craresources blog

Written by Katie Fidler

The pressure to impress and succeed can be overwhelming, and appearing anxious during the interview can make you come across unprepared and unqualified.

Here are a few tricks to calm your nerves and give you the confidence to make a great impression on your interviewer.

Be prepared!  The best thing you can do to ease your pre-interview anxiety is prepare. Research the company and the position for which you are interviewing. If the company hasn’t already explained the interview process to you, then ask so you know what to expect! For more information on how to prepare for an effective interview, take a look at an in-depth article our team has written on the subject.

Practice makes perfect. Have a friend or family member “interview” you, asking you the questions you think that your interviewer will expect you to answer. Regardless of the industry, you should be prepared to provide a thoughtful response to the following questions:

• Why do I want this job?
• What are my goals? How does working in this position for this company help me to achieve these goals?  Where do I see myself in five years?
• How does my experience relate to this position?
• What value will I add to the company?

Expect to Interview the interviewer.  In addition to becoming familiar with the questions you may be asked, you should know that questions that you want to ask in the interview. Remember, you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. Asking questions in an interview shows you have done your homework on the company, are clear on how this company aligns with your career goals, and shows your genuine interest in the company and position.

Treat the interview like a First Date.  Calming your nerves before an interview can be as simple as putting the interview in perspective. An interview is nothing more than a conversation with another human who likely shares similar interests to you.  If you are friendly and personable, your interviewer will mirror this behavior.

Last but not least, dress to impress. While this may seem cliché, you will be amazed at how you feel about yourself and your abilities when you know you’re looking your best. Becoming less anxious about an interview can be as simple as getting a haircut and putting on your favorite suit.

There is no doubt that the pressure felt preceding and during an interview can be enormous, but it doesn’t have to ruin your performance. Taking heed of this advice will help you feel that you’ve regained control of the situation and give you the confidence to interview well and make a great impression.

I would love your feedback.  What do you do to calm your nerves before an interview?

 

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,
Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you ever involved with the hiring process? If so, sign up for our Hiring Manager email course which focuses on how to attract and hire the highest quality candidates.

Now that you are searching for a job I am sure you are getting tons of unsolicited advice on what you should be doing to land that dream job.

But let me ask you a question:  Are you sure the tidbits of advice you have received are not outdated?  What if the advice is just downright wrong?  Following outdated job search advice will likely hurt your chances of being competitive as a Job Seeker.  So how do you find out which advice is sound and which advice should be avoided?

To arm yourself against poor job search advice, take a look at the following top 5 outdated job search myths listed below:

Myth #1:  Your resume can only be one page.  This is one of the most ridiculous pieces of advice out there!  Of course all your content should be relevant; however you should focus on providing enough great job qualification content to show the hiring manager you are competitive for the position.  So don’t worry about some arbitrary page limit!

Myth #2:  Include “references available upon your request” on the bottom of your resume.  This statement is about as relevant to your ability to do the job as you stating you love long walks on the beach and know how to needlepoint.  Believe me, if the hiring manager wants references, she will request them!  Be sure to only include content relevant to how you meet the job qualifications in your resume.

Myth #3:  Include an objective.  Including an objective in your resume can be catastrophic.  One of my applicant’s resume objectives stated “To obtain an entry level position as a financial analyst in a company where I will be able to grow and meet new challenges”.  Not a bad objective, right? The problem is he was applying for a position with me as a recruiter…YIKES!

I recommend leaving the objective off and if you feel you need to craft a message, a well written cover letter will be a million times more effective than an objective!

Myth #4:  Mail or fax your resume to perspective employers…or better yet, drop your resume off in person.  Believe me when I say you won’t stand out…you will look outdated!  It is extremely rare for businesses to accept applications or job inquiries any other way except electronically.  I would recommend you not even invest in good resume paper as hard copy resumes are a thing of the past.

Myth #5: Frame your “weakness” as a positive.  Being asked to describe one of your weaknesses is probably one of the toughest questions to expect during an interview.  When a Hiring Manager asks you this question, she is not only analyzing whether or not you recognize your weaknesses, but wants to know if you have a plan to do something about them.

