Landing an Out of State Interview

 

 

 

 

 

 

When most people think of a job search, they imagine completing that search on their home turf – utilizing the networking contacts they already have and positioning themselves for a move that might have them driving to a different side of town, but wouldn’t involve any actual relocation.

Unfortunately, relocation is sometimes necessary if you want to move forward in your career. In some industries, there are only a handful of opportunities for certain positions nationwide. And if that is where you skillset resides, you need to be ready to move pretty much anytime you decide you want a change in career scenery. Then there are those who are moving for personal reasons already, but still need to find a new job to hopefully land in before they get wherever they are going.

Whatever your reasons for searching out of state, it’s important to know that an out of state job search can sometimes take longer to fulfill. The reality is, most hiring managers would just prefer to hire somebody already in state if given the choice. Not only does it save them the hassle, but it also means they don’t have to worry about getting saddled with relocation costs.

So if you heart is set on relocation, for whatever reason, how do you make your resume stand out in a way that convinces hiring managers you are worth the hassle?

 

If You Are Already Planning on Moving, Make That Clear

First and foremost, if this is a move that is already happening for personal reasons – make that abundantly clear. In fact, if you already have a move date and new address lined up, you may want to actually use that new address on your resume. By doing so, hiring managers won’t immediately discount you when they see an out of state post code. If you don’t yet have a new address, you can still use your resume to let hiring managers know that a move is imminent by putting “Relocating to —– on ——.” In this way, you are communicating that a move is absolutely happening, letting them know you aren’t technically an out of state hire so much as a hire who just hasn’t landed home yet.

 

Use Your Cover Letter

If you’re not already planning to move, but are instead simply searching for out of state opportunities (and planning to relocate wherever you are offered a job) you can use your cover letter to explain why you are a candidate who is worth overlooking in-state applicants for. Remember, you need to be the cream of the crop if you are going to convince hiring managers to bring you on board from out of state, so you really need to highlight exactly what you have to offer. You should also use your cover letter to express your absolute willingness to relocate, perhaps by citing a few things about the area you would love to embrace. For instance, if you live in a cold climate and the new job would be somewhere warm – don’t be afraid to mention how happy you would be to get away from snow shoveling in the winters.

 

Be Easy to Interview

Let’s be honest: going through the hiring process with out of state applicants is just more work for hiring managers. They either have to set up web cam interviewing (which can be a pain, and often feels impersonal) or actually fly you in to meet with the big wigs (which can be expensive). You want to make those options as easy as possible, perhaps even by offering to fly yourself in for an interview that you would be especially interested in. If you think your out of state status might be holding them back from considering you further, be willing to bend over backwards to show them that status isn’t an issue. Not only will you be showing them how genuinely interested you are in the position, you’ll also prove to be a big sigh of relief for hiring managers that were preparing themselves for a lot of extra effort on your behalf.

 

 

 

When, and How, to Explain Gaps in Your Resume

 

 

 

 

 

Re-entering the job market after an extended absence can be a scary thing. They say that the best time to find a new job is while you are still currently employed, and there is a lot of truth to that – hiring managers tend toward applicants who have a current work history, and the longer that gap in your employment – the harder it can be to convince them you are still relevant and valuable, no matter what industry you are in.

So, yeah, filling out an application when you have a good chunk of time unaccounted for can be nerve wracking. But knowing when and how to address that elephant in the room can make all the difference in terms of your chances at landing that job.

 

On the Cover Letter

When your resume boasts a lot of experience, but also reveals a solid span of time where you were unemployed, one of the first things you may want to consider doing is changing up your resume format. Instead of using the standard chronological format, which will only further highlight the gaps in your employment, consider redrafting your resume in a functional format – highlighting your skills and abilities, as opposed to your job titles and dates of employment.

