blogs.vault.com/ Wed, 01 May 2019 11:38:00 Wed, 01 May 2019 11:38:00 /blog/interviewing/25-interview-mistakes-that-employers-hate/#detailed_comment Getting ready for an interview is one of the most harrowing experiences of any person’s life. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first interview when you’re just out of college, or if it’s your 8th as a high level professional. The key to successfully completing the interview and getting hired is avoiding the mistakes that employers absolutely hate. You need to not only be aware of what you’re wearing, but your mannerisms, tone of voice, how you answer each question, knowledge of the company and much more. This infographic covers 25 of the most common mistakes so that you can have the best chance of making a great impression, acing the interview and getting just about any job you want. Infographic by Technium.ca /blog/interviewing/25-interview-mistakes-that-employers-hate/ /blog/interviewing/25-interview-mistakes-that-employers-hate/ Wed, 01 May 2019 11:38:00 Katherine M. Rothman /blog/interviewing/9-rookie-mistakes-to-avoid-when-interviewing/#detailed_comment Whether you are in college seeking an internship or further on in your career and looking to advance your position, making careless mistakes in a job interview can cost you, even if you have the experience, credentials, and intelligence. Katherine M. Rothman is the CEO of KMR Communications , a public relations firm she founded at the age of 28. The firm specializes in beauty, health, and fitness PR. Since the agency’s inception in 1998, Ms. Rothman has interviewed hundreds of applicants for positions ranging from interns to directors and vice presidents. Here are nine tips on interviewing straight from the CEO herself. Research the company. Google the company. Visit their website. Know who their clients are, what they do, and who their competition is, and find out what sets them apart from other businesses in their field. It is important to do your research prior to the interview. It will give you greater command of the topics you will be asked about and make you feel more confident, which will translate into a better impression. If you are asked why you want to work at XYZ Company, you will be able to answer intelligently and specifically, instead of in a cookie-cutter manner. Dress to impress. How you dress has a lot to say about your presence in business. Do your best to do some sleuthing and find out what the culture of the company is. If the company is artsy, it’s better if you don’t come in looking like a corporate stiff. Conversely, if the atmosphere is corporate, ripped jeans and a tank top won’t get you far. When in doubt, it is better to be overdressed than underdressed. When you are asked back for a second-round interview you can better tailor your attire to the office norm. If you must wear fragrance, keep it light and subtle. The last thing you want is an interviewer sneezing with watery eyes because you have gone overboard on the perfume or cologne. Bring ample resumes. If you are meeting with one or even several people, there is nothing that makes you look more unprepared than assuming the interviewer has your resume handy. Make sure that you carry ample resumes in a professional looking portfolio so that the paper is not wrinkled when you hand it over. Don’t let your body language give you away. Skilled interviewers are adept are reading non-verbal clues—i.e., body language. Most likely, the handshake will be your only moment of physical contact with the interviewer. Studies say that handshakes play a significant role in first impressions, so make it count. Aim for a firm handshake, and as you shake, make eye contact and smile. Once seated, do not slump, fidget, or lean back in your chair, which can signal boredom or arrogance. Lean slightly forward to indicate interest. Don’t cross your arms, as this can make you look defensive or like you are hiding something. Don’t give cliché answers to questions. If you are asked what your best qualities are, avoid saying, “I am an organized self-starter and team player, and my biggest weakness is that I am a perfectionist.” These may all be true but find another way to state these attributes . Instead, if asked about a weakness, choose a real weakness and put a positive spin on it. You may say, for example, “I always want to meet my deadlines, but sometimes in doing so, I rush too much.  I am trying to slow down and be more meticulous.” Don’t ramble. You are being judged on how articulate you are and how you present yourself in a corporate situation. An interview should not be your own monologue. Answer the questions concisely and wait for the interviewer to ask the next. As you are speaking, try to gauge if you are keeping the interviewer engaged in what you are saying. If their eyes are glazed over and they are tapping their pen, you have spoken enough. Ask not what the company can do for you, ask what you can do for the company. To loosely paraphrase JFK on his inauguration speech, make it clear how your skills can help the company you are interviewing with. A first interview should not be about: “How many vacation days do I get? Do you have summer hours? What are your benefits?” These questions should be saved for second-round interviews, when the company has indicated that they have a sincere interest in you. Round one should be strictly about what you bring to the table. Don’t be silent when the interviewer asks if you have questions. Too often, applicants say, “No, thanks I think you covered everything.” You may feel you are being polite