The Ultimate Guide To Nailing Your Job Interview

Do you have a firm grasp of what hiring managers and recruiters are looking for during your interview? What does it take to reveal yourself as the ‘ideal candidate’ through your comments and responses? From the interview classics to addressing your work history, future goals, job specifications, and more, our friends at The Muse recently constructed a supremely extensive guide to answering any question that may come your way. Join us as we break down a few of our favorite examples and offer our reaction and comments:

“Why Do You Want To Work Here?”

Clearly, the job listing and description caught your attention if it brought you to an interview, but hitting the bullet points from the job listing is too generic of an approach. If you want to stand out as a candidate, you must point to what makes the company unique and why it appeals to you. Take a deep dive into the history and foundation of the company. Provide specifics as to how and why you want to be a part of their success long-term, and allow your passion to take over. For example, you can reveal how you took a keen interest in a company’s new product line, marketing initiative, or management change. If you can’t come up with specific reasons or you are struggling to convince yourself of your own words, the position is likely not the right fit for you. 

“Tell Me About a Challenge or Conflict You’ve Faced at Work, and How You Addressed It.”

When your interviewer opens the floor to discuss your work history, keep in mind that they already reviewed your resume, and merely reiterating your content will be seen as a waste of time. Although no one prefers to discuss their conflicts and work-related stress, employers will want to hear how you’ve overcome obstacles in your career. Be open and honest, but remember to remain calm and professional, especially if it is not a fond memory. To showcase you are open to learning from difficult experiences, emphasize what you would choose to do differently. Lastly, keep the focus on the resolution more than the conflict.

“Why Are You Leaving Your Current Job?”

Here’s a question you can certainly expect to be asked by your interviewer. Whether you were let go due to the pandemic or choosing to leave on your terms, any organization considering hiring you will want to know the details surrounding your exit and the relationships you carried. Do you want a salary/promotion your prior employer wasn’t willing to give you? Did you not get along with previous management? There is nothing you can gain from trashing a former employer or manager. Keep things light and straightforward while maintaining an eagerness for the job at hand.

Questions Concerning Your Goals & Preferences

In getting to know the candidates, employers will want to discover what makes you tick. What are your long-term and short-term career goals? If you are asked about your preferences in a work environment and what you want out of a job, the obvious route is to hit the specifics of the company and position to which you are applying (if it truly is the one you want).

As much as you need to prepare for your interview and position yourself as the best candidate, you cannot lose sight of the interview being a two-way street. Ask your interviewer questions such as:

 – Why is this position available? (Is it new, or did someone leave the role?) 

– What is keeping employees happy and long-tenured?

– Upon getting hired, what are the first steps?

– What makes someone successful in this role?

The most prominent leaders are tenacious and decisive, but also adaptable and introspective. If you see the makings of this leadership style within an organization, you may have found a great place to accelerate your career.

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Aligning Your Capabilities with Your Career Aspirations

Having a full understanding of your skills and behaviors is critical to reaching your dream job or dream industry. For a while, ambition can bring positive results and even a job promotion, but without introspection, your engaged, ‘self-starter’ approach will eventually fade. When you genuinely understand your capabilities and see them in action, confidence can take over when it comes to achieving your highest aspirations. Carrying out your career aspirations brings benefits of intense focus, passion, and clarity. If this is a step too soon for you and you require a little guidance for your career indecision, consider these thoughts.

“There is one quality that one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.” – Napoleon Hill

A former Fortune 50 COO and leadership coach, India Gary-Martin, credits networking and leadership development courses for overcoming her lack of experience and producing her eventual success. Below, she reveals five crucial questions you must ask yourself in aligning yourself with your aspirations:

Do you have any existing relationships with the leaders who will become your peer group?

There is no substitute for experience. If you desire a leadership role, you can anticipate work experience to be your greatest bargaining chip. If you want to learn more about a specific company, industry, or position, reaching out for an informational interview is your window to a firsthand perspective. It is very likely that the career professional you admire received some help along the way, and they will feel inclined to ‘pay it forward.’ If you don’t ask, you don’t receive. 

What are the attributes of those who are currently or have previously been in the role?

Whether through an in-person meeting, a phone call, LinkedIn messaging, or thorough internet research, understanding the features that construct the position of power you covet will bring you one step closer. For example, if you desire a leadership position in business operations, you may come across crucial components such as organization, problem-solving, analytics, supervising, and decision-making. Is cost efficiency and budgeting in your nature? As you converse with seasoned professionals, note whether or not their journeys align with your background and capabilities. 

How do leaders and staff perceive you?

Are you aware of what your peers and superiors think about you? It may be time to ask the tough questions with your most trusted and authentic associates. Discover how they observe your greatest strengths and most notable weaknesses. What are your most impressionable ‘hard skills’ and ‘soft skills’? Do they believe you would thrive in a position of leadership? Saying you are ready and actually being ready are two different things. These perceptions about you matter because they will come to fruition in your next role, whether you believe it or not. 

Do you have a compelling story?

