Top 5 Tips for a Successful Phone Interview

Top 5 Tips for a Successful Phone Interview A common misconception with the job application and recruitment process is that the procedure is (1) advert, (2) application and CV, (3) interview, (4) when can you start. While in the majority of cases this is in fact the process down to a tee, some employers may look to have a telephone conversation or even an interview with the applicant before inviting them in for an interview. The reason for this is that sometimes there simply isn’t the time to interview every single person who applies, or even is put onto the interview pile, so the employer will narrow down the options by speaking to some, if not all, over the phone to begin with. The jobs market is a busy one, with far more people applying for one individual position than ever before. For many, the sound of the phone ringing is not a good thing, particularly when you hear “I’m calling about your application” as this usually means a rejection. However, there are a number of ways that you can get through your phone interview stage and land yourself a meeting with the company and maybe even a full-time position: 1) Be happy and confident:   While talking on the phone might not come naturally to you, you can take some comfort by having an interview without the pressures of sitting in front of three or four members of the company all staring at you. If you relax and smile as much as possible while speaking, it will allow you to give positive answers and sound confident which is much more likely to impress your employer as it emphasizes your enthusiasm. 2) Be professional: While you may feel comfortable at home or outside having your interview, avoid doing what you may normally do on the phone such as eating or sipping a drink or watching television. Turn the TV off, leave the food in the cupboard and focus on what is being said to you and your response, it’s a case of respect â€" something all senior employers look for. 3) Stand up and take note! Believe it or not, standing up and walking around can help your voice to come across more effectively. A clear voice is key down the phone as it allows your potential employer to hear you easily and shows that you have good communication skills. If at all possible, attempt to avoid words like “erm” and “umm” as it can imply that nerves affect you. 4) Have your application to hand: In the majority of interviews, you will be questioned on your application. If you have this to hand, you can answer any questions you may receive on it and avoids the potentially disastrous situation of leaving the employer on the line while you run off to try and find it. First impressions count and this can imply a lack of organizational qualities. 5) Listen! Whenever your interviewer is speaking, do not interrupt them. Wait for them to ask the whole of the question before jumping in with an answer to show that you have good listening skills, and it also allows you to think of the most suitable answer, something you cannot get away with so easily in a face-to-face interview. Saying words such as “ok” or “right” at intervals will let the interviewer know that you are listening to them. Of course, following these ideas will only put you into a good position in terms of preparation and theoretical performance. The actual interview is all down to you and how you answer the questions, but if you follow these points as a guide, you should be well on your way to success. One thing you could try, and this is something many people I know did before their telephone interviews, is to get people to ask them questions that were likely to come up over the phone, (i.e. from landlines to mobile phones), so that they could get into the habit of listening in to the full question and speaking down the phone to the interviewer. The more you can develop your skills before the interview â€" whether it is by phone or face-to-face â€" the more prepared you will be when it comes to actually talking with the interviewer. It’s a bit like training for the Olympics and attending all of the warm up events to hone your skills and make sure you’re in the best possible shape ahead of the main event! Arguably one of the most vital points that I can give you ahead of any interview, is to remain calm at all times. An interviewer might deliberately attempt to fluster you to see how you cope in a pressure situation which you may experience every day in the position, so if you can show them down the phone or in the sit down interview that you can handle the pressure, you’re already on the right tracks. Good luck! RELATED: 9 Killer Questions Candidates Ought to Ask the Interviewer. This article was written by Chris White on behalf of JobsToday.co.uk  â€" specialists in providing potential employees with job information from their area.