by saying this, but you actually come across as disengaged and docile. Come up with at least two thought-provoking questions that refers to something the interviewer commented on or asked. Don’t forget to write a thank-you. Write a thank you e-mail  to every person with whom you met. Do this even if you do not want the position. It’s a small world and being polite goes a long way! If you want the position and it comes down to you and another candidate with identical credentials, and you are the one who writes the note, most likely you will be “the chosen one.” Katherine M. Rothman is the CEO of KMR Communications , a public relations firm founded in 1998 that specializes in beauty, health, and fitness PR. /blog/interviewing/9-rookie-mistakes-to-avoid-when-interviewing/ /blog/interviewing/9-rookie-mistakes-to-avoid-when-interviewing/ Tue, 16 April 2019 17:06:00 /blog/interviewing/how-to-answer-the-where-do-you-see-yourself-in-five-years-interview-question/#detailed_comment The theory of relativity: Five years to a whippersnapper like me is a different length of time to someone, say, my mom’s age. To me, five years is basically a lifetime, while to my mom, it goes by in the blink of an eye since she’s done more five-year cycles than I have (though she’ll yell at me if I tell you how many). This isn’t how the theory of relativity goes at all, so please don’t use it as an example on a physics exam. But what “five years” means to individuals varies wildly, which is part of the reason why the question, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” seem like such an enormous, impossible thing to answer. Anything can happen in five years! No one can predict the future! Relax. No one needs a crystal ball to answer this question effectively, regardless of how huge and scary it may seem come interview time. Think About It Ahead of Time. Self-reflection questions are definitely ones that you should put some thought into before heading to the interview. Otherwise, it’ll feel like you’ve been put on the spot, and you might say something not that smart. (Hint: Pointing at your interviewer and saying, “your chair” is a not-that-smart answer.) So take some time to think about your ideal career trajectory. What is it that you want to do? What are your goals? Is there a specific position you’re working towards, are you seeking to grow your knowledge in a certain industry, or do you have something broader in mind? Taking stock of your longer-term goals is a useful thing to do, and not just to prepare for this interview question. Be Honest. I was asked twice in the process of interviewing for my current job where I saw myself in the future. This was the answer I gave: “I’ve been really mobile for a long time—I’ve moved every year for the past eight years and gone through a lot of internships and stop-gap jobs to get through college and grad school. That constant motion can leave a person feeling untethered. My goal in the next few years is to get settled in a position where I can put down some roots, utilize the skills I went to school for, and grow as a writer and editor, rather than continue at the frenetic pace I’ve been running at.” That’s honest with a capital-H. A lot of people told me that I should be saying that this is my dream job, that I’ve always wanted to work at Vault, and now I’ve got the chance. I disagreed—in reality, I didn’t know much about Vault before seeing the job listing and felt very uncomfortable with lying to sound like the ideal candidate. People can read honesty, and I think being candid let my interviewers know that I was someone who was consistently going to be straight with them, as well as informing them that I plan to stick around. Whatever you say in a job interview, you should always be truthful. You don’t have to tell everybody every detail, but you should never, ever say anything false. Be Precise When You Can… In some interviews, you can point to something very concrete as what you’d like for yourself in five years. Imagine you’re interviewing with your dream company—what would you tell them? Easy, right? “In five years, I’d like to be an integral part of X’s management team,” or whatever it is you’re looking for. Tell them it’s your dream job, if they’re offering it. Enthusiasm is so important in an interview, so long as it’s professional. You can also be specific if your chosen career has a relatively straightforward path—I always think of a lawyer in this regard (occupational hazard). Someone interviewing for a first-year associate position could say, with confidence, that they’d like to be a fifth-year associate…with such and such responsibilities and knowledge and, of course, with the firm their interviewing for. …And Vague When You Can’t. Not all career trajectories are so straightforward, however. Or perhaps the job you’re interviewing for isn’t really what you’d like to be doing five years from now. Millennials are especially on the move —although studies suggest that this is typical more of young people across generations , and that my generation is just the latest iteration of the trend. Regardless, there are plenty of people out there that don’t plan to stick with a job for five full years. So what are you supposed to say? Should you just say you’ll be around for five years? No. (See my point above. Don’t lie in interviews.) But you can still focus on how the position you’re interviewing for will play into larger career goals. An example of something you might say is, “In five years I’d like to be an expert on SEO and social media marketing. This position is really exciting for me