3 Most Important Questions YOU Should Ask in Interviews

3 Most Important Questions YOU Should Ask in Interviews It all started in a training room When I was trained in recruitment back in the 1990s (credit to the infamous Bill Boorman for his relentless, focused and clearly successful strategy, to follow…) one of the key elements of the fundamental parts of becoming a successful recruiter was to ask open ended questions. So Bill would ask you to leave the room of delegates and go into a separate room where a video camera was trained on you. You were to call Bill who was acting as a prospective client and you had to simply ask questions to engage with him in order to get a f2f meeting. Sounds simple? If you asked ONE closed question, the phone was slammed down and you had to either call back or face humiliation and walk back in the room. Knowing that everyone had seen your mistake on camera! It worked though and I can remember coming home to my  partner and driving him insane asking such open ended questions that he was begging me to stop! “So what do YOU want for dinner? How do you feel about Salmon En Croute?” Adding value I often coach junior recruiters in asking questions, as I genuinely think this can be the most important part of the interview process from their perspective- due diligence, fact find, showing they are engaged- multiple benefits and who doesn’t like answering intelligent, relevant questions? So this has led me to think, what are the 3 most important questions that YOU should be asking, whether you are a recruiter, a candidate, or an employer EVERY time you are in an interview. * I realise that there a plethora of other questions that you must ask also, however, these 3 questions in each category matter no matter your job, sector or market* As a recruiter: What else can I do for you to assist your successful search? If you could picture your career Utopia, what would it look like? What is your expectation of me? As a candidate: Why do YOU work here? Why do you think I should work here? What is it like on a bad day here? As an employer: What management style do you respond best to? What pet hates do you have in a work environment? What would keep you happy in your role here if you came to work for me? Within these 3 core questions, there is a common theme. If you notice, I have not dwelled on the technical aspect as that will be specific dependent upon role. What I think often gets missed is the softer elements; perhaps those questions which will require more listening? The environment is key Culture fit is often the most common reason that candidates state as their reason for leaving their current role. Undeniably true. You can always earn more money, move sector etc but fundamentally, if these questions are asked, you can get under the skin of a lot more. I encourage anyone I partner with to be honest, open and frank. “what do I tell your client about XYZ?” I often get asked. I reply, “the truth, as you have said it to me.” What do you think? Do you follow a script when interviewing? How do you prepare for your interviews? What are your ‘killer’ interview questions? What’s the best question you have ever been asked? As ever, your shares and comments are gratefully received.

Writing a Resume to Company Not Hiring You

Writing a Resume to Company Not Hiring YouWriting a resume to a company not hiring you can be difficult. When it comes to a job search, you really want to succeed in getting the call back. You might think that your new resume will help you make the cut, but what if the resume you have just received isn't what the company is looking for? There are some things you can do so that you get a call back and make a difference.Writing a resume to a company not hiring you is different than you might think. A resume needs to fit the company's needs and not the other way around. When it comes to a job search, you have to remember to look at the overall picture.You need to give the company what they want. Most of the time it is the personality of the individual that will be the deciding factor in whether they hire you or not. The resume has to convey your personality and make you stand out from the competition.If the resume is bad and does not catch the attention of the hiring manager, you may no t get the call back. It is very important that your resume is appealing and gets noticed by someone. Sometimes you need to take a few extra steps to make sure that you are attractive to the company.Find out what you look like in photos and make sure that you find a way to look your best. When it comes to looking good in pictures, the employer sees what they are looking for. Make sure that you use photos that are clear and professional.Describe yourself in an impressive description of who you are. Write down a few goals that you would like to accomplish in your career. Tell the employer about any skills or abilities that you have. Youcan even write a little bit about why you would be a good fit for the position.One of the most important aspects of a resume is the cover letter. Include a resume sample of how you make it seem like you were the one hired to fill the vacancy. You can usually tell right away if a company is hiring the way that they say they are when they send out a letter .The longer you put off looking for work, the more likely it is that you are going to have to look all over again in a few months. Just take some time to look for jobs and use your resume writing skills. You never know when a job will come your way and the added knowledge you gain from your job search can really help you.