How to Use LinkedIn Resume Builder For a Successful Career

How to Use LinkedIn Resume Builder For a Successful CareerLinkedIn resume builder is a software that allows people to create their own resumes on the net. It is very easy to use and with it you can easily create your LinkedIn resume in just a few minutes. You do not have to pay for a service to create your resume online. With this, you can get the best results and so you can land your dream job online.LinkedIn is a professional networking site that provides opportunities for professionals to connect with each other. It is a platform where people post their resumes and therefore gives them an opportunity to sell their products and services. They get access to thousands of professionals who are looking for jobs. Therefore, LinkedIn is a great place to search for jobs online.If you are applying for a job on LinkedIn, you can just upload your resume in the resume builder software and you can get the job of your dreams. There are several options available for you to choose from. The first option is to create your resume by yourself. The advantage of using this service is that you can upload your resume online. You can have a chance to explore all the options.Secondly, you can use the free service of LinkedIn. With the help of the search facility you can find a list of job openings on LinkedIn. You can choose the jobs that interest you. You can follow the link of the job announcement and the link takes you to the job announcement which gives you the job opening details.Moreover, you can also use the services of LinkedIn to your advantage. LinkedIn provides lots of useful information that can help you in finding a job. You can use the employment network of LinkedIn to search for jobs. In this way, you will be able to meet a lot of professionals and you can talk to them and earn a lot of contacts.Besides this, LinkedIn also has articles on finding a job online. These articles give you step by step instructions on how to find a job and how to get a job. By following the guidelines given in these articles, you can easily land your dream job online. If you follow these steps carefully, you can be a part of the best company in your field of interest.Furthermore, LinkedIn offers job boards. The jobs boards are a place where you can post your resume. You can also leave your resume in the job board and you can be guaranteed of getting a response for your application. These boards have a range of vacancies for you to choose from. You can choose the kind of job that best suits your skills and interests.If you are willing to employ the services of LinkedIn for generating your resume, you should know about the advantages of this social networking site. You will be able to get a job very easily if you will make use of the services of LinkedIn. If you are willing to leave your professional career for good, then go ahead and choose the right service and build your resume and pave your way to success.

10 Ways Your Résumé Will Capture the Attention of Hiring Managers - Sterling Career Concepts

10 Ways Your Résumé Will Capture the Attention of Hiring Managers 10 Ways Your Résumé Will Capture the Attention of Hiring Managers Is your résumé winning you interviews? A résumé that simply lists duties next to date ranges will not make the phone ring. Read along for a checklist of 10 ways to help ensure your résumé lands in the hiring manager’s “to call” pile: 1. Remove the following phrases from your résumé: “Responsible for…” and “Duties included…” No if’s, and’s, or but’s about it. There’s always a better way to express what you’re trying to say without these phrases. 2. Focus on more recent experience while still providing a picture of your background and how your earlier career developed. Show your career progression and be transparent with a chronology. 3. Proofread carefully, including grammar, typos, and proper verb tenses. Also format the document cleanly and organize information clearly. 4. Strong résumés go beyond duties. Highlight your accomplishments and expertise. 5. Stay relevant. Don’t waste valuable real estate on the page with detail about positions not relevant to your current job target. 6. Explain gaps in time rather than trying to hide them, e.g., downsized or stopped to raise children, and explain what you did during the time off, e.g., completed a degree or earned a new credential. Similarly, months and years are more transparent than listing just years and shows you have nothing to hide. 7. Never directly copy anyone else’s résumé content. It does neither of you any good if two identical résumés are submitted for a job. You can refer to résumé templates or styles, but commit to writing your own content â€" or hire a professional to write your résumé if this is the part that sounds tough. 8. While drafting your résumé content, focus on answering the questions “What do you do better than your peers?” and “Why should we hire you?” 9. Integrate keywords and buzzwords appropriately. Do not overload your résumé with them. 10. The best time to update your résumé is before you need it. Keep a running list of accomplishments, and stop once or twice a year to update your résumé so you’re never caught with an outdated document or having to update it in a stressful situation. If you’d like assistance with any of the above, reach out to us to schedule your complimentary 20-minute Job Search Breakthrough session. You’ll get one good idea for your résumé and determine if we’d be a good fit to work together. Your project’s important â€" let an expert help.

