual interview becomes a little easier. Think about each question and how you will respond before you even get to the interview.

Practicing a job interview helps calm your nerves and prepares you for tough questions so you aren’t left scrambling and fumbling for a response during the real interview.

Dress It Up
The night before your big interview, pick out what you’ll wear. Put on the outfit and then lay out the clothes so they are readily available. By doing this, you won’t be rushing around trying to find the right clothes and stressing out about how you look. You want to be well groomed and professional in order to project a positive image to the employer, so make sure your clothes are clean and ironed before the big day. Now that you’re looking ready for the interview, your stress level should be decreasing.

Early Bird Gets the Worm
Whatever you do, don’t be late! Be sure to leave early enough for your interview to account for unexpected delays like traffic or construction. Hurrying and worrying about being late can cause your stress level to skyrocket, so be sure to look up the directions to the office and give yourself an extra 30 minutes to get there.

Now, you can relax and practice your interview answers on the way!

Do Your Best
Right before you walk into your interview, take a few deep calming breaths. Smile, pull your shoulders back, and give a confident handshake. You’ve researched, you’ve practiced, you look great, and you arrived on time – you have this in the bag! Be honest, open, engaging, and bright.

By preparing ahead of time and taking these steps, you’ll reduce the stress associated with interviewing. Now, all you need to do is show the interviewer why you’re the best person for the job.

Do you have any tips and tricks for not stressing out before a job interview? Share your best tips in the comments section below!

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

Career Advancement Job Interviews

March Madness: How to Beat the Competition

By Job Journey on Monday, March 30, 2015

If you’re a basketball fan, March is the month for you. March Madness is filled with all your favorite college basketball teams competing to win top bragging rights. It’s a fun time of year, but these teams have put in a lot of hard work to make it to this point. In many ways, March Madness can apply to your job search. Check out these top tips to score a three pointer before the buzzer and beat the competition during your next interview.

1. Have a vision.
What do you want to do in your career? What are your skills and talents? What excites you most about getting up in the morning? Without having a vision for your job search, you won’t know where you are going. Instead of taking a broad approach when it comes to applying for jobs, narrow your search to just those industries and opportunities where you really want to work. Doing so will energize you, make you more productive in the application process, and allow you to speak more directly to why you’re the best for the job.

2. Do your homework.
Before your next interview, make sure you take time to research the company, the position you’ve applied for, and those who will be interviewing you. When you take the time to prepare, you have a wealth of knowledge to use to your advantage. Sadly, job candidates often don’t take the time to do their homework in advance and are ill prepared to answer some of the questions they’re presented, such as talking about what the company does or the duties associated with the job opportunity. Doing a little prep work beforehand automatically gives you an advantage.

3. Condition yourself.
Just like a great athlete, you’ve got to work on your own skills and abilities. In the job search game, your resume is what gets you in the door for an interview. What does your resume currently look like? What does it reflect about you? Before you apply for that next job, update your resume so it’s more targeted to the job. Make sure it shows how your talents match the job. Also, update your cover letter and make sure you always include it with an application. Again, customize this to the job, speaking directly to how you can perform the duties listed in the job description.

4. Find a coach you trust.
In March Madness, coaching is everything. A coach provides direction and leadership to the players, helping them learn where they need to make improvements, make a change, or understand they’ve done a great job. It’s important for you to find a mentor who can do this for you too. Find someone who has experience in your industry of interest and allow them to review your resume and cover letter, conduct a mock interview for you, offer tips and suggestions to ace your big day, etc. No matter what stage you’re at in your career, it’s always important to have a mentor.

5. Be selfless.
It’s not a bad thing to pursue a job opportunity for the impact it can have on your career, income, and overall happiness. But, it’s important those desires don’t overshadow what you can do for a company. Potential employers want to know what you can do for them, not necessarily what they can do for you. They want to ensure you’re not going to be a flight risk, can complete your tasks on time, be a team player, and help advance their business in new ways while finding ways to save money. At your next interview, if you really want to impress the interviewer, let them know how you can add to their team.

