Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
Steve Jobs
Score — you got the interview! The date is set, but the closer the day comes, the more nervous you get. You are afraid of not having good answers and being tongue-tied and too stressed to think straight.
That’s normal. When asked why interviewing is stress-inducing, most candidates say because there is a lot at stake and because they don’t know what questions will be asked.
Here’s the good news: There are five easy steps you can take to calm your nerves before that next interview!
Do a mock interview! Ideally you can practice with a professional. For instance, make an appointment to come to the Career Center, and we will do an in-depth mock interview with you. We will talk through the most commonly asked questions and work out the best answers with you.
If that’s not an option, check out our YouTube channel. We have a playlist demonstrating how to answer common job interview questions. (We also have specialized versions for teenagers with little work experience, as well as specialized versions for people with criminal records. Plus an Everything Interview playlist to cover you from A to Z.) You can use our videos as a starting point for how you can answer. Then carefully craft your answers and practice with a friend. Take out your smart phone and video yourself. That way you can see your body language and catch potential issues! (For tips on body language, see this post.)
When you have come up with the best possible answers, write them down and practice, practice, practice. The more confident you feel in your answers and how to deliver them, the less nervous you’ll be!
You want to know as much as possible about the organization you are interviewing with. Check out their official website, social media presence, and recent news coverage.
You also want to prepare your route to the interview site and what you will wear. Check your clothes ahead of time to see if they need to be washed or dry-cleaned.
Again, the more prepared you are, the more confident you will be!
On your way to the interview, listen to music that makes you feel good. Sing, rock, rap along to your favorite music. It will energize you and make you feel good and at ease.
Right before the interview, somewhere in a private corner, try power poses. Never heard of them? Check out this TED talk by Amy Cuddy. Stand up straight, shoulders wide, hands to your hips. Poses like this can make you feel more powerful and confident. Some studies even show that they can actually change your body chemistry to make you more powerful and confident.
Last but not least, the fact that you were invited to the interview already shows that the organization thinks you might be a good fit. You made it to this stage past many other applicants and are one of only a handful (sometimes only two or three) candidates invited to interview. You have already crossed most hurdles, and the interview is just the very last one. Recognizing this should give you a feeling of accomplishment and increase your self-confidence.
Now that you are prepared and full of self-confidence, there is no room for nervous jitters. Go and nail that interview!
Written by Anne Nowak.
Note: This article was originally published in July 2017. it has been reposted here, with updates, to reach a new audience.
Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be.
Elizabeth Gilbert
As the hectic month of August draws to a close, and students are settling into the school routine, why not settle in with a YouTube video or two? Here are some to get you started:
In this video, Certified Resume Writer Anne Nowak walks you step by step through the process of completing an online job application for grocery chain Kroger.
Once upon a time, your resume was an exhaustive biography of everything you’ve ever done . . . but things change, and that approach just doesn’t work anymore. In this video, Certified Resume Writer Lynnette Lee demonstrates a more modern technique.
This video is part of our Resumes Before and After series, which showcases common resume mistakes and our recommended solutions.
In this list, compiled after our conversations with hiring managers, Certified Career Coach Anne Nowak discusses the most common mistakes which cost applicants job offers.
Written by Lynnette Lee
I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.
Barack Obama
One of the most crucial parts of writing an effective resume is choosing the right format. We usually distinguish between chronological, functional, and hybrid formats, with each having distinct pros and cons. To that end, we will be discussing different resume formats and which ones work for which job seekers. Today, we’ll look at the hybrid resume format.
The hybrid resume template is, as it sounds, a hybrid of the other two types of resumes we previously discussed: chronological and functional. The chronological resume is a straightforward listing of chronological work history: where you worked and when. The functional resume, also discussed here, takes the opposite approach: it focuses on your skills and accomplishments, while de-emphasizing chronological work history.
The hybrid resume aims to give you the best of both worlds. It includes detailed information on your chronological work experience, but also has specialized sections which allow you to highlight your unique competencies, accomplishments, and personal branding statements. Check out our examples: basic professional and advanced professional.
