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Your #Career : The Follow-Up Email Every Job Seeker Needs To Know How To Write…You can Do Much More Than just Get your Name Back at the Top of a Hiring Manager’s Inbox.

October 6, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Fact No. 1: After you’ve interviewed for a job, hiring managers don’t always get back to you in the time frame they told you they would.

Consider describing a project you’re working on—one that could apply in some way to the job you’re applying for.

Fact No. 2: You should absolutely follow up with a polite email if you’re expecting to hear back and you haven’t.

Fact No. 3: You can use this message not just to check in, but to give the decision maker even more info that’ll show you’re the right person for the job.

That’s right. Take this traditional “just following up” email:

Hi Damon,
I hope you had a great week. You had mentioned that you’d be in touch with next steps on the hiring process by Wednesday, so I just wanted to check in. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help with your decision.
Best,
Adrian

There’s nothing wrong with that note. It’s brief, it’s polite, and it gets your name in front of the hiring manager.

That said, instead of asking if there’s anything you can do to, in essence, boost your candidacy, why not take that next step and provide something that does just that?

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Let’s say you’re applying to a social media position with Dolby. You might say something like this instead:

Hi Damon,
I hope you had a great week. You had mentioned that you’d be in touch with next steps on the hiring process by Wednesday, so I just wanted to check in.
In the meantime, I wanted to share a social campaign that I launched this week. It’s already had more than 5,000 shares—the company’s second most successful program ever. I think something similar to this would be very impactful for Dolby, and I’d be excited to jump right in and get started.
Best,
Adrian

In this message, you’ve shared another example of your work, you’ve highlighted a recent success, and you’ve reiterated your enthusiasm for the position. And you’ve done so proactively, which is never a bad thing.

“IN THE MEANTIME . . .”

You can tailor this template pretty easily if your work is online or easily sharable, like writing, marketing, or design.

Or, if your work or goals can be quantified—you’re in sales or account management, say—you might try something like this:

In the meantime, I wanted to share that I finished this month as the No. 1 sales rep in the New York market. It was a big honor, and also a reminder that I’m ready for my next challenge, hopefully as the sales manager at Dolby.

If your work is more behind the scenes, or if you’re working on proprietary information that can’t necessarily be shared externally, you might consider describing a project you’re working on (one that could apply in some way to the job you’re applying for) in broader terms:

In the meantime, I wanted to share that I just put the finishing touches on a crisis communications plan for one of our technology clients—a three-month process that involved collaborating with everyone from the customer success team to the CEO. It was a great experience, and one that made me even more excited about the opportunity to work on the communications team at Dolby.

Still stumped? Here’s something anyone, in any field, can do:

In the meantime, I wanted to share an article that I published last week on LinkedIn, which was inspired by the conversation we had about [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][topic you discussed in interview]. It’ll give you a little more on how I think about [subject matter]. Thanks for the inspiration—I hope we have the opportunity to work together and have many more of these conversations.

Assuming you’re not the only candidate in the pipeline, your “just checking in” email will probably be one of many sitting in the hiring manager’s inbox. Use the opportunity not just to follow up, but to show once again why you’re the best candidate for the job.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Muse and is reprinted with permission.

FastCompany.com | ADRIAN GRANZELLA LARSSEN | THE MUSE | 10.06.16 5:00 AM

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Your #Career : How To Tell If You’ll Fit Into A Company’s Culture Before You Take The Job…An Interview isn’t Always the Best Place to Learn What it’s Really Like to Work in a New Office, But There are Ways to Find Out.

August 20, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Jocelyn Greenky really hates fluorescent lights, so when she started a new job years ago, she showed up with a floor lamp a few weeks in and dragged it over to her desk. “It did not go over well,” she says. That’s how Greenky discovered that every office has its own culture—and as a result, how sometimes even the smallest acts can look like a rebellion.

Now with more than 20 years of experience as an office culture and politics expert, Greenky says you should always understand a company’s norms and no-no’s before you accept a job there. “As the new employee, you have to adapt to the culture rather than the culture adapting to you,” she adds.

“Not everybody in the company can happen to be having a bad day at the same time.”

Previous research has shown that our coworkers and managers have a big impact on our productivity and job satisfaction. And workers surveyed by Glassdoor reportedthat company culture was more important than compensation and work-life balance.

So if you like chit-chat and a background hum, you probably won’t be happy in the tomb-silent office where you just interviewed. Or if you love coming up with new ideas and taking big risks, you may not like a place that doesn’t embrace change.

But how accurately can you pinpoint a company’s culture before you’ve actually worked there? Here’s what Greenky and other experts recommend asking and observing before you show up with your own lamp—or even take the job.

START READING

Bouvier Williams, PhD, president of Your Personal Brand Solution, says to read through the organization’s annual reports, find any articles about it in popular publications, and of course, scope out its own website—all before your first interview there.

“You’re trying to get the flavor of the organization,” Williams says. “Does it come across as bureaucratic? Is it an organization that really believes in and fosters innovation?” And, most important, “Does it line up with the things you believe?”

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NOTICE EVERYTHING

Greenky says that as soon as you step into a prospective office, you should start observing. What are people wearing? Are their desks messy? Do they have earbuds in or are they talking to each other? Is there an open floor plan? If people work in individual offices, do they keep their doors open?