It’s unlikely that you will check every box for an employer, and that’s where your preparation and storytelling come into play. The difference between the candidate who gets hired versus one who is not is often their ability to tie their work experience and achievements into the job description at hand. Your ability to control the narrative in what makes you the most qualified and presentable candidate can put you a step above your peers. 

“Why you?”

After checking all the boxes and offering a compelling story, you still have to address this final question. What is it about you that will benefit the company specifically in a way no other candidate can? Is there a unique anecdote that goes beyond the alignment of your capabilities and the job you desire? If you don’t believe in yourself, you are only causing others to do the same. Confidence plays a significant role in achieving your big dreams, even if it is through small, practical steps. 

Whether companies are hiring or not, make an introduction and let your passion lead the way. Carry yourself with a mindset of endless opportunity and curiosity. You are likely more qualified than you believe.

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Resume Must-Haves For 2021

If you fail to ‘adapt with the times’ as a job-seeker, your resume will fall short. Making the proper adjustments starts with a willingness to learn and acclimate to new trends. Similar to how there are expectations for you to tailor your resume’s content to the job description you are applying for, there are expectations for the integral structure of your resume as well. The more months that have elapsed since you’ve last reopened your job search, the more alterations you will discover to be necessary.

Furthermore, between spiked unemployment rates and fluctuating employer needs, COVID-19’s impact makes a strong resume vital now more than ever. With the help of the career experts at The Ladders and CNBC Make It, we reveal four resume expectations all hiring managers will have amidst the coronavirus pandemic:

Remote Work Skills

Due to the pandemic, employees were forced into an abrupt change of environment, pushing many of you outside your comfort zone. As a result, there are likely new telecommunication skills and other resourceful skills you’ve acquired. Don’t gloss over this experience with generalized statements such as “I am a quick learner” or “I am adaptable.” Instead, share your experience working remotely and how you’ve been able to manage all your responsibilities or even become more productive. Provide details on how your company utilized Zoom, Slack, or another communication platform, and how you stayed heavily involved in meetings. 

How You’ve Adjusted to COVID-19 Within Your Role

Employers are looking for employees who have demonstrated an ability to adjust through unprecedented challenges and altering expectations. Reveal how you have proven yourself to be adaptable. Outside of the change in scenery, this may include budget adjustments, new technology, new responsibilities, or communicating with co-workers you haven’t worked with before. 

Showcase examples or critical metrics that highlight your abilities in critical thinking, organization, dedication, and other vital strengths you possess. But remember, this conversation is your chance to interview your potential employer as well. If you desire open communication with management, resources available to delimit workplace stress and aid mental health, or strong precautions put in place to limit the spread of the virus for all employees, now is the time to present these concerns.

Describing Previous Role and Employers

Unless your previous employment was with a nationally known company such as Google, Microsoft, or Amazon, it’s pivotal that you provide a brief company description. When you reflect on your previous role’s responsibilities, can you identify any similarities between your duties and the present job description? Incorporate a few of the keywords used by the employer as you highlight your relevant work experience. When emphasizing this experience in a previous role, Yang also recommends listing the company size as it will speak to the workload you took on and resources you had available.

*PRO TIP / BONUS TIP* – Include the job title for which you are applying at the top of your resume. A bold, relevant title can immediately grab the attention of the hiring manager. Career coach Peter Yang recommends you place this title directly beneath your name and contact information.

A Link to Your LinkedIn Profile

An often-neglected step in your application process is including the link to your LinkedIn profile page. Providing the link will offer quick access to the hiring manager when they download your application and garner a proper first impression. Presenting this digital first-impression promptly is critical, considering how much of the interview process is conducted virtually. A ResumeGo study found that candidates with a “comprehensive” LinkedIn profile have a 71% higher chance of getting an interview than those who don’t. Just remember to optimize all the features LinkedIn has to offer, rather than simply repeating your resume. Those who optimized LinkedIn’s features for a comprehensive profile page saw a 6% increase in callbacks over those who did not.

Wrap Up

Incorporating these four elements will maximize your shot at landing the interview and, ultimately, a new job. For more insights into constructing a winning resume in 2021 and real examples, check out Peter Yang’s full article. Yang discusses the importance of including an experience summary, which should take precedent over the age-old objective statement.

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Job Searching Tips To Ignore in 2021

With the abundance of career advice outlets and career resources, it can be challenging to know what guidance is most applicable to you and your status. Regardless of your situation, there is sure to be outdated or irrelevant information that crosses your screen. Our friends at Monster recently revealed five common thoughts and strategies you’re better off disregarding. We breakdown a few examples below:

Keeping Your Resume Brief

Have you ever been instructed to limit your resume‘s content to one page? Throughout my collegiate experience, I had professors offer that same advice. However, I had other professors that insisted job-seekers fill two complete pages and professors who did not oppose any length. So, what’s the correct direction to take? If one of your primary concerns is a hiring manager’s thoughts on your resume’s length, it will serve you best to reevaluate your priorities. 

