5 Job Interview Tips for First-time Job Seekers

5 Job Interview Tips for First-time Job Seekers 391 What you need to know to keep the stomach butterflies away. This is a guest post by Neil O'Donnell. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines. So, you’ve done what most applicants didn’t do â€" you landed an interview? Congratulations.eval Now get ready for the endurance test. Yes, you should be proud of this accomplishment as usually only three to five applicants (out of upwards of a hundred) are selected for interviews.eval That said, getting through the interview to the job is a challenge on the level of climbing a mountain, during a blizzard, with no guide. In other words, it’s difficult. To ace the interview, here are a few tips that will help increase your chances of making it through to the job. 1) Dress for success Yes, kind of cliché, but wearing a suit, and all the accessories (i.e. tie, dress shoes, subtle colors such as white shirt/blouse with gray or navy blue suit) makes for a professional appearance. Dressing in shocking color schemes or in jeans and a t-shirt will likely not impress the interviewer. 2) Acknowledge and maintain eye contact with everyone When being interviewed by a group, if you look at only one or two of the interviewers, you risk alienating those you did not maintain eye contact with. I’ve been in many post-interview meetings where that was the major complaint by interviewers. Do not make that mistake. Additionally, when being introduced to those present, write down or remember their names and respond to their questions with their names â€" an easy way to impress interviewers. 3) Research the company BEFORE the interview One of the questions I always ask applicants is what they know about the company. I am always amazed at the lack of such research on the part of applicants. To hiring managers, not knowing much about the company is showing a lack of respect and will likely destroy the applicant’s chances of getting the job. If you know about the company and find a way to mention how your skills fit their current and five-year plans, you will stand out from the others receiving interviews. Interviews should be seen by applicants as an opportunity to determine if the company is a good fit. Do you really want to work for a company that stands against everything you believe in? It happens more times than people realize and leads to unhappy employees. 4) Ask questions that uniquely connect with the company’s goals During the research phase, make sure you look into the company’s current initiatives and short/long term goals. Then, in the interview, ask the interviewer(s) how they see the open position playing into those goals and initiatives. This will not only show you respect the company, it will also help impress upon them your fit if you can reference your experiences that specifically match the goals. 5) Send thank you notes Again, this probably sounds like another cliché, but thank you notes sent to interviewers can make a great, lasting impression especially when a thank you is sent within twenty-four hours and it is a handwritten note as opposed to an email (though sometimes an email is unavoidable). Using the names you wrote down at the introduction phase of the interview, find addresses for all interviewers and write a separate thank you for each. Should you forget a name or two, write a thank you to the lead interviewer thanking her/him for her/his and the staff’s time. Then take this one step further. Should you not get the job, consider writing another thank you note, thanking the interviewers for considering you. Sound like a waste of time? First of all, as they took the time to interview you, a bit of gratitude is not too much to ask. I have even seen where such a thank you note got an applicant consideration for another opening. About the Author Neil O’Donnell is an academic and career specialist with 20 years of experience helping college students achieve academic and career success. An experienced academic advisor, a Master Tutor Trainer (certified through the Association for the Tutoring Profession), and anationally Certified Professional Career Coach, Neil is particularly skilled at helping students establish an academic plan, which leads students to success in the classroom and in finding employment after graduation. He blogs at EOP and HEOP Resource Center. This article is part of the The $11K 8th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest. If you wantNeil O'Donnell to win, share this article with your friends. READ NEXT: 7 Company Research Tips Before The Job Interview