because of the opportunities it affords for growth in that area.” That’s an answer that demonstrates enthusiasm but doesn’t create false expectations. There’s a difference between being honest and telling everybody everything. Get Excited! Wherever you see yourself in five years, I hope it’s someplace amazing! Set your goals high—maybe not doctor-on-Mars high, but get a little ambitious and a lot passionate. Being excited for the future and its possibilities is a wonderful quality, and you should let it be palpable to your interviewer. You know how it says “go-getter” on your resume? (I’m still not psychic, it’s just on everybody’s .) Being a go-getter really means being excited about the future, and rushing forward to seize your opportunity—so show off that soft skill and, rather than hemming and hawing your way through a modest next few steps, show them that you’re ready for whatever comes next and then some. /blog/interviewing/how-to-answer-the-where-do-you-see-yourself-in-five-years-interview-question/ /blog/interviewing/how-to-answer-the-where-do-you-see-yourself-in-five-years-interview-question/ Tue, 26 March 2019 14:02:00 /blog/interviewing/3-tips-for-surviving-a-one-way-video-interview/#detailed_comment Burgeoning bankers beware—recruiting techniques continue to shift towards the electronic. Financial services giant JPMorgan announced that it will be drastically cutting down its presence at college career fairs and will be moving the entry phase of its recruitment process to a one-way video interview (i.e., pre-recorded, not with a person on the other side) accompanied by games meant to reveal behavioral patterns. I can’t speak to the efficacy that games would have in predicting behavior attributes, although I admit to being skeptical. What I can speak to, however, are one-way video interviews. In short: They’re awful. Companies really like them because, instead of spending 30 minutes on the phone with every potential candidate, the candidates submit their pre-recorded interviews on a rolling basis to be watching at the hiring managers’ convenience. The format they take for the candidate, however, is an anxiety-inducing nightmare. There is no person on the other end of the line on a one-way video interview—I know, right? So it’s less like an interview and more like a virtual, visual questionnaire. You’re given a question, given a set time to think about the question (approximately 30 to 60 seconds), and then your camera turns on and you answer. Within a strict time limit (approximately one minute). Oftentimes, with only one take. I’ll reiterate: One-way video interviews are awful . But you better get used to them, because they’re here to stay. Luckily, I’ve got some tips to making sure that you make it through in one piece.  Look the Part—and in the Right Direction A video interview is still an interview—so dress like you’re going to one. Although I suppose, if you really wanted to, you could ostensibly wear sweatpants with your shirt and tie, so long as you’re shooting from the waist up. I wouldn’t recommend it, though. Get your webcam set up and pointed to a spot with a relatively neutral background. (Blank wall or classy painting—probably fine. Dirty laundry piled on your bed—definitely not fine.) I actually place my laptop on a sturdy stack of books to get a better angle, like when you lift your phone up to take a selfie. Make sure you’re well-lit but there’s no lens flare and that you’ve kicked your roommate out until you’re done. One-way video interviews are usually done on a rolling basis, which means you’ve got the time to set yourself up right—and work your best angles. And don’t forget to look into the camera, not at yourself! Drag the window with your face in it nearer to the webcam if you can’t control yourself. Eye contact is important, even if you’re not technically making eye contact with anyone yet. Practice, Practice, Practice In my experience, the average time to answer a question on a video interview was about a minute. Considering that time limit accompanied broad questions like, “How do you believe this position fits in with the team at large?”—which also seemed specific for a first round interview—I felt the time crunch hard . And you can’t rush through your answer either because the first rule of being on camera is: Speak slowly. Usually, I only had one take to get it right—which is fine in person but, with the clock literally ticking, it felt more like being in 8 Mile . So what’s a girl to do if her palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy? (I’m so sorry.) Practice. Write up a series of questions you think you’re likely to hear. Ask your friends and family for questions they’ve been asked in interviews. Check out Vault’s sample questions—we’re here for more than striking fear into the heart of those facing video interviews, after all. When you’ve got enough, set a timer for one minute, then rehearse your answers aloud until you have them down pat. Sounding a little scripted and “over-rehearsed” is infinitely better than falling prey to time-induced panic or—worse—getting cut off in the middle of your sentence. The more you practice having to answer questions concisely as opposed to comprehensively, the better you’ll get at it. Don’t Panic Crucial advice from the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom. A person can read panic through a video like one might read a book, and hiring managers won’t be impressed to see you very obviously freaking out. Being calm in confident in any situation is critical to life in the working world. My advice? Keep your