“What do you know about us?” It’s a common but puzzling question that gets asked at many interviews. Last week we talked about how to research companies. Today, how to present the information you gathered in a way that shows you did your research and highlights why your skills and background would be an asset to the company. Read More
Showing an Employer You’ve Got “Fit” – Part 2: Demonstrating Your Fit
Last week, we talked about exact what “fit” means in the hiring managers’ mind. Now you understand the possible meanings behind “fit”, next step is to clearly demonstrate you’ve got it.
Showing You are a Fit
Interviewers rarely ask “Do you think you would fit in here?” Yet they are measuring fit all the time. The job seeker must proactively demonstrate fit. Given how subjective fit can be, it’s important to bring out your fit throughout the interview. Here’s how: Read More
Improving Communication During Interviews
Good communication skills can mean the difference between success and failure in job interviews. If you are stalling at interviews, communication skills could be the problem. Here are four things to focus on to improve communication skills in interviews: Read More
The Art of Telling An Effective Story
Preparing for an interview can be an exhaustive process. Do you have the proper wardrobe? Do you know how to get to the office? Do you know every piece of your resume and why you put it on there? If you have all of this down, you probably feel pretty prepared, but you forgot something. Do you have effective stories to tell? Read More
The Easiest Elevator Pitch to Deliver
Today our guest blogger is Jeff Haden. Jeff is a columnist for CBSMoneyWatch.com and Inc.com. He has written more than 30 non-fiction books, including four Business and Investing titles that reached #1 on Amazon’s bestseller list.
Jeff learned much of what he knows about business from managing a 250-employee book manufacturing plant. Everything else he picked up from ghostwriting books for some of the smartest CEOs and leaders in business. Follow him on Twitter at @Jeff_Haden.
I’m terrible at delivering elevator pitches. While some people are great at making a wonderful first impression on potential clients, to me making an elevator pitch feels forced and obvious, so I usually chicken out and console myself by rationalizing that impromptu encounters with people in need of a ghostwriter aren’t likely anyway. Read More
How to Get Hired at Start-ups (Part 2)
For many people, working at a startup is exciting, and it’s not hard to understand why. You can get in on the ground floor, be a part of a team that creates something new and with high potential. That’s why it’s so cool to work for a startup, but that’s also why it’s not easy to actually get a job with one. Competition is fierce, but with the right knowledge and approach, you can find a way to make the cut. Read More
How to Get Hired at Start-ups (Part 1)
For many people, working at a startup is exciting, and it’s not hard to understand why. You can get in on the ground floor, be a part of a team that creates something new and with high potential. That’s why it’s so cool to work for a startup, but that’s also why it’s not easy to actually get a job with one. Competition is fierce, but with the right knowledge and approach, you can find a way to make the cut. Read More
The Introvert’s Guide to Interviewing
As not only an introvert, but also a shy introvert, I have always found social situations to be incredibly difficult. When you add the stress that anyone might feel over an important interview, nerves and anxiety can be overwhelming. But with proper preparation, practice, and patience any introvert can interview like the best of them. Read More
What I Learned from 50+ Mock Interviews
Today’s guest blog is by Bilal Aslam, who recently launched WiserProfile, giving you personalized feedback on your LinkedIn profile. Bilal is a technical visionary with 5 years of experience at Microsoft, currently an engineer on Windows Azure. Recently, Bilal was the VP of Engineering at emptyspaceads, a seed-stage startup. His passions include data mining and distributed systems.
One of my friends Gayle runs an awesome company (CareerCup) which provides phone and in-person technical interview coaching for A-list companies like Microsoft, Google and Amazon. I have been doing mock interviews for CareerCup for more than two years now. While I don’t remember the exact number of mock interviews I have done, it’s in the neighborhood of 50+. Candidates have run the gamut from hopeless to brilliant. Read More
Interview Invitation: Tell Me About Yourself
I’m impressed with how well this video demonstrates techniques for covering the talking points that everyone will deal with during a job interview. John Heaney walks you through the following points: