Getting the Most Out of a Job You Hate

Being unhappy or unsatisfied in a job is something that we all experience at least once in our lifetime.

Looking for a new job can be refreshing, but you may also find yourself bound by financial constraints or challenged by the competition in the market. Until the time comes when you can hand in your resignation, it is important that you try to remain positive and continue to get the most out of your job.

Change Your Attitude

A negative attitude can make your job feel ten times more difficult or unsatisfying than it really is. Instead of being unenthusiastic or negative, try taking a proactive and positive approach to your daily tasks. If there is lots of politics or conflict going on, try and rise above it and find feasible solutions for dealing with it. This can lift some of the weight off your shoulders and make your work much more enjoyable.

Keep Up the Job Search

It’s easy to fall into the trap of laziness in a stale job, even when it comes to job searching. To keep active about your job hunt, consider setting weekly goals for yourself. You might decide to send off your resume for 1-2 jobs per week or you may want to get in touch with at least one new recruiter at the start of each week. Whatever you choose, it will help you stay positive and will keep your job searching on the right track.

Network

Networking and making connections is a fantastic way to find new job opportunities. You can either network online, on social media sites like LinkedIn or you can try and network in person by attending seminars and other industry events. Networking within your organisation can also be beneficial too, however you should be discreet about the fact you are searching for other employment.

Talk to Your Boss

If you feel that your job discontent can be resolved it might be worthwhile talking to your boss about how you feel (but without mentioning your desire to find another job). You may want to point out why you are not enjoying your role and ask whether it is possible to change your job description.  A change in duties can refresh your perspective and make your role much more rewarding. If you do ask for new responsibilities, make sure these align with the strengths and skills you want to develop, as well as your long term plans.

Get More Involved

Is boredom one of the driving factors of your job dissatisfaction? Sometimes, the best way to cope is to keep yourself busy! For example, you could ask for more responsibility, take on extra tasks, get involved with more projects or put your hand up for a committee. Keeping busy each day will mean the days go faster and extra work will also give you extra experience, skills and credentials to add to your professional resume.

Get Educated

Training and education is one of the best ways to get more out of your job. Investigate what training programs or courses are open to you and determine if any of these could benefit your skills or knowledge. If you are keen to enroll in a course outside of your company, consider whether the company will contribute towards the fees. In return, however, you may be required to stay in your role longer.

Prioritise Your Life Outside of Work

If your job is not enjoyable, consider giving priority to the other important factors in your life. You could consider changing your hours to spend more time with your family, spending your lunch break working out, taking up a new hobby after work or simply socialising after hours with other colleagues you’d like to get to know better.

Become a Mentor – or Gain One

If you are bored in your role but don’t necessarily want to jump ship, becoming a mentor or finding one can make a huge difference to your career and your everyday accountabilities. Mentors can gain much fulfillment from guiding others and passing on their knowledge, while those under mentorship can find their goals and strengths changing and growing, and this alone can bring much satisfaction and structure to an otherwise mundane role.

Not sure where your career is headed or what to do about your next job move? Resumes Australia provides expert career coaching services, as well as executive resume writing and interview coaching programs.

Regards,

Interview Coaching Tips Every Candidate Should Know

It’s often the small things in life that count and when it comes to job interviews, those little things can contribute significantly to the first impression you make to an employer or search consultant.

If you’ve got an interview coming up, here are a few of my best interview coaching rules that I recommend every candidate should abide by:

 

1. Dress Professionally

Dressing well is important in job interviews and, as I explain to many of my interview coaching candidates, you should dress professionally and conservatively. Wearing your best corporate outfit (even if the role/company is not corporate) will ensure that you are well presented and that you are taking the interview process seriously. Make sure that your clothes are clean and fresh and that they are crinkle/crease free. Polished shoes that are free of scuff marks are essential too.

2. Be Punctual

Punctuality portrays professionalism; a lack of punctuality can give employers the impression that you are either disorganised or unreliable (or both) and that you aren’t serious enough about the role to show up on time. This can harm your application and blemish your professional character.

