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Getting Hired: The Two Phases of Landing Any Job

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Getting hired for a job can be one of the most tiresome processes. Often, it feels especially daunting when you don’t actually have a job and require it desperately. Moreover, the time taken could frustrate you, demotivate you, and in turn affect your productivity and efficiency.

However, like any lengthy process, getting hired can be broken down into phases and steps. This makes the job search process easier.

The job search can be categorized into two phases: the “preparation phase” and the “’D-Day’ phase,” (when you appear for the job interview), with steps within each.

The Preparation Phase

Completing Your Resume

Basically, your resume is what represents you before you do. Getting hired starts with a resume that is formal yet refreshing, mentioning all your skills. Start by browsing the most recent templates of resumes based upon your job profile. Various applications create resumes free of cost.

Networking

Your network works as a kind of PR, so you should make sure to keep connecting with new people. Social media sites like LinkedIn help you connect with employees and employers from across the world. So try connecting with them and expanding your network.

Finding a Career Counselor

Try getting in contact with a career counselor. They could analyze your skills and come up with better career options for you. If you wish, you can consider these options and can even choose to change your career. Additionally, these counselors can help you create a list of target employers to pursue.

Job Hunting

Job hunting is the most tiring job of the process. Enroll in job fairs and online platforms that might get you in contact with job vacancies. Several employers post job vacancies on social media sites like LinkedIn. All you need to do is enter your career preference on the application to get started.

Job Vacancy Research

When you come across a job vacancy, do some brief research about it. Study the job posting thoroughly for what they’re looking for. Before you apply, prepare a good cover letter to accompany your resume. Draft the cover letter according to the job profile. Make sure you convert the letter to PDF format before sending it.

Following the Rules of Etiquette

Each time you send an email or reply to an email, make sure you are on your best behavior. Your words represent your personality. You do not always need to be formal, but definitely be professional. The salutations have to be accurate. Make sure you write “Sir/ Ma’am” if you do not know the gender of the person you’re addressing.

Giving Professional Replies

If the company sends you an email to inform you about something, make sure you reply to it and notify them that you have received the email. Prompt replies are crucial to the process of getting hired. They show you’re reliable and have a strong interest in the work.

The “D-Day” Phase

Don’t Forget Self-Care

The day of the interview shall decide your future with the company. It’s the difference between getting hired and getting shown the door. Be well prepared for the day. Eat well so that you have an abundance of energy. Make sure you get to sleep, shower, and dress your best.

Practice Your Answers

Practice a short introduction about yourself, the professional responsibilities you’ve accomplished in the past, and your previous job roles. Also, practice your delivery of information in the mirror. Experiment with different tones to make sure you sound confident. And be sure to know your resume like the back of your hand.

Nail The Interview

During the actual interview process, be precise and informative. If you’re thrown a curveball question during the interview, be honest and tell the interviewer you’re not sure about an answer. Authenticity is best. Also, come prepared with questions of your own. Never say, “I do not have any questions.” Instead, ask the interviewer about their expectations from their employees, the job role, and where they see the company 10 years down the line. This will show that you’re a thoughtful individual with a serious interest in the organization.

In conclusion, by adhering to these phases and steps, you’ll be well-positioned to find a great role at any organization.

Interview Tips: Ask a Question and Bag a Job

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Bagging a job, especially a dream job can be quite the sweat dropping experience in the present times. The key here is to have an excellent interviewing session with the employer that will put you in a promising and employable position. If possible, plan out the interaction in your head and go over it a couple of times to have your answers ready. Keep it in mind that every step of the interview is crucial and contribute to the final decision made by the employer.

How Do You Do That?

In case that you are really keen on bagging this job, it is always advisable to have a game plan in mind for the interview. One of the best ways to have a successful interview with your potential employer is by asking questions. Not always do you have to be on the answering seat.

Asking questions allows the employer to understand what you are trying to portray better. He/ She will see your interest and wishful dedication towards the post and the company. Hence, asking a few questions will always help you create a better opinion for yourself. You may use dissertation writing service to guide you through the process.

What Should You Ask?

