Effective Tips To Calm Your Nerves During An Interview

Our nerves have a way of acting up especially during important events like job interviews. If telling stories and jokes in front of your friends can be easy and light, you can also feel this way when you get interviewed for a job. 

Image source: incimages.com

Avoid speaking too fast. Calm down, and speak to the interviewer with no rush. Practicing deep breathing—breathe in through the nose slowly for three counts, then out through the mouth—to lower your heart rate can to beat your nerves. While tightening your butt cheeks to seem confident and composed can sound funny, it’s actually effective. Most clothes will mask the action anyway, why not do it? 

Find something to praise about your interviewer. Instead of boasting about what you can do when you land the job, it’s also effective to calm your nerves by making the other person feel special. Be confident and genuine with your answers and don’t be scared of asking questions, too. Listening is a key communication skill people tend to forget. Slow down and listen attentively to what the interviewer is asking to provide them with the right answers. 

As cliché as it sounds, be yourself. You’ll find yourself more relaxed, confident, and authentic when you’re not hiding behind a fake persona. Use words that belong in your vocabulary instead of trying to say words that you just read somewhere. Enjoy the interview and be grateful for your past experiences. Job interviews should be a breeze when you’re prepared and equipped with the right tips to make it through successfully. 

Image source: roberthalf.com

Hi there! My name is Larry Polhill, and I’m a retired career consultant. Subscribe to my blog to get more tips on how to do your best in a job interview.

Proper Etiquette Tips During a Panel Interview

The way we behave and act during a panel interview can make or break our chances of landing that job, so we’ve to be extra careful about the simplest things we might be doing unconsciously, like fidgeting with a pen or repeatedly scratching an arm.

Image source: careerdreaming.com

Of course, these are not aspects of etiquette entirely, and most interviewers will not fault the interviewee for being a bit nervous. Yet body language is important, and the path toward getting hired begins with thorough mindfulness.

Greet everyone as your or they enter the room. Stand up if you’re first in the room and give each panel member a firm handshake. Show a sincere smile despite any feeling of nervousness.

Avoid closing your arms and slouching while being asked questions, as these can likewise exude insecurity. Sit straight without looking rigid. Even as your arms are kept open, keep your legs held together. This will make you exude an air of both confidence and professionalism.

During the actual interview, never rush to answer questions. Wait patiently for each question to finish, collect your thoughts, and reply without stuttering and stumbling. Project your voice as you answer, without shouting, so that everyone can hear you clearly.

Image source: gentlemansgazette.com

Of course, don’t take too long to answer. Focus on each individual question and don’t get caught up overexplaining even if you’ve felt your answer was incomplete. Finally, thank everyone individually and shake hands anew after the panel interview is done.

My name’s Larry Polhill, a retired career consultant from Arizona. I understand the daunting tasks that hiring managers and recruiters face, so I continue to offer insights for jobseekers to get ahead. More on my work and interests here.

Tips On Writing Your Contact Information On Your Resume

In most resumes, no matter the format, job applicants’ contact information should be included and placed visibly because it lets potential employers easily get in touch with job applicants. The following are the elements that should be included in this section:

Image source: flexjobs.com

• Name: Generally, it suffices to write just the first and last name, if it is the name by which you go by or are known for. Those who have quite common names may also want to include a middle initial or name to distinguish themselves from other job candidates. The name should also be placed atop of the resume and emphasized, if possible.
• Mailing address: It is a misconception that addresses are not required anymore since this is the digital age. However, applicant tracking systems check physical addresses and use it to send acknowledgment communications through postal mail. If there are privacy concerns, an alternative is listing the city and state.
• Email address: Many employers nowadays contact job applicants via email. Thus, including an email address in a resume is a must. It is important to remember, though, that unprofessional usernames and work email addresses should be avoided.
• Valid phone numbers: More than one phone numbers can be included, such as home and mobile numbers, on the condition that these are easily accessible. Also, the area code should be written.

Image source: michener.ca

Creating a well-written resume is one of the first steps in landing your dream job. If you need advice in doing so, be sure to follow me Larry Polhill, on Facebook.

Confident Answers To Questions About Career Goals

Some applicants have short-term goals for the job they are applying for and getting asked questions like, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” can be disorienting. This can be difficult to answer, so it’s best to really have a clear map of what your career goals are before plunging into an interview.

Experts say that hiring managers often ask this question to applicants for them to know and hire those who are willing to work for the company for many years, as employers want to get a discernment of how long an applicant intends to be in the company or role. For applicants to buoy up interviewers that they anticipate a future working with them, they must indicate the means by which they propose to grow with the company. Let them know that the opportunities for growth align with your career goals, or that you hope to lead a team in the future.

