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Most of us dread these questions. The behavior-based questions that start with “Tell me about a time when…”. We mentally scramble and try to come up with something off the top of our head because we’ve only prepared for more skills-based questions. Luckily, we have a few tips to share with you so you don’t have to dread these types of questions!
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It’s fairly common now for companies to check up on job applicants by looking into their social media profiles. You now have recruiters, however, who are also using social media to find candidates. According to iCIMS, 89% of companies recruit using social media platforms, and 65% of companies have successfully hired with this method. These numbers will only continue to skyrocket.
What does that mean for you as an applicant?
First and foremost, you want to make sure that your profiles are clean. You don’t have to suppress your personality, but you should keep in mind that employers may be seeing the photos and status updates you post.
One of the best tools you have in a job search is networking, and LinkedIn is a great resource to build your web of connections. If you have a link to someone in a company you’re interested in, a LinkedIn message can go a long way. One of our part time employees got two leads on good jobs out of a couple of quick LinkedIn messages. If the people you know don’t know you’re looking for a job, you’re not giving them the opportunity to help you through their connections.
Be sure your LinkedIn profile has a clear, concise statement in the summary section: include what type of job you’re looking for and the experience you have that an employer would find valuable. Keeping your profile updated is just as important as keeping your resume current because if a recruiter is searching LinkedIn, you could get an interview that way.
You can be sure that the companies that are using social media for recruiting will be on Facebook as well, which provides you with a really easy way to connect with them. Head over to their page, become a fan, and keep an eye out on what they think is important enough to post—during an interview it shows you’ve done your research and are fully prepared.
Social media is an increasingly important part of the job search process. Don’t neglect it’s capabilities, and don’t neglect the power it has to keep you OUT of a job search if you aren’t careful.
Many wise people have said in their lifetimes something along the lines of “You make your own luck”. That statement can have much truth in it, even in the midst of a career search. Often times the work you put into something is exactly what you’ll get out of it, including the amount of “luck”.
Watch the short video below, and let us know what you think on Facebook and Twitter!
You can do all the right things in an interview and still not get a job because you’re also doing one of these wrong things. We gave you the tips on how to prepare for a job interview, now we’d like to share what things you should definitely NOT do in an interview.
1) Avoid Long Personal Stories: We don’t mean that you shouldn’t be personable. Sharing a couple quick anecdotes is fine, but when you’ve taken more time to talk about your personal life than to answer the interviewer’s question, you’ve gone too far. It’s never appropriate to complain about the hardships you’ve suffered in your life. Though the interviewer will probably feel for your situation, you can come off as unstable, insecure or unprofessional, which all label you as unemployable. When you walk into an interview, you want to give the employer the impression that you are confident about your ability to do the job well.
2) Don’t Trash Talk Previous Employers: Even if you are sure that you were treated unfairly, trash talking your last boss suggests to the interviewer that you’ll do the same in a new position. It is OK to discuss what type of management style you’d prefer, but if you find yourself specifically referring to where your last boss messed up, you crossed the line into inappropriate criticism. Nobody expects that you’ve loved every boss you’ve ever worked for, but respect is an important quality employers are looking for while gossiping is certainly not. A lot of interviewers like to ask about a difficult situation you’ve overcome in the workplace and in that scenario you can carefully describe an issue, as long as you did something to resolve it. You should be focused on making yourself look good in the outcome, not on making your ex-boss look bad.
3) Stay Away from Long Pauses: Here’s where preparedness really comes into play. If you’ve done your homework, you should have a good idea of the types of questions the interviewer will be asking. Ask someone you know to go over those questions with you the night before, so you know that you’re ready to answer them. Taking too long to answer a question shows that maybe you didn’t prepare enough. Every interview comes with a few curveballs, so if you do find yourself drawing a blank say, “That’s a good question, give me a moment to formulate a response.” But be sure when you do start talking, you’ve got something good to say.
Do you have other interview questions? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter, and be sure to catch our videos on YouTube!
You can never do enough to make sure your career doesn’t succumb to the future. When new technologies are introduced, especially during the industrial age of a century ago, people lose jobs. There are ways, however, that you can make sure your career is never in danger of being lost to the “the future”. This article from Forbes expands on it, but we’ll pull some of our favorite points and you can chime in with your thoughts as well!
1. Be Aware
One of best things you can do is simply be aware of the forces that are shaping the job market. Whether it be new technologies or economic trends or shifting employment gaps. Your career can often be determined by how understanding you are of the employment culture around you.
2. Be Digital
This is an absolutely necessity. I hate it to break it to you, but the social world is not going away. Facebook and Twitter (and blogging!) are changing the way that people communicate and interact with each other. It is imperative for you to at least have a presence on these big networks.
3. Be an Expert
The days of being a jack-of-all-trades are no longer as valuable. You want to find your niche, and make yourself THE expert. Do the research, find out the things you’re passionate about that aren’t being monetized, and find a way to make it work.
4. Be Prepared
We are entering a time of micro-entrepreneurialism. People are branching out on their own and takings risks with small business ideas more than ever. As we said earlier, all you have to do is identify the market that isn’t being reached. This doesn’t mean to do things unnecessarily, but simply to be prepared should the need arise.
5. Be Connected
Networking has become more important than ever in our new digital world. Should your career happen to hit tough times, have a network behind you to get you back on your feet is an incredible weight off your back. To an employer, a recommendation from a trusted source will be worth more than a random resume every single time.
What do you think? What do you need to “be” in order to make sure your career doesn’t go away?
Stay connected with Portico HR on Facebook and Twitter for more tips on how to boost your career!
There are a lot of skills that go into being a manager: time management, delegation, decision-making, perseverance, etc. You may not be a manager by job title, but you certainly have to manage your own career. Without direction and some clear guidelines, your career may just be aimlessly drifting from place or place, or stagnating in a cubicle that you hate. These not only apply to your current career, but also if you’re in the midst of a job hunt. That requires just as much, if not more, management. Here are some tips to get you started:
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Your resume might be a soft first impression, but when you get an interview, that first impression matters even more. This is also really where you get to strut your stuff! Katie Roth shares the 3 best things you can do to prepare.
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We’ve talked about this before. And we’re going to keep talking about it. Because it’s that important! You MUST be careful with what you post on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Take a look at the graphic below and use your common sense!
Tell us what personal policies you have in place regarding your own social media. Let us know in the comments, or on Facebook and Twitter!
In our digital world, more and more companies are turning to online submissions of resumes – especially bigger organizations. Here are some tips for you to make sure you get noticed when working specifically within that system:
What other resume questions do you have? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter!
