Interview Questions Time for a Shake-Up!

Interview Questions Time for a Shake-Up! What motivates you? Where do you see yourself in five years? What’s your biggest strength? What’s your biggest weakness? If you don’t recognise any of these questions, it’s probably because you haven’t been involved in a job interview recently. If, however, you’ve been either a candidate or an interviewer, there’s a good chance you’ll be all too familiar with these frankly clichéd posers. Questions like these â€" and indeed these exact questions â€" have been a staple of interviews for years now. And yet they show no sign of dying off yet. They’re still used across multiple sectors, for a range of roles and specialisms. Strangely, they’re perceived as being suitable for almost any interview, and for any candidate. But why? Failing to rethink your interview questions is a serious oversight that leaves a weak link in your recruitment strategy. Employers put a huge amount of effort into other stages of the recruitment process: employer brand; recruitment marketing; job ads; filtering and selection; all the way through to onboarding. But hidden away in that process is the interview, the content of which hasn’t benefited from an update or a serious rethink for far too long. For example, candidates have been asked the ‘what’s your biggest strength?’ question for decades. Can you imagine an organisation failing to refresh their employer brand for the same length of time? Of course, these questions are often only one part of an interview that encompasses other conversation and measurement, but perhaps it’s time to ditch them altogether, since they’re only taking up space that could be devoted to far better ways of gauging a candidate’s suitability. The easy option: In some ways, standard questions like these are a comfort blanket. It’s an unfortunate truth that some people don’t like interviewing candidates, whether it’s because they’re too busy to do the interviewing, because they don’t feel comfortable doing it, or because deep down they think somebody else should be doing it. Let’s not forget that in many interviews, the person asking the questions might be a line manager or a future colleague of the candidate, but they might not be a professional recruiter or even an HR person at all. That’s why these standard questions, along with templated interview formats, are often seen as a useful resource. They give the interviewer something to lean on. But the repeated use of these old chestnuts means candidates are able to second-guess you. The majority of jobseekers can predict an interview will contain at least one, possibly more, of these questions. That means they can come to the interview armed with pre-prepared answers that offer precious little insight. It’s an interviewer’s job to get a full measure of the person in front of them. This means probing, scratching beneath the surface, to find out what makes the candidate tick and why they would be a useful addition to the workforce. If the candidates know what to expect and are able to rehearse beforehand, it means you’re less likely to get a true representation of them during the interview. It’s like giving a student an advance warning of the questions in a forthcoming exam. Sure, it’ll help them to deal with the pressure and pre-think some of their responses, but it doesn’t mean their answers will be a good reflection of their knowledge or ability. It’s a bit of a cheat. Low value: Besides, even in the unlikely event that a candidate is hearing these questions for the first time, what value would their answers offer? These questions are so generic and so broad that they don’t really allow you to gauge a candidate’s suitability for a specific role. And let’s face it, they also allow the candidate to answer them with a relaxed approach to the truth. When you ask somebody what their biggest weakness is, are they really going to tell you they’re terrible at timekeeping, rarely get on well with colleagues, or that they get bored easily? Of course not. Instead, they’ll say they’re perfectionists, or they’re sometimes guilty of taking on too much work. And if you ask them where they see themselves in five years, will they tell you they’ll probably be working elsewhere because they see this job as a stepping stone? No. They’ll tell you just what they want you to hear. And you’re enabling them to do that because they’ve been able to predict what you’ll ask them. Avoid the wacky interview: We’ve all read about some of the (possibly apocryphal) left-field interview questions posed during interviews at Google, Microsoft, and other blue-chips: Why are manhole covers round? (Because manholes are round, duh.) A man pushed his car to a hotel and lost all his money. Why? (Because he was playing Monopoly.) What is 37 times 37? (Sure, it’s easy to work out while you’re sat reading this, but consider how much harder it would be with a couple of interviewers giving you the beady eye. And I’m not giving you the answer, by the way.) Are you lazy? (Erm) But, while these might be eye-catching and entertaining, this line of questioning is not right for every employer. These are designed to gauge factors like logic skills, problem solving and emotional intelligence, rather than directly measuring aptitude or suitability for a position. Pose questions or tasks that are appropriate for your sector, and for the role and candidate profile of the person you’re interviewing. Ask questions that tap into their experience and skills. There is little value in asking generic, often-used questions if they offer little insight into the suitability of a candidate for the role you’re looking to fill. And finally: After considering all this, there’s one reminder. The most important question to ask? Of course, it’s “Do you have any questions for us?” In one sentence, you give the candidate the opportunity to show how much they know about your company, how well they’ve researched the role, and also demonstrate their ability to work their way around a key piece of dialogue. Sometimes it’s not the questions you ask, but the questions you’re asked that are most valuable. Author:  John Eccleston is a writer and editor who covers recruitment and HR topics for  personneltodayjobs.rbirecruitment.com.

