Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Update
Apologies for the temporary delay in updates, I've had problems coordinating my enormous cast and crew.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Welcome to Overemployment!
Welcome to all those coming from the ABCNews.com article, here's the link to the video resume mentioned in the piece.
The website is brand new, but it is updated regularly on a weekly basis, with new videos nearly every week.
There are currently five videos, with more on the way:
Reducing Pre-Interview Stress
Scheduling the Interview
Cold Calling
Video Resume
First Day of the Search
Thanks to Michelle for the mention, she has a great blog for women in nontraditional careers at the Anti9to5 blog.
Contact me at overemployed@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments. Enjoy the videos!
The website is brand new, but it is updated regularly on a weekly basis, with new videos nearly every week.
There are currently five videos, with more on the way:
Reducing Pre-Interview Stress
Scheduling the Interview
Cold Calling
Video Resume
First Day of the Search
Thanks to Michelle for the mention, she has a great blog for women in nontraditional careers at the Anti9to5 blog.
Contact me at overemployed@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments. Enjoy the videos!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Reducing Pre-Interview Stress
The video is self-explanatory, but there are a couple important tips for reducing stress before going into an interview. If you have a routine, there's less of a chance that you will be thrown off by something unusual that happens the day of the interview.
First, preparation is vital. Practice is always a good idea, as it reduces the chance that you will not have an answer to an interviewer's question. (More on practicing for an interview in a future post.)
Make sure to research the company and go over any standard interview questions, so you are able to answer questions intelligently. If you're interviewing with a large company, get to know the specific division with the open position. If you're interviewing with a small company, try to find out about the philosophy and history of the company.
Also, get everything ready (clothes, plan your route, etc.) the night before so you don't have to worry about it at the last second. It is a good idea to relax, but try not to do anything that would cause a major hangover the day of the interview.
The alarm clock part is actually pretty good advice, since I've had both my main and backup alarm clocks fail on the same day. This will always happen on the worst possible day, it's a law.
While caffeine may be important to wake up, don't get too wired.
Obviously don't eat a huge lunch right before the interview. The health food "experts" always say to eat multiple small meals during the day, but this is a good recommendation for the day of the interview. Bring water too, you will always get a dry throat right before a big interview or presentation. It's inevitable.
Another tip in the video is also true: don't arrive on time. Arrive early so that you can compose yourself before you go into the interview. Depending on the site, you also may have to go through security and a couple layers of receptionists before getting to the interview. Obviously, you don't want to show up 30 minutes early, but you can wait in your car if you get there way too early.
Here's a good article that includes more tips on how to prepare for an interview.
Good luck on the hunt!
First, preparation is vital. Practice is always a good idea, as it reduces the chance that you will not have an answer to an interviewer's question. (More on practicing for an interview in a future post.)
Make sure to research the company and go over any standard interview questions, so you are able to answer questions intelligently. If you're interviewing with a large company, get to know the specific division with the open position. If you're interviewing with a small company, try to find out about the philosophy and history of the company.
Also, get everything ready (clothes, plan your route, etc.) the night before so you don't have to worry about it at the last second. It is a good idea to relax, but try not to do anything that would cause a major hangover the day of the interview.
The alarm clock part is actually pretty good advice, since I've had both my main and backup alarm clocks fail on the same day. This will always happen on the worst possible day, it's a law.
While caffeine may be important to wake up, don't get too wired.
Obviously don't eat a huge lunch right before the interview. The health food "experts" always say to eat multiple small meals during the day, but this is a good recommendation for the day of the interview. Bring water too, you will always get a dry throat right before a big interview or presentation. It's inevitable.
Another tip in the video is also true: don't arrive on time. Arrive early so that you can compose yourself before you go into the interview. Depending on the site, you also may have to go through security and a couple layers of receptionists before getting to the interview. Obviously, you don't want to show up 30 minutes early, but you can wait in your car if you get there way too early.
Here's a good article that includes more tips on how to prepare for an interview.
Good luck on the hunt!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Voice Mail
It is often overlooked, but simple phone ettiquette is vital in the job search. Most job hunters speak to potential employers on the phone before meeting them face-to-face, so it is the first impression for many people. Thus, it can make or break your job search.
Some people prefer to never leave a voice mail message, instead calling back to try to reach a live person. Others like to leave a message after the second or third try.
If you do leave a message, make sure to follow a few simple guidelines.
Make sure that the message is professional, concise, and gets to the point immediately. Also, clearly state the reason for your call, and clearly ennunciate your name.
Leave your phone number or any other vital information twice, just to ensure that the recipient can hear it.
If the voice mail system has an option to listen to your message before it is posted, go ahead and review it to make sure that the message is intelligible and that any contact information is clearly audible.
Good luck job hunting!
Note: I'm scipting and filming this week, but a new video is coming soon...
Some people prefer to never leave a voice mail message, instead calling back to try to reach a live person. Others like to leave a message after the second or third try.
If you do leave a message, make sure to follow a few simple guidelines.
Make sure that the message is professional, concise, and gets to the point immediately. Also, clearly state the reason for your call, and clearly ennunciate your name.
Leave your phone number or any other vital information twice, just to ensure that the recipient can hear it.
If the voice mail system has an option to listen to your message before it is posted, go ahead and review it to make sure that the message is intelligible and that any contact information is clearly audible.
Good luck job hunting!
Note: I'm scipting and filming this week, but a new video is coming soon...
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
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