interviewing tips Archives - Job Market Solutions

Ask Yourself the Right Questions to Find the Right Job

If you are serious about scoring a new job, updating your resume is the first step. But I’m usually surprised how many job seekers aren’t sure what to do next.

Do you just start emailing your resume to listings on job boards? Send it out to some recruiters? Carry it with you to job fairs? Well, yes, yes, and yes.

But even before getting your new resume into circulation, it’s smart to ask yourself what kind of job you really want.

I’ve compiled this list of questions to make it easy for you to get a handle on your job search, to save you time and frustration, and to improve your chances to find the a job that fits you perfectly.

Master the Art of Small Talk in 7 Easy Steps

You’ve been invited to have lunch with someone you hope will mentor you, but you don’t have a clue what to talk about.

At a networking session for your industry, you’re tongue tied about familiar topics.

You’ve joined a club to make new friends, but no members are approaching you at meetings.

Eighty per cent of all hires are secured through networking, through people knowing other people. So, it’s no wonder that career coaches and successful businesspeople preach the value of networking, mingling, making connections, and building relationships. But how?

The answer, surprisingly, is small talk.

Soft Skills: How To Shake Hands

The sweaty palm. The vise grip. The pump handle. The dead fish. These are the handshakes that don’t create a favorable impression.

Although I’ve never heard of a handshake so bad it blew a job offer off the table, the perfect handshake is something every jobseeker needs. It’s a social skill that telegraphs to a new acquaintance what a fine person you are – that you know how to make friends, behave yourself, and yet have some spunk.

So, before your next job interview, review my pointers for what makes the perfect handshake. In just a few minutes, you can boost your likability score.Read more

Countdown to a Perfect Video Interview: 30 Pointers for Success

Unless you’re accustomed to talking in front of a video camera, you’re probably not looking forward to any interview conducted via webcam.

But since the video interview is increasingly common, if you’re serious about landing a great new job, you’ll be smart to learn some simple facts about the process.

With a little practice you can make a great impression during your on-screen interview. Let’s take it step by step to get you up to speed.Read more

Six Sexy Ways the Informational Interview Helps Job Seekers

If you are changing careers or just beginning your job search, the informational interview can be your new best friend. Here are the advantages of arranging a meeting between you and someone already working where you’d like to work, or doing what you’d like to do.Read more

How to Give Good Answers to Bad Questions

Most of us have been asked awkward questions in social situations. Are you pregnant? What did you pay for your home? How did the two of you meet? Do you like your job?

But being asked certain questions during a hiring process is a more serious matter. Even questions like, “What country are you from,” or “Are you married,” can get an interviewer in trouble.

But my intent here is to keep you out of trouble.

It is against the law — both Federal and state — for people like hiring managers and recruiters to ask certain questions. These are questions that are not related to the job under discussion. Interview and application questions must be relevant to the specifications of the job description, and not used to probe for personal facts.Read more

How to Ace the Phone Interview

Do you dread the phone interview? Afraid your voice will sound weak or nasal?

Or you’ll get tongue-tied?

Or say something stupid?

Or not have time to elaborate on your qualifications?

Or that the interviewer will call when your children are fighting, the television is at full volume cartoon soundtrack, and you’re in the middle of stir frying dinner?

There are ways around all these problems. And they are all simple solutions. You can score high on a telephone interview with a little know-how and prep work.Read more

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