The ONE Question That Can Ruin Your Interview

Posted by:  Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
                  Training Coordinator

If you’re job searching, sooner or later you’re going to have to sit through some interviews. I recently read an article about the ONE question that if answered improperly can destroy your chances at winning the job. What is that question, you ask? And how do I answer it properly?

According to the article your best bet is to answer it honestly, which of course shouldn’t really need to be said.

Preparation is a key element in acing an interview. My recommendation to you is this, think about the questions you’ve been asked in past interviews and come up with good answers. Get comfortable with the questions and with your answers, including the ONE.

To read the article about The One Question That Can Ruin Your Interview click here.

 

 

 

Five Easy Ways To Mess Up Your Interview

Posted by:    Darlene Duncan, CWDP, JSS
                   Training Coordinator

Here are five of the most common mistakes interviewees make:

1.    Arriving late – employers figure if you can’t get to the interview on time you probably won’t get to work on time.

2.    Failing to research the company – virtually every interviewer is going to ask you, “Why do you want to work for us?” You need a good answer. If you don’t know anything about the company, coming up with a good answer is going to be very difficult.

3.    Lying about your experience or education – sooner or later the truth will come out and most likely lead to you being fired.

4.    Shaking hands too weakly or too firmly – no one wants a limp fish and by the same token, no one wants their hand crushed. In addition, clasping the other person’s hand with both of yours could be considered a power play.

5.    Wearing sunglasses – we live in Florida, for cryin’ out loud, everyone wears sunglasses. Yes, however, as you enter the building for your interview, take the sunglasses off and put them away. That does not mean, put them on top of your head or around your neck. It means put them away so they are out of sight.

For more great information on the dos and don’ts of interviewing attend Interviewing Skills for the 21^st Century offered at your local Flagler-Volusia County One-Stop.

 

 

 

 

 

RECENT MILLENIAL COLLEGE GRADUATES

Posted by:  Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC

                  Training Coordinator

According to a recent survey the millennial generation graduating college this year isn’t having good luck getting hired. It seems that one of their biggest challenges is passing the interview. Read the article to find out what you need to do to get a passing grade in the interview.

 
Click here to read the article.

Make Your Résumé Interesting Not Boring

Posted by:  Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC

                  Training Coordinator

Does your résumé motivate hiring managers to pick up the phone and call you for an interview? If your answer is no, you need to read this article.

 

Click here for the article.

Are You Getting Interviews But Not the Job?

Posted by:  Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC

                  Training Coordinator

If you answered yes, to the title question you should read this article about the 3 qualities employers want to see exhibited when they interview.

 

Click here to read the article.

Best Questions to End a Job Interview

Posted by:  Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
                  Training Coordinator

Answering questions during an interview is hard enough and then they expect you to ask them questions. Personally, I always found trying to figure out what to ask them to be the hardest part of the interview. Well, not any more. Click here and read a wonderful article with four great end of interview questions.

How to Write a Résumé That Will Get You Interviews

Posted by:  Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
                 Training Coordinator

If you’re job searching the title of this blog probably got your attention. Your résumé should grab a potential employer’s attention that same way. Within 3 seconds of opening your résumé the reader should be able to see the value in hiring you.

 Read the article and then look over your résumé and determine where you can improve it. How can you make it a better marketing tool for your talents?

 
Click here for the article.

Nine Résumé Writing Tips

Posted by:    Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC

                   Training Coordinator
 

Some people think they have a résumé to get a job. Your résumés job isn’t to get you a job. Your résumés job is to get you an interview. If your résumé is getting you interviews, it’s doing its job. Below are some tips on writing your résumé.

1.    Target your résumé at the job for which you’re applying. One size fits all doesn’t work in the world of résumés.

2.    Use action verbs to start each bulleted line. Make certain the action verbs you use are in the proper tense. If you’re still at the job you’re describing you will use present tense. If this is a position you no longer have then you’ll use past tense.