Five things you must know to reach out in your job search - Hire Imaging

Five things you must know to reach out in your job search - Hire Imaging This post is built upon a cardinal premise I hold to regarding job search. Despite the exceptions, you land a job by talking to people! Yes, there are things that help you: a good resume, solid credentials, a professional look that exudes confidence. Bottom line, though, is you talk. You talk a lot. You talk a lot to a lot of people. It encompasses networking and interviews (informational and going-for-the-job) . It includes all types of contact: face-to-face, phone, email, and even the almost-forgotten snail mail. It means using your contacts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and whatever other social media sites you choose to use; I hope you use at least three. For those of you (and there are many) who aren’t comfortable with reaching out to people beyond those you know well, it’s not as dark and scary as it seems. Why? People really do want to help you! But this is important. They can’t help you unless you reach out to them correctly. There is a right way that yields resultsâ€"and a wrong one that doesn’t. Here are five things to know about reaching out  to those who can help you in your job search. Let’s call them Barbisms. Barbism #1 Don’t ask for a job. Never ask people for a job at their company. This puts them in an uncomfortable position of saying “no” to you. If you ask them for information instead, it’s a different story. People love to give advice and information. It’s a warm fuzzy. They want to help. They have helped. They feel good; and so do you. Barbism #2 Ask about a specific job goal. Unless your stated career goal is clearly defined, people won’t know what information to give you; they won’t know how to help you. For example, don’t ask for information about “healthcare technology jobs.” That’s too vague. Ask what they may know about software development in point-of-care technologies. Then your conversation can flow to e-health, health care information management for crisis situations, electronic medical records, and so on. Start with a focused question. Barbism #3 Ask open-ended questions. The best questions are those that prompt an informative response. Let’s say you are looking for a graphic design internship. You are reaching out to Terry, who’s well connected in the field. You ask Terry a “yes” or “no” question. “Terry, do you know of any internships open at your company?” Terry says, “No. I’m sorry; I don’t.” Door shuts. Step back. You ask, “Terry, I am interested in internships at ABC Enterprises. Who might you know there that I might talk to?” Terry says, “John Brown is Creative Director there. I’ll connect you two on LinkedIn.” Now, you have a promising lead. Barbism #4 Presume every person has information you can use. Never assume that anyone is not a potential contact.   Conversations with contacts  outside your target organization can be golden! You may be surprised by people’s connections. I was having lunch one day with a friend who also was on the hunt for a position in video production. We were discussing her search when the server came to see how we were doing. My friend, Bridget was saying, “Boy! I would love to land something in Los Angeles, but I have zero connections.” Now, we were having lunch in a central Minnesota town, population around 60,000. The server looked at Bridget and said, “My cousin, Stephen, is a director on major films. He won a film contest that opened doors in Hollywood. He’s done well since.” Then I remembered Stephen. He had mowed our lawn as a teenager! The server, Kari, took Bridget’s networking card and wrote Stephen’s phone number on it. Bridget called Stephen, arranged a meeting, and her own door opened in Hollywood. It’s really goose-bump stuff. Barbism #5 Pick information over power. Kari’s shared information with Bridget translated to power. It led her to someone who had the power to hire her, or connect her with others who were decision-makers. Yet, if it were not for Kari, that path would have been dubious. The best contact of all may be someone who knows someone else. People who hold a great deal of power are not often easily accessible. It may be someone on the inside of your target company in a role you would not think helpful. Receptionists are gatekeepers. The guy who’s been on the production line manufacturing widgets for 18 years can probably give you some great tips about the company he works for; the industry he works in; the players he works with. Reaching out is the heart and soul of job search success. Exclude no oneâ€"hiring decision-makers, direct referrals, those who are just well connected, and anyone else you can think of. Know what to say to them. Use what you can. Give back whenever you can. Go open those doors! Photo:  nathalielaure

What Needs To Be Included In Your Career History

What Needs To Be Included In Your Career History One of the most important sections of your resume is your employment history. This is also one of the most interesting areas for potential employers. It will give them an idea of a few things: how long you have been working, if the work you have been doing is similar to what they do, and what you may have achieved in each position. A well-written employment history  will  give  potential employers an idea of how  you would fit in working for their company. Employers are looking for quick, impressive information in a resume.   Each entry in your work experience should look something like this: Job Title/Dates of Employment (years) Company Name, City State Brief Narrative Achievement Achievement Achievement This is merely an example. There are many other formats out there to document your employment history,  and they should all have the same basic information: dates of employment, the name of the company you worked for, where the company is located, job title, and your duties and achievements. You should include your most impressive on-the-job functions, as well as the ones that are the most like what you would be doing at the new company. Including the right information in your employment history may be the key to landing an interview, and then, hopefully an offer.

