How To Get Hired With A Criminal Record

How To Get Hired With A Criminal Record

How To Get Hired With A Criminal Record

It’s difficult enough to get hired nowadays without having a criminal record. So, is it even possible to land a good job after committing a crime?

The short answer is yes.

But it’s not going to be easy, unless you follow these three steps during your next job interview.

1. Come Up With Your Explanation

Man with a criminal record nervous during a job interview

Employers will conduct background checks on you. The old rule of thumb was that a felony comes off your record after seven years, and it does. But the internet has a much longer memory than that. Your criminal record will probably always be up there for employers to find. If you have any record with the police, HR can (and will) find it. So, it’s important that you tell employers about your criminal record before they find it out for themselves and then hold it against you in the hiring process.

A key thing to remember as you look for a job with a criminal record is that it’s not about overcoming your criminal background; it’s about working through it.

Before you mention your criminal record to a hiring manager, come up with your explanation. Use the “Experience + Learn = Grow” model, which is the same strategy you should use when answering behavioral interview questions. Tell the employer the facts. Take all of the emotion out of it. Don’t make excuses. Simply tell them what the situation was and what happened.

Then, tell the employer what you learned. What did this powerful experience teach you? (Don’t focus on the negative.) How did you grow from this experience?

2. Take Responsibility For Your Actions

Woman explains her criminal record during a job interview

Let’s be honest. We don’t like to admit that we did something wrong, that we failed or made a mistake. When we own our mistakes and failures, we have to admit that we’re not perfect. And no matter how many years we’ve been on this earth, that’s still something a lot of us struggle with.

If you own something, you can change the outcome. And that’s what you need to do when looking for a job with a criminal record. Take responsibility for your past actions and mistakes. If you don’t own it, then you’re helpless.

Whatever you do, don’t have a victim mentality. Don’t think someone or something has control over you. By owning it, you can make things better.

The hard truth is that trying to defend yourself, trying to push some of the blame on something else, really hurts your credibility. If you don’t say, “I own it. There were other factors involved, but I own it,” during your job interview, no one is going to trust you.

We understand that it’s really hard to own the mistakes you’ve made if you haven’t yet come to grips with them. Just know that you will have to in order to get a job, and that it will be so incredibly freeing.

3. Show The Employer How You’ve Changed

Man nervous about telling the hiring manager about his criminal record during an interview

After you’ve explained the “grow” part of the “Experience + Learn = Grow” strategy, you’ll want to have examples of how you’ve grown as a person and as a professional.

It is very hard to gain people’s trust when you’re looking for a job with a criminal record. It’s very hard to get a job at all. Tell the employer this, and then show them what you’ve done to earn people’s trust again.

Try framing the conversation like this:

“This is what I’ve done to try to build my reputation, gain trust, and develop my skills since then. Here’s where I am, and here’s what I’m doing going forward. Here’s what I’m doing to put this behind me so it’s not an issue anymore.”

Employers need to hear this. They need to know you’ve gone through that thought process and have grown and changed as a person since committing the crime. If they can walk away from the job interview knowing that you own your mistakes, learned from them, and have bettered yourself since committing the crime, they won’t hold your criminal record against you as much as they would have if they had found it before you brought it up.

Companies That Hire Individuals With A Criminal Record

Woman shakes hands with the hiring manager after landing a job at a company that hires people with a criminal record

Over 100 organizations have joined the Fair Chance Business Pledge, including:

  • American Airlines
  • Best Buy
  • CVS Health
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Intel
  • Microsoft
  • Starbucks
  • Target
  • Unilever
  • Walmart
There’s also a great feature on LinkedIn that helps users with a criminal record. The “Fair Chance” job filter makes it easier for applicants to find employers who are open to hiring them.

So, take responsibility for your criminal record. Make sure you’re the one to bring it up first during the hiring process. As long as you prove you’ve learned from your mistakes and have developed the skills necessary to succeed on the job, you’ll be viewed as a good job candidate.

Good luck!

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.


How To Answer Interview Questions About How You Handle Criticism

How To Answer Interview Questions About How You Handle Criticism

Criticism comes with the territory in any job—and in life. So in your job interview, the hiring manager will probably ask how you handle it.

It may come in the form of a behavioral interview question such as, “Describe a time when your work was criticized and how you handled it.” Your answer—the story you choose and how you talk about it—will tell them a lot about your character and how you perform under pressure.

The truth is that in order to be successful, we all need to be open to criticism. If you aren’t, then you aren’t coachable. You won’t be open to learning things that make you better than you were before. And if you can’t do that, then you won’t grow and you’ll never become as accomplished or as valuable as you could be in your career.

Ask Yourself, “Am I Coachable?”

Hiring manager asks a job candidate about how he handles criticism in an interview

The question we all need to ask ourselves is, “Am I coachable?” Our ability to take criticism and learn from it is crucial to our success. If you don’t take criticism well and always become defensive, eventually people will stop trying. That may feel nicer, but ultimately it hurts you. If your boss can’t communicate with you and help you become better at your job, eventually they’ll just cut you loose.