3.    Don’t waste white space. This doesn’t mean that you need to use every bit of white space on the page. It does mean that you should have one inch margins, use an easy to read font and make sure the font size is large enough to be easy to read. The sample résumés we use in our workshops are font size 12.

4.    Bold and italicize sparingly. Bold and italicizing are used for emphasis. If you over use them they lose their punch.

5.    List accomplishments and quantify them whenever possible. The world knows that if you waited tables for three years you provided quality customer service. What they don’t know is how much money did you average in upselling on each check? What I mean by that is this, a customer comes in and orders a burger with fries. The fries come with the burger at no extra charge. However, your restaurant offers sweet potato fries in place of the regular fries for an extra dollar. So you ask, “Would you prefer sweet potato fries?” If they go for the sweet potato fries you just brought another dollar into the business. Depending on the establishment you’re working in you could also add to the tab by promoting appetizers, before meal drinks, after meal drinks and dessert. Think about how you can quantify your accomplishments in different jobs you’ve held.

6.    Spelling is a vital part of your résumé. If you worked as a Manager and your résumé says you worked as a Manger, spell check won’t catch the mistake. Why? Because you spelled ‘manger’ correctly and all spell check does is verify the word is spelled correctly. This is why you MUST proofread your résumé. Also, if you have someone whose skill with words you trust, ask them to proofread it for you.

7.    Correct grammar. An English teacher will tell you a résumé is a grammatical nightmare because of all the sentence fragments; however, that’s the nature of the beast. Despite the fact that you’re using sentence fragments, those fragments must make sense. Not only do they have to be understandable, they have to do a good job of selling you as a potential candidate for the job.

8.    The formatting, otherwise referred to as the physical appearance of your résumé must be consistent, make good use of the available space and be pleasing to the eye. A one inch margin all the way around is sufficient white space for the sides. Your font size should never be smaller than 10. Actually, a font size of 12 is better. If you start formatting your dates using two digits for the month and two digits for the year (03/08) then all your dates should be formatted that way. Consistency is crucial to your résumés success.  

9.    A two page résumé is not a crime. As a matter of it’s preferred over a one page résumé that has no white space left on it and the font size has been reduced to 9 so everything can be put on one page. If you have sufficient accomplishments, skills and work experience to justify a second page, then go to a second page. That said, a second page should be at least half full. So if you’ve written your résumé and one or two lines go to a second page, you have to make a decision. Do you have enough relevant information to expand your résumé so that it fills at least half a page on page two? If yes, go for it. If no, then you probably need to do some editing and get back to one page. The information you edit from such a résumé can be incorporated into you cover letter.

In conclusion, remember that your résumé has one job and one job only. It’s a marketing tool that should be designed to get you an interview. If your résumé is getting you interviews, it’s a good résumé. If your résumé isn’t getting you interviews, you need to fire it because it’s not doing its job. The tips above are the basic foundation of a good résumé. It’s up to you to build on that foundation.

Making A Great First Impression

Posted by: Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
                  Training Coordinator

There’s an old saying I grew up hearing, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

Within just a few seconds of meeting someone you have made a first impression. There are many factors that go into creating that initial impression. They include but are not limited to; your body language, your clothing, your grooming and your overall attitude.

Click here to read an article that expands on the idea of Making A Great First Impression.

Nail That Interview

Posted by: Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC Training Coordinator

You worked on your résumé until it was a polished, effective marketing tool. Then you sent it out to employers and now you’ve gotten an interview. The résumé did its job; it got you the interview you wanted. Now it’s time for you to do your job, nail that interview.

Click here for an article with some information to help you nail that interview to the wall.

Nine Things You Should Never Say in a Job Interview

Posted by: Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator

Make your interview a bull’s eye by staying on target.

Interviews are hard to come by in today’s world, so when you get one you don’t want to mess it up by saying the wrong thing.

Click here to read an article about nine things you should never say in a job interview.

