We can all agree that interviewing is a pretty imperfect way to evaluate a job candidate. For the interviewee, so much of the experience can feel like a game of guess-the-answer-in-the-interviewer’s-head. It’s hard to know if what you’re sharing is even remotely close to what the hiring manager is seeking.

Luckily, there are a few phrases that are almost always on the mark. Given the opportunity, it’s a good idea to try and squeeze these three phrases somewhere into your interview.

1. “I’ve had a lot of success with that in the past.”

This is one phrase that’s sure to put a smile on your interviewer’s face. Beyond relevant experience, hiring managers love to hear that you not only have the skills they’re looking for, you excel at them.

Of course, this single statement will only get you so far. Back it up with an example of a time where you did indeed excel at whatever skill is being evaluated. (Hint: Try this formula.) And when I say skill, I mean more than hard skills. Think: resolving a team conflict, finding a solution with limited data, leading a remote team, working independently, or meeting tight deadlines.

2. “I’m really excited about that.”

If you were interviewing two candidates who were pretty much identical in terms of the skills and relevant experiences they bring to the table, what would be the deciding factor? For many interviewers, it comes down to how excited the candidate was about the position and company. After all, someone who is enthusiastic inherently seems more motivated. Given the choice, I would definitely want the candidate who seemed really pumped to hit the ground running—wouldn’t you?

While it definitely makes sense to state upfront that you’re excited, you’ll also need to back up that claim by doing some company research. No one is going to believe you if you say you’re incredibly excited about the product, but then can’t explain why it’s better than the competition. Do your homework. Review the website, talk to people you know who work there, and read anything you can get your hands on that might be relevant.

3. “I actually just spoke with Sarah to learn more about that.”

Unfortunately, you’re probably not going to have everything the interviewer is looking for. That’s okay. Show how you’re willing to learn. More importantly, show that you are able to—and that you are, in fact, already learning.

To do this, first identify your areas of weakness—maybe you’re lacking one skill that’s listed in the job description, or you haven’t had much management experience. Then, find someone or something that can help you start learning and improving upon this area. It can be conducting an informational interview, starting an online course, or reading a book. Now, if this weakness comes up during an interview, you can say you’ve spoken with so-and-so or that you just started taking a class about it. This not only shows self-awareness, but also that you’ve already taken the initiative to improve upon this area. What more could a hiring manager ask for?

You’ll probably never know what’s going on inside your interviewer’s head, but at the very least you can know that these few phrases will go over well. Beyond that, keep practicing and with a little bit of luck, you’ll be through this stage in no time.

Source : themuse.com

With the huge number of applications a job opening usually gets, it’s frustrating—but not much of a surprise—that most recruiters spend all of six seconds looking at your resume.

So, what’s a job seeker to do? Stop putting effort into perfecting your resume bullet points? Forget about quantifying accomplishments? Shorten your resume to just be five targeted keywords in a large font?

No, no, and no. Your goal is actually pretty straightforward: Give recruiters a reason to take a closer look at your resume during their quick glance.

Here are a few ideas on how to do exactly that.

1. Call Attention to Keywords

The bulk of your resume is likely made up of the bullets listed under your experiences, but unless there’s something that catches your reader’s eye, he or she may never even make it to the meat of your resume.

To combat this, pull up the sections that allow for the use of more keywords to the top third of the page, such as your skills section or summary statement. Then comb through the job description to find what words, skills, or qualifications keep coming up. Pick out your strengths from what you’ve found, and make sure a reader doesn’t have to go very far to find something he or she would be interested in.

2. Use Section Headings Strategically

While we’re on the topic of keywords, one component that tends to get a lot of emphasis is your section headings. It makes sense. They need to be very clear so that your resume is easy to navigate and skim, but what a wasted opportunity for these bolded, eye-catching headings to only point out where the next section starts.

To take advantage of these inherently attention-grabbing areas, add some relevant flair. Instead of just an “Experience” section, change it to “Teaching Experience” or “Project Management Experience.” Instead of just “Skills,” give “Technical Skills” or “Stage Management Skills” a whirl.

3. Maximize Your Company Brands

No matter how clear your own personal brand is, it’s hard to compete with the brands of established companies. But, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, you can use that to your advantage on your resume.

If you’ve worked at a company like Facebook, HBO, or Gucci, you better believe a recruiter will spare an extra minute or two to see what you did there. This means making sure that if you have any well-known companies on your resume, you’re either bolding your company names or writing them in all-caps. Don’t diminish their impact by italicizing them or bolding your position title instead.

