Getting Back to the Basics of a Job Search

Transcription

1 Getting Back to the Basics of a Job Search Tuesday, November 22, 2016 HIRED Texas Job Club Linda Aleman, SPHR, SHRM- SCP

2 Getting Back to the Basics u Agenda u A Few Minor Pointers u Preparing for Your Interview u The Phone Screen u First Impressions u The In- Person Interview u After the Interview u Questions

3 Getting Back to the Basics Who wishes they were anywhere but here today?

4 Getting Back to the Basics u Your Current Job u is looking for your next job u should be undertaken during your most productive hours of the day. u should be 5 days a week. Take the W/E off u The Job Search u Takes time, focus & a concerted effort u Requires a plan; but it must be worked u Is most effective with a support system u Family, friends, accountability partner, job clubs, social groups, church groups, alumni groups, etc.

5 A Few Minor Pointers u Do Not use an outdated account such as AOL, Yahoo! or Hotmail u Get a Gmail account for your job search u Do Not use your street address on your resume u Do Not skip a targeted resume & cover letter u Do Not put 2 spaces at the end of a sentence u Do Not include an Objective section in your resume. Replace it w/a Quali`ication Summary u Do Not submit a resume in PDF format unless you know the ATS system can accept PDFs u Do Not smoke or drink coffee before interviews u Do Not write see resume on paper applications

6 Roadblocks to Getting Great Jobs u Poor Resumes u Not tailored for each job u Not checked for spelling & grammatical errors u Poor grooming and appearance u Coming across as desperate or angry u Poor interviewing skills (practice makes perfect!) u Little or no networking u Sitting at home in front of computer or TV u Failing to follow- up after interviews; failing to send thank- you s and/or clarify a missed question u Something negative on social network or in background

7 Some Common Mistakes u Poorly Constructed LinkedIn Account u Your pro`ile must be current, professional and explain what skills and experience you offer u Information must be consistent with your resume u Unprofessional LinkedIn Photo u Like it or not, it's the `irst thing people see. Make sure you look likeable, professional & competent. If you aren t sure, you can test your picture at Photofeeler.com, a site that lets you upload pictures and discover what others think of them u Missing LinkedIn Photo u Is worse than a bad photo. People wonder what you are hiding

8 Some Common Mistakes

9 Some Common Mistakes u Applying for jobs when you aren t a good match u Use programs like jobscan.co to see how closely your resume matches to the requirements in a posted job u Apply when you are a 70-85% match u Not Using the Correct Key Words In Resumes and Cover Letters u Use the job posting and/or description to `ind listed verb phrases, keywords, and skills to include in your resume u Try using programs like Wordle (wordle.net) and Tag Crowd (tagcrowd.com) to help `ind the keywords on which to focus

10 Some Common Mistakes

11 Preparing for Interviews Know Yourself! u Strengths, Skills & Experience u Be ready to share stories with examples supporting your: u Technical & functional depth u Business results track record (using metrics) u Organizational and leadership skills u Interpersonal skills u Career Choices u Be able to explain career transitions or employment gaps u Career Aspirations u Know your short & long term goals and the kind of company(s) you wish to work with

12 Preparing for Interviews u Utilize your Networks u Get inside information on the company business, manager, department, role, & culture u An insider champion can make a call in advance on your behalf; just make sure THEY are in good standing with the company u Do your Research u Look online for company mission, vision, & goals; as well as management team, recent news releases, etc. u The Interviewer(s) u Know who you are meeting with and their role in the company u Questions, notes, key points u Bring your notebook with questions & note paper

13 The Phone Screen The Phone Screen Typically the 8irst step

14 The Phone Screen u Often used if employer has many applicants to screen or if the company is based out of town u Initial interviewer may be recruiter, HR Assistant, etc. rather than the hiring manager u Used to screen OUT applicants, rather than screen IN u Can be more dif`icult than in- person interview because of inability to read non- verbal cues u Prepare for it as you would an in- person interview - including outline of key points & questions to ask

15 The Phone Screen u Advantage is you can spread all your research & questions out in front of you for easy access u Use a land line or make sure cell phone is fully charged. Stand up and SMILE during the interview u Dress for the interview and strike a power pose before the interview for added con`idence u Remember to be respectful of time constraints; however, do ask any questions you have this is a two way interview u Ask for the face- to- face follow- up interview and next steps

16 First Impressions In- Person First Impressions You only get one chance!

17 First Impressions u Be on time! u Pick out your interview clothes the night before u Eat a good breakfast u Print map/use GPS (do test drive if not familiar) u Leave earlier than you think you need to u Be nice to everyone you see u including the security guard, receptionist, administrative assistant, recruiter u Build rapport u Smile! u Firm handshake & eye contact u Use your research to `ind common ground, but don t focus on personal talk

