052 | Interview Prep Qs - Tell Me About Yourself, how to answer effectively & share the right stuff

I'm excited to cover today's topic because it's one that was requested from one of the pod listeners. If you have something you'd like covered in a future show, reach out and let me know!

First up, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed the pod in the last week...I'm blown away by all the nice feedback and comments shared, THANK YOU! I have a goal to get to 12 reviews in iTunes for March, help me get there and leave a review! I love reading your comments, feedback, and thoughts about the show.

Today's show gives you an in depth look into how to answer the infamous interview question, "Tell me a little about yourself." Interview questions that are broad and super open-ended leave a LOT of room for a response, so you better tackle questions like these with a plan

This question is asked in interviews often because....
- It's easy
- When a question is broad like this one, the candidate has a lot of control because they can answer how they see fit. They decide which direction will be taken, and can steer it to highlight whatever aspects about themselves they want!
- It gives the interviewer the opportunity to learn what's important for the candidate(based on how they answer the question, and what they choose to share)and answering how they see fit.

IN THIS SHOW I GO OVER THE FOLLOWING:
- How to clarify what the interviewer is asking you, to make sure you're sharing the type of information they're looking for
- What to include in your response to this question
- Strategies for expressing the human behind your resume and not just the skills listed on your resume and how you can blend the two into one solid response
- Two successful response examples you can use as a guide to create your own rockstar response

Photo by Kari Shea

049 | Interview Questions - How to explain why you are quitting in a job interview

When it comes to quitting a job, the reasons for why are endless! There isn’t a one size fits all kind of answer because everyone’s work situation is different. As a career coach, I work with people in all levels of their career, and this question is a tough one regardless of how long someone's been working.

The #1 thing I encourage is to be honest and tell the truth!

These are the 3 most common reasons I hear for why someone wants to quit their job: 
1. You quit your last job, but didn't have another lined up.
2. You are working right now, but really hate where you are (work environment, manager, team, etc.)
3. You don't see a future with your current company (career path, growth opportunities, learning & development).
4. You don't really have a reason for wanting to leave!

Chances are, your reasons probably fall into one or two of those buckets.

The question then becomes:
- How do I articulate why I want to leave to the company I'm interviewing with? 
- How can I honestly share my why for leaving - without bashing my current employer, manager, or team?
- How do I give enough detail in my answer so that I don't seem like I'm skimming over the question or avoiding it all together?

THESE ARE VALID QUESTIONS! There wasn't a course on this in school, so don't worry, you're in the right spot. It's important to establish a well-rounded that's truthful AND professional, regardless of the reason.

In today's episode I share 2 key strategies to help you ROCK YOUR RESPONSE the next time, "Why are you looking to leave your current role?" comes up during an interview.

These strategies can be applied no matter what the position, company, person you're interviewing with, or reason you're quitting. They will also help you stand out amongst other applicants, share a little about yourself, and what you’re looking for as well!

Photo by Bench Accounting

042 | Resume Mistakes Pt. 2 - Applying to jobs, but not landing interviews? Find out why

Resumes have an important role in the world of hiring. 
- It's your first impression
- It represents your personal brand
- Helps to land you an interview
- It's required for applying to jobs
- It's a one-stop-shop to share all your accomplishments, achievements, skills, and expertise you've worked hard to learn

Your resume can either help you land the next step in the application process and rocket you into an interview - OR - It can do just the opposite.

In today's episode tune in for part two where I go over the other three mistakes I see people make on their resumes EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Hint: It has nothing to do with spelling mistakes

Photo by Marius Masalar

041 | Resume Mistakes - Applying to jobs, but not landing interviews? Find out why

Resumes have an important role in the world of hiring. 
- It's your first impression
- It represents your personal brand
- Helps to land you an interview
- It's required for applying to jobs
- It's a one-stop-shop to share all your accomplishments, acheivements, skills, and expertise you've worked hard to learn

Your resume can either help you land the next step in the application process and rocket you into an interview - OR - It can do just the opposite.

