13 Lies People Tell In Interviews

by Lindsay Robinson

People aren’t always the most truthful in interviews. When you really want to land the job, it can be easy to exaggerate, or stretch the truth a little bit. You’re in the hot seat and the pressure is on – you’re willing to do whatever it takes to beat out the other job candidates.

It’s natural, but it’s definitely not the best strategy.

Yet, it still happens. The thing is, though, interviewers can see right though it. They’ve heard them all.

Here are some of the more common lies that one might tell during an interview.

1. I’m a total people-person. Everyone loves me. I mean EVERYONE!

(via giphy.com, via giphy.com)

2. I wasn’t fired, I quit that !@#$ place.

(via giphy.com, via giphy.com)

3. The 2-hour commute each way won’t be an issue.

(via giphy.com, via giphy.com)

Lies 4-13 and the complete Careerealism article

6 Punctuation Tips For A Sexier Resume

 by Kristin Johnson

You want a resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile that presents you in the best possible light. With all of the emphasis on loading your documents with keywords, accomplishments, and metrics that make the case for you being the perfect fit for the position you’re after, have you overlooked proper punctuation?

Some might wonder what the big deal is about punctuation. Surely if you start your sentences with a capital letter and end them with a period, that’s all you need to worry about, right? Unfortunately not.
The text in career documents is often so packed with information that seemingly inconsequential punctuation missteps can distort your meaning, or worse: cause the reviewer to pause in confusion. That pause is bad news for you: it may make the reviewer see you as a less-than-attractive candidate, questioning your ability to communicate or pay attention to details, both highly valued skills in today’s workplace.

Just as a modern spouse becomes more alluring to a partner by doing the dishes and laundry, using proper punctuation makes you downright sexy to a hiring manager. Both efforts make lives easier for the people who are important to you, so go the extra mile by following these important rules (and do the dishes):

1. Capitalization

In addition to appearing at the beginning of sentences and in section headings, capital letters also signify important words. But using too many “important words” in your documents slows the reader down or seems pretentious. For example, I sometimes see text like this in resumes: “Expertise in Human Resources, Training, and Recruiting” Try: “Expertise in human resources, training, recruiting” instead.

Other than proper names like your own name or the names of products, you will rarely need to capitalize words that don’t appear at the beginning of a line or sentence.
You’ll also want to capitalize your own job title above each position listed on your resume. However, if you reference someone else’s job title in your career documents, the general rule is that it is only capitalized when the person’s name follows (Vice President Joe Smith) – not when merely referring to the position (as in “reporting to the vice president”).

Of course, every rule tends to have its exceptions, and there are a few for capitalization. However, these are good to start with.

2. Hyphens

Use hyphens for compound adjectives that precede a noun, such as “client-focused approach” or “full-time employees.” And if you have two adjectives that modify the same base word, use a hyphen after the first, as in “mid- and senior-level management.” Do not use a hyphen in a compound adjective if the first word ends in –ly, as in “highly qualified candidate.”

3. Semicolons

Semicolons can either separate two independent clauses when the second clause is not directly related to the first, or they can be useful when you want to list items that already include a comma. For example, “Proficient in software including Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; CorelDRAW; and Adobe Photoshop.”

Read 4-6 and the complete article

Want More Job Interviews? Start Thinking Like a Recruiter

By Peggy Carouthers

Wouldn’t it be great if you could guarantee you’d receive more calls from recruiters after you submit your resume? Well, you can. All you have to do is think like a recruiter.

Most recruiters receive tons of applications for every job opening. They look for any reason to reject an applicant for not being a good fit. Most of the early rounds of elimination have to do with the qualifications of the job. But the further your application gets, the more all applications look alike. Recruiters have to turn down qualified applicants in favor of those who stand out from the rest.


The applications that stand out are the ones that answer these three questions all recruiters ask. 

1. Why do you want this job?

Recruiters want to know what’s in it for you. Why you want a job tells a recruiter about your long-term goals and what you hope to gain with your employment. Are you looking for a job out of desperation? Or do you have a personal interest in this particular position and company?

Recruiters look for candidates who actually want to work for their company. They want to find an employee who will be excited and passionate both about the work and about long-term career opportunities. 

Make sure your cover letter and application give a solid reason for why you want this job. Is it because you have a great personal connection to the business? Maybe you love the company’s reputation. Maybe you know this job would be a great starting point for career development.


No matter what your reason, be genuine and make it clear to the recruiter you’re applying not just to pay the bills, but because you really want this job. You’ll automatically stand out from the others in the pile.

Questions 2,3, and the complete article

5 Secrets of the Guy Who Gets Multiple Job Offers

By Jenny Foss

We’ve all got “that guy” in our lives. The guy who seems to achieve everything he sets out to, win far more often than he loses, and land multiple job offers—approximately 14 seconds after he divulges to you that he “might be looking soon.”

You want to hate him (seriously, you do), but you truly can’t. Why not?
Because he’s likable, inspiring and, well, the truth of the matter is—you would totally hire him, too.

So what the heck is his secret? How is he managing to find this quick success, with so many interesting players? While he may not ’fess up, I’m guessing these are some of the very strategies he’s employing:

1. He Nails Down the Target Job and Audience Before Searching

Unlike many job seekers, that guy isn’t plopping in front of the computer for two seconds of aimless searching until he’s done a little bit of soul searching.

What kind of job does he want? Where does he have the most career capital? What is the personality, size, management style, and industry focus of the company that seems most appealing to him? What about the commute, the salary, the perks, the people?