18 The In- Person Interview What are they looking for? EXAMPLES! u Functional/Technical Expertise u you can t fake it u Organizational Impact u Organizational savvy u Developing others u Leading and aligning/in`luence u Business Impact u Strategic & Creative thinking u Marketing insights u Bias for action & demonstrated RESULTS u Personal Leadership harder to demonstrate u Team player. Integrity. Professional demeanor

19 The In- Person Interview The Panel Interview No one likes these

20 The In- Person Interview u Panel interviews can be time savers for the employer; especially management staff whose schedules are dif`icult to coordinate u Each panelist will likely have a speci\ic area of focus; Learn the roles of the participants prior to interview future Boss? Colleagues? Internal Customers? Board Members? u This process can be fast- paced be respectful of any time restraint given, but do think about your responses u When answering questions, maintain eye contact with all panelists, starting with the individual who asked the question. Think of this as a presentation

21 The In- Person Interview u Behavioral (experientially- based) questions u Tell me about a time when u Give me a speci`ic example of when u Focus on linking your experiences to the job requirements through very short stories u You must be speci`ic use the SAR method (Situation/Action/Result) to answer these type questions. Use metrics when possible u Make sure you explain WHAT YOU DID that made the difference & HOW YOU CAN DO IT AGAIN for their company

22 The In- Person Interview Common Interview Questions u So, tell me a little about yourself. u Tell me what you know about our company. u Why do you want to work for our company? u If we spoke with your previous co- workers, what would they say about you? u Let s talk about salary. What are you looking for? u Describe your ideal boss. u What motivates you to do a good job? u Describe a job well done. u What was your biggest work mistake and what did you learn from it? u What is your greatest strength? Weakness?

23 The In- Person Interview You need some good questions to ask u What is your de`inition of success in this position and this organization? u Fast forward one year & imagine you are looking back at your hiring decision. The person you hired exceeded your expectations. What did they do that impressed you most? u What are the strategic priorities of the company? u What is the company culture like? u What are the key challenges/priorities for this position? u Is this a new position? u If so, why was it created? u If not, why is the position vacant?

24 The In- Person Interview More good questions to ask u What type of career path/growth opportunities exist for this position? u What is the manager s style? u What can I do to make sure you get an excellent rating on your next evaluation? u How/when will the successful candidate be evaluated? u What is the single largest problem facing your staff and would I be in a position to help solve it? u Can you tell me about the team I ll be working with? u Do you have any hesitations about my quali`ications and moving me forward in this process? u What is the next step in the process?

25 The In- Person Interview PREPARATION PREVENTS POOR PERFORMANCE

26 The In- Person Interview Research the organization and the manager u Current and former employees u LinkedIn u Web- based searches > Company website, Google, Glassdoor u Libraries (esp. college) u Alumni groups u Austin Business Journal u HR or PR departments

27 The In- Person Interview Before Your Interview u Set aside a few minutes for peace/quiet time and/ or prayer prior to the interview u Use the restroom prior to arriving at the location u Do not drink coffee (coffee breath) prior to interview u Arrive at the location early, however, enter the of`ice for interview only 5-10 minutes early u Cell phone OFF!! u Be prepared to complete a written application u Remember to BREATHE!!

28 The In- Person Interview Interview General Guidelines Remember to: u Be energetic u Be positive u Be honest u Be sincere u Speak only positively about previous employers & colleagues u Keep the conversation professional and work related nothing personal! u Show them what you can & will do for their company, because it s about them, not you!

29 The In- Person Interview Closing the Interview u Express your interest in the job u Ask any questions you have that haven t been answered u Ask if there are any concerns about your background or skills u Ask for a second/next interview u Ask what the next step is/when will you hear back u Thank the interviewer for their time and consideration u Make sure your have his/her name(s) and contact information

30 After the Interview Post Interview u Follow- up with s and/or handwritten thank- you note(s) to each person you interviewed with u Call back the recruiter to express interest and give/get feedback. Ask what are the next steps? u If no recruiter, call the organization after timeline given to inquire about process

31 After the Interview If You Are Offered the Job u Know what salary you WANT to make and what you NEED to make u Never immediately accept any offer! Ask about: u Compensation structure and philosophy, including Base pay, Payment schedule & any Bonus/Incentive plans u Bene`its (medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, etc.) u Paid leave (Vacation, holidays, PTO, etc.) u Administrative support (if applicable) Negotiate for what you need, but don t price yourself out of the job (do your research \irst!)

32 After the Interview If You Do Not Receive the Job Offer u Remain professional u Do not get frustrated it will show in future interviews u Send an wishing the company success with the candidate they selected; never burn a bridge u Stay positive you just increased your interview skills for the next opportunity!

33 Don t Forget u Keep Your Skills Up During Your Job Search u Make use of YouTube.com for videos on almost any topic we ve covered, including interviewing, resumes, & cover letters. u There are also numerous websites devoted to job seekers, and HIRED Texas offers many free classes to improve your skills u Tutorials u You can also `ind tutorials on an endless array of topics such as how to use Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, WordPress, just to name a few.

34 Good luck in your job search Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Questions?