Waiting for the call, What your criteria should be for 2nd interview

Waiting for the call, What your criteria should be for 2nd interview

• After the interview waiting for the call back is hard. Did you remember to send a thank you note? Did you highlight your points and add anything you forgot to cover?

• You made it past the first/possibly even a second interview, Now what? If the interviewer said they would get back to you, allow the time agreed on to pass.

• When the call comes, you need to be as prepared as you were for the first interview, many of the same rules apply.

• Dress for success.

• Bring extra resumes, you will most likely be meeting with the next level and possibly the staff who you will be working with.

• Be prepared to spend at least two hours at this interview (so don’t overbook yourself, allow plenty of time)

• This is now the time you can discuss benefits, salary etc (keep it light the offer hasn’t been made yet)

• Once the interview is complete, again shake hands, collect business cards. Don’t forget to ask them when they plan to make a decision.

• Send out thank you note, take this opportunity to let them know that you can do the job and you really want to work for them.

• Then the waiting game starts again, you are hoping for an offer at this point.

• If the time has passed and you haven’t heard back then you can: If you made a connection with Human Resources you can send them an email or call them. But you don’t want to seem to pushy, they have jobs to do. They may tell you they haven’t made a decision or they haven’t heard either way, or even that they have decided on another candidate.

• Don’t loose heart, keep in there. Continue your search, set up other interviews while you wait.

• You Don’t want to not have choices, ideally you want several offers on the table to choose from.

My week will be busy again this week. I received a call back for a second(third really) interview with a firm I am very interested in, waiting to firm the date of this interview sometime this week. Possibly Thursday. And on Friday I received another call for a first interview in the city. So I am encouraged. I had three interviews last week, two of them may not be a great fit, but the practice is good. Helps to be more relaxed if you are doing more interviews you aren’t as anxious since you are getting more practice.

Thats all for now will try and keep you update.

Trish

Some more tips for the day before the interview to help take the stress off

Some more tips for the day before the interview to help take the stress off.

Interviewing as discussed can be very stressful, you need to be prepared before you go. It will help to take some of the stress off. I remember an old commercial about this girl that was going for an interview and she looked in the mirror and said “Why did I cut my hair I look like a squirrel?” I found that to be a very funny commercial and I still remember it, because I remember how stressed she seemed even now.

So if you are prepared before you go, you won’t be rushing around like a chicken with it’s head cut off in the morning.

• Get your clothes ready the night before, press everything, be sure your shoes are clean.

• Print several copies of your resume.

• Print the job description if it’s available. You can use this as a tool during the interview to tick off your strengths and skills that match the job description. If you have a story that matches it works well too.

• Don’t forget to get the directions, I usually print out the Map and directions and take them along as well.

• You should have been practicing, and you should already have done your research about the company so your are fully prepared. (I printed out several pages from the website to have with me, so they were handy when it came time for me to ask questions.)

• Get your briefcase ready to insert those extra resumes, a folder, a pen, a notebook, a pack of gum or breath mints, pda or planner. (All of the above can be inserted into the folder along with the extra resumes this way they are neat and tidy and ready for the interview)

• If you are driving gas up the car, if you are taking public transportation be sure to check the schedules to ensure you will arrive in enough time for the interview.

• Don’t forget to set the alarm the night before (you don’t want to be late)

• Relax and get a good nights sleep

• Best practice is to arrive at least 15 minutes before the interview. This way if they ask you to complete an application you aren’t keeping the interviewer waiting.

These tips should help take some of the edge off the morning of the interview and allow you to focus on what is important putting your best foot forward and making a good impression so you can land that job!

Sorry so busy yesterday, I didn’t have time to update the blog my apologies.

Yesterday I went to the NYC, took the train for my first interview. It went well, met with someone from Human Resources, she told me they are in the interviewing process and I should hear back within the next two weeks to come back for a second interview, the interview lasted about (45 minutes).

Today, I had my second interview, I drove to this one, I took my GPS but still got lost, drove around in circles for about 15 minutes, very confusing area. The interview went very well, I met with the hiring manager and CFO the interview lasted about 2 hours (good sign!). We discussed when they will be making a decision, he said by the end of the week that he had several more interviews in the next few days, but that he wanted me to come back and meet the staff and CEO on Monday or Tuesday, I was encouraged. (Just a quick hint, I impressed him because, I had copies of my resume, the job description that his HR rep had sent me along with the product pages in reference to the position I would be supporting so I could ask questions.)