perspective. Video interviewing is new—the process is unfamiliar, and you’re not the only person potentially struggling with it. If you went over your time, shake it off—a dozen other people probably did, too. So many of your fellow candidates were definitely looking at themselves and not the camera, and somebody out there certainly sweated profusely through the entire interview. You should try to avoid mistakes, of course, but almost no one is a pro at video interviews, which means your “huge glaring mistake” will simply be one tree in a forest. Just answer the questions as best you can, and then wow them in person at the call back. This initial interview is less about being perfect and more about letting the company know that you’re interested, enthusiastic, and can communicate effectively. So just breathe. /blog/interviewing/3-tips-for-surviving-a-one-way-video-interview/ /blog/interviewing/3-tips-for-surviving-a-one-way-video-interview/ Fri, 22 March 2019 12:19:00 /blog/interviewing/5-tips-for-nailing-a-phone-screen/#detailed_comment I’m a millennial, and I hate talking on the phone . In other news, the sky is blue. It’s not that I’m afraid of talking on the phone—I do it. I just don’t like it. And I don’t like it because I find there’s a disconnect. In an email , you’ve got pretty much all the time in the world to get your point across, use the right words, and strike the right tone. And in person, you can read a person’s expressions and body language to get a sense of how the conversation is going, which is ideal in an interview scenario. A phone call has none of that—both you and your conversation partner are just disembodied voices. The phone screen or phone interview is often the first hurdle that you need to clear in getting a job but, because you can’t really see how a person is responding to your conversation, it adds another layer of removal from the situation and thus another level of anxiety. Here, I’ll get into some ways you can set yourself up for success during a phone screen. 1.  Housekeeping No, don’t clean your house. (Although, in a Skype interview , you’ll probably want to do that—or at least the space directly behind you.) I just mean make sure you take care of all the nuts and bolts. Find a quiet space to take the call (i.e., kick your roommates or your kids out of the room), charge your phone, and make sure you’ve taken it off “Do Not Disturb” mode from the movies last night. I know this sounds like really simple advice that no one could possibly need reminding of—but have you ever forgotten to pack your deodorant for vacation? Exactly. So just double check—nothing could be more embarrassing than your phone going dead right as you’re saying that your personal motto is “Be prepared.” 2.  Don’t Chew Gum. Do Take Names. Listen up, hiring manager: I’m here to kick butt, take names, and chew bubblegum. And I’m all out of bubblegum. I’m sorry, I had to fit that in here somewhere. For real, though—you better be all out of bubblegum during a phone (or any) interview. No gum, no food, and ideally no drinks, but I won’t make a hard-and-fast rule about it. The person you’re talking to can absolutely hear you masticating on the other end of the line, regardless of how sneaky you think you’re being. And, to fully justify my reference, be sure to get the name and contact info of your interviewer. One, it makes it that much easier to follow up after the interview. And two, when you go in for an in-person interview, it’ll be nice to have that person’s name at your disposal rather than waiting anxiously for them to reintroduce themselves. 3.  Use a Crib Sheet It’s not cheating, it’s using your resources. This is one instance in which a phone screen is actually awesome—you can take as many notes as you want beforehand and, as long as you’re not rustling pages, you can reference them all you like. I do this constantly —I jot down the company’s important clients and business partners, the names of people in my potential department, and a little blurb about me for the dreaded “ Tell me about yourself ” question. For one, writing it all down makes me feel more prepared beforehand. But it also makes for easy referencing if my mind goes totally blank in the interview. Just make sure that if you do write out answers to questions, you’re not just reading off your notes. Think of them like index cards for a speech: They’re there to remind you of your main points, but you shouldn’t be entirely dependent on them. 4.  Be Comfortable—Even If “Comfortable” Is a Little Weird It’s probably for the best that I don’t make too many phone calls—I’d wear a meandering path in the floor of my apartment. It’s not even an anxiety thing, exactly. I just wander. If you’re a phone pacer, that’s fine—pace! Use wild hand gestures! Do what you gotta do to burn off nerves. I know it’s a little nerve-racking not being able to see your interviewer’s face, but they also can’t see you—take advantage of that. That said, don’t get too comfortable. Even though your interviewer can’t see you, you should definitely get up, get dressed in something semi-professional, do your hair, and all that before taking the call. It’ll help you get into the mindset of making an impression. 5.  