Nailing your job #interview

Alright girlfriend, this is it.  You searched and found your dream job, wrote a killer resume, and soared in your telephone interview.  Now you are ready to hit it out of the park and prove to your future employer that you ARE the right person for this position with an in person interview.  Here's how you do it.

The Basics
Let's start with the things you will do automatically and instinctively.  These include being on time (early but preferably no more than 10 mins), no gum chewing gum, not smelling strongly of anything (including but not limited to food smells, perfume, BO), and dressing for success (we will talk more on this tomorrow).

Ensure you have already eaten, have had enough to drink (though not too much!), that you have already visited the restroom, and that your phone is ALREADY switched off BEFORE your arrival.  Don't underestimate the important of the basics.  If in the most extenuating circumstances and you are going to be late, ensure you call/email ahead and let them know (and you better have a REALLY good reason).

The Meet and Greet
The majority of the time you will first check in with reception and will have a few minutes to wait until your interviewer or their assistant arrive to get you.  Use this time to compose your thoughts, review the job description and observe the company atmosphere.  Since your phone is already off and away, there is no chance you will be distracted (right?!).  And of course it goes without saying, ensure you are nice and friendly to everyone that you encounter.

Once your escort has collected you, ensure you smile and make eye contact, shaking hands with a firm grip (not too hard, not too week). Gauging on their body language, make small talk.  If they are part of the interview panel, it will help you begin a rapport.  But make no mistake, your interview begins the second you enter the building and every employee you encounter may provide feedback on your behavior.

The Conversation
Hopefully your interview will be conducted in a comfortable room.  Your host may offer you something to drink, which you should politely decline unless your throat is dry and it will prevent you from speaking clearly (just don't spill it!).   Bring several copies of your resume with you as you should assume those that are interviewing you have NOT had a chance to review it yet.

At this point, your interview may take several different forms.  They may have a set of standard HR questions that must be addressed first, or it might take the form of a conversation.  It is important to read the situation and answer to the best of your ability.  HR questions are generally looking for you to hit a few key words or responses while general questions by the hiring manager are looking to gauge your ability and how you will likely fit with the rest of the team.

The best interviews are those that feel and act like a conversation, not a tennis match.  Never interrupt your interviewer, but feel free to jump in with examples as needed.  Follow their lead and let your personality shine without being overbearing.


Questions?
You've had a good conversation and now here it comes, "Do you have any questions for us?"  Well girlfriend, the answer is always YES.   Even if all of your questions have been answered, make one up.  Asking questions shows you have interest in the position and have thought about this opportunity.  However, your questions should be something the interviewer can answer easily.

Ask questions about the company or about the position, but you cannot question the strategy or direction the interviewer has decided to take the position or make them feel defensive.  Also, continue to read body language, as usually after a handful of questions, the interviewer has had enough.  You should refrain from firing endless questions their way, especially if you have already had a long conversation.

The Follow-up
Thank everyone for their time and if they haven't mention a timeline for follow-up, feel free to ask at the end of the conversation.  Later the same day, ensure you send a thank you email.  Some experts argue that a hand-written note is the only way to go, but I have found that an short, brief email is more than sufficient.  Now go back to your normal life and resume your job search.  Never stop your job hunt because you think you had a great interview and you are sure an offer is coming.  Things change, situations change, and you may not be successful.  

If you haven't had an update within a couple weeks, feel free to follow-up again. You should hear one way or the other, but it is completely possible you will never hear anything.  It's rude and in poor taste, but it certainly happens.  Knowing that you did your best and gave it your all is all one can expect.  Good luck #workinggirl!

Cheryl Reynolds
College Girl to Working Girl
@CGirl2WGirl

5 ways to excel in a telephone #interview

Well #workinggirl , you've created a great eye candy resume, you found a fab job on indeed.com and submitted your application, keeping your fingers crossed that you hear back.

A few days pass and there it is. You've Got Mail.

Your future employer wants to set up a quick, informal "chat".  Congratulations sister!  You have managed to cut through the HR key word search and pass the recruiter quick screen.  However, don't be too overjoyed just yet.  This "chat" is far from informal so if you really want to excel, check out these 5 tips.

1. Be flexible.  Try to be as accommodating to your interviewer's schedule as possible and accept one of their suggested times to talk.  The last thing you want to do is appear to be difficult.  If you need to cancel that hair appoint to accommodate them, do it.  
2. Find a quiet environment where you can speak freely.   You don't want your interviewer to have to strain to hear you.   Avoid anywhere that has dogs barking, children playing, or general background noise.  Also ensure you can speak freely.  Don't take the call in the break room at work if there is a chance others will walk in.  You need to speak without hesitation and without the whole office knowing you are interviewing.  
3. Know your audience.  Exactly who will you be speaking with?  Is it the HR recruiter, the actual hiring manager, or a group of people?  The HR recruiter will ask basic questions about your work experience and education and will try and determine if you are worthy of passing on your resume.  The hiring manager is likely to ask you more specific questions related to the position to determine if you fit the skills needed.  Finally, if you are interviewing with a group on the phone, be prepared for a range of topics and stop talking when others speak.  It's rude.  
4. Do your research.  Although this is not a formal face to face interview, it doesn't mean you get a pass on preparing for your conversation.  Ensure you are familiar with what you put on your resume and have a copy of the job description in front of you.  Do some light LinkedIn stalking on those you'll be speaking with to identify some common interests and be familiar with their background.  Finally, make sure you know some basic facts about the company.
5. Let your personality shine.  Phone interviews can make it difficult to make a real connection to the interviewer.  You will have to work even harder to build a rapport than if you were face to face.  Avoid giving one word answers - short anecdotes often will show more depth.  It is important to NOT speak too much.  Allow yourself to pause at least every 30 seconds so the interviewer can interject, if necessary, so the conversation flows smoothly.  

Hopefully the conversation went well and you are talking next steps to arrange an in person interview.  Nice work girlfriend!

Cheryl Reynolds

College Girl to Working Girl

@CGirl2WGirl

The Art of Finding a #Fab Job Using @indeed

There is definitely an art to searching for a job online.  Be too specific, you end up with zero results.  Too vague, you'll have to sift through more pages than War and Peace.

My favorite site is indeed.com .  This site is a metasearch site that pulls in jobs from all other websites.  (Think kayak.com but for jobs instead of travel).  One of it's great features is that it saves your previous job searches at the bottom, so when you come back next time, just click on the link.  Click on advanced search and change the default to display 50 jobs at a time, SO much easier than clicking next every 5 seconds.  It also looks just like a google search, so it's super easy to navigate.  

I also like that you can filter for salary ranges, but be careful.  These aren't always accurate, especially if the employer doesn't provide details.  Better to have too many results than not enough, at least to start.  Also, if you are just starting to get an idea of what type of job you might like when you're done with school, leave the location you are searching for blank.  Even if you want to live in a particular city, this will give you an idea of what types of jobs are out there that you may be interested in. 

The key to a successful search is to try a variety of search options until you find what works best for you.  I usually stick to 5 or 6 key phrases (though my industry and skill set is fairly specific).  Your job search will consist of many different sites, but be sure to include indeed.com as part of your core plan.

Good luck #collegegirl!

Cheryl Reynolds

College Girl to Working Girl

@CGirl2WGirl