Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach
I’ve been thinking a lot about how job seekers can stand out in a crowd. I wrote about it last week and suggested that it is not as difficult as you might think. Today, I’m adding a new feature to my blog and trying video blogging for the first time. Bear with me on the lighting issues! Hopefully, the tips will make up for my lack of a camera operator and high-tech studio!
Learn more about how I can help you get your search going in the right direction! CLICK HERE for more information!
Photo by Auer1816
Logically, once you have a hot resume and network for success, it’s key to focus on interviewing skills to win the job. A summary for those hoping to heat up their job search for the summer season:
Prepare for your interview. Decide how to connect your skills to the employer’s needs.
Avoid typical interviewing blunders and turn your interviewer into a fan!
Know how to answer the most important underlying interview questions.
Have structured replies to behavioral interview questions.
Don’t forget to follow up your interviews with a timely thank you note.
Know what to wear. Know what NOT to wear…
Don’t miss interview red flags. Don’t get involved in a bad situation if you can help it!
Keppie Careers will conduct mock interviews and help you prepare to blow your interviewer away with clear, concise and correct answers to important interview questions! www.keppiecareers.com
What’s the question that every interview includes? It may be phrased in a number of ways, but it is the underlying question in every single interview query:
After all, interviewers want you to sell yourself. It’s not up to them to figure out if you are a good match; it is up to you to draw the lines, connect the dots between your skills and their needs. If you don’t know why they should hire you, you certainly won’t be able to convince anyone else!
What’s the other most important interview question?
Even if you are an “experienced” or “seasoned” professional – do NOT consider this question an opportunity to launch into your life story. If you can’t zero in on a few brief autobiographical details and connect them to the position, you will be wasting your time and the interviewer’s patience.
Refer to your elevator pitch. Your pitch, which should contain information about you and your skills (customizible to individual targets) will focus on what problem you can help solve, include specifics about your abilities and accomplishments and demonstrate your expertise, interest and enthusiasm for their organization. Of course, all of these will be focused on the organization’s needs.
Your answers should NOT focus on what they can do for you – make sure you demonstrate how you can impact them in a positive way.
I invite you to refer to some of my earlier blogs for more advice about how to respond to interview questions to GET the job:
5 Tips to Turn Your Interviewer Into A Fan
Behavioral Interview: Have STAR Stories to Share
Keppie Careers will help you figure out why the interviewer should hire you – and give you the tools and information to make sure that you can do it! Do you need a resume? A mock interview? Keppie Careers can help: www.keppiecareers.com.
The dreaded interview question. What should you say? Do you tell them that you’re a perfectionist? What if they ask “Why is that a weakness?” Then, if you’re nervous, you may be compelled to go on and on about the time you were in charge of a project, but couldn’t let it go because you were so involved in the details…It went way over budget and was late because you couldn’t put it to bed. A good weakness to describe for an interview? Not so much.
There are several keys to this question.
For example, a computer programmer whose job it is to sit at a computer and work magic might say:
“I have to admit that I am a bit nervous speaking in front of very large crowds. However, I’m considering joining Toastmaster’s and I’ve been doing some reading about how to be better at public speaking, as it is a skill I’d like to practice and improve.”
Why is this a great answer in this case?
If the job involved frequent presentations, this would not be a good choice for a weakness.
So, the trick to this question:
Or, you can give an answer my former boss mentioned to me…(Use only with careful discretion):
What’s your greatest weakness?
Look them straight in the eye, smile and say, “Chocolate.”
Photo by Eszter
I once wrote a term paper about the importance of body language. The quote I remember from it,
from The Little Mermaid, is no less true today!
(Yes, I really quoted a Disney movie in my paper. It worked.)
Did you know that people who are positive and confident outperform their peers in their job searches? Research shows that persistence and a postive attitude pay off in the job hunt. You can always pick out a pessimist by his or her body language – slumped shoulders, eyes down, expressionless (or frowning). No one wants to hire someone who seems sad or pessimistic. Straighten up, smile and make eye contact. Your body language speaks louder than your words.
In fact, research also shows that body language makes up more than half of how our communication is perceived. That means that you may be describing your greatest business accomplishment, but if your posture isn’t good and you don’t make effective eye contact, you might as well tell the interviewer about the time you lost your portfolio on the way to a presentation.
How many times do we have to tell you – strong and firm gets the job done! BusinessWeek recently wrote about several different types of handshakes to use and some to avoid. Eye contact along with a firm handshake can make a world of difference to how you are being perceived.
In fact, the “little things” may actually be the BIG things! Focus on every aspect of your presentation to ensure that you put your best foot forward with your job search.
Keppie Careers will help you with every aspect of your job hunt. We will write your resume and teach you how to find a job. www.keppiecareers.com.