Job seekers who first construct a vision of what that next job does (and, in many cases, doesn’t) look like are the ones who are best equipped to craft a game plan (and a resume) that points them square at the type of job that best aligns with their capabilities and, importantly, their desires.

2. He Figures Out the Key Players, Then Gets on Their Radar

Once that guy hones in on a target job, guess what he does next? He makes a list of the people he should probably know—influential players at companies of interest, thought leaders, local business owners who work in this space, reporters who cover his field, association leaders in his town. You get the idea.


The most successful job seekers are not (repeat: are not) spending all of their search time mucking around on Craigslist; they’re figuring out who they need to know and figuring out ways to get on their radar. 

Secrets 3-5 and the complete "The Muse" article

19 Creative Ways To Build Your Target Company List For Your Job Search

Lisa Rangel

As your job search consultant, I aim to provide you 19 creative ways to build your target company list, so you can find your own job leads. This way, you are taught how to fish and you are not be dependent on third party recruiters and job boards. Here, I expand on the target company list building examples I provided in my previous LinkedIn article (“How to Build A List of Target Companies” – Spring 2012), and outline additional, proven steps that you can use immediately. These tactics have been used to build target company lists for current job search practice clients and when I built a recruitment practice in my earlier career. Check out this list:

(1)     Create a Wish List of target companies where you have always wanted to work.

If you are going to conduct a job search, you might as well think BIG, right, and aim to work where you want to work? Think about what characteristics and accolades those target companies have that inspire you to want to work for them. When writing down those traits, use those ideas to spring board your thinking to come up with other target companies that seem to embody those same traits and philosophies.

(2)     Apply The CAVACtm Model to build your Target Company List.

What is the CAVAC™ Model? The CAVAC™ Model is a methodical, hub-and-spoke thought process that helps the job seeker create a stream of new ideas pertaining to potential companies where they may find their next position. The C’s are the company’s clients and competitors. The V is vendors. And the A’s are associations and affiliate companies that compliment the target company’s business.

For each company on your initial Wish List, place the employer or target company name in the middle of the diagram below. Then write out the clients, associations, affiliates, competitors and clients that come to mind and from your research to expand your list. Each company listed can be a possible entry on your developed target list.  I will use one of my previous employers as an example, as if I was looking for a new position.

THE CAVAC™ MODEL

(3)     Expand your list.

Now for each company in the CAVAC™ sections, take a blank CAVAC template and one of the companies from the outer circles into the center. For instance, put Bullhorn, the Applicant Tracking System Vendor, into the center as a Target Company, and research, who are the competitors, associations, vendors, affiliates and clients of this organization. This exercise can go on and on, ensuring you are never short on Target Companies.

Ways 4-19 and the complete article

7 Ways To Pump Up Your Resume

by Kristin Johnson

Hiring managers sometimes have to read over hundreds of resumes each day. They all start looking the same, as you can imagine. What does it take to write a strong, compelling resume that will catch their attention? Pump up your resume to make sure you’re considered for the position you want.

That’s the prize-winning question! Because hiring managers, recruiters, or HR assistants are individuals, they have different things they find appealing. What works for one, might not work for the next. But, there are some universal qualities that comprise a “good” resume that will appeal to the vast majority.

And, that’s what you’re shooting for. Something that gives your resume a better chance of getting read than the other resumes that are putting these poor folks to sleep. You want to improve the statistical probability that your resume will be selected for an interview.

Here are some safe bets for turning your light-weight resume into a heavy-weight contender. Nothing crazy here, folks, because you don’t want to stand out in a bad way! (Imagine your resume being passed around to other recruiters for them to giggle at.) For the right kind of attention, try these ways of pumping up your resume.

1. Avoid Using A Template

According to The Undercover Recruiter: “Using a template will never make you stand out and chances are your application will be cut short due to your resume being the same as every other job seeker’s.”

Your resume should have a unique design. But, what if you’re not a Microsoft Word wiz? Look on Youtube for lots of formatting how-to videos and tips.

4. Emphasize Your Personal Brand

Write about your personal brand strengths throughout your resume. Check out this article if you’d like to know more about personal branding. Here are some ways to get ideas for yours:

• Ask others what they value in you and how you work.
• Look for accomplishments on old performance evaluations.
• Consider assessments to gain a deeper understanding of ways you can describe your strengths.

7. Put Your Best First

To really knock out your competition, don’t save the best for last! Front load each bullet point, putting the biggest part of the success first. Like this example:

Before:
Navigated intense challenges of recruitment to onboard astounding 17 director-level and researcher recruits.
After:
Brought onboard unprecedented 17 director-level and researcher recruits, navigating intense recruiting challenges.

You can also frontload your document with your biggest accomplishments in the summary. Don’t wait to hook them with your greatness! Put it out there right from the start.

Employers want to know what sets you apart! Why should they hire YOU? If your resume lands you an interview, but there’s another candidate you’re sparring in the ring with, it could be your amazingly strong resume that puts you over the edge and wins you the job.

That’s the sweet science of pumping up your resume. Now, go get ‘em, tiger!


Read all 7 ways and the complete Careerealism article

3 Strategies to Leverage the Value of Twitter in a job search

If these clients would tap into the research they’ve done on the companies they're targeting, they could reap plenty of benefits from Twitter in just 10 to 15 minutes, a few days a week, especially because the majority of job seekers aren’t doing anything with Twitter.

1. Stay Focused on Your Job Search and Your Personal Brand

Don't start or engage in conversations not related to your job search. No one really needs to know what you had for breakfast or what movie you saw last night.