There can be a number of things that you can ask your employer, but your motto here is to ask questions that are efficient and effective. Your questions should be all about saying, “I am in it to win it”. If that is the attitude you have, it should not be hard to capture the job. Some questions that will help you move up the ladder and impress your employers, are-

  • Ask About the Background:

Not many candidates are well aware of the employer and that is a major drawback. One of the best things you can do on your interview is come prepared about the employer and his achievements. Ask him about his success story, or how he managed to get that contract last year with limited investment, or how he took his company to the top in such a short span of time, etc. All these show your knowledge of him and his achievements. Allow him to answer and speak of himself while you listen intently.

  • Ask About the Company:

Now that you have allowed your employer to boast a bit about himself, it is time that you show interest in his creation, his company. Relate the company to the latest market conditions and ask questions that will intrigue your employer’s interest. Wow him with your knowledge of the company and your interest to know more.

  • The last Strike:

With the first question you were luring the boss into a conversation. With the second you were having a proper discussion. The third and final step to a successful interview is when you give him potential strategies for growth. Ask him what he thinks of your suggestions.

Use these interview tips and they will surely give you a head start in compared to the other candidates appearing for the interview. Remember, asking questions is always good, especially if you are asking the right ones.

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10 Pre-Game Interview Tips Candidates Won’t Laugh At

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Not often enough are we ever truly prepared for what lies ahead in our daily obstacles. Sadly, this tends to be the case when interviewing candidates. But what if our hiring strategy took the time to incorporate interview tips that could earn better hiring results and keep candidates from laughing at our approach? Success makes it easy for us to forget that it may have been our preparation that led to a positive outcome. Hiring talent is kind of a big deal. Think of the time and money that gets invested into finding and hiring talent. And even worse, when hiring goes sour it can tap on employee turnover and disengagement to the bill.

Wooing talent is about bringing your “A” game to the interviewing process. It’s not about making the interviewing process awkward for candidates. A study done by Robert Half found that 36 percent of 1,400 surveyed executives discovered their leading factor for failed hires other than performance problems, was poor skills matching. Meaning, perhaps there’s something missing in how we prepare ourselves to interview candidates. Remember, candidates are expected to show up prepared for an interview. Shouldn’t we hold ourselves accountable as well?

Preparation is what allows us to take steps forward in evaluating skill sets, personality traits, and candidates more effectively. Incorporating specific interview tips into our pre-game regime is a simple reminder that interviewing candidates is a serious business, not a laughable one.

10 Pre-Game Interview Tips Candidates Won’t Laugh At 

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1. Be Timely

If you schedule an interview with a candidate, please be on time. Place yourself in his or her shoes, and ask yourself, “How would I feel if the interviewer showed up late and rushed our meeting?” Show up on time, because it tells the candidate you’re taking the process seriously.

2. Show Up With A Game Plan

When you know why you’re interviewing candidates, then you know what to look for. Figure out before you interview candidates the kind of skills and experience that will be needed to fill the position, then incorporate them into your hiring game plan.

3. Actually Review CVs

If HR managers are spending an average of 6 seconds reviewing CVs, then how prepared are they really to interview candidates? Take a good look at the candidate’s CV before you meet. You might discover something that you would like to investigate further during the interview.

4. Prepare A Set Of Questions

Depending on what you’re trying to measure and understand from a candidate, you’ll want to ask questions that will draw out the answers you seek. Don’t just use a generic template of questions for interviewing candidates. Curate your questions based on their skills and interests.

5. Establish Dialogue Pre-Interview

Engaging with candidates before you meet them is a part of the entire candidate experience process. So be friendly and hospitable to candidates. You don’t want them tweeting about your cold candidate experience.

6. Prep Candidates About The Interview

Interviews are like awkward first dates. Don’t surprise candidates during the process. Talk to them before the interview and give them a sense of where its direction will go. Honestly, what do we gain from letting candidates walk into interviews like blind bats?

7. Be Presentable

Being presentable doesn’t just imply wearing professional attire. It’s about telling candidates who your organization may be. How your organization is presented aligns with how candidates think about your company. Display intelligence, support, and feedback during the interviewing process.

