8 Random Observations To Help You With Your Job Hunt

iStock | liveslow

The path to a new job is typically more arduous than winging it and waiting for a job offer with an abnormal level of certainty. During the Covid era, the typically arduous is even more so. The talent market is tight, which benefits job seekers, and the Great Resignation has many more people on the move. Professionals have the leverage, and they know it. Consequently, people – maybe even you – are winging it.

Recent observations and insider chatter support the notion that job seekers are lax and unprepared and that this trend has not gone unnoticed by the gatekeepers. Here are some quick tips, and reminders, to handle your job search like a pro.

1.     Don't spend all your energy looking for a job on Friday. Of course, you can and should apply on Friday, or any other day, but know that the unemployed and employed-and-looking do the same thing on Friday. Out of panic or disaffection, they rev up their job search on a Friday afternoon. Job seekers who want to make themselves feel better before the weekend flood recruiters and hiring managers with phone calls and emails. Those efforts are not likely to get traction. Consider "pounding the pavement" on a different day. Find a time when the volume isn't spiking – you might have a better chance of reaching a decision maker or a recruiter on another day.

2.     Be interview-ready. Don't wait until an hour before your interview to pull your suit out of the closet. Make sure your interview clothes, whatever they are, are clean and ready to go. Don't wait to print hard copies of your resume only to discover you're out of paper or ink or have printing issues you can't solve in time. Just like you shouldn't wait until you pull out of the garage to realize you need gas. You get the idea.

3.     Stay on target. Just because the job market is hopping doesn't mean you can stretch out on the couch and wait for job offers to knock on your door. Spoiler alert: That is not going to happen! Don't be a sloppy and messy candidate who is careless with the basics. Don't let overconfidence silently burn bridges. Put your best foot forward every time you put it forward. The little things separate real candidates from the recycling bin.

4.     Act now! Just like you've heard in every infomercial ever, don't wait! Act now! Intelligent companies with lots of openings are filling positions with speed and success. Don't skip the proofreading, but submit that application as soon as you are able. Be aggressive. 

5.     Answer the phone. Imagine you are a recruiter or an employee involved in the hiring process. You can't reach a candidate. He does not answer his phone, and you can't leave a message because the voice mailbox isn't set up or the mailbox is full. Now imagine you call the second candidate. He answers the phone or calls back quickly. Who gets the job? You'd be surprised how common this scenario is. Being unreachable is antithetical to getting a new job.

6.     Clean up your Zoom background. If you're doing a Zoom interview, make sure your Zoom background does not distract the interviewer. Zoom allows you to blur the background. The space should look as much like an in-person interview as possible. It does not help to have a background that is cluttered, or a tropical forest, or worse - a cluttered tropical forest! Zoom also has filters that can smooth out your appearance. 

7.     Do your market research. Knowledge is power. Hit Payscale.com and find out where you fall on the salary scale for your area. This will give you a baseline from which to assess other aspects of the job (e.g., benefits) and any mitigating factors (e.g., relocation). Knowing as much as you can about a company and how it compares with similar businesses going into an interview can be an advantage.

8.     Consider a different job at the same company. To stay or to leave a company is a difficult decision for many people. Their circumstances are more nuanced than a clear-cut case of escaping a toxic work culture or being undervalued. It may be that their heart is with the company, but something still doesn't quite fit. Instead of jumping ship, consider exploring new roles in your current company. If they roll out the red carpet to retain you, it's worth it to have that discussion. You may discover your next big thing is down the hall and not down the street.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Need To Get Better At Interviewing? Try A Mock Interview

iStock | Chaay_Tee

In many ways, a job interview is a performance. Any actor will tell you doing scene work or watching themselves on film for the first time is a sobering experience. After that, it’s nothing but practice. Just like acting, interviewing is a learned skill. The better you become, the better your chances of receiving the job offers you truly want. 

Enter the Mock Interview. Think of a mock interview as a rehearsal – you run the lines but the stakes aren’t real. It does not matter how many mistakes you make because there are no real-world consequences beyond derision from the very generous and patient friend or family member who has agreed to interview you. Running lines with another person is a superior barometer of how prepared you are to face the room than writing out and practicing answers to potential interview questions. 

Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of a Mock Interview, let’s step back and think about your “sweet spot” in the room. The whole purpose of practice, practice, practice is

to make the experience as natural as possible. A contradiction? Yes. Tried, true, and effective? Yes. Going into an interview, you want: 

·      Your authentic self to shine.

·      Your answers to sound polished but not rehearsed.

·      To give sharp, succinct answers that match the question you were asked.

·      To avoid using space-filling interjections (e.g., um, ahem, aah, hmm, ah, like, etc.)

·      To make eye contact and have open body language. 

Mock interviews can:

·      Provide a fantastic method to hone your skills and sharpen your pencil.