Keep the majority of your tweets relevant to your personal brand, industry, areas of expertise, and value to your target companies. That doesn’t mean you can’t tweet off-topics and humorous tidbits, when you have extra time.

2. Do a Lot of Retweeting

Simply the act of tweeting again a tweet that someone else has tweeted, retweeting (abbreviated as "RT") is one of my favorite ways to use Twitter and one of the best ways to save time there.
Even if you do nothing else on Twitter, posting relevant retweets can be a powerful way to build brand evangelism, a quality Twitter following, and get on the radar and stay top-of-mind with people you want to notice you.

First, gather up a long list of the right people to retweet. Who are these people? Colleagues, industry thought leaders and subject matter experts, top-level executives (or hiring decision makers) at your target companies, and executive recruiters in your niche, to name a few.

Search for them on Twitter, follow them, and start retweeting them. It’s as easy as that!

It’s critical to include in your retweet the @username of the person who originated the tweet, because they’ll see the retweet on their "Notifications" page. Chances are you’ll get noticed, if enough of your retweets show up there for each person you’re retweeting. If a good retweet doesn’t mention the original author, take the time to track them down and include their @username.

Retweeting Strategies to Help You Get Noticed

See the strategies + Step 3 + the complete article

8 Scariest Comments Your Boss Can Make

8:  "We need to talk."
"We need to talk" is the most frightening phrase in all the world. It doesn't matter if you hear it from your partner or spouse or your boss. If you hear it from your boss there are only two outcomes: You are being fired or you are being given more work that you don't have time to do. Derivations include: "Can you step into my office?" and "Close the door behind you."

7:  "I need an update on the project."

Translation: Someone above your boss wants to know what is going on with your project. He or she is anxious for reasons that are either: a) so obvious, you were already working 80-hour weeks to finish it, or b) so opaque that you will now spend 80 hours per week finishing the project that no one wanted in the first place. If it's a client, you can bet the finished project will sit on a shelf three months after you finish it anyway. Derivations include: "The client has new parameters," and "Drop everything, Friday afternoon is a great time for a fire drill."

6:  "That was fine."

If your boss's response to "Did you get that thing I worked all night on?" is "That was fine," one of two things is true: a) It wasn't fine and the boss is going to fix it behind your back, or b) it wasn't important to begin with. Either way, you're in trouble. This is the ultimate "meh." And your career is now meh, too. Derivations include: "I submitted your annual review. Sign it when you get a chance. No we don't need to talk about it."

See all 8 Scariest Comments and the complete Information Week article

How to answer, “What’s your greatest weakness?” during a job interview

Amanda Augustine


This dreaded, seemingly trick question will no longer be difficult to answer in job interviews.
Most job candidates are familiar with the “What’s your biggest weakness?” interview question, but few feel equipped to answer the it with confidence.

The next time you’re asked the stress-inducing question in an interview, use these tips to provide a powerful response. 

Avoid faux weaknesses.

Recruiters and employers don’t want to hear that you’re a perfectionist or any of those other faux weaknesses that can be turned into strengths. They actually want to know about an area you’ve struggled with, and most importantly, what you’ve done to overcome that limitation. Steer clear of the “positive” weaknesses and stick to sharing something that’s genuine.

Choose something work-related.

This is not the time to discuss your fear of commitment or that you get awful road rage during rush hour. Focus on an area that’s relevant to your professional life. For example, perhaps you struggled with multi-tasking earlier in your career but have become a master at it in recent years.

Don’t mention essential skills.

Remember, the goal is to share a shortcoming that you’ve already taken steps to improve. This demonstrates to the hiring manager that you’re not only self-aware, but you’re dedicated to self-improvement.  If your greatest weakness is a critical requirement for the job and you’re still struggling in this area, then you may want to reconsider whether it’s the right role for you.

Use the STAR method to explain.  - See how to explain and the complete The Ladders article

How to Connect With Recruiters on LinkedIn

Padmaja Ganeshan-Singh

Whether you're looking for a job or just want to keep your options open, connecting with recruiters on LinkedIn can help maximize your networking opportunities. Here's how to approach recruiters to improve your chances of landing your dream job, today or down the road.

How to Find Recruiters:

1. Use LinkedIn's Advanced People Search to find recruiters in your field. In the keywords section, type in your field of interest and "recruiter." For example, searching for "accounting recruiter" would result in a list of all recruiters who are currently working or have worked in the past with accounting. The next step is to check their profile, so as to be sure they still are in the field you are interested in and to connect with them.


2. Since not all recruiters are interested in networking (which could seem strange, but is still true, especially if they work for niche organizations or have moved on to different roles), another way to approach recruiters more confidently is to search by adding the acronym "LION" in the last name section of the advanced search discussed above. LION stands for LinkedIn Open Networker. This allows you to search for people who've expressed an interest in connecting, so chances of them accepting your invite are higher. 

Tips 3-4 and How to Connect with Recruiters

How to answer "why did you leave your last job?" In a job interview

by Peter Botting

Hiring somebody is a huge and risky investment. Against the risks and the recruitment and ongoing costs -  wages, training, expenses and recruitment agency fees - is the aim and the hope that you will be worth the time and the money and be good enough and hang around long enough to be worth the hassle for more than a few weeks.

Sensible investors and sensible employers do their homework - their due diligence. They want a return on their investment long term. An employer would be daft if they didn’t want to know as much as possible about you before offering you a contract.

This is why the question about why you left your last job is a popular one. You shouldn't fear it - you should expect it, prepare for it and welcome it.