An overdue arrival also means that you risk rushing into the interview and being flustered, instead of being relaxed and confident. What’s the best solution here? Make sure you are organised and that you know exactly where the interview is taking place. Research the location, the transport and/or the parking and allow yourself ample time to get there. In general, you should aim to arrive at least 15 minutes early.

3. Fresh Scents

It might seem trivial, but bringing an unfavourable scent with you into an interview can distract interviewers and create an unfavourable impression.
• Make sure you are freshly showered before the interview (especially if it’s a hot day); don’t show up flustered and/or sweating
• Perfume or aftershave/cologne can be a lovely addition, but make sure it’s not overpowering
• If you are a smoker (or even if you are not), make sure your breath is clean and fresh; carry mints or chewing gum with you (but don’t chew these during the interview)
• If you are a smoker, avoid smoking before the interview

4. Bring A Notepad / Compendium

It is an extremely good idea to bring a notepad with you to your interview so that you can write down any significant information or questions. A notepad also shows the interviewer that you’re taking the process seriously and that you consider the information learned in the interview important. Making sure that your pen and notepad are professional is crucial too; don’t show up with a piece of paper torn from your notebook or a blunt pencil. A leather compendium is a great accessory and it can be worth investing in one, both for job interviews and meetings in general.

5. Conduct Research

There are dozens of resources available today that can help you learn about any business, showing up to an interview without knowing anything about the company will be detrimental to your case. Research demonstrates enthusiasm and drive and also gives you an insight into what the company does, how they operate and how your skills and talents can bring value to the table.

6. Turn Off Your Phone

There is nothing worse than a buzzing or ringing mobile phone in a job interview. Make sure your phone is turned off (or at least set to ‘silent’) before the interview commences and don’t play with your phone or check it during the interview. This makes you appear distracted and uninterested and can be seen as rude and disrespectful by the interviewer.

Did you know that Resumes Australia can work with you on a variety of Interview Coaching programs to help you refine your interview techniques? Contact Us Today and we’ll show you how to master that next interview – and get the job.

Regards,

How to De-Stress After a Job Interview

After many years of interview coaching, I know that attending interviews and fielding those tough questions can be extremely stressful.

As part of my interview coaching programs, I often take candidates through the best approaches to interview questions, and I also spend some time teaching them how to de-stress and gather their thoughts after an interview.

Review Your Notes

You will most likely have taken some notes during the interview. If so, one of the best ways to de-stress is to review your notes and add any additional comments. Based on the notes you have taken, you can then assess whether this position is still right for you and whether it fits in with your long-term career goals.

If you didn’t take any notes, sit down immediately after the interview and write down as much as you can about the experience. Write down what you learned about the company and the role, who you were interviewed by, and how long the interview lasted. Also, include any concerns or points of interest you would like to further pursue in relation to the company, culture or position.

Review Your Performance

It is an important part of the recruitment process to continually review your performance and keep your confidence up. Make the time after the interview to take some notes on how you think you performed. If you are unsure about how you did, ask yourself these questions:

1. How did you find the interview overall? Was it friendly and relaxed, or professional and demanding?
2. What questions did you feel you responded to well?
3. Were there any questions you feel you could have answered better?
4. Did you learn enough about the employer and the role to satisfy you?

Touch Base With Your Recruiter

If you acquired your interview through a recruiter, I encourage you to contact them after the interview. This is a great chance to discuss your performance, and voice any concerns you have about the role. The recruiter may then be able to follow-up on your behalf, give you further feedback about your performance, and advise you on whether the employer is interested in moving you onto the next stage.

Reward Yourself

Interviews can be exhausting, so make sure you reward yourself for your efforts. This might be as simple as treating yourself to a nice lunch, or having a drink after work with a friend or colleague.

Focus On Something Else

If you are easily stressed, it is important to remember that employers can sometimes take some time to get back to you about your interview performance, and suitability for the role (or for a second interview).

If this happens, make an effort to focus on something else. You might have other positions to consider, or you might prefer to simply distract yourself with another task.

Make sure that you stay in close touch with your recruiter or with the contact person at the employer, and follow up with them regularly about the next steps or outcome (without becoming a pest).

Think about Interview Coaching…

If you feel that you did not perform as well as you could have, or if you find that you are anxious about an upcoming interview, interview coaching can be a valuable investment. With Resumes Australia, you will learn how to field those difficult interview questions and build a strong relationship with your interviewers to maximise your interview success.