Will keep you appraised as things progress. I have another interview tomorrow.

Have a nice day

Trish

More tip’s for interviewing since this is what makes most of us tremble.

More tip’s for interviewing since this is what makes most of us tremble!!!

Many companies have Human Resource Departments off site, so you most likely will get the first call from the Human Resources Recruiter. This will be your first interaction with the company you just sent your resume to, so it’s just as important to be professional and make a good impression on them. Because they are the gate keepers, so if fail with them, you won’t get that interview.

Additionally, many companies want their Human Resources Department to weed out those people that are not viable, not what they are looking for etc. You will most likely have your first interview with one of them, if you make it past them and they call you back to set up an interview with the hiring Manager then this is like a second interview, but may still be considered a first interview.

When you go for your scheduled appointment, be sure to be on time, dress as if you already had the job and were meeting with the CEO, because you just might. Many times when you go for the interview you will wind up meeting not only the hiring Manager, but his boss and possibly the bosses boss. So be prepared with extra resumes, and plenty of time because you never know.

I know interviews are stressful, but try and relax, be yourself. I don’t mean put your feet up on the desk, but try to do some meditation before you go in while you are waiting. Think of the most relaxing thing you enjoy and take a few deep cleansing breaths( form of yoga so to speak) this should assist in relaxing you somewhat.

Wait for them to begin, after you have been seated, answer their questions truthfully, keep your voice moderate slightly upbeat. ( it’s not a funeral just an interview!) Try to come up with a story that fits the question that has a positive spin, this will help to make a connection with the interviewer and will make you more memorable. The entire point of the interview is not just to find out if you have the skills, you wouldn’t be there if you didn’t, it’s to see if you fit.

Lastly don’t forget to shake hands with everyone, tell them it was a pleasure, request business cards and thank them for their time. When you get home write a thank you note to everyone and bring up all the pertinent points of the interview, and anything you forgot that you feel is important. Don’t write full length letter just a few paragraphs, and thank them again for their time.

Well I think this pretty much covers it, however one last thing, have some confidence in yourself and your skills. It will come across during the interview so don’t be shy and timid (honk your own horn, if you don’t who will !!!)

I have had a very successful week, some of the seeds I planted last week are starting to sprout. I received another call today to schedule another interview. So that makes three interviews next week, so I will be sharpening my interviewing skills too. Two of the interviews are as direct result of friend and being focused on where I am looking and some perseverance. Let me tell you it’s not easy, being out of work is scary.

Well thats all for now. Not sure if I will be able to post tomorrow or not so if not talk to you on Monday and have a great weekend the weather is supposed to be great. So get out and enjoy it.

Trish

Salaries, Benefits, 2nd Interview, Job Offers!! When to ask?

Salaries, Benefits, 2nd Interview, Job Offers!! When to ask?

A friend of mine is now in the process of going to an internal interview for a promotion/higher level than his current position. He asked me about when it is okay to ask about the salary? This is not cut and dried but in his case, he is already working for the firm and it is a posted position he is applying for so the circumstances may be a little different from some one who is applying from the outside.

The general rule of thumb is to wait until the second interview. However, if you are posting internally, there usually is a way to find out what the position pays. Most companies have core tiles and there is a hi/low within the tile, depending on how long you have been with company and how experienced you are will depend on where you fall within the tile? You can always call human resources to get an idea of what core tile the position is in. This way you don’t have that ackward moment in the interview, where you have to ask what the salary is.

There is other way to ask what the salary range is, when they call you to setup the interview or when you call to set it up the interview. This is always an acceptable question, this way you know whether it’s worth your time or not.