Even with a chronological format, you will still be listing those titles and dates on the resume – they are just typically reduced to bullet points at the bottom, allowing your skills and expertise to get the bulk of the attention. But if you have a gap of a year or longer, it’s likely a hiring manager will still notice. So in those cases, you will want to address the gap on your cover letter. Keep your explanation brief and gear the bulk of the cover letter to your capabilities, but add a sentence or two pertaining to your extended leave from the work force, ending on a note of excitement and preparedness to return.

 

In the Interview

If your leave was less than a year long, don’t address it on the cover letter. Utilize the functional resume format, use your cover letter to address what you have to offer, and trust that if the hiring manager does notice your gap in employment – they will choose to address it during the interview, rather than allowing it to be a complete deal breaker.

 

Be Prepared

They will bring it up, though, regardless of whether or not you have addressed your employment gap on your cover letter. So be prepared for that – the question about what you did with your time away from the workforce will come up. And how you answer that question will make a difference in whether or not you move on to the next level of potential hires.

 

Be Honest

Under no circumstances should you try to pretend as though your leave was something it wasn’t. If you spent 18 months traveling the world on an inheritance you received, or if you opted out of the workforce when you had children, out of a desire to stay home with them, be honest about that. Obviously, there are some details that don’t need to be shared (keep your stories about drunken beach nights to yourself), but don’t make up a story that you think sounds better, just because you are afraid of admitting the true reason you took time off. Interviewers appreciate honesty, and anyway – they will find out if you say you spent that time building houses in Costa Rica, when in reality, you were just riding out the last of your severance pay while watching talk shows on your couch. A positive spin is one thing, but a bold-faced lie will only hurt you in the end.

 

Be Confident

Own how you spent your time away from the workforce and don’t shy away from talking about it, but also be confident in what you have to offer now. Talk about how that time you spent taking care of your ailing parents taught you responsibitliy and loyalty, while also reminding you how ready you are to return to the workforce. Or explain what you learned about commitment while hiking some of the tallest peaks in the world. Know what you have to offer, and don’t be afraid to discuss it in relation to that time you took off. Because it is sometimes the road less traveled that leads to the best learning experiences, and you never know when you will come across a hiring manager who truly appreciates your unique perspective on life and business.

 

 

 

How to Blow an Interview in Three Words or Less

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interviews are stressful. I get it. It feels like this small chunk of time in which you have to prove yourself, and that can be overwhelming for everyone. How do you sum up everything you are capable of into a 30-minute timeframe? How do you convince a hiring manager that you are the one they want, with your competition sitting right out in the lobby waiting for their chance to do the same?

You’re not alone in thinking that interviews are stressful. But the truth is, there is an art form to successful interviews – a reason why some people just seem universally better at interviewing than others. Yes, some of that has to do with their ability to keep their cool in stressful situations. But the rest comes from the knowledge that what they don’t say is just as important as what they do.

So in case you weren’t aware, here are the key phrases you should never utter in an interview.

 

I Don’t Know

The vast majority of the questions asked in an interview will have to do with you and your work history. So if you find yourself reaching for the phrase, “I don’t know,” in response to any of the questions you have been asked, pull back and reevaluate. Not all of us think quickly on our feet, and that’s fine. But if an interviewer is asking you to reference a time in your past when you helped your company solve a problem, for instance, ask for a moment to think – and then take that moment. Don’t default to “I don’t know” because you’re nervous and can’t think of something on the fly. Breathe, contemplate, and then respond with an answer that will truly impress them.

This also applies to questions about the company and job at hand. Do your research, and be ready and willing to prove you have done that research. If you’re answering “I don’t know” when asked about specific job duties pertinent to this opening, you’ve already talked yourself out of this position – and likely any others that might have one day had you sitting in front of this same hiring manager.

 

How Much?

“How much vacation time are you offering?” “How much money does this opening pay?” “How much does the company contribute to 401k’s?”