Pay close attention to body language, too, Williams says. See whether people are smiling, if they seem engaged, and whether they look happy to be there. “Not everybody in the company can happen to be having a bad day at the same time,” he adds, so if you’re surrounded by frowns, that should be a red flag.

FIND THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

Asking about summer Fridays or dress code may turn off a hiring manager during the interview process. Even questions about expected work hours can be shaky ground. But Greenky says you can absolutely ask your would-be boss to define their office’s culture. “See what they have to say,” she adds. “If somebody says it’s very corporate, for example, that means they play by the rules—that it’s more formal.”

Williams also recommends asking some of these “subtle but revealing” questions as the interview progresses. For example: How are employees developed in the company? What happens when someone makes a mistake around here? How is risk-taking rewarded? How can people share their opinions about the work environment? What are some of the things that might get under your skin about working here? How does the organization deal with managers who manage poorly?

READ THE HANDBOOK

Yes, people really do read the employee handbook. No, it’s not weird to do it before you even have the job. If the hiring process is cruising forward and you’re seriously considering a position, Greenky suggests asking for a copy of the handbook. The rules and regulations inside can tell you a lot about a company’s culture—including how much it likes rules and regulations.

GET A GUIDE

Both Greenky and Williams say talking to a current or recent employee is essential. Comb your own networks first. If that doesn’t turn up a connection, Williams recommends using LinkedIn to find past employees. He says to let them know you’re interviewing at the company and ask if they have a few minutes to talk about the culture there. “Be prepared to ask some fairly targeted questions,” he adds. For example: Can you describe the office politics? Is there high turnover or constant churn?

Greenky suggests “tell me about your day there” as a good opener with current or former employees. She says it’s also a chance to ask all those questions you may not want to ask a potential boss about dress code, lunch breaks, expected hours—and maybe even lighting. That could shine a light on whether or not you’ve found your dream job, or if you should think twice before accepting their offer.

FastCompany.com | MOLLY PETRILLA | 08.19.16 5:52 AM

Your #Career : 6 Reasons This is the Perfect Thank-You Letter to Send After a Job Interview….Your Follow-Up Email (yes, experts say most hiring managers prefer email over hand-written notes) Needs to Stand Out From the Crowd.

August 11, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

You spent weeks polishing your résumé, days writing your cover letter, and countless hours preparing for the job interview. You ace it — and you walk out feeling confident and relieved, like your work is finally done…..But it’s not.

You can’t just go home, sit back, and wait. You need to take one last crucial step: send the follow-up note.

“The best timeframe to send a thank you email is within 24 hours after your interview,” says Whitney Purcell, associate director of Career Development at Susquehanna University. “It should be sent during business hours – no 3 a.m. emails that make your schedule seem a little out of whack with the company’s traditional hours.”

And note: A simple “Thanks for your time!” won’t do, she says.

Your follow-up email (yes, experts say most hiring managers prefer email over hand-written notes) needs to stand out from the crowd. It should highlight the best parts of the conversation you had with the interviewer, and a final reminder as to why you’d be perfect for the job.

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Dr. Deborah Good, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business, says the following is an ideal follow-up letter because it possesses six important traits:

Businessinsider.com | August 10, 2016 | Skye Gould and Jacquelyn Smith

Your #Career : 2 Things That Could Keep You From Landing That Job Offer…“It’s Happened Over & Over. I Practice. I Study. I Do everything Right. But Then I Don’t get the Job. What’s Wrong with Me?”

July 11, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Leah was discouraged with her job search and hired me to help her. “I’m really good at what I do, but I’m not a dynamic interviewee,” Leah told me during our first meeting. “My resume gets me the telephone interview. That gets me the in-person interview. But then I never get the job offer.”

She took a sip of coffee and sighed as she set her cup on the table. “It’s happened over and over. I practice. I study. I do everything right. But then I don’t get the job. What’s wrong with me?”

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Some times, like Leah, a candidate can do everything right when it comes to preparing for an interview. And after reviewing what Leah had been doing as prep work, she had done a great job. But for many hiring managers, there are often other attributes they look for in candidates during job interviews that might not be specifically called out in the job posting.

A friend of mine sums up these unstated attributes quite well. He says he looks for “attitude, aptitude, and promotability.” In other words, he looks for someone who has a positive attitude and is energetic, who is intelligent and has the ability to learn new things, and who has long-term potential with the organization.

While a hiring manager can see some of these characteristics by reading the job candidate’s resume, most are attributes that come across while interviewing someone in person. Leah and I conducted some practice interviews. Her problem? Even though she was highly professional and had good qualifications, she seemed “flat” during her interview. With each passing minute, Leah’s energy level decreased and her voice became more monotone.

Leah just wasn’t selling me on her passion and drive for the job. She also wasn’t conveying work examples to show her determination to take on more challenging work and learn new skills. So we took a break from our mock interview and discussed those additional attributes hiring managers often look for, but which usually aren’t listed on most job descriptions.

Leah caught on quickly, and I could see her energy level increase as she began telling me stories about the various projects she had led and the results she was able to achieve. She also provided me with examples where she had proactively contributed to improving processes and described what she had done over the last year as part of her personal development plan.