No one is perfect. We can all learn and improve. Everyone can be corrected or coached to a new place. We’ll be better and stronger because of it.

How To Answer Interview Questions About How You Handle Criticism

What does a good criticism response story sound like?

If you’re asked about how you handle criticism in a job interview, your response should sound like this:

  1. Tell them about a time someone told you how you could do some task differently or better.
  2. Talk about how you responded and what you did after receiving the criticism (how you did that task better).
  3. Mention what the results were.

This structure fits the STAR technique (situation or task, action you took, and results). Many times, job seekers miss telling about the results of the story (what happened as a result of the action you took), and this is one of the most important parts.

At Work It Daily, our version of the STAR technique is called the “Experience + Learn = Grow” model, and it actually works better in job interviews because the STAR technique is overused and it’s easy to forget the “results,” how you “grew” from the experience.

As with all of your job interview answers, be strategic. Don’t choose a problem that someone criticized you about that is a central component of your job—for instance, an accountant who was criticized for her sloppy math would be a bad story to tell, no matter how much she improved. Choose something that is a side component. Maybe the accountant was weak in communication skills with colleagues but took a class and made an effort and now works collaboratively on six team projects per year. Whatever it is, talk about how you responded and how you became better, and give evidence of that.

Hiring managers will always ask about adversity of one kind or another in interviews, so be prepared to talk about a few of these types of topics. Remember: It’s all about how you frame your criticism story!

Give interview answers that sell you for the job. Find more than 200 job-winning answers in How to Answer Interview Questions and How to Answer Interview Questions II, available on Amazon.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

The Biggest Mistake Job Seekers Make In Final Round Interviews (That Costs Them The Job!)

The Biggest Mistake Job Seekers Make In Final Round Interviews (That Costs Them The Job!)

The interview process can take weeks to get through, and when you finally get to the final interview, you want to do everything in your power to ace it so you’re the one they choose for the job. However, most job seekers don’t know they’re making a huge mistake in final interviews that could cost them the job offer.

In your first round of interviews, you’re usually talking with a recruiter. You’re doing a phone screen and they’re just trying to figure out if you have the skills to move forward. Then you start to go through an interview, maybe two, where you’re meeting with hiring managers and other people who would be your peers, and that’s when they’re whittling down a half-dozen candidates to the final two or three.

Then, it’s the final interview. From coaching my clients, I’ve discovered that those who make it to the final interview and don’t get the job are pulling back in that last interview.

#1 Mistake: Pulling Back (And What To Do Instead)

In the final interview, you know it’s crunch time. And these clients of mine are emotionally aware and want to convey humility in the interview process. They don’t want to brag. They don’t want to be a narcissist. They don’t want to be cocky. They don’t want to oversell themselves and look desperate. So in an effort not to overdo it in that final interview, they sort of pull back. They don’t want to oversell themselves or say something that isn’t true.

The problem is, in the first interviews, they had more confidence. They conveyed more confidence. So all of a sudden in the final interview, when you’re trying to be more technically accurate with what you say, you actually start to look like you’re backing off, that you’re not as secure about yourself.

While I don’t want you to go in and be that cocky, over-the-top person, you do have to make sure that you deliver consistency with what you’ve been conveying throughout the entire interview process.

Now, how do you do that?

As a career coach, I teach my clients how to answer questions with a beginning, a middle, and an end. I also call it the “Experience + Learn = Grow” model. This is the best way to avoid pulling back in final interviews. It’s also better (and far easier) than the STAR method, which people overuse and recruiters can spot a mile away because it feels canned.

With the “Experience + Learn = Grow” model, your answers sound authentic and you provide enough detail without overdoing it. That shows hiring managers you know what you’re talking about and you will feel comfortable because you are telling them the truth.

This model works, and it’s the final round interview where you want to nail things like your behavioral questions, those open-ended questions where you need this beginning, middle, and end storytelling format so that you give the right amount of detail, and you get the job.

For all of you out there who have ever made it to the final round and thought, “I don’t want to overkill it,” and then you didn’t get the job, it’s probably because you pulled back too much and looked like you weren’t as sure of yourself. You fix it with “Experience + Learn = Grow.” That’s the way to do it.

Good luck, and go get ’em!

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3 Stories You Need To Share In 2024 To Impress Recruiters & Hiring Managers

3 Stories You Need To Share In 2024 To Impress Recruiters & Hiring Managers

If you want to get a job in 2024, you need to be ready to share three stories with every hiring manager and recruiter you meet. These three stories will help recruiters and hiring managers fall in love with you, and this is also how you make a stronger first impression.

Storytelling in general is important, but it can be particularly powerful in the hiring process. When you go into an interview, you need to be able to tell concise stories so that they can validate your knowledge and expertise.

These three stories help them learn more about the complete you…

1. Why You Want To Work For This Company

This story needs to be based on your connection to the employer. They don’t want to hear that you love their benefits package or that you heard they pay well. They want to hear why you love their product or service and why you’re a huge fan of the customers they serve.