Resumes Australia has designed a wealth of interview coaching solutions that can be conducted in person, over the phone/web.

Good luck with your interview!

“What Do You Dislike About Your Current Job?”

What do you dislike about your current job?

If your professional resume is a document that can open doors for you, then the job interview is the event that will hopefully guarantee your success.
When it comes to interview coaching, I take my candidates through a series of interview questions, and one of these is: “What Do You Dislike About Your Current Job?”

There are probably a few (or many) things you dislike about your current role, but when you are asked this question in an interview, what is the best way to answer?

Take a Moment

Like all interview questions, you should take a moment to stop and think about what the employer is really asking you with this question. An immediate answer may spring to mind, but how much do you really want to disclose to this interviewer?

There are several reasons why recruiters and employers ask, “what do you dislike about your current role?” It might be because they want to gauge your attitude towards your employer in general, to find out why you’re looking for a new job, or to see if there is anything specific you dislike which could rule you out as a candidate for their position.

Be Selective

You will need to be extremely cautious and selective when answering the “what do you dislike” question, since you don’t want to reveal any details that could potentially work against you and make you seem unsuitable for the role.

For instance, your first thought might be to say, “I hate the fact that there’s so much emphasis on team culture.” This may be fair enough, but in an interview, this answer could give the employer the impression that you don’t play well with others, or aren’t willing to work as part of a team.

Furthermore, if the company you are interviewing with is heavily team-focused, you won’t do yourself any favours with this answer. Instead, a better response might be, “my present company is great, but I’m looking for a position that offers more autonomy and room to develop my career as a leader.”

Keep It Professional

It’s important to remain positive and professional with your answers, as you don’t want to be seen as openly complaining about your current workplace. If you complain about your present company, what’s to stop you bad-mouthing your next company once you leave?

Keep answers professional and work-focused at all times. Do not grumble about what you hate, or how your co-workers irritate you, turn your negativity into optimistic answers about the company (not about an individual). For instance, if you dislike the fact that your boss is stubborn and bad at communicating, your answer might be, “my current workplace is not an environment that encourages collaboration or embraces new knowledge, which are factors that are important to me.”

The Right Answer

Just like most interview questions, there is no “right answer” when it comes to explaining what you dislike about your current job.

The key is to make sure that you accentuate your dislikes in a positive light, using any negative points to help you describe what you want from your next role and to drive your goals in moving forward with your career. Whatever you do, don’t complain about your company, and don’t say anything that will put you in an unfavourable light.

Resumes Australia offers comprehensive interview coaching, career coaching and resume writing services that can help you fast-track your career and land you that next important position. If you’re unsure how to answer interview questions, we can assist!

Good luck!

Tell Me A Little Bit About Yourself? What to Say in a Job Interview

At Resumes Australia, we offer one-to-one interview coaching packages that help aspiring executive candidates to find their interview edge and gain a competitive advantage over other applicants (and yes, as our name suggests, we also write resumes!).
One of the most frequent questions I’m asked during my interview coaching sessions is: “when I’m asked to explain a little about myself, what should I say?”

Why this Question?

The “tell me a little bit about yourself” question is often a common opener in interviews: some employers see it as simply an ice-breaking question while others will be expecting to hear a succinct yet stimulating summary about who you are and where you are headed professionally. Generally they are looking for information about how you’ll fit into the company and the position for which you are applying. They’re not looking for your life story, so don’t go into a diatribe about things that have no bearing on your work ethic. Focus on those things that qualify you for the job and what you can bring to the table. Emphasise that you have the skill sets outlined in the job description, and how your career has developed and implemented those skills.

Be Professional & Prepared

Remaining professional at all times in a job interview is key. While it’s essential to be personable, courteous and friendly, you should focus your answer around your career and professional outlook.

To prevent being caught off guard with this question, I spend time with my interview coaching candidates to help them prepare an answer that they are comfortable with, and that will appeal to the employer.

My best tips include:

• Keep it job-focused: You will want to keep your answer focused on your career achievements and goals, but you also need to make sure that it is relevant to the job you’re interviewing for. For instance, if the interview is for a management role, you should focus on your management strengths, rather than on other accountabilities.