Whoa. Hold your horses. There is a time and place for questions of the “how much” variety, but during the interview? You should be focused on getting that job offer first – not on assuming it is already yours to accept or deny. When “how much” comes up in a job interview, there is an implicit arrogance that most hiring managers won’t respond well to. So take a step back and remember that they are interviewing you for this job, not the other way around.

 

I Really Hated…

Any time you catch yourself starting to complain about a previous job or supervisor, stop. Even if it feels relevant to the discussion. Remember that this employer doesn’t yet know you, and so if you are negatively reflecting upon past experiences, they will be inclined to at least consider the possibility that you were as much a contributing factor to that negativity as the employer you are complaining. Instead, find diplomatic ways to phrase your reasons behind leaving previous positions, and always turn the conversation back to what you have to offer this company, not what you found lacking in the past.

 

Sorry I’m Late

Sure, life happens. But when it comes to job interviews, you don’t ever want to start off by being the one late into the room. Plan your day around being at least 15 to 20 minutes early to the interview. You can always use that time to brush up on your notes about the company as you wait. This is one of those situations where a bad first impression is almost impossible to recover from, so just don’t put yourself in that position. Show up early and prove from the moment you walk into the door that landing this job is important to you.

Trust me, hiring managers are paying attention!

 

Following Up, Without Getting a Restraining Order

The most generic piece of advice given to jobseekers is “follow up!”

“Follow up on your application!”

“Follow up on your interview!”

“Follow up on the selection process!”

It is advice that has been repeated and handed down so often, that people now almost see it as a must – without realizing that following up can absolutely go too far.

We need to remember that hiring managers are people too. People with jobs and important tasks to handle throughout their day. They aren’t just sitting around waiting to field your follow up calls, and they do have better things to do than respond to e-mails from applicants. So while following up can be a great way to reiterate your interest, it can also go too far.

Think about your job search in terms of dating – remembering that you wouldn’t want to obsessively call or e-mail someone you’ve just met. And then, tread carefully when it comes to the follow up.

 

Making a Call

Placing a single phone call to inquire about a job opening or to check that your application was received is acceptable, particularly if you keep that call short, pleasant and to the point. But calling more than twice absolutely places you into stalker territory, and convinces hiring managers that you are either too desperate or too high maintenance. Sometimes, job searches are just a waiting game. So trust that they have your information, and then give them time to call you if they are interested.

 

Sending an E-Mail

There are times when sending an e-mail can absolutely be a valuable professional courtesy to extend. Thanking a hiring manager for the opportunity to interview for a position, for instance, usually goes a long way to express your interest in the job. But remember to keep it at that. You may want to improve upon your answer to an interview question, or follow up on something that you discussed during that interview, but always aim to keep it as short and to the point as possible. And then, don’t e-mail again. No matter how much you want to check in to see if a decision has been made or to ask if they have set up a timeline for second interviews yet. This is another area where being too eager can very easily come off as desperate. And just like in dating, desperate is the last thing you want to be perceived as being when searching for a job.

 

Dropping By

Don’t do it. Under no circumstances should you ever just pop by the office and ask to see the hiring manager. You may be convinced that this is the best possible way to show how much you truly want this job, but the real message you are sending is that you don’t value the hiring manager’s time; that you assume they are just sitting around waiting for you to show up. They aren’t. In fact, they are incredibly busy, with schedules that include interviews with applicants who have waited until they were called and meetings were arranged before showing up. There is a perceived arrogance in applicants who just drop by, and it can be a surefire way to have your name removed from the list of possible hires. So instead, exercise a little patience and be willing to wait to meet with the hiring manager until you are called to do so. If that call never comes, it wasn’t meant to be. But showing up and putting your face in front of theirs unannounced never would have changed that outcome. And it could absolutely be detrimental if they were otherwise considering you.