Somehow you need to tell a connection story that gets them to understand your intrinsic motivation, which is just a fancy term for what will get you out of bed every day and want to work for this company. What do you believe in? They can’t teach you intrinsic motivation. There are so many candidates out there who look the same that you need to have this really great connection story because that’s what gets them to choose you.

2. Why You Love To Create The Value That You Do

Man answers the interview question "describe yourself in one word"

Now, the second story you need to have on the ready is why you nerd out on the work that you do and why you love to create the value that you do on the job. Your unique value add (UVA) is how you save a company money, make a company money, solve problems, and alleviate pain. They don’t pay you just for the heck of it. You need to create value.

When you can talk about why you love doing the work that you do and how you nerd out on it, you’re showing them once again what’s going to get you out of bed every day. You’re self-motivated to create that value, exceed expectations, be resourceful, and think outside the box. Again, they have all these candidates to choose from. They want the employee who is going to be like that. So, this second story is very powerful.

3. The Most Exciting Or Positive Thing That Happened In Your Career In The Last Year

Woman answers a question during a virtual job interview

The third story is the one I love the most right now, which is what’s the most exciting or positive thing that happened in your career in the last year? You want to share this story with recruiters and hiring managers because they need to know that you are constantly looking at your career and assessing what’s happened to you so that you can learn and grow from it.

When you can recognize that the things that happened to you were very powerful and positive, they know that you’re a powerful and positive person who is always striving to learn and grow. And it’s also just a great feel-good story that can articulate a lot about you.

So, let’s recap.

The three stories you need to share are…

  1. Why you want to work for the company (sharing your connection to the company).
  2. Why you nerd out on the work that you do (showing your resourcefulness).
  3. The greatest thing that happened to you in your career in the last year (showing your positivity and power).

You could type these up right now and have them ready for an interview. Or you could even go so far as to put them in a cover letter. But the one that will go much farther is video.

There is a way for you to record these three stories and rerecord them until their perfect. Then, you can take these three stories, put them in what’s called a reel, and send them off as a URL to recruiters and hiring managers. That’s when they’ll fall in love with you. That’s when they will see that you are the kind of person that is more than just the experience. You are the full package, and it will elevate your first impression because video is the new first interview. Video is the new phone screen. So why not take full control, record these three stories, put them in a reel, and send them off?

You can do this by using a new phone app that I love called the McCoy app. This lets you do all of the above so that you can elevate first impressions, make better connections, and get those recruiters and hiring managers responding to you before everybody else.

Job search is a game. To be competitive right now, you need to do things differently. And using video to tell these three stories is a game changer. So I hope you’ll check out the McCoy app. But more importantly, please get your three stories ready to go. They are what will differentiate you in this very competitive job market so that you can get the job you want and deserve.

Good luck, and go get ’em!

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What To Do When You’re Not The “Ideal Candidate”

What To Do When You’re Not The “Ideal Candidate”

You’ve probably heard the term best fit or ideal candidate quite a bit if you’ve been applying for new jobs, submitting college applications, or simply sifting through your long-term career goals. Employers know who they want, and usually what they want, in the hiring process. However, sometimes that’s not always clear on the other end and candidates can find themselves with many mixed messages.

Aspiring to be the perfect fit for a new position is a job in itself. After all, nobody’s perfect, and everyone is unique. But what do you do when you’ve received the infamous rejection email for the umpteenth time? How will you possibly bounce back from not being the best fit after nailing the first or second interview, time and time again?

Here are a few ways to grow as a candidate and own not being the ideal fit:

Avoid Displacing Anger

Man gets mad after receiving a rejection email for a job he applied for

If you can’t express appreciation or thanks to the hiring manager after receiving the job rejection, then you need to take a step back and go for a walk.

Never communicate with a recruiter, hiring manager, or anyone else in the hiring process while under the influence of anger. You may say something that could damage your reputation and cripple your career. It’s okay to feel hurt after putting in time for an opportunity you really wanted, but save those emotional feelings for close friends or family.

Learn About The “Ideal Candidate”

Woman on laptop reads a letter of feedback from a hiring manager

Following the job rejection, it’s okay to ask the hiring manager for some feedback about what you were lacking as a candidate, and how you can improve for future job opportunities.

When asking a hiring manager for feedback, it’s important to be professional and not too pushy about it. If they don’t respond, or decline to respond, just let it go. Not everyone is comfortable with or has time to give feedback.

However, if they do provide feedback, the information could be invaluable.

Not only is it good to know who you’re competing against, but it’s also good to assess what other candidates have in common, and what traits your dream company looks for in candidates. Why? Because you’ll be able to better understand if you fit in.

For example, if you have a hard time taking charge of tasks on your own but find yourself applying for jobs that offer little structure or support, you might not be the ideal candidate for the job.

Don’t Let Rejection Stunt Your Growth

Let’s say you didn’t get the design job of your dreams despite having a portfolio with years of obvious hard work. So what? Use rejection as a way to perfect your skills and toughen your skin. Maybe you were just one year shy of the necessary job requirements, or maybe your skill set needs some fine-tuning.