Answering this question is a chance for you to show your self-awareness as well as your willingness to continually improve as a professional.  Spend time preparing for this question so you dazzle your future employer with your maturity.  Whatever you do, do not attempt to fluff your way through this question by using a false positive, self-serving statement like “I work too many hours”, “I am too hard on my team”, or “I am a perfectionist”.  Your interviewer will see straight through this type of answer and will not be impressed.

I do hope this “myth buster” article has been of benefit.

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Related articles:

• How to Write an Effective Resume
• How to Prepare for an Effective Phone Interview
• How to Conduct Powerful Phone Interviews

Life happens.  Layoffs happen.  New babies happen.  Relatives become sick, people take time off from work to go to school, and many other things occur which could result in a significant resume gap.

A gap in your work history is a reality many job seekers face. 

So how do you handle employment gaps so they do not impede your chances of winning a great job opportunity?

Unexplained Employment Gaps – are your Gaps really Gaps?

Never leave employment gaps up for the hiring manager’s imagination to explain!  In many cases the gaps are not really “employment” gaps but are due to other reasonable explanations such as:

1.  Working towards a degree or certification

2.  Having and/or caring for children

3.  Taking time off to handle a personal health issue

4.  Dealing with a serious illness in your immediate family

Many people will experience at least one of these instances throughout their work history and by simply explaining why there is a gap in your work history you will mitigate many concerns the hiring manager has.

How to explain your Employment Gaps

Many recruiters will tell you to be prepared to explain your employment gaps during the interview.  I DISAGREE.

In today’s market, only a small percentage of applicants make it to the interview stage.  I recently posted an in-house Data Entry position and received 772 applicants for that one opportunity.  As the hiring manager I had to be smart about which candidates I would speak with and unfortunately, those candidates who had a trend of short job tenured positions and unexplained employment gaps were the first to be culled from the applicant pile.

So how do you win the interview even though you have gaps in your work history?  Be up front about your situation.  Write a cover letter which clearly and succinctly explains your employment gaps.  Additionally, be sure to speak to how you have kept your skills up even though the gaps exist.

By taking just a few extra moments of time at the submission stage you will be more likely to be awarded that coveted interview.

Should you attempt to hide your Employment Gaps in your resume?

I will make this one super simple – no.

Recruiters and Hiring Managers are wise to the many tricks people use with their resumes to hide their employment gaps.  It is always better to be open about your past work history and your current situation.  Some simple things to think about:

1.  Don’t “stretch” the dates of employment of previous positions to cover gaps in your work history.  When a background check and employment verification is performed it will become clear you falsified your resume and this will be a deal breaker.

2.  Don’t eliminate the dates of employment for your previous positions.  Additionally, don’t only use years (and not include months) when listing work dates on your resume.  While this practice can cover several months of unemployment it is clear to the hiring manager you are hiding something.

3.  Don’t get fancy with the formatting of your resume hoping this will hide your gaps.  Not using traditional formatting can make it more difficult for the hiring manager to see your qualifications too!

4.  Don’t worry about explaining gaps that happened 10 years ago.  Employers are more concerned with your recent work history.

 

I hope you find this article useful and if you have any experiences to share, suggestions or questions please feel free to comment.

Investing in a Lifetime of Success

Angela Roberts

www.craresources.com
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Related Articles:

• How to Write an Effective Resume
• How to Prepare for a Successful Background Check
• Hiring Managers, Do Employment Gaps Matter?

 

Are you ever involved with the hiring process?  If so, sign up for our Hiring Manager email course which focuses on how to attract and hire the highest quality candidates.

Co-written by Allison Hunt and Angela Roberts

When it comes to the job search, you have one of the best tools at your disposal:  your network.  Networks are important to nurture because they add a human touch to the application process.  From my experience I would guestimate between 60-80% of hires are due to “who you know”.

