10 Tips to Prepare for & Rock a Job Interview

Congratulations! You landed a job interview at your dream company! A lot of hard work has gone into determining which companies to apply to, networking, writing fantastic cover letters & submitting applications. You should be proud you made it past the initial resume screen. It means you look great on paper. Now it’s time to prove you are even better in person!

Uses these 10 tips to Prepare for your Interview:

1. Get organized - Write down the date, time and location of your interview in your smart phone or date book right away. 

•      Tip: Ask the recruiter for key information like the name of your interviewer and the interview style to help you prepare in the below steps.

2. Research the company:

•      Their website - Check out their mission statement, values/competences, services or products, case studies, awards, blog and Executive. Be confident you can summarize why you want to work at the company and why you make a great company fit.

•      Job Site – See what current job openings they have other than your specific interest. This will give you a well rounded view of the company.

•      LinkedIn – Do they have a company page? Any relevant information that isn’t on their website?

•      Google Search – Look for press releases or any awards/information that the company may not have highlighted on their website.

•      Tip: Print off any key information and highlight it or take notes. Don’t be afraid to take this prep package with you to the interview in a folder so they see you are prepared. Also write down any questions you have to ask to determine if the company is the right fit for you and you are the right fit for them.

3. Get the REAL Story via social media:

•      Check out their Facebook page to see photos, comments and general company news. This can be a great place to see company social event photos.

•      See if they have a twitter account or a company #hashtag so you can see what your future colleagues are tweeting about

•      See if there are any employee videos on YouTube

•      Check out Glassdoor.com and valut.com – see ratings and candid feedback from past employees

•      Tip: Seeing the inside scoop from current employees helps you understand your future colleagues and the “real” experience working at Company X!

4. Research your interviewers:

•      If you have the interviewer names, check them out on LinkedIn. See how long they have been with the company, positions they have held.

•      Tip: You can use this information when asking them about their experience at X Company or when asking questions at the end of the interview. Example: “I see that you have been at X for 5 years and have worked in the recruiting and marketing teams tell me why you love working here…” This shows you went above and beyond in your research.

5.      Research the industry:

•      What are top trends in the industry right now?

•      Why do you feel this industry is a great fit for you?

•      Who are the biggest competitors of this company?

•      Tip: Use this information when they ask you the question “why do you want to join company X or what interests you about this industry” - Show that you are passionate about the industry & well versed!

6.      Reach out to Friends or Connections

•      Do you have any friends that work at the company or have interviewed? Find out what type of interview questions they ask – behaviour based? Is there a competency exam?  

•      Tip: Getting the inside scoop always sets you up for success. If you have a friend who works there, ask them about the person interviewing you and typical questions. Also, don’t be afraid to ask them to refer you or highlight your name to set you apart from the rest of the applicants!

7.      Practice Being Interviewed:

•      Ask the recruiter what type of interview it will be (usually the answer is behaviour based). Google “behaviour based interview questions” and see a ton of great examples.

•      Have a family member, friend, or roommate ask you the questions & practice giving answers. Some great sites will not only list the question but also key skills to highlight.

•      The best trick with behaviour based interview questions is answer using the following technique: outline the Situation, Action, followed by the Result. Focus the majority of your time on your specific Action. Think of outlining the Situation and recapping the Result as bookends.

•      Tip: Remember to always tell the truth and focus on situations that you played a lead role!

8.      Plan your Interview Outfit:

•      Don’t wait until the morning of your interview to figure out what to wear. Plan it out the night before & ensure it is ironed and ready to go first thing.

•      Tip: Do your research on the company dress code. My rule of thumb is to dress one level above their dress code for your interview. Example: If the office is very casual, dress business casual. If they are business casual, dress more business formal (suit).

9.      Re-Read Your Notes & Prep Your Own Questions:

•      Read over your research the night before or even when you are having breakfast that morning. Don’t memorize everything but ensure you know their service offerings or products, their vision/mission statement and any top trends in the industry.

•      Write down a list of potential questions you would like to ask the interviewer.  This always impresses!

•      Tip: Remember that an interview works both ways – you are interviewing the company to see if it’s the right fit for you just as they are interviewing you.

10.  Arrive Early

•      Leave yourself plenty of time to arrive at your interview location. There is nothing worse than panicking about being late.

•      Tip: Remember to have confidence in introducing yourself with a smile, confident tone and great eye contact. Showcase all of your great research and

Good luck in your big interview! With this preparation you will have confidence and show them what a great employee you will make!

