Being Rude To The Receptionist Or Support Staff
It is vital that you are kind to everyone in the office when you go in for an interview. You never know who has a say in whether you get the job.
According to the Recruiter Nation report, the worst thing an interviewee can do is be rude to the receptionist or support staff. In fact, 86% of recruiters reported that if a potential employee was rude to the receptionist, they would take the candidate out of the running for the job.
Be courteous, professional and polite to everyone you interact with during the entire process, and make sure to thank people for their time as you leave.
Practice Common Interview Questions
Before the interview, read through common questions and prepare answers. Even if your interview does not include all of the most frequently asked questions, considering your answers gives you a chance to review your experience, qualifications and goals. Taking this step also allows you to identify specific examples so that you can mention them readily during the interview.
For example, you can consider your answers to personal questions like How would you describe yourself? and What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? You can also think about job-specific questions like Why do you want to work here? and Why should we hire you?
You may also consider researching what questions are common for the specific role or company youre interviewing with. These questions can help you anticipate what this company expects or what prospective employers need to know about candidates for specific positions. Practice your answers to these questions to ensure you are prepared for a variety of general, company- and role-specific questions. This preparation can lead to a stronger connection with your interviewer.
Related:22 Most Common Interview Questions and Best Answers
You Need To Treat Your Ux Job Search With The Intentionality Insight And Information Based Decisions That A Product Manager Uses When Creating A Product
A great product manager doesnt just focus on solving problems, they also constantly seek to spot small problems before they become big problems. When time and money are on the line, theres no sense in solving a problem if youre not confident its the right problem to solve. Product managers monitor, assess and act on vital information from across the organization to create a product that meets the needs and goals of all the stakeholders.
At a high level, great product managers do 3 key things really well:
Read Also: Questions To Ask The Cfo In An Interview
How To Address Discriminatory Hiring Practices
Its time for employers to acknowledge that bias is hardwired into the hiring system and that prejudice is clouding the screening of qualified applicants, says DeCelles, whose research focuses on the intersection of organizational behavior and criminology.
Business leaders should start by taking a closer look at their resume screening processes. Blind recruitment is one possible solution, where information about race, age, gender, or social class are removed from resumes before hiring managers see them.
Companies can also perform regular checks for discrimination in the screening process, for example by measuring how many minorities applied for a position and comparing that with the percentage of those applicants who made the first cut.
Organizations can now see very clearly that this is why they are not meeting their diversity goals, DeCelles says. They cant just put a message on recruitment ads and be done. They need to follow through with a clear structure and staff training. They need to make goals and then continually evaluate the outcome in order to meet those goals.
The bottom line for business leaders who are hiring, she says: Once you receive applications, you need to make sure they are evaluated fairly.
Judging Based On Personal Preferences
As humans, we tend to like people who share our personal preferences and interests, such as music, sports, television shows, lifestyle choices and other behaviors that aren’t relevant to the job.
While interviewing, keep in mind that liking the same TV shows is not related to job performance. Interviewers should not let “being like me” unconsciously sway their judgment. Remain as objective and focused on the job qualifications as you can, especially while determining if the candidate is a good culture fit. This is where it can be helpful to have multiple interviewers speak to the same candidate you can all compare your thoughts on personality and culture fit to reach an objective decision.
Sammi Caramela and Chad Brooks contributed to the reporting and writing in this article. Some source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.
Recommended Reading: System Design Interview Preparation
How To Get Leads: Dont Just Send Your Cv In Response To Job Listings Use Connections
Many large organisations have a standardised application process e.g. the Civil Service, consulting and Teach for America. They want to keep the process fair, so there isnt much wiggle room. In these cases, just apply.
But what do you do after that? The most obvious approach is to send your CV to lots of companies and apply to the postings on job boards. This is often the first thing career advisers mention.2
The problem is that sending out your CV and responding to lots of internet job ads has a low success rate. The author of the best selling career advice book of all time, Dick Bolles, estimates that the chance of landing a job from just sending your resume to a company is around 1 in 1,000.3 That means you need to send out one hundred resumes just to have a 10% chance of landing a job. This is because once an opportunity is on a job board, itll be flooded with applicants.
Moreover, the positions on job boards need to be standardised and mainly at large companies, so they dont include many of the best positions.
The best opportunities are less competitive because they are hidden away, often at small but rapidly growing companies, and personalised to you. You need a different way to find them.
