job searching | A-Plus Career and Resume, LLC

Video Interviewing Tips

August 13th, 2020

I was recently ask (along with several colleagues) to answer the following question for the National Resume Writers’ Association’s Expert’s Blog: I’m deathly afraid of video. How can I still do well in video interviews given my fear of the camera? Here is my response and a link to all the responses:

Karen Silins, A+ Career & Resume, LLC

Here are my best tips to help you feel more confident: Test your connection, computer camera and lighting ahead of time. Avoid loud spaces and use an appropriate background. Be early, and have your resume, cover letter and job ad in front of you. Dress as you would for an in-person interview. Look in the camera, not at your picture in the monitor/screen. Have a glass of water nearby. SMILE!

I’m deathly afraid of video. How can I still do well in video interviews given my fear of the camera?

NRWA Experts Blog

Categories Career Coaching, Interviews, Job Search
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Taking Care of You during a Job Search

January 28th, 2016

Many jobseekers struggle with keeping a schedule and maintaining a healthy mental and physical lifestyle during a job loss. Today I would like to offer a few tips to help those who are struggling after their loss.

Tip #1: Get to bed at a reasonable time and get up early like you already have a new job – EVERY DAY!

One of the biggest struggles unemployed jobseekers tell me about is having a regular schedule for sleep. Letting your sleep habits get out of whack and create additional fatigue and stress for you is a bad idea. Go to bed by 11:00 PM each evening, and make sure that two to three hours before you go to bed you are off all cell phone, computer, and tablet media (which can keep your brain awake for hours after you quit). That means, no video games, no looking at Facebook or Twitter feeds, no doing research or searching for jobs after about 8:00 PM in the evening. I also recommend getting up sometime around 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM daily. Keeping a work-life routine and being rested will help your search, your attitude, and your interviewing!

Tip #2: Get dressed daily!

So many jobseekers seem to sit around in their PJ’s all day while doing a job search. This makes it too easy not to shower, to stay home instead of networking, and to be in an overly casual mode that breeds a casual and lackadaisical job search. Get dressed every day just like you would if you were going to work – except in this case you can definitely do “jeans day” most days. You will feel better, you will be cleaner, and it will again help your attitude.

Tip #3: The Honey-Do List!

I call this the Honey-Don’t List – hello jobseeker spouses and significant others – please don’t give the jobseekers a list of things you want them to do all day and then come home asking them why they don’t have a job yet. Just like any work, a job search is a job in and of itself. A jobseeker needs uninterrupted time during the day of at least five to six hours to search and apply for jobs, go to networking events, maintain their LinkedIn and other social media for a job search, personalize their resume and cover letter to different job ads, do phone interviews, prepare for in-person interviews, and make follow up calls. And that is just to start!!! Any of your Honey-Do List can be done on nights and weekends just like they would if your spouse or significant other is working a traditional job. Let them do their job search during the day. Yes, you the jobseeker will need to push back at that list and make sure those things are done during off-job search times, but that doesn’t mean you don’t do them at all – a handy little piece of advice from someone who has been happily married for nearly 26 years.

Tip #4: Take the weekend off!

Your job search should be done during the weekdays so you can take the weekend off and have time with your family, to do some of that Honey-Do List, go to a religious service, and to enjoy your life. Trying to do your job search seven days a week will only result in one thing – burn out. Unfortunately that burn out will result in you effectively quitting your search or performing it haphazardly at best.

Tip #5: Don’t spend all of your time just applying for jobs online!

This is another common jobseeker issue. You need to break up the day with other tasks that are job search related, including:

–Networking (online and in-person) and maintaining ongoing, active, and professional social media.

–Making follow up calls.

–Researching potential companies.

–Going to local free seminars at your library about interviewing or networking.

–Scheduling lunches and coffees with networking contacts.

–Preparing for phone and in-person interviews.

–Going out and applying for stop-gap jobs if the money is running out at Home Depot, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Barnes & Noble, your local grocery, or other similar venues, etc.