This is all perfectly okay. Sometimes we don’t get the things we want because we’re not ready. Remember, the company isn’t saying “No, not ever.” They’re actually saying “No, not today.” You could re-apply to the same company later on and get the job. It’s important to keep the lines of communication open.

Don’t let your job search get in the way of your personal growth. There are always opportunities available for professional development and upskilling—you just always have to be open to those opportunities.

Just because you weren’t the ideal candidate initially, doesn’t mean you won’t be in the future.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

4 Signs That A Company Is Not Right For You

4 Signs That A Company Is Not Right For You

It can be hard to turn down a job offer, especially if you’re currently unemployed. But just because you got an offer doesn’t mean the job or the company is the right fit for you.

Even getting an interview in a competitive job market is an achievement in itself, but you need to be very clear from the start of the interview process what the most important aspects of the job are to you and then prioritize them accordingly.

Obviously, salary is important, especially if you’re not working right now, but we’re all looking for different things. For some, it might be the work-life balance that is the most important; for others, a culture that fosters innovation, or maybe location or opportunities to grow and develop.

Most of us have had an experience of the job not turning out to be as promised during the interview process. But how do you know if you’ve found your perfect company? How do you determine what the red flags are, which means that the job might not be a good fit for you long term?

Here are some signs a company might not be right for you:

Disorganized Or Disrespectful Interviewers

Hiring manager is disrespectful during a job interview

As much as you need to impress a prospective employer during the interview process, the employer also needs to impress you. If the hiring manager is half an hour late or rushing around, this can be a sign of what the work culture is like and it shows that bringing in new talent clearly isn’t a priority.

You want to connect with your interviewer on some level during the hiring process. That will be impossible to do if they’re disorganized and not giving you the time of day.

No matter what happens in your interview, if you’re left with a bad taste in your mouth after interacting with your interviewer, that’s a red flag that shouldn’t be ignored.

You’re Not Sure About Your Future Boss

Woman in an interview unsure if the job is right for her

If you’re not going to get on well with your boss, chances are you won’t enjoy your work. Ask yourself whether you have a good feeling about the person who will be your manager. Will they offer you good feedback and career advice when needed? Do they know how they will measure your performance on the job? Are they approachable?

If you don’t feel your prospective manager is someone you want to work with, you might want to think twice before accepting their offer.

The Company Is Unstable And Lacks Direction

Hiring manager offers the job to the woman she is interviewing

Even before the interview, there is a lot of research you can do to determine if the company is a safe bet for you. You might want to look at the changes the company has gone through in the last few years to get a sense of its stability and general direction. You might also want to research current and previous employees on LinkedIn to see what their career path has been and how long they’ve stayed in the job. You might even want to reach out to previous employees in similar roles to find out their reasons for leaving.

Also, have a look at what the employees are saying about the company on Glassdoor. I remember seeing a job posting that looked great, but before applying, I went to Glassdoor to read reviews of others who had interviewed with the company. Every single review was negative and provided specific details. Needless to say, I did not apply.

Layout Of The Workplace

Woman interviews at a new company

We all have different work preferences. Some prefer to work in an open office space, which is probably noisier but offers more interaction between employees. Some companies have a lot of cubicles and separate offices. It provides quieter spaces to work but also less interaction with others. Other companies have a remote workforce, so could you handle working from home every day?

Does the layout of the company suit you? If you’re social and like interacting with others during the day and you’re stuck in a tiny office, you won’t enjoy it.

It’s easy to ignore red flags in the hiring process when you’re desperate for a job. To figure out whether a company is really the right fit for you, make sure you consider the four points above before accepting any job offer.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

The 1 Question I Asked A CEO In An Interview That Got Me The Job

The 1 Question I Asked A CEO In An Interview That Got Me The Job

Years ago, I was interviewing for a job. As many of you know, when you go through the interview process, you start with the recruiter, and then you meet with the manager, and then you meet with some of your peers—if you’re lucky. Then, at the end of the interview process, you might meet with the highest-ranking executives. So in this case, I met with the CEO.

I knew I was doing okay because I was getting through each round of interviews. So, I go into the CEO’s office. I don’t know what to expect. It’s a startup company. He’s sitting there in a t-shirt and sweatpants. He’s eating cereal and has his feet up on his desk. He says, “Come sit down.” Then, he proceeds to interview me while he eats cereal, his feet still up on the desk.

There I am in my suit, answering all the questions, and, finally, he asks, “So do you have any questions for me?”

And I said, “Yeah. What keeps you up at night?”

“What Keeps You Up At Night?”

The CEO stops eating his cereal, looks at me, and says, “I’m sorry. What?”

I respond, “When it comes to this business, what is keeping you up at night about its success? And how will the job that you’re considering me for, how will the job that I do, impact the ability to solve for that?”

His face goes blank, he takes his feet off the desk, and he puts his cereal down. My heart starts to pound. Then, all of a sudden, he turns and looks at me. He leans in and says, “Hmm, let me think about that.”

Now I’m thinking, “Oh my gosh, I just blew it.”