Take Notes Pencils ready, y’all. Remember what I was saying about taking down your interviewer’s contact info? You should also be writing down the main points of what they say. As the first step in the interviewing process, phone screens are often quite informative—this is your chance to get a good feel for the company, for the qualities needed in the position, for the personality of at least this potential member of your team, things like that. This is important info, and while you shouldn’t be hyper-focused on writing everything down, make sure you jot down the most important points. It’ll help you when you go in for the in-person interview—you’ll be able to demonstrate that you were listening, and you’ll know the notes to hit on the second round. /blog/interviewing/5-tips-for-nailing-a-phone-screen/ /blog/interviewing/5-tips-for-nailing-a-phone-screen/ Tue, 19 March 2019 13:10:00 /blog/interviewing/how-to-answer-the-what-do-you-like-least-about-your-current-job-interview-question/#detailed_comment Many questions you receive in interviews are more than what they seem on the surface. One such question is "What do you like least about your current (or previous) job?" Here are five tactics for tackling this seemingly simple but, in reality, quite complex interview question. 1. Understand what this question is asking before you try to answer it. When asking you this question, your interviewer could be trying to find out any or all of the following: Are you clear about why you're leaving (or have left) your job? Might you run into the same issues here that are causing you to leave your job? Are you quick to blame others when things don't go as planned? Do you badmouth coworkers and managers? Are you ambitious? Do you work well in teams? Will you fit into our culture? There are more where these came from, too. The point is this interview question is important in that your answer can reveal a lot about you and your candidacy. So don't take it lightly. And when you start to think about how you'd field this question, you'll want to keep in mind all of the above that an interviewer might be searching for when asking you this question. 2. Never be negative. As mentioned above, your interviewer will be fishing to find out if you tend to speak negatively about others you work with or work for. If you do, this could be one of those so-called red flags that put a quick end to your candidacy. No employer wants to hire someone who's fast to blame others, criticize others, or speak badly in any way about others, especially in a brief job interview. This sends the signal that you might not be the most congenial of employees, and that you might be quick to do the same thing (speak negatively about others) in your next role. And so, make it a rule never to include, as part of your answer to this question, something negative about a coworker, manager, client, company, or project. Of course, this is no easy task, because if you're interviewing for a new job, chances are there are things at your current job that aren't great, that might tick you off, that might even anger you. However, an interview is not the time and place to rant and criticize. Instead, it's a time for you to be as positive as you can. And if you can show that you take responsibility, that you are the reason, not someone or something else, why you're searching for a new job, then you'll come across as a mature, strong candidate. Maybe try this, too: Think of your current job like a relationship that's just not working out, in which no one's to blame, in which each side has simply grown apart, has different goals, is moving in different directions. And then, with this in mind, begin to think about how you'd answer the question. 3. Don't choose something like "administrative duties" that you'll likely have to do at every company, in every role. Although it might be true that you despise dumping data into tiny Excel cells once a month, think twice before mentioning something like "menial admin work" in your interview as part of your answer. Also, things like "going to unnecessary meetings," "traveling for work," "attending conferences," "doing marketing stuff," etc., are probably not the best things to mention. The reason is almost everybody, at every level, even the C-suite level, has to roll up their sleeves and do some dirty, not-super-fun work once in a while. And if you talk about this when answering this question, your interviewer will come away with one of or both of these thoughts: 1. "Hmmm .. that's not good, they're going to be pretty unhappy about doing that here, too," and 2. "Huh ... that's not good, they don't sound like a team player and someone willing to do what it takes to help us meet our goals." Another reason you don't want to answer with one of these (yes, boring) tasks is you'll have wasted your chance to nail this question by making your answer about why you're a great fit for the position (read on for more on that). 4. Kick off your answer with all the things you like and have liked about your job. Even if your interview doesn't ask you what you like about your current or previous job, begin your answer with all the positive aspects about your current or latest role. Don't spend too much time on them—you want to pretty quickly answer your interviewer's question, after all—but taking a minute to list all the great (or even just good) things is a helpful tactic. It puts you and your answer in a positive light, shows that you're not quick to criticize, and gets across that you've had a fulfilling and fruitful experience that you can build upon in your next role. Also, for extra credit, highlight things you like about your current job that you know your interviewer is looking for in the ideal candidate for this new role. So, work into your answer skills you have that will translate into this new job, areas you've worked in that a person in this role will be exposed to, and anything else you can think of that will show you have the