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13 Best Things You Should Always Do During (or After) a Job Interview

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By Laura Gesualdi-Gilmore

A few simple steps can ensure you are making the most of the short time you get with a hiring manager when interviewing for a job.

The labour market in the U.S. is looking good as the summer comes to a close, with 528,000 jobs added in July alone. Still, when you’re going for a top position — or maybe even your personal dream job — it’s likely you’ll face stiff competition.

For these top jobs, any advantage you can bring to the interview is helpful. That’s why it’s so important to look the part, do your research, and bring your A-game in general.

Whether you’re looking for a higher-paying job, interviewing in hopes of breaking into a new field, or applying for your first gig out of college, here are 13 things to always do during (or after) a job interview, no matter the field.

1. Research the company

Showing right off the bat that you put in the effort to learn about the company should be a priority. It’s generally a good idea to do a Google search, look the company up on LinkedIn, and see if the firm has been in the news recently.

This preparation will be especially helpful if the manager asks why you’re interested in the company during the interview. Doing your homework will put you in a much better position than simply winging it.

2. Dress for the job

The phrase “dress for the job you want” is widely used for a reason. The ideal attire for a job interview depends on the company and job description, but in many business situations, classic professional attire is the way to go.

This could mean a suit or dress slacks. Or, it might mean a nice dress or skirt with your best pair of pumps or flats, or perhaps a pants suit.

3. Arrive on time

You want to be respectful of the person who is interviewing you, and that includes being respectful of their time.

It’s a good rule of thumb to arrive 10 minutes early — maybe even 15 minutes if you’re commuting to an unfamiliar area — to ensure you’re on time for the interview, and that the hiring manager’s first impression isn’t of you showing up late.

4. Plan responses beforehand

Interview questions can vary depending on your field and the job you’re applying for. However, there are some universal questions that come up often. Use these to prepare.

For example, many interviewers ask about things such as:

  • Your career history
  • Why you’re interested in a new job
  • What your greatest strengths and weaknesses are
  • What salary range you are looking for
  • Why they should hire you

Preparing responses for those universal questions — but remembering to keep the answers casual during the actual interview — should make the whole process that much easier.

5. Get familiar with the job description

Read over the job description again before you head into the interview. A job interview, after all, is an opportunity to sell yourself — and to sell yourself, you need to know what the company is looking for.

Arm yourself with responses about how you meet the job requirements and how you would make a great fit for the open position.

6. Bring extra resumes

With everything online these days, there is a chance that the hiring manager will be looking at your resume on a computer the moment you walk in. But again, it’s always a good idea to show up prepared.

Bring a few extra resumes with you to the interview so you can hand them out to everyone involved in the interviewing process.

7. Make a list of your positive attributes

Before your interview, think of three skills you want to emphasize. These might include:

  • Skills that fit well with requirements listed in the job description
  • Past work experiences that you think helped prepare you for this new job
  • Other positive attributes about yourself that you want to get across

Be familiar with your best “selling points.” That way, you won’t forget to mention them during the interview.

8. Turn negatives into positives

There will inevitably come a time when a hiring manager asks if you have experience doing something you have never done. Fortunately, there’s a way to spin this inexperience.

If an interviewer asks if you have Photoshop experience, and you don’t, try emphasizing your other skills — like organization and time management — that shows you’re eager to pick up this new skill quickly and efficiently.

9. Show excitement about the job

Getting a new job is exciting, so don’t feel shy about letting the hiring manager know that you’re thrilled about the opportunity.

It may seem obvious that you want the job if you’re showing up for an interview, but it doesn’t hurt to reiterate that fact so the company knows you’ll show up to work with a great attitude.

10. Keep your cell phone on silent

You want to communicate respect to the person interviewing you, and part of that is turning off distractions.

If your phone begins ringing, or even vibrating, in the middle of the interview, the hiring manager might think they don’t have your full attention — and begin to question whether they would have it after they hired you.

11. Speak highly of former employers

Even if you’re interviewing for a new job because you are unsatisfied with your current position, avoid any negative talk about past employers.

Instead, keep it professional by discussing the type of work you did and why you’re interested in the opportunities this new company can provide.

12. Ask questions

Typically, toward the end of an interview, the hiring manager will ask you if you have questions for them — and you should. This will show you’ve done your homework and you are invested in knowing more about the company.

