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Send thank you letters after interviews. Very few people do this these days and it will set you apart.
That's a great suggestion. You're right, I'm not sure that many people do that anymore.
Do your research about the company, and when they ask if you have any questions at the end, ask intelligent ones!! Don't ask stuff like "What's the pay? How much vacation do I get?", etc. Ask questions that show you're interested in the job, ie "I noticed on your website that you offer such and such a program, how easy is it to get involved in that?".
Another tip I read recently (sorry just remembered). Nails - manicured short with a suttle color. It's a subliminal thing as people usually talk with their hands.
I'm also a fan of asking the interviewer, "What would you say is your favorite part of working for this company?". They should be trying to sell the job to you as much as you're trying to sell yourself to them :)
I have found that mentioning what I want to do, in the future, that would benefit the company, shows that you are dedicated. For instance, part of my cover letter to my current company included my desire for an aerospace materials engineering masters degree. Did i get one? No. Did i really want one? Not really--i wasn't sure WHAT i wanted my masters in. BUT, it aligned with the company's needs. Did showing i was willing to go the extra mile help? Yes, definitely. It came up during my interview. "not being educated enough" is always something you can improve on. One of my calculus teachers used to hire people at a major company and said that is the #1 thing you should say is your "weakness". He said things like "i'm a perfectionist" basically means "i'm an uptight bitch and nobody will want to work with me". He's right--I certainly wouldn't want to work with someone like that =]
Also, when I did a phone interview, I'd ask for a few seconds to think about my answer (instead of going "ummmmm....welll....") and set the phone down (no pressure, right? Out of sight, out of mind), think about what i wanted to say, pick the phone back up and THEN answer. I was later told by the person who hired me that the way I conducted my phone interview spoke a lot about me and he was really impressed.
For newer graduates, i've been told many times that if you omit your GPA from the education portion of your resume, it looks like you have something to hide. I've also heard that if you have an under 3.0, you should exclude it simply because it is a poor GPA, but I think it just bites you in the butt, no matter what. Then again, one of DH's cousin is a social worker and was shocked to find out GPA is important, so this may be field dependent....for technical fields, GPA can set you apart. Maybe in social work, everybody comes out about the same and the emphasis is on volunteer work, so if volunteer work is important, do it! It wasn't even a factor for my position. I guess what I'm saying is play to the strengths of the position. Leadership and social skills were biggies for me.
You should really invest in having your resume looked over by a professional. It costs money, but it is SO SO worth it. I've had my resume worked over a few times by people who are paid to do this by my company, and it always amazes me how much tweaking they can do and how much BETTER it sounds. I bolded it because I truly believe it is that important. I work career fairs for my company and it's embarassing to see some of these self-written resumes. I sent my husband's resumes to like, 3 upper level executives at my company who do major hiring and had them tweak his a little, too. If you know anybody personally, ask them to take a look.
Oh the nail thing is a must! When I'm watching someone talk, I have a tendency to pick on on things like that. If they're not well maintained of if there's a funky design/color, I think it says stuff about you that you might not like.
You're right OttawaBride2011, I think you should go into an interview as informed as possible. I'm glad you mentioned asking a (an intelligent) question at the end. I think the example you said shows initiative, which is usually a good thing to exhibit. In the past, I've never known what kind of questions to be asking, though I know you really should. I'll come equipped with a question this time around!
Ejs4y8- Thanks so much! I appreciate your answers. I can totally apply what you've said... as soon as an interview pops up! And I'm particularly glad you mentioned a good 'weakness' to discuss. That is such a typical question and I know that a lot of people panic when they're asked for one. A pitfall I always hear about is when someone gives a 'weakness' that sounds more like a strength. It's obnoxious to do that, no employer wants to hear you showboat the whole interview.
I'd really like to look into having a pro review my resume. I don't know anyone personally. Well, I do, but they happen to be my unsuspecting executive director so that's obviously not gonna work! Is there companies that I can look into? There's got to be a reputable online service, right?
Add me to the list of those looking :/ and rather unsuccessfully! Jobs in the past for me have always been through word of mouth, which has been really tough when moving to a city I've never lived in before (J lives here).
Best thing I've found so far is to ask for help. Our church network sent out my resume to several people and J is sending it out to some of his better connected acquaintances too, and I've gotten more interest from one day of them sending it out than 2 months of applying everywhere I could think of!
Yes! daydreamwanderer, I agree that its tough. The position I hold now was gotten through a family friend. So I really didn't put much stock into my interviewee skills back then. Nepotism goes a long way and I'm not too proud to keep trying it out now too! I've asked several friends/family to ask around for us. I've forwarded them my resume to pass along. We just began the search and I'm going to remain positive. I hope you're able to do the same, something will work out for ya!