• Keep it specific: Avoid vague or ambiguous answers and be specific in your explanation by focusing on your unique selling point. Describe your most important achievement or talent, and explain briefly what it is, using precise details (e.g. how many dollars, percentage increase, etc.).

• Keep it short & sweet: Your answer should be sharp and concise, and no more than a few sentences long. It should also be positive, so stay away from any negative details about your career (e.g. “I’m keen to broaden my horizons” rather than “my current job is too limiting).

What You Shouldn’t Say

When you are asked the “tell me about yourself” question or any other range of questions in an interview, there are certain responses that you should stay away from. These can make you appear unprofessional, unsuitable for the role, and ill-equipped for the interview.

• “What do you want to know?” is a response that you should never use. This is unhelpful to the interviewer, and shows that you’re completely unprepared for the meeting.

• Similarly, steer clear of mentioning anything that might make you seem unsuitable for the job. If you’re applying for a corporate management position, saying “I’m a hardworking executive who’s known to be a bit of a slave driver” is not an encouraging response, since this is not the ideal behaviour for a manager.

• If you are applying for a sales role, you should also avoid answers like, “I’m trying to develop my sales skills.” This might be true, but it gives the interviewer the impression that you’re not a seasoned sales rep and as such you are probably not right for the role.

Interview coaching can significantly improve the way you perform in an interview, from what you say in your responses, to the way you present yourself from the moment you walk through the door.

Get in touch with Resumes Australia today to discover how we can sharpen your interviews skills, revise your executive resume, and ultimately prepare you for success!

What’s Your Managerial Style?

Interviewing for a senior managerial position can be highly challenging. You will be asked many questions about your accountabilities and your achievements, and perhaps about your managerial style.
This is often the case in many organisations, where the employer will be looking for not only an experienced candidate, but also someone with a particular managerial approach, whose work style fits in with the company’s corporate values.

Over the past 10 years, my interview coaching sessions have lead me to discover that there are some common approaches to management that have helped applicants succeed. The more you can emphasise these points in a job interview, the stronger your credibility will be.

Leaders

Great managers aren’t simply people who look after teams and departments. Interviewers will generally look for management candidates with effective decision-making skills, and the ability to devise and roll out successful strategies.

Hence, you need to reinforce to the interviewer that as a manager, you are also a leader. You should present strong visions and goals (or even just ideas, at the interview stage) about what you want to achieve for the business, and how you want to get there.

Team Players

Although most managers are great leaders, they should also know how to balance out their leadership style by being a team player. This means that while they make key decisions, they also value the input of colleagues and staff. Great managers want to do what’s best for the business and their employees, not what’s best for themselves.

Forward Thinkers

In discussing your managerial style, you should also accentuate that you are a forward thinker when it comes to your industry. Demonstrating this to your interviewer will show that you are not only a business manager, but also an industry leader.

Forward-thinking managers are interested in using their knowledge to transform and improve the way a business operates, with the ability to stay on top of the current trends, and embrace new strategies and technologies in order to create innovation.

Inspirational

Some of the world’s best leaders have managerial styles that are wonderfully inspirational. They know how to motivate employees, nurture talent, drive new ideas, and build momentum towards something bigger and better.

Are there any aspects of your managerial style that make you inspirational? Highlighting these in an interview could make you stand out from other candidates, particularly against those who simply have a top-down managerial approach.

Change Embracers

Great managers are not stuck in the past or even in the present, but focused on the future. You should think carefully about the company and the position you are applying for, and consider how change can be beneficial.

While your role may not be to drive change, you may want to highlight in the interview the benefits you can bring to the organisation with a change-embracing managerial style. In an interview this should be handled extremely carefully.

Remember that change doesn’t have to be big, even the smallest improvements can be beneficial.

If you are trying to figure out how to describe or distinguish your managerial style, Resumes Australia can help! We offer thorough, one-to-one interview coaching services that can introduce you to extensive interview practices and winning interview principles.