8. Practice Small Talk

Interviews are about sizing up candidates. And neglecting to make small talk with candidates creates missed opportunities to better understand what candidates are about. We get so caught up on measuring skills and experience that we forget who people are is also worth measuring.

9. Don’t Be A Doodler During The Interview

While being a doodler during a college lecture may have only been harmful to yourself, when it comes to interviewing candidates it’s not acceptable. Be present, and mindful of the time commitment that candidates have made. Hear what they have to say. Don’t be rude.

10. Remember To Fine-Tune Your Skills

While preparation gets us closer to perfection, it’s asking for feedback about our performance that tells us what we can do a better job of preparing for. Becoming better at interviewing candidates is about being able to provide candidates with a better experience.

Fernando Ramirez is a seasoned blogger on trending human resources, thought leadership, and recruiting topics. He is a contributor on TalentCulture and Recruiter.com. This article was originally published on JobisJob, which is a job search engine that gives jobseekers and recruiters a headstart in the employment game by making it as easy as possible for you to find them, and for them to find you.

photo credit: Brevort via photopin cc

Hire Expectations: Finding the Right Person for the Right Job

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Finding the right employee and retaining a successful team starts with a successful hiring process. How can you avoid common hiring problems and mistakes?

First steps

Effective hiring is the foundation for a thriving business. Turnover is expensive, so it’s essential to invest the proper amount of time needed to hire the right person. Many employee relations problems result from hiring the wrong person for the job, which can have a negative effect on both the morale and productivity of the entire team. Many times, employers are left wondering what went wrong when a new hire is not what they expected and lacked the necessary skills for the position.

Would it surprise you to learn that, in many cases, the decision to hire someone happens within the first five minutes of meeting him or her? Oftentimes, applicants are hired for their charm instead of their job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities. This kind of snap decision also happens when the applicant’s personality is similar to that of the interviewer.

There are even times (and they happen more frequently than you might assume) when the need for additional help is so dire that a practice will practically take the first candidate who can form a complete sentence. I refer to this as the “warm body” syndrome; that is, the thought of “a body” is better than having “no body.” It is exactly this type of hiring mistake that can lead to problems in the workplace.

The first step in making a successful hiring decision is to truly understand what is needed to perform the job. Refer to the position’s job description to ensure that you understand the position’s requirements. If no job description is available, discuss the open position with the staff member who knows the most about the position’s duties or with someone who holds a similar position at a colleague’s practice. After your discussion, create a written description.

Call for applications

Once you know what you need, it’s time to publicize the position. Applicants should be asked to submit an employment application with their résumé. The employment application will give you a snapshot of the applicant’s experience, previous earnings, and length of employment at previous jobs.

  • When reviewing employment applications, pay special attention to the following:
  • Omission of important items, such as experience.
  • Missing information or gaps in employment history.
  • Apparent inability to stick with a job for a reasonable time period.
  •  An 800 number listed as a personal phone number.
  • No contact information provided for previous employers.
  • Only friends and family listed as references.
  • “Victim-like” responses to questions on the employment application about why he or she left prior jobs, such as management complaints.
  • Questions about criminal convictions left blank.
  • Answers entered on the employment application that are inconsistent with the candidate’s résumé.
  • Failure to sign the application.

View such applications, as well as those that are incomplete, as potential “red flags.” It would be wise to pursue other applicants.

Pick up the phone

Once you have selected a pool of applicants, conduct a quick telephone interview before anyone is brought into the office. This step can help you to narrow the pool considerably and presents an opportunity to address any questions you have about the application or résumé, such as the applicant’s duties and responsibilities with a previous employer. The same questions should be asked of all applicants during the telephone interview; failure to do so can open the door to claims of discrimination.

Meet in-person

Preparation is key to avoiding mistakes during the interview. Before the candidate even arrives, prepare yourself for the interview by reviewing the job description. Develop interview questions in advance. Make sure that the room in which the interview will be conducted offers comfortable lighting and temperature.

Begin the interview by explaining the hiring procedure. This explanation will give the candidate a chance to become acclimated to his or her surroundings.