The hybrid resume’s main advantage is that it avoids some of the disadvantages of the other resume formats. A chronological template may not work for you if you’ve had several different types of jobs, because it may look scattered and unfocused. By giving you a place to include a branding statement and highlight your most relevant skills, the hybrid resume helps you bring a uniting thread to your resume, focusing the hiring manager’s mind on the best parts of your experience.
Likewise, a functional template can be risky because the unusual format can be off-putting to hiring managers. The hybrid resume allows you to use a more orthodox format which showcases your stable work history, while still giving you a place to emphasize your best skills and achievements.
Due to its flexibility, the hybrid resume can work well for most jobseekers. It is also the preferred format for mid-to-upper-level professionals such as managers and executives.
Although the hybrid resume works well for a large number of people, it is not the best choice for everyone. The functional format may work better for someone with a nontraditional work history (large gap, no relevant experience, etc.) or someone with a single-track career doing the same exact job at several different companies. Our best advice is to read about all three types, then choose the one which you believe would paint your experience in the best light.
Contact information: Your name, physical address (optional), phone number with area code, and email address. You may also include your LinkedIn URL and/or website URL.
Personalized Sections: This area has the flexibility to let you get creative. You may choose to start with a tagline, profile statement, or professional summary — some sort of brief statement to introduce who you are and what you have to offer. You may also have a section that lets you emphasize the best things you have to offer, in an attention-grabbing list at the top of your resume. You might call that section Key Skills, Achievements, Core Competencies, or Accomplishments. Depending on your field and career level, it may also be appropriate to include a list of Professional Memberships. Look at our two examples for inspiration, and if you’re still not sure what to include, check for examples of hybrid resumes online and in resume books.
Work History: Start with the most recent job and work your way back. Include the name of each company, city and state of the company’s location, your job title there, your dates of employment, and a job description. There are two different ways of handling the job description, as shown in our two different examples.
Our basic professional example lists each job duty as a separate bullet point. Your bullet points should start with strong action verbs and give a good general idea of what you did on the job. Make sure to highlight: awards or promotions, experience training or supervising others, using specialized software or equipment, leading workshops or presentations, and any other special achievements on the job.
Our advanced professional example has a different approach. For many management-level professionals, including the details of every job duty would be overwhelming. Instead, this resume starts each job description with a brief paragraph summarizing the job duties. The bullet points are reserved for specific accomplishments.
Education: This would be the place to include academic degrees (bachelor’s, master’s, etc.), vocational certifications (teaching license, LPN, etc.), and industry credentials (CPA, TWIC, OSHA, etc.). Remember to include the name and type of diploma earned, the name of the school, and the city and state. Depending on your field and career level, it may also be appropriate to include a subsection called Continuing Education or Professional Development, in which you’ll list the ongoing educational courses you have taken relevant to your field. Important note: do not include graduation dates for anything which is more than 15 years old. Doing so could make your degree look outdated and open you up to age discrimination.
References: Your references should not be part of your resume. References should be on a separate document, one which you only provide when it is asked for. You may include a line on your resume that says, “References available upon request.”
In addition to these tips, you can come by the Career Center in person anytime during business hours for one-on-one help with your resume.
Written by Lynnette Lee.
Note: This article was originally published in June 2017. It has been reposted here, with updates, in order to reach a new audience.
You don’t choose the times you live in, but you do choose who you want to be, and you do choose how you want to think.
Grace Lee Boggs
It seems a little unreal that today is the first day of school. This summer seems to have blinked by in an instant. I suppose time really does fly when you’re having fun – as we had fun making these YouTube videos:
In this video, Certified Resume Writer Anne Nowak showcases the website No Desk, explaining how you can use both its job-searching and company-listing features to find remote work.
Implementing new policies and overseeing changes are an important part of any manager’s job. In this video, Certified Career Coach Anne Nowak and Career Specialist Lynnette Lee discuss how to demonstrate thoughtful approaches to change management.