Here are some ideas about how to answer "Why did you leave your last job?":

Be open and honest
Whatever the reason you left your previous job, be honest about it. These are the sort of details that potential employers easily find out when checking references. Do not miss your job opportunity because of an unpleasant surprise or a “small lie” or because of an omission. If you left your last job under less than preferable circumstances portray it in a positive light - explaining how you have learnt from it. If you were fired, it is obviously more difficult than if you were made redundant - but preparing for the question can fix this.

More tips and the complete City A.M. article

You Know LinkedIn - Meet The Next Wave Of Startups Trying To Hack Your Job Search

Aaron Taube

In the past several years, mobile technology has simplified a wide range of the cumbersome, time-consuming, and unpleasant chores required of the professional class.

There's Homejoy to clean your apartment, Uber and Lyft to hail a cab, and more food delivery apps than you can count.

But for all of the solutions created to improve the lifestyles of affluent urbanites, finding a job - the initial step that makes such a lifestyle possible - remains a lengthy and universally miserable process.

Sure, massive job boards like Monster and CareerBuilder alert us to an unprecedented number of potential openings - but who wants to give up hours of their precious leisure time crafting the perfect cover letter, only to submit the application into the internet equivalent of a black hole?

And while LinkedIn makes countless powerful people available for networking, the site is not perfect, especially for those who don't have the time or the moxie to take advantage of it.

The result is that many would-be job seekers, lots of them talented and capable, choose not to bother until their current jobs become too bleak to bear.

Or at least that is what they have done until now.

In the past year, a new crop of apps has sprung up with the goal of hacking the job search for a new generation of professionals - one that is constantly on the lookout for the next opportunity and never very far from a mobile phone.

"We're trying to liberate passive job seekers," says Yarden Tadmor, founder and CEO of the New York City job-hunting app Switch. "Eventually, what we're trying to create is an environment that connects people with companies and hiring managers."

Switch, which went live this past summer, was inspired by Tadmor's experience hiring for teams at several media technology companies, including the content recommendation engine Taboola.

Read the full article to find out what the hot new apps are.

11 Questions You Should Ask At The End Of Every Job Interview

Jacquelyn Smith

It's important to remember that every interview is a two-way street. You should be interviewing the employer just as much as they're interviewing you because you both need to walk away convinced that the job would be a great fit.

So, when the tables are turned and the interview asks, "Do you have any questions for me?" take advantage of this opportunity. It's the best way to determine if you'd be happy working for this employer, and whether your goals are aligned with theirs. 

"The very process of asking questions completely changes the dynamic of the interview and the hiring manager's perception of you," says Teri Hockett, chief executive of What's For Work?, a career site for women. "Asking questions also gives you the opportunity to discover details that you might not have otherwise unveiled."

Amy Hoover, president of TalentZoo, says there's another reason you should always prepare questions. "It's expected — and if you don't ask at least two questions, you will appear disinterested, or worse, less intelligent and engaged than a prospective employer would like." You should have at least four questions prepared, though, in case your original two are answered through the course of the interview.

But, Hoover says, don't just ask questions for the sake of it. To actually benefit from them, you'll need to think carefully about what you want to ask.

"Your questions can, in fact, make or break an interview," she explains. "If they're not thoughtful, or if you ask something that has already been addressed, this can hurt you way more than it can help. Asking smart, engaging questions is imperative."

Here are 11 questions you should always ask in a job interview, if they weren't already answered, to help you get a better sense of the role and the company, and to help you prepare for the next steps:

• Who do you think would be the ideal candidate for this position, and how do I compare?
• Who held this position previously? Why is he/she leaving the role?
• What do you like most about working for this company?

See all 11 questions and the complete Business Insider article

7 LinkedIn Job Hunting Tactics That Work

by Chad Brooks

 Landing a new job requires a lot more than just finding openings and applying to them.

To help job seekers get hired as quickly as possible, LinkedIn analyzed a group of more than 4,000 "super" job seekers, defined as LinkedIn members who viewed a job at a particular company and then joined that company within three months. The study examined what those successful job seekers were doing on LinkedIn during those three months of job hunting. Here are seven tips gleaned from the study:

• Add new skills to your profile. Add relevant skills to your profile so recruiters looking for candidates with your background can find you. More than 90 percent of the people who found a job within three months had five or more skills listed on their profile.

• Follow the companies you're interested in. Stay up-to-date on the latest news, participate in conversations and learn about new job opportunities. Among the people who found jobs in three months or less, 91 percent used LinkedIn company pages for research.

• Add a professional profile photo. Adding a photo puts a face to a name and helps portray a friendly and approachable image. Nearly 90 percent of the people who were hired in three months or less had a profile photo.

Read all 7 tactics and the complete NewsDaily article

3 Ways to make yourself more employable by using Pinterest

Pinterest is a unique form of social media site which allows users to ‘pin’ almost anything from the web to a number of customised boards. These boards are then visible to friends found through the site and individual posts can be liked, commented on or reposted. Pinterest has simply soared in popularity this year. In its early stages, it has grown more quickly than web giants such as Facebook and Twitter but how can this new online phenomenon help find you a job?

1)  • Spend time on your account and make sure it reflects the attributes and goals which you have. Like any social media site, Pinterest is heavily time centric and the amount of time people spend on your account will heavily influence their overall opinion of it. Make sure you give your account the dedication it deserves and never be tempted to rush your collections as your haste will be reflected in your work, reducing its quality.

See all 3 plus the full TheUnderCoverRecruiter article

Lessons learned from my last 1,200 job rejections

By Scott Ginsberg

I believe in building a brand from the inside out. Creating a high enough volume of daily output that the market targets you. Allowing new opportunities to find you through the attraction of working, not the agony of waiting.

