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#JobSearch : 5 Interview Mistakes That Are Costing You A Chance At Your Dream Job. Great Checklist Before for Today’s Job Interview.

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Interviewing can undoubtedly be a nerve-wracking experience for many. The unfortunate reality is that a great deal of job seekers were never taught how to prepare for an interview. As such, they unknowingly make common mistakes that prevent them from getting their dream job.

Aside from looking polished and professional, arriving on time and doing your research, you should use this time to let your personality shine. Employers want to know you’re qualified for the position, but they also want to know that you’d be a good cultural addition. The way they assess this is through your personality and how you interact with them throughout the interview.

Here are five common mistakes you could be making that are costing you a chance at your dream job.

Avoiding The Salary Question

Unless you’re certain of the exact salary you’re worth, make sure to always give a salary range. This lets employers know the lowest salary you’re open to receiving. Paw Vej, recruitment manager and team leader at Financer, a leading financial comparison website, said, “if you have no idea what your realistic salary is, you have no starting point for a negotiation. Start by figuring out what the average salaries are for the position in which you’re interviewing.” You can utilize sites such as LinkedIn Salary, Glassdoor and Salary.com, to name a few, to get a range of what the typical salary is in your industry and location.

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

While many people recommend not giving a salary and avoiding the question altogether, ultimately everyone has a minimum salary in mind. Furthermore, company’s typically have an inflexible budget if yours exceeds what they can afford. In order to not waste your time or the company’s, it’s important to be transparent upfront.

Likewise, not having taken the time to prepare an answer to this question isn’t always favorable. Larry Pendleton, president and CEO of Government Services Exchange, asserted, “I always know the average pay for a person seeking a specific position, so overshooting and even undershooting the salary question will leave me wondering about the candidate’s confidence.” He added, “a simple Google search will reveal the average salary for any position globally. Know your experience, and be ready with an honest number.”

For rare and unique positions that aren’t easy to benchmark, Sarah Johnston, job search strategist and founder of The Briefcase Coach, recommended candidates to instead respond with, “I’m still learning about this position and what it entails and I’m still not clear on the total compensation. Based on what I know, I feel comfortable sharing that I would need to make between X and X. Does my range match yours for the role?”

Blaming Your Last Company

One of the biggest red flags for an interviewer is when a candidate speaks badly about a current or past employer. Aaron Simmons, founder of Test Prep Genie, explained, “though it’s true that there’s no perfect company, it’s still inappropriate and unprofessional to directly put the blame on them for unfavorable job experiences.” He added, “it gives the interviewer the impression that should you be hired and leave after some years, you would also stab them at the back.”

Conversely, with more awareness being brought to workplace bullying, if you left due to mistreatment, it’s okay to share that the company was not a fit for you while leaving the details for a later time. As an HR professional who was also the victim of workplace bullying, I understand how common it is. While I can empathize with candidates who have also been bullied and mistreated, there’s a fine line between sharing an experience and using an interview to air your grievances and bash a company.

Not Doing Your Homework

Regardless of industry or location, there are standard interview questions in which every company asks. As a job seeker, it’s important that you do your homework and are prepared to answer these questions. An example of a common question is “what makes you interested in working for your company?” Hiring managers typically ask this to better understand your motivation for applying for the job. Not doing your homework and failing to research into the company is a sure way to be disqualified early on.

Before your interview, take the time to visit the company’s website and learn about their core values, the clients or customers they serve, the products or services they deliver, how they give back to the community, the LinkedIn page of the person interviewing you as well as recent events or company milestones. Not only will these provide great talking points and potentially find common ground with the interviewer, but they’ll help you to form insightful questions to ask during the interview.

Failing To Ask Insightful Questions

Interviewing is a two way process. This is the time for you to interview a prospective employer to see if they’re a right fit for you just as they’re wanting to see if you’re a good fit for them.

When you ask questions during an interview, it shows the interviewer you’re engaged, you’ve done your research and you care about more than just a salary. Asking questions only about the salary and benefits tells interviewers you only care about what’s in it for you. Vej shared, “as an interviewer, I need to see that you’re actually interested in the work, otherwise, you’re not going to perform very well, in my experience.”

Failing to ask questions could put you into a toxic workplace situation. For this reason, make sure you ask questions that will give you insight into what you would be entering into should you be made an offer and accept.

Here are some questions to get you started:

  • Why did the last person in this position leave?
  • What would the onboarding look like for someone joining the company?
  • How do you invest in your employees development?
  • What makes you proud to work at (company name)?
  • When and how is feedback given?
  • What would you say would be my biggest challenge if I would join the company?
  • What are some ways you celebrate individuals or company milestones?

Leading With An Ego

You can have an impressive resume with superior qualifications, but if you let your ego lead the interview, interviewers will see you as problematic and opt for someone more humble. There’s a difference between selling yourself versus focusing only on yourself. Vej explained, “if you only focus on yourself, it becomes very difficult for me to see how you can provide value for our company.” The key is being able to connect your accomplishments with how they’ve helped your current or previous employer.