Add This Secret Weapon to Your Résumé

Posted by: Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator

I always love it when I’m talking to a customer and I learn that some information or advice we gave them in a workshop has proved beneficial to them in their job search.

In conversation with a customer at the end of a workshop today a woman told me she did something to her résumé that we told her to do. Afterward her résumé got her interviews and from those interviews she got three job offers. She told me that during her interviews with each of the three employers who offered her a position, they asked her about this information on her résumé.

So what was the secret weapon that got her three job offers?

She listed her volunteer work on her résumé. I know some of you are out there groaning and saying, “But I don’t have any volunteer work to add to my résumé.”

There is a way to fix that problem. Volunteer. There have been previous posts on this blog in reference to volunteering; however, I’m going to briefly list the benefits to you the job seeker.

One, it gets you out of the house where you can meet people. You never know who you’ll meet in a volunteer situation. Approximately 80% of the available jobs are found by word of mouth (otherwise known as networking).

Two, it helps you get practical experience and / or keep your skills sharp. Maybe you just recently got your degree in your field but you don’t have any work experience to go with it. Volunteering could help you get that real world experience.

Three, it shows potential employers that you’re not just sitting home watching television. You’re out trying to make something happen.

Four, if that organization you’re volunteering for has an opening for a paid position, you’ll be one of the first to know about it.

So yes, volunteer as part of your job search and when you do list it as experience on your résumé.

How to Land a New Job

Posted by: Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator

Recently I read an article from U.S. News & World Report. It reiterated so many of the things that we tell clients in our One-Stop workshops that I felt compelled to post a link to it here.

Click here to read the article.

Seven Easy Ways to Blow an Interview

Posted by: Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator


A colleague of mine recently provided me with the link to an article on seven pet peeves of interviewers. It has good information in it on things to avoid when you’re interviewing for that new job.

Click here to read the article.

The Art Form of Interviewing

Posted by: Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator

You say your résumé is getting you interviews but you’re not getting the job.

Perhaps you need to take an objective look at what you’re doing during the interview. Here’s a short list of some of the things you should be doing during an interview.

1. Make eye contact with the interviewer
2. Have a firm but not bone crushing handshake (no limp noodles)
3. Dress appropriately
4. Present positive non-verbal signals
5. Use proper grammar
6. Good hygiene
7. Give honest, complete answers without rambling

Think of your interview as a sales meeting. You’re the product, so make sure you highlight your best features during the interview.

Coming next week - Seven Easy Ways to Blow an Interview

How to Make a Potential Employer Love You

Posted by: Darlene Duncan. CWDP. JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator

In my never ending quest to find material for this blog, I recently came across an article with some wonderful advice about how to make a potential employer fall in love with you (as a job candidate).

The workshops presented at the One-Stops in Volusia and Flagler counties follow a great deal of what the article recommends. The writer has reviewed hundreds of résumés and conducted many interviews, so this information comes from an individual with a lot of practical real world experience in the realm of hiring.

Click here to read the article.

Detective Work

Posted by: Darlene Duncan, CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator

In the workshops at the One-Stop where I work, we often tell job seekers that they need to research the company for which they want to work. Some people look at us as if we have suddenly grown a second head. Sometimes I feel like I should find a mirror to see if maybe I’ve sprouted another noggin.

Perhaps the word ‘research’ is the problem, or at least part of it. Don’t let the word put you off. All it means is to gather information. In this case, gather information about a company or organization. Make it into a game, where you’re a detective and you need to know as much about this company as you can discover.

In regards to your résumé, the information you collect about the company helps you aim your résumé at the company’s interests and needs. The same applies to the interview. The greater your knowledge of the organization the better your answers will be to interview questions.

Collecting information (aka research) is a skill that everyone should learn. It’s a great tool for job hunting and you never know when it might just be a skill you need on the job. To help you get started I’ve provided a link to an article about researching for job seekers. In the article are many links to different sites to assist with your information gathering.