If your social media accounts make you look unprofessional, it may be costing you job opportunities. In this video, Certified Resume Writer Lynnette Lee will give you tips for presenting a professional image and avoiding common mistakes.
Written by Lynnette Lee
Scenario:
The job interview is coming to an end, and so far, you’ve done well. You’ve chosen a great interview outfit, you’ve showcased good body language, and you’ve made excellent use of the STAR formula in your answers.
Then the interviewer says, “So, do you have any questions for us?”
You reply, “No, not really. I think you covered it.”
Congratulations. You’ve just lost the job.
Accepting a new job is a major life decision. It makes sense to approach it with the same level of information-gathering that you’d apply to other major life decisions, like choosing a college or buying a house. If you ask no questions at the interview, hiring managers will wonder, why don’t you care more? Perhaps you aren’t truly interested in this job, and you’re just interviewing as a formality. Perhaps you’re just desperate for any job. Perhaps you didn’t do any research on the company, and therefore you don’t know what kinds of questions to ask. No matter which conclusion the hiring managers draw, it won’t paint you in a positive light. To avoid this, ask several questions at the interview — but not just any questions.
Any kind of question that references salary, perks, benefits, hours, vacation, sick leave, promotions, etc. These kinds of questions scream, “I don’t care about doing a great job. I am chasing a paycheck.” Yes, you do need to know these things, but not now — wait until after you’ve officially been offered the job. Once they’ve decided you’re the one they want, then you can start negotiating salary and decide if you want to accept the job.
Examples:
“How much will I be earning per hour?”
“What will my commission percentage be?”
“Will the company reimburse me for mileage?”
“What kind of retirement package do you offer?”
“Do you guys provide dental insurance?”
“How soon can I be promoted?”
“Will I have to work weekends?”
Any question you should already know the answer to. Read the job description carefully, research the company thoroughly, and listen attentively to everything the hiring manager says. Otherwise, you may ask bone-headed, surface-level questions which indicate that you didn’t do your homework and weren’t paying attention.
Examples:
“What is the official title for my position?”
“What sorts of products do you make?”
“Do you guys have a mission statement?”
“Wow, you have a website?”
Questions about the company culture and working environment.
Examples:
“What’s your favorite thing about working here?”
“Can you tell me about the team I’ll be working with?”
“How did this position become available?”
“I saw in the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report that you recently opened a new location downtown. Has that expansion created any new challenges for your department?”
Questions about the job duties.
Examples:
“What will the training process for this position be like?”
“You mentioned that I would be assisting with the Phoenix project. Can you tell me a little bit more about this project? What role would I play in facilitating it?”
“I understand that my primary function will be to assist customers. But during slow times, when there are no customers, what are some other things you’d like me to work on?”
Questions about their expectations of you.
Examples:
“How would you describe the perfect candidate for this position? What qualities would that person have?”
“Have you had a previous employee in this position who was fantastic? What made her so successful in this role?”
“What is the number-one thing I should focus on in my first 30 days of working here?”
“When can I expect to hear your decision?”
Listen for red flags. They are not just interviewing you; you are also interviewing them. Before you decide to accept the job, you need to make sure that you would be happy there. When they talk about the work environment, does it sound like an environment you’d fit well into, or does it sound clique-ish or stressful? Do the job duties they discuss seem like something you’d enjoy doing, or would you get bored? Does the boss sound like a micromanager? Does he seem to have unrealistic expectations? Has there been high turnover for this position? If you get a bad vibe from the interview, don’t ignore it. Trust your instincts.
Respond to their responses. Don’t just nod dumbly after they answer your questions. React in a positive and meaningful way. For example: You ask them to describe the perfect candidate, and they answer, “The ideal candidate would have stellar customer service skills, a meticulous eye for detail, and the ability to stay calm in a stressful environment.” You now have a golden opportunity to sell yourself. Smile and say that that sounds perfect for you. Then, address each point in turn, and explain (with examples wherever possible) how you definitely possess that trait.
Written by Lynnette Lee
Note: This article was originally published in June 2017. It has been reposted here, with updates, in order to reach a new audience.
The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
Nelson Mandela