Then, he gets really serious and starts to explain how this job impacts that ability. Then, he starts singing. Eventually, the interview ended and I went home thinking, “What did I just do?”

I got myself a job.

He told them that I should be hired because anyone who understands that their job impacts every level of the organization—and that they should be thinking about that impact—understands the value of the work that they need to do, and would do a good job. That’s what he told the hiring manager. And the hiring manager told me.

So that gamble paid off. It not only taught me how important it is to ask questions in an interview but also how important it is to ask the right questions to the right people.

If you want to stand out in the interview process and land the job, try asking this question in your next job interview. It’s all about understanding and relieving an employer’s pain points.

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How To Answer The “What Is Your Biggest Weakness?” Question In A Job Interview

How To Answer The “What Is Your Biggest Weakness?” Question In A Job Interview

Even though it’s one of the most common interview questions out there, everyone hates being asked, “What is your biggest weakness?” in a job interview. It’s hard enough to show your potential during an interview. How are you supposed to sell yourself to employers when they want you to tell them what’s wrong with you?

Thankfully, answering this question isn’t as hard as you might think. And you can actually use it to show your potential if you respond strategically.

How To Answer “What Is Your Biggest Weakness?” In An Interview

To successfully answer the “What is your biggest weakness?” question in a job interview, don’t lie or come up with an answer you think might impress the interviewer (like “being a perfectionist” or “working too hard”). Instead, focus on a skill you’re trying to develop.

For example, let’s say you’re interviewing for a training coordinator role at your favorite company. You love developing training materials and teaching others; however, you get very nervous when delivering your presentations because public speaking isn’t your forte.

Instead of trying to sweep this under the rug, address it, but ease the interviewer’s concerns by sharing what you’re doing to overcome this challenge.

An Example Of How To Answer “What Is Your Biggest Weakness?” In A Job Interview

Woman answers the "What is your biggest weakness?" question in a job interview

“I have to admit that public speaking has always been difficult for me because I’m an introvert. It makes me nervous to get up in front of people and talk. However, I’ve learned that this was an integral part of training others, which I love doing. So, I’ve been working hard to improve my public speaking skills by participating in monthly Toastmasters meetings as well as taking on volunteer training sessions for colleagues so I can get some extra practice. Since challenging myself to do this, I’ve noticed a big difference in my confidence level and have felt more capable than ever in my role as a trainer.”

Essentially, you want to convey that you understand you’re weak in one area, but to make up for it, you’ve been working hard to improve that area because you know it’s important in your role. There’s no need to give a long explanation for this question. Keep it simple and straightforward, and focus on the positives rather than dwell on the negatives.

Don’t get stumped by common interview questions like, “What is your biggest weakness?” Instead, go in prepared. Be honest with yourself and tailor your answers so you can market your skills rather than detract from your potential. Remember: Every weakness is an opportunity to grow as a professional, so frame it that way in your next job interview!

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

How To Answer Interview Questions About How You Handle Criticism

10 Little Things That Make A Big Difference To Hiring Managers

As a former hiring manager in several consulting firms, I often wondered if candidates were cognizant of the impression they made on employers. Even small things, such as the frown displayed by an applicant upon arriving at an interview, or the worn-out jeans of an applicant in a roomful of suits, gave me pause as I worked to screen candidates.

Ironically, many of the problems I spotted could have easily been fixed by taking care of seemingly minor issues. In some cases, these corrections would have made the difference between hiring the job candidate and taking a pass on the applicant!

Here are 10 “little” things that make a big difference to hiring managers in the interview process:

1. Your Digital Identity

Man on laptop fixes his social media accounts while looking for a job

Yes, recruiters and hiring managers will be checking out your LinkedIn presence and verifying that your Facebook and Instagram activity is not violating their corporate policies. But have you stopped to think about your tweets or the content you’re creating on TikTok?

Even the most realistic employer will need to assess your liability as a potential new hire. Therefore, your online activity must be sufficiently toned down and presentable to a potential company—long before you enter the job market.

If you’ve kept up a website on your middle-of-the-night gaming habit or constantly tweet your distaste for political candidates, these items can offend hiring managers—and cause them to rethink bringing you in for an interview.

2. Your Honesty

Woman shakes hands with the hiring manager before a job interview

Struggling to hide employment gaps in your work history on your resume? Failing to mention that new job you just took (that isn’t working out)? White lies or sins of omission on your resume and in your interviews will come back to haunt you in more than one way.

If interviewers don’t catch lies during the resume screening process, there’s still a chance that your background check will reveal all. Even after you’re hired, your record of impeccable service won’t make up for less-than-forthright stories on your resume or LinkedIn profile.

Stories abound of high-profile executives, entertainment professionals, and sports coaches who attended college but didn’t graduate—and who paid the price for fudging these resume details years down the road.

3. Your Accessibility

Hiring manager talks to a job applicant during a video call/virtual interview

Are you open enough on LinkedIn that others can contact you? Or did you forget to make your email address (and possibly mobile number) visible to other users? Here are best practices for ensuring you’re more easily reached on LinkedIn:

  • From the “Edit Profile” menu, look under the box with your name and headline for “Edit Contact Info.” Here, you can fill in your email address and phone number.
  • Joining groups is also an important step in becoming accessible to employers. Sharing a group with another user means he or she can reach out to you for free (important to recruiters maximizing their LinkedIn budgets).

4. Your Job Search Follow-Up

Happy woman on laptop writes a message to a hiring manager

Sent in a resume, but failed to take any action beyond pressing the “Send” button? If you didn’t spend some time following up or identifying company insiders for further networking, your job search will take longer.

Doing some homework on the employer’s business needs and identifying key people for personal follow-up (through LinkedIn or an online search) shows them you’re truly interested in a career opportunity, and that you’ve given thought to solving their business problems.

Be sure to use formal channels when applying for a posted job. Then, reach out to your newly found contacts to reiterate your interest in joining the company. Better still, connect and network with employees at the companies on your interview bucket list well before you start your job search. That way, you’ll already have connections at those companies when it comes time for you to apply for a job.

​5. The Tone Of Your Cover Letter Or LinkedIn Message

Hiring manager looks at a job candidate's resume during an interview

Cranking out LinkedIn messages or cover letters at top speed—with just a few adjustments here and there? Hiring managers can smell a “form letter” approach a mile away. Nothing says “I’m desperate and don’t care about your needs” more than a disjointed cover letter or a LinkedIn message that simply asks for a job.

No matter how you’re getting in touch with employers, take the time to write a brand-specific message of value to them—helping them discover who you are, what you offer, and why you’re interested in a position with their company. This means customizing each LinkedIn message and writing disruptive cover letters.

You may not be able to crank them out as fast, but you’ll be sacrificing quantity for quality. And, in the job search, quality is always better than quantity.

6. Your Demeanor When Arranging The Interview

Hiring manager interviews a job candidate

When setting up any kind of business meeting, there’s a certain amount of give and take required for coordination. No matter how in-demand your skills may be, you’ll be expected to acquiesce to interview timing and location parameters set by employers. That can mean dealing with less-than-helpful receptionists or HR personnel, all of whom will be taking notes on your reactions.

Your phone etiquette and email communications will be watched closely; a courteous and respectful tone will go miles in reinforcing your personal brand and potential as a job candidate.

7. Your Appraisal Of The Interviewer

Man feels uncomfortable during an interview with the hiring manager

Feeling put out by the fact that your interviewer appears younger, more inexperienced, or otherwise beneath you in the professional hierarchy? Be careful how you convey this disapproval. You may believe you’re hiding these feelings, but as one of those younger-looking interviewers, I often picked up on this tone very quickly!

Even if you decide mid-interview that you’re not interested in the company, remember to display a high degree of professionalism. You never know how well-connected your interviewer might be.

8. Your Discretion

Woman on laptop follows up with a hiring manager

Polarizing, hot-button subjects such as politics or religion should make their way out of your resume, LinkedIn profile, interview discussions, and side conversations.

No matter how neutral or popular you consider your stance to be on these topics, there’s bound to be someone who disagrees with you—and who votes against hiring you.

9. Your Post-Interview Actions

Man on laptop writes an email to a hiring manager

Yes, you should be sending a thank-you note to employers after your interviews! Whether a short, handwritten card, LinkedIn message, email, or even hard-copy letter, a thank-you note gives employers the impression that you’re a gracious and appreciative job candidate.

A post-interview note can also be used to address lingering questions, counter potential objections (“Regarding our discussion on your new Western region, I can assure you that I’m accustomed to handling accounts in person for maximum effect—and therefore open to travel”), or mention a fond memory you have of the experience (a conversation, for example) to highlight a connection you made with the individuals at the company.

Be sure to address your notes to each person you’ve encountered in the interview process (or at least mention their names in the note), especially if you’ve met with a panel or group.

10. The Frequency Of Your Messages

Just because social media lets you send messages faster than ever doesn’t mean you should pester employers. Following up once or twice after applying for a job should suffice to let them know you’re still interested in the position. The same is true of the post-interview period.

Hiring managers have companies to run and customers to serve in addition to the process of choosing you. They may also have other candidates to consider. Staying on an employer’s radar is important, but so is professional discretion. Aim for somewhere in between silent and stalker in your follow-up activities.

There are numerous ways employers can be put off by your job search practices or approach. Ensure you’re taking steps to satisfy their need for information and put your best professional foot forward.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

5 Steps To Present Your Best Self During An Interview

5 Steps To Present Your Best Self During An Interview

If you needed to convince someone that Girl Scout Cookies are delicious or that rainbows are really beautiful, you’d have to first know what the cookies taste like and what rainbows look like—right? The same applies when it’s time for you to sell yourself in an interview to strangers.

In a job interview, you need to know where you’ve been, what you’ve accomplished, and where you’re headed.

On the one hand, that might sound really simple. They are your experiences, so you would be the best one to know how far you’ve come. Yet how many times do we easily forget by Monday what we just did on Saturday and Sunday? How often do we make the same mistakes over and over because we failed to assess our experiences and extract the lessons learned so we don’t repeat those mistakes?

These things happen often, only to leave us stumped and running in circles. The same thing can happen in a job interview if we don’t take the time beforehand to really understand our past and know what we have to offer in the future.

Preparing for an interview is crucial to ensuring that you come across as a competent potential employee. You need to be able to recount your previous work experiences as if they were yesterday. You need to be able to tell a future employer what you’re good at; they aren’t going to know yet, so you need to be able to tell them. You need to be able to show them that you think about the future and have goals and aspirations you’re working towards. All of this requires you, the applicant, the interviewee, to know yourself first.

Below are some simple steps every job seeker should take before each interview to ensure they present their best self in the most confident way:

1. Review Your Past

  • Where have you worked?
  • What positions did you hold?
  • How long were you in those positions?
  • What unique responsibilities, experiences, or opportunities were you given in these positions?
  • Ultimately, what did you learn from all of these?

2. Assess Your Present

Man presenting to his colleagues at during a work meeting

  • What is your current position?
  • What are your current responsibilities?
  • What are you doing now to improve yourself?
  • If you were laid off or took a voluntary hiatus, how are you utilizing that time to your advantage?

3. Envision Your Future

Woman shakes the hand of the hiring manger before a job interview

  • What are your goals?
  • Do you plan to pursue more education?
  • Would you ultimately like to achieve a leadership role in the new organization?
  • What ideas might you have to propel the industry forward?

4. Know Who You Are

Man on laptop checks his phone before a job interview

In addition to steps 1-3, know what you are good at and where you could stand to use improvement. Be confident (not cocky) when you tell the interviewers what your strengths and weaknesses are.

What current skills do you have that would easily crossover into a new role or industry? These are your transferable skills. Don’t underestimate their value in your job interview.

5. Practice

Two colleagues smile after a mock interview

Practice telling your stories. Which words sound good when you say them? Which words don’t? What key elements do you want the employer to know and which are irrelevant? Be able to tell a story, hit all the key points, and don’t bore the interviewer(s) in the process.

Have a friend conduct a mock interview with you so you get practice in front of another person. One caveat: don’t memorize anything. Just know what information you’d like to share and how you’d like to share it when the opportunity arises.

Remember, in the end, you are the one who needs or wants the job. As unique as you are, the employer can easily find another person who will perform the same tasks.

By knowing who you are, you will be more readily able to express to the interviewer what you as a unique individual have to offer and why they need to hire you. By embracing all of who you are before the interview, you will have the tools you need to settle into a place of confidence. When you exude this confidence and sense of knowing who you are, you’ll present the image of an articulate, focused, and self-aware individual who employers will want to have on their team.

Now, who are you?

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

How To Ask About Work-Life Balance In A Job Interview

How To Ask About Work-Life Balance In A Job Interview

As a career coaching veteran for over 20 years, many professionals have sought my advice on how to ask about work-life balance in a job interview. It’s a difficult question to ask without it being a red flag. Still, there’s definitely a way you can find this information out in a job interview.

Asking about work-life balance in a job interview starts with using emotional intelligence to avoid being overly blunt. You also don’t want this to be the first question you ask in a job interview.

When a hiring manager asks, “Do you have any questions for us?” at the end of a job interview, the very first question you ask says a lot about you.

I’ll give you an example. I was hiring for my company at one point, and I had two candidates. The first candidate came in and when I said, “Do you have any questions for me?” she replied, “Yeah, what’s it pay?” Meanwhile, the pay was posted in the job description. So that told me the only thing she cared about was the money.

The second candidate came in and when I said, “Do you have any questions for me?” she said, “Yes, can you tell me how this job will impact the success of the organization as a whole? How will I know that I’m doing a good job?” This was a very thoughtful question. I knew she wanted to understand how to create value so she could be successful. It was also a strategic question on her part. But I loved it.

Best Interview Questions To Ask To Learn About A Company’s Work-Life Balance

When it’s your turn to ask questions in a job interview, after you’ve asked a few strategic questions, you would transition to asking about the company’s work-life balance. Here are some great examples of questions you could ask the hiring manager:

  • Can you tell me about your company’s strategies for work-life balance?
  • Can you give me some examples of how the company ensures work-life balance?
  • Can you tell me the company’s policies on working outside the normal hours? For example, will I be expected to work nights or weekends? Can you walk me through those expectations?

These are totally fair, positive questions to ask on the subject of work-life balance. By asking these questions, you’re making the assumption that they support work-life balance and giving them the opportunity to elaborate.

Now, the hiring manager can say whatever they want. They could lie to you in this interview. So my advice is if you get a lot further along in the process and you’re still wondering about work-life balance, ask to speak to a peer. This is especially true if you get the job offer and you haven’t met any of your potential co-workers. You can say, “I’m really excited about this job and I want to accept on the spot. But I was hoping to talk to somebody who would be my peer and also just get a sense of the job from them.” That way, you can talk to a potential co-worker and ask them:

  • Can you tell me about work-life balance here?
  • Do you find yourself having to work nights or weekends very often? If so, what are the circumstances?
  • What can I expect at this job?

