Never make these 7 job interview mistakes ‘that will instantly destroy a first impression,’ says CEO of 20 years

Gary Burnison

It’s a statistic you’ve probably heard before: It only takes a few seconds for people to make a judgment about you, especially when it comes to job interviews.

During that very short time, a hiring manager will make crucial determinations about you, including your likability, your trustworthiness, how aggressive or passive you seem and how well you would fit in with others on the team.

As the CEO of a large job recruiting firm, I’ve seen a lot of sloppy job interviewing mistakes in my decades-long career. Here are some of the biggest that will instantly destroy a first impression:

3. Having no relevant examples of accomplishments

The interviewer asks you to elaborate on the accomplishments you’ve listed on your resume, and because you’re nervous, you mind goes blank. You stumble along, maybe even reading from a copy of your resume.

But the interviewer is listening for specifics to determine how you match the demands of the job and how well you would communicate with colleagues and clients.

The examples you give should cover four key areas:

• The challenge (or opportunity) faced
• The actions taken
• The results achieved
• The lessons learned from the experience

4. Talking too much or too little

The interviewer asks you a question that you’re not prepared to answer: “Tell me how you would handle [X] challenge…”

In a panic, you either you go on and on, hoping that you’ll say something relevant, or you give a short answer and then go silent. Yikes!

The best way to prepare is by rehearsing. Do a mock interview with a mentor or friend and practice giving clear and concise responses to common interview questions. (Don’t forget to ask the interviewer your own questions as well.)

5. Appearing desperate

Nonverbal cues like sitting on the edge of your chair or saying things like “When will I hear from you?” can radiate desperation.

It may also raise doubts about your abilities, your fit with the organization and why others haven’t hired you.

Some quick body language tips that will make you look more confident:

• Make eye contact: You’ll appear friendlier and more focused.
• Avoid looking down: You’ll appear distracted or lacking in confidence.
• Arms free, not folded: You’ll project openness, while keeping your hands free to gesture.
• Sitting forward/back: Leaning forward helps you present your ideas. If you lean back while listening, keep your posture open.
• Smile: You’ll convey happiness and confidence, while making others feel good about themselves.

Read all 7 mistakes and the complete CNBC article

 

 

Job Interview Statistics [2021]: What You Need To Know Before Starting Your Job Search

By Elsie Boskamp

Research Summary. Job interviews might be a nerve-wracking experience, but breaking the process down into facts and figures might make it seem a little less scary. After careful research, our team found that:

• It takes the average person 24 weeks to go through the hiring and interview process and find a job.

• On average, a candidate will get one interview request for every six applications they complete.

• On average, women are 30% less likely to be selected for a job interview than men with similar qualifications and professional backgrounds.

• The average corporate job opening gets 250 resumes — of those, between four to six will be called for an interview.

• The interview process takes an average of 23 days.

• The average applicant applies to 27 companies before landing an interview.

How Many Interviews Does it Take to Get a Job?

• All job seekers have a 26.24% probability of receiving a job offer.

  Generally speaking, those who apply for 21 to 80 job postings have a 30.89% chance of receiving a job offer and getting hired, while job seekers who submit more than 81 applicants have a 20.36% chance of getting hired.

  After a job interview, it takes 20 to 40 days, on average, to receive a job offer. A rejected job offer usually comes five to eight weeks after a candidate’s first job interview.

• Job seekers have a 36.89% chance of receiving a job offer after having one interview.

  Professionals who have had at least one job interview after two months of submitting an application have a 36.89% chance of receiving a job offer, while those who have had no interview after two months have a 9.94% chance of receiving an offer.

• Job seekers who have had three job interviews have a 51% chance of getting hired.

  According to recruiters, people who have been selected for three job interviews have the greatest probability of receiving a job offer.

  Those who have had two interviews have a 17% chance, those who have had four interviews have a 22% chance, and those who have five or more interviews have a nine% chance of getting hired.

What Percentage of Applicants Get an Interview?

• Job seekers who apply for more positions receive more interviews.

  Professionals who apply for one to ten jobs in a two-month period typically are asked to interview for 0 to two positions, while those who apply for 21 to 80 jobs usually have one to seven interviews.

• Most job seekers receive one interview offer for every six applications they submit.

  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 47.3% of people who submit up to ten job applications and 35.1% of people who submit between 11 and 20 job applications receive one or two interview invitations.

Read the full article and see the stats for categories such as:

Average Length of a Job Interview

Job Interview Failure Statistics

Video and Phone Interview Frequency and Other Statistics

Job Interview Statistics by Age

Job Interview Statistics by Race

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Get Hired After 50: 7 Tips That Will Help

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wendy Marx 

The job search process is not a piece of cake. From crafting a resume to networking to interviewing, it’s stressful. But add the challenges of applying for jobs after 50, and it can feel like you’ve entered a new, tougher arena. Let’s review some strategies and tips to get hired after 50 that will give you an edge.

But first things first.

How to Get Hired After 50: Your Mindset

Before I share strategies and tips to land a job after 50, let’s talk for a moment about the mindset you need for your job search.

Time and time again, I encounter people who are ashamed of their age and feel it will hold them back from landing the job they want. I know I’ve been there myself. Maybe you had a bad past experience or worry that everyone applying is so much younger.

This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

First, we need to break this chain.

Forget about your age. It is, after all, just a number.

Instead, focus on the experience you have and skills you’ve learned along the way. That experience is something younger candidates lack. And that is one of your biggest assets.

Beyond your experience, you have wisdom. You have learned some hard truths including how to establish and maintain professional relationships that younger people still have to learn.

Take the time now to shift your point of view. Learn to see your age as a positive asset that will make you more valuable to your future employer. This mindset, plus the necessary resources, will make it easier to find and land the job you want.

Questions About How to Get Hired After 50

Now let’s talk about the specifics of landing a job after 50.

1. Update Your Resume

Give your resume a competitive edge by updating it for a modern job search.

Nowadays, your resume doesn’t just go to another human. Before it crosses someone’s desk, it’s usually reviewed by an applicant tracking system. This software organizes your information and scans it for industry keywords. If your resume lacks these keywords, it will likely be weeded out.

How do you combat this? Ensure you are current with the latest resume best practices. This includes knowing what keywords to include in your resume. To uncover the proper keywords do a brief Google search for resume keywords in your industry. Scan a company’s job description. Often, the words in their description are the ones that they seek in resumes.

And although it’s illegal to discriminate against someone based on their age, it’s best to safeguard your resume against such discrimination. Here are a few ways you can do this…

• Go back only about 10-15 years in your job history.
• Remove graduation dates from your education section.
• Focus on the skills and experience you have.
• Use a gmail account instead of hotmail or aol or other outdated email platforms.

2. Invest in Personal Branding

Personal branding might be the biggest key to how to land a job after 50.

What is personal branding?

Personal branding is the practice of marketing and promoting yourself just as you would a brand. A personal brand is more than your name and job title — it embodies your personality, values, and expertise.

Here are some ways to establish your personal brand.

First, establish a digital presence. Whether it’s on your website or on a network like LinkedIn, build up your brand by featuring your skills and experience. Create content that showcases your expertise, perhaps in a blog post or a LinkedIn article.

Then, use other social media networks to connect with others in your industry. Join groups on social media networks like Facebook and LinkedIn. Seek ways to engage others, perhaps by commenting on their posts or answering questions that pertain to your expertise.

This might seem like a lot of work, but it pays off. A personal brand has the power to give you name recognition within your industry and to distinguish you from other job candidates.

3. Use LinkedIn

While I’ve already mentioned this as part of your personal branding strategy, it deserves a separate point. LinkedIn is a powerhouse for any older professional. Consider some statistics. 55 million companies are listed on LinkedIn and around 14 million jobs are posted at any given time. 87% of recruiters report using the site regularly. You’ll even notice that many online applications ask for your LinkedIn URL as part of the process.

Post your profile and work experience on LinkedIn. If you haven’t been on the network in a while, update your profile with the most recent information and skills you’ve acquired.

Connect with others on the network, engaging with other professionals in your industry. You never know when such networking will work in your favor.

See all 7 tips and the complete Business 2 Community article

 

 

Remove these 7 things from your resume ASAP

 

 

 

 

 

Peter Yang, Contributor@ThePeterYang

We constantly hear about what you should put on your resume, but we rarely talk about what to leave off.

As the CEO of a resume writing service, I’ve read more than a thousand resumes this year so far, and I’ve seen a lot of “junk” that doesn’t belong — things that can hurt your chances of landing an interview.

If you want to write a resume that says “Hire me,” then every word, number, line and achievement must be carefully considered. So let’s hit the backspace button on seven commonly overlooked things you should remove from your resume ASAP — and why:

1. Irrelevant hobbies and interests

Love esports? Camping? Coin collecting? Gardening? Everyone has a hobby, and most people think that the more unique it is, the more it will make them stand out from other candidates.

But hiring managers don’t care about how you spend your free time — at least not immediately. They have deadlines and large piles of resumes to review, and right now, they’re just focused on finding candidates who meet the requirements.

Of course, it’s okay to include your hobby if it’s related to the position you’re applying for. If it’s a finance job, for example, mentioning that you like to dabble in cryptocurrency investing can be seen as a plus. But if you’re trying to land a medical research assistant role, don’t bother.

4. Personal pronouns

Surprisingly, many candidates still make the mistake of using personal pronouns — “I,” “me,” “we” — on their resume.

Why leave out personal pronouns? Because it’s your resume, so it’s already implied that everything on it is about you. Instead of writing, “I managed 5 employees,” just put “managed 5 employees.”

5. The wrong kind of email

Hiring managers want candidates who are at least somewhat tech-savvy ... and that means not having an email address from an outdated account like AOL or Hotmail.

When in doubt, just stick with a Gmail or Outlook address.

See all 7 things to remove and the complete CNBC article

 

 

How to answer those bizarre riddle questions in a job interview

 By Stephanie Vozza

My niece Marley recently had a job interview for a quirky Michigan-based retailer. Towards the end of the interview, the manager asked her: “If Batman and Lobster Boy got into a fight, who would win?”

Her response? “Is the fight above or below water?”

She was hired on the spot.

I admit, I would have folded under that type of question and probably chosen Batman for no other reason than he’s Batman. But questions like this are more commonplace as companies try to screen for culture add.

In his book, How Do You Fight a Horse-Sized Duck? Secrets to Succeeding at Interview Mind Games and Getting the Job You Want, author William Poundstone offers insight and help. Poundstone admits he’s always been good at puzzles. After receiving several emails from friends who were going on job interviews and getting these riddle-like questions, he decided to write a book on the topic, collecting the unusual questions and offering advice on how to answer them.

“There are a lot of reasons companies ask these questions,” he says. “In tech, it’s almost a tradition to ask off-the-wall questions. This is also the case with startups that have a unique culture. For example, [eyeglass retailer] Warby Parker [managers] asks, ‘What’s the last costume you wore?’ They’re assuming you go to costume parties, which, in their opinion, means you’re hip.”

Why Creative Questions Are Effective

Candidates sometimes assume that creative questions are there to trick them, but the goal is to get the person out of the traditional interview mode. Everyone walks in with standard prepackaged answers to questions like, “Talk about a time when you disagreed your supervisor.” Or “What’s one of your biggest weaknesses?”

When the interviewer asks something out of left field, they can see how well the candidate handles a challenge. The added benefit is that these questions can help remove unconscious bias.

“There is an awful lot of subjectivity in interviewing,” says Poundstone. “It’s an exercise in confirmation bias. Interviewers make snap judgement about applicants when they come in, and they ask softball questions to confirm what they already think.”

The advantage to asking creative questions is they don’t always have a right or wrong answer, and they can provide a reality check when properly used, says Poundstone.

“The questions should deal with intangibles that are not on a résumé,” he says. “It’s checking to see if the person can think on their feet, which can indicate how well they learn on the job. The best way to use them is to make them standardized, asking the same question to each person so you have some baseline for evaluating. If you ask a different question, you’re in danger of giving an easier question to someone you like.”

How to Answer Them.....  Read how to answer the questions and the full Fast Company article

 

 

6 ways to avoid getting ignored when applying for jobs

Lambeth Hochwald

If you keep getting ghosted when you apply for jobs, there may be several reasons the hiring manager at the other end of your email correspondence isn’t getting back to you. 

For starters, consider the sheer volume of people who might be applying for the same job. Depending on your industry, HR might be overwhelmed with candidates, the position might have been filled internally or, even, eliminated for cost-cutting reasons.

“In certain markets, like engineering, there’s a high demand for your talents right now,” says Dave Fano, CEO of Teal, an online job search platform based in Miami. “A few months ago, the same was true for nurses and, right now, hospitality workers are in demand. These market dynamics are ever-shifting.”

Second, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have experienced a significant reset and may have made major changes within their hiring team.

“Talent acquisition teams have been reduced at a lot of organizations,” says Annie Glassman, talent director at Atrium, a woman-owned staffing and workforce solutions firm based in New York City. “What this means is that there may not be a specialist available to take on the burden of hiring.”

So what’s the best way to cut through the noise and make sure your candidacy gets acknowledged by a potential employer? Read on for six expert-driven tweaks you can make—now—to help ensure a callback:

1) Tap into your inner salesperson

When you’re looking for a job, you’re selling a product—and that product is you—so make it a goal to adhere to this mindset throughout the job search, even when you’re being ignored.

“It’s important to remember that an employer isn’t doing you a favor by employing you,” Fano says. “So, like a salesperson, you can’t let anything stop you—even when you get no reply. Every great salesperson knows that you have to keep going no matter what.”

2) Customize your cover letter

If you keep sending out the same generic cover letters over and over again, you may have tapped into the reason why you’re not getting any replies. Instead, make your case as high up in the letter as possible so no hiring manager can miss what you bring to the table.

“To do this, formulate a response to the issue at hand for each company you’re replying to,” Fano says. “Just because a company posts an opening for a product manager doesn’t mean that the challenges for the person who is hired for that position will be the same across the board.”

Ultimately, you want to present the one thing you think the company should do to solve a current issue. “Package that action plan in a well-written letter and you’ll hopefully get more traction,” Fano says.

4) Cast a wide net and be relentless

Job hunting is a numbers game and the more you apply, the better your chances of hearing from a potential hiring manager, Glassman says.

“We like to talk about job searches as a top of a funnel,” she says. “The goal is to keep applying, keep getting your name out there, and filling the top of that funnel with the hope that a reply comes out the other side.”

See all 6 ways and the complete The Ladders article

 

Hiring Experts Say These Are The Three Most Revealing Interview Questions They Ask

By

Monica Torres 

 

Prepping for a job interview means knowing how to handle curveball questions about your past jobs, boss and projects. Impressing an interviewer means not just having great career stories to tell, but also thinking two steps ahead to the kind of questions hiring managers like to ask.

So here’s a peek behind the curtain: We talked with recruiters and human resources experts about the go-to interview questions they ask when they want to know how a candidate really thinks. Take notes, job seekers! 

1. “If I went to one of your former managers, what would they say is their favorite part of working with you, and what would they say is challenging about working with you?”

Daniel Space is a human resources consultant with business partners in strategic staffing. For roles that are manager level and above, he likes to ask this question to see if the candidate’s leadership style is aligned with the company’s. 

“That shows me, one, their ability to self-reflect, to self-analyze, to take accountability for growth,” he said, “as well as to find that middle ground in being confident in who you are or being overly braggadocious. I find that it really allows the candidate to open up about what’s a potentially challenging trait they have or something that they discovered that is a developmental flaw that they wanted to work on.“

When answering this question, take ownership of where you fall short in your performance, and what you are working on about yourself. Space said every once in a while, he sees candidates who blame a company and boss for their developmental challenges, and that raises his suspicions.

“It just shows that very one-sided approach of ‘I was perfect and nobody else was wrong,’” he said.

2. “Tell me about a time you failed.”

Tejal Wagadia, a senior talent acquisition specialist at MST Solutions, said asking about a time someone made a mistake, failed or had a conflict with a co-worker is her go-to question for getting a revealing answer.

“We all have failures, we all have conflicts, we all make mistakes,” she said, noting that what she is looking for in the answer is whether a candidate is being honest and if they learned from the situation. 

Don’t claim to be perfect. Wagadia said not remembering the last time you made a mistake is a red flag for her.

“That tells me they either don’t know that they have made a mistake ― they are oblivious or cannot introspect ― or they know, and are intentionally lying to make themselves look good. Which tells me they could potentially lie in the future about something else,” she said.

To show self-awareness, Wagadia recommends picking a job-related story about a career mistake through which you can show that you learned from the experience and have moved forward from it.

“It’s only a mistake if you don’t learn from it,” she said. 

Read the 3rd question and how to craft an answer to these type of questions