Regards,

Follow the Leaders on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for executives – it is a simple and effective way to connect with others in your industry, it can be used to highlight your competences and attract potential employers, and of course, it’s absolutely key in establishing yourself as a leading industry professional.
Just when we thought that LinkedIn couldn’t get any more productive, LinkedIn has now found a new way to bring even more worth and content to its 175 million members.

The company announced recently that they have enticed a large number of high profile entrepreneurs and global industry thought leaders to contribute to their site.

As LinkedIn stated in their official blog post: “We’re providing another way for you to get even more value from LinkedIn by accessing the incredible insights and information directly from some of the most recognised and influential professionals on LinkedIn.”

These thought leaders come from a range of sectors and industries across the globe.

Some notable names mentioned in the first crop of announcements include Richard Branson, William Morris Endeavour, Adriana Huffington, Tony Robbins, Danny Sullivan and even U.S. President Barack Obama.

What do you get from following these leaders, you ask? Well, for starters, a short blog-like post showcasing their thoughts and opinions about the professional business world – what makes it tick, what makes great leaders, and how to achieve success no matter what stage of your career you are at.

Richard Branson’s first post, for instance, is titled “Five Top Tips to Starting a Successful Business,” while Caterina Fake, the CEO of Findary and co-founder of Flickr, has delivered a simple post on “How to Create Time.”

Once you’ve read their articles, you can also comment directly on their content, or share their posts on other social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

If you choose to follow any of these influential leaders, you’ll also be privy to their status updates, as well as more long form article posts by them in future. In addition to this, videos, Slideshare presentations, and images are all on the cards too.

LinkedIn’s initiative is indeed primed for success. It’s an inspiring collection of the world’s most powerful people and how their thoughts can apply to almost any executive in any industry, in any country. Furthermore, the program is completely tailored towards providing benefits for LinkedIn users, so I highly recommend you take a look!

To see the full list of thought leaders, visited LinkedIn here.

Not on LinkedIn yet?

Resumes Australia can write or revise your LinkedIn Profile, create your professional executive resume or provide you with valuable interview coaching services. Through utilising our wide range of offerings, you can fast-track your career, propel your success … and perhaps one day end up as global thought leader on LinkedIn!

Regards,

How to Find That Interview Edge

When it comes to executive recruitment, competition is strong between candidates and the calibre of applications is usually very high. Even though you may stand out against less experienced applicants, going up against other executives is highly challenging, particularly when you’ve got similar expertise and work history.

So how do you gain that interview edge? Here are some great tips that I often share with my interview coaching clients:

1. Be An Industry Expert

Succeeding in an interview means not only being confident in yourself, but being knowledgeable about the industry you’re in. Demonstrate to the potential employer or interviewer that you understand how the industry works, what its fluctuations are, and how you think the employer’s vision fits in with industry movements. Whether you discuss current trends, recent events or market announcements, engage the interviewer in conversation. This will create a relationship with them beyond the simple ‘question and answer’ structure and will help to make you a more memorable candidate.

2. Understand the Competition

Learning as much as you can about an employer’s competition will also help you to understand where they fit into the market, and what their greatest challenges are as a company. For instance, if another competitor is setting the benchmark for a certain practice or market, you may want to suggest some ideas on how the employer can meet their competitors’ challenges, achieve significant growth and ultimately become a market leader, if they are not already.

3. Think Strategically

It will also benefit you to learn as much as you can about the company’s strategic direction. This will allow you to construct your answers in a way that aligns with the employer’s goals. Is their intention to grow the company by a certain amount or perhaps look for new ways to differentiate themselves from their competitors? Finding out how the company thinks strategically can give you an interview edge and it can open up new areas of discussion that other candidates may only hint at.

4. Connect, Rather Than ‘Interview’

You probably recall ‘question and answer’ interviews from when you were younger, but as an executive, your interviews should be more sophisticated. Your focus should be on connecting with the interviewers and engaging them in knowledgeable discussions, rather than simply throwing back answers to each of their questions. Strong candidates can carry conversations well and can even control the interview themselves, to a certain extent.

Need to work on your interview edge? Our executive interview coaching packages at Resumes Australia are ideal for executive candidates applying for senior roles. Contact us today for a confidential discussion.

Regards,

How to Answer: “What’s Your Greatest Weakness?”