 

Frequently Asked Interview Questions

Interviews give hiring managers the opportunity to personally assess candidates, looking for the person who will be the best fit not only in the current opening, but also within the corporation. Usually lasting between 30 minutes to an hour, this brief window of time is your opportunity to sell yourself above and beyond what anyone could read about you on a single piece of paper. Most of the time, a successful interview comes down to your ability to remain calm and collected under pressure. Preparing yourself for some of the most common interview questions ahead of time can help you to do just that.

Tell Me About Yourself?

You can expect most interviews to start off with a generic question like this. The hiring manager wants to get a feel for who you are, and what better way is there to accomplish that, than to give you a few minutes to speak freely about your background and what you believe you have to offer. Avoid answering this question with anything too personal; your current relationship status and whether or not you have a baby on the way isn’t relevant to the job you are hoping to land. Instead, stick to topics your interviewer will find most pertinent, including your educational background and what piqued your interest the most about the opening you are now interviewing for.

What are Your Biggest Strengths and Weaknesses?

This is always a tough question to answer, because you don’t want to come off as arrogant, but you don’t want to undersell yourself either. Tailor your answer about strengths to the job, indirectly referencing back to a few key points you remember seeing on the job description as you talk about your assets in those areas. When it comes to your weakness, put a positive spin on whatever you mention. For instance, a good weakness might be that you are a bit of a perfectionist who occasionally puts too much pressure on yourself to get the details of a new project or presentation just right.

Why Are You Interested in Working Here?

Most interviewers want to know that you are interested in this job at this company, not just any job anywhere. If they don’t feel you would be passionate in this role, they won’t want to hire you out of fear that you will quickly move on to any better opportunity that presents itself. Use this question as your chance to assure the interviewer that you have done your research about both the company and the job, talking up aspects of each that you would be excited to take on.

Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?

With this question, interviewers are trying to gauge not only your company loyalty, but also what kind of employee you would be if you came on board. Never make the mistake of talking poorly about your previous employer. Instead, mention the things you loved about your old job, before giving an honest yet positive reason for leaving. For instance, you may simply want to say that you had mastered your old position and found yourself ready to look for a new challenge. Speak glowingly about what you learned previously, even as you place an emphasis on where you hope to be in the future.

How Have You Handled Difficult Situations With Coworkers in the Past?

Show the interviewer that you are a team player when you answer this question. Speak about ways you have worked to build unity and meet on common ground with coworkers you otherwise may not have always seen eye to eye with. Avoid placing blame and instead talk about differing personalities and how you worked to come together.

Visit Resumes Australia to learn more about how we can help you with interview coaching. Alternatively, take advantage straight away of our services here.

Regards,

Is Facebook Stopping you From Securing That Great Role

The job market has been fiercely competitive for some time, making background and reference checks common tools utilised by most companies. Yet applicants today have to worry about a whole new level of personal investigations that never existed 10 years ago though. With the explosion of social media, many hiring managers turn to the internet before even making a decision on which applicants to grant interviews to. So if your Facebook page is littered with photos of you partying alongside your uni friends and your security settings aren’t personalised to protect you from prying eyes, you could be harming yourself in the job search.

Know Who Your Friends Are

Embarking upon finding a new job is the perfect time to analyze your friends list. If you are Facebook friends with people you have ever met (and everyone they know) over the last 10 years, it might be time to consider reducing the number of people you consider “friends”. Remember that unless you have set up special filters, everyone on your friends list has access to everything you post. You likely know some of these people better than others, but would you trust each of them to give you a potential reference for a new job? When your friends list outnumbers your high school graduation class, it is always possible that someone there could have ties to a company you are hoping to work for. It might be best to reduce your friends down to just those people you know would have your back were they to be asked about your potential as an employee.

Profile Pictures

There is no hiding your profile picture from the world, and cover photos are now viewable by anyone who can get to your page as well. Put serious consideration into the images you choose to highlight on your Facebook page in this way. While you may think the photo of you doing a keg stand at your high school reunion is hilarious, many hiring managers will quickly discount you if they see that is the image you have chosen to represent you to the internet. Remember too that in some circumstances, these photos can be captured by internet search results and for a long time be associated with your name. You can set your privacy settings to restrict some access, but you should still choose your main images very carefully.

