by veebee | Thu, Apr, 2019 | Articles
To
be on the safe side, bring a spare copy of your resume to the
interview. We advise arriving at least ten minutes early as
interviewers are unimpressed by lateness and will rarely accept
excuses from prospective employees.
A
firm (but not bone crunching) handshake with a big smile will do
wonders when you first meet your interviewer. Some small chit chat
from the reception area to the interview room will also help. These
are the vital seconds (not minutes) in making your first impression.
Body
language and
other forms of non-verbal communication are important elements in the
way an interviewee performs. Appearing relaxed and trying to act
naturally is easier said than done but good appearance is mostly a
matter of assuming a position that you are comfortable with. We
suggest sitting up straight, leaning forward slightly and always
maintaining good eye contact with the interviewer or panel. Looking
disinterested will limit your options.
If
offered a drink this can help and can be used as a prop to perhaps
give you some time to answer a difficult question. By accepting a
drink it does show that you are fairly confident and reasonably
relaxed.
Power-pose
your way to interview success
by
Jane McNeill, Director, Hays Australia
The
statistics on how much we communicate through our body language are
widely known and available – one well-known study believes it
accounts for 55 per cent. Your interviewer will certainly be watching
what you communicate through your body language, which could
ultimately affect whether you’re successful.
Your
body language will also have a big impact on your own thinking;
whatever pose you choose to adopt will only further propagate what
you’re feeling.
Research
from Princeton University has
found that by proactively altering your body language you can
actually change your frame of mind. If you’re hunched over and
fidgeting then you’re only going to heighten your anxiety, if
you’re sat straight with your chin up then you’ll exacerbate your
feelings of confidence. “It’s not so much mind over matter as it
is matter over mind,” says our CEO Alistair Cox in this Viewpoint
blog.
Sitting
yourself up for success
You’ve
done as much research as you can about the interviewer and the
business ahead of time – the least that will be expected of you,
you’ve considered the questions that might crop up and thought of a
few of your own, you’ve even planned the outfit that you’re going
to wear – don’t let all this preparation go to waste by adopting
lazy body posture!
Do
you know how much you can tell about someone’s personality simply
by observing how they sit in an interview? Even if you have the
perfect CV and flawless answers to tough questions, negative body
language could be enough to deny you the job. For example, if you are
slouched in the chair, tapping your foot or fidgeting, you’ll come
across as disinterested and, worse, rude.
Your
5 step checklist
With
that in mind, here’s how to use your body language to create as
positive an impression as possible:
1.
Come prepared
Preparation
for an interview always builds confidence and when you’re confident
you have fewer body language issues. If you struggle with confidence
then try just pretending to be confident – this is one of the tips
offered in Susie Timlin’s ‘7 ways to communicate confidence’
blog. Your body language and personality could be the game changer if
you are up against someone with the same qualifications and
experience. Practice it with a friend or family member; tell them
what to look out for.
2.
Wait patiently
You
begin to be judged on your interview performance as soon as you walk
in the door of the building. It’s common practice for the
receptionist to report back to the interviewer on your general
demeanour and attitude; even slouching in the waiting area could cost
you. Spend the short period before the interview thinking about how
you will say hello, all the while sitting in a straight and upright
neutral position.
Our
CEO advises spending five minutes before a big interview or meeting
adopting a “powerful, non-verbal position in private”. Forcing
your body language into this pose helps to make you appear (both to
others and yourself) more confident and able to handle the stress.
3.
Sit confidently
Once
in the interview room rest your arms on the arms of the chair or your
legs and try and keep them there. While using gestures to convey a
point can help show your passion, excessive hand movements can make
it seem like you are trying to express yourself a bit too
frantically; let your words do the talking. Folding your arms and
legs can be seen as an aggressive stance; something which will count
against you if you’re being interviewed for a very social, team
dependent role!
Avoid
touching your face and hair as it distracts the interviewer – they
might think you are not comfortable with the questions being asked.
4.
Maintain eye-contact
Make
lots of eye contact during the interview, both when you are listening
and when you are speaking. It’s a great way to convey a sense of
calmness and control, but don’t go overboard. It’s not a staring
match and it’s normal for the other person to break off contact
throughout the interview. This is a very important form of non-verbal
communication.
5.
Sign-off with a smile
After
you’ve pulled off a flawless verbal and non-verbal interview
performance sign it off with a handshake and a smile. A firm grip,
sustained eye contact, a genuine smile and the usual pleasantries are
the perfect way for the interviewer to remember you.
A
final thought
Even
if you are not feeling confident you can give off the impression that
you are by adapting your body language. Sitting up straight,
communicating clearly, maintaining eye contact and smiling are the
main pillars of body language interview success.
What’s
even more surprising than the fact your body language can affect
someone else’s perception of you is research that shows it can even
affect your own brain chemistry – you can hear more on this in Amy
Cuddy’s TED talk.
by veebee | Thu, Apr, 2019 | Articles
The
interview will be the primary method of selection for the majority of
positions we recruit. Below are some suggestions that, together with
guidance from our staff, may help you to improve your interview
performance for the greatest chance of success.