Tips For a Newbie Resume Writing Review

Tips For a Newbie Resume Writing ReviewMy research for Yates resume writing review included a trip to the San Francisco Film Department. I had planned to get there early in the morning to spend some time looking at those gorgeous film submissions that were being offered. But, when I arrived there, I was pleasantly surprised to find a screening of a 'wet' film with actors and crew who were actually drenched with wet fishnet stockings.This was a surprise to me because most film departments are safe zones for actors that have completed their training and have taken some acting classes. They come in costume and put on their dramatic acting gowns for the professionals that come in for short film segments, but, for a movie that had nothing to do with acting, they were dressed like extras for a movie called 'Bunny Style.'From the entrance to the theater, I was aware that a film was in progress as the theater filled up with people who were not there to see a movie. There were even some peopl e that didn't know what the movie was about until they heard it being screened. I knew that it was an Oscar contender because one of the actors was wearing a hat that said 'Oscar.'When I walked in the room to meet with Yates, she quickly asked me what I was there for. When I told her, she was stunned to find out that I wanted a job. After giving me a quick run down of what the job was and telling me how I should dress and act, she started to show me some samples of their movies.Although I didn't really enjoy my brief experience with the screenwriting section, I did like the audition. I decided to stay with it. After all, it was a good deal more money than I would have gotten for doing film school. All I could think of while sitting in the green room waiting to go on stage, was 'why is this audition so important?I just came in for a job.'After listening to the Director give the 'Hallelujah Chorus' as we were introduced, I was confused by the selection process. The whole process seeme d like it would take forever and cost hundreds of dollars. It was almost like they were just tossing me in the middle of a process to see if I had what it took to get the job.So, if you are planning on applying for that dreaded directing or acting job, be sure to look into a lot of options before making a decision. If you find something that is right for you, your resume writing review can lead you to a job that may not be the best for you.

Mental Blocks at Work Goldfish Effect, Imposter Syndrome, Thought Suppression, Design Fixation