That’s how I’ve successfully run my business for the past fifteen years.

But as an experiment, as a way of testing my own system, I recently spent a summer doing the exact opposite. Filling out job applications, responding to proposals, going on interviews, meeting with recruiters, submitting my portfolio for freelance gigs and seeking out new work opportunities.

By the end of the summer, I had been rejected over twelve hundred times.

Twelve hundred times.

And despite my best efforts, not a single one of those opportunities came to fruition. But as disappointing as the process was, I learned key lessons about career management. Next time you get rejected from a job application, remember these tenants:

1. Don’t spend too much time crossing your fingers.

Waiting around for some invisible jury to stamp your creative passport and tell you that your work is okay is no way to live your life. It creates negative momentum. Each one of those twelve hundred rejections, while only marginally painful in isolation, added up pretty quickly. And by the end of the summer, I was starting to get disillusioned. I knew that the hour I spent each day looking for work would have been better invested creating, instead of waiting around for people to give me the opportunity to show them how creative I was. So I stopped. I ended the experiment and went back to doing what I do best. Making things. And literally within a week, I booked two new clients and a major network television interview. Are you crossing your fingers or using them to create your art?

More lessons learned and the complete TheLadders article

6 Unspoken Requirements For Every Job Seeker

William Arruda

3. Proof of performance

In the not-so-distant past, the only proof a candidate needed was a resume or CV and a list of references “available upon request.” In the interview, very few positions required a portfolio presentation. Today, evidence of excellence comes in many additional forms – including whitepapers, articles, presentations, and blog posts. The good news is that showcasing this proof is quite easy. One great example is a recent enhancement to LinkedIn’s Summary and Experience section. Members can now embed a variety of media that not only make their profile more interesting but also provide proof of expertise and performance.

4. A brand identity system

If you think brand identity systems are just for giant corporations like IBM or Google, it’s time to modernize your mindset. Today, each one of us is a brand, and we have the same need for brand standards. Your brand identity system ties together your resume and cover letter, email signature, LinkedIn profile and online social profiles – making it all look like it is coming from the same person.  In much the same way Target uses their red bull’s eye in signage, ads and online banners, you need to develop and consistently use a personal brand identity system. Color is the most important element – so choose a brand color that exudes your personality. Here’s an article that will help you identify the best color for you. Read it, then add your brand color to your resume, cover letters and thank-you notes, email signature, LinkedIn background, personal web site or Blog, and all other visible components.

See all six requirements and the complete Forbes article

15 Job Interview Thank You Note Tips

by Brittney Helmrich

 It may seem like a simple formality, but sending a thank-you note after a job interview can mean the difference between getting the job and going back to square one.

"I can tell you that only about 20 percent of the candidates send one — and it really brings those candidates to the top of the pile," said Lori Kleiman, a human resources consultant.


But thank-you notes are more than just a polite way to let your interviewer know you appreciate his or her time. If you write your thank-you note the right way, you can use it to reiterate why you're the best fit for the job. In your thank-you note, you can answer questions your interviewer asked that you think you didn't address adequately, make a personal connection with the interviewer, and more. 

And even if you don't get the job this time, sending a thank-you note means that you keep doors open for the future. [After the Interview: Sample Thank You Letters ]

"Remember that this may go into your personnel file at the employer, and that even if you are not the first choice for the position, you may get a call about a similar position or if the first choice does not work out," said Linda Carlson, author and owner of small business consulting company Barrett Street Productions.


So how do you write the perfect thank-you note? Follow these 15 expert tips for making sure your thank-you note is successful in every situation.

Tailor it to the company's culture
"Consider the individual interviewer and the company culture before sending your messages. A more traditional organization may prefer a handwritten letter, while a technology start-up may expect an email immediately." – Amanda Augustine, job search expert, TheLadders

Make it personal
"Mention something that the interviewer spoke about personally that was important to them (fishing, golf, kids, etc.) and possibly some of the business initiatives that they brought up. It makes the note more meaningful." – Seth Deitchman, former career coach and financial adviser, The Mercury Group at Morgan Stanley

Show your value
"Don't just thank your interviewer for the time they spent. Provide additional value by giving more details about why the employer should hire you. Be sure you use specific examples [of how] your past performance [makes you a] great candidate for this new job." – Scott Vedder, author, "Signs of a Great Resume"(CreateSpace, July 2012)

See all 15 tips and the complete BusinessNewsDaily article

10 Job Seeker Fails and the correct actions to take

You will face many situations as you search for your next job, and as you'll see below, one of the worst things you can do is opt out of opportunities. Here are 10 newbie mistakes you should avoid:

1. You don’t get enough information about a networking contact before reaching out. You would probably feel more comfortable and confident reaching out to a referral contact if you knew something about them. Your success in securing a meeting with someone you don’t know will improve if your request explains why you want to meet.

The better option: When you receive the name of a referral or someone you should speak with, ask why. Find out how long your contact has known this person, in what context, and why it would be mutually beneficial. 

8. You forget to ask the time frame for making the hiring decision. If you don’t know what the next steps in the hiring process are and what the company timeline is for filling the job, how will you know when to follow up? Emergencies, vacations and budgets can cause timelines to slip, so don’t assume no news is bad news.

The better option: Immediately contact the person you interviewed with, preferably via phone, and ask about the process and time frame. Also ask if it would be OK for you to follow up if you haven’t heard from the interviewer within that timeline. 

10. You insist on making the same salary you made at your last job. Many factors impact your value in the workplace – only one of which is your previous salary. Turning down an interview or job offer based solely on salary could send the message that you are inflexible.