That peer can be more forthcoming with you. And if they’re not forthcoming, you can usually read people and tell if they’re hiding something or not being honest.

So find the right spot to ask about work-life balance in the interview. Frame your questions in a way that isn’t too negative. Most importantly, if you’re still not getting the right vibe, ask to meet other people in the organization. Ask to meet your peers, and then ask them those same questions and pay attention to how they respond. This is how we start to look under the hood of a company to figure out what’s going on.

Finally, there are websites you can go to that have anonymous reviews of companies and what it’s like to work there. Make sure you visit those as well. Do your homework. Be careful. You don’t want to be sucked into a bad job where it’s not what you expected it to be. So make sure you research the company beforehand and ask about work-life balance in your job interview—the right way.

Good luck, and go get ’em!

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3 Reasons Why Your Resume Isn’t Working

3 Reasons Why Your Resume Isn’t Working

You’ve been applying for jobs every day, but you feel stuck. Your job search isn’t going anywhere. You submit job applications but never hear back from employers. Why aren’t you getting interviews? What are you doing wrong? Is it your resume?

Chances are, your resume is to blame.

It’s very easy for job seekers to make common mistakes on their resume, unknowingly making it harder for them to get their job application in front of the hiring manager. Can your resume get past the ATS? Will your resume stand out to hiring managers in those first few seconds?

Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to prevent your resume from getting tossed. Here are three reasons why your resume isn’t working, and how to fix them:

1. You Don’t Have Enough Keywords

Most companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to sort through all of the resumes they receive for their job postings. One of the ways they determine which job candidates are qualified for a specific job is by looking at the keywords they’ve included on their resume.

How many keywords on your resume match the keywords in the job description? If you don’t have enough of the right keywords on your resume, you’ll get screened out of the hiring process by the ATS. This means your resume will get tossed without it ever crossing the hiring manager’s desk.

If you’re not getting contacted by employers, not having enough keywords (or the right keywords) on your resume could be the reason why.

The Solution: Include keywords from the job description on your resume. What skills, technologies, and experience are employers looking for? How many of these skills do you possess? Are you familiar with any of the technologies/software you’d be using on the job? Do you have the right kind of experience?

Once you identify what you need for the position you want to apply for, make sure you customize your resume for that specific job so you give yourself the best possible chance to get past the ATS and impress hiring managers. List relevant skills in the top fold of your resume (avoid keyword stuffing) and be sure to use the terms mentioned in the job description on your resume, if applicable.

2. You’re Using An Outdated Resume Format

Woman on laptop realizes her resume isn't working

Another reason why your resume might not be working is because you’re using an outdated resume format. Similar to the first reason, your resume format could be preventing the ATS from effectively reviewing the information on your resume. But if your resume does get past the ATS with an outdated format, hiring managers could still take a look at your resume, see that it’s outdated and hard to read, and then decide to toss your resume because you didn’t make it easy for them to get the information they need about you.

With an outdated resume format, you also run the risk of looking old and out of touch, which won’t help your case if you’re already worried about age discrimination.

If your resume isn’t easy to read and it doesn’t stand out to hiring managers in the first few seconds it’s getting reviewed, you won’t get contacted. Employers simply won’t be able to determine whether you’re qualified for the job or not because you didn’t make it easy for them to find that information.

The Solution: To ensure your resume gets past the ATS and stands out to hiring managers, use an updated resume format. Pay attention to how you’re formatting each section of your resume and make sure the formatting is consistent throughout the document. Focus on using bullet points in your “Work History” section, delete lengthy paragraphs, and don’t force your resume onto one page. This will help you make sure there’s enough white space on your resume so it’s easier to read.

When in doubt, a simple, clean resume format is the best option.

3. You Aren’t Quantifying Your Work Experience

Woman on laptop frustrated and thinks that her resume isn't working

Let’s assume you had enough keywords on your resume that it got past the ATS. Let’s also assume you used an updated resume format. Now that your resume is in the hiring manager’s hands, and all the information on it is easy to read, how are you standing out from the competition? Does your work experience prove that you’d be a valuable employee? What is the service you provide as a business-of-one? What is your specialty? Do you get results? What have you accomplished?

If you’re not quantifying your work experience on your resume, you’re going to have a harder time impressing hiring managers. Quantifiable information allows hiring managers to measure the degree of knowledge and skills you have to offer. It’s a way to inform them about what and how much you can bring to the table.

The Solution: Learn how to quantify your work experience on your resume. Think about what you’ve accomplished in your career. Look at the bullet points in the “Work History” section of your resume and try to include at least one number for each.

Including numbers on your resume not only shows hiring managers what you can do, but they also help your resume stand out since numbers break up text and grab peoples’ attention. If you can’t quantify something, it doesn’t belong on your resume.

As a job seeker, nothing is more frustrating than spending hours applying for jobs only to never hear back from employers. If your resume isn’t working, it’s probably due to one (or more) of the reasons above. Follow our tips so you can avoid these resume mistakes and finally land the job you want!

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.