Category: The Dream Job

 

Researching the Business & the Role 

Business

Search for the business’ website on the internet, focusing on things like their company values (this can usually be found in their “About Us” section of their website), what they pride themselves on, the things that set them apart from their competition (similar businesses), their point of difference.  You could also check the websites for your local newspaper’s to see if there are any recent news stories on the business you are researching.

Role

Specific attributes that the employer feels are important for the role and for their business; these can normally be found in the advertised description for the job, i.e. friendly, easy going, ability to multi-task, ability to prioritise, etc.

Identifying your personal values & strengths 

Think about the things that you pride yourself on that you think may be valuable to an employer.  For example; you’re always on time to things (reliable, committed), work really hard at anything you do (good work ethic, positive attitude), pay attention when being given instructions (ability to take and follow instructions), love helping people (good customer service skills, good listener), take pride in what you do (attention to detail), enjoy learning new things (open to learning and advancing in the role), take pride in your presentation (well presented), enjoy working in a busy environment with lots of things to do (work well under pressure, multi task), find that you are able complete multiple things during your day without feeling stressed (ability to prioritise), your friends would describe you as trustworthy (trustworthy), etc.

Once you have identified these things you can then join the two together.  Identify which of your personal values and strengths align with that of the business and of the role.  Blend these into your “Tell Me About Yourself” statement and into your answers to their questions during the interview.

Practising Interview Questions 

You can find a list of commonly asked interview questions on my web page www.anextraordinarylife.com.au, practise these with a friend or family member, make sure you keep your answers brief and relevant to the things you have identified when researching the business and the role.  Practise is so important, the more practise you do they more confident you will feel on the day, practise, practise, practise.

Avoid any negative talk about your previous work experience/employers/work colleagues.  If the conversation does go in that direction, make sure you focus on whatever positives came out of the situation, what you learnt from the situation or how you have grown from having that experience (the ability to turn a negative into a positive is a valuable attribute).

Preparing for the Interview 

When researching the business prepare a list of questions that you have about the business and/or the role itself and take that into the interview with you, they may answer those questions during the interview but simply having the list shows that you went that extra mile and are genuinely interested in their business and the role.  Take a pen and paper or your diary into the interview with you along with a copy of your resume, this way you can jot down any questions that you might think of during the interview or any relevant notes that you might like to jot down.  In almost every interview there will be an opportunity for you to ask any questions that you might have, if this is towards the beginning of the interview, a good example of how to answer this would be “can you tell me about the position and the type of person you’re looking for?”.  Other great questions you may like to ask are; “What would my specific responsibilities be?”, “What are the reporting relationships?”, and  “What are the criteria for measuring success?”

Presentation

1^st Impressions count; most interview outcomes are decided in the first 30 seconds……..seriously.  Make sure you are well groomed, that you look smart and presentable, that you are clean (one thing that really puts interviewers off is body odour of any kind; bad breath, stale cigarette smoke, alcohol, etc.).  Dress to impress, dress appropriately for the position you are being interviewed for.  In saying that, if you are interviewing for a labouring/factory/warehouse/trade type role black slacks/drill pants or clean jeans that are in good condition with a polo shirt or collared shirt should be worn.  This has come to my attention from feedback from employers commenting on the presentation of  jobseekers that have been interviewed for these types of roles.

If the interviewer wants to engage in a bit of small talk first, then it would be appropriate to accommodate. But don’t initiate it yourself.  Some people like to get straight down to business so you should follow their lead.

Handling the Nerves 

Nerves are a normal part of a job interview.  They can be a good thing; this means that this job must be really important to you.  If you’re nervous, it is sometimes best to just be honest and tell the interviewer.  Most people will understand that a job interview is a fairly stressful situation. If you try and cover it up it can often give the wrong impression. 

There are a lot of different things you can do to feel more confident on the day.