View As

To see what others can see, go to your profile page and select the “view as” option. This should bring up a public view of your Facebook page. It can be enlightening to see how much is viewable by the general public that you were previously sure had been hidden. With Facebook constantly changing their settings, you never know what may suddenly become available for the whole world to see. It is advisable to use this tool to check on your current settings regularly, allowing you to remain aware of what hiring managers will come across should they decide to go snooping through social media looking for information about you.

Lock it Up

The best way to protect yourself during the job hunt is to carefully consider everything you post online. Beyond that, you can delete photos from your timeline and set your profile settings to be as secure as possible. If you are really feeling concerned about what your current internet presence may say to hiring managers about you, you might want to consider temporarily closing your Facebook account down until after your job search has proven to be successful.

Regards,

3 Day Count-Down to Your Interview: What you Should be Doing

You have been on the search for a new and fulfilling career for a while now, and recently you saw an opening for a job you know you would be perfect for. You scoured the job description and diligently targeted your cover letter and resume to catch the hiring manager’s attention. Your eye for detail has paid off, and you are now three days away from that first interview. How should you prepare so that you can give the best impression possible?

Study the Company

Get online and learn everything you can about the company. You want to find out about their core philosophies and goals for the future. Read through any recent reports they may have released, and check to see if they have made the news in any capacity over the last year. Pay attention to the other companies they may align themselves with, as well as ways they have become involved in the local community. If you can, try to get a feel for their corporate culture, including ways they show their appreciation to employees and how much they value a work/life balance. All of these things can come in handy during an interview, allowing the hiring manager to see that you have done your research. Try to find a few aspects to remark on, expressing how impressed you are by what you have learned.

Review the Job Description

Yes, you already looked over the job description when you first applied, but now you will want to commit those details to memory. Throughout the interview you will have many opportunities to show the hiring manager you are exactly what they are looking for, but you have to know what they are looking for first. If there are some key skills and abilities which seem to come up multiple times in the job description, make it clear that you possess those traits which seem so important to this role. Think up some questions you can ask about the position as well. Not about the benefits, but about the type of person they are specifically looking for and how you could better fit that mould.

Practice

Now is the time to go through a few dry run interviews, making sure you are ready to answer any questions which may come up with composure and confidence. Compile a list of typical interview questions and ask a friend or family member to help you practice. Treat this as you would a real interview, not allowing yourself to fall out of character or lose focus. If you don’t answer a question in the way you would have liked to, come back to it later and practice your response again and again until it feels right. Have your faux interviewer throw in a few unexpected questions as well, even if they don’t necessarily pertain to your ability to complete the job. This can help you prepare for any surprises which may come up during the actual interview.

Check out the Location

Save yourself some stress by heading to the interview location a day or two early. Pay attention to any traffic congestion which you may need to plan for on the day, and drive around the parking lot a few times to get a better idea of exactly where you need to go. This can also be the perfect time to get a feel for the new office you may be working at. Scope out local eateries and assess employees as they walk in and out of the building. You can take in the corporate culture by making these pre-emptive visits, and if the current employees are all dressed to the upmost level of professionalism, this can also give you an idea of how to present yourself on interview day. 

Visit Resumes Australia to learn more about how we can help you with interview coaching. Alternatively, take advantage straight away of our services here.

Regards,

Building Rapport in an Executive Interview

As an executive, building rapport with your interviewers is critical in progressing to the next phase of the recruitment process.

If you do have an executive interview coming up, it is important to view it as the start of what could possibly become a long term relationship, rather than a one-off opportunity. Even if you don’t get the job, great rapport now will make you a memorable candidate, which can benefit you greatly in future.

