Tuesday, June 25, 2019

7 Ways To Find Job Openings Without Using Job Boards

by Lisa Rangel

Spending most of your job-search time on job boards is an addictive, time suck spiral. And this is how it starts: The enticing idea of sending your credentials online to instantly receive an interview appeals to your sense of wanting immediate gratification, and comes with a low risk of direct rejection. But what ends up happening for most people is a slow, draining process of rejection-less rejection. Instead of being told "no,” you're told nothing. Or you receive "thanks but no thanks” emails that come seconds after you submit your applications and that a human didn't write. Typically, anything that's “Insta-Easy” to apply to is going to have hundreds, if not thousands, of people applying, and these days you may not even get human eyeballs on your application.
 
That’s why it’s important to look for open jobs outside job boards. And jobs outside job boards they do exist ... in abundance. So if you're willing to do the work that almost no one else wants to do to find these openings, here is what you need to do.

4. Explore business news stories.
Where there's smoke, there's fire. If a company launches a new business, there's often hiring happening to support it. If a company downsizes, believe it or not, that creates opportunities. Position yourself as a solution and reach out.

5. Research industry conferences and conventions.
Whether you attend or not, conferences and conventions are nuggets of opportunities to capitalize on here. Get familiar with the major ones in your industry and do your due diligence to make connections.

6. Look up educational and career/professional development events.
People who grow and stick together help each other. Do your research to find these but also reach out to others in your industry to get ideas. Simply ask them which events they plan on attending in the near future.

See all 7 ways and the complete Vault.com article

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Job interview tips for older workers

Dawn Papandrea

Older workers, you have solid advantages when it comes time to find a job (years of amazing experience), but it can also be a challenge—especially if you haven’t had to interview for a job in a very long time.

“It is a very different landscape than it was even 10 years ago, and for many in that demographic, it has been longer than 10 years,” says Regina Rear-Connor, a New York–based talent acquisition leader and consultant. “The key is to make sure that you are presenting yourself for today's market. There are those who think finding a job is the same as it was in the 1980s.”

With 55% of workers saying they plan to work past age 65, according to a recent Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies survey, that’s all the more reason to keep your job interviews fresh so you can keep striving for new career goals in your 50s and beyond.


Here’s what you need to know:


Stay on point

In a behavioral interview format, older workers likely have many experiences to discuss. “The key is to answer these questions in a very tight and clear STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format,” says Rear-Connor. What you don’t want to do is bore your interviewer. “You must remember that the human attention span is much shorter these days. When you go down that rabbit hole, you lose the attention of your interviewer.”


Be confident, but humble

The age and experience of older workers bring insight and a new perspective, and you need to draw confidence from that, says Rear-Connor. However, humility can go a long way, too. “Acknowledge that while you bring a lot to the table, you are sure there are things you can learn,” she says. Doing so will help ensure that you’re not looking to come in and step on anyone’s toes.

Prepare for the virtual interview - Read the rest of the Monster.com article

 

Monday, June 10, 2019

You’re probably answering these 5 common interview questions wrong

By Judith Humphrey

Some of the simplest interview questions are the trickiest. 

No matter what sorts of jobs you applied for, you can expect certain interview questions to pop up again and again. But just because you’ve answered these questions before doesn’t mean you should skip the prep work. In fact, some of these super-common questions are the hardest ones to get right.
So get your pen out, and don’t even think about heading in for an interview until you’ve written out talking points for the following questions:

1. Can you tell me about yourself?

This question is often answered with a meandering narrative, instead of using the opportunity to present a clear, impactful story about yourself.

Such an open-ended question makes it easy to go on too long and fill in a lot of details about your education, previous jobs, like and dislikes, or interests. But no one wants to hear a dissertation on your life. It makes you sound unfocused and aimless.

Instead, think of one clear message you want to deliver about yourself, and then pitch that idea in your answer. For example, you might say “I’m a person who has performed well in a series of communications roles,” or “If there’s one thing that defines me it’s my passion for leading people.” And make sure the one idea you’re putting forward about yourself fits with what the interviewer is looking for in a candidate. Once you have the key descriptor, expand upon it. You’ll sound focused and career-savvy.

2. What interests you about this job?

This question is tricky because it’s easy to give an answer that has little to do with the job itself. For example, you may say you’ve applied for this job in retail because you’ve always wanted to be in fashion, or you are a designer and you want to be in advertising. Or perhaps you have a friend who told you about the job, so you’ve applied because your friend likes that company. Or you may be interested simply because you’re ready to move on from your current gig. These are all true answers, but they’re hardly inspiring.

Instead, use this answer to show you know what is expected, what the challenges of the job are, and why you believe your talents will allow you to achieve what is expected. Dig deep and explain why exactly you feel you can deliver in the role.

Read all 5 questions and the complete Fast Company article