• Practise, practise, practise!! The more you practise the more confident you will feel
• Listen to your favourite songs on the way to the interview and sing at the top of your lungs like you’re auditioning for American Idol, this will help you to relax (it actually releases happy endorphins into your body and relaxes your vocal cords which tighten up when your nervous or anxious)
• There are a lot of different breathing techniques that can be used to help you to relax as well, one of which is to take 10 long, deep breaths (counting to 6 as you breath in and 6 as you breath out) in and out right before walking in to your interview

One of the hardest parts of the interview is actually listening. When you’re overwhelmed by your own thoughts and nervousness, it’s not uncommon to find yourself distracted and unable to focus on the topics being discussed.  You can reduce that problem by writing the answers down.  This both forces you to listen and gives you something to refer to later when you need to remember what went on during the interview.

Social Media, Voicemail, Phone 

You must keep your social media clean whilst looking for work, particularly in the lead up to an interview.  Many employers are delving into jobseekers social media pages to find out exactly what type of person they are.

Have a professional voicemail message on your phone.

Make sure you are easily contactable during this time.  If an employer is constantly having to leave messages or worse, not able to get through to you at all then how reliable and committed are you really?  Doubt can easily begin to surface.

Contact your referees (either via a text message or phone call) and let them know that you are actively job searching and have an interview coming up and that they may be contacted.

Asking for the Job 

If, by the end of the interview, the employer has given no indication of what’s going to happen next and you feel confident that the interview’s gone well, you love the sound of the job and have a good feel for the business and the workplace and you want the job, ASK FOR IT!!!!

For example; ”Thank you so much for taking the time to see me/meet with me today, our discussion/conversation has convinced me that I would really like to work with your company/business, I feel that my background and experience are a good fit for the role and I’m very interested, I would really like to work here, where do we go from here”

IF YOU DON’T ASK, YOU DON’T RECEIVE!!!!

Following Up 

Call the interviewer later that same day and thank them for their time.  If you are unable to reach the interviewer directly, leave a message for them thanking them for their time.  Secondly, write the interviewer a note thanking them for their time and re-emphasising your interest in the position, this can be emailed, faxed, hand delivered or express posted.  Ideally, you want this to arrive within 48 hours of your interview.

When you set out on your adventure to find a new job, it’s rarely possible to guess how long it will go on for. You may end up with King Julian’s voice in your head like “How long is this going to take?!!!!”.

As time passes, the rejections mount up and money gets tighter, it’s so easy to become disheartened.

However, this is exactly the time when you need to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and put in more hard work than ever. One of the main attributes of a successful job seeker is persistence. Here’s a few tips to help you stay positive:

Start as you mean to go on – The first hour of your day is golden. The thoughts you think and the actions you take during this crucial time can affect your performance levels for the rest of the day. Instead of getting up late, set your alarm as if you were going to work, have a shower and go for a walk to get some fresh air in your lungs.

Set daily/weekly/monthly goals – If you don’t have anything to work towards, you have nothing to focus on and you’ll find yourself achieving very little. Goals will keep your mind focused on the things that are important and keep you feeling positive about the future. Make sure you include an action plan for each goal, a map as a pathway to that goal, without this action plan your goal will simply be a wish.

Set up the right environment – There’s a lot to be said for being neat, tidy and organised. Make an area in your home where you can run your job search with a phone, computer and anything else you might find in an office. It’ll help you stay focused on that dream job. You might also want to change it up every now and then by working from a coffee shop, the beach, your favourite park, etc.

Eat right – Your environment also includes the fuel you put into your body. We only get one life suit so make sure you eat lots of fruit and vegetables, stay away from fatty foods and try to limit your alcohol intake. A healthy body  leads to a healthy mind.

Create a support network – Get yourself a crew. Forming an alliance with other job seekers will help you share experiences, get advice and give you an outlet for those times you need to vent, just remember not to pitch a tent in self-pity land. Try to meet at least once a week with your crew and share strategies and wins.

Remember the law of averages – The more calls you make, the more connections you make and the more applications you make, the greater your chances are of finding the job of your dreams. However, resist the urge to blanket bomb every employer out there. You need to tailor your cover letter and resume for each job. Sooner or later, that yes WILL come.

Enjoy the process – Job hunting is a time of transition and change and it can also be a very important time for personal development and growth. Use this time to reassess your goals, find out what you really want to do and engross yourself in making yourself the best you can be.

    Feedback – At every stage of your job search, you should look to get feedback. If you’re not getting asked for interviews then get someone to have a look through your cover letter and resume. If you’re getting to the interview, but being rejected there you should find out what you’re doing wrong.