Guess what? As she was telling me all this, Leah became more and more excited, and her passion for her work became clearly visible. This was exactly the energetic attitude she needed to get across to hiring managers during job interviews!

Sometimes it isn’t a lack of prep work that keeps you from obtaining your dream job – it might be that you’re not exuding enough passion or energy for the position. So consider ways you can demonstrate these attributes through your non-verbal communication as well as the examples you provide during interviews.

Lisa Quast is the author of Secrets of a Hiring Manager Turned Career Coach: A Foolproof Guide to Getting the Job You Want. Every Time.

Forbes.com | July 11, 2016 | Lisa Quast

Your #Career : 4 Worst Pieces of Career Advice to Avoid…Here are some Career Tips the Experts Told Us you’d be Better Off Avoiding.

July 10, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

There’s a lot of work advice out there, and some of it is pretty bad. When it comes to navigating your career, you have to be careful about who you take career advice from. A wrong move could cost you a job. Here are some career tips the experts told us you’d be better off avoiding.

1. A flashy resume will help you stand out

A flashy resume could cause your application to get passed over. While a little creativity is welcome, going overboard is a problem, said Saad Rizvi, founder of career site Mentat. “In many cases, the first round interview screen is conducted by an ATS or Application Tracking System (in simple terms, a robot!). These programs are optimized for gathering information from a very basic design, and fancy graphs or pictures are not picked up or taken into consideration while filtering out resumes, so you might be passed over despite being a good fit for the role,” Rizvi told The Cheat Sheet.

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2. Apply for as many jobs as you can at one company

No matter how tempting, resist the urge to blast your application to everyone at the same company. Also resist the urge to apply for multiple jobs at the same company. Marissa Peretz, founder of Silicon Beach Talent, said doing a resume blast reeks of desperation. “[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Don’t] cast too wide a net. Emailing everyone whose email address you can find at a specific company or applying to many open jobs at one company can convey an air of desperation. People sometimes fall in love with a specific company, and that’s understandable, but the way to increase your chances is to think about these opportunities strategically. I suggest only applying to roles you are actually a fit for, and try to network with people at a company you’re interested in or speak with recruiters who can help present you directly,” said Peretz.

3. Stay at a new job for at least one year

Job hopping looks bad on your resume, but if you’re miserable at a new job, don’t feel obligated to finish out the year. This is especially true if your job is making you sick. Debbie Chew, head of operations at Codementor, told The Cheat Sheet it’s best to leave and search for another opportunity. “If you’re downright unhappy with your job and you’re unable to cope, then it’s not worth it to pretend to be happy or stay. Instead of wasting your time at a job not suitable for you, you can be doing other things like learning a new skill or finding a different job,” said Chew.

4. Go on interviews for jobs you aren’t interested in just for the practice

Practice on your own time. Lori Bumgarner, career specialist and owner of passion and career coaching servicepaNASH, said hiring managers have a sixth sense and will know immediately what you’re doing. Your best bet is to only interview for jobs you would actually consider taking. “Avoid interviewing for a job you don’t intend to take if offered just for interview practice. Recruiters can often sense when a candidate is doing this, and recruiters run in the same circles (especially within the same industry) and they talk to each other. Word will get around if a candidate is known for doing this, which could hurt their chances of getting an interview or an offer for a job they actually want … If you want to improve your interview skills, do some mock interviews with friends or family who are in hiring positions at their jobs, or with a career coach,” Bumgarner said.

CheatSheet.com | July 10, 2016 | Sheiresa Ngo

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Your #Career : Left on Bad Terms? When Not to Include a Job on Your Resume..It Happens to Almost All of Us at One Time or Another. You’re Working at a Great Job, Things are Going Well, & Then Before you Know It, All Hell Breaks Loose.

May 21, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Before you can even blink your eye, you’re given a couple of cardboard boxes so you can pack up your desk and go home for good. If you had a bad work experience, there are times when you may want to exclude it from your resume and just forget that job ever happened.

Most times, omitting a job isn’t going to hurt you. Suzanne Lucas, founder of the career blog Evil HR Lady, said short stints at a company may not be so important to include. As long as your resume isn’t riddle with lies, you may not have much to worry about. “So the reality is a prospective employer is very unlikely to find out about a short-term job that isn’t listed on your resume. After all, resumes are marketing documents, not historical records. Everything on your resume must be true, but you don’t have to list everything that is true on your resume,” said Lucas.

When to omit a job from your resume

Your best bet is to leave off a job if you were fired as a result of ethical misconduct. Some examples would be if you stole company property, you lied, or you harassed someone. It would be very hard to explain your way out of a situation like that. And more likely than not, if the issue comes up during an interview, you won’t get the job. Who wants to work with someone who can’t be trusted? Sure, people change, but you may not be willing to look past this and give you a chance to redeem yourself.

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Could an omission land you in hot water?

Sometimes leaving a job off your resume is a good idea. However, there are also some gray areas. In some cases, omitting a job is not the best thing. One example would be if you are applying for a job that requires security clearance. Your lack of transparency could cost you a job. Also be aware that your work history is part of youremployment credit report. Consequently, past jobs could be researched by your potential employer. It’s a risk you may not want to take.