4. Don’t Hide Your Quirks

You’ve probably heard the advice to keep your resume all about business. And, with such little space to make your case for why you can do the job, that’s not bad advice. That said, you also don’t want to hide all your quirks—even if it’s just to get the recruiter to do a double take.

Is your side gig to take people out for tandem skydives? Are you a computer science major who minored in dance? Do you have a third degree black belt in taekwondo? It’s very possible that none of this is relevant to the position you’re applying for, but it just might be so interesting that a recruiter spends a little extra time on your resume.

Of course, once you get your reader to examine your resume a little closer, you’ll want to make sure the rest of your resume is in tip-top shape. And this handy guide will help with that.

Credit : themuse.com

Landing your dream job is hard work. You spend hours each night combing through listings, trying to find the perfect company and role. Then, you take even more time perfecting your application. And even after all that, you’re not guaranteed the job—or even an interview. So, what can you do to up your chances of scoring that coveted position?

It’s simple: Start volunteering.

Volunteering not only helps you stand out in the job search, but it can also guide you to figure out what you want to do in the long run. If you’re not convinced yet, listen to this: 76% of career advisers say that a candidate with volunteer experience is more likely to get his or her preferred job.

Bonus: It doesn’t just help your career, volunteering helps others people, too. And, that’s kinda the best perk of all.

Read Full Details : https://goo.gl/ssoqQC

By Selipha Kihagi

In an earlier article I mentioned how smart job seekers are usually the ones that get the good jobs, their dream jobs if you may. One of our readers called me to it, concerned by what ‘smart job seekers’ actually meant, and today I am going to explain this in yet another article.

Being a smart job seeker means that you understand how the process of getting a job works, in an out. You are well acquainted with the job search process, the job application stage, how to get through a job interview and how best to impress a potential employer. By being smart, a job seeker can’t be caught off guard making mistakes that could have easily been avoided. You know how to get the job, and you will do everything right to get it.

Are you this kind of job seeker? If you are still trying to figure it out, below are traits that every smart job seeker possesses and you shall too, if you take your career seriously.

Traits That Smart Job Seekers possess And You Should Too

1.They know which job search techniques work best and which don’t
Smart job seekers know that making random applications to jobs they think they are qualified for don’t usually work. For it to work and get called to the interview, your qualifications must match what employers are looking for in the job. They also know that networking is the most effective of techniques when it comes to getting a job.

“Networking is a key process in job seeking, job keeping, and position advancement. It is necessary that job seekers give greater attention to this process as competition for good jobs grows,” reads an excerpt from the book, ‘Smart Job Seeker’, authored by Perminus Wainaina, the Managing Director and Head of Recruitment at Corporate Staffing Services,

He also adds that for job seekers to become smart, they must learn the art of cold calling, where you sell your skills to employers without there being even a job opening. Then they can proceed to talk to recruiters directly, attend career fairs and do online searches.

2.They understand the selection process just as a recruiter does
Smart job seekers are different from other job seekers in that they are well acquainted with the hiring process. They know what employers are looking for in the CV when selecting suitable candidates for the interviews and know very well how to edit their CVs so they make it to the Yes lot.

These job seekers also understand that for your CV to be included in the Yes or Maybe pile, it should be among the first ones that the recruiter sees and it should be catchy. Applying to jobs early with an impressive CV increases a candidate’s chance of being invited for the interview. So, are you the kind that applies early or the kind that applies close to the deadline?

3.Smart job seekers know how to impress recruiters in the interview stage
Have you been to an interview and wondered why you did not get the job but someone else did? Did you wonder what they saw in her or him that you didn’t have? Well this happens more times than you think and the minute you understand what that determinant is, the quicker you’ll start getting the jobs.

To be smart about the interview, you must be familiar with what answers work for each question, what makes employers and recruiters decide on a candidate and most importantly, what makes an interviewer not forget you. For more on how to pass a job interview, read this article here.

4.Smart job seekers know how to build relationships for a job in the future
Frustrations in the job search process can lead candidates to give up or become desperate for any job. This happens a lot, and while this can be disheartening, employers are repelled when job seekers appear desperate. You can read more about that here. If someone promises you a job today and they don’t deliver, don’t hold it against them. Instead, ask them to let you know when they hear of something.