2nd Interviews

You, made it past the initial interview, good for you, this means that there is some interest in you as a candidate. So you will need to sharpen up your interviewing skills even more. Practice in front of a mirror, practice answering those difficult questions i.e. What value can you bring to the company? Where do you see yourself in 5 years, 10 years etc. There are some who suggest you create in your mind situations that fit the questions where you succeeded, or a story, it helps to cement your answers in the interviewers mind. Here is an article with a list of difficult questions to help you prepare by Allison Doyle from About.com

Salaries

As I stated earlier the general rule is to wait until the second interview. At this point you have made it past the initial interview screening and they are somewhat interested. However again when they call to schedule the interview it is okay to ask what the range is. Based on the position and title and location, you should already know what that position range is and if it doesn’t fall within this range you may want to reconsider the interview. (If this is your dream company, the job you always wanted, it’s your decision. But if it’s way below market you need to ask yourself why?)

So this leads me into researching salaries, find out what the market value of the position you are interviewing for, in most cases it depends on experience, location. So go to any of these sites below to research salary.

Salary

Payscale

Salaries

Everyone says salary is not the only reason to accept a position, but it’s a pretty good one. Don’t low ball yourself just because you didn’t do the research ahead of time.

Benefits

Benefits are as important as the salary. You want to wait until the second interview, however many companies now publish there benefits on their career section of their website. So if you check there you might be able to get an idea of what they offer. Here are a few articles written by Allison Doyle from About.com this is a check list, this is all about benefits About.com

Job Offers

You made it past all the interviews and now there is an offer on the table. Don’t just say yes, you need to weigh the offer. Go through everything they are offering Salary, benefits, vacation, PTO, working conditions, hours, commute, will you have to travel/how often etc. You need to make a list of everything and weigh everything against your life conditions. Do you want to negotiate something? Now is the time, not after you accept the offer. ( I think I should write an entire entry on negotiation, but usually everything is negotiable, salary, vacation etc) Here are a few articles on Negotiating that job offer to the perfect job offer.

Negotiating Example

Everything is Negotiable

Negotiating Tips

Well I think this covers pretty much everything.

Today, I had a phone interview and have scheduled the 2nd interview for next week, so thats two interviews next week. Wish me luck! So I’ll talk to you again tomorrow.

Have nice day

Trish

Interviews and Interviewing. Finding out if this is job for you?

Interviews

It’s not just the company that does the interviewing, you should be interviewing them too, and you want to find out if this is a good fit.

You need to do some of the interviewing too, you want to find out if the company’s culture is a good fit for you too!

• Once you receive the call to set up interview in response to your resume you need to do some research about the company, if you haven’t already. Many people say you should research the company prior to even sending a resume. I think that’s all well and good, but that is not going to get you an interview your skills and a great resume will. It is always nice to decide where you want to work, and actively pursue this.

• Now that you have the interview you need to decide several things, what is it you want? Based on this you should create a list: Salary-hi and low, benefits, vacation, 401K etc. Are you looking for a flexible position so you can work from home, or telecommute? These are what help us to decide if the company is as good for us as we are for them.

• Make a list of questions you have for the interviewer i.e. : Why is this position available? Is this a new position? If not what happened to the prior person who held this job? Where they promoted or did they leave? If they left why did they leave? What are the primary responsibilities of the position? How many clients will I be expected to handle? What are the hours? Is there travel? If so how much? Answers to some of these questions could tell you if this is a firm you want to work for or not.

Things we should do on the day of the interview or the day before.

1. Dress for success-regardless of the culture or if they have a casual atmosphere. Wear a suit, be sure your shoes are clean and polished, hair is neat, and you’re clean shaved and showered. If you have face jewelry, you should remove it prior to the interview, tattoos should also be covered.
2. Print out your resume-be sure to bring a printed copy of your resume to the interview.
3. Get directions-be sure to get the complete address of where you are to interview, also a phone number. If you are driving look up the address on one of the many online maps’s and print out the directions or send it to your pda etc.
4. Be on time-leave yourself plenty of time to get to the interview on time, you should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the interview so the reception desk can announce you, bring a book or magazine to read while you wait, or go over the questions you have prepared for your interview.
5. Introduce yourself and shake hands with the interviewer.
6. Make yourself comfortable, don’t fidget, try to relax. Face the interviewer, place your hands on the arms of the chair if there are arms, or in you lap.
7. Let the interview begin.
8. Don’t forget the questions you created from your list-You can take out your list or just have it available to reference.
9. Ask if the person doing the interviewing is the hiring manager-If not it is not an unreasonable request to meet them, and to see where you would be working. (sometimes this is done on second interview and not on the initial interview)
10. You should be sure to explain you researched the company and are familiar with their firm, products and services.
11. At the end of the interview ask when they plan on making a decision-it’s okay to ask when they plan to make a decision and it’s okay to ask when you can anticipate hearing from them.
12. Be sure to thank them for their time. Thank whoever is interviewing you for their time and shake hands. Be sure to settle on when you will hear from them.
13. Write a Thank you note.-When you return from your interview sit down and write a thank you note, this will also give you an opportunity to make additional points or to drive home briefly why they should hire you. (If you still want the job).
14. Be Patient- wait until the agreed upon date prior to following up, it is okay to place a call or send a follow up email but only after the date set for the decision. Most companies will contact you either way.