right type of experience to succeed in the role. 5. Focus your answer on you and your goals but also mention how you hope to help your potentially new employer achieve its goals. This might sound a bit difficult, but if you follow #1 through #4, you'll find that #5 will fall into place quite easily. Here's an example. Say that one of the main reasons why you're looking for a new job is you want to work for a larger company and/or you want to reach and affect more people. This is a perfectly fine reason to be looking for a new job, and one upon which you can build a good answer to this question. So, with this in mind, when you begin to answer the "What do you like least?" question, you first talk about all the great parts of your current role, including having had the ability to lead various projects, implement various new systems, work with colleagues to accomplish various goals. In doing so, you make sure to mention the type of work and projects that you know the ideal candidate will be involved with in the role you're interviewing for. Maybe you mention you've enjoyed managing people (something the candidate will be doing), working with both big and small teams (another thing), and problem solving and creating solutions with teams and independently (yet another thing). Of course, you want to get as detailed as possible when you answer. After that, you then get into the part about how now you're looking to reach a larger audience, want to manage more people, work with larger clients, etc. In doing this, you note that you've a hit a ceiling in your current role and that to grow and further challenge yourself you need to look elsewhere. By answering like this, you'll have covered what you like least about your current role—that its reach is not as far and wide as you would like—and done so without being negative, without criticizing anyone or anything. You've also shown that you're ambitious, that you want to challenge yourself. And then, as a final note, you say something to the effect of: "And I'd very much welcome the challenge of helping a large, successful company like yours reach even more people, affect even more people, and grow even larger." /blog/interviewing/how-to-answer-the-what-do-you-like-least-about-your-current-job-interview-question/ /blog/interviewing/how-to-answer-the-what-do-you-like-least-about-your-current-job-interview-question/ Wed, 13 March 2019 16:15:00 /blog/interviewing/how-to-get-your-personality-across-in-interviews/#detailed_comment In interviews, standing apart from the hoards of other job candidates means showing your interviewers how you’re different. This is where it pays to express your own personality , rather than exhibiting a rigid, polished, robotic side. Of course, expressing your personality doesn’t mean interviewing as if you’re speaking with one your closest friends; you still have to take yourself seriously, act professionally, and show up with a clear, enthusiastic goal. So how do you ride that fine line of connecting in a human way while also exhibiting professionalism?  Here are five tips that will help you find that balance. 1. Exhibit calm confidence. If you’re overly confident, you could come off as arrogant, as someone who thinks they're better than others. However, showing that you’re self-confident—comfortable in your own skin—is charming. You’ll build rapport with your interviewer when you make eye contact, maintain open body language with an upright posture, and use friendly facial expressions. These things are small but effective ways to express confidence. The more you show that you’re happy to be you, the more the person will be happy to be with you—and possibly even hire you. 2. Be engaging. Only answering questions in a bland and robotic way is not professional. It’s boring. To create a connection with the hiring manager, stay animated when you answer questions. Be creative in the words you use and ideas you express. If you do, you’ll come across as a dynamic and well-rounded individual. It'll do wonders in heightening your prospects for a successful job interview. When you’re excited about what you’re talking about, your interviewer will be, too. 3. Don’t be scripted. Interviewers can tell if you're answering with pre-programmed sentences and responses to their questions. How will they know? Because they've heard the same answers all week long from other candidates! Again, be creative in how you answer. Be honest in the areas where you may have otherwise told a little exaggeration in your skill set. You’ll be a refreshing breath of fresh air when you take some time to answer, express honestly, and talk as if you were sharing your ideas and answers moment to moment. 4. Ask specific questions. The type of questions you ask in your interview will reveal a lot about you as a person. They'll reveal your values, interests, and passions. Not only that, asking specific questions creates more of a dialogue between you and your interviewer, in a way where it will make you both feel more relaxed and engaged in the conversation you're having. The bonus here is that when you ask questions you really want to know the answers to, you’ll learn more about the role and get a feel for how much you really gel with the company you’re applying to (and the person you're speaking with). 