Just sitting at your computer and applying for jobs hour after hour will have the same result as trying to search for a job seven days a week – burn out.

Tip #6: Volunteer

Get out of your house and away from your computer one day week for at least four hours and help someone else. Whether you volunteer at the local Habitat for Humanity Restore Store (a favorite of my clients), Catholic Charities, a local hospital, or a soup kitchen, you will be rewarded in many ways well beyond time away from the house. First, you take this volunteer work (needs to be at least four hours a week for most organizations to provide you a recommendation/reference) and use it as a current job on your resume – now you have something listed “to present” on that document. Be honest and say you are a Volunteer Customer Service Rep, or Soup Kitchen Volunteer, but show that “job” on your resume with one bullet point that describes the work you perform. Remember, work is work whether you get paid for it or not. Volunteering also shows Human Resources or the Hiring Manager that you aren’t sitting home all day watching television and taking naps. Second, the time spent helping others will help you to feel better about your situation and give you incredible fulfillment in knowing you are making someone else’s life a little brighter or easier.

Tip #7: Keep your social media posts professional!

You may be very mad at your former company or a particular employee, or one of your “friends” may have an opinion you find atrocious, but do not respond negatively in any way. One of the biggest issues for jobseekers is having their social media posts, including pictures, come back to haunt them in a job search. Go back through your social media and delete those things that are inappropriate and avoid them going forward. Your social media is NOT PRIVATE, no matter what the privacy setting is, and you risk losing a great job by thinking no one can see your activity. Be smart and keep your posts on the professional level.

Tip #8: Schedule your day!

This is my last tip for taking care of you during a job search. If you don’t have a schedule, you will just do a willy-nilly search for couple of hours, maybe applying for a job or two, and spend the rest of your day watching television, mowing the lawn, doing dishes, but not doing your search. From setting a clock to keep you timely in various tasks, to making sure you get a lunch, each day should have an overall schedule. Yes, you will need flexibility, especially in those online applications which can take from one-half hour to almost two hours to complete, but that schedule will help you get a great deal done every day. Additionally, you will receive a great deal of satisfaction in crossing off each to-do item.

So, take care of yourself throughout the job search and your job search will take care of you. Many job search blessings!

Karen Silins is a multi-certified resume writer, career, business and personal branding coach working with individuals and small businesses. After graduating with degrees in education and vocal performance, she made her own career transition into the Human Resources realm. Karen left Human Resources to become an entrepreneur and help jobseekers and fellow entrepreneurs achieve their goals. She keeps current regarding trends in the resume writing, coaching, HR, small business and marketing industries by working daily with individual clients on resume development and career coaching, consulting for small businesses in business plan development, marketing, hiring and overall HR processes, and providing 50-70+ seminars and workshops annually to a variety of organizations in the greater Kansas City area. She can be reached via her website at www.careerandresume.com.

Categories Job Search
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MAKING THE RIGHT IMPRESSION IN DIGITAL AND WEBCAM INTERVIEWS

August 11th, 2015

There are numerous companies currently offering the ability to interview digitally or via online web cam, including HireVue, TruHire and Skype. Especially for long distance job opportunities, these technologies have saved companies and jobseekers a great deal of time and money. Don’t be surprised though if a local company you have applied to wants to interview you via a webcam or your digital device. The following are the 12 most important tips I offer to my clients for this type of interview:

Test your phone and Internet/webcam connection! Make sure both the technology and place where you have decided to speak with the potential employer don’t have call quality or drop off issues, and know how loud your voice sounds over the phone. Use an external microphone where possible to avoid echoes and feedback in the interviewer’s ear (and yours). Call several friends and test your phone, internet or headset quality in multiple situations.
Avoid loud spaces – like the outdoors, coffee shops, restaurants, malls, etc., as the background noise will be too distracting for you and the interviewer(s). Also, when interviewing at home or in a car, please turn OFF the television or radio, make sure the dogs aren’t barking, children talking loudly, or any other distractions. Try to interview away from people and pets in a room with a closed door.
Ensure the lighting is appropriate so the interviewers can see you clearly but the light isn’t too bright on your face, and adjust the angle of the webcam or phone to give you the most complimentary look. Be sure to straighten up the area that displays in the background for a good presentation.
Make certain you have all necessary documents in front of you, including your resume, cover letter, job description, questions for the interviewer(s), research on the company/organization, references and reference letters, and even a calendar in anticipation of another interview.
Dress just like you would for an in-person interview: professionally. Remember, they can see you!
Be ready early, know the exact time of the interview, and note any time zone differences.
Do not watch yourself in the monitor. Look directly at the camera numerous times during the interview and give the interviewer(s) the feeling you are looking directly at them.
NO checking email, watching your Facebook or Twitter feed, texting, playing games, or surfing the net. You must give your full attention to the interview and interviewer.
Take your notes by hand, not on a keyboard, to avoid distracting noise in the background.
Pay close attention to the volume of your voice throughout the interview, and avoid too many nervous gestures (biting nails, playing with hair, licking your lips repeatedly, tapping or clicking pens, twirling your chair, bouncing a leg or moving your feet nervously, jingle jangle jewelry, nodding your head or saying uh-huh to everything the interviewer says, etc.). People often think of phone interviews as more casual, but the facial expressions, dress, demeanor, and use of too many ums, likes, and you knows are just as problematic here as in person.
Have a glass of water with you, as you will get nervous and your mouth dry.
SMILE!!! Interviewers want to hire happy, confident people, not grumps!

Hoping these tips help you to feel more comfortable with webcam and digital interviews!

Karen Silins is a multi-certified resume writer, career, business and personal branding coach working with individuals and small businesses. After graduating with degrees in education and vocal performance, she made her own career transition into the Human Resources realm. Karen left Human Resources to become an entrepreneur and help jobseekers and fellow entrepreneurs achieve their goals. She keeps her pulse on the resume writing, coaching, HR, small business and marketing industries by working daily with individual clients on resume development and career coaching, consulting for small businesses in business plan development, marketing, hiring and overall HR processes, and providing 50-70+ seminars and workshops annually to a variety of organizations in the greater Kansas City area. She can be reached via her website at www.careerandresume.com.

Categories Interviews
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Maintain Your Online Presence

May 21st, 2015

Job Search

Having an online presence has become more important than ever in a person’s job search and overall career management. According to the CareerBuilder annual social media recruitment survey performed by Harris Poll: “Avoiding a professional online presence may be hurting your chances of finding a new job. More than one third of employers (35 percent) say they are less likely to interview job candidates if they are unable to find information about that person online.” ^[1]

From the screening of employees to digging up digital dirt recruiters, hiring managers, and Human Resources professionals regularly troll the Internet for information about a potential candidate. Not only do companies want to see a social media presence, but review it, looking at your posts, friends (and their posts), appropriateness of pictures shared, and overall professionalism and qualifications for the position in question. The CareerBuilder survey article also mentioned the following: “35 percent of employers who screen via social networks have requested to ‘be a friend’ or follow candidates that have private accounts. Of that group, 80 percent say they’ve been granted permission… and 48 percent of hiring managers who screen candidates via social networks said they’ve found information that caused them not to hire a candidate.” ^[2] This is yet another reason to have your social media both up to date and appropriate for all to read or view.

Additionally the article cited that up to 15% of candidates screen hiring managers and 38% seek to connect with them via social media. This survey utilized a large sampling group, encompassing over 2,100 hiring managers and HR employees, and more than 3,100 full time employees, all from a wide range of industries. So, remember my frequent plea to clients, seminar/workshop participants – and YOU – just because you have an opinion doesn’t mean you need to share it online! Be professional in all of your online interactions and spend time showing why you are the most capable candidate, whether you are currently seeking a job, or not.