What
is a potential employer commonly trying to assess?
In
every interview, no matter how junior or senior the position, the
interviewer will likely
be probing for the answers to three basic questions:
-
Can
you do the job well? (Your skills, qualifications, experience)
-
Will
you do the job? (Your motivation, attitudes and career goals)
-
Will
you fit into the team? (Your cultural match)
Preparation
The
better prepared you are, the more relaxed and comfortable you will be
when the interview questions begin.
Developing
an understanding of the business before the meeting can be a vital
component of securing a role. Handy information can often be found
from the company website, annual reports, and a simple internet
search. LinkedIn is another valuable tool but don’t be tempted to
send a LinkedIn connection or Facebook friend request to your
interviewer!
It
is common for one of the first interview questions to be “what do
you know about our us?”.
It
is also valuable to spend some time reviewing your own CV and have a
clear understanding of how the key responsibilities and achievements
of your prospective role link to your previous employment.
Focus
on the skills you believe offer most value to your prospective
employer. Whenever possible, relate your skills and experience to the
role requirements and always have practical examples ready to support
your statements. Be aware, particularly for senior candidates, there
can be an idea that “my experience or results speak for
themselves”. Remember that job interviews are a competitive
process, so give yourself the best chance by explaining not only what
was achieved but how you made it happen.
Review
some probable answers to likely questions in the interview. Provide
answers that are tailored to the position and paint a picture of you
as being positive and with the potential to add value. It is also
essential that you prepare your own questions so that, not only can
you be sure that this is the right opportunity for you but also so
that you can demonstrate you are particular in regard to the
opportunity you are looking for.
Always
treat the interview as a two-way discussion and answer questions
honestly, directly and keep to the point. Everyone present will be
focusing their attention on you, so clouding your answer with jargon
or evading the issue will be more obvious than you think. If you are
not certain about a particular question, do not be afraid to ask if
it can be rephrased. Listen, never interrupt and answer only what is
asked.
The
little things
-
Presentation
can have a large influence on first impressions. Always attend an
interview in corporate attire and if in doubt always err on the side
of more formal as opposed to underdressed.
-
Be
clear about the exact time, date and location of the interview as
well as who you are meeting and be there five to ten minutes before
the interview.
-
Listen
as well as talk. This will give you valuable clues as to the
responses required. Wait for the question to be concluded before
commencing your response.
-
Be
aware of your body language. Interviewers will pick up on a lack of
congruence between what your mouth your body are saying.
-
Answer
questions informatively but briefly. Never embellish the truth but
don’t be afraid to sell your skills and accomplishments.
-
Avoid
negativity in statements and body language. Interviewers look for
positive, likable people and any persistent negative characteristics
such as a lack of interest, enthusiasm or purpose regarding your
career will reflect poorly.
End
of the interview
At
the end of your interview, smile and thank the people involved for
their time. While decisions and job offers are usually made some time
after the interview(s), so it would not be appropriate to ask for an
assessment of your performance.
by veebee | Thu, Apr, 2019 | Articles
During
an interview, it’s customary for you to get a chance to ask your
own questions to find out whether the company is a good fit for you.
This is the perfect opportunity to work out whether it’s the job
you’ll love.
Ask the interviewer what the traits of
successful people in this company are and compare it to what you’ve
established about yourself. This should help you work out if you’d
fit in with the existing team.
Working on finding a job
you’ll love is about more than just your duties. Organisational
structure, company culture and employees’ insights will all play a
role, so make sure you’re doing all you can to work out where you
think you’ll be happiest.
‘Do
you have any questions for us?’
Towards
the end of the interview, you will usually be asked if you have any
questions of your own. Be confident when asking your questions and
use them to score additional points in your favour.
Examples
include:
-
Why
is the position available?
-
What
training and induction will be given?
-
What
prospects are there for personal and professional development?
-
What
are the company plans for the future?
-
When
can I expect to hear from you?
-
What
skills and attributes do successful people at your company usually
have?
-
What
do you like best about working at the company?
-
What
results are expected from me?
-
What
specific problems are you hoping to solve during the first six
months?
-
What
communication style do you prefer?
-
What
are your goals for the department?
by veebee | Thu, Apr, 2019 | Articles
Your
dream job is out there, somewhere; you’ve just got to find it. And
according to the Australian
Bureau of Statistics there
are plenty of options for you. In May this year there were
approximately 146, 000 job vacancies in Australia, up 2.1% from
February, and whilst it’s likely that out of all those positions
there are some that don’t fall into that dream category of yours,
unless you’re blessed with some kind of inhuman super job scouring
strength, you won’t necessarily even be in a position to know.
Figuring
out how to separate the wheat from the chaff in the job market can
seem like a task of biblical proportions for your average job seeker,
but for those willing to take advantage of the technologies available
to them, finding the perfect role is more possible now than ever
before.
top
tip 1: use your mobile
According
to research conducted by Google and Ipsos Media in 2013, 77% of
Australians don’t leave their homes without their device.