5. Show your sense of humor. Humor is okay, but never try too hard! There’s a fine line between being seen as charming and having a good sense of humor, and being seen as not taking things seriously. Humor is welcome and can diffuse tension that both parties may be feeling (interviews can be overly serious on both sides). But never forget to keep it professional. There's a time and place for humor, and you’ll have to draw from your own experience in knowing when to use humor and when to pull back from saying something inappropriate (even if there’s a perfect opening for a funny one-liner). Just stay aware of yourself and the reactions of your interviewer. Social sensitivity is key throughout the whole interview. Natalie Fisher is best known for helping professionals land their dream jobs and achieve explosive salary growth (even with little experience). Get started by downloading her free guide: The Ultimate Situational Interview Q & A Guide . /blog/interviewing/how-to-get-your-personality-across-in-interviews/ /blog/interviewing/how-to-get-your-personality-across-in-interviews/ Tue, 12 March 2019 13:14:00 Kayla Heisler via Fairygodboss /blog/interviewing/4-ways-to-impress-your-interviewer-in-the-first-5-minutes/#detailed_comment If you’re on the interview circuit, you likely know that you need to research the company you're interviewing with, bring multiple copies of your resume, and arrive early (but not too early) to your interview. But what you might not know is that there are several concrete things you can do early on in your interview to get off to a great start. Here are four ways to impress an interviewer in the first five minutes of your interview. 1. Be inquisitive. At the end of most interviews, the interviewer asks the applicant if they have any questions. But you don’t have to wait for that last moment to voice your opinions or show off your inquisitive mind. Instead, arrive with prepared questions at your disposal. Asking specific things that demonstrate your attention to detail and confidence shows that you’re interested, have spent time thinking about the company, and are excited to learn more. In addition, listen to your interviewer and note if you have any questions in the moment, and then find a good moment to pose your question. Being inquisitive in this way shows off your listening skills, you're interested in the position, and you don't only ask canned questions. 2. Make eye contact. Before you open your mouth, the way you hold yourself says a lot about you. If you have to wait when you arrive, be mindful of your body language while you sit. Try not to convey nervous ticks, postures that can make you seem standoffish such as folding your arms, or staring ahead. When potential coworkers walk by, don’t be afraid to exchange a friendly nod. Most importantly, eye contact is key. People who shift their gaze back and forth can come across as being unfriendly or dishonest, while those who stare at the floor or away from the person speaking can appear unconfident. So try to immediately make contact with your interviewer when you meet them, and then hold that contact. 3. Mention something you have in common. If you’ve done your homework on who your interview will be with, you’ve likely picked up some tidbits about them. Use this information to your advantage. If you know that the two of you interned at the same company, attended the same college, or volunteered at the same organization, work it into the conversation. People tend to more easily trust others when they have something in common, so calling attention to any similarity can start the interview off on a high note. Of course, don't just blurt it out. Make sure you slip your similiarity into the conversation naturally. It's better to wait for the right moment and mention it later in your interview than to bring it up early out of context. 4. Build rapport with small talk. While it may be tempting to demonstrate your professionalism right from the jump, lean into moments of casual conversation. Allowing yourself to be seen as a person as opposed to only an applicant. This allows the interviewer to think of you in a better light, and allows you to build a connection that isn’t often established by straight business talk alone. A version of this post previously appeared on  Fairygodboss , the largest career community that helps women get the inside scoop on pay, corporate culture, benefits, and work flexibility. Founded in 2015, Fairygodboss offers company ratings, job listings, discussion boards, and career advice. /blog/interviewing/4-ways-to-impress-your-interviewer-in-the-first-5-minutes/ /blog/interviewing/4-ways-to-impress-your-interviewer-in-the-first-5-minutes/ Mon, 11 March 2019 15:12:00 /blog/interviewing/11-new-behavioral-interview-questions-big-4-firms-are-asking-now/#detailed_comment If you're planning to interview with one of the Big 4 professional firms— Deloitte , EY , KPMG , PwC —you likely know that you'll have to answer questions about your strengths and weaknesses, as well as field a number of so-called behavioral questions. These behavioral questions typically begin with the phrase "Tell me about a time ..." and most often cover your ability to lead, deal with conflict, work on teams, work within tight time constraints, and deal with failure. And so, to nail any Big 4 interview, you'll most certainly need airtight answers to these questions. In addition, you'll now need airtight answers to a host of other "Tell me about a time ..." questions. Recently, we surveyed several thousand Big 4 professionals, asking them about life at their firms. One question we asked had to do with interview questions. And below are 11 new behavioral questions that Big 4 professionals told us their firms are now asking their interviewees. 