Here are my best tips for building rapport during this significant time:

1. Get It Right From the Start

It is often the little things that can leave a bad taste in an interviewer’s mouth, so make sure you master your interview from the start. This means showing up on time (or earlier) and presenting yourself as professionally as possible. Make sure you are dressed in corporate attire and that your appearance is neat and tidy.

2. Be Courteous

Courteousness can go an extremely long way in building rapport, so it is crucial to be polite at all times, whether you are dealing with the receptionist or with your actual interviewer.

This may sound like an obvious piece of advice, but it is important; a lack of manners – even simple ‘pleases’ and ‘thank yous’ – can create the impression that you are stiff, unfriendly, disrespectful and even downright rude.

3. Smile

Smiling is also important in your executive interviews. Just because you’re a high profile professional doesn’t mean that you can’t be happy about it as well.

Smiling will create the impression that you are confident, prepared, eager, relaxed and pleased to be attending the interview. As a result, you will come off much more approachable and open and interviewers will respond to you much more warmly as well.

4. Be Personal & Friendly

A job interview is not only about the skills and talents you can offer, but about how your personality as a whole will fit in with the culture of the company, and more specifically, as a member of the executive team.

Interviewers want to know that they are interviewing a real person, not a professional robot and they will want to get to know you both as a professional and as a person. Creating a personal, honest and open atmosphere is essential here and will ensure your rapport gets off on the right foot.

5. Be Yourself 

Finally, one of the biggest aspects of building great rapport with any contact – whether a colleague, a head hunter or an interviewer – is to be yourself. Interviewers can often sense when you are “putting on a show” or trying to behave as someone you are not, and this can lead to poor rapport and a sense of ‘falseness’ about your performance.

If you are nervous or unsure of how to be confident and be yourself during job interviews, it is simply a matter of improving your skills with practise.

Need a little interview help? The interview coaches at Resumes Australia are extremely experienced in all areas of interview preparation. Learn more at: http://www.resumes-australia.com.au/interviewcoaching.html

Regards,

Keeping It Relevant: How to Stay On track During Job Interviews

I recently had a client come to me with specific concerns about where and why he was going wrong in relation to his job search. He had attended several interviews, but at the end of the day, he found himself being constantly passed over in favour of other candidates. Despite his unique talents, he felt it was all going wrong at the interview stage.

One of the biggest problems this candidate had was keeping his responses and conversations on track during the interview process. Although he gave quite competent answers in interview sessions, we found that he simply rambled on until he finally realised that he had either lost track of what he was saying or had forgotten the question altogether.

If, for some reason, you fall under this same interview “spell”, here are some fantastic tips from the interview coaches at Resumes Australia on how you can keep your interview dialogue relevant and on the right track!

Talking Too Much

Talking for too long in response to interview questions is a problem that many interview candidates have. Whether they are nervous about the process or uncertain about the question, they tend to provide an answer and then the fear sets in that this answer is not enough. So, they keep talking and eventually find themselves rambling on for too long.

It might take some practise, but knowing when to stop talking in an interview is a valuable skill. To start with, you might want to try thinking thoroughly about the question before you answer or asking the interviewer to clarify the question if you don’t understand what is being asked. Make sure your answers are clear and succinct and focus on responding to the question directly, using concrete examples.

Concrete Answers

Using concrete examples is a great tactic when fielding interview questions. Examples allow you to demonstrate your skills and competencies in a specific way and they also mean that your responses stay highly relevant and on track.

When you are asked an interview question, one of the first responses that pops into your mind should be: “When have I done/achieved this in the past and what was the outcome?”

You can then use this example (or examples) to answer the interviewer’s question and give them ‘proof’ about what you can do and how well you can do it.

If you are unsure of what examples to give, take a look at your resume and make a list of your past achievements, both big and small, and consider how these relate to the job description. This will provide you with a good bank of examples to choose from during your next interview; the more interviews you attend, the more confident you’ll feel about providing examples in your answers.

