If you are one of the fortunate ones that still is working today where and when will it end? That’s the million dollar question everyone needs to ask. The way I see it is that you are on borrowed time when it comes to a job. I know it only happens to the other guy but I have met a lot of other guys!
What we are seeing is that companies are investing in college work study programs. Instead of getting cheap help they are actually training them and finding something exciting for them to do so when they graduate they will go back and work for them. Another thing that they are trying to do is to keep the talent from leaving every few years by offering them new opportunities in house. Studies have shown that a new graduate will keep their first job for 2-3 years before moving on for a better opportunity. For a company to invest in a new grad just to prepare them for their competition has not been a good thing.
We all keep reading about layoff’s and the one’s that are being let go tend to be the “seasoned” employee. What I see as a recruiter is that employers hire the “newer to work force” talent and not the “seasoned” talent. The cutoff is around 12-15 years of experience. After that good luck! Now I’m not saying you can’t get a job but what I am saying is that your career is now going downhill. I see job candidates who were making $120k apply for jobs offering $65k and not getting an offer. Will companies stop laying off workers that have been through their programs that are now “seasoned”? Will the job candidate still be left in the same position as today’s “seasoned” worker?
The generation before me was all about loyalty and most people worked for the same company for most of their career. Retirement package was a big part of that but today they do not exist! 401K RIGHT! You will be lucky if you have any money left in it by the time you retire.
Do most people really have an idea where they are heading? Are the problems we all face solvable? America has always bounced back right? Is bouncing back even possible?
MELT UP This video is very educational.
A job interview is the final step before getting the job. It’s the most critical step because if the candidate does not convince the decision maker of being the ideal candidate, the job goes to someone else. Preparing for the interview is not to be taken lightly. To win this tough competition, one needs to invest time and effort, must feel commitment, and must persevere. Following are a few practical steps.
1. The single most important thing to do during interview preparation is to hold live mock interviews with someone experienced and competent in this area.
Practice the 20 most common interview questions again and again until you feel confident.
Focus on learning about the prospective employer’s problems and immediate needs.
Prepare for reciting fact-based success stories from your past that are relevant to what you’ve learned about the hirer’s needs.
Practice, practice, and practice some more. You’ll be happy you did!
2. Learn as much as you can about the company.
Begin with the company’s Web site, and look at every page. Drill down into details to mine specifics you could talk about with the interviewer.
Find out who are the people you’ll interview with, and evaluate their LinkedIn profiles.
Check out who they’re connected with on LinkedIn.
Attempt sleuthing into the company via these connections to find out about the company’s culture and, possibly, specifics about the position.
Find out what your interviewers are tweeting about. This might be challenging because people sometimes use pseudonyms. Use topsy.com for your research.
Do searches on YouTube and Vimeo. Don’t underestimate what you can find out in these hidden places.
Look for and review blogs posted by your contacts at the company.
Use free tools to gain additional knowledge—for example, klout.com and blog.linkedin.com.
Do Google searches on both the interviewers and the firm. Go through several pages of the results.
3. Answer the following questions.
Do you fit into the organization?
Do you have the skills, education, and experience required?
Do you possess experiences and skills to offer in support of the company’s mission statement?
Can you recite via a vignette or two some past experiences that would serve as a natural evolution into company growth?
4. Engage with the interviewer via questions that prove your value.
Ask questions you already know the answers to.
Show the interviewer that you’re very familiar with the industry and the company’s competition.
Preparing for a winning interview is hard work and takes many hours, if not days. By doing such preparation, one gains not only specific knowledge but also a lot of confidence.
Have you ever seen “H1B’s and Non-Green Card holders wanted” in an ad? I have not but what I have seen is the opposite being stated. What I usually see is an ad that states the “right candidate must be a US citizen or Green Card holder” yet people who do not have this status still send their resumes.
Can you tell me why? Has anyone with an H1B ever gotten a job they applied for when the ad specifically states no sponsoring??
They then get pissed off when you do not respond to them with an email. Is it really my job to respond to someone who sends me their resume when they clearly do not qualify? That’s like applying for an accounting position when you’re experience is in landscaping!
Let’s say we are working with a client who tells us that there is no relocation money for the position. We will then put that information in our ad that goes out to various job boards. A potential candidate applies for this position and happens to live in another state. As a recruiter, you tend to assume that they read the part where there is NO RELO. During the first conversation we have with this potential candidate we discuss the fact that they would have to move for this role and more times than not they tell you that they need relocation money. This does not have anything to do with negotiating; this really is about being stupid! As a recruiter I’m about bringing two sides together and creating a happy scenario, which is how we get repeat business. We try our best to find talent within the parameters of our clients’ needs. What we don’t do is disregard our client’s needs and throw anyone at them. That would be like showing them a great candidate that happens to have died six years earlier.
My question is:
A) Do people really take the time to read a job ad?
B) Do they just forward their resumes off to any job ad?
C) Are they just arrogant enough to think that they have what no one else has and therefore things like Citizenship and relocation money does not apply to them?
D) None of the above.
A first impression is a big part of the interview process and probably more than most people think. Everyone gets a first impression when meeting someone and I guarantee you that the interviewer has one and will try to back that up throughout the interview. You can make a good impression at your interview by doing a little homework before the big day. This blog is short and to the point with some other links to assist you. I hope this helps!
Before every interview you need to do some homework and take it seriously; after all we don’t interview everyday.
Research the company and the job that you are interviewing for, like where the company has locations and how many employees work for the company. Learn about the products and services that they have to offer. Who is their competition and who are their customers? What is their business philosophy and know their history? You can find most of these things on their website.
The more you know about the company and the job you are applying for, the better you will appear in the interview. An interviewer will be impressed by your interest and motivation, and you won’t look stupid, which in today’s times you would if you were not prepared. There is a wealth of information out there because of the internet, but make sure you are reading credible information.
If you are working with a recruiter they will have plenty of insight to assist you. They most likely will be able to give you some information about who you will be meeting with and the format of the interview.
Make sure you have some good questions and to start the interview, you can read this article: The first question you should ask during an interview.
Bring several copies of your resume and make sure it is up to date.
Dress professionally. For more on this I have a video titled Dress attire for a Job Interview. You will be judged in some respects by what you wear. Dress conservatively and keep in mind that what you have on is a big part of that first impression.
For more on dress attire: No Flip Flops Please.
After introductions and small talk this would be the time to ask a question to start the interview on the right foot. Say it in your own words but this question sets up the interview for you:
“What kind of person are you looking for and what are you looking for this new person to do for the first 6 months to a year?”
This now gives you insight to what the interviewer is looking for. Your response should be catered around what they have told you. You need to make sure that when you answer to be specific and that you use real examples of your past to back it up.
So many people base their interview on a job description rather than the interviewer. Job descriptions are just a guide to what the company has posted and perhaps the hiring authority or manager is looking for something more specific. That is why when meeting with multiple people you should ask that same question.
Some other questions that you should consider to ask towards the end of the interview would be:
What are some of the departmental goals?
What are some of the goals of the organization overall?
Where do you see this company in the next 5 years?
What’s the upside potential of this position?
Remember that an interview is a two way street. You need to find out the questions that are important to you so that you can determine if you want to work there. If you are working with a recruiter you want to stay away from salary and benefit questions and leave that for your recruiter to work out for you.
For more: Interview preparation