Mental Blocks at Work Goldfish Effect, Imposter Syndrome, Thought Suppression, Design Fixation You may not realize it, but your brain is working against you. Think about it: How many times have you tried to focus in a meeting, only to succumb to a burning desire to check your Instagram? Or how about the time you were told to come up with 10 new ideasâ€"and found you couldn’t even brainstorm one? Turns out there are a slew of psychological tendencies that can get in your way at work, affect your productivity and even hurt your rise through the corporate ranks. And as much as you may believe you’re the master of your mind, with all those synapses firing constantly there’s sure to be some brain activity that’s conspiring against you. But we’re here to help you show your brain who’s boss. Here are four all-too-common behavioral phenomena that have the potential to waylay your best professional intentionsâ€"along with some advice from psychologists on how to transcend them. Brain Blocker #1: The Goldfish Effect Here’s a fun fact: The average attention span of a goldfish is nine seconds. Here’s another one: According to research by Microsoft, the average attention span of a human now maxes out at eight secondsâ€"that’s down from 12 in 2000. That’s rightâ€"a fish can now concentrate longer than a human. The reason we suffer from the Goldfish Effect? Our always-connected society leaves us in a constant state of sensory overload, making every digital notification suddenly the most important thing to attend to. How It Can Hinder You at Work: Between responding to emails, fielding multiple chats and actually answering questions in real life, you get so bogged down in the minutiae of the day that by 5:30 your to-do list has only gotten longer. And if you pride yourself on being able to juggle multiple tasks, you may be fooling yourselfâ€"University of Utah research suggests that only 2% of people are actually effective multitaskers. How to Outsmart Your Noggin: What you drown out can be just as important to your brain’s efficiency as what you absorb, according to a recent University of Rochester study. Researchers found that people with high IQs were also the best at filtering out background stimuliâ€"suggesting that smart people are good at suppressing information that is less important to the task at hand. But if you’re not a natural at ignoring the not-so-crucial stuff, it is something you can get better at with time, says Ben Michaelis, a clinical psychologist and author of “Your Next Big Thing: 10 Small Steps to Get Moving and Get Happy.” The key is to start small. Define a limited period of timeâ€"say, five minutesâ€"when you’ll commit to focusing on just one task, like answering a lengthy email. “If that doesn’t work, start with one minute, or even 30 seconds,” Michaelis says. “Then gradually add increments of time. Before you know it, you’ll be able to suppress that nagging wish to see what’s happening on Facebook.” Brain Blocker #2: Imposter Syndrome You hold the corner office, but do you still have a nagging feeling that you’re undeserving of your accomplishments? If so, you may be suffering from imposter syndromeâ€"the idea that your success has been a fluke and you’ll be “found out” for not being as talented as everyone thinks. By some estimates, more than 70% of people have felt this way at some point in their lives. But despite it being extremely common, clinical psychologist Elizabeth Lombardo, author of “Better Than Perfect: 7 Strategies to Crush Your Inner Critic and Create a Life You Love,” says imposter syndrome is rarely discussed, which can leave you feeling like you’re the only one in the office harboring such thoughts. How It Can Hinder You at Work: “This syndrome can cause a wide variety of fear-related behaviors, not to mention increased stress and relationship strain,” Lombardo says. For example, you may refuse to accept coaching because you’re afraid colleagues will discover you’re a fraud. Or you may tend to get upset at other people’s incompetence in an attempt to hide your own. You may even become a micromanager because you believe mistakes on your team hint that you’re in over your head. And, most obviously, you may avoid gunning for promotions because you’re afraid you’re not qualified. How to Outsmart Your Noggin: One big sign you’re suffering from imposter syndrome is that you feel inadequateâ€"despite what the evidence shows. But could you really have faked your way through record sales figures or multiple promotions? So when doubt starts to set in, it helps to take stock of your past successes. Maybe it’s reminding yourself of a company award, rereading old client praise or digging up a stellar performance review. The key is to own your accomplishments, rather than chalk them up to luck. “Then the next time that inner critic creeps up and says, ‘Who are you to be doing this?’ you can stop and answer that critic with past data,” Lombardo says. Brain Blocker #3: Thought Suppression Remember when your mom told you not to even think about touching that cookie jar, which just made you obsess over that chocolatey goodness more? You were engaging in the thankless task of thought suppression, or the idea that you can will your brain not to think about something. Well, the problem is that research has found thought suppression actually has the opposite effect. Harvard professor Daniel Wegner discovered this in a classic experiment that involved thinking about a white bear. Those who were instructed to suppress thoughts of a white bear actually ended up thinking about one more than those who were told they could think about white bears freely. How It Can Hinder You at Work: Anyone who’s been in a tough work situation knows it’s futile to heed the advice of well-meaning friends who say, “Try not to think about your boss/that big project/the mistake you made.” Your brain, it turns out, won’t let you replace negative thoughts with flowers and puppies. Rather, you focus on them all the moreâ€"which can ramp up your stress levels, leaving you mentally exhausted at the end of the day. How to Outsmart Your Noggin: As with imposter syndrome, failed attempts at thought suppression are the result of a too-loud inner pessimist you can’t silence. So instead of avoiding a stressful situation or wasting energy trying to control how you feel about it, roll up your sleeves and work through the issue. “Many people believe they can reason their way through their feelings,” Michaelis explains in his book. “[But] the reason you can’t use your rational mind to control your emotions is because your feelings are stronger than your thoughts.” His advice? Accept the reality of whatever outcome your negative voice says is comingâ€"but have your actions reflect the opposite. For instance, if you always tell yourself you’ll blow a big presentation because you’re a horrible speaker, pretend you’re a great oneâ€"and approach your practice run-through with that confidence. “By facing and embracing your fears, you let go of the need to control them,” Michaelis says. Brain Blocker #4: Design Fixation Ever get so obsessed with the first idea that comes to your head that your brain can’t even entertain the idea of, well, other ideas? Then you’re likely a victim of design fixation, a phenomenon in which people’s past experiences end up limiting their ability to embrace new ones. Its name comes from the challenge designers and engineers face when they have to come up with novel solutionsâ€"only to feel stunted because they can’t get past established ways of thinking. How It Can Hinder You at Work: Design fixation can strike at any time in the workplace, whether it’s not being able to embrace a new workflow or being resistant to adopting a new company logo. But there’s a reason why design fixation is nicknamed “first is worst” syndrome: It inhibits creativity. Plus, if you’re not able to embrace change, you’re limiting opportunities to advance your skillsâ€"and climb that career ladder. How to Outsmart Your Noggin: Step one, Michaelis says, is to flood your head with as many different ideas as possibleâ€"the good, the bad and the ugly. The notion is that doing so pushes your brain to keep working when it’d rather sit back and relax. “Part of [why you get] stuck with your first idea is that, once you have an idea in mind, you don’t have to keep thinking,” he explains. “But if you force yourself to consider alternatives, you might just stumble upon something better.” Michaelis’s second suggestion is a bit more outside the box. “If you pair your first idea with something distastefulâ€"like a picture of some garbage or a negative smellâ€"you might bring down your natural tendency to like it,” says Michaelis, who’s used this tactic with clients. “If you still like it after it’s been paired with an ‘aversive stimulus,’ it’s probably an idea worth keeping.” More From LearnVest: Stop Slacking! 7 Career-Building To-Dos to Tackle This Summer 5 Silly Things That Are Holding You Back at Work 7 Ways We May Fool Ourselves About Money