 

How Companies use Social Media for Recruiting

Are you as a company on trend in using social media to find the perfect candidate to join your team? Find out what your competition is using!



Credit: Mashable - http://on.mash.to/mXWPGR

Tips for Employees with New Managers

This post builds on last week's article setting up new managers for success.  Many look to their new manager to set the tone for a working relationship. It's also very important for new employees to be open, build credibility and want the new reporting line to work. Here are some tips if you have a new manager.

For an Employee with a New Manager:

There is comfort in having worked for a manager for a period of time – they know the way you think, they have trust in your abilities, they know the best way to coach you. How do you start all over again?  It’s a scary time but also a great time to grow your skills and be challenged by a new perspective.

Tips:

-          Come in open minded. Your new manager is going to likely operate differently, seek to understand their perspective. Don’t make snap judgments.

-          Ask Questions – this is tied to not making quick decisions or judgments. Ask questions to seek understanding about changes your new manager is making if they aren’t giving you the rationale/background.

-          Deliver results - delivering results with a great attitude is the best way to will build your personal credibility with a new manager.

-          Speak with your current manager about the transition they are completing with your new manager. If you had an open relationship with your previous manager, you can help shape this discussion by highlighting key things that really work in your current relationship

o   If your current manager is unable to have a transition with your new manager, take matters into your own hands. Put together a “get to know me” email with your job description, org chart of your team (if applicable), previous performance review, and current targets/goals. Book time with your new manager to get to know each other and walk through your current work load and goals.

Open conversation & transparency will work well on both sides to create a strong relationship. Good luck!

Have you recently had a new manager? What do you think they did well to support you? What do you think you did well to set your new manager up and make them look good? Reading the above tips, what would you have done differently?

Tips for New Managers

With fast paced moving companies, reporting lines often change due to realignment of departments, promotions or general business needs.  Change creates natural trepidation but also hints at great possibilities. Reporting relationships take time to build from both a manager’s and a direct report’s perspectives. This week’s blog post is for a manager with a new direct report & next week’s will be for an employee who has a new manager.

For a Manager with a New Direct Report:

Getting to know your team is a big challenge. You want to create quick wins and not steamroll new reports with big changes right away. These tips will help you gain credibility and build trust.

-          Listen first. Seek to understand procedures, strategies, organizational charts, and roles/responsibilities of your new team. As a new manager, you are likely eager to make your mark in your new role. First seek to understand why things are done a certain way before barging in with changes.

-          Ask questions - understand what your team thinks works well, how processes align to goals, and ask what they would change. If your team agrees on priorities they are more likely to buy into such change. 

-          Create transparency – talk to your team about your goals/mandate and what you are trying to achieve so they can be part of the solution.

-          Get to know your team – your people are your greatest asset to create quick wins in your new role. Potentially use a questionnaire that they fill out and then book time to review it together. It’s a way to have a little fun, get to know them professionally and start to build a personal relationship. I often use something called a management contract to start this (read here: http://bit.ly/gOr24X). You can ask things like: favourite coffee, morning or afternoon thinker, and then things like strengths, growth opportunities, personal goals, what they like in a manager, etc… Using this to facilitate a conversation can get you going on a great foot right away.

-          Transition from past managers - If you are taking on an employee from another manager within the same organization, book time to do a proper transition. Ask them to share previous performance reviews and tips for management.

-          Talk about your management style – just like you want to get to know your new team, they want to get to know their new manager. Talk about tips for working with you, the working environment you like to create and your plan for the team.

-          Have regular team updates – book a bi-weekly or monthly meeting with your direct reports to discuss your findings, recommended changes & the team’s progress. This will help you create buy in and overall transparency and be viewed as a leader who is creating team work right from the get go!

 

For those who have recently moved into a new role managing a new team, what do you think about the above tips? What helped set off your new relationship for the better and what do you wish you had done differently?

Stay posted for next week's post on tips for employees with new managers.

Students: Building Your Personal Brand For A Career In Sales And Marketing

Marketing and sales students – this post is just for you!

With leaves changing to fall colours, many companies have been hitting campus with gusto to find the best seniors for upcoming internships and new grad jobs.

The competition on campus between employers is getting hot as the economy picks up and companies’ hiring numbers increase. A shift is starting, where students will have more power as the number of jobs available increases; however, we aren’t quite there yet. As a student, it is important to play a lead role in choosing your first job out of school and selling yourself to your employer(s) of choice.

