A while back, a friend of mine received acupuncture treatments, and inadvertently there was a needle left on his backside. He was telling me that he could not understand why he was uncomfortable sitting until he learned why. After I stopped laughing, I said to him, "I've heard of sitting on needles, but that’s getting carried away a bit!" Figuratively speaking, there are many situations that it does feels that you are sitting on needles. And a job interview is no exception. In this week's episode, a Certified Resume Writer with a master’s degree in Business gave us some terrific tips on how you can stand out among the throngs of that are seeking a job position. As I reflected being self-employed all my adult life, I concluded that the principles we talked about were also applicable. Every client I had over the years can be likened to an employer looking for someone with the right credentials to get the job done, therefore, you are selling yourself every time.
Over 40 million people have lost their jobs during the pandemic, so there are more people than ever applying for the same positions, she said. So, you can well imagine, there is a great deal of competition for the same job and this demands for you to be adaptable. If it is any conciliation, a job interview is not unilateral but a two-way interview. Along the way, there were potential clients I preferred not to work with for several reasons, and you can take the same approach by researching the company. After investigating the company's goals, business disposition, and even talking with their employees in how they feel about the company you may determine, it is not a good fit for you. We talked about how to manage the interview in terms of rehearsing, being on time, grooming and being prepared to answer frequent questions employers typically will ask. Such as the following questions: 1: Tell me about yourself? Who does not like to talk about themselves? so, the tendency is to ramble on, but you want to be succinct and to the point. It has been recommended using a past, present, and future formula. Talk about your most relevant accomplishments that paved the way to where you are today, and how these skills will lend itself in benefiting the company if hired. 2: Walk me through your resume? this question is remarkably like the first, however, this is a fantastic opportunity to mention any skills, such as being bilingual, including sign language. Tell your career story by means of an anecdote and believe me, a story is much more impressionable and long lasting to the listener, and if you can relate your experience to why it motivated you to apply for the job and where you want to go, it will be even more impressionable. Can you see how the past, present, and future tense is being applied here? 3: How did you come to hear of the job position? The caveat here is, never give a generic answer. If it was through a friend that works there, go ahead, and mention their name. What employer does not want to hear of happy employees that reflect on them? Or it was through an advertisement, mention you were excited about it, and of course, be truthful. Additionally, mention the uniqueness of the company and be specific in how it is different from other companies, and you hope to have the opportunity to be a part of its future. However, if you cannot put your finger on why you want the job position, this may be a red flag telling you it may not be a good fit, always trust your intuitive judgement. 4: Why should we hire you? This is a common question not to mention intimidating. This reminds me of an example of years ago where a job candidate was asked this question. On the resume, this is all she put, "I will work like (heck) for your company!" Incidentally, I revised the statement slightly, however, but she got the job. Of course, I am not advocating this approach whatsoever. However, as you can see, the question is conducive to telling the employer that not only you can do the work but deliver impressive results. That you are collaborative, you appreciate the company's direction, and that you would be a better fit than most other job candidates. But what if there is a gap in my job history because of unemployment? How do I best manage that? If I were personally looking to hire someone, I would question the candidate what he or she been doing during their unemployment period. What I have highly recommended to those I especially know when they found themselves not gainfully employed is, to volunteer in community service. I am certain all of us can think of a community service we can participate in. Employers want to see that you are industrious, and you have kept busy helping others of which is very telling of your character in lieu of staying home sitting on your hands or playing video games all day long. This will go well on your resume describing your work ethic, your industriousness, and it will be more than likely transferable to your potential job position. I wish you well in your job endeavors!
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