The Four Principles of Acing an Interview - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The Four Principles of Acing an Interview - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career First, remember that an interview is a work-related competition. The same competition onstage for the theater is called audition. People compete throughout their lifetimes. They compete for resources, such as money, time, awards, rewards, and honor. So let’s focus on the interview competition, in which several preselected candidates compete for only one job opening. The question to ask is, What does it take to win? In that work-related competition, the interviewer or hiring manager is the decision maker, and in the mind of that hiring manager are four notions that the right candidate will fulfill. I understand what you say The interview is all about communication between the interviewer and the candidate for the position. To become able to make a fair decision, the interviewer has to understand what the candidate is communicating. The information the candidate presents has to be clear and simple and sequential. If the information is convolutedâ€"meaning, it’s, say, complex or long-winded or too fast or too soft-spoken or hindered by a foreign accentâ€"the interviewer will most likely miss out on some important information. I trust and believe you The interviewer knows that candidates’ intentions are to sell themselves, so therefore there’s a natural resistance factor between the two parties. Trust is a major part of the hiring process. On one hand, if the interviewer does not believe what the candidate is saying, trust will not develop between them. To be credible, the interviewer has to be specific, should quantify when possible, should give examples from the past, and, most important, bring in a third party to verify and attest to those truths. On the other hand, the candidate, too, must be specific, quantify, and give examples. I would like to hire you This is music to every candidate’s ear. This is what candidates want to hear, but the words don’t come automatically. After all, this is a competition for one single job. So, here’s where the challenge comes in: The interviewer has a need that must be met. But this is the moment when the candidate has to differentiate from other competitors for the role by converting the interviewer’s need into a want. This is when the art of interviewing is playing a pivotal role. This is when one has to go beyond the facts and into being attractive as an employee. This hinges more on emotions than on logic. The interviewer has to imagine that the candidate is already a part of the company’s group and is receiving positive comments by all those affected. You possess knowledge or qualities I can’t find anywhere else Here’s where the toughest part of the competition creeps in. The hiring manager has choices and is going to choose the candidate who has unique knowledge, pertinent experiences, or specific qualities the company needs. Blending into the crowd is not the answer. The interviewer is looking for something to be able to sell about you to othersâ€"like the boss or your future team. So, what’s unique about you, and can you accentuate it in the interview? Great! You’re hired.

How to Make Friends at Work - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Make Friends at Work - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I previously emphasized the importance of having friends at work in my blog post “Why You Need to Have Friends at Work”. However, for introverts or for people who are not sure how to befriend a coworker, below are some tips. Be Positive: People like positive energy. Say “Hello” or “Good Morning” when you walk into the office with a big smile on your face. Try to pass your good vibes to others. If they feel your good energy, then, they want to spend more time with you. People become friends with people whom they enjoy their company. Find Things in Common: You can start a conversation about what you have done on the weekend and try to find similarities or common interests according to the conversation. Especially, it is easier to find similarities with people who are close to your age. If you are married with kids, you can start a conversation about your kids or if you have just graduated from college, you can talk about the school you have graduated from. Try to stay on general, everyday topics; don’t talk about politics or religion. Be Social: Attend the social events at work. Usually every office has hobby clubs such as a reading club or a sports club. Join those so you can socialize. Also, since these are generally interest groups, it means you already have something that you enjoy together. Social events and social clubs are great for making friends at work. Don’t Just Talk About Work: Don’t just complain about work. Rather than whining about your manager or a tight deadline, talk about your hobbies or weekend plans or the new movie that hit the theaters. By talking about topics outside of work, you will bring more positivity to the conversation. Do Something Outside of Work: Try to be inclusive and invite others to eat lunch or to have a coffee break at the nearest coffee shop. If you are using public transportation, you can suggest taking the train together when getting out of work so you can chit chat and build a rapport. Don’t Rush the Process: Be patient and don’t try to rush the process. Start small because you don’t want to overload anyone. Don’t share too much personal information at first especially your problems. Nobody wants to stay around someone who constantly talks about problems and absorbs others’ good energies. Keep in mind that friendships don’t just happen in minutes, they take time.