A network is, technically, everyone you know.  Here are some helpful hints on how to use your network to its greatest advantage:

1.    Build your Network.  Whatever you do, don’t forget an essential golden rule as quoted by Napoleon Hill in his essay called “The Law of Success”:  “Before you can secure co-operation from others; nay, before you have the right to ask for or expect co-operation from other people, you must first show a willingness to co-operate with them.  For this reason… the habit of doing more than paid for is one which should have your serious and thoughtful attention.” (p8)

The best way to build your network is to freely contribute to causes within your field.  Market your strengths by positioning yourself in front of people who will be able to notice your skills and recommend you for career opportunities.  By genuinely and selflessly giving of your time and talent you will truly impress people and will build incredible alliances with those who will help your job search endeavor.  Areas to consider include social media and online discussion groups, active memberships with civic organizations or special interest clubs, and volunteering.  Not only will you effectively continue to build your network but you will be able to add additional skills, experiences and accomplishments to your resume.

2. Nurture your network.  This step can start at any time, but the hope is that you are building and nurturing your network before you need it.  Talk to friends and colleagues with the intention of rekindling rapport.  As you build new associations stay in contact with them so you create a long lasting bond.  A network is all about relationships, and this takes time; however, the more people in your network feel connected to you, the more they will want to help you.

3. Tell them about your situation.   Don’t just contact people you think may be helpful in your job search, contact everyone!  You don’t know who your contacts know and anyone can help generate a job lead.  You can either take the direct approach by asking for their assistance, or a more indirect approach by just asking for friendly advice regarding your job search.  Renew connections by picking up the phone and calling your contacts; then be sure to follow up with an email so you stay in their mind.

Most importantly, please realize business and social networking is not a quick solution to your job search challenge.  This approach can take time, but by sticking to building those relationships and contacts your efforts will pay off.

 

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you ever involved with the hiring process?  If so, sign up for our Hiring Manager email course which focuses on how to attract and hire the highest quality candidates.  

As a Hiring Manager I am sure you see candidates with gaps in employment as an area of concern.  You may have questions regarding the applicant’s dependability, work ethic, or if the candidate is even truly qualified to perform the job.

However the reality is that not all employment gaps are negatives.  Layoffs happen, new babies are born, relatives become sick and need to be cared for, people take time off from work to go to school, and many other things can occur resulting in a significant resume gap.

So in the effort to find your next quality team member, how do you determine which employment gaps are valid and which ones should be a big red flag?

Did the applicant explain their employment gaps?

I like to work with people who are honest and up front about their situations…and those who pay attention to details.  Therefore, when an applicant sends a resume to me without explaining significant or multiple employment gaps, I automatically jump to a negative conclusion about their circumstances.

I believe candidates who are tuned in to what Hiring Managers are looking for and have a strong work ethic are aware of the perception work history gaps leave and feel the need to explain those gaps in a well-crafted cover letter or in the submission email.

I recently posted an in-house Data Entry position and received 772 applicants for that one opportunity.  As the hiring manager I had to be smart about which candidates I would speak with and unfortunately, those candidates who had a trend of short job tenured positions and unexplained employment gaps were the first to be culled from the applicant pile.

Here are some things the Hiring Manager should look for:

1.  Did the candidate keep up with industry trends and focus on education to maintain their skills during the gap?   This may include volunteering as well as informal and formal studies within the industry.

2.  Is there a trend of employment gaps or just one instance?  Past job history can be a predictor of future job performance so you want to keep your eyes open for a trend of short job tenured positions and/or employment gaps.

3.  Was the employment gap recent or did it happen some time ago?  If the gap in work history happened in the past and the candidate has shown strong job tenure since, then I wouldn’t be concerned with it.

Did the candidate attempt to hide their Employment Gaps in their resume?

I will make this one super simple – hiding or falsifying anything in one’s resume is a deal breaker for me.    

People use all sorts of tricks to hide hiccups within their work history.  Some things you should be on the lookout for:

1.  Do the applicant’s start and stop dates for all their positions seem to “fit” too perfectly?  Said differently, did the applicant always manage to leave one position in one month and always start the next position the following month?  Many applicants will “stretch” their dates of employment in order to cover gaps in their work history.  Before making an offer, always conduct a background check as well as an employment verification to confirm the candidate’s dates of employment were not falsified.

2.  Did the candidate eliminate the dates of employment for their previous positions?  Alternatively, did the applicant only use years (and not include months) when listing work dates on their resume?  While this practice can cover several months of unemployment it is clear the candidate is hiding something.

