Showing posts with label Job Search. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Job Search. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
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
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Scheduling the Interview
So you've sent out resumes, and finally you get a bite: someone wants you to call to schedule an interview.
Have your calendar ready beforehand. Don't begin the call without an idea of what time would work for the interview. However, the hiring manager usually suggests a time first, since they are busy and do not have to interview you. Thus, be as flexible as possible, since you're trying to make a good impression.
(Most of the time, they will call you rather than you call them. In this case, make sure to have a general idea of your schedule when you're job hunting so you can answer these calls. If they call at a bad time, you can politely say that you don't have your calendar at hand and will call them back as soon as possible. Then call them back AS SOON AS POSSIBLE with your calendar ready.
If they don't state a time immediately, be ready to suggest a couple times that would be convenient for you. However, if you suggest a time, don't decide later that it would be a bad time. You're stuck with that time.
When a time really does not work, say that you have other commitments and leave it at that. Don't go into any further explanation unless it would be obvious to everyone that it is more important, such as a doctor's appointment. And don't start explaining why you have to go to the doctor, they don't need the details.
If you know that you really do better in the afternoon, go ahead and try to steer the conversation toward that time, saying that afternoons are really more convenient. But don't say that you're sleeping in past 1 PM!
Above all, be professional. Whenever you're on the phone with a potential employer, be sure to pay attention to what they're saying and present yourself well. Focus on being articulate and polite.
Although you could ignore all of these guidelines to test how much they really want you and are willing to go through to get you on their team, I wouldn't recommend it.
Update: Video uploaded!
Have your calendar ready beforehand. Don't begin the call without an idea of what time would work for the interview. However, the hiring manager usually suggests a time first, since they are busy and do not have to interview you. Thus, be as flexible as possible, since you're trying to make a good impression.
(Most of the time, they will call you rather than you call them. In this case, make sure to have a general idea of your schedule when you're job hunting so you can answer these calls. If they call at a bad time, you can politely say that you don't have your calendar at hand and will call them back as soon as possible. Then call them back AS SOON AS POSSIBLE with your calendar ready.
If they don't state a time immediately, be ready to suggest a couple times that would be convenient for you. However, if you suggest a time, don't decide later that it would be a bad time. You're stuck with that time.
When a time really does not work, say that you have other commitments and leave it at that. Don't go into any further explanation unless it would be obvious to everyone that it is more important, such as a doctor's appointment. And don't start explaining why you have to go to the doctor, they don't need the details.
If you know that you really do better in the afternoon, go ahead and try to steer the conversation toward that time, saying that afternoons are really more convenient. But don't say that you're sleeping in past 1 PM!
Above all, be professional. Whenever you're on the phone with a potential employer, be sure to pay attention to what they're saying and present yourself well. Focus on being articulate and polite.
Although you could ignore all of these guidelines to test how much they really want you and are willing to go through to get you on their team, I wouldn't recommend it.
Update: Video uploaded!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Cold Calling
"Cold Call: noun. A telephone call soliciting business made directly to a potential customer without prior contact or without a lead."
Source: Merriam-Webster Online
Cold calling to potential employers can be a nerve-racking activity for many job hunters. The job hunt is often like personal selling, except for that you're not promoting a product in the job hunt. Instead, you're promoting yourself. This is particularly true when you're doing selling activities in your job hunt, such as cold calling. Cold calling is a vital activity during the job search, because you will often have to call people who do not know who you are, and a phone call gets more immediate attention than an e-mail. This is great news for salespeople who are skilled at the act of selling, but what about everyone else?
For these people, it helps to have a couple easy hints to remember in order to make your job hunt more effective.
First, always remember to smile when you're on the phone. It will show through in your voice
Be professional, respectful, and courteous, since this will make everyone's life easier. Above all, make sure to be interesting and engage the person on the other end of the call.
It is a common sales tactic to find and talk about a connection that you might have with the interviewer. This is a good idea, but don't get sidetracked.
(Also, this may be obvious, but never hang up on someone who says they may have a position for you.)
Get to the point quickly, don't waste their time or yours. Never just read your resume, they don't have that kind of time.
Know what you're going to say before you dial the phone. If you need to have a script ready, go ahead and write one. However, don't just read it with a monotone voice. Practice if necessary. (I'll talk more about practicing in a later post._
Just like you would in an interview, try to research the company and individual so that you know at least some information about the company and the person you are calling. This may give you a better approach than simply "Hi, I'm looking for a position in..."
Remember, if you reach an administrative assistant, your goal is to get connected to the hiring manager. If you reach the head honcho, you've invariably caught him at an extremely busy time. So don't waste time! Always be respectful and kind to the assistants, however.
Be ready at all times for an on-the-spot phone interview. I'll talk more about how to handle phone interviews soon.
Finally, here's a good site that has some general recommendations for cold calling in sales that may be helpful as you work on your job search.
Good luck on the hunt!
Source: Merriam-Webster Online
Cold calling to potential employers can be a nerve-racking activity for many job hunters. The job hunt is often like personal selling, except for that you're not promoting a product in the job hunt. Instead, you're promoting yourself. This is particularly true when you're doing selling activities in your job hunt, such as cold calling. Cold calling is a vital activity during the job search, because you will often have to call people who do not know who you are, and a phone call gets more immediate attention than an e-mail. This is great news for salespeople who are skilled at the act of selling, but what about everyone else?
For these people, it helps to have a couple easy hints to remember in order to make your job hunt more effective.
First, always remember to smile when you're on the phone. It will show through in your voice
Be professional, respectful, and courteous, since this will make everyone's life easier. Above all, make sure to be interesting and engage the person on the other end of the call.
It is a common sales tactic to find and talk about a connection that you might have with the interviewer. This is a good idea, but don't get sidetracked.
(Also, this may be obvious, but never hang up on someone who says they may have a position for you.)
Get to the point quickly, don't waste their time or yours. Never just read your resume, they don't have that kind of time.
Know what you're going to say before you dial the phone. If you need to have a script ready, go ahead and write one. However, don't just read it with a monotone voice. Practice if necessary. (I'll talk more about practicing in a later post._
Just like you would in an interview, try to research the company and individual so that you know at least some information about the company and the person you are calling. This may give you a better approach than simply "Hi, I'm looking for a position in..."
Remember, if you reach an administrative assistant, your goal is to get connected to the hiring manager. If you reach the head honcho, you've invariably caught him at an extremely busy time. So don't waste time! Always be respectful and kind to the assistants, however.
Be ready at all times for an on-the-spot phone interview. I'll talk more about how to handle phone interviews soon.
Finally, here's a good site that has some general recommendations for cold calling in sales that may be helpful as you work on your job search.
Good luck on the hunt!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Video: Video Resume
There are periodic problems with the embedded YouTube player, here's the link to the video if the above player does not work :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz4sFUfNpwE
Special thanks to Team 7 and the rest of the Crummer crew for suggestions!
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