Lucas said you’ll want to be careful if you’re asked to sign paperwork that requests a complete job history. “Where you run into a problem is if the company asks you to fill out an application and asks you to list every job you had over the past 10 years or so. If you leave it off there, they still won’t likely find out about it. But if they find out about it five years down the road and somebody has a bee in their bonnet, you’ll be fired for lying on the application,” said Lucas.

Also be aware of large gaps in your work history. This could raise a red flag with an interviewer. You’ll want to make sure you have a reason for the time lag. “One of the quickest ways to get recruiters and hiring managers wondering about your suitability for the position is by having gaps in employment on your resume. Yes, the recent economy affected numerous people and resulted in long-term unemployment for many. However, that doesn’t release you from the obligation of explaining what you did during your time off,” said career expert Darlene Zambruski.

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CheatSheet.com | May 20, 2016 | Sheiresa Ngo

Your #Career : These are the Worst Mistakes we Have seen Young People Make in Job Interviews…You Have One Shot to Demonstrate your Knowledge & Skills — So Make Sure you Get the Details Right, the First Time.

May 19, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

At Business Insider, we have interviewed hundreds of job applicants. We are usually impressed with the calibre of candidates. Most people we meet seem smart and accomplished, and applicants “get” our all-digital, fast-paced, antiboring way of handling business news.

But … young people are human, too. They make mistakes. And the following mistakes have cost them the jobs their CVs and résumés otherwise said they were good for …

23. Showing up 20 minutes early.

REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton

It may seem like a good idea to show up early, but it puts pressure on the interviewer to meet with you. A time was set for a reason. You should never be late, but five minutes is enough for showing up in advance.

Tip: Find a nearby coffee spot and hang out there until your interview time.

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22. Being too general.

REUTERS/Gary Cameron

You have one shot to demonstrate your knowledge and skills — so be as specific as you can when answering questions. Don’t answer questions with “yes” or “no.” The interviewer shouldn’t have to feel as if he or she is carrying the conversation.

Tip: Review the projects you’re most proud of before heading into an interview. It’s easy to forget the details even if it’s your own work.

21. Not bringing a printed CV to your interview.

David Goldman / AP/Press Association Images

Bring a printed copy of your CV even if you previously emailed a copy. It shows that you’re organised and prepared, and it’s less work for the interviewer.

Tip: Bring several copies in case you are being interviewed by more than one person.

20. Typos in your cover letter, CV, or résumé.

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Your command of written English — spelling, grammar, and punctuation — is a shorthand test of your intelligence, or at least of your ability to memorize the rules of the language. Typos make you look unintelligent, even though smart people make mistakes all the time.

Tip: Get someone else to edit your letter and CV before you send them.

19. Having bad breath.

DaveOratox/Flickr

Everyone suffers from dry mouth at the office.

Tip: Chew a piece of gum and then remove it five minutes before the interview.

18. Not telling a good story about your life.

20th Century Fox

Who are you, what are you good at, and what do you want to do with your life? We want a quick, clear history of your life and career so far. At Business Insider, storytelling is literally what we do, but at any company, communication is key. If you cannot communicate who you are quickly, you’re not getting the job.

Tip: Write it down beforehand and rehearse with a friend.

7. Being overly sarcastic or negative.

Business Insider / Matt Johnston

We do not expect you to be a cheerleader. But if we hire you, we’re going to be spending a lot of time together, so we don’t want you killing the buzz.

Tip: Just be nice. Smile.

16. Being arrogant.

Lara Cores / Flickr, CC

Sure, we’re interested in hiring you. But that doesn’t mean you’re a rock star, and our company won’t collapse without you.

Tip: Just because you got the interview doesn’t mean you got the job. You still have to sell us.

15. Not knowing anything about the field you’re interviewing for.

racetraitor

If you’re interviewing for a job that requires you to stay abreast of the technology industry, obviously we’re going to ask you what you think is so interesting about tech. So if your answer is “Er … ,” then we’re going to be less than impressed.

Tip: Prepare! Literally write some speaking points on a notepad before you arrive at the interview. It will help you in case you freeze.

14. Sending email attachments.

REUTERS/Frederick Murphy/CDC/Handout

We hate downloading email attachments because of the malware risk they pose. If you use only text and links in your application email, we can see your stuff on our phones as well as on our laptops.

Tip: Your CV or résumé is best displayed as a LinkedIn URL. Examples of your work are most easily seen if they come as links within the email.

13. Wearing a Ramones T-shirt to a job interview.

conejoazul / Flickr, CC

We get it. You’re young and cool. And we love the Ramones, too.

Tip: Make us feel as if you’re a safe bet by wearing a shirt and tie (men) or go conservative but stylish (women). One candidate impressed us by wearing a shirt and tie to a Google Hangout video interview.

12. Letting your cat escape out of a window during a live video chat.

Peter Hellberg / Flickr

We often use Skype and Google Hangout. A video interview may feel casual, but you need to prepare: In the background, we can see the dishes piled in your sink or the laundry hanging off your bedroom door.

One candidate interrupted her conversation with us when her cat jumped out of an open window. We hired this person anyway.

Tip: Take a screengrab of what your laptop can see so you can tidy your room before the interview starts.

11. Trying to negotiate your salary in the first meeting.

Flickr, CC / quaziefoto

We get that you’re trying to make sure you aren’t wasting anyone’s time. But asking salary questions early marks you as a rookie.