I think this covers interviewing at a very high level, I will add articles and some further things you may want to use tomorrow.

I sent out a few more resumes, and did some reading today. No calls today. But thats okay I am busy. Many of my contacts are responding to my Network requests and Linking in, it has only been a week. Not discouraged yet!

Well that’s all for now, talk again tomorrow.

Trish

What does your resume say about you?

What does your resume say about you?

Does it say you’re a professional in your field, or does it say you forgot to spell check it?

There seems to be no set format’s, it depends on who you talk to what they want to see, 1 page or 2 page resume. Or the new school of thought is this is your chance to shine and it should be an advertisement of your skills, so showcase them splurge and even go up to 3 pages. If this is going to be your first job, then include your school, clubs, activities, or volunteer position. But if you have been in the workforce for 1 year or more you should drop the school activities and club information. If there are gaps on your resume be prepared to explain why they are there. Today we don’t have to run out and pay a printer to print our resumes, we can do this ourselves. But we do need to be sure to have someone else assist in editing.

Which ever format you choose there are several serious do’s and don’t we should all follow.

Do’s and Don’ts of Resume writing.

Do’s

• Always spell check your resume-not once but twice then give it to someone else to review and assist in editing. Even if you spell checked the resume, the word program is not going to pick up misused word that is spelled correctly or typo that is spelled correctly(it recognizes it as valid word)

• Keep to the truth- don’t embellish your skill’s , be honest since they will find out, and it could be cause for them to let you go. However if you worked on excel spreadsheets, and you created complex graphs and charts- this should qualify you as an expert. Be sure to include this as skill for example: Created/Implemented complex reports, graphs and charts using-Microsoft Excel 2007( or 2003 ) etc.

• Write your own advertising-create a section that advertises your major accomplishments, for example if you help your company save 1,000’s of dollars in creating a new process, than get the numbers, $, % etc how you assisted in this endeavor.

• List your skills-don’t forget to list your skills not matter how trivial, if you adapt to change easily, than your are flexible, if you come to work every day then your are loyal and dedicated etc. Don’t forget to include all the software and hardware you are familiar with i.e computer, scanner or cash register, calculator etc.

• Awards-list your awards, if they were received at the last job, or recognition from professional group.

• Internal Training-don’t forget to include any internal training you received at your last position.

Don’ts

• Include photos, video or gimmicks- leave the gimmicks for YouTube, unless a employer is requesting these type of formats forget it, its not going to get your resume further to the top or recognized as being unique.

• Include every mondane detail of your job-keep it to simple phrases or bullets, be descriptive, be brief and to the point

• Include the date you graduated high school or college- unless you just graduated leave this information blank-( age discrimination etc)

• Leave gaps between jobs-but don’t lie-again this can be checked could be cause to let you go. So they way to get around this if you had a small gap just put the month and year you worked for the employer, if it is longer than a month or two you could just put the years, but this could be cause for dialog (beware).

• Include your hobbies, sports etc (unless you just graduated this should be left off -save it for your Myspace, Facebook entries not for your resume) If you don’t have a lot of experience keep it simple. A one page resume is okay.

• Forget to spell check and spellcheck it again!!! Give to a friend and have them check it again. I recently read somewhere if you read it backwards it will help you see the grammatic errors as well.

Well the weekend was hectic , Saturday we had a tag sale in front of the house, and  sold a few big items so it turned out to be worth my time. Weather was sunny, and beautiful, I even got a little sun burned!

Today received a few more nibbles, waiting on a couple of call backs to schedule interviews. I figure I will follow up with them at the end of the week if I don’t hear back from them. I just don’t want to appear to anxious or aggressive.  So don’t panic if they say they are going to call back they usually will. The recruiters are very busy and they get 100’s of resumes every day so it is easy to forget who they owe a call back to.

Well I guess I will close

Talk again tomorrow

Trish

Using Google as a tool for research of Companies and Employers.

Using Google as a tool for research.

• Research any company that contacts you regarding an interview. Why? So you will be prepared and ready when you meet them for your interview. You must be informed about the company, many companies today share much of there information on their websites, you can find out if they are a formal company or more informal, lifestyle, values are some of the information you can glean from checking out their site.

• Google your former employers, co-workers etc. so you can link with them for your Network. LinkedIn lets you send a email directly instead of sending it from your own email. You can ask them for a recommendation as well. You can also ask them if there are any positions available within the firm.

• Google your self to see how high you come on the page. The higher you are on the page, the easier it is for someone else to find you. (just a reminder if it is a Facebook or MYspace entry you want to correct this as soon as possible) Have their been any press releases with your name included? Even if it’s not business related it’s okay. You may find yourself more than once, this is good. Usually the average person has about 3 entries. The more entries the better. (but most of us aren’t Paris Hilton or Brittney Spears so we won’t have 1000’s)

Well today was a research day, I spent the day researching several things.

Today I spent the afternoon researching and reading, about the company where I have my interview. To become familiar with their products and services. As well as the type of firm they are, looked up their competitors and their press releases. I plan to be prepared for my interview, I will be interviewing them as well, is this a company I want to work for? (More about this next week when I cover resumes and interviewing.)

I also found one of my former Directors today using Google, she is now a Vice President for a large IT firm. I sent her an email requesting she link in, I also asked her to submit a recommendation as well. I asked if there were any opportunities she knew about that might suit my skills. In addition I also sent my resume so she could see how my skills have improved since we worked together. If she thought there was a position, she would be able to forward it on my behalf. (Networking at it’s best)

Well I think this is enough to ponder for now.

Have a great weekend

Trish

Networking with former Employers and Peers

Networking

Six Degree’s of Separation has been proven in many way’s, it’s odd how small the world really is. When your looking for a new opportunity it’s not always what you know , but who you know!

Make a list of all of everyone you know, for example: your former employer’s, peers, friends, parents, siblings, your children teachers, your next door neighbor, etc.

You may not find this an easy exercise however that opportunity is out there, you just need help finding it. I know it’s hard and may even be a little frightening. Speak with everyone you know, let them know you are looking for a new opportunity. Don’t be intimidated, this is your chance to Network.

Do you keep in touch with with former co-workers via email or instant message? I know it’s hard but let them know your looking and see where it goes.

Or Send a email to your former co-workers, let them know your looking for a new opportunity, ask them if they know of any positions that might be available. Or ask if they might know of another company that might be hiring.

If you run into the little league coach in the supermarket, strike up a conversation and let him/her know you are looking, tell him what your looking for, ask him if he knows anyone who might be hiring could he/she give you a name?

Who do you know?

When I found I was going to be looking for a new opportunity, I started talking to my former peer’s on instant message. I had found a position online at a company where one of my friends work, mentioned that I had submitted my resume. My friend walked over and talked to the hiring manager for me. As it turns out they were looking for someone more experienced.

However the Human Resource person has called me regarding another position, and now he is working with that hiring manager to schedule an interview in the near future.

I received another call today, to schedule an interview for a position I submitted my resume to yesterday. I submitted my resume through LinkedIn Job’s, as it turns out I have a connection to the hiring manager through my former employer. The interview is now scheduled.

So as I said it is a small world, there really is six degrees of separation, and it’s out there just waiting for you to find it!!!

I will keep you informed as things progress.