Winning Strategies for Being Social - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Winning Strategies for Being Social - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Conversation and writing are two key communication connectors that will either influence a negative or positive response. Striving to influence positively will ultimately lead to increased sales. Negative Conversation  Example Twice during a twenty-minute conversation, I was stopped mid-sentence to be told I was going back on what was previously stated. That isn’t my personal brand style and so it was highly unlikely this was the case. I stopped to ask “why” my statements were perceived in this way. A key advantage for building business and acquiring the sale is found in Listening The other person was too busy talking to hear my replies to what she said. I was merely responding to her points. The worst part was she didn’t want to listen even as I was walking her through the steps to retrace the origin of her miscommunication. Writing Mirrors Conversation If you truly want to increase your audience and client base, then your writing should be based on what clients have shared with you without using names. You may have been asked troubling questions that need resolving or confidentially told you about mishaps from which lessons were learned. These incidents are some of the best sources for providing insights online and discussing with future prospective clients. Writing References: * Proposals * Articles * Online postings The most important sales principle applies to writing: “Keep it Simple”. Keeping it Simple Dedication to mobile devices makes it more important than ever to stick to short sentences. I was told to eliminate commas and other punctuation marks wherever possible. Your Experience Prior to delving into the heart of a meeting share a personal story or example upfront. Conveying the story so that it leads into the reason for your meeting will garner further interest. Or use your story at the beginning of your writing to draw your reader in to learn more. Bold Topics Topic headings make it easy to speed-read. Readers are then able to focus on the areas most important for them. Additionally the subheadings allow for quick scrolling on the mobile devices. The same suggestion applies to the topics in your proposals. Clients appreciate the clear and concise language for easy comprehension. In some cases, proposals will need to be shared with other members of the team who weren’t able to make the meeting. Interpretation is then required if you aren’t invited to be at that next meeting. The clearer your communication, the more likely you will get the sale. 3 or 5 Star Lists Add power to a specific point by following it up with a bulleted or numbered list with 3-5 points preferred by most. Your point will be more likely remembered. Observation Observed examples provide the “why” an idea is important. This principle is similar to the advertising model of the “before” and ‘after”. Share what you observed that wasn’t done well and the poor outcome experienced by others or by you. Then describe the solution as you see it and the anticipated outcome that may be experienced. Recap Conclude why you wrote what you did and the favorable outcome for the readers who pay attention. Contact Me Invite questions as they provide insight as to what else your clientele needs to know. Questions will prompt new ideas for additional materials to write. The invited questions quickly become a win-win for all which is another sales principle to live by. Making your contact information is a necessity for business. This is the icing on the cake in regard to making it easy to do business with you. Your personal brand will become known as the professional who makes working together easy and enjoyable. The recognition will lead you to the Smooth Sale!