What Does the Employer Want?

When you apply for a particular job, you should base your resume and cover letter (and any other documentation) on the job advertisement or job description. Hence, you should have a fairly clear idea of what the employer wants from a candidate and you can use this knowledge in your interviews.

You can keep your interviews on the right path here by ensuring that your answers directly relate to what the employer is looking for. For example, if an interviewer asks you when you had to deal with a difficult situation on the job and you know they are searching for a candidate with strong conflict management skills, you might want to describe a situation in which you handled a tough conflict, explaining what methods and tools you used to resolve thee issue.

If you do not have the best memory, you can bring a copy of the job description with you into the interview. However, you should also conduct thorough preparation beforehand: write down what the employer is looking for and make a list of how your talents satisfy each requirement.

Research

Often, candidates stray off the beaten path in job interviews because they simply don’t know enough about the role or the company. Preparation is essential, so make sure you conduct extensive research on the organisation before you get to the job interview. You can peruse the company’s website, read reports or other materials they offer or ask the HR manager or recruitment officer if they are able to give you any information.

In addition to company research, you can also research the people who will be interviewing you (if possible) and/or any relevant industry news or movements that might benefit you in the interview process.

Keen to know more about our Interview Coaching & Performance programs at Resumes Australia? Simply contact us for further information or review our packages here.

Regards,

Impressing Recruiters in an Interview

Connecting with a recruiter or search consultant during your job search can be invaluable. Recruiters can open doors to new opportunities outside of traditional applications and they can put you in front of high profile organisations that you otherwise wouldn’t have access to. Once you’ve made it to the interview stage, it is imperative that you impress your recruiter in order to secure that next, crucial meeting with the employer.

1. The Small Things

No matter how much talent and experience you have, the small things can often make or break your success. While they might seem trivial, they are actually indicative of your personality and ethic:

• Be punctual; show up on time (or earlier); if you are late because of circumstances out of your control, make sure you phone ahead
• Dress appropriately in clean, corporate attire
• Ensure your breath is clean and fresh and your hair is neat and tidy
• Turn your mobile phone off or put it on silent, and don’t be distracted by it during the interview

2. Confidence

Confidence goes a long way in impressing recruiters in an executive interview. Being shy, uncertain or too softly spoken can give the recruiter the image that you are not strong enough to deal with the daily tasks and challenges that the role entails. Confidence needs to encompass all areas of your interview, too; you need to be able to speak confidently about your past/present responsibilities and accomplishments, as well as your challenges and weaknesses.

3. Interview Techniques

Have you mastered the art of answering tough interview questions, talking for the right amount of time and staying on topic? And are your answers fully relevant to the role? If your interview skills are rusty, it will benefit you significantly to polish up your interviewing and speaking techniques. Practising and rehearsing answers or participating in a short interview coaching session can be useful, especially if you haven’t been to an interview for a long time. Remember, if you don’t impress the recruiter, you won’t have the opportunity to impress the employer.

4. Personal Edge

Friendliness alone won’t get you the job, but it is important in building rapport with the recruiter. While you don’t need to be overly friendly, pleasantries and courteousness are ideal in giving your interview that personal touch and ensuring the recruiter that you are a confident, relaxed person. Remaining attentive throughout the interview is also key; appearing distracted, negative or bored will definitely not work in your favour.

5. Asking Questions

Finally, make sure you ask some questions about the role you are applying for once the recruiter has finished interviewing you. Most recruiters will expect this and your questions will shows interest and enthusiasm in the position. Conducting research prior to the interview can also help shape and inform your queries and will also serve to impress the recruiter. While basic questions like, “what does the role involve?” and “what are the company perks?” are important, more specific or in depth queries will also demonstrate your aptitude for the role. Resumes Australia is a top career consultancy firm specialising in interview coaching, resume writing and career coaching for executives.

Regards,