Image source: pexels.com

Before you find yourself seated across the table from the hiring, educating yourself about what the company is looking for will assist you in emphasizing your ability to solve their issues. Refrain from discussing personal goals outside of work and focus your answers on how you can be of help to the company, with regard to their growth path. The objective is to have your goals and the company’s vision aligned at all times.

Let them know that your long-term goals include growing with a company where you can continue to learn, take on additional responsibilities, and present as much value as you can.

Image source: pexels.com

Larry Polhill spent the last 40 years helping job applicants succeed in the hiring process. He has found the experience productive and fulfilling. For more posts like this, visit this blog.

Ready, Set, Go: Preparing For a Job Interview

Are you getting ready for a job interview? Here are helpful job interview preparation tips to help you land your dream career.

Image source: executivestyle.com.au

Take time to review the job posting. Do you have the required skills for the job? The job posting states what the company is looking for a candidate. Have a list of your knowledge, skills, and qualities to see if you are fit to do the job. 

Research about the company. Not all companies are the same. Some are big corporations, others are startups, and there are also nonprofits. Knowing what the company does can help you manage your expectations. It can also help you answer critical questions during the interview. 

Practice running through interview questions. Where do you see yourself professionally five years from now? How can you be an asset to the company? These questions are commonly asked in job interviews. Practicing these questions can help you be more confident during the actual interview. These can also help you reflect on what you really want to do in the long run. 

Find the appropriate attire for your interview. First impressions do last. One of the many ways you can stand out in the job interview is by choosing the right clothes to wear. Dress accordingly. If you’re eyeing a professional position, get your business attire ready. If you’re applying for a job in a casual, relaxed environment, make sure your clothes are still tidy and well-groomed. 

Image source: udemy.com

Larry Polhill is a retired career consultant. Visit this blog for more tips on how to land your dream job.

Numbers Talk: Quantifying Accomplishments In Your Resume

If you think that the only numbers that should be included in a resume are your contact numbers, then it is time to have a change of mindset. Numbers can highlight your accomplishments by providing a metric for them, which enhances the resume and leaves a greater impact on hiring managers.

For instance, if you put yourself in a hiring manager’s shoes and see these two accomplishments:

Image Source: resumeperk.com

• Wrote blog articles daily

• Wrote 40-50 blog articles within a week under daily deadlines

Which do you think is more impressive? The second statement carries more weight because it quantifies the achievement and provides a picture of the responsibilities of the job applicant and how much productive they were. Hiring managers tend to notice and hone in on digits, especially since metrics is the language of business nowadays.

There are many ways to include metrics in writing down your accomplishments. As seen in the example above, the amount of production can be included in the resume, instead of merely pluralizing your accomplishments.

Another way is to describe achievements and responsibilities in terms of money – how much was earned, saved, or managed in your previous job, internship, or extracurricular activities. This can showcase your aptitude in dealing with money and how instrumental you can be in affecting the company’s bottom line.

Image Source: rottenraw.com

Time-oriented entries should also appear in the accomplishments section because it can highlight your ability to meet deadlines and manage your time.

Follow me, Larry Polhill, on Twitter for more tips on writing a resume.

Resume Or Curriculum Vitae: Which To Use And When

While both the curriculum vitae (CV) and the resume reflect a person’s skills and experience, they are different documents. Let’s look at the distinctions and what’s more appropriate to submit in a given situation.

Image source: hashtagcv.com

Resumes are much shorter, typically just one to two pages long. Keeping your resume brief and concise means that you’ve to omit older positions and details from time to time. CVs keep these data and add new ones in your career as they are meant to be comprehensive. A typical CV may grow in pages upwards of a dozen, depending on one’s experience.

Resumes often allow management to look at one’s qualifications at a glance, so they require the use of short phrases and often come in a bullet-point format that highlights select accomplishments. CVs are deliberately more in-depth and are studied closely by a company’s HR department.

CVS usually begin with a listing of degrees earned, followed by academic interests and thesis and dissertation titles. These are followed by former work positions, published work, and any grant, award, or honor received. The last entry is usually a list of references.

It is in a job seeker's best interest to have both these documents ready, as they serve different purposes. While resumes are more common for applying for most jobs in the U.S., research work, positions in the academia and grant applications often require CVs.

Image source: bbc.com

Arizona-based retired career consultant Larry Polhill believes that clean and well-written resumes and CVs will help the job applicant stand out. For more insights for jobseekers, visit this blog.