Top 17 Songs Every Recruiter Can Relate to

Top 17 Songs Every Recruiter Can Relate to Weve all been there, on the roller-coaster of emotions that is recruitment. From the Monday morning hell which requires nothing short of a double espresso, through to the  vainglory which kicks in during deal swag season. Here are some of my top song picks to get you through the good and bad weeks / months / years of recruiting: 1. Your first day as a recruitment consultant Song choice: Travie McCoy Billionaire Its your first day as a recruitment consultant. Your  new manager sits you down for an introduction and the commission structure is broken down in more detail, meanwhile youre sat there just thinking I wanna be a Billionaire so bad! 2. Monday blues Song Choice: Daniel Powter  Bad Day Youve finally left the office after a  miserable Monday, having endured the beginning of the month meeting where you were grilled by your seniors about last months performance. Its now time to reflect and move on / have a large bottled size glass of red wine. 3. That HR manager blocks  your deal Song choice: Puddle Of Mudd She Hates Me Yes, you may have gone directly to the hiring manager behind HRs back but what else could you do when they decided to ignore your emails and calls, despite the fact that you had the perfect candidate for them? You managed to get the manager bought in and then you get a call from the HR manager telling you that all future communications are blocked and interviews have been cancelled! 4. That warm / smug feeling of being in high demand Song Choice: Right Said Fred Im Too Sexy When that same client (which you desperately wanted to work with) who turned you down after telling you that they decided to work with a range of cheaper agencies and assured you they didnt need your services, comes running back. 5. Sifting through rubbish applications Song choice: TLC No Scrubs One of the  banes of  being a recruiter, when youre getting a pile load of irrelevant applications (often duplicate) and the applicants are also keen to check in twice a day on their application process and resell themselves in for the position! 6. Job insomnia Song choice: Cypress Hill Insane In The Brain When you spend your thirsty Thursday staying late  in the empty office alone (ignoring the continuous snapchats from others in the office who off out at your favourite bar) but its ok because youre going to send over some top quality candidates to a new hot job It gets to the following Tuesday and your clients disappeared off the end of the earth! 7. Realising that amazing candidate isnt so irreplaceable Song choice: Beyonce Irreplaceable When you find a candidate that you think will get the job but they turn out to be a DIVA,  maybe they blank you continuously for 48 hours and youre feeling hopeless then you find someone with a better skill set whos keen on your role. 8. When that candidate comes crawling back Song choice: Kelis Trick Me That same candidate that dogged you once comes crawling back. They might have a good set of experience on there CV but theyre a major  Houdini when it comes to  commitment. Now that youre older and wiser to their trickery, you know exactly what theyre like and unfortunately that role is no longer available. 9. Budgets have been reset and youve got a pile of new jobs to work Song choice: Missy Elliott Work It Wow, this is a change for the books youve gone from frantically trying to find the scraps of unworkable jobs to having 10  land on your desk at once. Feeling funky with a  fresh lease of life now, youve just got to decide if each one is worth it and whether to work it or not! 10. Continuously being knocked down Song choice: Chumbawamba Tubthumping When you work 5-10 hours overtime daily just to get badly beaten by another agency continually for two weeks. Note to self: keep self belief that theres light at the end of the deal tunnel, and move on! 11. When someone asks you about your diet since having started our recruitment career Song choice: Fast Food Rockers Fast Food Song Before starting in the recruitment industry youd like to think of yourself as fairly healthy, but recently those late nights in the office trawling through jobs boards followed by a stint of continuous alcohol consumption has resulted in a rapid decline in the consumption of healthier alternatives, whilst Deliveroo and Dominos seem to have become an excellent option! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pgPq4FGWfk 12. Dont go chasing waterfalls Song choice: TLC Waterfalls When youve got no core roles on but things keep cropping up outside of your remit, not exactly the kind of area you cover and your managers stood over your desk telling you not to stray from what you know (maybe youll ping some people over outside of core hours). 13. KPI Chains Song choice: Mary Mary Shackles When everyone leaves the office for team drinks but youre 20% off hitting your months KPIs and todays the last day of the month you realise that youll be begrudgingly catching up on these for at least the next couple of hours. 14. When office haters start hating on your high commission lifestyle Song choice: The Notorious B.I.G Mo Money Mo Problems Last month you did pretty well and youre feeling pretty fly in your new outfits this week, whilst you can admit that your new Versace sunglasses indoors may be a little excessive you cant help but feel like haters gonna hate. 15. When you fill  the unplaceable job Song choice: Montell Jordan-  This is how we do it Everyone told you that you wouldnt be able to do it but you got that recruiters twinge to go outside of what people told you to do and guess what? Candidate start date is confirmed, notice handed in do a little dance. 16. When they call out top biller for the month and its you Song choice: Destinys Child Say My Name Yeah thats right-  its recap of last months activity and your director refers to the statistics before announcing the top biller of the month. You look around, hmm wonder who it could be (secretly know its you) and get ready to walk to the front in diva manner/act surprised. 17. All work work work Song choice: Rihanna Work We all have those friends who always seem to be free to do something, yet you cant help but feel like all you do is work, work, work. Bailing on social plans only to spend the night alone in the office submitting CVs is only possible if you repeat staff incentive trip over and over and over again Every role has its ups and down and its no secret that recruitment can be testing hopefully this will help to get you through the ups and downs  and get you out the other side of the week! If youd like to keep the playlist on standby,  it can be found here!

