Four Steps to a Better Interview

After reflecting on the past month that was filled with lots of interviews with candidates that I presented to many different companies, a common trend seemed to be many candidates not interviewing as well as we thought they would. As such, this article from Yahoo hot jobs (by Brad Karsh) on tips for interviewing better seemed fitting and also very timely. Have a great day!

Here's a question I often hear: What are some things I can do to prepare for a job interview?

Answer: There really aren't too many things in life more awkward than a job interview. You're dressed in formal business clothing, sitting across from a stranger. This stranger has the right to ask you anything from the most elaborate to the most mundane questions. And you have to spend an hour talking about nothing but yourself. Actually it sounds pretty similar to a blind date!

Just like a blind date, there are some definite no-no's you need to avoid if you want to make it to the next level.

Don't try to outwit or outguess the interviewer. Most candidates go into a job interview thinking it's a contest where the goal is to defeat the interviewer in some type of battle of wits.
"Aha, Brad has asked me this question. Clearly, that is some type of trick question. I just don't know what the trick is yet. Here's how I would normally answer the question, but instead I should say what he probably wants to hear." That thinking is when good interviews go bad. Sit back, relax, and pretend it is a conversation with a friend. Those are the best interviews.

Read the job description. I call the job description the "cheat sheet" for the interview. Chances are the items listed on the job description will come up in the interview. For instance, if the job description says, "looking for creative problem-solvers" one of the questions you will receive is, "Give me an example of when you creatively solved a problem."

Have reasons for everything you've done. Most companies conduct behavioral interviews. It means they are more interested in the hows and the whys as opposed to the whats. They want to know what makes you tick. An interviewer is not simply going to say, "Oh, I see that you worked as a sales rep in your last job. Cool." That interviewer may spend about 10 minutes asking questions about the job: "What did you like about the job? What were your accomplishments? What were your biggest mistakes?" And on and on. Be sure you have answers.

Ask questions. There is nothing more damaging than not having a single question at the end of an interview. It shows that you have no curiosity or interest in the organization. Almost every interviewer will leave about five minutes at the end of the interview to answer questions. Make sure you have a couple. Two or three questions is appropriate, and they can be either personal questions -- "What do you like about working here?" -- or they can be business questions -- "How has the Internet affected your business?" There you have it. Four quick ways that you can make sure you ace the interview and have the job offers rolling in. Good luck!

Urgent Positions!!!

Things continue to heat up and keep us busy with a good variety of positions we are recruiting for currently! There are a few really urgent and hot positions that we could use your help with! As always, please keep an eye out on the list of current jobs we are recruiting for that are listed to the lower right side of this blog. Listed below in this post are the most urgent positions that we are seeking individuals for. If you or anyone you know of may be interested and a good fit, please let us know!

Remember, when you give us a referral name, whether it is someone you know well or someone you just know of in the industry…we will always keep the referral confidential unless you tell us you want us to let them know you referred them. We are always truly appreciative for all the help and many great referrals so many of you continue to provide us with – thank you!

Design Engineers – 3 positions! Must be able to relocate.

Outside Sales – NY (several areas) & NJ (central/southern)

Project Managers – several positions all over country! Must be able to relocate. Some great opportunities/companies here!

We have a constant and continual need for CAD specialists – all over the country!

Rules to Relocation

There is no perfect formula to moving and it is true (speaking from my own experience!) that relocating can be one of the most stressful life experiences you encounter. After all, you are not just moving your stuff…you are moving your life! If you go into the relocation well planned, there are many ways to ease the potential stress of the move. Here are some tips that will help you breeze through a relocation:

Do your homework. Taking the time to research the area you are moving to will save you a lot of hassle and headache down the road. Take advantage of many free resources you can tap into such as local realtors, churches and a myriad of websites that will practically do your research for you (www.move.com, www.moving.com, http://www.usps.com/receive/changeaddress/movingtips.htm. The best resource is tapping into the people that you have met during your interview process, as these folks obviously already live in the city you are moving to and can be an instant wealth of knowledge for you to benefit from.

Get a floor plan. If possible, get a floor plan of your future residence or draw one yourself to scale on graph paper. This will help you map out your furniture to fit. If it won’t fit on paper, it won’t fit when it arrives. This rule holds true whether you are renting or buying a home.

Make the most of what you have. Whether it is buying groceries, dog food, etc.…heed caution when replenishing your pantry if you are nearing the date of your move. Frozen foods cannot be shipped and the last thing you want to do is pack boxes full of canned foods…so eat up!