Report from my own happiness lab

Report from my own happiness lab After about a decade of doing research on happiness,  I realize that my favorite research  comes from university labs that use self-reported data. Most of  our happiness lab research is based on self-reported data  about who feels happy. Which means, maybe, that I am my own lab. I can self-report just as well as anyone else. So here is my self-reported research. And, like all good university lab results, there is a little third-party oversight at the end. 1. Do not look for external validation. The unusual  thing about my family is not that my parents abused me and I was removed from the house. I mean, seriously, that happens in families all the time. The thing that makes the family different  is that my mom and all my brothers are colorblind. Female-passed colorblindness is very rare. My mom is visiting and dinner-table talk wanders to my son’s bar mitzvah. We are a family that has an incredible ability to focus on the negative, so we don’t dwell on how my son is a Hebrew-learning savant. Instead my son says, “Mom! Let’s talk about the time when you were reading Torah at your bat mitzvah and you were lost and you said, Oh fuck I’m lost.' I say, That’s the whole story. Mom says, “Remember my dress? Was it gray?” “No, it was purple but you thought it was gray.” “Well, maybe.” My  mom  thinks I’m so untrustworthy that she doesnt trust me even with color.  2. Its way easier to find bad in people than good, so challenge yourself.   My driver, Carla,  is out of town so Jeanenne is driving. But Jeanenne never drives, and I fear for our tires. I tell Jeanenne it  takes special driving talent to  not get a flat in Chicago. Its so serious  that  Jim Bachor  makes activist  art out of potholes  as he fills them. I tell myself to trust that Jeanenne is watching. But just in case, I pack extra reading material.   Once we get to the music school there are three cello lessons in a row. I don’t know how my son does it. This is what happens when you have a mom who is a writer going to ten hours a week of music lessons:  I bring colored pens  and draw the alphabet over and over to keep myself from dying of boredom. I get so anxious that I’ll run out of the colors I like that I keep three extra packages on hand at all times. Jeanenne spends three hours being the highest paid coffee drinker in the world. I guess this makes up for the first two years I lived on the farm when I was in constant nervous breakdown mode from the transition and during that time Jeanenne was the lowest paid mental health worker in the world. I ask Jeanenne to get  me coffee while she’s getting coffee for herself. She says, “But then I’d have to come back early.” I say, “Wow. I really miss Carla.” 3. Be fine with where you are. Driving home I discover that Jeanenne can’t see. My mom and my brothers do not see green traffic lights. They only see white. And they are still legal to drive. So maybe its just that Jeanenne can’t see any signs. She thinks it’s just the GPS, that she can’t read that. This is the tipping point for me. It’s ridiculous that Jeanenne and Carla won’t wear glasses because it makes them look old. I also can’t see because I should be in bifocals and not contacts and I have been resisting. Carla  comes back the same day my glasses arrive. I tell her I’m getting old because I need bifocals. She says, “I know lots of people who wear bifocals.” I say, “Who?” She says, “My mom.” Jeanenne falls on the floor laughing. Fine. So I am old. I was going to tell you about how I am old but I couldnt tell you about my neck, because Nora Ephon did that already. And I cant tell you about vaginal dryness because my husband said no writing about sex. So I have to tell you about bifocals. 4. Foster empathy by trying to see the world  through other peoples eyes. In the Wall St. Journal, Bret Stephens reviewed  Hillary Clinton’s new book. Bret  starts by reviewing the Acknowledgements and complains that Hillary thanks a team of writers for turning her scribbled notes into books. Now thats a great example of  paid friends. The more I think about it, the more I think all the best friends are paid friends. Who is a better friend than the person who makes it so you can write your own memoir without writing it? Bret  also complains that now we can’t rewrite history because the surest way to forget history is to write it down. Because then people think they don’t need to remember because it’s written. Which is why my family hates that I write this blog. They worry that I am writing their history and then  no one will bother remembering any version of events that is not mine. Other complaints about me from my bothers:    That I pay people to do everything. My brother sent an article about mothers in NYC paying people $1000 to pack up their kids for camp. I wanted to respond, “What a great idea! I wish I were sending kids to camp just so I could hire someone!” But then I thought maybe my brother was making fun of me. 5. Get a second opinion.   I am in the perennial vegetable garden and my mom decides  to weed next to me, behind the rhubarb. I tell her the  purple  flowers are edible, so leave the purple, and pull the blue  flowers. Those are weeds. She says okay and then starts pulling purple. I tell her forget it. Leave all the flowers. We do not talk about how she can’t see the colors. But we talk. My mom tells me that of all her kids, I’m the one who surprised her the most. I ask her why. She says, Because you’re happy.

What Businesses Need From the Best Professional Resume Writing Services in Boston