Take Advantage of Your Conflicts - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Take Advantage of Your Conflicts - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Growing up, I was taught to avoid conflict â€" girls don’t fight! Later in life, I started arguing when I saw an opportunity to win and avoided confrontation when the odds were against me. But over the years I’ve slowly changed my opinion of conflict. I saw over and over that when things got really bad, people got motivated to change the status quo. Conflict can be a huge opportunity if we take the right approach. Based on the ideas of Thomas-Kilmann, there are 5 conflict styles. I see them as options you can choose from when you are in different conflicts. Here they are: COMPETING I win, you lose This one is about pursuing your own interests â€" I’m right and you are wrong! A great opportunity to take this approach is when you are standing up for your rights or for the rights of others. Choose your battles wisely, though, since there is a thin line between gaining respect and gaining enemies. COLLABORATING â€" We both win Whenever you are on a team and there is a conflict, it’s a great idea to point out the common goals. Work together to find a solution that meets the needs and concerns of various parties. Do not choose this approach in a crisis situation. Setting up a meeting and looking for a consensus may be way more risky that acting fast and taking an action. COMPROMISING â€" We both lose some If you cannot satisfy everybody, you may need to start negotiating. Look for a solution that is acceptable but only partially satisfying for all parties. Try to balance the items people are willing to give up. Watch out for solutions where just for the sake of being fair nobody gets anything they want. AVOIDING â€" Nobody wins, nobody loses When emotions run high, it may be a good idea to postpone the discussion or withdraw from it. “Let’s sleep on this and talk some more tomorrow.” But be careful, because avoiding may allow the issue to grow out of proportions. Don’t avoid conflict just because you don’t know how to deal with it. In that case, ask around and get some support. ACCOMMODATING â€" You win, I lose There are times where you should seriously consider neglecting your own interests to satisfy the interests of others. Accommodating shows others you are willing to let them shine, step back, or admit your mistakes. But watch out, or you may become a martyr, a victim, someone who constantly sacrifices for others. And this approach will eventually turn against you. As you can see, there is no right or wrong approach. It really depends on the conflict. Your strength depends on your flexibility. The more you are able to deliberately choose your behavior (instead of reacting), the stronger you will be in any conflict situation. As I’ve mentioned, conflicts are great motivators for change. When people feel uncomfortable, they want out, of the situation. They want things to get better. As a leader, you have a great opportunity to use conflicts and crisis effectively as fuel for change in your organization. Some leaders even prolong the sense of conflict to make sure the change really happens. And this applies to your internal conflicts as well. When something bothers you, you have a choice to set it aside and see if it goes away, attack it by pushing yourself one direction or other, or you may want to listen carefully. Every conflict is your opportunity to learn something about you. Don’t miss that chance. Author: Henrieta Riesco  is a founder of  Intentional Career. She is all about meaningful conversation to empower professionals on their career journey. After experiences of being a teacher and a corporate trainer in Slovakia, a customer advocate and a training consultant for  10+ years at Microsoft, she is comfortable with calling herself a Career Coach. You can follow Henrieta via  Twitter, or via  her blog.

When a Functional Resume Works Against You - CareerMetis.com

When a Functional Resume Works Against You The functional resume. Yes, there is a place for it among job seekers.Basically, a functional resume allows a job seeker to focus on skills, talents, and accomplishments rather than a chronological employment history.evalThe job candidates who use functional resumes usually fall into three categories:1. Candidates are in a career transitionThis means that they have work experience in a specific sector but are now looking to break out of that sector and use their skills and talents in a new industry.Here’s an example: You have been in the banking sector for several years but you find it too conservative for your more progressive tastes. You are looking to move into The IT department of a company with a more “youthful” culture.2. Candidates have gaps in employmentFor whatever reason, there are one or more periods of time during which you were unemployed. If the cause is reasonably explained These candidates will need to focus on the skillsets they have developed while in school â€" through volunteer activities, internships, and any leadership positions they may have held in organizations. Part-time jobs at fast food restaurants will just not cut it.Can a Functional Resume Work Against You?evalYes, it can. There are a number of recruiters and hiring managers who state they hate the functional resume.Their reasons are as follows;Your information is out of context. They want to read about your skills and achievements within the context of the organization you worked for.You may be exaggerating your talents and achievements without that context to back them upThey have to draw their own conclusions without a work history.They suspect the applicant is hiding something and will then try to play detective. This takes time, and it frustrates them. They move on to resumes that have a chronological format and a context.What’s the Solution?The solution may lie in what is termed the “hybrid” resume.evalAnd here is why:The first part of your resume body can be c rafted as a functional resume. In this part, you will list the skillsets and abilities you have that directly relate to the advertised position. You want to be careful here. Focus only on the skills that the job posting enumerates. And don’t include “soft” skills, unless the posting identifies them.The second part of the resume can be the chronological listing of work history. Yes, there may be gaps, but you can’t get around them. For newbies, this is the place to list the internships and volunteer positions you held.Can you “stretch the truth” to fill in those gaps? This is something you must think about carefully. Some applicants “fill” the gap with such things as starting their own business (which subsequently failed), consulting, or freelancing. If you choose to “stretch the truth” in this way, tread very carefully. If you should land an interview, it will come up, no doubt.Recruiters and hiring managers do like to see some type of chronological history, part icularly those who are acting on behalf of more traditional companies.Crafting that Hybrid ResumeThe hybrid resume will require some very expert construction. You may not feel comfortable putting this together on your own. But there is a help. A number of resume service sites have templates that you can use. But, your circumstances may be unique, and a generic template may not really work.For total customization you may want to use a personal resume expert. One often-neglected source can be finding the best academic writing servicethat also offers resume services. Usually, the most reputable ones will hire HR experts to consult with job candidates on resume construction. They can be great resources.What you need is a “blended” approach for your resume, especially for traditional organizations. More progressive organizations may not be as concerned about a chronological history. As is always recommended, your resume must be crafted for the specific employer.Hybrids are Growing in PopularityAccording to some employment and resume experts, the hybrid resume is becoming more popular with job candidates, no matter what their employment history may be.The reason for this growing popularity is the increasing use of applicant tracking systems â€" the technology that scans resumes for keywords and, more specifically, where those keywords are located.Using a hybrid resume that focuses on skillsets first, provides applicants with the chance to get those keywords included at the top of the document.Resume formats have evolved over the years and will continue to evolve. The key consideration for an applicant is to gear a resume to the organization â€" using the keywords found in the job posting, researching the “culture” of the organization, and then crafting a resume that “fits.”