1. Tell me about a time you set a goal in one of your previous positions and the steps you took to achieve it. 2. Tell me about a time when you had to manage conflicting priorities and still exceed someone's expectations. 3. Tell me about a time you used technology to effectively complete a task or analysis. 4. Tell me about a time you had to be a problem solver and the methods you used to solve the issue. 5. Tell me about a time you were proactive in soliciting performance feedback from a mentor or client. 6. Tell me about a time you enthusiastically led a work team through a major change initiative. 7. Tell me about a time you had to analyze data and present it to a group. How did you get the data, analyze it, and what was the outcome? 8. Tell me about a time you had to adapt to real change in your life. 9. Tell me about a time you had to influence others' opinions on a project or work situation. 10. Tell me about a time you went out of your way to learn. 11. Tell me about a time when you had to think on your feet. What was the outcome? Of course, chances are slim that you'll receive all of these questions in one Big 4 interview. Still, it's going to be a good idea, if you are interviewing with a Big 4 firm, to make sure you prepare answers for each of these questions. Here's how to go about dointg that: First, take a few minutes to think about a real time that you experienced each situation (never make up your answer; always base it on fact). Second, take a few minutes to collect your thoughts about what you honestly did in each circumstance (visualize yourself in that situation and try to recall all the details involved, what happened, what you did, the outcome, etc.). Third, take a few minutes to practice your response to each question (you can do this aloud or in your head). Finally, remember that it's always better to over-prepare than under-prepare. And that this is especially true when it comes to interviewing. /blog/interviewing/11-new-behavioral-interview-questions-big-4-firms-are-asking-now/ /blog/interviewing/11-new-behavioral-interview-questions-big-4-firms-are-asking-now/ Tue, 26 February 2019 16:46:00 /blog/interviewing/how-to-be-more-likable-in-interviews/#detailed_comment In interviews, when you know you’re being judged on what you do, what you say, and how you look, it’s understandable to get self-conscious and do all that you can to put your best foot forward. However, there’s a balance that needs to be found between coming across as likable and wasting energy on trying too hard to be liked.  To that end, below are some key points that will help clarify not only what ‘likeable’ means but also how to appropriately exude likability while staying authentic and real.  1. Why are you trying to be more likable in the first place?   First, it's important to ask: Why is likable  a quality that you want to exude and what would being likable really achieve? The most obvious answer in this context is you want to land the job. Likable = better chances at getting hired, right? Correct. In addition, humans have a natural need for acceptance and to feel a sense of belonging. So being likable is a character trait most of us are hoping to have and express. In other words, it's more than okay to try to likable. It's natural and good in the context of a job interview. So don't get down on yourself for trying to be more likable. 2. What does being likable mean to you?   It’s also important to ask yourself: What does likable mean to me? Do I want to appear confident and self-assured? Or do I want to appear compassionate and relatable?  These are two very different sets of characteristics, and both could be liked by the hiring manager depending on the role you're interviewing for. No matter what you think it means, when you’re clear on what likable means to you, then you can tailor your stories and anecdotes when speaking with hiring managers, highlighting those qualities that you want to stand out and be remembered.  3. Are you trying to be likable to the right people?   Have you ever met someone and no matter what you said to them, no matter how hard you tried, you felt awkward and like you said something wrong?  If so, remember that the people who take more energy and patience to communicate with are possibly the kinds of people that you’re wasting your time on. You’ll know that your energy is worth it if, when speaking with someone, the conversation feels good, and enhances your mood and mindset.  Of course, you won't get along with everyone; not everyone will like you, and that's okay. As my dad used to say, “There's not a single person in the world that EVERY single human likes, and if there were, that person would be very boring.” So save yourself for the people who offer value back to you and with whom communication is easy. Never forget that just like it's natural to want to be likable, it's natural that not everyone you interview with will find you likable. A final note Ultimately, you can’t control what people think of you and how much they like you. And trying to be more likable, however you define it, is okay. But pretending or trying to impress the wrong people won’t work for the long term. I have a saying that I live my life by: “You can never say anything right to the wrong people, and you can never say anything wrong to the right people.”  Natalie Fisher is best known for helping professionals land their dream jobs and achieve explosive salary growth (even with little experience). Get started by downloading her free guide: The Ultimate Situational Interview Q & A Guide . /blog/interviewing/how-to-be-more-likable-in-interviews/ /blog/interviewing/how-to-be-more-likable-in-interviews/ Tue, 19 February 2019 10:47:00