Tip: Remember that this is a process. The further you get through the process, the more it shows we want to hire you, and the stronger your negotiating position eventually becomes.

10. Using a photo of your dog or kids — or a bad picture of yourself — on your Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ accounts.

Flickr/Jason Vasquez

If you’re using those personal email accounts to apply for jobs, then we also see Mr.Snuffleupagus when you send us your CV/résumé.

Tip: Send test messages to a friend who will let you see how all your email/social accounts appear to others, and sanitize accordingly.

9. Forgetting to follow up via email.

Nate Grigg/Flickr

When we reject a good candidate, it’s usually because we never received an email follow-up. We want to recruit people who really want to work here, and a simple thank-you note ticks a big box for us.

Tip: This needn’t be a big production. Just a single sentence offering to answer any further questions is all it takes.

8. Putting career “objectives” at the top of your résumé.

Skye Gould/Business Insider

Young candidates pad their CVs with fluffy, clichéd career-goal statements.

Do not do this!

Tip: We want to see only a simple list of your education and work experiences, and maybe a list of other useful skills at the bottom.

7. Trying to impress us with your off-the-wall creativity.

Wikimedia Commons

We’re looking for people who seem reliable and trustworthy. We’re not looking for weirdos who want to blow our minds. One job application began, “I am a chameleon …” It went downhill from there.

Tip: We want to be able to trust you. So behave and communicate in a way that feels reliable and trustworthy.

6. Sending us a video résumé.

Virgin

We need résumés to be sent easily by email to other HR staff, and we may want to print them out so we can compare candidates side by side. Off-format CVs are useless for this.

Tip: Your best bet? LinkedIn.

5. Failing to provide a link to your LinkedIn profile.

We can’t emphasize this enough: When you have to compare hundreds of CVs, LinkedIn is really useful because it makes all candidates’ résumés look the same — and that makes it easier for us to figure out who is relevant and who isn’t.

Tip: A LinkedIn URL in an email is a lot easier for us to deal with than a Word or PDF attachment.

4. Eating a sandwich during our meeting.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

If you’re discussing a potential job with an employer over “coffee,” don’t break out one of Starbucks’ “Sure As Eggs Is Eggs” sandwiches. It’s distracting.

Tip: Drink coffee, tea, water or nothing if offered.

3. Being “low-energy.”

REUTERS

Demonstrating the correct level of “energy” during a job interview is a tough call. You want to demonstrate that you’re a low-drama person — but not a monosyllabic introvert. You’re happy to be here, but we don’t want you bouncing off the walls like a crazy person.

Tip: If we can see you’re excited at the idea of working for us, we’re more likely to get excited about the idea of giving you a job.

2. Men forgetting to shave.

flickr user Ben Smith

Beards and mustaches are fashionable on men right now, and many guys brought them along on their job interviews. But what looks good at a 19th-century bare-knuckle boxing match is sometimes not so great when you’re up close and personal with a prospective employer.

Tip: If you’re rocking facial hair, make sure it is impeccably groomed.

1. Making your CV three pages long when you have no experience.

Wikimedia Commons

Don’t worry about your CV not looking full enough — that’s OK. We don’t have a lot of time to figure out what your job history is.

Tip: Less is more with résumés — we skim them for only about 30 seconds, an

Businessinsider.com | May 17, 2016 | Jim Edwards

#Leadership : 24 Tricky Job-Interview Questions the Best Companies in America are Asking….’If You Could be Remembered for One Sentence, What Would it Be?’ —Google Associate Account-Strategist Candidate

May 5, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

With excellent perks, great pay and benefits, and high job satisfaction, employees at this year’s 50 best companies to work for in America seem to have a good thing going for them. But before you start seething with envy, you should see some of the questions they had to answer to get there.

To find these difficult and sometime odd queries, Business Insider sifted through hundreds of reviews on Glassdoor submitted by people who recently interviewed at the top companies.

If you’re thinking of tossing your hat in the ring, be sure to prepare yourself for some real head-scratchers:

‘If you could only choose one song to play every time you walked into a room for the rest of your life, what would it be?’ —Google associate account strategist candidate

‘How many Big Macs does McDonald’s sell each year in the US?’ —Facebook data scientist candidate

‘If this wall was a brick wall, and you were a brick, where would you be in the wall? What impact does this have on the wall as a whole?’ —Expedia market associate candidate

‘Design a spice rack for the blind’ —Intel hardware engineer candidate

‘Choose a city and estimate how many piano tuners operate a business there’ —Google product manager candidate

‘How much do you charge to wash every window in Seattle?’ —Facebook online sales operations candidate

‘How many children are born every day?’ —Apple global-supply manager candidate

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‘If you were to go camping with friends, where would you put your tent?’ —Expedia Senior Financial Analyst candidate

‘What kind of tree would you be?’ —Cisco Systems senior technical writer candidate

‘Why are manholes round?’ —St. Jude Medical electrical-engineer co-op candidate

‘If I was talking to your best friend, what is one thing they would say you need to work on?’ —Apple red-zone specialist candidate

‘If you could be remembered for one sentence, what would it be?’ —Google associate account-strategist candidate

‘If you were standing in a crowd of people, how would you stand out?’ —Microsoft site manager candidate

‘If you were to help a customer who is stuck on a boat in the middle of nowhere, what would be the first thing that you would say to that person?’ —American Express CCSG candidate