It’s one of the most common interview questions and yet perhaps one of the most perplexing. “What’s your greatest weakness?” is often asked by employers in interviews to determine if you’re really right for the job.

If you’re looking for help on how to answer this question, great interview coaching can help you immensely. But in the meantime, here are a few, quick tips to put you on the right track.

Be Prepared

Of course, there’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to your greatest weakness. But it’s important to think about this question before the interview and prepare your answer. You will want to give a response that’s thorough and detailed, and yet doesn’t force the employer to rethink your suitability for the role. When you decide on your “weakness,” ask yourself: Is my weakness going to significantly limit my opportunity or cost me this job? If so, choose another weakness that’s going to have less of an impact.

Accentuate the Positive

Your weakness should never be purely negative. So, when you describe your weakness remember to put a positive “spin” on it or accentuate its optimistic aspects. Your weakness might be, ‘I’m sometimes too hard on my staff.’ As a weakness, this could mean that you alienate the people under you, but on the positive side, it also means that you expect great results and that you strive for excellence.

Show How You’re Improving

You will probably see your weakness as something “unfavourable” in an interview, but you should also view it as an area for improvement. Instead of simply explaining your weakness, elaborate on what you are doing to change and better yourself.

For example, if your weakness is, “I sometimes get bogged down with details,” clarify how you are taking steps to focus on the bigger picture – you might be delegating tasks to other staff who can take care of the details for you, hiring new staff so you can concentrate on more important matters, or simply working on your time management to make details a lower priority.

Through this, the interviewer will be able to see that you’re taking steps to improve your workplace behaviour and achieve growth and success. Everyone has weaknesses, but to the employer, it’s what you do with them that counts!

Still unsure how to construct your answers? Or even a little perplexed about what your weaknesses are or how to describe them? Why not let out experienced and expert interview coaches help you? Just contact Resumes Australia today!

Regards,

Overcoming Job Interview Anxiety

Sweaty hands? Pounding heart? Shaky voice? Job interview anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it happens to all of us at some point in our ‘interviewing’ lives, particularly if we’re going for a job that we really want.

Although it possibly doesn’t completely ruin your chances of success, anxiety can give employers the impression that you can’t cope with pressure.

However, overcoming job interview anxiety is possible and it means that you can enter into an interview calmly and confidently – and achieve success.

If you do suffer from butterflies in your stomach, excessive sweating or trembling hands, here are some things that may help relieve your anxiety and stress:

Do Your Research

Being prepared for any interview is crucial, but it can also help reduce your anxiety. The more knowledge you have about the potential employer and the position, the more reassured you’ll feel. So, thoroughly research the employer before your interview – find out what sort of company they are, exactly what they do, what their attitude is towards the industry and so on. Getting a ‘feel’ for the company means you can approach them more confidently.

Practice & Rehearse

If you find anxiety and nervousness hits you right before the interview, practicing or rehearsing your answers beforehand can help. You may want to do this at home in front of the mirror or you may want to look into interview coaching. An interview coach can not only help you stand out from other candidates, but they can train you on how to approach interview questions, how to prepare your answers, and how to remain calm and confident in the interview. It’s also a good idea to familiarise yourself with common interview questions, which will help you feel more prepared and less like you’re being put on the spot during the interview. Effective interview coaching will take you through these questions, too.

Two-Way Street

To ease some of your anxiety, you should also bear in mind that an interview is a two-way street – the employer is interviewing you, but you’re also interviewing them to see if the job on offer aligns with what you want. If you undergo interview training or coaching, you’ll learn how to ask questions in an interview, as well as how to answer them. Having this background can help to alter your focus and reduce your stress. Remember, you have some control in the interview, too!

Take Control

There are certain elements that you can take control of when it comes to your job interview. Being in control can mean feeling less stressed and less nervous about what’s coming. You can also take control by simply getting a good night’s sleep the night before, researching the location, showing up early to prevent any last minute flusters, choosing comfortable clothing and practicing some slow breathing techniques.

If you are looking for ways to refine your interview skills and alleviate interview anxiety and pressure, Resumes Australia can assist you through effective and successful interview coaching. We can also help with your resume, too. Just contact us!
Good luck,