Your personal brand

You need to build your personal brand as a sales and marketing student because potential employers want to see that you can apply the basic principles of marketing. If you can’t sell or market yourself, why should they trust you to market or sell their products and services?

First, do a branding exercise to understand your unique value to a future employer. Think about how you present yourself both in person at company campus recruiting events or interviews, and in online spaces.

Things you should evaluate include:

·         How you dress

·         The language you use

·         How you can showcase specific accomplishments

·         How you come across to employers – do you seem credible/real?

Your personal brand - online

Your online personality should mirror how you come across in person. Ensure that, if your future employer seeks you out on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook, there is consistency in the things you say you are knowledgeable about or roles you played in extra-curricular activities.

Things like LinkedIn recommendations are very valuable, especially with LinkedIn launching a new student profile option.

In sales and marketing, future employers will likely perform a social media search on their top candidates – think of this as a “reference check.” Make sure that you hide information that future employers don’t need to see (e.g., Facebook photos) and remember that social media is PERMANENT. 

Your personal brand – in person

For in in-person events, network and showcase your personality as well as your interests and skills.

Marketing and sales is a lot about a “fit” in being personable, believable and coachable. When I interview for entry-level marketing roles, I look more for a strong personal impression than wide sales/marketing experience – I can teach you how to be successful, but I can’t teach you how to think critically or have personal credibility.

I want you to highlight your interests, where you think the industry is going, recent highlights at my specific company, and why you believe you fit the company culture. Show you spent some time researching my company online, even talking to past interns or employees, and understanding our culture.

Don’t treat every networking session, interview or online application the same. Most recruiters are very open to telling you the unique parts of their company, so talk to them and ask for a follow-up prep call prior to an interview.

If you don’t meet a recruiter on campus, reach out to them via LinkedIn. Recruiters will highlight great candidates’ applications if you wow them. Consider this reach-out like dating – you only have one opportunity to make that perfect impression that might lead to a relationship (or in this case, a fantastic career)!

Students: As I am now a regular contributor to TalentEgg.ca (Canada's leading job site and career resource for students and new graduates), I will be featuring monthly articles written specifically for students on my blog. I would love your thoughts on what you want to hear about! Please comment below to drive future articles.

"Expert" Article

Thanks to my relationship in guest blogging with a great student career website called Talent Egg (http://talentegg.ca/), I was featured as a Recruiting Expert with advice to Students on Corporate Tours in Tuesday July 12th's Toronto Metro.

Click here to read the article in its entirety: http://bit.ly/nMvzu7

It is an article about how students can stand out on corporate tours and is a build from an earlier blog post that actually received a lot of hits & garnered many comments.  Thank you to everyone for your words of encouragement on this exciting publication!

Global Campus Recruiting Best Practices

As I’m working internationally this week in Europe, I was inspired to share information about campus recruiting at a global level. As many of my readers know, my specialty is building campus programs & I have developed & successfully run campus recruiting programs in over 12 countries from North America to Asia to Western Europe and Eastern Europe. It may shock you that students around the world essentially want the same things – enjoyment of work, development opportunities, exposure to leadership, work/life balance. Though the cultures of each country influence the practices/students, best practices in student recruiting essentially do work globally. Building the right programming is important to find that perfect new hire!

Though many global companies build management trainee or global recruiting principles, there are some things to keep in mind that work globally & some things to consider in tweaking your programming for each individual market. Read on to find out more!

From my experience, here are some best practices for building campus recruiting programs in multiple countries:

-     Strong employment branding website with information about a day in the life at your company. Remember, your website should ENGAGE with students. Think blogs, twitter feeds, YouTube videos of your office, testimonials etc

-     Key messaging/job offerings that speak to students. Knowing what students want & ensuring your offering speaks to these categories is important. Look to local/nation surveys on student values to build out your messages

-     Campus Ambassadors, students who work a set number of hours per work promoting job opportunities with your company, helping to build your brand on campus & generate referrals.  I have seen this program work around the world. The key factors are training them, have ongoing management & KPI’s (key performance indicators) that they are rewarded for meeting.

-     Referral based programming works! Track referrals to applications & reward based on results.

-     Campus events are so important for building up your brand on campus and recognition among students. Job fairs, information sessions, company presentations, case competitions etc are a great way to engage students.

-     Relationships with Career Centers – Career Centers can make or break your experience on campus. Getting to know your contacts and  educating them on your company’s offering is very important as they will help market your campus events, promote your company to influential students & help you gain access to deans & professors

-     Relationships with Deans/Professors are very important. Guest lecturing in class rooms, supporting with real business cases to supplement curriculum and seeking referrals from influential professors will help gain traction with the right students.