What Businesses Need From the Best Professional Resume Writing Services in BostonIf you are planning to employ the services of a Boston resume writing company to develop a professional resume for your future career, you have to be fully aware of the fact that not all professional resume writing services are created equal. In order to get a professional resume that will stand out among the others and get you hired by the most appropriate company or position, it is important that you carefully assess the kind of work a resume writing service can do for you.A professional resume can be produced using various professional resume writing services in Boston. These services provide companies with qualified and experienced professionals who can tailor-fit resumes to meet specific business requirements. These services will guide and advise companies on various topics, including:* The corporate sector is no longer limited to only those individuals employed by a particular firm or organization. Instead, the corporate sector encompasses diverse types of firms that employ individuals in different roles such as human resources, financial management, product development, marketing, strategy, operations, and operations. In order to achieve a more comprehensive picture of the corporate sector, professionals who are capable of crafting professional resumes, in the best manner possible, need to be consulted.* Every company has its own distinct corporate culture, therefore, creating a professional resume that is suited to each individual company will be a good idea. The development of a well-written professional resume is an art that can be developed and perfected by experienced professionals. In order to produce quality corporate resumes, and ensure that all details are properly presented and understood by the hiring manager, it is important that companies seek the services of professional resume writing services. One-size-fits-all resumes do not work for every company, which is why these services have been developed to cater to the needs of a wide range of companies.* Each company has its own set of personal and career options, and that means that the development of a resume that will fit each of them requires unique attention. In order to produce customized resumes that cater to each specific requirement, it is important that a professional resume writing service is consulted. Professional resume writers who are experienced in composing resume packages tailored to each of the companies' needs will be able to produce the right results in an appropriate amount of time.* Personal information regarding the applicants, for instance, contact information, names, and employment details, needs to be handled very carefully. It is therefore crucial that all pertinent personal information is shared with the prospective employer. A professional resume writing service will handle this matter for you.* The development of a marketing strategy, even when properly drafted, will not help in creating a strong professional resume. A highly successful marketing strategy must be defined and formulated before any work begins. In order to develop a good marketing strategy, a professional resume writing service is consulted to help businesses implement the right strategic plans.Creating a professional resume is an art that can be developed and perfected by professional resume writing services in Boston. With the help of these services, companies can be assured that their efforts will pay off and that their professionals will be able to produce the best professional resumes. Once a good marketing strategy has been written, and the rest of the details are finalized, the job will finally be handled by the professional resume writers and they will be able to present it in the best manner possible.

Pre-Interview Prep

Pre-Interview Prep If youve been applying for jobs, now is the perfect time to do your pre-interview prep.  Its never too early to start  preparing answers to job interview questions.   There are standard questions you can expect to be asked during a job interview. These questions are designed to see if you have the skills and interest to be a good fit for the job. You can begin thinking about these answers and prepare your responses today. Cramming for a job interview isnt the best idea. You want to come across confidently qualified during the interview and that takes practice and time. As part of your pre-interview prep, review the questions below and start preparing your general answers. These job interview questions are grouped by what the interviewer wants to know. About your application What made you apply for this role? Why do you want to work for this organization? Why do you feel you’d be suited to this role? Questions about your career choices and decisions What made you enter this [industry/profession]? What’s the biggest highlight of your career to date? Why was it a highlight? What’s your biggest career mistake to date? What did you learn from this mistake? Where do you see your career going in 3 years (…or 5 years, 10 years time) Questions about each of your roles What made you take that particular role on? What were your reasons for leaving that particular role? What did you deliver in each of your roles? Can you quantify these achievements? Questions about you What  type of work  have you enjoyed the most? What was it about them that you enjoyed? What types of work have frustrated you the most? What was it about them that was frustrating? What are your strengths? Can you provide me with a specific example to back each of them up? What are your  weaknesses? What are you doing about them? How would you describe your personality and working style? What’s unique about you? How are you different to all the other people we’re meeting? Behavioral Job Interview Questions Then there are behavioral job interview questions Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with your manager. Describe a stressful situation at work and how you handled it. Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully persuade someone to see things your way at work. You can see a list of more behavioral interview questions here.  popular behavior based job interview questions There is a trick to answering these questions. You use the acronym STAR. STAR Stories Each of your answers should use a STAR story. And its really important to use quantifiable information in the results part of your story! Try really hard to quantify  the productivity, efficiency, performance or outcome of your actions. Situation what was going on (Briefly stated) Task what was it that had to happen Actions step by step, what did YOU do Results what happened because you did what you did It isnt enough to just think about your answers or write them down. YOU MUST practice these answers out loud.   Your answer sounds different when spoken than it does in your head or when youve written it out. Review The Job Posting- Again Youve already thoroughly reviewed the job posting when you created your resume. But dig out the job description again and review each requirement and develop a STAR story to provide proof you meet that requirement. Want more interviewing help? For more pre-interview prep help, plus tips to improve what you do during and after the job interview, get a copy of Do I Want This Job

10 most read posts in May - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

10 most read posts in May - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog These are the 10 most read posts in may on this site: 1. Cool name wanted 2. Selling fish in Seattle and having fun 3. Generosity in action 4. Happiness at work marches on 5. Book review: The fifth discipline 6. 100 things about me 7. How Denmark won the 1992 european soccer championship 8. Book review: The fifth discipline fieldbook 9. Book review: Pattern recognition 10. Book review: Getting to yes It seems that my readers interests are pretty varied, or maybe different people just read this blog for wildly different reasons. Who knows and Im certainly happy either way :o) Thanks to everyone who reads this, its a pleasure to share with you. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related