[1] PR Newswire: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/35-percent-of-employers-less-likely-to-interview-applicants-they-cant-find-online-according-to-annual-careerbuilder-social-media-recruitment-survey-300083127.html

[2] PR Newswire: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/35-percent-of-employers-less-likely-to-interview-applicants-they-cant-find-online-according-to-annual-careerbuilder-social-media-recruitment-survey-300083127.html

Karen Silins is a multi-certified resume writer, career, business and personal branding coach working with individuals and small businesses. After graduating with degrees in education and vocal performance, she made her own career transition into the Human Resources realm. Karen left Human Resources to become an entrepreneur and help jobseekers and fellow entrepreneurs achieve their goals. She keeps her pulse on the resume writing, coaching, HR, small business and marketing industries by working daily with individual clients on resume development and career coaching, consulting for small businesses in business plan development, marketing, hiring and overall HR processes, and providing 50-70+ seminars and workshops annually to a variety of organizations in the greater Kansas City area. She can be reached via her website at www.careerandresume.com.

Categories Job Search
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Keeping It Positive

March 12th, 2015

Interview Calendar Date

Common Question Asked by Jobseekers: Do you see any red flags that would prevent me from being the perfect candidate for this position?

I advise those I train in interviewing skills NOT to ask the above question. Why you might ask? Because after having what is most likely a great interview, the last thing you want to do is ask the interviewer to find something negative about you. All the positive you have just accrued in the interview goes out the door, as people will typically remember a negative aspect much longer than a positive. If the interviewer wants to know more about your skills, abilities and overall qualifications they will ask.

Categories Interviews
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Respect the Jobseeker’s Valuable Time

August 23rd, 2013

Hire Me

Whether my clients are discussing their frustrations with the current job search environment, or seminar, workshop and career fair attendees are venting, some complaints remain constant, and one of those complaints is “why are companies wasting my time?” I know organizations are busier than ever, and employee and management hours have increased, but if you are going to take the time to write a job ad, put that ad on your website, job board, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., or gather referrals from employees, seek out retained recruitment firms, or publicize it in any way that includes collecting resumes – then review the resumes, do interviews and hire someone!!!

Would you like to know why jobseekers call and “bother” you about your job openings? It’s rarely the common assumption of desperation or anxiety issues – it’s because they receive no answers and would like to know something… anything. This is both a lack of decision-making and a disregard for jobseeker time and energy by the organizations that put these ads out there and then don’t follow through. I literally just received a call from one of my clients about a local organization which put an ad on their site for a specific job months ago. This particular job is a great fit for my clients’ experience, but they can’t even get a group of employees together to review resumes to set interviews. My client is careful about NOT bugging them, only calling every few weeks to check on the progress, but this client also needs to change their focus on this organization if the job is filled or the interview process has already started. And let’s not even get started on companies refusing to let jobseekers know by a simple email if a job has been filled for which they applied.

Hiring Managers, HR Managers and Recruiters tell me that they are annoyed by jobseekers calling to check on whether jobs are filled – well right back at you ladies and gentlemen. Having pointedly called you out, please don’t think I am unsympathetic to your plight. As anyone who reads my blog, LinkedIn profile, Twitter, Google+ and Facebook posts, goes to my seminars, etc., knows, I’m a former HR Director. Our company never put an ad out that didn’t include evaluation of resumes (and this was pre-ATS or Applicant Tracking System, for the company), interviews and then hiring someone within a reasonable amount of time (weeks, not months)! Furthermore, I am still involved in HR, advising organizations to facilitate their job search process, including interview and selection of candidates, so I am keenly aware of the issues around job search, the ATS systems, and time limitations. You’re crazy busy, I understand, but you’re contributing to the very issue you complain about consistently. Processes must be established to help eliminate this problem, making your job easier and offering the due respect that jobseekers deserve.