3.  Did the candidate get fancy with the formatting of their resume?  If so, pay close attention to their dates of employment as applicants frequently use functional resumes and nontraditional formats to hide employment gaps.

 

I hope you find this article useful and if you have any experiences you would like to share, suggestions or questions please feel free to leave a comment.

Dedicated to Every Client’s Success

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Related Articles:

• The Importance of Background Checks
• Do you have a Solid Recruitment Strategy?
• Candidates, Do Employment Gaps Matter?

Are you considering a career change?  If so, sign up for our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

Written by Leah Brooks

Now that you have identified your top candidates, the next step in the hiring process is the Phone Interview.  Don’t underestimate the value of an effective phone interview! I typically eliminate about 90% of my candidates through the phone interview step which means the 10% who are awarded the face to face interview have already been fully qualified as meeting the requirements of the position.

So how do you ensure your Hiring Team is prepared to conduct highly effective phone interviews?

1.     Use a Template to drive Consistency

I started using a template about 14 years ago and found it increased my interviewing efficiency ten-fold.  There are many reasons to use a template:

Equality:  If you follow a template, then you are sure to ask each candidate the same questions.  Therefore, when you have finished speaking to every candidate you are able to conduct an “apples to apples” comparison when reviewing your notes.

Notes for future Reference:  No matter how great your memory is, I challenge you to remember the details of every interview you have ever had.  A template will afford you a place to write notes and reactions as the candidate responds to the questions and will give you a tremendous reference later, (sometimes many days later), when you are deciding which candidate to move into the Face-to-Face interview stage.

Organization:  Having a template will ensure you stay on track!  You will be sure to ask those critical questions and truly know if the candidate is qualified when the interview is over.

So how do you go about building a template?  Use your job description!  Qualification by Qualification, Role by Role, build a template outlining those areas you wish to learn about the candidate.

Recruiting Tip:  Spend some time preparing before the interview.  I like to spend roughly ten minutes prior to the interview reviewing the candidate’s resume, making notes of clarification questions I need to ask while speaking to the candidate.  Not only will the candidate be impressed that you actually reviewed her resume prior to the interview, but your interview will be more effective.

2.    Punctuality

Make sure your team members are punctual.  If you have scheduled an interview for a specific time, meet it to the minute!  Becoming negligent in terms of punctuality will likely leave a bad taste in the candidate’s mouth as well as damage the professional reputation of your company.

3.    Greetings

You will want to impress upon your hiring team members that they should always introduce themselves as well as their affiliation with the company.  My favorite greeting is:  Hello Jane, this is Angela Roberts from craresources.  Although I understand this interview was scheduled in advance, is this still a good time for us to talk?

This question will re-commit the candidate to the interview and will gain their full attention.

I would also recommend you ask an icebreaker question.  The majority of candidates get nervous before and during an interview so an icebreaker question will give the candidate a chance to get past her initial nerves.  My favorite icebreaker question is:  Jane, I have your resume in front of me; however, before we begin, tell me a little about yourself and why you are in the market for a new opportunity.  Take copious notes because Jane will likely walk you through her resume, tell you why she wants to leave her current job (or why she already left) as well as provide other insights you will find beneficial…all while you are providing her an outlet to calm her nerves!

4.    Set the Expectation that the Candidate should ask Questions

If a candidate is truly interested in the position and has done her homework on your company she will have questions.  There are no exceptions to this rule (unless you have done all the talking and already answered her questions).

The best way to open up the interview to candidate questions:  What questions do you have about the position or the company?

This open ended question sets the expectation that the candidate does have questions and is incredibly powerful.  By stating “What questions do you have?” rather than “Do you have questions?” candidates who are ill prepared will be easier to spot during the interview process.

5.    Close the Interview

Sell the company.  Sell the position.  Make sure you and your Hiring Team know exactly how you will promote this opportunity.  Remember you are competing for the top candidates, so be sure you express to the candidate what you believe the company and the position offers her.  Don’t make the mistake of assuming the candidate came to you already “sold” and will accept the offer if given.

Finally, tell the candidate the next step in the process.  Be open about when the decisions will be released, how you will communicate the decision to her, and then actually execute that communications plan.  The candidate will appreciate your openness and your follow through.