If you’re struggling to come up with questions, stick to the classics, such as asking about:

  • Challenges you may face if you are hired
  • What the company culture is like
  • What the hiring manager likes the most about working there
  • What a typical day in your potential new position would look like

13. Follow up

There’s some disagreement about whether the old-school method of sending an actual “thank you” note to a hiring manager is still relevant, but career experts generally recommend at least a “thank you” email.

It doesn’t have to be lengthy: Simply thank the interviewer for their time, reiterate that you are excited about potentially working for the company, and sign off by noting that you hope to hear from them soon.

Bottom line

Whatever your reason for being on the job hunt — even if it’s simply to make more money so you can retire early — arming yourself with knowledge about the company you’re interviewing with, looking your best, and preparing your top selling points can go a long way during the interviewing process.

So, if you are hoping to move beyond living paycheck to paycheck, make sure you put these tips into practice.

By Laura Gesualdi-Gilmore

Edited By Chris Kissell

Sourced from Finance Buzz

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What I’ve learned from job interview screw ups

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By Bernie Goodman

There are few more anxiety-inducing and cringeworthy sensations than leaning on a wet bathroom counter right before an important job interview. There are worse things in life for sure, but the embarrassment of wet pants while wearing my best (and only) suit remains with me today. Although, to be honest, I should have seen this coming, earlier my new silk tie fell into the sink so it was fairly obvious how that day was going to unfold.

I’d like to say that this was an exception in a largely successful career but sadly it was just one of several awkward and unsuccessful interview experiences.

Once I dressed for an early morning interview in the dark and later noticed that I had put on one blue sock and one black. I had also forgotten my belt. I spent a good part of that interview shuffling my feet to hide my mismatched socks while trying to hold my pants up. I still feel that if the interviewer had made a sincere effort to get to know me instead of just asking overused scripted questions, I would have forgotten all about my socks and pants and come across better.

I’ve found throughout my career that this is the key – figuring out how to make interview subjects comfortable. Even though I work in Human Resources, I am not able to ace interviews as a candidate. I’ve never felt comfortable in a formal interview and this has been reflected numerous times in my 20-year career, often with embarrassing results.

In-person interviews have been as challenging for me as an awkward first date, and I’m sure the employer wished they had never swiped right on my application. Based on some of my job interview experiences, I wouldn’t hire myself!

Rigid or formal interviews often left me feeling like an inadequate misfit. If you want to truly get to know me and see if I’m a fit for your organization, don’t paint me into a corner with another tired, overused job interview process. Pair me up with a genuinely curious interviewer who prefers interactive conversation over a cross examination and you’ll get to know the real me. Once some trust and a rapport are built, I’ll happily share my experiences, what I’ve learned along the way and why I might be a good fit for the job.

In one interrogation, umm, I mean interview, a questioner was taking notes so enthusiastically, her notepad flew across the table and landed on my lap. My joke about my elite athletic skills in catching balls – and flying notepads – was met with a bored blank stare. Later, I received feedback from that interview that I was throwing a bunch of “junk” at the wall hoping something would stick. So much for my elite athletic skills!

After another unsuccessful interview, I was told that I was “low energy and lacked enthusiasm.” I rectified that in a subsequent interview with espresso beans and an energy drink. I definitely wasn’t low energy then but as you can imagine, there were other issues. On the plus side, I did have a fast-paced workout in the gym that day.

All these awful experiences are fodder for my current work – training executives on hiring better leaders by changing the way job interviews and performance reviews are done. The challenge – as I know all too well – is to truly get to know the interviewee and “peel the onion” to better understand their motives, drivers, traits and so on. This is often a new experience for both interviewers and interviewees who are more comfortable with standardized questions that focus on past successes as opposed to drawing out character.

Moving away from boring clichéd questions that candidates have researched and rehearsed to death has worked for me. A two-sided engaging discussion means that I too can comfortably ask about the organization, culture, work and other things that interest me.

My appreciation for this new way of interviewing – focusing on character not just job successes – hit home when I applied for the position I’m currently in. It took several interviews – three different senior managers on three different phone calls. But for each call, we slipped into a conversation as comfortable as a fleece onesie. After some easy banter about children, hobbies and my weekend activities, I enjoyed learning about these people and the work they were doing. It felt like reading a really good book. Even when a question focused on something I couldn’t do, I felt comfortable enough to be honest. I was asked about my interest and experience in HR analytics. While I was eager to join this team, I never considered bluffing my way through the question. Instead, I recommended a colleague who I knew would salivate like a junkyard dog at the chance to apply his analytics passion.