If a jobseeker spends what can be an hour or more to fill out all of your ATS system requirements, and expend time and energy to personalize their resume and cover letter, shouldn’t you offer them the respect of completing the job search process in a realistic time period. Shouldn’t you follow up and let them know the outcome with a “Dear John” email if they aren’t selected for interview. Every company I have assisted in the job search process knows up front that this will be how their process will progress – no stalling, no excuses, no posting of fake jobs or jobs for which you don’t have permission to hire yet, no complaining about jobseekers checking on interview and hiring status, and… a follow up email will go to all candidates who applied regardless of receiving an interview. I will even help the company craft a simple email template that can be sent to all candidates not selected for the available position (interview or no interview).

This isn’t rocket science and the disrespect shown is costing you good candidates. Applicants talk to other potential applicants and do tell them how shabbily they were treated. The ill-treatment of jobseekers reflects on your company poorly, and this information gets passed around to others, and many of those jobseekers may choose not to apply to your company. I hear candidates talking about this at career fairs all the time, and the other jobseekers often say they won’t consider that organization anymore because it is most likely symptomatic of the overall treatment of employees. While you grumble that you cannot find qualified applicants, some of those qualified jobseekers have decided your company isn’t worth the time for an application – as their time will be wasted with a litany of excuses, you will simply ignore them, or won’t treat them appropriately as employees. Despite the fact most jobseekers worry a great deal about finding a position, people will only put up with so much before they don’t apply to your job postings any longer or never apply in the first place.

So, why not make your life a bit less problematic as an employer, and treat the jobseekers with the respect they deserve:

–Don’t put out any ad for an employee without a plan for reviewing of resumes, holding interviews and making a hiring decision within a realistic period of time – meaning one to three months at the most.

–Do make your ATS system user friendly and stop asking so many questions that tell you very little to nothing. Instead, ask three or four specific questions that will give you real information about candidate qualifications for the actual job along with having them attach a resume AND cover letter.

–Do send candidates who don’t make the interview cut and those that do but aren’t your chosen hire a simple email or letter stating that you have “gone in another direction,” decided on another candidate with more experience,” etc.

–Answer the phone or call back those that contact you when you are slow to interview and hire. All you have to say is you will send them an email or letter if they aren’t selected and call them directly if they are chosen to interview.

Simplify the hiring process by following the above suggestions. My corporate clients do, and there are zero complaints. Candidates have even sent them thank you letters or left thank you phone messages for actually responding so their job search time can be spent wisely. Ultimately the respect you show a potential employee will pay huge dividends far beyond that individual’s experience and your time spent ensuring a quality outcome.

Categories Job Search
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Social Media, the Golden Rule, Your Job Search (and Career)

August 7th, 2013

Job Search and Social Media

Daily I will admit shock at the posts I see on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social media. This doesn’t even include blogs, articles (posted remarks after those blogs and articles), and comment sites (like “who called me” for 1-800 #’s). Somehow the Internet has become a cacophony of voices wanting to list each and every complaint they have publicly, and doing so with inappropriate and vulgar language, verbal bullying, racist slurs, misspellings, misused words, truly uniformed statements, and just overall nastiness. I regularly tell my clients, social media connections and seminar/workshop participants the following: Just because you have an opinion doesn’t mean you need to share it, particularly online.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve certainly cussed, misspelled a word here and there, and have been unhappy about something on occasion resulting in a complaint, but I avoid the sharing of all that information online. If there is an issue, I try to go direct to the source, offline, and if, when you get right down to it the subject isn’t that important, or really isn’t going to make a difference to talk about it, I rarely say anything. I haven’t always been this way. As a police officer’s daughter who was taught you don’t have to put up with everything that comes your way, a staunch believer in right and wrong, and a Type A personality, I can easily walk all over someone verbally. But to what end? In my early 20’s I started to realize, as most do, I wasn’t the center of the universe and people’s feelings, how I acted, and what I said really did matter.