A Simple Tip for Reinvigorating a Job Search - Sterling Career Concepts

A Simple Tip for Reinvigorating a Job Search A Simple Tip for Reinvigorating a Job Search Job searching boils down to a numbers game. If your activity seems stalled and needs a reboot, the single best activity is to increase the number of people with whom you are speaking. Increasing the number of relevant conversations youre having daily and weekly will lead to more referrals, more resumes passed along, more informational interviews, and more employment interviews. Notice they do need to be targeted and relevant conversations for this to work. They cant simply be conversations just for the sake of talking to more people. That will give you a false sense of security without leading to an increase in activity. This is one of those tips that can sound simple but be really difficult for some people to do, so if the idea of connecting with more people seems overwhelming, please feel free to reach out to Laurie for help with networking strategies that will work for you.

How to Choose a Quick Resume and Cover Letter Writing Service

How to Choose a Quick Resume and Cover Letter Writing ServiceIf you are seeking the services of a quick resume and cover letter writing service, then be sure to get one that is reliable and honest. There are several service providers that offer online services, but if they can't help you through the phone, then there's no point in paying them a visit. Of course, you want to be certain to choose the right provider before making any type of payment.If you hire a service that will help you with your quick resume and cover letter writing, then you can feel confident that they will be able to provide a finished product within a short period of time. Since you will likely want the job done quickly, the sooner you find someone that can help you, the better. It will help to visit a few different websites so that you can compare pricing.In order to ensure that you are getting the best service available, try to work with an internet based business when you are seeking a quick resume and cover letter writing service. It will take some time to research the different options that are available. You may want to start by looking at the writing services that are offered by online service companies.Remember that while you are not the only one seeking this type of service, it is certainly much more cost effective to use an online company that offers the same professional way of looking at your qualifications and skills. You don't want to end up paying for the same thing that others have received. For this reason, you should try to stay away from providers that charge exorbitant fees.When you are seeking a quick resume and cover letter writing service, try to find one that offers services as a full service package rather than as individual services. The latter type of business doesn't offer the same level of service that the former one does. While this is the case, it will help to work with one that offers personalized services that will go a long way towards helping you determin e the type of service that will best suit your needs.Many people assume that the quick resume and cover letter writing service that they need to contact will be available via the internet. This is not always the case. You may need to find a physical location where you can make an appointment to speak with a representative that will be able to help you out.It will help to make sure that you are able to connect with someone that is familiar with what you are looking for. You don't want to leave the meeting without some sort of reference that can give you great advice about how to prepare for your meeting. You also need to make sure that the service that you will be working with is someone that will be able to provide you with answers to your questions regarding the process that you need to go through when you are working with the service.It will also help to find someone that can show you how to deliver your written materials to the service that you are working with. It won't take lon g for you to realize that you are unable to do this on your own. Work with someone that knows how to best handle the paperwork and presentation that you need to submit to the service you need to contact.