PS – if you would like some assistance creating an interview template, I will be happy to provide some free assistance.  Just leave a message in the comments section below or shoot me a quick email (aroberts[AT]craresources.com) and I will be in touch!

Dedicated to Every Client’s Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Related Articles:

• Do you have a Solid Recruiting Strategy?
• A Checklist for Recruiting and Hiring the Best
• How to Prepare for an Effective Phone Interview
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Searching for a job when you have a job can be a challenge, especially when you are truly only passively searching in hopes of finding “something better”.

And why shouldn’t you be passively searching?  I always encourage people to explore their markets as this exploration is the best way for you to truly know what salary you can bring in as well as what options other companies may be able to provide you in the way of career growth.  Sometimes the result of this research is that you find your compensation and career path at your current company is exactly what you are looking for, and sometimes you find the exact opposite.

What I will tell you is if you have decided to explore other positions outside of your current company and you are given a job offer, accepting a counteroffer from your current employer will likely lead to disaster.  You may feel the counteroffer is flattering, however, from where I sit (as a hiring manager and recruiter for about 17 years) the people I have known to accept counteroffers have eventually regretted their decisions.

Here are the top 3 reasons why you should never accept a counteroffer from your current employer:

1.  Once you have threatened to quit you show you are not fully satisfied with something within your position, the company, the compensation, etc.  Even if your reasons for wanting to seek employment elsewhere are temporarily resolved (such as an increase in salary), your employer will feel it is only a matter of time before you threaten to leave again.  You have just made yourself a liability to your company!

2.  Think about why you are receiving that counteroffer…what is motivating your manager to give you what you are looking for now?  Why is the increase in salary, educational reimbursement request, or that promotion you feel you deserve an option now when it wasn’t 30 minutes ago?  While perhaps your current employer may be doing the right thing and genuinely trying to retain talent, you also have to consider that perhaps your current employer is really just trying to protect himself.  Attrition costs companies money and when people leave, their managers look bad.

3.  And most importantly, companies who are operationally and strategically mature will never give you a counteroffer.  These companies know they provide a competitive salary because they do the research to confirm you are being paid at or above industry average.  These companies know they provide a career path for you because they have a robust career development program.  The reality of it is these companies have a plan in place to retain and incent their top talent and want to keep people on board who are happy with their environment.

Now, I know “never” is a pretty strong word and I will admit a small percentage of folks who accept counteroffers have positive outcomes, but I would like for you to think about the risks before you are put into this type of situation.  Know what you want, know what you are willing to accept, and stick to your goals.  Most of all, good luck!

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Behavioral Interviewing is an interviewing method used by Hiring Managers to learn more about your past behavior in certain situations. The theory behind digging into those past actions and reactions is the feeling that past conduct and performance is a great predictor of future performance.

Regardless of your tenure, the behavioral interview approach can be intimidating. If you research “behavioral interviewing” on the internet, you will find many recommendations on how to prepare for these types of engagements.  I will tell you, however, there are only two simple rules you should be aware of when preparing for these types of interviews.

Rule #1: Always use real examples

General answers are not what the Hiring Manager is looking for. She wants specific details about the event, the project, the team, or the experience and the particulars on how you dealt with the situation.

Additionally, always avoid using language such as “I would do…” as this only describes how you would behave…not how you actually have behaved in the past. Using the “I would do” terminology will leave the Hiring Manager believing you a) either haven’t experienced this type of situation and are therefore inexperienced or b) you didn’t believe your behavior was appropriate and therefore shouldn’t share it.

Here is an example:

A Behavioral Interview approach may be: “Tell me about a time where you had a team member who wasn’t carrying their fair share of the work load, and how you handled it”. This statement demands you articulate details on how you handled an employee who was not working at the same level of your other team members.  It is important you provide a real example, describing the situation in detail, so the Hiring Manager will be able to tell if your leadership experience and management style will be a good fit for her organization.

However, if you answer “I would take the individual to the side…” or some other similar hypothetical example, you have given the hiring manager no idea of how you would truly (or have truly) handled this situation in the past.

Rule #2: Always keep it positive

By the nature of the behavioral interviewing beast, some questions the Hiring Manager may ask you will not necessarily yield positive examples of your work history.