Before the Internet allowed the quick and public exchange of insults, slurs, videos, feelings, and every personal detail anyone wanted to read, individuals would often avoid excessive inflammatory statements and extreme amounts of complaint. Typically only family and friends received these opinions and complaints, or a person submitted a letter to the editor, and there was often a governor as to what was and wasn’t appropriate! The over-sharing environment of the Internet has unfortunately created a culture that whatever you want to say is okay. This simply isn’t true, especially when it comes to your job search and career.

What you say matters!!! You are not anonymous on the computer, ever. Put that comment or video on the Internet, and it never goes away. 20 years from now search results could find a salacious comment you made or that video from when you were so drunk at the party you passed out, and so could a potential or current employer. I get it, sometimes you are looking at a remark a person made and you think – wow, you’re an idiot, but do you really need to say it, particularly online? Does cussing, using racial slurs or arguing empower you or feed your ego? Does complaining about everything that upsets you or sharing every aspect of your personal life online offer a cathartic release or help you to avoid confronting the issues in your life?

No! It only provides embarrassment years later when read and can keep you or your family and friend connections from getting a job. Indeed your inappropriate diatribes can actually prevent others you are connected to on social media (or that link to you that somehow comes up in a Google or Bing search by an HR Manager) from getting a job. Still think it’s all harmless?

Clients frequently ask me if they should unfriend a family or friend connection on social media who makes occasional (or regular) overly-personal, racist, outlandish, profanity-laced remarks, which my client doesn’t agree with, but they are linked to that person out of a feeling of obligation and don’t know what to do. I say emphatically yes, and do it immediately. I am not trying to start a family or friend fight, I am trying to preserve your job search and career. This person has no understanding or concern about what their comments might do to others they are connected to, they just want to comment.

Yes, you could say that this blog post is a complaint. Notice the difference though in intent – I am “cautioning” job seekers about how the online culture of complaint can ruin their job search and career, with examples and specifics, not judging you because of a post online I disagree with personally. A recent study cited nearly 10% of recent college graduates lost a potential job because of a social media post. Those are only the people who were informed of this fact. Think about the people that weren’t considered for a job that never knew it was due to their social media or online behavior. Most companies will not tell you the reason you were not hired or considered for a position these days, so could the number be more like 40-50%. What about 30, 40, and 50+ year olds, are they feeling these same affects though perhaps in lower numbers.

Remember, it’s not just what you say and do online it’s what your connections say and do. Freedom of speech comes with responsibility whether you are 15 or 55 years old, and breeches of restraint can result in loss of a job (yours or a network connections’), or even a lawsuit. I advise my clients to think of the Golden Rule when posting anything in an online environment. So to quote the movie Bambi – if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all (particularly online)!

Categories Job Search
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Is the Resume Dead?

February 21st, 2013

Job Interview

This was my recent answer on a Goggle+ thread as to whether the resume is dead:

No, because the resume ultimately helps you to develop the information/data/verbiage to communicate your personal brand – essentially it is a marketing document and tool, no longer just static and non-interactive because of its multiple uses. From utilizing content for appropriate social networking and blogging to online applications and in-person networking, to showcasing writing ability, it is still a necessary tool in hiring. It is no longer just a piece of paper.

While yes, I am a resume writer, I am also a career coach in personal branding, networking (including social networking), interviewing, job search, career exploration and transition, and career management, which also includes aiding businesses and their owners in marketing. I would have enough business just on the coaching side alone, but find the resume along with the detailed interview process I go through an absolute necessity in formulating my clients overall job search or business strategy. The resume and a comprehensive process to create it dovetail’s the development of additional marketing verbiage so essential in JobSearch 2.0 and Business 2.0.

The resume will never be dead, but will morph with the times, just as it has always done. We will see the use of resume mills and forms-only to fill out for the design of career documents replaced by personal interviews and actual time spent strategizing for it true use – marketing. As I began to state above in the first paragraph, resumes and cover letters are used in job search, interviews, networking, writing examples, to plan social media, blogging, website verbiage and selection of keywords for SEO, and career planning and management. I’ve seen these articles come out regularly saying the resume is dead over the last 20+ years of my former HR career and current resume writing and career coaching business – and they never go away, they adapt.