‘If I give you $1 million right now, what would you do?’ —Google associate account strategist candidate

‘How would you build Facebook for blind people?’ —Facebook product Manager candidate

‘Sell me this pen’ —Pfizer pharmaceuticals sales representative candidate

‘If you had a choice between two superpowers — being invisible or flying — which would you choose?’ —Microsoft high-level product-lead/evangelist candidate

‘How do you estimate the safe distance from shore given that there could be a tsunami?’ —Ebay analytics manager candidate

‘At this stage in your life would you prefer earning or learning?’ —Google software engineer candidate

‘What were you like as a child?’ —Biogen area business manager candidate

‘Write a program to simulate the writing of a ransom note given a magazine from which letters can be extracted’ —Microsoft software engineer candidate

‘What was your best day in the last four years? What was your worst?’ —Apple engineering Project Manager candidate

‘How did your parents feel about your performance in high school?’ —Eli Lilly senior care sales specialist candidate

Businessinsider.com | May 5, 2016 | Rachel Gillett

Your #Career : What Recent College Grads Don’t Know About Getting Their First ‘Real’ Job … What Many New Graduates Don’t Fully Realize is the Amount of Competition Out There that They’re up Against. While Employers are Hungry for Talent, They have a Healthy Pool to Choose From. And Many of Those Candidates Already have Experience.

March 24, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

As a career coach and a mom with college-aged children readying themselves for the workforce, I hear from a lot of parents and recent grads with questions about how to best prepare for the “real world.” They want to know exactly what young adults can do today to position themselves powerfully to hit the ground running and land their first bona fide professional role right out of school.

I have my own thoughts about that, but I wanted to check in with a career expert who works extensively with recent college grads and who’s in the trenches helping young adults do what’s required to get hired quickly. I was excited to catch up this week with Ryan Kahn, a nationally-recognized career expert and star of MTV’s docu-series, Hired as well as creator of the video course How To Get Hired and founder of The Hired Group.

Here’s what Ryan shared.

Ryan Kahn (Photo Courtesy of The Hired Group)

Kathy Caprino: Ryan, what’s the first thing you think new grads should know about landing their first real job?

Ryan Kahn: What many new graduates don’t fully realize is the amount of competition out there that they’re up against. While employers are hungry for talent, they have a healthy pool to choose from. And many of those candidates already have experience. Many new grads have been led to believe there’s an ocean of great jobs just waiting to hire them and give them a signing bonus, but the reality is that, while new grads have a lot to offer, they’ll have to work extra hard to catch the attention of hiring managers.

Caprino: What’s the biggest mistake you see new grads making as they prepare to get their first job?

Kahn: Most often I see graduates missing the boat when it comes to planning ahead. And that’s understandable. Students are focused on classes and graduating. A lot of times preparing for the job market just doesn’t fit into their schedule. But there’s a lot students can do before they graduate to better position themselves when it’s time to start job hunting.

Get internships—as early and as often as you can.

Getting experience before you graduate is one of the biggest advantages you can create for yourself. Will it be a challenge to fit into your already packed academic schedule? Sure. Will it be worth it when you’re asked to list your qualifications and experience on a job application? Absolutely.

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Always be networking.

Not many people love networking, but it’s one of the most important secret weapons in your job search armory. Join clubs, attend meetups and conferences, and talk to your fellow students and faculty. Develop relationships with people that share your interests and you can learn from.

Start a portfolio.

Even if you don’t have tons of “real world” experience when you graduate, I’m willing to bet you have lots of great examples of college projects you can share.

Caprino: What are new grads missing when it comes to the interview process?

Kahn: Landing an interview is super exciting, especially if it’s for your first job. A lot of recent grads overlook some important rules of interviewing that could knock them out of the running. Here’s what they should keep in mind:

Be persistent, but not a pest.

One of the hardest things about interviewing is waiting for an update from the employer. There’s a fine line between following up and driving a hiring manager crazy with requests for updates. Establish a timeline for when you’ll be following up, and stick to it. For example, before you leave the interview, don’t be afraid to ask when you should expect to hear something. Also offer to reach out yourself in a week in the event you don’t hear anything.

Remember that you’re interviewing the employer, too.

A lot of folks new to the job market don’t realize that they’re not the only ones being interviewed. Finding the right fit is an important factor in succeeding at your first (of any future) jobs, so it’s important that candidates be prepared with a few insightful questions they plan to ask in an interview.

Study the culture.

Culture is increasingly becoming an important differentiator when it comes to attracting talent. And that means companies are really looking for candidates that fit into their existing culture. Do your research on a company before interviewing. Dig deep into the company’s hiring pages, read interviews with executives and scour social media for existing employees. Your goal is to get a sense for what the company values when it comes to culture, and make sure you’re aligned with that mission before you show up to interview.

Caprino: Any final words of advice new grads probably haven’t heard before?

Kahn: I think the biggest point most new grads miss is to remember that landing a new gig isn’t just about them—it’s about your potential employer, your mentors, and your network. Here’s what to know:

Celebrate failure.

When you’re looking for a job, it’s tempting to focus on your successes and shy away from failure. But the reality is that everyone who can help you along the way will be able to offer better advice if they know where you need the most guidance. Failure is a part of growing into your career, so embrace it and be open about it with your network.