Later, I told my wife that even if the discussions didn’t lead to a new job, I hoped to stay in touch with them as their passion for their work was contagious. But it turns out, being completely honest and not trying to be something I’m not had its rewards. I was hired after all, and have been in a role that fits my skills better than analytics for almost two years.

Applying for jobs is never easy. But it’s amazing how much you can learn about someone just by being kind and curious. And, as a bonus, with many interviews now being conducted virtually, no one will ever know if you leaned on a wet washroom counter.

Feature Image Credit: Illustration by Marley Allen-Ash

By Bernie Goodman

Bernie Goodman lives in North Vancouver.

Sourced from The Globe and Mail

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7 smart questions to ask at the end of a job interview

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By Mitchell Glass

You’re crushing your job interview. You’ve nailed every question thrown at you, and nothing has tripped you up. As the conversation winds down, you’re oozing confidence. Then your interviewer hits you with one final test:

“So, do you have any questions for me?”

It’s your last chance to impress the employer and make sure the job is a good fit for you — but you need to tread carefully. If you ask the wrong type of question, or the wrong number of them, you risk leaving a bad impression.

We’ve consulted with hiring experts to come up with seven questions to ask — and a few to avoid — to end your interview on a strong note.

How to prepare questions for your interview

The purpose of an interview isn’t just for the company to see whether you’re a good fit for them — it’s also to make sure the company is a good fit for you.

That’s why you should always prepare questions to ask in an interview. While it’s likely that questions will come up naturally during the conversation, you will want to have a list ready for the end of the interview just in case.

Career counsellors recommend that each question on your list serves at least one of three purposes:

  1. To confirm the job is a good fit for you.
  2. To demonstrate your drive and passion for the position.
  3. To uncover and overcome any doubts your interviewer may have about you.

As you brainstorm potential questions, consider topics like company culture, work environment, expectations and growth opportunities.

How many questions should you ask during your interview?

If you don’t have any questions to ask at the end of your interview, you may look disinterested and unprepared.

Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. What would impress you more: a candidate who doesn’t want to know anything about the company or role, or one who confidently slides out a prepared list of insightful questions?

Recruiting experts recommend choosing your number of questions based on the stage of the application process. For example, you wouldn’t want to unleash a fire hose of questions during an initial phone screening. During preliminary stages, limit yourself to five questions max.

If you have more, save them for later interviews. During in-person interviews, shoot for a minimum of two or three questions. It’s useful to have several backup questions ready and listed in order of importance.

During your final interview, it’s about quality over quantity. One dumb question is one question too many. But if you have insightful questions that serve a specific purpose, don’t limit yourself.

7 questions to ask at the end of an interview

1. What objectives do you expect the person in this position to achieve in the first six months?

Job descriptions cover general requirements, but they don’t usually get into the nitty-gritty. By uncovering what a company is hoping to achieve, you can show how you’re equipped to accomplish those specific goals.

2. Is this a new role, or did it recently open up?

There are two reasons companies hire: for growth or because someone has left a position. If the company is hiring because someone left, dig deeper. How long were they in the position? Did they get promoted? The answer could offer you important insights into the position, including potential red flags.

3. Is there anything that makes you doubt my ability to take on this role?

This question takes guts. But if you can handle a bit of criticism, it’s an opportunity to speak to whatever may be making your interviewer hesitant. It’s similar to a sales meeting — the more objections you can snuff out on the spot, the more likely you are to close the deal. Even if you aren’t hired, you’ll leave knowing how to improve for your next interview.

4. What growth opportunities are available?

Good employees want to keep growing. Good employers want their employees to keep growing. If the company supports professional development, asking this question shows that your goals align. If you discover the role has limited growth opportunities, it’s good to know now, before accepting the job.

5. How is extra workflow managed?

This question may help you determine whether the company respects work-life boundaries. Most businesses have never-ending to-do lists, which tend to leak beyond normal work hours. If there is extra work to do, will your boss expect you to work long hours or make yourself available from home? If their policies and expectations don’t align with your vision, it might not be a good fit.

6. In what ways would you gauge my success, and how could I exceed your expectations?

Clarifying expectations can help you decide if you’re up for the job. It also shows your interviewer how serious you are about helping the company. Asking this question indicates that you’re not content to simply meet the status quo and collect your paycheck.