Have a great day

Trish

Why we all need to be sure to Link in

As I said yesterday there are reasons why we need to use Business Networks

You can be Googled by anyone-Do you know what your Google footprint is? Try it, put your name in on the Google search bar. What did you find? Is there an entry for Facebook or My Space or worse yet You tube? This could be a reason why you won’t be contacted by an employer or you could get hired then they find your My Space entries.

Here is an article that talks about getting fired.

Here is the article about that student teacher who was fired

So enough about how MySpace so isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, no really here is where you can keep your personal life personal, change your options for only those that have been invited. It will stop the stalkers and the spam mail.

LinkedIn or Kickstart or even Spoke is the way to go.

LinkedIn-Has a great reputation and can actually assist in your search for a job or recommendations for a position. It gives you the opportunity to reach out to former school mates, colleagues or even former employers. It also has a nice job board and great network, it’s free, but you can upgrade.

Kickstart-Is sponsored by Yahoo, It gives you the opportunity to reach out to former school mates, colleagues or even former employers. The network also seems to be quite extensive, seems to be geared more toward the college student though.

Spoke-Is another Network which I found today when I Googled myself, and it suggested I sign up, which I did. Not sure how successful this one is but I will be watching this Network as well. I found many of my former colleagues at MCI were listed there, no one I remember however.

I found this interesting about branding yourself and Google foot print
Reachbranding there is a book as well.

Today was an interesting day, I found almost all of my job leads from LinkedIN, these jobs all seem to be very specific to what I am looking for so I am hopeful that one of these leads will bear some fruit. I have received a few of those dratted rejection letters but not many so that is encouraging.

I also added a few RSS leads to my blog , I plan to add additional information soon. Please join me and comment.

Have a nice day
Trish

Day two-Getting organized, doing the power thinking

Day two-it’s time to get organized.

· Setup professional email address for your resume- there are plenty of free email account for example gmail, yahoo, aim etc. (don’t use your cute email address for your resume or for potential employers to have to send responses to) use if your name is John Smith jsmith @ or JohnSmith @ or John.Smith @ these are best, so just keep it simple-stay away from the cutsie/sexy etc.

· Power think, make a list of the employers you think you might like to work for. Go find their websites, check their internal jobs boards that are not posted on the commercial boards, setup job alert for this company, or companies.

· Create job search alerts on the various web sites

Career builder
Monster
Yahoo
Dice

· Make a space for your self so you can work on your resume, plan(who), schedule (when), interviews(where)

· Plan ahead for the upcoming week

· Make a schedule try and stick to it-allot your self ample time to surf the web for jobs, check email, fax resumes, print resumes, have phone interviews.

· Brush off that old dusty resume, you need to spell check the resume not once but 3 or 4 times, give it to someone else to review for spelling, grammatical problems etc. Update with your last job duties, write and rewrite-take some time to look at the jobs you are trying to land-change the language to match these jobs (don’t lie) If you did excel spreadsheet reporting don’t tell them you used another program. But if you did advanced formulas be sure to include this, I will get into this in greater detail next week when we get into the do’s and don’t for your resume.

If you have a face book or my space account-Run don’t walk to change the settings to personal friends only or by invitation only. I will walk you through setting up an Linked In or Kickoff business networking sites. I will explain about this further, but please trust me this is the most important thing you can do for your self today. Do your self a huge favor don’t wait do it NOW….

Now I had an interesting day, I sent about half of the resumes I did yesterday but got a few nibbles, no interview but responses to my inquires, so all in all productive day. I am still perfecting my resume and setting up network links.

Spent the morning setting up my PDA with all of my tasks(everything, every detail) and then updating it to the days, time, I even included my personal projects to integrate them so I won’t fall behind on them too. It’s hard to stay on task but if you work at it you will find you get more done, then you did before. I feel like I had a very productive day and made some very important contacts for jobs that will make me happy. Now it becomes a bit of waiting game.

Well I am running behind (Task on starting dinner).
That’s part of the bonus I actually have found I have time to make dinner for my family, Homemade Nachos, better and cheaper than going out for Mexican, besides who can afford to go out. I am unemployed, well between my ideal position.

Will get into the My Space and Face book issues more tomorrow, working on getting some of those interesting articles on this.

Have a nice evening talk to you again tomorrow.

Trish