Is there a position coming up at your new job that you could have your executive director look at your resume for? Double duty!
The old "you have to know somebody" thing doesn't really work anymore. At my company of like, 150,000 people, i've tapped into every resource I can think of and can't get DH a job at my company. I think the days of THAT are relatively behind us!!! Sucks.
Job fairs? Head hunter agencies? Most companies do online hiring and they use "key words" for resumes. Tailor your resume for the job your applying to. Hit all the main points in the post; they're filtered by computer for the most part. The goal is to get a person to actually read your resume
No room for moves at this company, lateral or otherwise. Its essentially a non profit (at least for our lowly program). So my executive director wouldn't be a good resource. I should look into job fairs and head hunters I suppose. Never really considered it. Especially considering I'm new to the area, I don't mind doing the leg work to find those things though.
agree with the PP above...
for the antiquated question of "what is your flaw, or weak point"... or "what you can you improve on" BE HONEST. i mean don't make yourself out to be a horrible person, but don't do the "my biggest flaw is that i'm an overachiever and i take on a lot of work..." all the positive spin "flaws" have been played out through every HR department (believe me i know, i work for a HR Consulting firm).
make sure you are well informed, and ask questions when they ask you about what your interests/goals are... more than just " i need a new job " but show enthusiasm about the job, company, etc.
old statment, but still rings true: EYE CONTACT IS KEY
if you need help with resume reviewing; i can do it for ya :) i've become a pro between my FI's and my resumes... and my best friend is a recruiter; so she knows how to present in a way that catches their attn from the other side.
as far as job boards... in my 4 months of unemployment last summer; all of the top responses i got were from companies that i applied directly through their corporate sites. i also went to one job fair and passed out my resumes... (honestly, it was a lot of waiting and although i did get feedback and got business cards... i don't know that i'd go to one again).
@missyjyc- thanks so much for you advice. I really appreciate your offer to help. Honestly, while I feel that I'm an intelligent/professional women, I'm feeling less than qualified to know what a good resume looks like. I was lucky to have gotten a job right out of college, but it obviously caused my resume writing/interview skills to stagnate. I searched online for some resume review sites, they're all really pricey. If you truly don't mind taking a look at it, I'd love to forward it to you.
I agree with a lot of what has been said-- but, I kind of disagree with ejs4y8 about "you have to know somebody." While you don't have to know somebody, networking is really important. Call everyone you know, call alumni, use your college's career services department, if you have the littlest connection-- call them! They might be able to help!
I've never "known somebody" to get a job, but, every job I have ever had I have networked to get it.
@AEMalmostK- that's a good point. I do think networking is important. If for no other reason than they may know of an unpublished open position, within their company or one they associate with. I think maybe it depends on the field that you're in. Maybe for ejs4y8 its more difficult to find help that way (wish you and your hubby luck though ejs4y8, I know its frustrating). I have been tapping into every resource I can think of on my end. But that basically means the handful of people that I know on a personal level. All of my networking was done in NY, I'm now living in CT. Ugh.
I just read this and was going to give you the name to my headhunter in NY. He not only prepared me throughly for my interview but also told me types of questions they would ask, what not to say, what to wear and not wear. I worked at a company for five years and got that position through a friend so I never had to "interview" for it. They decided to close due to the stock market and I was back on the market. Gratefully, I was only unemployed for about 3 weeks before I landed my new position. I looked up the company, reworded my resume to the exact words of the position they had listed, took pointers on my resume (I can send this to u), and asked questions. They loved that I asked questions and seemed interested. I can also ask if they have any opportunities in CT if you like
Ah! That's so nice of you shyne2060!! I will not decline help, if you can send it I'd be so grateful!
**look at me, networking on weddingbee! lol**
I prepared my resume and then I contacted the career center at the college I graduated from. I sent them a copy, and then scheduled a phone appointment with them. They helped me to tweek my resume. I did this long distance, because I now live 3,000 miles away.
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I've noticed that a lot of bees, including myself, are searching for new employment. I have been with the same company for several years, I was lucky enough to find a great position just before I graduate from college. We recently moved far from our offices and are currently doing a rough commute to and from work. So, needless to say, we need new jobs fast! I just don't feel so confident about the interview process.
Anyway, some of us are more versed in the art of interview techniques, I thought it'd be good to share a 'do and do not' list. If you have any recommendations of things we should say, shouldn't say. Maybe even things to include in a cover letter (I hate writing them! It's a lot of pressure!) and/or resume. I'm sure there are a lot of bees who have conducted interviews, what are the things you appreciate hearing from a prospective employer?
I bet a lot of us can benefit from other peoples experiences. Please share! (or just give me a job, thanks :0))