Make yourself useful.

Your network will be filled with busy people. Take some time to figure out howyou can help them, and offer up your services. For example, if your mentor runs a blog, offer to write a few posts for them. Or it could even be as simple as forwarding along interesting articles you think people in your network might find helpful.

Don’t be so confident.

While a little confidence is always a good thing, too much of it can rub people the wrong way — especially those in positions to help you. Stay humble and let the folks in your network show you what they know. By giving them the opportunity to show off their skills, you’ll prove that you’re ready and willing to learn.

* * * * * * *

My favorite tip here from Ryan is “celebrate failure.” Truly relish it. After 30 years in business, I’ve found that it’s our failures, missteps and detours that provide the most vital lessons and shape our understanding of who we really are and where we want to go. The sooner we realize that “failures” are a healthy, useful (in fact, essential) part of building a great and rewarding career (and stop beating ourselves up about them), the sooner we can get moving doing the important work of attracting and creating the most rewarding roles, projects and relationships that will support our highest goals.

For more information, visit The Hired Group.

To build a rewarding career, join my free webinar series The Quickest Path To Your Happiest Career.

Forbes.com | March 24, 2016 | Kathy Caprino

Your #Career : 20 Negotiation Tips for Getting the Salary you Want…Negotiating your Salary Can be Awkward & Challenging — & Actually Getting the Pay you Want Often seems Impossible. But it Isn’t.

February 25, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

“A job interview can be stressful, especially when it comes time to talk about money,” says etiquette expert and “Poised for Success” author Jacqueline Whitmore. “However, you can get what you want and deserve — most job seekers just aren’t sure when and how to ask for it.”

To master the delicate dance that is a salary negotiation, you need to be able to push without offending the hiring manager or undercutting yourself.

Here’s how the pros do it:

Research the market.

To successfully negotiate your salary, negotiation expert Kim Keating writes in “Lean In For Graduates,” you’ll need to gather information to figure out what you’re really worth. “The time you invest can pay off in a big way. And I mean that literally,” she writes.

To protect yourself against accepting too little or asking for far too much, you can turn to sites like Glassdoor and Salary.com to determine the average compensation range for someone with your level of experience and skills and in your industry or company (or a comparable one, in terms of number of employees, revenue size, and location).

“At the end of the day, a candidate has a number in mind as to what they think they’re worth,” says Eddie R. Koller III, managing director and partner at Howard-Sloan-Koller Group, a technology and media recruiting firm. “But a company has limits to what they can spend.”

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Set your goals in advance.

Once you know what you’re worth, decide how much you would like to make and what’s the lowest offer you’d be willing to accept.

Ivanka Trump, CEO of Ivanka Trump Collection, says knowing what you want to achieve before heading into a negotiation is “the golden rule” for negotiating — but most people ignore it.

“Without a plan, you allow the opposing party to define your goals instead of the other way around,” she writes on Motto.

Don’t talk money until the interview process is over.

If you can delay discussing pay until there’s an offer on the table, you should.

“Once they’ve decided that they have to have you, only then are you in the position to negotiate,” says Dan Martineau, president of Martineau Recruiting Technology, a firm specializing in IT executive positions.

If your interviewer tries to talk about salary early on, Martineau tells Business Insider that the best thing to do is to tell the interviewer you would like to defer a conversation about compensation until after the company has had a chance to evaluate whether you’re the right fit for them.

Open with something personal.

As previously reported on Business Insider, in an experiment where Kellogg and Stanford students negotiated by email, those who shared unrelated personal details over the course of the negotiation — hobbies, hometowns, etc. — ended up getting significantly better results than those who kept things to name, email, and the dry monetary details.

Opening up a bit sends a signal that you’re trustworthy, according to Grant, and it makes it more likely that they’ll reciprocate.

Don’t ever disclose your current salary.

Revealing your salary history has the potential to negatively affect your income for your entire career.

“I would never, ever disclose my current salary or salary history to a prospective employer, even if it means ending the interview process,” writes recruiter and “Ask the Headhunter” author, Nick Corcodilos. “That is my advice to job hunters.”

If an interviewer asks what your current salary is, Corcodilos suggests politely but firmly declining to disclose your salary history by saying something along the lines of, “I’d be glad to help you assess what I’d be worth to your business by showing you what I can do for you, but my salary is personal and confidential, just as the salaries of your own employees are.”

Liz Ryan, founder and CEO of consulting firm The Human Workplace, recommends in a post on LinkedIn answering the question indirectly by giving your target salary range instead.

“How are you ever going to increase your earnings if every time you change jobs, you get a tiny raise over what they paid you at the last place?” she asks.

Be prepared to prove your value …

Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn a little.

“Be prepared to prove your value to the employer,” says Whitmore. “Have all of your facts and figures in order. Come prepared with a list of your qualifications, accomplishments (personal and professional), how you saved your last company money or increased your company’s bottom line, and why you are the one best suited for the job.”

… but only provide a couple reasons for your request.

“When preparing to make a first offer, people often overcorrect,” writes Wharton professor Adam Grant. “They’re so concerned about justifying their positions that they marshal as many reasons as possible.”

Grant points to research that found skilled negotiators averaged fewer than two reasons per argument, compared with three reasons per argument from the non-experts.