Categories Job Search, Resume Writing
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Top 5: Tips for Online Job Hunters (an interview with the Examiner.net)

February 16th, 2013

Online Job Search

By Adrianne DeWeese – adrianne.deweese@examiner.net

The Examiner

Posted Feb 16, 2013 @ 12:20 AM

Independence, MO —

From the advent of online job-searching websites, many people have assumed they can go online, post their resume and automatically get a job.

That’s not really how it works, said Karen Silins, president and owner of A+ Career & Resume LLC.

“It doesn’t mean that people don’t find jobs that way,” Silins said, “but there are well over 100 million people on those sites, also looking for jobs.”

As a resume writer and career/personal branding coach, Silins provides workshops throughout greater Kansas City, including with the Mid-Continent Public Library system.

Those on the search for a new job can put their time to better use, rather than just posting a resume on many job sites and facing potential privacy issues. Silins helped The Examiner in developing the Top 5 ways for effective online job searching.

1 USE JOB BOARD AGGREGATORS. Websites like indeed.com and simplyhired.com are examples of job board aggregators, which provide results daily on what new jobs are available. “That is going to save people a lot of time,” Silins said. “If you have more than one specialty – and most people do – you might be doing more than one search for jobs out there.” For example, searching “administrative assistant” could also require searches for “secretary,” “executive assistant” and “office manager.” When searchers find a job they’re interested in applying for, Silins said they should go directly to the company’s website to apply. “You are wanting to identify real companies,” she said. “This protects your identity much more instead of just posting your resume all over the Internet.”

2 GET ON LINKEDIN. LinkedIn, Silins said, “is networking online at its best.” Users can build a profile, offer up information on their work history and education and provide what certifications, licensing and professional development they’ve earned. Under the “skills and expertise” section, users can provide keywords right off of their resume, showcasing traits important to their respective industries. Connections can then endorse their colleagues for their skills, as well as provide paragraph-length recommendations. “It’s proof of experience by someone else saying, ‘Yes, they can do this.’” Silins said. “There’s nothing better than having that secondary opinion of someone saying, ‘Yeah, we think they’re great for you.’” Users can also join groups, where recruiters often offer up job opportunities that aren’t found anyplace else. “It’s another networking avenue,” Silins said of LinkedIn. “It’s going to allow you to connect with people who you would never connect with otherwise.”

3 USE SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSIBLY. Just because you have an opinion doesn’t mean you need to give that opinion, Silins said. “HR immediately goes to online venues to search you out,” she said. “They’re going to Google your name. They’re going to see if they are on LinkedIn – and then they are going to see what you are saying on Facebook and Twitter.” What people don’t realize, Silins said, is that they are making comments about their personal lives and opinions that aren’t appropriate to be posting online, including pictures. “This happens a lot,” she said. “And, it’s not just pictures of partial nudity and people who are obviously drunk. It’s pictures of people with way too personal of stuff that they don’t need to be sharing online. I would just prefer that people don’t post their opinions, but oftentimes, people think of freedom of speech.” But, Silins said, with freedom of speech comes responsibility. “That responsibility translates into your job search, as well, and if employers don’t think you are responsible, they won’t hire you,” she said.

4 BE CAUTIOUS WHILE BLOGGING. Use the same good judgment with blog posts as you would with social media sites, Silins said. If you choose to blog or make social media posts, make them tailored to your areas of expertise. “That’s what personal branding is about,” Silins said. “Personal branding isn’t offering your opinion on every single little thing. Personal branding is discussing your areas of expertise.” Do research to identify trends in your industry that you can talk about, as well as share information from other experts in the field, Silins said. She recommends her clients go to Google to sign up for Google blogs and Google news feeds, based on a digest of keywords they seek out. For example, Silins personally receives daily information on career coaching, personal branding, resume writing and human resources.