Furthermore, 82% of the population uses their phone on the go with
75% also using a device at work. Needless to say, and as the ‘Our
Mobile Planet: Australia’
report finds, smartphones are “indispensable to daily life”.
So
how can your smartphone help you find that once in a lifetime role?
Start
by using an effective platform to search for jobs. Sites that are
optimised for mobile use don’t just look like miniature versions of
a website, they are fully responsive, which means jobs are easy to
view no matter where you are or what device you use. Features to help
you find the right jobs include those on the new Randstad website
like:
-
Simplified
application processes (without lengthy application forms)
-
Easy
to use navigation menus
-
Buttons
positioned and sized for smaller screens
-
Adapted
mobile advertising, if it applies
If
you’re prepared, applying directly via a mobile device is
oftentimes more efficient than using a desktop computer.
top
tip 2: optimise your CV
Scott
Belsky,
Vice President of Community at Adobe, says, “Optimisation isn’t
about making drastic changes…the key to optimisation is making
incremental tweaks…” As such, you don’t need to reinvent your
CV to get the most out of it; you just need to optimise it. According
to Google’s ‘The
New Multi-screen World’
report, 90% of people move between devices to accomplish a goal, so
having a version of your CV saved to your mobile device will greatly
decrease barriers that prevent you from applying to a job ad at a
minute’s notice.
Users
can also use cloud technology such as Google Drive, Dropbox and We
Transfer to store and send resumes. Increasingly, employers are
enabling job seekers to apply through sites such as LinkedIn and The
Loop, which means you should ensure your CV is adaptable across
multiple social platforms. If you choose to host your CV on a
website, you may also wish to include key words and a simplified
bullet point structure.
top
tip 3: personalised search
Lastly,
make searching for jobs even more efficient by taking advantage of
the personalised search feature on the new Randstad website. Once you
have created a myrandstad account, allow the technology to find
relevant jobs for you based on your previous searches.
As
the trend towards mobile continues to penetrate the recruitment
industry, smart job seekers will get ahead by essentially automating
processes. By using mobile devices, having their applications
optimised for all opportunities and relying on recommended job ads
based on previous user behaviour, these applicants are in a better
position to find their dream job than those with no considered
approach to utilising the technology around them.
by veebee | Wed, Mar, 2019 | Articles
Have
you always wondered why your friends and colleagues seem to get that
tap on the shoulder with amazing jobs offers, with perks and career
progression?
You
work hard, but sometimes, you feel a bit un-noticed. It’s
time to get noticed! Here
are 5
tips to
help you on the way to being head hunted.
1.
Your personal brand
We
hear a lot about our own personal profile, and in a world of social
media and communication apps, it is more important than ever to have
a clean and clear online image that really reflects who you are and
what you stand for. Your whole online presence is an ever changing
resume, so keep it nice, and aim for continuity, integrity and
interesting content.
2.
Work beautifully
The
very best recommendations will come from ex-colleagues, and managers,
or even suppliers and customers. Remember the customer whose problem
you solved? Remember when you didn’t yell at your supplier, but
helped them resolve the issue? Remember when you created a new
strategy and shared the credit with your team? If you work well with
others, are highly regarded, and even if you work in a seriously
difficult situation – the way you operate every day is your best
advertisement.
3.
Align yourself with influencers
Influencers
are those people with a great profile online and excellent social
connections. They know other ‘power’ people and often have senior
roles. Most importantly, they are well respected in their space. They
would be the type of people you would use as referees and they will
naturally want to recommend you if they get the chance. Pay it
forward, do a good deed, share a post of theirs – show them that
you are engaged in their world.
4.
Be visible & approachable
Get
out there, go to industry events and start talking with people. Catch
up for a coffee with contacts in industries that interest you. Make
connections via Linkedin, start talking
to recruiters,
use your personal network as well. If the opportunity comes up, you
can mention that you are open minded to new opportunities.
Reciprocate too, if people ask you out for a coffee, take every
opportunity, you never know where it will lead. Be generous with your
time and support and don’t forget to switch your Linkedin profile
to ‘open to opportunities’ to get the word out. (Need
Linkedin profile advice?)
5.
Keep your cool
When
all the elements combine and you get that delicious mystery phone
call with a job opportunity to explore, try not to get too excited
and accept the role! A head hunter will make the first tenuous steps
of communication after a swag of research. They already think you are
a good option. You need to strongly consider whether the role is a
genuine fit for you, in terms of wages, culture, industry and more.
Most importantly, you need to understand that they are not ‘offering’
you the role, but just the chance to discuss and interview for it.
Don’t be so flattered that you want to take the role straight away-
this will actually send a red flag to the head hunter and could make
you look a bit desperate.
By
keeping these 5
points uppermost
in your mind and being aware of the way you operate in your work and
social life, you are well on the way to being head hunted. If you are
working well and enjoying life, people will be drawn to you and
exciting opportunities will start to drop into your lap!
