Four Tips for Overcoming Your Fear of Job Interviews

/in , /by

Job interviews are like visiting the dentist; you know they’re important, but you hate to go. Even the most confident job candidate expends an inordinate amount of time preparing for the interview, whether it’s on-site or on the phone. Most candidates feel nervous, anxious and stressed at the prospect of being judged by a group of strangers. What can job seekers do to mitigate their fear, take control, get through the interview process and get the job?

Prepare for Every Interview

The enemy of nervousness is preparedness. There are all kinds of things you should do to get ready for each interview. If you follow these tasks before every interview, it will lessen your stress and help you perform more effectively:

  • Prepare by researching the company and, if possible, the people you are interviewing with.
  • Develop a list of questions to ask the interviewer, from what is the corporate culture like to clarification on the job description.
  • Practice interviewing with a friend, focusing on defending any gaps in employment on your resume and answering questions in a way that is positive, articulate and energetic.

Taking time to prepare for your interview isn’t much different from prepping for any big meeting. The key to nailing it is to do your homework before the event.

Stay Focused on the Positive

One mistake many candidates make is to bad-mouth their former employer. Even if your last boss was Attila the Hun, it’s important not to bring negativity into the interview process. All it does is make you, not your employer, look bad. Negativity has no place at work and certainly not in the first impression an employer has of you in the job interview. If you practice your interview techniques with a friend, make sure to work heavily on staying positive throughout the meeting.

Stay Strong and Don’t Give Up

It takes a lot of courage to interview, not get the position you wanted, and get back on the applicant horse by sending out more resumes. Just remember that you do not have everything riding on just one interview. We currently have historically record low unemployment, which means there are more job opportunities than there were even five years ago. So, stay confident and work to impress the potential employer, but know there will likely be other interviews for you to pursue.

Relax and Boost Your Confidence

Staying relaxed during an interview is easier said than done. But there are some techniques you can adapt to help you stay calmer and feel more in control before the interview starts. Here are some techniques to try:

  • Play music on the way to the interview. Music can take your mind away from worrying and help eliminate some of the stress hormones circulating around your body. Your favorite song can energize you while soothing your frazzled nerves.
  • Just taking time to breathe deeply is something most of us simply forget to do. That’s exactly why there are dozens of apps designed to remind you to breathe deep, clear your mind, and calm your stress. Anytime you experience anxiety, your body naturally wants to breathe more shallowly, so focus inward, breathe deep, and meet that interview head-on.
  • Practice a little creative visualization before the interview by sitting quietly in a room and imagining what you would look like in the job you’re interviewing for. Visualize nailing the interview and getting an offer on the spot. Then imagine your first day at work and how much fun you’ll have.

While these are just a few interview tips, Top Stack recruiters are standing by to help nervous job candidates find, prepare for and win their next job. Contact us today.

 

Learn How Networking Can Help You Find a Job

/in /by

Here are the best arguments for networking:

  • 85% of open jobs are filled through networking, not through the application process.
  • 80% of jobs are never posted on job boards; instead, they are filled through networking.

Today, if you don’t have a recruiter in your corner and are simply sending out resumes to job board ads, it will be much harder to find a job. The key to finding the right job is through the power of networking. This article will tell you what you need to know.

Networking 101

Don’t wait for the perfect job to call you. Stop blindly sending out resumes. Instead, use social media and networking to help you with your next career move. The days of having a resume, sending it out, and waiting for the phone to ring are over. Instead, employers say 60% of their best candidates are found through referrals. Most recruiters use the power of LinkedIn to source new potential candidates, working their social networks extensively to find the right fit.

Maintaining your professional connections on these platforms is crucial to finding your next career. If you’re not on LinkedIn, now is the time to build a professional profile and begin the process. Most people have done this process, and many people are regularly working on these connections. How do you use these networks?

First, don’t be afraid to email your resume to your connections with a short note on what you’re looking for. Ask the connection if they would be willing to make a recommendation to someone in their network, based on your skills. However, don’t just reach out when you need help. Make sure you stay in touch with your connections by inviting people out to coffee or meeting them at events.

Speaking of events, you need to get out there. Try joining your local Chamber of Commerce or even attending a MeetUp to expand your social network. If you’re a developer, there are likely dozens of events in your area that will teach, inspire and grow your network. If you have a specific job in mind, consider targeting events that focus on that area. Use these events to socialize, expand your LinkedIn connections and look for the next big thing.

Try to help other career seekers during this process. Networking is a quid pro quo arrangement; so if you help others, you will be more likely to receive help yourself. Keep your social network in mind as you read articles. Are there links you should share with colleagues in a specific field to help them improve? Are there jobs you think people should apply for? Take the time to give back and you’ll be amazed at how the referrals and helpful information you share will be given back to you in a full-circle process. That is the beauty of networking after all; we use our skills to help each other while gaining valuable help for ourselves.