Once you begin the interview, ask pointed questions and let the applicant do most of the talking. As a rule of thumb, the applicant should talk 80 percent of the time. There are several ways to encourage applicants to talk:

  •  Avoid interrupting the candidate.
  • Paraphrase and reflect on the candidate’s comments, then ask follow-up questions.
  • Use silence. Silence is especially useful for the evasive candidate or one that is holding back information.
  • Communicate on the level of each applicant. Language and terminology used should match the job you are attempting to fill. For example, if you have an entry-level administrative position available, the interview questions should not be as technical as if you were interviewing for a dentist partner or associate position.

No matter how well you screen the candidates, be aware that you may be faced with someone who is completely unsuitable for the job. Some of these candidates may present specific challenges during the interview.

When the interview is complete, thank the applicant and ask whether he or she has any questions. Depending on your office policy, you should also indicate whether or when the applicant can expect a follow-up call or letter.

Check and recheck

After finding your dream employee, slow down and take the time to perform background and reference checks. Remember, you are bringing someone new into the inner sanctum of your practice.

One way to assess an applicant is to conduct reference checks. The upside of reference checks is that they give you a feel for how well the applicant performed at his or her previous jobs. However, due to increasing litigious concerns, many previous employers will provide only basic information, such as dates of employment, title, and rate of pay. As the information that you obtain may be limited, you should not base your final hiring decision solely on reference checks.

Most states require that a legitimate job offer be made prior to conducting a background check. However, not all states allow public access to statewide records information. Because of this variation, you should consult with a lawyer to determine what is required in your state before digging into an applicant’s background and personal life. During a background check, civil, criminal, and credit history information is researched. All job offers should be contingent on positive results of the background check. Please note that if the applicant has worked or lived in multiple states, background checks will take longer to complete. If this is the case, you should have the results from at least one state before the applicant is allowed to start working. The applicant should be made aware that background checks for the other states are pending and that he or she will be notified should any questions arise.

Effective hiring is much more important than many professionals realize. Those who recognize the importance of this process will minimize employee turnover, which can dramatically impact an office’s bottom line. A thorough review of candidates ensures that you’ll find the right person for the job.

Common Interviewer Mistakes

Don’t start by explaining all the job details, expectations, and qualifications. This makes it easy for smart applicants to tailor their answers to the job description.

Focus on the candidate. Copious note-taking on your part can cause applicants to lose focus and freeze up.

Don’t ask closed-ended questions. The majority of your questions should be open-ended so the applicant doesn’t simply respond with “yes” or “no” answers.

Nightmare Interview Candidates

The Professional Interviewer. This candidate knows all of the right answers to your interview questions. Pin this individual down to determine his or her true qualifications. Ask specific and probing questions about what he or she has done and request examples. Don’t be fooled by buzzwords.

The Motor Mouth. This candidate continually wanders off on different tangents and needs to be led back on track to avoid wasting time. Interrupt this person with key questions.

The Perfect Candidate. This candidate believes that he or she is perfect and makes that belief known by continually emphasizing how right he or she is for the position. These candidates, however, may not be open to learning new and innovative ways of working or even different ways to do the same task. The interviewer should ask the candidate about a situation in which he or she had to adapt to a new manager or procedure and how he or she reacted to that situation.

The Politician. This candidate never gives a straight answer and may evade an issue by bringing up another topic. Force these candidates to be specific by using clear and probing questions.

The Questioner. This candidate tries to turn the tables and conduct the interview by asking too many questions. Maintain control over the interview by redirecting the candidate back to the questions that need to be answered to assess if the candidate is a right fit for the position.

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(About the Author: Michele O’Donnell joined the team in January 2007 and currently leads MMC’s elite team of HR Consultants. Ms. O’Donnell has been involved in the Human Resources industry for more than 14 years, bringing vast training and management experience to the MMC leadership ranks. Her experience spans the broad scope of labor law, regulatory compliance and HR Best Practices, drawn from her rich experience as Director of HR for several firms throughout her career. She currently works to ensure that MMC’s consultants forge long lasting relationships with our clients, fostered in exceptional service and unsurpassed HR expertise. Ms. O’Donnell earned her baccalaureate degree in Business Administration from Auburn University before receiving her Masters degree in Human Resource Management from Troy State University.)