If you possess extensive experience that applies to a job description at-hand, it would be foolish to forego mentioning acquired skills due to a fear of losing your reader’s attention. Don’t cross over to a second page for the wrong reasons, i.e., detailing responsibilities rather than accomplishments. While you never want to stretch words or embellish on your achievements within a role, you should always reflect on any experience you believe positions you as most qualified for the opportunity. 

Believing A Great Resume Will Get You Hired

A thorough, compatible resume may land you a job interview, but it will not serve as a golden ticket to getting you hired. Careful research, strong presentation, and maintaining a positive attitude are the keys to landing the job. It is your responsibility to live up to the initial impression you placed in your interviewer’s head. No matter how qualified you may feel you are, you must come prepared to answer some tough questions. Just as you will come with questions prepared and ‘holes’ needing filled when it comes to the job description, your interviewer will do the same with your work history.  

Only Sending a Thank-You Note

No, I am not insinuating that you shouldn’t send a note of appreciation following your job interview, but as Bettina Seidman helps reveal, it shouldn’t stop at just that. Your follow-up letter should reiterate your interest in the job, express your appreciation for their time, emphasize why you are the most qualified candidate, and highlight an experience that prepared you for the role. If your letter does not address the question, “Why should we hire you?”, then you are doing yourself a tremendous disservice in how the employer will remember you.

Following Your Passion

‘Follow Your Passion’ – Often the most misguided principle extended to the common job-seeker. Passions in and outside of the business world often adjust in their hierarchy or change entirely, “and sometimes these passions do not serve as a viable source of income.” Catherine Conlan with Monster offers up an example of former NASDAQ-listed CEO Heidi Nazarudin choosing to pursue her passion for photography as a hobby rather than a primary source of income. This allows the best opportunity to live comfortably and still indulge in your passions. From there, who knows, maybe you can seize the opportunity to grow your network and turn your passion into something more prominent.

Wrap Up

The challenge to ‘adapt with the times’ is magnified now more than ever as we progress through 2021. As it goes with any well-intentioned guidance, you must approach any traditional tips and tricks with caution. Not every piece of advice will be inapplicable to your situation. More often than not, you will find it is time to push back on the old-age foundations.

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Avoid These Four Mistakes In Your Next Video Interview

Emanating from the onset of COVID-19, thousands of companies continue to operate under the work-from-home order. Unemployment remains at a high volume, and many organizations rely heavily on phone and on-screen meetings for their hiring efforts. If you are active in the job search, you can anticipate the use of Zoom, or another video conferencing platform, for the beginning stages of your interview process. While your content preparation remains unchanged in terms of having examples, answers, and questions readily available, your interview’s virtual aspect brings new challenges you may not expect.

Courtesy of CNBC Contributor John Bowe, we review four of the most annoying mistakes made in video interviews, as revealed by Zoom’s Head of Global Talent Acquisition, Phil Haynes. 

1. Fidgeting and glancing at your phone

Haynes advises: “With an in-person interview, you’d never sneak a look at your phone. It’s simply not a behavior you would exhibit in real life. So, we remind people: a video interview is still a face-to-face interview.” Don’t forget to smile – your face is still taking up most of your interviewer’s screen. 

If you know yourself to be easily distracted by technology and phone applications such as social media, sports updates, or a need to know who texted you, try muting your notifications. If you fear this won’t stop you, turn your device off or keep it in a different room. In the brief 15-45-minute conversation, there is unlikely to be an update worth more than your shot at a new job. 

2. Darting eyes across the screen

In a virtual interview, maintaining steady eye contact is even more critical than the typical in-person interview. Hiring managers often measure your level of eye contact to gauge your interest in joining their organization. Always looking around will make you appear disinterested or inattentive. One great tip you can quickly implement is to hide the ‘self-view’ feature during meetings. Removing the view will ensure you do not get caught staring at yourself and worrying about your appearance rather than actively listening. 

3. Visibly worried and distracted

Every job seeker fears the uncontrollable aspects of their interview, such as a child entering the room and screaming or a pet demanding attention. Since COVID-19 began shutting down offices, Haynes affirms, “the human element is just pouring through.” In many ways, the pandemic has defaulted a more real, human experience for both sides of the webcam.

What can you do to limit your home office-related distractions? Find a private space and request an hour of quiet from your family members or roommates. If this is not plausible for your current situation, consider completing your interview outside your home.

4. Boring, unenthusiastic answers

If you offer weak, lackluster answers, you will leave your interviewer with nothing of note. Be sure to have questions prepared for the end of your interview and answers for these commonly asked questions. What indicates a weak and ‘boring’ answer? You share too many details and focus on what you did in your previous role, rather than why you did it and the impact you had. However, you must not come off as too rehearsed or scripted in your replies. 

Comparable to how you must keep your body language engaged in conversation, your answers must keep your evaluator engaged. Think back to an obstacle you faced in your career and how you overcame it. Practice telling your story and speaking confidently about your qualifications. 

For more great insight and tips to review before your next interview, check out Bowe’s full article here. 

If you join the millions operating under the work-from-home order, check out these essential tips for Setting Up An Effective Workspace at Home.

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