You Prepared for the Interview…Did you Prepare your References?

Do you understand the importance references play in your job search?  If not, the following post explains their role in the process.

A great resume and fantastic cover letter will get you an interview. What happens from there has a lot to do with you, and if you nail the interview, then you need to be sure that the final factor in the job search process – your references – are prepared to help you seal the deal.

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You Prepared for the Interview…Did you Prepare your References?

After the Job Interview—What’s Next?

Jimmy Sweeney, President of CareerJimmy

You’ve left the job interview and now you may wonder what comes next. On the one hand, you don’t want to sit around waiting for the hiring manager to get back to you. On the other hand, you don’t want to appear rude by contacting him or her too quickly.

Some company representatives appreciate a job candidate who expresses interest and enthusiasm, but they don’t want to be bombarded with follow-up questions. You’re not the only interviewee, so you can imagine how overwhelming it would be to receive a steady flow of emails from eager candidates wanting to know the result of their interviews. Also keep in mind that companies each have their own hiring timetable. You might hear from one in two weeks and from another in two months, depending on personnel, business, vacation, and scheduling conflicts. Continue Reading

10 Strong Types of Interview Questions that could Lead to a Job Offer

The next time you have a job interview, ask questions that matter to employers.  It could mean the difference between getting the job you want or being just another job seeker.

After months of searching, you’ve finally landed an interview for the job of your dreams. You’ve chosen your wardrobe, Googled the company so you can intelligently discuss the issues, and thought through questions you may be asked. That’s all fine, says Andrew Sobel. But if you haven’t brushed up on the questions you want to ask the interviewer, you’re missing a key part of your preparation—the part that may win you the job.

“If you talk to recruiters and executives who are actively hiring, they will tell you that there are three types of questions they get: no questions, bad questions, and—very rarely—memorable questions,” says Sobel, author (along with coauthor Jerold Panas) of Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others. “And the candidates who ask the memorable ones are often the ones they make offers to. Continue Reading

From Job Interview to Job Offer: 7 Sizzling Strategies

Jimmy Sweeney, President of CareerJimmy

Why do some people get hired and others not and do you have any control over the outcome?

I say, “Yes, but first you need to learn and practice what I call the “sizzling seven”—strategies that can turn a job interview into a job offer.

Sizzling Strategy Number 1: Polish Your Resume

Don’t even think of presenting a resume with typos and long-winded sentences or inaccurate information. Read it again. Review it again. Repeat the process again. Continue Reading

Sell Yourself As The Solution to the Interviewer Problem

Carole Martin, The Interview Coach

Creating a self-inventory and doing some basic preparation can make a big difference in the way you view yourself and as a result how others see you. Continue Reading

Can You “Tell Me About Yourself?”

While you may practice answering many interview questions, this is definitely one to prepare for. How you answer the question will let the interviewer know if you have actually thought about what to say. Don’t stress if you’re not sure how to respond to the “tell me about yourself” question. So that you won’t be thrown off guard, experts offer some advice on answering this question in your next interview. Continue Reading

10 Job Interview Questions Not to Be Tricked By

With an unemployment rate of 8.5 percent, there are a lot of job seekers out there, and they all come from very different walks of life. There are experienced workers who’ve just been laid off from the job they’ve had for 25 years. There are college grads seeking their first “real” job. There are still-employed workers seeking greener pastures. There are white collar workers and blue collar workers. There are folks seeking professional and managerial positions and those seeking less traditional opportunities.

But despite all these differences and despite the drastic changes the job market has undergone over the past few years, the way these potential employees will get hired hasn’t changed much at all. It still starts with the dreaded job interview, says Joyce Lain Kennedy. Continue Reading

Dress Without Stress For Your Next Job Interview…

It may seem like a no-brainer! Get up, dress, fill your coffee mug, hop in your car, and drive to the job interview. You’re sure everything will work out just fine. How complicated can it be?

Actually, it can get very complicated if you don’t take time to prepare for the interview—your one shot at getting the job you want. It starts with getting dressed. The impression you make on the hiring manager will set the tone for what follows. Keep in mind the fact that you have just three seconds to brand yourself. How you look, the clothes you wear, the accessories you choose, the shine of your shoes (or lack of it), all add up to who you appear to be in the eyes of the hiring manager. Continue Reading

Turn Off Your Cell Phone!!

Cell phones are an incredible convenience for all of us, but also a major source of irritation when people don’t remember their manners while using them in public places. One of the biggest blunders you can make? Answering your phone while in a job interview!! Seems obvious, I know, but believe me, it happens. If you answer your cell while in an interview for medical sales, pharmaceutical sales, laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics sales, medical supplies sales, pathology sales, imaging sales, hospital equipment sales, medical device sales, biotechnology sales, or cellular/molecular products sales, you can kiss that job goodbye.
If you need it, here are some more do’s and don’ts.
Article by, Medical Sales Recruiter
Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Salary Talk During the Job Interview

Even though you may have gone through a phone screening that involved answering questions about salary, the subject may come again as the interviewer becomes more interested in hiring you. At this point the interviewer want to know whether they can “afford you.” This is a very tricky part of the interview and could even break your chances of getting the job. Tread lightly and protect your information is the rule.
Here are some sample questions and answers to assist you in formulating your own answers to questions about salary during the interview. Some of the answers are stronger than others and some will fit certain situations better than others. You will want to use your own words to answer this type of question however these examples will provide words to use that may be more affective in answering these difficult questions.
Q “What are Your Salary Expectations?”
A#1 – “I was making $60,000 at my last job, plus bonuses. I would be expecting at least that and a 15-20% increase.:
(This is not a good answer)
A#2 – “I’m sure whatever you offer will be a fair amount for a person with my qualifications. Salary is not the most important factor to me. I’m looking for opportunity.”
(This is a somewhat weak answer)
A#3 – “I really need more information about the job before we start to discuss salary. I’d like to postpone that discussion until later. Maybe you could tell me what is budgeted for the position, and how your commission structure works.”
(This is the best answer)

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