Such questions may include:

Tell me about a goal that you set that you did not reach. What steps did you take? What obstacles did you encounter? How did it make you feel?

Tell me about a time when you missed a deadline.

Tell me about a time where you took a risk and failed.

Clearly the answer to any of these questions will show where you perhaps made a mistake or failed in some way…so how do you keep it positive?

This is easy! Show how you took responsibility for your error or weakness. Speak to your lessons learned and talk about what you have personally put into place to ensure you never make the same mistake again. Now you are showing the Hiring Manager you are a professional who takes responsibility for his actions, learns from previous errors, and continually grows as an individual. What a great message to get across!

 

For information on how to prepare for a behavioral interview, please read the Preparing for a Behavioral Interview article I wrote. I hope you have found this information useful!

 

Investing in a Lifetime of Success

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
Facebook

Related Articles:

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• How to Prepare for the Face-to-Face Interview

More employers are using behavioral interviewing in the hiring process. This type of interview is based on the idea that the best way to predict your future performance is to examine your past and present performance in a similar situation. It focuses on experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills and abilities which are job related.

With the Behavioral Interview, Employers predetermine which skills are necessary for the position and then ask very pointed questions to determine if the candidate possesses those skills or have the needed experiences.

Currently, 30 percent of all organizations are using behavioral interviewing to some degree.

Why should you prepare for a behavioral interview?

• Candidates who prepare for behavioral interviews are better prepared – even for traditional interviews.
• Using behavioral style answers works well with inexperienced interviewers.
• Companies who invest the time and energy in developing behavioral interviews often attract top candidates, and of course, top candidates make the company a more desirable place to work.

Before the interview:

• One way to prepare for the interview is to first consider the job description.  What skills are listed as qualifications for the job? For example, does the organization say they need team players? Someone with a strong attention to detail? Keen problem solvers? Someone with superior customer service?
• Once you have a greater understanding of the kinds of skills the company is seeking, you can begin to reflect upon experiences where you have demonstrated these skills.
• If you don’t have a job description, think about the skills that might be necessary for the job or speak to an advisor in career services.

During the Interview, when answering the questions:

• First, internally note what competency or skill the employer may be seeking (hint: it may be more than one) and then always make sure you:

1. Describe a specific, recent situation (if you can, try to keep it within two years)

2. Detail your behavior or the actions you took to resolve the situation. (Be sure that your role is clear and significant)

3. Share the outcome or the results of the situation.

4. NOTE:  Do not use Hypothetical Answers!  When a candidate states “I would handle xyz this way” this is a clear indication that the candidate does not have the experience required!!!  Always use clear, specific examples.

• Always listen carefully to the question, ask for clarification if necessary, and make sure you answer the question completely.
• Your interview preparation should include identifying examples of situations from your experiences on your resume where you have demonstrated the behaviors a given company seeks.
• When answering behavioral questions use the STAR Method and convey specific situations, actions, and outcomes/results.

1. Situation: Use specific details about a situation or task.

2. Task: Tell what led to the situation or task.

3. Action Taken: Discuss what you did and who was involved.

4. Result or outcome: Communicate the outcome.

• Before the interview process, identify two or three of your top selling points and determine how you will convey these points (with demonstrated STAR stories) during the interview.
• Whenever you can, quantify your results. Numbers illustrate your level of authority and responsibility. For example: “I was a shift supervisor.” could be “As Shift Supervisor, I trained and evaluated 4 employees.”
• Be prepared to provide examples of when results didn’t turn out as you planned. What did you do then? What did you learn? Your resume will serve as a good guide when answering these questions.
• Refresh your memory regarding your achievements in the past couple of years. Demonstration of the desired behaviors may be proven in many ways. Use examples from past internships, classes, activities, team involvements, community service and work experience.

Behavioral questions can be difficult if you are not prepared. Always try to be conscious about what the recruiter is trying to find out about you by asking you a particular question.

Here are some examples:

Adaptability

Tell me about a time when you had to adjust to a colleague’s working style in order to complete a project or achieve your objectives.

Analytical Skills/Problem Solving

Tell me about a situation where you had to solve a difficult problem. What did you do? What was your thought process? What was the outcome? What do you wish you had done differently?

