The Dos and Don’ts of Interviewing
How to showcase that you can be the linchpin
Compared to the 10% height of October 2009, unemployment hit a low of 39%, but the process of getting a job is still difficult…
Hiring and job hunting are longer, more tedious, and more life-consuming than ever before
Average hiring/interview process in the U.S. is 23.8 days
The interview process can consist of many types of interviews:
– Screening
– Phone
– 1-3 in-person interviews
– Dining/out of office interview
Final/hiring/rejection
2017: The process of finding a job in the U.S. is changing
46% of job seekers say the search and candidate pitch is harder than in 2016
– Traditional resumes aren’t cutting it
– Job application software requires you to be creative or get lost in the heap
– Social media is becoming central to recruiter decisions
– Cover letters are near obsolete and unread due to algorithm candidate selection
– Only 26% of recruiters consider cover letters important in their decision to hire
– 47% of job seekers did not submit a cover letter
– 58% of both younger workers (18-22) and older workers (55+) forgo cover letters
Barriers recruiters face when finding talented candidates
63%: Not finding suitable candidates to fill open positions
42%: Candidates not responding to calls or emails
34%: Difficulty finding passive talent
23%: Too many junk or unqualified resumes from job boards
January 2016: The younger, growing workforce job hops more than older generations
Average time spent at job
20-24: 1.3 years
25-34: 2.8 years
35-44: 4.9 years
45-54: 7.9 years
55-64: 10.1 years
65+: 10.3 years
Reasons employees change companies
Career advancement: 41.4%
Compensation/benefits: 41.2%
Work environment: 27.8%
Work life balance: 24.1%
Snagging a job seems a lot different than it used to be, so when you do land that interview, leaving the best impression is more important than ever
Once you get your first interview: What recruiters hate
Mistakes job seekers make in interviews:
Negative self-talk
Exaggerate experience or personality
Arrive late or too early
Being distracted
Dressing too casually
Dumb things to say in a job interview
Asking about pay before it’s brought up by the interviewer
“Hello, nice to meet you. So, how much does this pay?”
Speaking disparagingly about former employers
“My last boss? Let’s just say I can already tell we’re gonna get along much better.”
Saying overly cocky things about your future prospects
“This is only temporary. Pretty soon, I’m gonna be doing a lot bigger things than this.”
Complementing in a way that could be misconstrued
“That’s a nice tie. I really like what you’re going for.”
Not asking employers thoughtful questions
“What does this company do?”
Top negative factors recruiters say lead to automatically disqualifying a candidate in the interview:
86%: Rude to reception or staff
71%: Checking phone
58%: Being late
52%: Bad hygiene
Most important factor recruiters report as contributing to candidate ‘culture fit’
92%: Conversational skills
Top positive factors recruiters seek in first in-person interview
69%: Conversation skills
65%: Industry knowledge
62%: Enthusiasm
What recruiters and employers are looking for in a candidate is a doer―everybody can be one and can prove it in the first interview
Tricks to being a doer throughout the job search
While you search: Become a linchpin at your current job
Have an organized and self-starting approach to everything
Ensure the quality of your work
Be open to feedback
Thrive in a community of other doers and set an example
High performance as a team player and as an individual
Have healthy work-life balance and celebrate your accomplishments
Prep for the interview: More than dry cleaning your suit
Go to the company website to get a feel for what they do and what they value
Check social media pages for their public image and to keep up with job listings
Be a smart Linkedin user by self-promoting and building a strong network
Tap connections in your network who may work there or be able to mentor you
Understand the industry and the competition
In the Interview
Behavioral interviewing questions are important to landing a job. Interviewers gauge how you respond to certain situations to see if you’re a good fit for the company.
The STAR Technique is a tried and true method to mastering behavioral interview questions
— Specific situation where you demonstrated skills
— Tasks that needed your expertise
— Actions you took to complete them
— Result of your actions in the situation
Avoid the pitfalls of the perpetual job seeker―be a doer and ace your next interview!
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/business/economy/jobs-report.html
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf
https://www.glassdoor.com/research/time-to-hire-in-25-countries/
https://www.thebalance.com/steps-in-the-job-interview-process-2061363
https://www.jobvite.com/jobvite-news-and-reports/2017-job-seeker-nation-survey-finding-fault-lines-american-workforce/
https://www.fastcompany.com/3056444/cover-letters-are-dead-do-this-instead
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6975-future-of-recruiting.html
https://www.mrinetwork.com/media/304094/2017hiringsentimentstudy.pdf
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/tenure.t01.htm
http://blog.indeed.com/2017/06/29/trends-job-tenure/
https://www.thebalance.com/job-interview-do-s-and-don-ts-2061313
https://www.jobvite.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Jobvite_2017_Recruiter_Nation_Report.pdf
https://www.thebalance.com/tips-for-researching-companies-before-job-interviews-2061319
https://www.thebalance.com/behavioral-interview-techniques-and-strategies-2059621
