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What Your Interview Body Language Reveals About You

Poor body language can derail an interview regardless of how confident and well-spoken you are. Body language is as much a part of your communication style as what you say verballyâit's really about how you say it. Impressions are made within seconds of reviewing body language.

Consider the first step to entering an interviewâthe handshake. While it may take less than 10 seconds to complete a handshake, in that time, the interviewer has already developed an impression of your character based on eye contact and the firmness of your shake. A weak handshake and lack of eye contact can leave the impression you are timid and insecure. A sincere and firm handshake with eye contact expresses professionalism and confidence. An overpowering handshake with a fixed gaze may come across as overconfident and arrogant. So, be cautious with your next handshake and start the interview off with a positive impression.

In an interview, body language is present from head to toe. Consider the following...

Posture

Whether you are sitting or standing, your posture projects a level of confidence and engagement in the conversation. When one slumps, it implies to the interviewer a lack of confidence and interest. Sitting stiff as a rock implies nervousness and it creates an uncomfortable situation for building rapport. Sitting at the tip of the chair implies you don't want to be there. Lying back on the chair with your ankle on top of your other knee may appear unprofessional and too relaxed. In general, crossing your arms and legs may be interpreted as building a barrier.

To project professionalism, confidence, and engagement, consider sitting on the chair with your lower back touching or close to the back panel while leaning 10 degrees forward. Keep your hands relaxed in your lap or on the table, and your feet grounded on the floor. When standing, avoid crossing your arms or placing them in your pockets. The point is to project a balanced posture that is not limp or overly stiff.

Eye Contact

Eye contact allows you and the interviewer to connect beyond words alone. However, there is a fine balance between good eye contact and when eye contact becomes a weird gaze or stare that can make the other person feel uncomfortable. When you stare without having breaks in between, a casual conversation can come across as a lecture.

Whether you are listening or speaking, maintain eye contact with your interviewer for a couple of seconds at a time (no more than 7 to 10 seconds) and then glance away before returning eye contact again. If you are looking down to take notes, look up occasionally, especially when it appears a special point is being made or when you are asked a question.

Voice

Speed, tone, and pitch combined make an impression. Talking too fast can be hard to understand and appear as nervousness. When your tone projects apology or defense, you can come across as unconfident and insecure. When you don't make changes between your tone and pitch, you can sound monotone, making it more difficult for the other person to stay engaged.

Learn to take control of your voice. If you are nervous, it can come across in your pitch, so take a breath to help you relax before speaking. Be conscious of your tone and pitch to offer variation and to help emphasize certain points.

Bobblehead

Man with good body language answers a question during a job interview

Some people have a tendency to bobble their heads as a gesture of agreement, but when you nod in excess during a conversation, it becomes a distraction and can be interpreted as though you are agreeing on everything for the sake of wanting to please. You can lose credibility in such instances.

To avoid appearing like a bobblehead, nod occasionally to show you are still engaged and have control over how you nod. You can also tilt your head slightly to the side as though you are trying to listen more carefully as another way to show you are engaged.

Extremities

Woman with good body language smiles during a job interview

There are people who do certain things out of habit, such as flaring their arms while talking, twirling their hair, playing with a pen in hand, rocking back and forth on a chair, and shaking or thumping their feet. Many of these actions occur unconsciously; however, these are distractions to the person you are speaking to and may be perceived as signs you are bored or have trouble focusing. Some people also touch their nose or face frequently when they are nervous. An interviewer may perceive this as a sign you are not being totally honest.

Be conscious of what you do with your hands, legs, and feet and that will help you take control of your movements. Be aware of your own body language and also read your interviewer's body language to give you hints about how they are responding to you.

The interview may start very formal, but as you both become acquainted with one another, the mood may relax and you may adapt your body language to reflect what you sense from the interviewer. There is no absolute rule around body language, but it would be wise to avoid any chance of being misinterpreted.

You can properly prepare your body language before heading into an interview by watching yourself in the mirror act out how you introduce yourself and speak. Another helpful way is to have a friend or colleague interview you and record the entire session. Review how you present yourself and become aware of problem areas to adjust before your interview.

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What Your Interview Body Language Reveals About …

4 Things Interviewers Rate You On

You want to demonstrate you have the experience and skills for the job. But what makes one candidate more favorable than the other when they both have the same type of experience and skills?

When this is the case, it often comes down to a job seeker's performance during the interview.

As a job seeker, it's important to understand what other areas interviewers consider when reviewing each candidate as a total package. Here are four areas interviewers rate you on...

Enthusiasm

Employers want a job candidate with a "can-do" attitude and who has a strong desire to work for the company. Make sure that comes through in your communication, from your cover letter, phone interview, and in-person interview to the thank-you note.

Throughout the entire process, you want to make it known that you remain highly interested in the position. When you are meeting in person, you can also use your body language to help demonstrate engagement and interest.

Communication Skills

A recruiter/hiring manager has an engaging conversation with a job candidate during an interview

A top trait that employers seek for every position is strong communication skills. Your ability to articulate what experience and skills you have to offer and how they can contribute to your future employer's success has to come through if you want to impress the interviewer.