7. How did you come to work for the company?

If all of your questions were covered during the interview, this is a clever backup option. People love talking about themselves, so getting your interviewer to share their story can make your time together seem more enjoyable and memorable for them.

What not to ask during an interview

Asking the wrong questions at the end of an interview might leave a bad impression. Experts recommend that you never ask questions about:

  • Easy-to-find information. Asking questions you could find with a quick Google search shows you don’t respect your interviewer’s time.
  • Background checks. If you ask about the company’s background checks or drug-testing policies, you’re guaranteed to look suspicious.
  • Overly personal information. You want your interviewers to like you. Don’t pry into personal matters and make them feel uncomfortable.

Know you’re a great match

We tell you if you’re a strong candidate so you can prioritize where to apply. ZipRecruiter uses AI technology to match your skills to jobs you may not have found otherwise.

Feature Image Credit: TeodorLazarev / Shutterstock

By Mitchell Glass

Sourced from MoneyWise

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Be the solution in your next interview

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By Carrie Weaver

It’s all about framing yourself, and your answers, as the solution to their problem.

Amelia Earhart said that preparation “is rightly two-thirds of any venture.” Your amount of interview preparation determines how well you perform in your interview, and your interview performance is the determining factor in whether or not you receive a job offer.

Just like an audition for an actor or musician, your interview is a type of test. The good news is that a test can be aced. In order to ace any test, you first need to understand what’s going to be on the test. Think about the open position you are interviewing for as a “problem,” and you, the candidate, will be the solution to that problem.

Let’s say you’re a marketing professional. Take a step back and think about why marketing exists in the first place. It’s to inform and engage potential customers about a product or service. The next question to ask yourself is, “What’s hard about that?” You want to come up with two to three high-level reasons.

For example, first, you have to capture people’s attention in a crowded space. And then once you have their attention, you have to communicate your value so it appears better than a competitor. Now that you’ve identified the problem, ask yourself, “What are the skills that would be most helpful in solving that problem?” In our marketing example, creativity and bold communication would be incredibly useful. Now imagine your interviewer asks you, “What strengths do you possess that would make you successful in this position?”

You might answer with something like, “I’m a thoughtful and compassionate leader who listens deeply and helps level up the skills of every person on my team.” While that’s a good response, and most organizations can benefit from good leadership, that response is not as valuable as this one: “I’m a strategic and inspiring communicator who finds joy in delighting future customers with bold, value-based communication.”

The first response regarding elevating others would work well if the position problem was about levelling up a team of marketing professionals with differing levels of competency. The second response, however, is addressing the language of the problem. If you’re not presenting yourself as the solution to the problem, someone else is. Here’s a three-step process to better understand the problem of your interview so you can ace the test.

1. Conduct a high-level analysis of the industry or company pain points.

2. Gain insider intelligence from the recruiter or hiring manager.

3. Undertake a detailed analysis of the job description.

First, start with your own high-level knowledge of the industry and your role, just like the marketing example we discussed. Second, use insider intelligence. You’ll gain this through your conversations with folks who work there who can give you the inside scoop on the problem. This may be a recruiter or a colleague. Ask anyone you can this question, “What would you say is the biggest challenge this position is trying to tackle?” They’ll often tell you directly.

Lastly, use the job description. Really review it and read between the lines. How are they describing the problem? A detailed examination of the job description uses a company’s own language to give you a sense of what’s most problematic or most important.

I recommend running the job description through a word cloud generator. When using a word cloud generator, copy and paste only the descriptive portion of the job posting that describes the relevant portion of the job. Don’t copy the requirements section that says, for example, “three years of managerial experience, and five years of marketing experience.” You’ll just see the word “experience” returned. Focus on copying only the portions of the job description that truly describe the job.

For illustrative purposes, I reviewed an email marketing manager position at Amazon Fashion. Using a word cloud generator, the largest or most common words returned included, “Amazon, experience, and fashion,” which makes sense given the position. Instead, look at the next-largest or medium-sized words, as the relative size of the word indicates a greater frequency in the word use, and you can hypothesize that these words are most important to the position.

For the Amazon Fashion job description, I saw the words “high, fast-paced, helping, quality, and growing.” In rereading the position requirements, I determined that the goal of the position is to help drive sales and the word “high” appeared frequently in terms such as “high-quality,” “high-growth,” and “high-aesthetics.”