5 DO YOUR COMPANY RESEARCH. People often don’t research the companies they are going to go to work for – and there is a lot of information out there, Silins said. Research should consist of more than just visiting the company’s website and clicking on the “careers” tab, she said. Glassdoor and Manta are two popular websites that provide company profiles and information. Or, Mid-Continent Public Library has access to databases that allow company research for job seekers. All they need is a library card, and they can even do the research from a computer at home. “There’s just a ton of information for people out there,” Silins said, “but if all else fails, Google the company.” Lastly, Silins said job searching isn’t “just a numbers game,” contrary to popular belief. “If you provide good information online, showcasing you are a professional in your areas of career interest and utilize the tools that allow you to do a more comprehensive job search, your success will increase significantly,” she said.

Categories Job Search
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Answering the “Tell Me about Yourself” Interview Question

January 14th, 2013

Job Interview

Clients regularly ask that I coach them through various interview questions, and one of the most requested is “Tell Me about Yourself.” I definitely understand why this question creates so much anxiety on the interviewee’s part, mainly because they have no idea what the interviewer really wants from them. Here is how I coach my clients, helping them to develop an answer prior to the interview with a bit of background but also pre-answering a few potential questions that make the response more complete.

1) Keep the answer to between one and two minutes, not much more.

While I don’t want my clients to just give the 10-second recitation on a couple of items from their resume and then stop (that is way too short of an answer), I also want them to avoid the 20 minute dissertation inclusive of oversharing. While it might be interesting that you and your family moved from Detroit to Indianapolis when you were two-years old, this is not the time to relate that little tidbit along with an extended story.

2) Offer up the best of the best from your resume/ work experience, encompassing credentials/certifications/licensing, education, achievements, awards, major presentations, and important documentation developed. Be sure to keep these relevant to the job for which you are interviewing, and keep the list short.

3) Give them a glimpse into your personal life, but within reason. I tell my clients to use the following:

Books and magazines you read (mention two or three). These should be business-related, motivational (Stephen Covey, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Brian Tracy), and depending upon the appropriateness of the specific subject matter, history-related or autobiographical. If your main reading material is science fiction, romance, religious or political, although it may be interesting, refrain from sharing for obvious reasons.
Hobbies (again, just two or three). Let these be undertakings that show you physically or mentally active, such as community involvement, chess, gardening, working out, running, walking, weight lifting, etc. Spectator sports are fine too, though being active in something shows someone whose healthcare costs will be low (always a benefit).
Avoid most collecting activities as their appropriateness is often in the eye of the beholder, for instance (I use this in my seminars for a bit of humor), if you like to collect Nazi memorabilia, twist ties and cigarette butts, let that be your little secret. I collect angels, but unless that interviewer’s office is plastered with pictures and figurines of angels, it would be chancy to disclose.

4) Pre-answer a few related interview questions:

Why are you seeking a new position? Tell them if you were downsized or perhaps purposely left your last job. Also, if it is a career transition, offer a brief explanation as to why. The only caveat to this concerns being fired outright – and you will need to choose whether to address it now in passing or deal with it later in the interview.
What motivates you to stay in your current profession? Tell them why you love your current career field or why you enjoy and selected the field you are transitioning into – and why you chose now to do it.
Why did you choose to apply to this particular organization? Do your homework and research the organization. Most jobseekers idea of company research is going to the home page of their website and clicking on the “careers” tab. I encourage you to truly find out as much as you can about the organization, including what they sell (product, service or both), who they sell it to, their financial performance in the past few years, how many employees they have (local, nationwide, even globally), and any interesting recent news (Google them). Now, before they ever ask you what you know about their company, you have given them a complete, yet brief answer.

If you use this “formula” to prepare your answer, then it will be complete, interesting, and provide the interviewer(s) some great information about who you are and why you are in that interview seat!

Categories Interviews, Job Search
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