Additionally, when it comes to answering the “what’s your greatest weakness” question, the worst thing you can say is that you have no weaknesses. This shows the interviewer that you lack self awareness. The reason behind asking this question is not only to see how self aware you are, but how you’re working to address and improve those weaknesses.

Candidate’s who lead with their ego feel like the interview is a waste of time and their skills are far superior to any other applicants. Moreover, they use the interview to boast about how great they are. While an interviewer may carry out the rest of the interview, mentally they’ve already written the candidate off.

Forbes.com – November 30, 2020 – Heidi Lynne Kurter

#JobSearch : Five Steps For Nailing Your Video Interview, No Matter What Your Age. The Whole Key to a Job Search is Mindset, No Matter What your Age.

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In today’s remote working reality, an online presence can be a two-edged sword. Done right, and you own the space. Done haphazardly, and your professional persona could be doomed. If you are interviewing for a job in this competitive COVID-19 environment, mastering online presence is critical. If you are an older candidate, it is non-negotiable.

“The job search can leave us feeling especially vulnerable,” said Natalie Venturi, an executive presence coach. “Because most job interviews today are over Zoom, feeling confident and self-assured makes it easier to focus on connecting with the interviewer and leaving no doubt that you can do the job.”

Due to stereotypes about candidates age 50+ not being tech savvy, mastering an online presence is even more important. Showing comfort on camera and easily navigating remote tools helps you own the space.

Venturi outlines five critical areas to help you nail your next video interview.

Intention: Take a few minutes to consider the outcome you want from the interview. How do you want to show up? What one thing do you want to project more than anything else? While your intention might be nailing the interview and getting the job, Venturi recommends that you focus on what you can control. Perhaps you want to convey focus, curiosity, engagement, or authenticity. Whatever the intention, write it down to help you remember. Let that be the last thing you reflect on before starting the interview.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

Interview Prep: When you research the company, take note of the organization’s values. How can you align your values to theirs with examples of your work? What kind of stories can you tell to emphasize those values in action? Personal examples are powerful, but Venturi cautions brevity – no more than 60 seconds for each response. Once you feel ready, record a mock interview with a friend. Watch it afterward to evaluate where you have room for improvement.

“The whole key to a job search is mindset, no matter what your age,” said Venturi. “Feeling competent with your online presence gives you a professional advantage whether interviewing for your dream job, leading a team through organizational change or delivering a sales presentation.

On-Camera Set Up: Before the interview, take a moment to notice your surroundings. How do you look on screen? Your set up should allow you to look straight into the camera, versus up or down. Lighting and background are crucial, according to Venturi, who suggests you skip the virtual background and opt for a solid backdrop instead. Youtube offers plenty of short tutorials on background, lighting, webcam, sound, and clothing choices – like this one from the Wall Street Journal. Before the interview begins, test your on-camera presence, check sound, and make adjustments as necessary.

Physicality: Physicality is about how you take up space. Show engagement by leaning into the camera instead of sitting further back. Use a chair without arms to allow yourself to move more freely. Physicality is also about your appearance and how you sound. Whiten your teeth, enunciate your words and dress for the part –but don’t wear a suit unless you are in banking or finance.

Energy: Everything is energy, according to Venturi. Engage with energy. Use your intention to project the kind of energy that leaves recruiters and hiring managers feeling comfortable in your presence and reassured with your abilities. Be fully present, maintain eye contact and project your voice. Leverage this energy to drive the conversation, find out what the interviewer needs and then succinctly convey how your skillset will enable you to meet the need – and then some.

“The whole key to a job search is mindset, no matter what your age,” said Venturi. “Feeling competent with your online presence gives you a professional advantage whether interviewing for your dream job, leading a team through organizational change or delivering a sales presentation.”

 

Forbes.com | November 18, 2020 | Sheila Callaham

#CareerAdvice :How To Close A #JobInterview To Land The Job. A #MustRead !

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“How do you end an interview?” asked Ken, a Baby Boomer in my Ace the Interview class. “Should I be bold and just say hire me, no one is better? Will I sound too cocky or demanding and lose the job?”

Good questions. I have never been a fan of the sales strong-arm approach where you push for the job and blatantly ask for it at the end. I haven’t seen it work, and it can turn off employers. There is a much more effective way to end the interview and leave the employer with a strong impression of you.

The 60 Second Sell is your tool to spark an employer’s interest to close out your interview. This 60-second verbal business card will summarize your skills, abilities and previous experience in a well-thought-out fashion that will immediately make the employer know why they should hire you.

The 60 Second Sell is a proven shortcut to your success. Many career counseling clients have reported it was the best job-search technique they’d ever used. It’s easy to create and easy to implement. Once you’ve learned this technique, your interviews will be significantly improved because you will be able to do the most important thing necessary to land a job—get the employer to recall you and your abilities.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Continue of article:

How do you close the employer? 