Research Companies

Interview Bait

Posted by: Darlene Duncan, CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator

You’re looking for a job and you need to update your résumé. What do you include and what do you leave out? How long can it be? These are valid questions. I will attempt to answer these questions in this blog.

What do you include and what do you leave out? You include the information about your abilities, skills and experience that are relevant to the job for which you are applying. For instance, if you’re a Teacher and you have worked some summers as a Bartender, should you include the bartending jobs on your résumé? No! In spite of your belief that there is little difference between dealing with a group of inebriated adults and dealing with a bunch of kids on a sugar high, don’t include the information. It will only muddy the waters. Instead, put in the information about your previous teaching positions. Things like, created lesson plans for class of up to 30 students and maintained order in classroom.

How long should your résumé be? Remember, your résumé is the bait you use to fish for an interview. It needs to give enough information to get the reader interested so they call you for an interview. If you can do this in one page, wonderful. If you need a second page, okay. No more than two pages.

Remember, your résumé also needs to be pleasing to look at and easy to read. So if you have a one page résumé with almost no margin and everything is font size 10, increase your margin to an inch and bring your font size up to 12 and go to that second page.

If you’ve been doing your research on résumés I’m sure you’ve discovered many conflicting opinions. Writing a résumé is not a science; it’s an art form. So what does that mean? It means that there are aspects of résumé writing that are strictly a matter of opinion.

If you live in Volusia or Flagler County contact your local One-Stop for the dates and times of their Résumé Writing workshops.

Are You a Dinosaur On One Job Forever?

By Suzy Kridner
Career Specialist
Some people worry about having too many jobs listed on their resumes. How will prospective employers look at that?
Others, like me, have worked a long-time at one job. I was at my last position 28 years before I was laid off. Does that make me a dinosaur?
In fact, this is only my fifth job in a fullfilling career that has taken me from the Midwest to Florida. I'm the rookie now in my new position as a career specialist helping customers at the One-Stop.
A recent article on Monster says if you've been in one job for years, spin your work history as a positive, letting employers know you'll be around for awhile. It's costly to hire a new employee so staying at a job a long time makes you a good investment.
You need to let prospective employers know you have continued to learn. I like the suggestion to add a professional development section to your resume that lists training and education.
Monster also suggests using longevity, dedication, commitment, loyalty and perseverance as selling points, both on your resume and in interviews. You also have the advantage of having seen your accomplishments through from beginning to end.
Just remember, many years at one job can work to your advantage. You have skills a new employer will value.
Read more about how to handle a long-term job on your resume.

The Dreaded Salary Question

In the last couple of weeks I’ve talked about Information Sharing and Listening. Today, I want to talk about an interview question. That’s right, one interview question.

It’s stated many different ways but the information requested is the same.

What salary would you be willing to accept?

Your heart jumps into your throat because you know that if you tell them a figure that’s too low they’ll think you’re under qualified for the job. Or they’ll hire you and pay you that lower wage instead of the higher salary they had in mind. Either way you lose.

If you quote a figure that’s too high, they’ll think you’re over qualified and they can’t afford you. You lose again.

What should you do when they ask the dreaded salary question?

There are various ways you can handle it.

One way, is to turn the question around and ask what they were planning on paying? Sometimes they’ll be willing to share that information.

Another way is to say something like, “Before we discuss salary I’d like to get to know a little bit more about the position and your organization and I think it would be advantageous for you to get to know a little more about me.”

Or you could say, “Are you offering me the job? I ask because I’m not accustomed to discussing salary until there’s an actual job offer.”

Of course, if they insist that you provide them with a dollar figure you need to have done your Labor Market Research ahead of time and don’t give them a specific dollar figure. Instead, provide them with a range. Something like, “I’d be happy with something between X and Y, depending on the total compensation/benefits package.”

Regardless of how you answer the question you must first do your homework on the company you’re applying to, do your labor market research and practice your interviewing skills.