How to Add Interests on Your LinkedIn Profile Strategically

How to Add Interests on Your LinkedIn Profile â€" Strategically A recent  study of recruiters found they look at the interests you describe on your LinkedIn profile to find ways to connect with you.  For example, one recruiter noted their love of skiing and said they would be “pretty excited” to find a candidate who had anything skiing-related on their profile.Is Making Decisions Based on LinkedIn Interests Legal?A recruiter giving a candidate an interview because they love skiing isn’t legal â€" unless they can tie skiing to job performance.It’s RealHowever, it is real. Being relatable will draw recruiters and hiring managers to you and make them more likely to want to meet you.Add Job-Related Interests and Side-GigsIve also seen clients get interviews because of their job-related side-gigs and interests.Your interests tie to potential job performance when they demonstrate valuable skills and abilities.Some examples include:Creative ability â€" that food blog you write.Project management skills â€" that short film you produced.Showmanshi p â€" that band you front.If your interests demonstrate marketable skills, be sure to feature them.Add Job-Relevant Volunteer WorkAnother study found its beneficial to feature volunteer work on your resume when you use job-relevant skills.Example:If youre a marketing executive who developed a successful branding strategy for your favorite nonprofit, share the story on your profile.Research Decision Makers InterestsIf you have found a company or a job you like, research the recruiter and hiring manager who will be reading your resume and LinkedIn profile:Check their LinkedIn profiles for Group memberships.View their LinkedIn updates to see what they like.Look for them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. What do they post?If you find you share interests, then include that information on your resume and profile. It will help you build rapport when they look at your  materials.Legal or not, that connection might tip an interviewing decision or job offer to you.Don’t abuse this.The s ame article noted other research has found that candidates lie about their interests more than any other topic. If you can’t talk about your interest with knowledge and enthusiasm in an interview, don’t put it on your profile.LinkedIn Interests â€" How Where to Add Them to Your ProfileLinkedIn used to feature an Interests section on your desktop profile. That went away with the interface introduced in early 2017.Given that, these sections are your best bets:Summary â€" You can provide a brief paragraph that describes what interests you most.Volunteer Experience â€" If your volunteerism reflects your interests, the section provides a natural opportunity for sharing.Achievements â€" If youve earned a certificate, taken a course, received an award, completed a project, written an article, joined an organization, etc., this section gives you an opportunity to share your interests.Skills Endorsements â€" If your interest makes you better at what you do for a living, you can list it here.Groups â€" Join LinkedIn groups that reflect your interests and display them on your profile.Pick one or two of these options and enrich your profile.You can also add interests to your mobile profile, where they still display if someone really goes looking for them. Click Activity/Interests and you will reach Causes you care about and an edit pencil to add information.Let’s Connect on LinkedInPlease don’t hesitate to invite me to connect on LinkedIn here.  The more I know about my readers, the better I can make my blog.Sources:LinkedIn and Recruitment: How Profiles Differ Across Occupations, Employee Relations V36/I5 (here). Volunteer Experience May Not Bridge Gaps in Employment, Internation Journal of Selection Assessment V23, I3 (here).Featured by SmartBrief Image: Canva/Pavel Losevky Updated March 2018 2016 2019, Donna Svei. All rights reserved.Donna SveiDonna Svei, an executive resume writer and former C-level executive, retained search consultant, and CPA, writes al l of AvidCareerists posts. She has written for and been quoted by leading business, general, and career media outlets, including Forbes, Mashable, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Lifehacker, Ask.com, Social Media Today, IT World, SmartBrief, Payscale, Business News Daily, and the Muse. Let her background and experience inform your job search strategy and decision making.Learn more about Donnas executive resume writing service or email Donna for more information. LinkedIn â€" Profile Details (4 Posts)