He explains that more reasons can dilute an argument, especially if some are weaker than others. And presenting too many reasons can convey a lack of confidence, “making clear that we’re uncertain of the legitimacy of our offer. An effective first offer is best supported by one or two compelling reasons,” Grant says.

Be excited, but not desperate.

You should reiterate your excitement and stay positive, but don’t be so excited that you seem desperate. You have no idea how many other candidates the hiring manager is interviewing so play it cool, says Martineau.

“Desperate is problematic. Eager is not. I want people who are eager and excited,” he says. “It’s only a good investment on my end if it’s a good investment on your end.”

However, Koller says that showing the employer that you’re excited about working for the company does make them more inclined to give you want you want.

Make the first offer.

As conventional wisdom goes, you should wait for the other party to make the initial offer in order to get more information to act on.

In reality, Grant says it’s much better to make the first offer because you get to set the “anchor,” the figure that affects the trajectory of the negotiation. As previously reported on Business Insider, people who make very high first offers end up with a much better result.

The first offer pulls the other person in its direction, and it’s difficult to adjust the other way.

Emphasize what the company gains by hiring you.

Recent research suggests that, when negotiating, emphasizing what you’re giving the other person as opposed to what they’re losing makes the other person more likely to concede.

Make sure you highlight what skills and experience you’re offering the company and your potential boss first, and use that to justify what you’re asking for.

Give a salary range rather than a target.

Offering a pay range instead of an exact number opens up room for discussion and shows the employer that you’re flexible. A range also “gives you a cushion,” says Martineau, in case your asking salary is too high.

“Most companies will meet you in your range, even if it’s the bottom third of that range,” he says. “Basically, if they want you, they don’t want to send the wrong message by not meeting you in that range.”

Presenting a range gives people information about what you’re actually asking for, and it makes you seem polite and reasonable — which means you’re less likely to get hit with a hard-line counteroffer.

Use odd, extremely precise numbers.

Using a weird, precise number makes sense during a negotiation. For example, instead of asking for $70,000, you’re better off asking for $68,500.

Malia Mason, lead researcher in a study published in The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, tells Business Insider that using a precise number instead of rounded numbers will give you a solid anchor. It also gives off the appearance that you’ve done your research.

Even when giving a range, you should use precise numbers.

Pay attention to your body language.

“The way in which you carry yourself, even when seated at a desk, matters,” Trump writes. She notes that most of our communication is nonverbal and that messages are often conveyed through our facial expressions, gestures, posture, and audible elements, like sighs.

Her suggestions: Don’t fidget. Don’t pick your nails or tap your foot. Don’t sit on the edge of your seat because it could make you look overeager. Don’t hunch over and drum your nails because it could communicate aggression or frustration. Don’t cross your arms protectively because it could make you appear meek and intimidated.

“Regardless of how fast your heart may be beating, sit upright, make eye contact, and focus on breathing evenly,” Trump writes.

Mirror the other person’s behavior.

When people are getting along, they mimic one another — mirroring each other’s accents, speech patterns, facial expressions, and body language.

A Stanford-Northwestern-INSEAD study found that people who were coached to mimic their negotiation partner’s behavior not only negotiated a better deal, but expanded the pie for both people.

“Negotiators who mimicked the mannerisms of their opponents both secured better individual outcomes, and their dyads as a whole also performed better when mimicking occurred compared to when it did not,” the authors wrote.

Listen more than you speak.

“When people are uncomfortable, and many people are when they have to negotiate, they start rambling as a way to fill the vacuum of silence,” Trump writes.

“Some of the strongest negotiators I know just sit back and listen. The less they engage, the more likely the other person is to slip up and offer information they otherwise would have kept guarded,” she says.

Always counteroffer, but don’t do it more than once.

Once you receive their offer, you are expected to make a counteroffer. No employer wants a pushover. However, Koller says that you should not go back to the negotiation table more than once because then “it becomes annoying to the hiring manager.”

“Once it gets really drawn out, it gets frustrating for both sides,” and you don’t want to start a new job off on the wrong foot, he says.

Consider your alternatives.

If the employer can’t meet your requested salary, be prepared to negotiate for benefits, like additional vacation days or the ability to telecommute one day per week, Whitmore suggests.

“Salary isn’t everything, and I think you should be open minded,” she says.

“If you don’t get the amount you want, reply with, ‘May I have a job performance review in six or nine months?’ This will give you a window of time to prove yourself and then re-negotiate for a salary increase,” Whitmore suggests.

Practice patience.

Give yourself time to think about their offer, Whitmore says. “Try not to give a definite answer right away. Ask the employer, ‘May I get back to you at the end of the week?'” Separation creates anticipation. This extra time will allow you to review your options with your family or other potential employers, she explains.

Keep a positive attitude.

“If you don’t get the salary you think you deserve, don’t share the news with everyone you know,” says Whitmore. “News travels fast and your comments might come back to haunt you.” And never bad-mouth an employer on social networks, she adds.

“Don’t take it personally. The timing may not be right or the economy may be partly to blame. Consider this: The hiring manager may even call you again in the future if a position in your price range opens up.”

Vivian Giang contributed to a previous version of this article.

Businessinsider.com | February 25, 2016 | Jacquelyn Smith and Rachel Gillett