Checklist for a Great Interview
Your next job interview is not a matter of life or death, (although it may feel like it to you) but a checklist is a great idea to help you remember important steps no matter how nervous you are.
Tag: recruiters
A Great Thank You Note
It was a good interview. Maybe even a great interview. You felt a connection to the interviewer, you felt that you answered the technical questions well, and there were no unpleasant surprises regarding the duties or the salary. You’re feeling hopeful, but you know they have two more candidates to see. What next step will really advance your chances for this job?
A great thank you note.
Guest Post: Landing Your First Job Out of College
If you’re finishing up a degree and getting ready to enter the job market, you may be feeling overwhelmed about the prospects for landing your first job out of college. Despite the current economic climate, the job outlook for new college graduates is becoming more positive. The National Association of Colleges and Employers reports that employers will employ at least 10 percent more new college graduates in 2012.
Employee Background Checks: What Are the Limits?
If you’re regular job seeker just trying to make your way in a tough economy like the rest of us, chances are you haven’t committed a serious crime, and your past isn’t riddled with dark secrets. But you may have some issues with creditors (long-term unemployment can wreak havoc on our finances), etc. And you may be wondering how much influence the details of your past can have over your future. How long will you be haunted, for example, by a firing or lay-off? What are the odds that a previous employer will say negative things about you during a routine reference check? Can an unpaid parking ticket tank your job prospects?
Marking Yourself Indelibly
According to Pew Research, nearly half of 26-40-year-olds (40 percent) and 36 percent of 18-25-year-olds have tattoos today. Twenty-two percent of 26-40-year-olds and 30 percent of 18-25-year-olds have at least one body piercing. Once associated only with sailors, bikers and people outside the mainstream, it’s now common to see people of all ages and lifestyles sporting body art or a piercing.
Write to the Hot Spots
A recent study by The Ladders.com tracked recruiters’ eyes as the scanned resumes over a period of ten weeks. The study was able to track their eye movements over resumes and produce heat maps of where their eyes spent the most time. The resulting maps looked like this (the darker spots indicate where their eyes rested longest.) The entire read time averaged six seconds.
Can Social Media Sink your Career?
75 percent of recruiters are required by their companies to do online research of candidates. And 70 percent of recruiters in the United States report that they have rejected candidates because of information online.
Love and Money in the Interview
“What salary are you looking for?” Everyone hates the question. Everyone. Talking about salary is awkward for most jobseekers, and for good reason. If you mention a figure that’s too low, you leave money on the table if you get the offer – and that’s the best case scenario.
A Fresh Start
There’s something about fall and back to school season that makes all of us think about fresh starts. Summer is a lull in career and school activity; the rules don’t apply. We go to the beach, bask in the pool in the back yard, or travel on vacation. We stop wearing shoes (and as many clothes as possible) and generally relax. It’s not uncommon for jobseekers to take the summer off to spend time with family and relax. If you’ve done this, it’s time to get back to work on your job search.
Have you Updated Your LinkedIn Page Lately?
Of course you’re on LinkedIn. Every serious job seeking professional is. LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional network on the Internet with more than 120 million members in over 200 countries and territories. According to the site’s founder, professionals are signing up to join LinkedIn at a rate that is faster than two new members per second. But if you’re like many users, you set up a profile a while ago and haven’t gone back in to update it. The site is adding new features all the time, and if you’ve not been paying attention, you’re missing out on some great opportunities.