The better option: Do a thorough evaluation of what the salary ranges are for the types of jobs you are interested in. This means speaking to peers, recruiters and using online salary calculators.

See all 10 Fails and the complete USNews article

Hannah Morgan is a speaker and author providing no-nonsense career guidance; keep up with the latest job search trends and social networking strategies by reading her blog Career Sherpa and following her on Twitter @careersherpa and Google+.

10 Questions You Should NEVER Ask in a Job Interview

by Glassdoor

You’ve spent the last 45 minutes sitting in a job interview; the hiring manager is about to wrap up. And right then, the hiring manager asks:

“Do you have any questions for me?”

You were prepared. But you lock up! In an effort to think on your feet, you blurt out, “How much does this position pay?” Once you see the expression on the hiring manager’s face, you know: you messed up.


The only thing worse than not having questions prepared for your job interview… is asking the wrong questions. Here are 10 of the worst:

4. “Do You Perform Background Checks?”

When you apply for a job, it should be a given that the employer will perform a background check. In fact, 69 percent of employers perform background checks on all job candidates.

10. “I Don’t Have Any Questions For You.”

Whatever you do during an interview, don’t tell the interviewer you don’t have any questions. Every hiring manager expects candidates to have at least one question to ask at the end of the interview. If you don’t, the recruiter is only thinking one thing: “Next!”

1. “Can You Tell Me More About Your Company?”

Before any interview, the first thing you must do is research the company. If you ask this question, the hiring manager will think you didn’t do your homework before the interview.


See all 10 questions and the complete article

Avoid These 12 Classic (and Costly) Job Interview Mistakes

by Undergrad Success

So much work just to get the job interview, let alone the job. The research, the resume writing, the applications, the networking, the follow-up…

And then some job seekers throw it all away by making these common, and completely avoidable, mistakes:

1. You Dress Inappropriately

This can work both ways—dressed up too much and dressed down too much; both can be avoided. The HR department is most often willing to communicate any employee dress codes, but if not, visit the organization and watch employees come and go to see their choice of attire.

4. You’re Desperate—and They Can Tell

Honestly, this goes back to the fact you’ve applied for hundreds of jobs and you really need this one. Understandable. It’s okay to be excited. Just be conscious of your emotions and focus on staying calm.

6. You Badmouth a Previous Employer

Please. Don’t. Do. This. Negative attitudes attract no one. Be diplomatic in your responses to questions regarding prior employment, especially in situations, which may have ended poorly. “I’m interested in starting a new chapter” and “I’m looking for a different set of work challenges” work well as answers. Keep it simple. Keep it positive.

See all 12 mistakes and the complete article

5 Things Every Employer Wants To Hear In An Interview

by Jessica Holbrook Hernandez

Ever wonder what a potential boss wants to hear in an interview? What exactly can you say that will increase your chances of receiving a job offer? I recently heard some great advice that lined up with my previous experience as a human resources manager, and so I thought I would share this great advice with you! Here are five things to communicate during an interview that will convince the employer you’re a great hire.

1. You Will Never Have To Tell Me What To Do Twice

Every employer wants to know they can give you instructions once—and you’ll get the job done. I guarantee you that no employer wants to micromanage or ask an employee more than once to do something—no matter what it is.

4. I Am Easy To Correct And Instruct—I Am Teachable

If there is something that’s not getting done, or if you’re not doing it correctly, the employer wants to know that they can approach you to discuss the situation and that you’re not going to fly off the handle or think you’re superior.

Read all 5 things and the complete Careerealism article

50 Ways to Leave Your Job Search NOW

by Hannah Morgan

In the words of Paul Simon, “there must be 50 ways to leave your lover”. There are at least 50 ways to leave unemployment! Let’s get going!

You just slip IN the back, Jack
Get an inside referral from someone who works in the company!

Make a new plan, Stan
If what you are doing, isn’t working, you have to try doing something different. Make a new plan!

You don’t need to be coy, Roy
Pursue each job opportunity with fervor and especially during the interview, let them know you WANT the job.

Just listen to me
Whether it be me or another job search coach, get professional advice!

Hop on the bus, Gus
The career bus that is! This won’t be your last job search, begin today building a career that is going in the direction you want.

You don’t need to discuss much
Be aware of how much dirty laundry or even detail you divulge during interviews. Often, less is more!

Just drop off the key, Lee



Leave your baggage behind. Too old, too young, no degree, too many degrees; when it comes right down to it, all that really matters is that you have the skills to do the job and they like you.

See all 50 ways and the complete JobMob article 

7 Interview Follow Up Steps To Seal The Deal

Lisa Rangel | Executive Resume Writer

Proper interview follow-up can uphold the good first impression you made in the interview. I’m a big believer that how you conduct your search communicates to the employer how you will conduct yourself on the job, so you need to continue your follow-up appropriately and professionally. These interview follow up steps actually do not start at the end of the interview, but they start while you are still on the interview.

For effective interview follow up, savvy interviewers know the interview process also continues well after the actual interview, whether you’re applying to a corporation or with a search firm.
These are the interview follow up steps you must take to seal the deal. Keep them in mind when getting ready for your next interview:

1. Inquire About Next Steps in the Process—Before the Meeting Ends
When the hiring manager or recruiter ends the interview with, “Do you have any questions?” you can ask about the next steps in the process (after you have asked your other questions about the business, the position, etc). By asking about next steps, you’ll get the road map for when to follow up and in what timeframe. It’s a no-brainer that eliminates a lot of the guess work on your part. As a recruiter, it stuns me that so few people end the conversation with this question.