Best Networking Advice From Top Stack

One of the best things you can do today to expand your social network is to contact the recruiting team at Top Stack. We have the networking connections and the jobs you’ve been seeking and are standing by to help your career.

Important Email Etiquette Tips When Searching for a Job

/in , /by

You may be surprised to know there are actual rules for email that apply to your job search. Most of us use email every day, but few people realize there are some best practice tips for using these tools for the job hunt. This article will give you all the tips you need to not only use these tools, but use them properly to get your candidacy noticed by the right employers.

Tip 1 – Keep Job-Seeking Emails Separate

Not only is it bad form to use your current work email to send out resumes, most of the time your employer has a monitoring system in place for what’s being sent. Getting caught searching for a job at work is usually grounds for being let go on the spot, so avoid the practice entirely.

Instead, set up a private email at Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail or any one of a number of other free email service providers on the market today. From there you can send out inquiries and resumes to whomever you choose without jeopardizing your current employment relationship. Make sure your email address is professional; hotstuff1234@hotmail will turn off hiring managers, so keep it simple and appropriate.

Speaking of inquiries, whenever possible try, to reach out directly to hiring managers instead of a general email inbox. Did you know most jobs occur from networking and not from applying online? Sending a generic application usually fails, which is why we recommend approaching a hiring manager directly with a clear subject line stating the job you’re applying for.

Always include a signature at the end of every email, with your name, email, phone and LinkedIn profile.

What to Include in the Email

It may be tempting to send an abbreviated version of a cover letter to the hiring team because you’re using email. Skip abbreviations and emoticons or any slang you may normally use. In fact, the email actually takes the place of a professional cover letter, so what you should write is the full-on document you would normally produce in Word.

Like any other cover letter, your email cover letter should have a beginning, middle and end, just like any other business letter. Always have a professional signature at the bottom of the page. Given that reviewers will skim the content, keep it short and to the point.

Make sure you proofread so there are no typos on the email. You can install an app like Grammarly to help ensure your emails are clean and error free. If you’re still worried, send a test email to a friend and have them check it for you. Typos in an email cover letter are just as bad as typos on a resume.

The email should be succinct; make sure you mention the role you’re applying for, the skills you have (preferably in bullets) and the next steps. When attaching your resume, send it as a Word document or a PDF. Always thank the reader for the opportunity to apply and keep it to no more than three short paragraphs.

Finally, use a simple font like Times New Roman or Cambria. Don’t use color and use 10-point or 12-point font, so the email is easy to read.

While these tips will help your email get noticed, contact the recruiters at Top Stack to find out more actionable ideas for the job search today.

Employment Gaps in Your Resume? Here’s How to Address Them

/in /by

While employment gaps are common on a resume, there is a trick involved with explaining them to prospective employers. Many times these gaps are planned for, such as the birth of a child or going back to accomplish a degree. Other times the unexpected occurs, from a job layoff to a major illness. Either way, there are blank spaces in your resume that are clearly noticeable. How you explain these holes will affect your future job prospects. Fortunately, this article will help you prepare for your discussions with hiring managers. Here are some commonly asked questions and answers from workers with a gap in their work history. 

Should You Mention the Resume Gap?

First, if the gap was several years ago and you’ve been successfully employed since, you probably won’t need to mention it. Keep in mind there is no rule that you have to include all your experience on a resume. This is especially true for workers that have been employed for a decade or longer. In most cases, your early career history isn’t necessary to the current job search if you’re applying for a mid- or later career track. Most recruiters will suggest just keeping the history to the last 15-years or so if you are applying for a management position. 

There are several ways to make a more recent gap in your work history more appealing to employers. For example:  

  • You can use dates to make the gap stand out less. Try removing the month from the date history and instead just list the year.  
  • You can use resume formatting to make the gaps less obvious, like putting the dates of employment in non-bold type.  
  • Start your resume with a summary at the top to draw the reviewer’s eye to your accomplishments and skills. 
  • Include any experience and skills you gained during the employment gap. Did you volunteer; take a class or a sabbatical? List it on your resume as a valuable skill. 

If the gap was recent, the employer or recruiter is certain to notice it and comment on it. In any case, be prepared to explain it clearly and succinctly to the recruiter or hiring manager. What was your rationale for the break? If the break wasn’t voluntary, what happened to put you in that situation? Emphasize the issue has been resolved and you’re ready to return to work.  

If you were laid off, it’s a very good idea to provide the potential employer with documentation of your excellent performance before the layoff. A decision to conduct company downsizing is a decision that employees can’t control. It’s important to show you were a solid employee prior to the economic downturn the company faced. Part of an active networking process is to ask for recommendations now before you need them during the job search.  

Networking With a Recruiter

The best networking advice we can share is to speak today with a recruiter. These professionals are on the prowl for you; employers hire staffing agencies to find the best talent.  

Contact the staffing professionals at Top Stack today if you’re looking for a career shift. We can supplement your professional networking efforts and help you find the perfect fit.