If in doubt…throw it out! Get rid of anything prior to your move that you are in doubt of needing. Chances are you won’t need that riding lawnmower if you are planning in renting an apartment for a year or so. If you don’t need it or haven’t used it for a long time…get rid of it! Moving costs are typically calculated on weight so why not lose some dead weight and save some money! Not sure what to do with all your old treasures? Have a garage sale and earn a profit from your old treasures versus paying the moving truck to haul what may be a ton of junk that will just collect dust in a storage garage or attic in your new place. There are also many companies that will handle your sale or people that will ebay your items for a small percentage of the profit. An easy alternative is also to donate your things to a local charity and get a tax deduction.

Get quotes. It is always recommended to get at least 3 quotes from professional movers prior to selecting the one who will move your belongings. Get a referral for a reputable mover from friends, family…or you can call us as we are partnered with a free relocation services that can provide that as well.

Allow time for packing. Moving requires lots of organization and patience. Decide if you want to put the effort into packing yourself or paying a bit extra to have a reputable moving company pack for you. If you have the extra cash to do so, it is highly recommended to pay the movers to pack for you as it can be a big stress reliever with all else you have going on in coordinating your big move.

Make a list and check it twice. There are many free checklists out there for you to better organize your move to ensure you are not forgetting a vital task of your move. The post office has a list included in their change of address packet that is quite helpful as well. There are so many obvious tasks that you will seemingly have to tackle…so having a list may help keep you organized and a bit more stress free throughout the relocation.

Breathe! Bottom line is to take a deep breathe and tackle one task at a time. While it is always exciting to think about a new home, a new city, new friends, new surroundings and environment, relocation does come with its fair share of hassles. Staying organized and on task throughout the process will help make the move and transition into your new city and hopefully dream job much more enjoyable!

Job Interview Blunders

This list of jokes has been around as I have seen it before. Yet, it is worth a quick read for a good laugh. Supposedly, this list was complied by Vice Presidents and personnel directors of the one hundred largest corporations when they were asked to describe their most unusual experience interviewing prospective employees. While some of them seem absolutely unbelievable, I have actually heard a few crazier from my own hiring managers that I have worked with over the years!

A job applicant challenged the interviewer to an arm wrestle.

Interviewee wore a Walkman, explaining that she could listen to the interviewer and the music at the same time.

Candidate fell and broke arm during interview.

Candidate announced she hadn't had lunch and proceeded to eat a hamburger and french fries in the interviewers office.

Candidate explained that her long-term goals was to replace the interviewer.

Candidate said he never finished high school because he was kidnapped and kept in a closet in Mexico.

Balding Candidate excused himself and returned to the office a few minutes later wearing a headpiece.

Applicant said if he was hired he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm.

Applicant interrupted interview to phone her therapist for advice on how to answer specific interview questions.

Candidate brought large dog to interview.

Applicant refused to sit down and insisted on being interviewed standing up.

Candidate dozed off during interview.

The employers were also asked to list the "most unusual" questions that have been asked by job candidates.

"What is it that you people do at this company?"

"What is the company motto?"

"Why aren't you in a more interesting business?"

"What are the zodiac signs of all the board members?"

"Why do you want references?"

"Do I have to dress for the next interview?"

"I know this is off the subject, but will you marry me?"

"Will the company move my rock collection from California to Maryland?"

"Will the company pay to relocate my horse?"

"Does your health insurance cover pets?"

"Does your company have a policy regarding concealed weapons?"

Free Resume Writing & Advice Website

I stumbled across a great website the other day that is geared towards writing a winning resume. There are an overwhelming number of resume writing, critique and miscellaneous other resume related services sites out there to attempt to navigate through. However, this one by far was one of the best I have seen in a very long time. In addition to providing some great tips on resume writing, the site also provides an unbelievable amount of other great resources, such as; free samples of resumes, interview and negotiation tips, ways to overcome stumbling blocks such as gaps in employment, no degree, etc. One of the things I really thought that made the site stand out from the crowd was the site owner, Susan Ireland, has many quick tip videos posted throughout the site, by topic, giving the site a personal and very genuine type feel. I suppose the very best part of this site is that it is completely free…right down to the free resume software they let you use.

In case any of you are struggling with perfecting a resume, or just want to browse through some great interview or salary negotiation tips, here is the site for you to check out: www.susanireland.com (You will have to copy and paste the link in your browser...sorry!, for some reason it didn't copy in here as a link you can just click on).

Enjoy!