10 Questions to Dazzle Would-Be Employers

Guest Post from Kristyn Graham

Your suit is crisp - you look impressive. Your résumé is flawless - you seem great on paper. Now, for the last piece of the successful job search puzzle - "wowing" them at the interview.  How do you do it? Try asking questions. Besides showing your interest in the position and the company, asking questions gives you an active role in the interview and lets you steer the interview into areas where you shine.  To make sure your next interview is as smooth as your freshly pressed suit, try these 10 questions on for size:

1.      "What type of growth and advancement opportunities does this position and the company offer?"
This tells the interviewer that you have a long-term vision for your professional future and that you're not just looking for a paycheck; you're looking to secure a career.

2.      "How do you see me benefiting the company?"
Finding out why you were selected out of possibly hundreds of other candidates gives you a chance to expand on the qualities that caught their eye, further making the case for your hire.

3.      "What would my first project be if I'm hired?"
This will give you a specific idea of what you can expect when you walk into the office that first day after being hired. It also can give you a heads up as to what will be expected of you, allowing you to build on those attributes during the interview.

4.      "Are continuing education and professional training stressed?"
This shows your willingness to learn new skills and adapt to new challenges or initiatives.  Adaptability is very important in today's fickle economy and could be key to retaining your job in a reorganization.

5.      "Why did you choose this company?"
Hearing why a current employee opted to work at the firm can give you some insight into some of the strengths and opportunities within the organization.

6.      "What is the company's culture?"
This will reveal those "intangibles" of a company that have nothing to do with professional experience or required education. If you need a traditional, office/cube environment to stay focused and get the job done, a more creativity-driven workplace which allows music streaming from computers, nerf hoop tournaments and ultra flexible schedules may not be conducive to your productivity.

7.      "Who will evaluate me if I'm hired?"
Ask this question, and you'll discern the company and departmental structure under which you will be working. For instance, will you report directly to the vice president or will there be a succession of middle managers between you?

8.      "What exactly are the job responsibilities?"
Job ads usually list the general areas of responsibility for a position. It's always good to confirm what the actual duties will be. You don't want to start your new job as an engineer and find out you're responsible for the weekly doughnut run.

9.      "When will a decision be made on the successful candidate?"
Knowing this helps you determine the timing of your interview follow-up activities.

10.  "May I contact you if I have other questions?"
It's always good to wrap up the interview with this question. It keeps the door open for further communication, giving you one last chance to make your case.

25 Ways to Sabotage Your Job Search: After The Interview

Guest Post by Kristyn L. Graham

After the interview

21. Not sending a thank-you note

Interview etiquette extends beyond the goodbye handshake. Follow up with the interviewer by sending a thank-you note, either by e-mail or in the mail. Not only is it standard business practice, it's also common courtesy. 

22. Being over-aggressive in follow-up

Thanking the hiring manager for the interview is acceptable. You can even check in to see if a candidate's been hired if you were given a deadline for the decision. However, calling, e-mail or stopping by the office repeatedly is not persistent; it's annoying.

23. Not learning from your mistakes

Not every interview goes off without a hitch, so don't beat yourself up if you flubbed an answer or two. However, if you don't take the time to review each interview you go on, you're bound to repeat the same mistakes again and again. 

24. Forgetting where you've applied and interviewed

After a few weeks, you've applied at more than dozen places and probably interviewed with a few companies. Eventually it's harder to remember where you've sent a résumé or interviewed, and applying to the same place makes you look like an applicant who applies to any posting that pops up, not the best fit. 

25. Stopping your job search while you wait for a response

Even if your interview for the job of a lifetime went well, don't freeze your job hunt while you wait to hear back. For a variety of reasons you might not get the job, or you might stumble upon an even better opportunity. You don't have anything to lose by continuing the hunt.

25 Ways to Sabotage Your Job Search: The Interview

Guest Post by Kristyn L. Graham 

The interview

11. Showing up late

Nobody likes to be kept waiting, especially hiring managers evaluating whether or not you would make a good employee. 