During your interview, use this information to shape all of your responses. For example, by stating that your email marketing has “high aesthetics and is reviewed with the highest quality standards in mind,” you can show how you are able to drive sales. By using the language of the problem, you will be able to position yourself as the solution. It’s that simple.

Use this three-step process to make quick work of identifying what’s going to be “on the test” during your job interview. It’s all about framing yourself, and your answers, as the solution to their problem. Be the solution.

By Carrie Weaver

Sourced from Fast Company

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Always be ready to answer the question ‘Why should we hire you?’ at interviews, says career expert—3 best examples

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By J.T. O’Donnell

The job interview questions that seem the simplest on the surface are often the ones that make us stumble the most.

One of them is “Why should we hire you?” — and candidates should always come prepared with an answer.

As a career coach with 20-plus years of hiring and recruiting experience, I’ve seen so many people give the same boring responses to this question — ones that are either overly confident yet vague (e.g., “I’m the best at what I do and my bosses love me…”) or are too humble yet timid (e.g., “While this job may require more experience than I have, I think I’m a pretty fast learner…”).

How to answer ‘Why should we hire you?’

The most impressive candidates leave a lasting impression by doing these three things when crafting their answer:

1. Be specific about key strengths and qualifications.

Just because you shine in a dozen different areas doesn’t mean you should talk about all of them.

You don’t want to give a 10-minute sales pitch, so be picky with what you choose to highlight. Closely study the job description and point out just two or three of the most important skills required for the position.

2. Give an example for each skill.

You can’t just stop after saying, “I’m really good at [X], [Y] and [Z].”

Make your relevant skills shine by providing a quick story or example for each. Because sure, you may be good at managing people, but how did you successfully demonstrate that in a previous job?

3. Find the balance between confidence and humility.

Whatever you do, avoid coming off as too cocky. Balance your words with self-confidence and genuine humility. Your hiring manager wants to know that you’re grounded and will work well with other people.

The best — and most likeable employees — are not egotistical or self-serving. They have a true desire to make a powerful, constructive difference at their company.

Example of the most impressive answers

1.) “You mentioned that you’re looking for someone who can manage up to five people, and who has a solid understanding of social media marketing. I’ve had more than six years of experience as a marketing manager, leading teams of up to seven or more. My goal is to always listen to people about what they need to do their jobs. In my previous roles, I’ve been able to motivate my teams to meet and surpass quarterly expectations. I also have a strong background in social media marketing. Last year, I led the launch of a huge campaign that grew our social media following by 2,000%.”

Why it works: This candidate did a great job providing details about their experience, accomplishments and key qualifications for the role. They also gave quick examples of the strengths that the employer is looking for.

2.) “Based on the job description, it sounds like you need someone with strong communication skills and experience working with big-name clients. In my previous roles, I brought on multiple Fortune 500 companies — who all remained loyal customers for years. I really believe that the key to doing that is being a good communicator, and always being available and transparent. And, if hired, I have a rolodex of great contacts who we could pitch to.”

Why it works: This response not only details the candidate’s key strengths, but it gives insight into their philosophy on how to successfully win clients. They also touch on how their connections can bring even more value and business to the company.

3. “I know you probably have tons of highly qualified candidates to choose from. And while I’m far from perfect, I believe I’ll exceed expectations in this role not just because I have a track record in boosting sales and coming up with creative marketing strategies, but I have strong people skills. My previous manager even asked me to give presentations to our entire company about how to be more personable and emotionally connect with clients in a way that makes our services more appealing.”

Why it works: This candidate started out with a very humble statement by acknowledging that there are several people who can do the job. However, they go on to explain what makes them unique from the rest: their emotional intelligence, which happens to be one of the most important skills employers look for today.

The big takeaway

In an effort to stand out while pitching why they should be hired, job seekers often convince themselves that they have to make these bold statements.

But impressing a hiring manager isn’t about being boisterous. It’s really about showing them you’ve given serious thought about what your best qualities are, why they make you unique, and how you plan to use them to add value and fit into the company culture.

Feature Image Credit: monkeybusinessimages | Getty

By J.T. O’Donnell

J.T. O’Donnell is the founder and CEO of Work It Daily, an online platform dedicated to helping people solve their biggest career problems. She has more than 15 years of experience in hiring, recruiting and career coaching. For career tips, follow her on TikTok @jtodonnell.

Sourced from CNBC Make It

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