·      Reveal whether or not you are effectively answering questions.

·      Make you more prepared, which makes you more comfortable, which mitigates anxiety and nervousness, which increases your vertical leap by three feet.

·      Provide a friendly and receptive audience comprised of a person, or people, who know you best and will, most likely, offer positive constructive criticism.

Start with a list of questions. Endless examples of interview questions are a Google search away but to jump-start your groundbreaking off-Broadway production of “Interview 101”, here is a quick list of classics: 

·      Tell me about yourself.

·      What interested you in this opportunity?

·      Why do you think you’re a good fit for this job?

·      Tell me about your experience in this type of work.

·      What is your greatest strength and weakness?

The first type of Mock Interview is like a play in an empty theater. It’s in person. Just like a real interview, you sit awkwardly across the table from someone who asks you questions typical of a job interview. There are no rules to conducting a Mock Interview, but for the best results keep the interview questions a secret for the first run-through. After that, you can hone your responses and demeanor. In this setting, your interviewer’s body language and reactions are instant feedback.

The second type of Mock Interview is a video. Yes, you’re sitting awkwardly across a table just like before, but this time a video camera is rolling. Warning: video is not kind. Watching yourself interview can be painful, because video reveals interview skill deficiencies with unnerving accuracy. You will see things invisible during your live one-on-one like fidgeting, posture, eye contact, blinking, excessive interactions, and sweating.

Practice. Practice. Practice. Rinse. Repeat.

Other tips – ignore at your own risk: 

·      Do a full dress (up!) rehearsal, including printing out your resume and stressing about where to park.

·      Many interviews are behavioral interviews. Knowledge is power. Learn as much about them as you can.

·      Don’t forget the other important set of interview questions – yours! Chances are, you’ve had an interview that ends with, “Do you have any questions?” Have questions. Great, well-researched, and well-thought-out questions. If you don’t ask your interviewers questions, you’ll come across as uninterested.

·      For recent graduates or soon-to-be-recent graduates – put down your phones! No. Seriously. Put down your phones. Take those earbuds out of your ears and L-I-S-T-E-N. Your college career center may have some great resources to help you prepare for interviews.

·      Thank your interviewer(s) for your time (yes, even the imaginary one during the mock interview!).

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

5 Strategies To Help You Stay Motivated During a Prolonged Job Search

iStockphoto.com | BartekSzewczyk

As of November 2021, there are 2.19 million long-term unemployed in the United States, defined as people who have been actively looking for a job for over twenty-seven months, which makes up 32% of the total number of unemployed. (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Twenty-seven months… and counting! What keeps people going?

The job search can be a demoralizing experience. When it takes longer to find a job than expected, it may produce anxiety and doubt. We can only take so much rejection before it affects our disposition and feelings of empowerment. If you don’t have confidence in yourself, why should anybody else?

The good news is that job hunting is a learned skill. If you find yourself in a rut, you can apply some proven steps to adjust your approach and improve your results. As long as you’re open to some trial and error, you can strengthen your job search muscle until you’re conditioned to win the race.

1.     Indulge in self-care. Be easy on yourself – especially when things seem difficult. A long-term job search can take its toll on your mental health. It’s important to treat yourself with kindness and self-care. Whether it’s a daily walk, time at the gym, yoga, or catching a game every week, do whatever it takes to remain positive, energetic, and healthy.

2.     Have a solid plan. If your job search takes longer than expected, you may need to develop a more in-depth strategy to jump-start it. You may realize your search has been haphazard and you may be able to turn it around with a more disciplined approach. Or you discover your search is overly aggressive and you need to focus on jobs that truly match your skill sets. Whatever the case, have a plan, and if you already have one that’s not working, be open to changing it.

3.     Assess and adjust. Make an honest assessment of your job search process. Are you checking all the boxes – resume, cover letter, professional attire, punctual, prepared, polite, thank you notes? Are recruiters calling you or is the phone silent? Are you getting interviews but no follow-ups? Do things fall apart during salary negotiations? Identify where the process breaks down. Once you know the point, or points, of failure you can address them in a proactive, scientific way.

4.     Flip the script. Once you figure out what’s not working, develop an entirely new approach. If your resume is lackluster, sink some time and money into improving it. If you’re tripping up in interviews, change the way you prepare. Whatever the case may be, do stuff differently. Just changing your approach can motivate you to keep at it.

5.     Never quit. “Discouraged workers” is the label the Bureau of Labor Statistics gives to people who have given up looking for a job. In November 2021, an estimated 450,000 people surveyed fell into that category but the number is most likely higher. The longer a job search goes on, the more difficult it becomes to get one. Yet, you must never quit searching, applying, and interviewing for jobs. Do not become a discouraged worker. Work the problem with some of the practical quick tips here, and spend time researching ways to improve your overall job searching skills.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.