In today's episode tune in for the top two mistakes I see people make on their resumes EVERY SINGLE DAY. Hint: It has nothing to do with spelling mistakes

Photo by Bookblock

036 | Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills - What are they, and how you're assessed on them during interviews

Do you have the right soft skills for the job? What about hard skills, do you have those? Soft? Hard? Whaaaa? What exactly are hard and soft skills?

In today's episode I define the difference between hard skills and soft skills, how companies measure whether or not you have them, and some ways on how to showcase you do when interviewing!

A lot of what I share in today's show are things I learned from a breakout session I attended during the HR Star Conference in San Francisco. It was presented by Michelle Reed from SkillSurvey and she ROCKED IT. I took 3 pages of notes during this breakout! Hope you enjoy, thanks so much for listening.

Photo by Daniel Fazio

034 | Phone Screen Strategies - How to use emotional intelligence to create a true human connection

Let's face it, when you're out there in the big world of job hunting it can be intimidating to think about all the other people interviewing for the same job you're up for. But that's why you're here, and I'm SO glad you are!

You've probably noticed, but 99% of interviews start out with a phone screen as the first step in the interview process. It is critical to show the value you bring to the role and responsibilities at hand, but ALSO super important to share WHO YOU ARE. After all, we're not just the technical skills, or software programs we use day to day - WE ARE HUMANS.

The question is...How do you showcase the value you bring in work experience, AND the value being the unique amazing person you are? The true authentic you that's unlike anyone else.

YOUR:
- Personality
- Character
- Energy
- Values
- ETC.

In this episode you will learn how to cultivate a human to human connection when speaking to someone over the phone. I go over my top five strategies for expressing the human part of you. In other words, not just the WHAT YOU DO, but the how and WHY behind it.

Photo by Sarah Dorweiler

014 | Career Ownership - How to keep the ball in your court when interviewing

Too often people take a passive seat when it comes to finding a new job. I get it tho! It's natural to feel like you're at the mercy of the company you're interviewing with because you're the one interviewing for a position on their team. But at the end of the day, isn't it your choice too?

In today's episode I go over what you can do to keep the ball in your court when pursuing a potential employer. In other words, keeping it to where by the end of the interview rounds you get to be the one to decide yes or no. Empower yourself and listen in on the tips I share with you here!

Photo by STIL

013 | Final Round Interviews - Leveraging the power of 'Follow-up' after the first few interviews

So you've finished the second round of interviewing. You survived going onsite, the good ol' face to face round where you meet with multiple people from the team you're seeking to join. I've said it before, but I will say it again I'm ALL about putting together rockstar follow ups. Doesn't matter which stage you're in, you need a follow-up for all of them people.

In today's episode we go over how to leverage the power of follow-up once you've made it past the first couple rounds of interviews. We will touch on some of the tips explained in episode #2 where we spoke about preparing for an onsite interview. Listen in on the show for how you can tie it all together. After soaking in all the tips, you'll walk away confident in your ability to receive an invitation back for the final interview round...OR better yet? An offer in hand.

Photo by Bench Accounting

009 | Unspoken Tips for Career Success - Tips the Career Center Will Never Tell You

Polish your resume. Practice your interview skills. Study the technical stuff. That's all good & gravy, but in today's episode I'm going to share with you my top bits of advice when applying and going through the interview process. You may be surprised at some of the tips I share, because I guarantee you haven't heard any of these tips from the college career center!

Sometimes it's not what's on paper that matters most, but how you approach the situation while keeping perspective on what truly matters at the end of the day.

Photo by STIL

002 | Interviewing – How to prepare, Skills to highlight, Answering effectively, & Being confident

Prepare smart for your next interview! No, it doesn't come down to whether or not you made the hiring managers laugh, although a key thing that goes thru my mind, in this episode I will give you tangible steps on how to prepare those few days before you head onsite for your face to face interviews. Just as important as resumes are to your personal brand, the next step of meeting face to face is your personal brand coming to LIFE. Let's make it count.

Photo by J. Kelly Brito