These are just a few lessons from March Madness that can help you get a slam dunk in your professional life. Do you have any other suggestions? Let us know in the comments section below!

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

Reader Surveys

Poll: How Soon After Graduation Did You Get a Job?

By Job Journey on Thursday, March 26, 2015

Which is more important: education or experience? It’s an age-old question that has been researched and debated for decades, but one that doesn’t necessarily have a clear-cut answer. While the results from Glassdoor’s recent 2014 Employment Confidence Survey suggest that 82% of U.S. college graduates who were employed on a full or part time basis believed that their level of education has been an asset to their careers, 72% believe that specialized training outside of a traditional college degree is more valuable when it comes to the workplace.

Last year, we asked Movin’ On Up readers how their education has affected their career path. While the results of this poll were illuminating in the education vs. experience debate, we want to know how quickly recent graduates are being added to the workforce. To help determine how long a graduate typically spends looking for a job after going through the higher education process, we want to know how soon after graduation you landed a job. Let us know by voting in our poll!

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

The Job Search

National Tolkien Reading Day: The Strength of the Spirit

By Job Journey on Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Tolkien Reading Day is Wednesday, March 25. An annual event aimed at encouraging the reading of works by J.R.R. Tolkien, the day is a great time to pick up a good book and transport yourself into its story.

To help celebrate Tolkien, who is most famous for his classic works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, we want to take an in-depth look at one of his most notable quotes. Tolkien once said, “It is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit.” Here at Movin’ On Up, we couldn’t agree more.

Staying Strong in a Difficult Job Search
We know that the job search can be tough. If you’ve been struggling to find work for a while but haven’t had any solid leads or positive news, it can be easy to slip into a negative mindset about your search. But, as Tolkien points out, keeping your spirit strong is the key to success. Instead of giving up, learn to love your job search.

Stay social by networking with your peers, take a class to learn a new skill, volunteer at a local organization, read a book or newspaper, and do something positive for yourself. While the spirit may outweigh the body when it comes to staying positive during your job search, don’t forget to stay active and healthy too. In fact, physical activity can actually stimulate your brain into feeling happier and more relaxed – leading to a healthier spirit.

As with any quest, like those Frodo and Bilbo Baggins embark on in Tolkien’s classic stories, the job search often starts out tough before it gets easy. Stay positive, motivated, and realistic about your goals, and put forth the time and effort into making them happen. And remember, the strength of your spirit can take you far.

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

tolkien_reading_day

Leadership

5 Laws Successful Leaders Live By

By Job Journey on Monday, March 23, 2015

Whether you consider yourself a leader or not, there are always leadership opportunities to be found in the day-to-day responsibilities of your career. From taking a lead role in a team project to simply taking it on yourself to ensure a task is done right, you are most likely leading more than you realize. An article from Forbes explains it like this: “Leadership is not indicative of position or title but rather personal choice ….Anybody and everybody is a leader…”

There’s no exact formula on how to be a great leader. However, for the sake of personal and professional growth, you must begin taking steps now to ensure you’re becoming the best leader you can be. And one way is to adopt these five laws successful leaders live by.

Live and Let Live
Sometimes you have to make decisions that other people won’t like. At the same time, there will also be people above, beside, and below you who make decisions you don’t agree with. A wise leader knows this and is able to distinguish between the times that disagreement is okay and the times that agreement is necessary.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words
What you say is important, but what you do is even more important. How you act and the things you do are the true measure of what you value. And if co-workers, employees, managers, or customers hear you say one thing but then see you do another, you’ll quickly lose their trust and credibility as a leader.

A House Divided Cannot Stand
Nothing hurts a project, relationship, or business worse than strife between the people involved. There will always be disagreements, but everything will fall apart if there isn’t a unifying goal and a willingness to work together. A leader is always aware of this and constantly works to ensure there is cooperation and harmony.

A Job Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Right
There may be times when you’re faced with the choice of quality or speed. Ninety-nine times out of 100 you should opt for quality. The quality of your work, or your company’s, is what sets you apart, and nothing hurts a reputation more than a low-caliber final product.

Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover
Appearance and first impressions are important, but a good leader also knows that looks can be deceiving. The most eye-catching candidate may not be the most qualified, and the less exciting option may be the most logical choice. So decisions must be based on more than just a hasty judgment.

Whether it’s by adopting these five laws, learning from the example of some of the greats, or implementing some of the most common habits of successful leaders, you have to learn to lead. Not only is it important for future career growth, it’s also important for your own personal fulfillment.

Are there other leadership laws or principles you follow? Share your own leadership tips in the comment section below.

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

Job Interviews Networking

Ask a Recruiter: How to Build a List of References

By Job Journey on Friday, March 20, 2015

Navigating the job search, acing interviews, and creating resumes can be challenging. We know there’s a lot to learn about these processes, and we want to help you by answering your questions. Our very own industry experts at Express Employment Professionals are posting their recruitment and hiring answers right here on the Movin’ On Up blog.

Question:
In the second installment of our new series, “Ask a Recruiter,” we’re excited to feature a question from Movin’ On Up reader Anthony.

Anthony asks, “What do you do if you were terminated from a job and when you ask for a reference, the manager says they can’t give you a reference, only a phone number to call for verification of employment?”

Answer:
In an ideal situation, your previous employer would provide your potential employer with all the details needed for you to land your next dream job. However, most companies don’t offer specific details about previous employees – regardless of whether you left the company after termination, down-sizing, or by choice.

Employers do this to protect both their company and you. If an employer is called to provide information about a previous employee, they must be careful to provide factual and well-documented information. To avoid claims of defamation and to restrict giving out any confidential or protected information, many companies have strict policies in place about providing references for past employees. Some companies will only share basic information, like the length of employment or positions held.

Keep in mind that when an inquiry call is made about a previous employee, some companies send these calls straight to the Human Resources department. From there, only your dates of employment along with other small details are released.

I’m betting your previous manager doesn’t have a choice but to direct people to HR to handle referrals. Instead of listing your manager as a reference, I would consider asking a previous co-worker to be a referral. If you worked together at the same company, they can talk about your work ethic and what it was like to work alongside you.

Since the information shared from company to company varies, it’s generally unknown what a potential employer may be able to learn through a reference. Play it safe by choosing references who can easily speak about your experience and skills as they relate to your job performance. These people may include previous teachers, co-workers, or mentors. And remember to ask for permission from anyone you list as a reference so they are prepared for calls from your potential employers.

Thanks for asking, Anthony! And thank you to Blake Whisenant from Express for providing the answer!

Do you have a question about the job search, hiring, or recruiting process? Now’s your chance to have your question answered by industry professionals who find, interview, and hire people every day. Ask your question in the comments section below and check back soon to read what our experts have to say!

Check out previous installments in the “Ask a Recruiter” series:

How to Document Short-Term Jobs on Your Resume

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

The Daily Grind

Are You Stressed Out? Tips for Living a Peak Performer’s Life

By Job Journey on Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Time management is your ability to allocate time to each task you need to accomplish. According to former professional basketball player and motivational speaker Walter Bond, effectively practicing time management is extremely important to your success and mental wellbeing. By not managing your time, you may put yourself in stressful situations in your job search, workplace, or personal life.

“We all have 24 hours in a day, so why are some people more successful than other people? Simple answer: they managed their time better,” Walter says. “It’s not that they’re smarter – they just figured out how to manage their time.”

As part of his year-long series of motivational messages, Walter Bond discusses the importance of tracking your time, managing projects, keeping on track, avoiding stress, and more. Check out the full message below.

When it comes to your job search, how do you manage your time to avoid stress? Let us know in the comments section below.

About Walter Bond
A former professional basketball player, Walter Bond’s NBA career included 153 games with the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, and Detroit Pistons. Now, Walter takes what he learned from his life on the court and translates it into motivational and educational messages for thriving businesses and careers. With entertaining and dynamic messages, Walter has spoken to companies and associations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe.

For more information about Walter Bond, visit WalterBond.com .

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