Helpful Hints for Candidates

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• Having decided to seek new employment, ensure that you are spending time on your search each day and that you block time to do it. Treat this like a part time job. If you are not working, schedule your job search time into your calendar daily. Also take time for yourself, as you will be back to work soon enough and should enjoy your time off.

• Keep a list of the places you have submitted your resume. It is also recommended that you print and keep a copy of the job description as that information can be taken off the career site before you go into an interview. Often Candidates use an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of their application and contact information. Note on your spreadsheet whether or not anyone follows up, who they were, and what the outcome was. Other important information that should be tracked would be any logins created to apply to a role online.  (This information may not be recorded, and previous submissions may lock you out of reapplying to an organization in a different role.) 

• When submitting your resume to different opportunities consider having a separate email for job applications and one for personal use. Ensure that the business-related email is professional sounding. This way all of the information is in one area and easy to find. If you are submitting your resume online to a career section, you may want to use a Word document as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) do not always read PDF versions well. Consider including a cover letter with your resume, and ensure that it is customized to the proper opportunity. Using a cover letter as the first page of your resume allows you the opportunity to highlight your current and transferable skills in 1 or 2 paragraphs. Include any skills you may have that are not clear from the resume. Try to keep your resume to 3 pages to ensure the recruiter has the time to review it properly. 

• If your phone rings and you are not sure who is calling, please let it go to voice mail. Nothing is worse than getting a call from a potential Employer and not remembering what the role is or what the company does. In all instances you want to be professional and approachable. Answering your phone in the middle of a noisy place and not sounding interested may ruin your opportunity with that particular company. By letting it go to voice mail you can look up the role and the company so that when you call them back you are making a great first impression. 

• Another thing to consider is your voice mail message. Is it working? Is it professional?  Do you sound friendly? Although having a child answer the phone or on the phone message can be adorable, Employers are seeking to speak to you. This is your opportunity to put yourself forward for the position you are interested in.

Interviews can take many shapes; phone interviews, Skypes, FaceTime, onsite or over a coffee. This is your chance to stand out amongst the other interviewees.

• Ensure that you look up the company online and do your research; look up anyone that you are meeting with on LinkedIn and review the job description in detail. 

• It is natural to be nervous. Practicing your answers out loud before your interview helps with this. Often nervousness transforms into rapid speaking; remember to take your time and be clear. 

• If you are going into a company, arrive in reception 5-10 minutes before your interview but not too early. This shows the interviewer that you are respectful of their time.  Also, ensure that you treat everyone you meet with respect. Employers often ask Receptionists for information on your conduct while you were waiting. If the person interviewing you is late, always be positive and courteous. 

• If you are having a phone or Skype interview, ensure that your equipment works ahead of time and sign-in ahead of the interview or be prepared for the call. Make sure that you are in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted. 

• Always be honest and positive. Keep your answers on topic, to the point and most importantly, do not ramble and answer things you were not asked. Active listening is important in a potential employee. 

• Speak in full sentences and complete your thoughts. Be careful of ‘danglers’ and ‘spacers’. These include, but are not limited to words used such as: “like”, “and yeah”, as well as noises such as “ummm” and “hmm”. These types of interjections are used because we are trying to think, but as solid communication skills are important in most roles, try to limit them in your interview. This is best done by practicing some responses (out loud) so that they come to you naturally. Another technique is to repeat the question to gain a few seconds for your brain to process it, or simply inhale. Another method of gaining a few seconds to think about an appropriate reply to a question is to simply say, “Let me think about that for a second.”, and then proceed to answer.

Below is a sampling of general questions you should be prepared to answer in an interview and suggestions for the answers. 

• Tell me about yourself. We suggest that you reference a few soft skills (i.e. I am a good team player and hard working) and then a few things about your experience (I am a senior developer with strong back end experience with .Net)

• What do you know about our company? Be prepared to discuss 3 things about the company. (i.e. what the company does, core values and perhaps something about their charity if they have one.)

• Why are you interested in this position? Talk about the role itself and then perhaps add something about the company. 

• Why should we hire you? Talk about the skills that you have that align with the role and then mention a few things about yourself from a personal perspective that would also help support the company. 

• How would your manager describe you? If you have had recent feedback from your manager that is positive, then this is the time to use that. (i.e. my manager recently said that I was hard working and really focused.)

• Why did you leave your last role(s)? When going over your career history be factual and positive and do not speak negatively about a past employer or manager. People who speak negatively about former employers often do not move ahead in the process. 

• What are your strengths? Your review of the job description will help you with this. Pick attributes stated in the job description as “must have” that you do have experience in and then add in something personal. (i.e. I have 4 years of .Net development and am a strong problem solver.) 

• What are your areas for improvement? (This is a nice way to say weaknesses.) Review the job description as it is unlikely for anyone to have all of the skills listed. (i.e. I have not worked with PowerPoint, but feel that I can pick it up quickly.) If you are asked to say something negative about yourself, you want to follow it up with a positive. If this role needs PowerPoint and you do not have strong skills in this area, then doing an online course or tutorial in PowerPoint would be great before the interview as you can mention it. This would be an appropriate time to mention your transferable skills. (i.e. Visio) 

• What are your salary expectations? This is tricky and do not bring this up unless asked. If you are unsure of the salary range, then you can say; “I am currently making (salary or hourly) and I would accept a reasonable offer.” At this point stop talking to gauge the reaction. Then you can ask, is that within your expectations? Then you can decide if the salary range is reasonable. 

• It is extremely important to keep in mind that when an applicant says, “I will take $50-60K”, the hiring manager hears $50K (they have a budget), you hear $60K, and the recruiter usually hears $55K. Never mention a range that starts with a number that you will not accept. Often, discussing your current situation is the best way to negotiate. Alternatively, you can use research that you have done online regarding reasonable salary levels for that particular position in your geographical area. The goal is to encourage discussion. If you are open to a reasonable offer, or have some flexibility in your range, mention that to the Interviewer.

At the end of an interview you are often given the opportunity to ask questions. Have them prepared ahead of the interview so you do not forget them. Most of the questions will be answered during the interview process but here are some questions you may want to ask. 

• Can you tell me about the team?

• Can you tell me about some of the upcoming projects?

• What do you enjoy about working for the company? (This will let you know what is great about the company)

• What are the challenges? (This will tell you the pain points)

• What do the first 3 to 6 months look like for this position? 

• If I am the chosen candidate how can I prepare to hit the ground running? 

• What are the next steps in the interview process?

• When the interview is finishing, thank the interviewer(s) for their time and let them know you hope you get a chance to work together.

• Once you get home, write details in your list and include who you met. Also following up with a thank you email is a great final touch.