Most job seekers have funny stories of awkward interview moments – names mangled, drinks spilled, flubbed answers to easy questions. Jobfully team members shared a few of their favorites including accidently offering a hug instead of a handshake at the end of the interview (carried away?) and accidently walking off with the interviewer’s notebook. Knowing that these things happen, here are some graceful ways to get through those awkward moments and maybe even make yourself look good in the process. Read More
Answering “What’s Your Biggest Weakness?”
Hiring managers love the question “What’s your biggest weakness?” because it tells them at least three different things about you:
- Are you self-aware?
- Are you honest?
- Is your “flaw” something they can live with?
If you answer “I work too hard for my own good” or “I’m my own worst critic,” you don’t show honesty or self-awareness and you don’t give the interviewer a clue about whether your flaw will work OK with the job they need to get done. So it’s important you give an honest answer, one that shows you know yourself, are addressing your weakness and have no problem so big it will interfere with your work. Read More
“You’re Overqualified” – Turning Your Qualifications into Advantages
Experienced job seekers are sometimes frustrated to be told they are overqualified for a position. In part one of our series on this issue, we learned there are often hidden concerns behind the label “overqualified”. Part two focused on how to address these concerns. Today, going beyond addressing concerns, to really turning your qualifications into selling points. Read More
”You’re Overqualified.” – Addressing the real concerns
When addressing the issue of being “overqualified,” it’s critical to understand the true concerns behind the label. Last week we laid out what some of those concerns might be. Today, how to address them. Read More
“You’re Overqualified.” What are they really saying?
It’s not uncommon for experienced workers to be told they aren’t getting a job because they are overqualified. Expressing a willingness to work below past level and beneath past salary oftentimes is not the best strategy for dealing with this situation. Instead, it’s important to understand what specific concerns the hiring manager is raising. Deep experience should not be a liability but actually an asset in your job search. To bring it out, you need to address the underlying reasons directly. Read More
Interview Fail: Signs Your Interview is Not Going Well
Most job seekers have had the experience of coming out of an interview feeling it went great, only to learn later that it did not. There are ways to tell an interview is not going well, and ways to correct on the spot in hopes of a better outcome. Read More
Answering “Why Should We Hire You?”
On a episode of “America’s Got Talent”, a contestant was asked “Why should America vote for you?” The contestant tearfully replied something along the lines of “Because I want it so much, it would mean so much to me.” While this answer works for a TV talent show, it is NOT the response you want to give when asked in a job interview “Why should we hire you?” Hires are not made based on how much the applicant wants the job. Hires are based on the value the candidate can create for the employer. Here are some dos and don’ts for answering this very common interview question. Read More
Do Looks Matter?
Could your looks get in the way of your job search? It’s a question a lot of people are asking after a Newsweek article which said essentially looks matter. According to the Newsweek survey of hiring managers, looks were the third most important factor after experience and confidence. So what’s a job seeker to do? Read More
I Wasn’t Laid-off. I Was Fired!
These days, it’s pretty common to lose your job due to a reduction in force (RIF) or lay off. With the struggling economy, such a lay off is usually not problematic on a resume and can be easily explained, especially if you were one of many to lose your job. But how does a job seeker explain being fired? Read More
Answering “How do You Deal with Conflict?”
Conflict is something we have to deal with on a daily basis. How we handle it is a reflection of the type of professional we are. That’s why the question “How do you handle conflict?” gets asked in interviews. When asked about your ability to deal with conflict, be prepared to explain your overall philosophy and give examples: Read More