Tell me about a time where you realized your project was going to miss a milestone, deliverable or deadline.  How did you handle it?  How would you prevent this risk in the future?

Communication

What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example.

Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa). How did you handle the situation? What obstacles or difficulties did you face? How did you deal with them?

Creativity

Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone’s opinion.

Tell me about a problem that you’ve solved in a unique or unusual way. What was the outcome? Were you happy or satisfied with it?

Decision Making

Tell me about a difficult decision you’ve made in the last year.

Describe a situation where you have had to overcome a problem or obstacle in order to move forward with something. What did you do?

Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without all the information you needed. How did you handle it? Why? Were you happy with the outcome?

Flexibility

Give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree.

Describe a time when you put your needs aside to help a co-worker understand a task. How did you assist him/her? What was the result?

Goal Setting

Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement so far and why?

Tell me about a goal that you set that you did not reach. What steps did you take? What obstacles did you encounter? How did it make you feel?

Initiative

Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures.

What tricks or techniques have you learned to make school or a job easier, or to make yourself more effective? How did you learn that?

Describe a situation where you have had to use your initiative to solve a problem. What did you do?

What was the best idea you came up with during your professional or college career? How did you apply it?

Give me an example of a time when something you tried to accomplish failed.

Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead.

Integrity/Honesty

Tell me about a time when you missed an obvious solution to a problem.

Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision.

Tell me about a time you had to fire a friend.

Describe a time when you set your sights too high (or too low).

Tell of the most difficult customer service experience that you have ever had to handle-perhaps an angry or irate customer. Be specific and tell what you did and what was the outcome.

Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.

Give a specific example of a policy you conformed to with which you did not agree. Why?

Leadership

Give me an example of a time when you motivated others.

Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.

Tell me about a time where you had a team member not carrying their full workload or not meeting their commitments.

What has been your experience in giving presentations to small or large groups? What has been your most successful experience in speech making?

Tell me about a team project when you had to take the lead or take charge of the project? What did you do? How did you do it? What was the result?

Interpersonal Skills

Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to solve a problem.

Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.

Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.

Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. How/why was this person difficult? How did you handle it? How did the relationship progress?

Planning and Organization/Time Management

How do you determine priorities in scheduling your time? Give examples.

Describe a time when you had many projects or assignments due at the same time. What steps did you take to get them all done?

Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required to prioritize your tasks.

How do you prioritize projects and tasks when scheduling your time? Give me some examples.

Teamwork

Tell me about a time you were able to successfully deal with another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).

Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or co-worker.

Describe a situation where you have had to work as part of a team to achieve a result. What was your role in this?

Describe a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do?

 

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Written by Leah Brooks:

Selecting good references is one of the most imperative recruiting tips for applicants. It is the applicant’s job to cultivate relationships worthy of a good reference. To an employer, the reference will show what your personality and work ethic are really like (not just when you are on your best behavior for the interview). To an applicant, a reference can be a great professional self-evaluation, and is an enormously positive way to emphasize your strengths and develop a strategy to minimize your weaknesses. Here is a list of the do’s and don’ts regarding good job references:

• Do pick references who are well spoken, and practice interview questions with them if you want to be thorough.

• Do discuss the job opportunity with your references, so that they know what context in which to convey your strengths and minimize weaknesses

• Do remember to ask permission to use someone as a reference, and give him/her warning of when a potential employer may call.

• Don’t pick a family member, girlfriend/boyfriend, or anyone who has not witnessed your work performance.

• Do pick a reference who you have a positive professional relationship with and who you are absolutely sure will speak highly of you.

• Don’t pick an employer/coworker with whom the relationship ended badly

• Do select supervisory references as well as peer references.  If you are applying for a management position it is also recommended to supply references of past employees.

• Do keep your references as current as possible.

• Do provide references quickly upon request as any delay will have a negative impact.

Optimally, a reference will be someone who has an impressive position or reputation themselves. While this is not a requirement, it is a great way to expand and legitimize your professional network. Take advantage of your professional references! They are great resources for advice as well as potential mentorships. Having good references is among one of the strongest recruiting tips for both employers and applicants because of the opportunities for insight that they offer.

 

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
Facebook

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