-     Supporting student groups. Find those groups that are part of your target market and work to be a key advisor/support. Do not just provide sponsorship dollars but instead work to provide the group mentors, internships, and/or business advice as this will be a better use of your sponsorship dollars. By spending time with these groups you will get to know the top students you want to recruit for your company.

-     Giveaways are not a key part of a campus program. They are supplementary to educate students on your EVP (employer value proposition) but a cool giveaway is not going to sell a student on applying to your company

 Things to tweak on a country by country basis:

-     Consider Internet Access

o   Some countries outside of Western Europe & North America have limited internet access or slow speeds. Having a length application process that relies heavily on internet access/online testing may decrease your applicants and candidate engagement in some countries. Consider this access to technology when tailoring the application for each country.

-     On Campus activities really differ per campus. Some schools allow for class presentations by other students and some don’t. Know what’s allowed in your country & per campus to meet your KPI’s.  Work with your career center to understand what works best on their campus. Tailor this metric not only by country but also by school.

-     Postering/handouts – many schools internally have different rules about what is allowed on posters or if posters are even allowed to be hung on campus property. Ensure that you allow local offices to determine these nuances before ordering global quantities with a set design.

-     Timing – even within a continent, the countries may have very different calendar years. Your recruiting season in England and Germany are very different as German students don’t go back to school until October versus August/Sept in England. Thus, your timing for applications, interviews and job offers will be sensitive to each country.
-     Social media sites/usage varies per country. Ask your recent new hires what social media sites you should be using!

I hope these tips help you understand what global recruiting best practices work on a global level & what needs to be tweaked locally. Cheers & happy recruiting!

Thursday News Day: Recruitment 3.0 - Are You Ready?

This week’s news comes from www.ere.net – one of my favourite websites for articles about recruiting, sourcing, social media & overall HR issues. Whenever I need supporting information about training hiring managers or what’s happening in the market place, this is one of my go-to resources.

This week’s theme:

Recruiting & SOCIAL MEDIA:

 “Facebook’s Tag Suggestions Raise HR Issues”

-          Featured on: www.ere.net

-          Writer:  John Zappe

-          Publishing date: June 14, 2011

-          Link: http://bit.ly/j5eWGV

This article discusses current flack on Facebook’s facial recognition software & the HR implications. The article quotes that as “84 percent of U.S. recruiters think it is proper to consider personal data posted online when evaluating a candidate” there are huge implications to this new picture tagging.  It comes as no surprise that professors and career counselors are cautioning students about the privacy settings & photos they post on social media sites.  This facial recognition technology is further complicating the problem as people can be “tagged” in photos that are not an actual picture of themselves, yet, a hiring decision may be formed based on such photos.

Read this article as a recruiter for understanding the technology fully. As a candidate, read on to find out the importance in opting out of this feature on Facebook.


 “A Vision for the Future of Recruitment: Recruitment 3.0”

-          Featured on: www.ere.net

-          Writer:  Matthew Jeffery & Amy McKee

-          Publishing date: June 14, 2011

-          Link: http://bit.ly/jcgRSF

This article is one of the BEST summaries I have seen about the changing recruiting landscape. It states that recruiting is going through a “a fundamental seismic shift... A change that will see many traditional recruiters falling behind and being replaced by new, differently skilled recruiters, ready for the challenges of Recruitment 3.0.”  The global race for talent is reaching new levels & the way to secure that talent is changing. Companies need to focus on the 90% of candidates who are not active job hunters and must use social networking & nontraditional sourcing methods to reach them.  

This is an absolutely fantastic article outlining the current evolutionary landscape that is Recruiting 3.0. It is a great tool for HR managers to educate senior leadership about the changing game called recruiting.

Happy reading! Thoughts on the article about Recruitment 3.0?

Following Up with Employers

Students, this post is just for you! I’ve received questions asking for advice on how students should follow up with employers after in-person encounters at tours, info sessions, career fairs, networking events, interviews etc. So here are some tips…

The first step is knowing how your perspective employer likes to receive applications. If they have an online application system – use it!  Don’t just email your contact your resume.  Many employers receive hundreds of applications a week and the only way they manage them is through their online application/candidate management system. Ensure that you write a cover letter highlighting the culture & unique features of the company & matching those points with reasons on why you are the perfect fit. In your cover letter mention the person you met at the event & why they made an impression on you. Knowing the culture of the company you are applying for is key. If they are a very corporate/professional environment a more formal tone is appropriate. I work in a very young dynamic marketing environment so I like to see real personality and energy come out in a cover letter to set someone out from the pack.

After applying online, reach out directly to the person you met at the event. Make sure at the event you ask for a business card of the contact. First make sure you actually speak with the contact though. When I receive a follow up email from a candidate, I want to actually remember that we spoke.  I want them to have stood out. At the end of an event, don’t rush around trying to meet as many recruiters or hiring managers as possible, asking for their card & sending them each form letter follow-ups. Instead focus on building relationships or connections with a few recruiters & let them really get to know you. This will give you more information to personalize your follow-up email & also help them remember you when they receive it.  

Sending a personalized email within 24 hours is key. Remember to attach your resume but reference that you have already applied online.  I also recommend for students to include their LinkedIn profile link in their email so recruiters can go online & see their photo/online resume if they need a reminder of who the candidate is.  Additionally in your email, highlight why you enjoyed meeting them, reference the interaction you had, and discuss why you think you would be a great fit for the company. This personalized touch makes a difference - you would be surprised how few students do this! When I receive a great follow up email, I always forward it directly to the recruiter who is leading the hiring for the position the candidate is interested in. I also go into our application system to copy the letter & insert my feedback into their file so other recruiters see how passionate the candidate is. The 20 minutes taken to write a great follow-up email are worth it if it follows a great in person conversation.

The same holds true after an interview: Make sure you send your interviewer an email thanking them for their time & highlighting what you learned about the company during your interview & why you think you would be a great fit.

Hopefully this gives you a few quick & easy tips on how you can continue to make that great impression with recruiters that might make all the difference in securing your first full time job! 

Though this article is aimed at students, these tips are also very applicable to any candidate who wants to follow up with a recruiter or hiring manager after a networking or interview opportunity. Good luck job hunters!

Editing Your Twitter "Follow" List

I recently wrote a blog post on accepting LinkedIn Connections. The article stemmed a lot of debate with friends, tweeps, and blog readers on my stance that I must know, have met, or personally communicated with someone to accept a LinkedIn connection. This morning, I sat down to think about who I follow on twitter.

Though I have been registered on twitter for almost 2 years, I have only been an active user since July 2010. I had to consciously teach myself to “tweet” and share things in 140 characters. I have now trained my brain to think in these short snippets as it is rare that I have to edit a tweet due to length.  When I first started with twitter, I looked to see who those I admire (ie: had interesting content, similar interests or I had met in person) were following to shape my twitter feed.  Who I follow on twitter shapes my views on the hot news topics of the day and relevant insights in my field of recruiting, hr, and marketing.

I was totally ‘follow happy’ when I was first started using twitter. I followed so many individuals in all different spheres and interests. Many people additionally make the mistake of following lots of people to build their own following as they hope for follow-backs. I do not believe in this philosophy because twitter is about true engagements. I followed a wide depth of individuals as I was testing my twitter wings & exploring different ways of educating myself on different perspectives.

A year later, I’m a little smarter. I now use lists, a feature on twitter to organize relevant individuals under list topics I create like “branding” or “hr professionals” or “people I work with,” that allow me to quickly sort my huge newsfeed and filter on a specific topic. I really think twice before following someone as they must be in a specific field of interest. Now when I go to follow a new person on twitter, I look first to see their last few tweets, understand how often they tweet, read over their bio, see who they are following, and also see who is following them.

In order to sort out my following list and take out people who are inactive and not relevant to my new view of twitter & my more narrow choice of hot topics, I use a great application called ManageFlitter. It hooks into your twitter and sorts those you are following by a multitude of topics that easily allow you to “unfollow” people who are not adding value to your newsfeed. I use it approximately once a month to unfollow those who are inactive or see who isn’t following me back – only editing them if they aren’t tweeting on topics relevant I’m interested in. It’s a great way to streamline my feed and ensure I’m following quality individuals.

Lessons:

-    Use applications to help you manage this process with quick filters (http://manageflitter.com/) is fantastic

-    Visit your “following” list often

-    Don’t follow people to build your own followings – follow those you are interested in. Ensure that the next month they have proven to be interesting! Create relevant material to build your own following lists & engage with your network

-    Use lists on a regular basis to create easy filters to streamline your newsfeed on relevant topics

I hope this helps you clean up your twitter lists & edit those you are following to make the most out of this social medium!