When the interview is at its end, and you’ve asked your questions, and they have explained what will be next, most people say goodbye. You are not going to do that. Instead, you are going to say, “Thank you for the opportunity to learn about your position. I’m very interested in this job. In closing, let me summarize for you what I bring to the position.” Then you conclude with your verbal business card, what I call the 60 Second Sell. It is most effective because once you are done saying it, you leave and the employer takes notes and evaluates you as an applicant. The 60 Second Sell offers your top 5 selling points for performing the job. Here’s how it works.

Begin with a 5 Point Agenda

The 5 Point Agenda is a hiring strategy created to focus on the needs of the employer and the job to be done. The 5 Point Agenda is a predetermined analysis in which you select your five most marketable points and repeatedly illustrate these points throughout the interview process.

It is this repetition and reiteration of exactly how you’ll meet her needs that allows the employer to remember something about you. My clients have tested this interview approach with the following results:

• It made interview preparation easier.

• They were highly rated by everyone who interviewed them.

• The five points seemed to be all that was remembered.

• They credited the 5 Point Agenda and the 60 Second Sell as being the two techniques that secured the job offer.

Job hunters are often amazed to learn that an interviewer can ask you questions for an entire hour and not hear one word you’ve said. He may be bored, frustrated or unimpressed with your image or the first few answers. After interviewing several people, all the candidates begin to blend together. I experienced this when I hire people, and countless other employers continuously confirm this fact. The 5 Point Agenda quickly captures an employer’s interest because you are continually emphasizing exactly how you can do the job right from the start.

The Formula: Creating Your Strategy

Examine your previous experience. Write out the key responsibilities for each job you’ve held. Note any special accomplishments. Zero in on your essential work strengths—those abilities where you excel and are most productive.

Check with your contacts and use your network to get as much background as possible about the employer, the company, and the position’s needs. Many times, your contacts will point out the very aspects that must make up your 5 Point Agenda. Other times, there will be little information available, and you will need to guess based on your general knowledge about performing the job.

After reviewing the employer’s and position’s needs, determine which of your abilities and which aspects of your experience will be most relevant to the employer. Then create your 5 Point Agenda, selecting each point to build a robust picture emphasizing how you can do the best job.

For example,

Engineer

This major automotive manufacturer required experience in both quality assurance and new product design. The candidate’s 5 Point Agenda was:

• Point 1: Implemented new four-year quality-assurance program that received a national Quality 1 Award.

• Point 2: Effectively dealt with employee resistance to quality improvements.

• Point 3: Conducted on-site inspections of 37 suppliers to improve the quality of parts received.

• Point 4: Five years’ design engineering experience.

• Point 5: Excellent communication skills when working with both technical and nontechnical staff.

Create Your 60 Second Sell

The 60 Second Sell allows you to summarize your most marketable strengths briefly and concisely. Successful job hunters have found the 60 Second Sell:

• Was effective in capturing the employer’s attention.

• Provided excellent, concise answers to tricky questions.

• Was very easy to use.

• It was a memorable way to end an interview.

The 60 Second Sell is a 60-second statement that you customize for each interview, and that summarizes and links together with your 5 Point Agenda. You will want to put the points of your 5 Point Agenda into an order that allows you to present them in the most logical and effective manner. When you link the ideas into sentences, they should be said in 60 seconds or less. Once memorized, this statement will be easy for you to recall and use to close the interview.

To continue with our example:  

Engineer

Using his 60 Second Sell, this applicant was able to get the job offer. His 60 Second Sell went something like this:

“For my last employer, I implemented a new quality-assurance program for seven plants over four years. We received the Q 1 Award for our efforts. Along the way, I’ve learned to effectively deal with employee resistance to quality improvements through training, selling teamwork concepts,and utilizing a personal empowerment approach. I have evaluated 37 suppliers during on-site inspections to improve the quality of their product—parts that will ultimately become pieces of my company’s final product. My five years in design engineering and my strong communication skills have aided me in my ability to work with a diverse population and solve technical problems. These are the reasons I feel I would make a valuable contribution to your company.”

Summary

Both the 60 Second Sell and the 5 Point Agenda must be customized and created for each interview. They may vary slightly or greatly based on what you determine to be that employer’s most essential needs and your most marketable abilities to meet those needs. These tools allow you to take control of the interview and get the employer to recognize the kind of skills and contributions you will bring to the job and the organization. As you are leaving, you offer the very best reasons why they should hire you when concluding with your 60 Second Sell.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.

Author: Robin Ryan

I am a career counselor that helps clients land jobs. I offer Resume Writing, LinkedIn Profile Writing, and Interview Coaching services. I’ve appeared on Oprah,DrPh…

Forbes.com | August 27, 2019