2. Ask If You Can Send a LinkedIn Invitation to Connect
Yes, you’re interviewing in the hopes of getting the position—but you’ve also just formed a new professional relationship and added another name to your list of business contacts. Asking the interviewer if you can connect on LinkedIn is perfectly acceptable.

During the interview, look for natural segues into a connection request. If the interviewer mentions they love to golf, for instance, you can mention a great article on golfing you just read and offer to forward it to them. If they attended your alma mater, you can mention how great its LinkedIn group is and offer to introduce them to some former classmates who are active in that group. Make sure, when you send the actual request to connect, that you include a personalized note along the lines of, “I enjoyed speaking with you today. I’d like to introduce you to some fellow classmates as we discussed.”

Even if you don’t get the job, you’ve still made a great new professional connection who could wind up assisting your job hunt or career in the future. Don’t neglect to capitalize on that.

Read all 7 steps and the complete article

How to Stand Out in the Eleventh Hour of the Hiring Process

By Hannah Morgan

What can you do to stand out during the interview process? First, you want to stand out for the right reasons. Consider the results of a CareerBuilder and Harris Interactive survey from 2013, involving more than 2,000 hiring managers and HR professionals who were asked which factors would make them more likely to favor one candidate over another. Twenty-seven percent of respondents would favor the candidate with the better sense of humor, 26 percent would consider the candidate who is involved in his or her community, 22 percent would favor the better-dressed candidate and 21 percent would like the candidate with whom they had more in common.

Here are some ways to be a standout candidate.

Use mutual professional and personal interests. Instead of testing new jokes out on your interviewer, look to build rapport by asking questions about his or her professional interests. Also, watch the body language of your interviewer to gauge level of interest in your responses, especially to questions about community activities and professional interests, like conferences, books, publications or professional associations. If the conversation and body language is positive, you should be sure to reference that topic in your follow-up with him or her.

Follow up is in your court. Should you follow up again after you send your thank you? Yes, you want to stay in front of the hiring decision-makers as they interview and consider more candidates. The hiring process will take longer than either of you expect. About two weeks after you send your thank you, plan on touching base with the recruiter again. Liz Ryan, CEO and founder of the publishing firm, think tank and coaching and consulting business Human Workplace, wrote a Forbes article on writing a post thank you follow-up, where she  recommends you ask a friend to debrief the interview with you. The logic is that in recounting blow by blow with someone else you may reveal things you missed. “You’ll be amazed how your friend, simply by virtue of not being you, can call your attention to issues that deserve your attention," Ryan writes. "They could be odd or concerning things that happened at the interview.” Use these insights when you write your next email to the interviewer.

Read the full USNews article for more tips and strategies 

The Only 5 Interview Questions You Need to Prepare for

by Jörgen Sundberg

There is an awful lot of chitchat, jibber jabber and small talk going on in interviews. When you take a closer look at the exchanges, you can see that there are only a few questions the interviewer is really bothered about. The rest are simply there to create rapport and filling the gaps.

The reason you will always struggle to prepare answers to every single question you are asked in an interview is that the interviewer themselves didn’t prepare them. They don’t really care too much about all the answers you give either. What we do know is that an interviewer has one major objective to fulfill and that is to get the answers to the five basic questions. Based on the answers, he or she will then compare the answers to that of any other interviewer’s and they will then rule you in or out. Here is the list:

1) What brings you to this interview?

This is where the interviewer wants to see how well you have researched this position, how committed you really are to the company and why you are looking for a new job in the first place. Make sure you read up on the job and can say exactly how it fits to your skills. Do your homework on the company so that you can explain why you are on their interview couch and not the competitor’s. Finally, you will inevitably have to explain what brought you to a job interview, prepare to outline your reason for changing jobs.

2) What value will you add to our company?

The interviewer is hoping you might be the solution to their problems, so let’s tune in to WIIFM and crank up the volume. List your main skills and how these will be directly applicable if you get the job. Back your claims up with achievements from your previous jobs, preferably quantified ($x increase in sales, 30% savings on paper clips). Forget what you want to get out of the job you are interviewing for, this is all about what they will get from you.

See all 5 and the complete UnderCoverRecruiter article

Avoid These 7 Interview Mistakes

Jen Hubley Luckwaldt

Want to ace your next job interview? It's not just about doing the right things. What you don't do can be just as crucial to getting hired.

3. Interrupt.
It's not only bad manners, but it indicates that you're a bad listener -- not something most HR people put high on their list of qualities to look for in a potential hire.

4. Be late.
It should go without saying, but just in case: be on time. In fact, if you can, get to the area a little early and wait in a nearby coffee shop, etc. Being late makes you look disorganized or, worse, as if you value your time, but not the interviewer's.

6. Fail to ask questions.
"You can count on the fact that almost every interview will end the same way: with your interviewer asking you, 'What questions do you have for me?'" writes Robin Madell at US News' On Careers blog. "A big ball-drop is thinking you’ll just wing this opportunity rather than preparing for it in advance."
Come prepared with a few thoughtful questions and think of points that you'd like clarified that come up during the interview. 

Read all 7 mistakes and the complete Payscale article

4 Things Employers Look for When They Google You

Personal Branding Blog

Want to know what 80 percent of employers do before they invite you for an interview?

They Google you.

If this surprises you, then this article is exactly what you need to read. In today’s workforce, employers value transparency when recruiting and hiring candidates, so you need to make sure your online presence is clean and honest.