The same applies when you attend an interview but don’t get the job. If you did your best and walked out believing you had the job but didn’t get it, make sure you call back and ask the interviewer or recruiter if they can recommend you for another position or consider you for a future job. Some people have had this work in their favour, so try it out and see how it goes. This is especially if you are trying to get a job through a recruitment firm as they are likely to have a similar position come up sooner that you expect.

Smart job seekers know what jobs they want, they know who to talk to so they can get it and are well acquainted with the avenues that work best. They also know that networking and building long lasting relationships will always work, even if it is not immediately.

If you are still trying to figure out your job search process, you might want to consider reading the ‘Smart Job Seeker’ Book. Get in touch for a copy.

By Perminus Wainaina

How is your job search so far this year? If you are not yet successful at getting employed, it could be because you are coming out as a desperate job-seeker. I see it a lot with candidates and desperation does not discriminate whether you’re an entry or skilled professional. Majority of the candidates I interact with have no clue that they are sending off desperate vibes while for some they have an erroneous belief that desperation will get them faster results.

Desperation is not a good thing in life and people generally want to stay far away from those who try very hard to impress. At the back of our minds we always wonder what in it for this individual who’s trying too much regardless of their good intentions. Don’t scare potential employers or allow yourself to be taken advantage by being desperate.

Here are ways you’re behaving as a desperate job seeker and making things harder for yourself.

1. Applying For Every Job. Every day you log on jobsites and apply for any kind of job. You take little or no time to consider whether you meet the requirements. It does not matter if the job is in your area of specialization. You always believe that given a chance, you can perform the job ignoring the fact that you neither have the training nor the skills. For you quantity is important than quality and you make over 10 job applications in a day. You don’t take time to edit your CV to match the advertiser’s requirements. You don’t invest in show casing your skills and expertise relevant to the advert. You’re an accountant but since you’re not getting an accounting job, you want to try admin or sales job.

2. Accepting any Job. Times are hard but that does not mean accepting any job. You are a trained engineer but you will gladly apply for a sales role and accept a low pay. Your last job paid over 150k but you are now willing to settle for less than 100K. You are a desperate job seeker when you are willing to settle for any type of job or offer.

3. Failure to negotiate Salary. You’ve finally managed to get an interview and here you are negotiating a salary. Instead of being confident and naming your price, you start by saying that you like them very much and can work with their budget. You have not done your homework to know the kind of salary candidates with your level of skills and experience command in the market. You are not ready to negotiate on other benefits due to fear of losing out.

You accept the first offer from an employer without a word even when the employer’s budget allowed for negotiation. The fact that many had applied, were interviewed but did not reach the salary stage is a proof enough that you have something to offer in return and you should negotiate. Desperate candidates consider themselves lucky in reaching the salary stage forgetting that businesses don’t operate in the fantasy world of luck. You owe that interview with an employer to your skills and experience so be confident and ask what you are truly worth. Here is a video explaining  how to handle the salary question in an interview.

4. Being too eager to join. When can you join us is a common interview question and most desperate candidates will say immediately. Even though your CV shows that you are in a permanent job and will need a months’ notice. A desperate candidate will try and convince an interviewer of their availability within the shortest time period. And that’s a bad sign because of two reasons. First, your answer is evidence enough that you don’t honor agreements and will do the same with the new company.

And secondly, that you are so desperate to leave and will do so at the earliest opportunity. No matter how bad things are, indicate that you will need notice. And if they really want you, mention that you have unutilized leave days that you can negotiate with current employer. Ultimately you want to show an employer that you are an honorable person who wants to ensure a smooth handover and that you are not being chased away from your current job.

5. Lastly, it is a sign of desperation when you say yes to everything in the JD or contract even when you have a burning concern. When officiating Christian marriages, pastors always request those in attendance to speak their mind or forever hold their peace! Before you sign on the dotted line it is important to seek clarification if something is not clear. Contracts and Job descriptions are legally binding documents and if you are not careful can come back to haunt you.

A common complaint with many Nigerian professionals is that when they join an employer there’s always a promise of salary review after probation. Unfortunately some companies and SME’s are notorious for this; they do not review salaries after probation period. But since it was not put in writing the probability of you suing is nil as there’s no evidence. If an employer wants you on board, have everything in writing. Do not accept verbal agreements.

When it comes to job search, always believe that you have something valuable to offer. You’ve been trained, you have experience and you are unique. Do not be desperate.

Perminus Wainaina is the Managing Partner & Head of Recruitment at Corporate Staffing Services Ltd.