12. Dressing for the wrong job

Your interview attire should match the dress code of the company, or be one step up. If the office dress code is business casual, wearing jeans and a T-shirt won't work in your favor. On the other hand, if you're told dress is casual, you'll stick out if you show up wearing a double-breasted suit. 

13. Not asking questions

When the interview comes to a close, the hiring manager will undoubtedly ask if you have any questions for him or her. Not asking anything is the equivalent of saying, "I don't care all that much about the job." 

14. Badmouthing a former boss

When you talk to hiring managers about a previous employer, you're also talking about them. The way you talk about a previous employer is how interviewers think you'll talk about them in the future, so keep it civil.  

15. Not paying attention

Another way to show you don't care much about the job is to get distracted. Answering your phone, sending texts or digging through your bag tells the interviewer that your focus is anywhere except on the interview. 

16. Not researching the position

Your chief objective in an interview is convincing the hiring manager you're the best candidate for the job. How can you prove your qualifications if you don't have an idea of what skills you're expected to have and what your responsibilities will be? 

17. Not researching the company

Employers want to know that your motivation for work is more than a paycheck. If you demonstrate that you know something about the company's history, its goals and its culture, you prove you want to be a part of the company. 

18. Forgetting common etiquette

Don't cuss, chew gum, burp, take off your shoes, forget to shower or do anything else that's not appropriate in a business setting. Don't give the interviewer a reason not to hire you. 

19. Forgetting you're being interviewed from the moment you walk in

Just because you're not sitting down at a desk across from the hiring manager, don't think you're not being evaluated. For example, employers will often ask their receptionists if you were nice them. Even if your interview involves lunch or dinner, you're trying to get a job, not show off your ability to down tequila shots.

20. Bringing up salary too soon

A rule of thumb is that you should never bring up pay; let the hiring manager do it. Of course employers are aware that you want to know about the salary, so they will bring it up when the time is right. Appearing too concerned with money suggests you aren't passionate about the position or the company.

25 Ways to Sabotage Your Job Search: The First Steps

Guest Post by Kristyn L. Graham

Kristyn L. Graham is a nationally certified and accredited professional resume writer who has written over 10,000 resumes. Currently she is partnering with Crafted Resume & Career Services, LLC. Kristyn has shared a series of tips that will post over the next few weeks to assist job seekers who commonly but unknowingly sabotage their job search efforts.

Enjoy, 

When you're job hunting, you can go mad if you think about the amount of factors beyond your control that affect your chances of getting hired. The economy, your location, industry trends – even the hiring manager's mood – can influence whether or not you get a job. Still, as nice as it would be to blame your lack of offers on external factors, you can't forget that the common denominator in your job hunt – from the résumé to the interview – is you.  Here are the first 5 of the 25 ways you might be unknowingly sabotaging your own job search:

The first steps

1. Not keeping track of your accomplishments

When you're happy with your job, it's easy to forget about possible future job hunts. You never know when you'll end up looking for new work, and if you don't keep a running list of awards, promotions and accomplishments, you might not remember them when it's time to update your résumé.

2. Leaving on a bad note

As much fun as it is to fantasize about telling off a bad boss, don't actually do it. Leaving a trail of angry bosses or co-workers will come back to haunt you when you need references.

3. Not networking

If you're silent about your job search, your friends, family and colleagues won't think of you when they hear about job opportunities.

4. Only using the Internet

Online job boards are fantastic resources, but you need to do some footwork if you want to increase your chances of finding a job. Contact companies that you'd like to work for, even if there are no job listings. Not all companies advertise openings online.

5. Searching only for the perfect job

Yes, your job search should be focused. After all, applying to every job posting that comes your way is a good way to waste time but not an effective way to find a job you want. However, if you approach your job hunt unwilling to accept anything less than the precise job title, pay, vacation time and hours you want, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. 

How to Prepare for the Best Job Interview You Ever Had

Preparing for a job interview can be challenging, exciting or even scary.  Some of your best interviews can occur when you do your homework and know that being prepared can make the difference between getting a job or continuing your job search.    

Check out this video on how you can prepare for the best job interview you ever had. 

Enjoy,

Dr. Cris