When employers search for you on Google, they don’t do it to intentionally find negative things about you. They simply want to get to know their applicants so they can better select candidates for an interview. This is why you need to take into consideration the top four things employers look for when they Google candidates:

1. A professional headshot

Whenever possible, employers want to know what their applicants look like. Make sure you have a professional photo of you on your online networks and website so employers can see you. This doesn’t have to be a photo taken by a professional, but it should be a  photo of you in professional attire with good lighting.

3. The size of your digital footprint

Employers also want to know how you present yourself and interact with others online. Research shows 96 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn to search for candidates. This should be an indicator that you should have a complete LinkedIn profile in addition to the other social networks you use. If you don’t have yourself connected to these online profiles, then you could be missed by employers when they search for job seekers in your field.

See all 4 things and the complete GlassDoor article

Resume Writing – 50 Tips That Work

Professional resume writers agree there are many right ways to write a resume. Get 10 professional resume writers working for the same resume client, and they could probably create 10 different resumes based on style and look. However, all of the resumes could still be very good.

After 12 years of owning a resume writing business, I have seen these resume writing tips immediately transform a resume. Remember – Your resume has 20-30 seconds to make an impression and spending 30 minutes with this list could help!

2. Proofread resumes for grammar, spelling and factual errors by reading from the end in reverse order

3. Use consistent font size including bullet sizes on your resume

14. Top 30-40% of the resume gets the most attention; Make it grab the reader’s attenton.

36. Get others to proof read your resume – be open to criticism

See all 50 tips and the complete article

5 Classic Job Search Tools That Still Get Results

When was the last time you applied for a job by fax?


My first resume in the early ’90s was typed on what hardware maker Smith Corona called a “personal word processor”. It definitely processed my words!

It was a computer keyboard attached to a printer the size of a small suitcase and it seemed to weigh a ton. The keyboard had a protective cover that flipped upwards and back, exposing a small monochrome computer screen.

(Back then, digital screens were usually black characters on a beige or green background but I’ll never forget how the Smith Corona had blue characters instead of black. I used to turn it on just because I liked seeing that novelty.)

The machine had a typewriter mode which worked as you’d expect – each letter printed as your fingers touched the keyboard – but I don’t think I ever used it for work, it would waste too much paper.

Instead, I would use the more computer-like word processor mode where whatever I typed appeared on screen and could also be saved to a diskette. I think it even had a simple auto-save mode too.
At the time, it was very cool as a “new age” typewriter and I was so productive with it that I continued using it for a while even after we bought our first PC.

While you wouldn’t now want to go back to the days of typewriters and whiteout for your job search documents, other tools that date back to that era are still useful today because few other job seekers are using them.

5 job search tools that time forgot

5) Personal organizers
Sure, it’s cool to have an iPad or another tablet, but they need to be charged, they break easily and they will empty your wallet. They’re still not for everyone.

Personal organizers, on the other hand, don’t cost much, don’t need to be charged and won’t break so easily when dropped. Use one to manage your schedule, take notes, jot down ideas, organize newspaper clippings (e.g. job listings), store business cards (both yours and others’) and more. Plus, just carrying one makes you look professional.

3) Telephone
While we’ve covered 6 reasons you need a smartphone to job search, most job seekers are still too hesitant to pick up the phone and dial. Yes, you should follow up after interviews, or to even see why you never received a response to your resume. But what about calling to see if there’s even an opening in the first place? At worst, you could ask- “Oh, you’re not hiring? Perhaps you can recommend a company who is, such as one of your business partners?”

See all 5 tools and the complete JobMob article

Do These 5 Things Before Your Next Interview and Get the Job

Jen Hubley Luckwaldt

Interview prep is tricky not because you don't know what to do to get ready, but because you know too much about what you could do. Before you get bogged down in endless practice interview questions, make sure you have these things checked off your pre-interview to-do list.

1. Research the company.
You probably know at least a little something about your prospective employer by the time you make it to the interview stage, or your resume and cover letter wouldn't have helped you snag the interview. Still, now's the time to make sure you have a full grasp of the company history, including its mission and founders, and are up-to-date on its latest news. Start with the corporate website and the organization's profile in PayScale's Research Center, and then do a Google News search, and take a look at the company's social media profiles. Know how long they've been around, what challenges they've faced, who their competitors are. Most importantly, figure out what their problems are -- especially the ones that hiring you would solve.

3. Get to know the key people.
If possible, ask for the names of the people you'll be speaking with, so that you can look them up on LinkedIn before the interview. If you're interviewing with folks outside of HR, pay special attention to their background and experience. Note any points of commonality with your background.

See all 5 things and the complete PayScale article 

The 7 Best Apps For Career Seekers

By Thomas Oppong

The job market is more competitive than ever before, forcing potential employees to up their game. Fortunately, some of the best job search tools can be found right on your phone. Hit the ground running in your job search by utilizing these great Android apps.

Simply Hired
This free app uses a powerful search engine to pull job listings from all across the web, including job boards, company websites, and newspapers. The interface is incredibly easy to use. Plus, you can refine your search by location, salary, and other important factors. Save jobs that pique your interest and come back to apply later. As one of the largest and most well-known job search engines, Simply Hired is a must for your mobile device.
Cost: Free

LinkUp
Searching for listings on company websites can take hours. With LinkUp, it’s all done for you in a matter of seconds. Use filters like location, company, and keywords to find jobs on company websites, then apply directly from your mobile device or email your favorite listings to yourself.
You can also sign up for email job alerts for your favorite companies or job categories. Because of its unique method of finding company website listings, LinkUp finds many unadvertised jobs and guarantees that no scams or frauds are included in your search results.
Cost: Free

See all 7 apps and the complete article