The key is to find leads in the way that employers most like. Employers prefer to hire people they already know, or failing that, to hire through referrals an introduction from someone they know.
Write A Concise Objective Statement So Your Resume Gets Read
We are familiar with resumes and almighty cover letters that are a crucial part of the application process. But what is an objective statement, you might ask.
It is a brief summary inserted on your CV to communicate how you can add value to the company and what needs you can meet. Lets just put it this way. Its the first impression the employer will get of you.
You know the saying?
You never get a second chance to make a great first impression Will Rogers
So be sure to make it a good one. Just think about it like a first date. Would you go to the rendezvous knowing your hair looks greasy? Or looking disorganized and disheveled?
Im sure youd want to display only the finest version of yourself. Looking pristine and smelling good is always a good start.
And this is how you do it.
Tell the employer about your skills and how youd be able to put them to good use. Be specific and tailor it to the position in question. Every time. If you work in retail but want a job in customer service dont brag about your abilities in stocking the shelves. Or handling cash payments. Unless the new job requires it.
It’s time to blow your own trumpet and tell them how much you enjoy working with people. Youre an exceptional communicator and running the extra mile for the customers gives you the chills.
But this sounds so cringy and salesy. Its not who I am.
I hear you. Its not who I am, either.
You wouldnt pay for Netflix if it didnt have good movies, would you?
Recommended Reading: Design Interview Preparation
Applying For Jobs Theres A Better Way To Get Interviews
Robert HellmannGetting Interviews, Job-Search Strategy
A prospective client once came to me for help. In the past year Ive applied for about 100 positions, yet have had no interviews! she told me in frustration. I was pretty confident that I knew the crux of her problem straight away. How? It was the emphasis she placed on the number of jobs she had applied for. Usually, its not nearly enough to just apply for jobs.
In fact, job seekers should spend roughly 20% of their precious job search time applying for jobs and the remaining 80% networking and building relationships to secure valuable meetings and introductions. There are three main reasons as to why I recommend this 20-80 approach:
- Most job postings will attract hundreds of applications. Competition is tough through this channel because of sheer volume its hard to stand out.
- Online applications and resumes are typically screened, whether by HR staff, computers, or search firms none of these parties understand the job requirements the way the hiring manager does, which adds some arbitrariness to the selection process.
- Networking and cold emailing/calling work really well!
Lets explore each of these areas in more depth.
How To Get More From Interview Opportunities
One way many small business owners can promote their businesses is through interviews with local media and press to build exposure. The idea of being interviewed is exciting. It allows you to talk about something youre passionate about and build authority by showing off your expertise.
Like I said, the idea is exciting. The actual interview can be terrifying, especially for small business owners who arent used to hopping into the spotlight. But the experience doesnt have to be scary. In additional to being a great way to attract new leads, it can also be fun!
As a small business owner, you need to learn how to get more from interview opportunities so that you can better promote your business and benefit from each interview you do. Here are some tips that have helped me benefit from interview opportunities in the past.
Research the interviewer: Assuming the interview is set up beforehand, you should know the name of the person youll be speaking with. Take some time to do a bit of research and find out who this person is. What other publications do they write for? What types of stories do they like? Who have they interviewed in the past? By finding out a bit more about the person youll be speaking with, you can show up feeling like you know the person. Chatting with friends is a lot easier than chatting with strangers.
Those are some tips that have helped me to deliver better interviews. What words of wisdom do you live by?
Read Also: Preparing For System Design Interview
Tips For Great Job Interviews
From researching the company to handling certain key interview questions, make sure you make a great impression and ace your next job interview by following these 20 tips.
Want to ace your next interview and land thatopen job youve been seeking? Here are 20 tips to help you prepare.1. Research the industry and company.An interviewer may ask how you perceive his company’s position in its industry, who the firm’s competitors are, what its competitive advantages are, and how it should best go forward. For this reason, avoid trying to thoroughly research a dozen different industries. Focus your job search on just a few industries instead.
Is Your Cover Letter Like Everyone Elses
Maybe you know your resume, cover letter, and introductory email are flawless, because you use the exact same, perfect one for all positions. Sadly, this strategy will backfire.
Remember, the job description outlines exactly what the company is looking for in their ideal candidate, so it includes clues as to which of your strengths you should mention in your cover letter. If your application looks the exact same before youve found the role, after youve read about it, and when youre ready to hit submit, you might be doing something wrong.
Read Also: Mailscoop Io
Different Minority Groups Use Different Whitening Techniques
Asian applicants often changed foreign-sounding names to something American-soundinglike substituting Luke for Leiand they also Americanized their interests by adding outdoorsy activities like hiking, snowboarding, and kayaking that are common in white western culture.
One Asian applicant said she put her very Chinese-sounding name on her resume in her freshman year, but only got noticed after subbing in her American nickname later: Before I changed it, I didnt really get any interviews, but after that I got interviews, she said.
Some Asians covered up their race because they worried employers might be concerned about a possible language barrier. You cant prove your English is good in a resume scan, but you can if you can get to the interview, DeCelles says.
Meanwhile, African Americans toned down mentions of race from black organizations they belonged to, such as dropping the word black from a membership in a professional society for black engineers. Others omitted impressive achievements altogether, including one black college senior who nixed a prestigious scholarship from his resume because he feared it would reveal his race.
Some applicants were willing to lose what could be seen as valuable pieces of human capital because they were more worried about giving away their race, DeCelles says.
I wouldnt consider whitening my resume because if they dont accept my racial identity, I dont see how I would fit in that job
Know Your Personal Brand
Based on your research of your target companies, you need to link your hard skills with softer skills . This helps you generate chemistry as a candidate and differentiate your ROI over your competitors for jobs.
In other words, when youre networking, be prepared to communicate your unique value proposition and best-fit qualities for your target companies.
Also Check: Best Interview Attire For A Woman
Make Connections In Your Industry
You may find interesting job listings on public career boards or industry websites, but popular listings can lead to increased competition. Instead, consider making connections in your industry to increase the chance of learning about less publicized openings or hearing about listings before other qualified candidates do.
To network effectively, find online communities and local groups that focus on your industry. Identify people you want to meet, such as employees of companies where you want to work. Then consider ways you can offer value to your connections, such as providing a new perspective on an industry trend.
Related:Become a Networking Expert in 7 Steps
With More Competition Than Ever Its Paramount To Stick Out Of The Crowd
If you read a lot about how to make a six-figure income, but have not yet figured out how to be your own boss, the chances are you bust your butt in a 95 to pay your bills.
And thats ok. Not everyone can or wants to be a Jack of all trades. Some of us are happy to slave away for peanuts while consuming countless pots of coffee until the small hand hits 5.
Just joking. Of course, no one wants to waste their lives in soul-killing jobs that struggle to pay the bill. How about our dreams?
House in a reputable neighborhood?
Swimming pool in the backyard?
A good education for our kids?
So until our big break, we put our big girl/boy pants on, polish up our resumes, send them to various companies, and wait for the phone to ring.
And waitand wait
Only to find that the only noise we get as a reaction is the chirping of crickets. Lots of them.
I heard so much of those little buggers in the past months, that I realized it was time to up my game if I wanted to see favorable results. The methods I found arent earth-shattering. Or new. But they seem to do the trick and send employers my way.
So, if youre like me looking for a job, but all youre getting is rejections, its time you review your own strategy and let go of the methods that hold you back.
Here Ill give you three simple ideas to revamp your applications so you stand a higher chance of companies contacting you.
But there is one caveat before I get to the gist.
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How To Get More Job Interviews And Job Offers With This Powerful New Strategy
This is Part 1 of a 3-part series on getting more job interviews and more job offers:
- Part 1 How To Get More Job Interviews and Job Offers With This Powerful New Strategy
- Part 3How To Make Your Personal Branding Website Job Search Ready
I think we can agree on one thing…
If youve found this article its because you want to do better you want more for yourself.
Am I right?
You want to finally break through and get a job that will pay you well and that you dont absolutely hate getting out of bed for every morning. Trust me, Ive been there. I know what it is like.
But its just so tough, isn’t it?
Doesnt it feel like there are thousands of people going after the same jobs?
Well, have you seen the job numbers lately? The reason it feels like that is because there are thousands of people going after the same jobs. Its never been more competitive than it is now.
I hate to say it, but its a numbers game…
And you have to give yourself the most amount of chances to be successful.
Everybody says that its quality over quantity, but thats easy for them to say. Theyre not the ones sitting at home with a mountain of student debt, or sitting in their cubicle making peanuts and absolutely hating life.
Okay so what does that mean for you?
It means you need to get more job interviews.
It means you need to be better at interviewing.
It means you have to do something that your competitors arent doing to give you an advantage.
YES.
Of course you would.
I bet you would.