People hire people they like so your job in the interview is to turn it into a conversation and be prepared to ask questions during the process. Keep in mind that a key part of communicating effectively has to do with intonation and body language. When your voice exhibits excitement and you're leaning forward and making eye contact, that is stressing to the interviewer you're communicating something of importance.

Technical Skills

The first thing an employer will do is determine if you have the requisite skills and experience for the position. Make sure you have studied the job posting, researched people at the company on LinkedIn, and know what they are looking for and how you can contribute.

When answering interview questions, use the "Experience + Learn = Grow" model to give examples of your key skill sets in action. This includes outlining a professional experience related to the question, talking about what you learned from the experience, and how you grew from it professionally.

Overall Fit For The Position

Professional man working in a casual environment attends a meeting

You need to demonstrate that you are a "good fit" for their organization. This is measured in two ways: your skill and competencies and your demeanor and personality. Once you have shown that your technical skills are there, they want to see if people will want to work with you. Don't be afraid to let some of your personality come out.

The interviewer wants to see your sense of humor, confidence level, and whether you come across as honest or fake. The right combination of all those qualities will inform the interviewer if you're the right fit for the job, and also for the company's culture.

So, while you prepare for your interview to demonstrate you have what it takes to do the job, don't forget to impress the interviewer with these other factors that will differentiate you from the other job candidates who may have similar experience and skills. The more prepared you are for the job interview, the more confident you will be, and the more likely you'll make a great impression on the hiring manager.

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4 Things Interviewers Rate You On

A well-optimized LinkedIn profile is a necessity in today's job search. But what is acceptable to put on your LinkedIn profile and what is best left off it?

The biggest mistake job seekers make when creating and updating their LinkedIn profiles is not adding enough of the "right" information. But there are still a few things that don't belong on your profile, which will hurt your chances of standing out to recruiters and building your professional network.

First, let's discuss what shouldn't be on your LinkedIn profile before we talk about what should.

What Shouldn't Be On Your LinkedIn Profile

"Actively Seeking Opportunities"

Never, and we mean never, put "actively seeking opportunities" in your LinkedIn headline or anywhere on your LinkedIn profile. Your headline should include keywords that display your hard skills and expertise (and your current position, if applicable)âthat's it. If this phrase appears in your LinkedIn headline, not only does it look desperate, but you're losing valuable real estate to optimize your LinkedIn profile with keywords that help you get found by recruiters and hiring managers.

An Unprofessional (or Unfriendly) Profile Picture

Your LinkedIn profile needs a photo. Not having a photo at all is mistake number one. But mistake number two is having an unprofessional or unfriendly profile picture. The photo you choose to include on your LinkedIn profile should be one where you look professional and approachable. Others will be more willing to reach out and connect with you if you do.

Outdated Skills & Technologies

Recruiters will be more likely to skip your profile if the skills and technologies you have listed are no longer relevant or in demand in your industry. It doesn't matter your age; being relevant is all about how you market yourself. You are a business-of-one. Your reputation and success as a business-of-one are dependent on how relevant you're able to stay in the job market. So, don't include those outdated skills and technologies on your LinkedIn profile. Instead, focus on developing new skills and learning new technologies every day. After all, if you want to win, you've got to work it daily.

Politics & Religion

This one is kind of a no-brainer, but just in case you were wondering, no, politics and religion do not belong on your LinkedIn profile. Do you really gain anything by including them? No. Could including them negatively impact your job search or career? Yes. The solution? Keep those topics for a social media site that's not geared toward professional networking.

What Should Be On Your LinkedIn Profile

Lots of Keywords (Skills, Skills, and More Skills)

As mentioned above, your LinkedIn profile should include as many keywords (hard skills) as possible. You should put them in your LinkedIn headline, add them in the "Skills & Endorsements" section, and list them in the "About" section underneath your summary.

A Short but Informative "About" Section

You don't want to write a novel here. Just a short paragraph, ideally your personal branding statement. No one is going to read a summary of your entire career. So, keep it concise. Don't write in the third person, either. After your summary, remember to list your hard skills!

Quantifiable Accomplishments

Another big mistake professionals make on their LinkedIn profiles is not quantifying their work experience, skills, and accomplishments. Numbers stand out to recruiters and hiring managers and make it easier for them to understand your efficiency and effectiveness in a certain role. Back up your statements with quantifiable information and see how much better your profile looks.

Endorsements

Not having any skills endorsed on your LinkedIn profile isn't terrible, but you should definitely ask some of your colleagues to endorse your most valuable skills because that will only help your reputation as a professional. You can endorse a couple of theirs, and they can endorse a couple of yoursâthat way everybody wins.

It's not always easy deciding what you should and shouldn't include on your LinkedIn profile. We hope this list helps you update your LinkedIn profile in the future, especially if you'll be conducting a job search or making a career change.

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10 Ways To Condense Your Resume Without Losing Value

In a culture dominated by short posts, videos, and other content on social media, we all face enormous pressure to communicate ever more briefly. When it comes to resumes, recent trends have lowered preferred lengths to two to three pages. If your resume is long, how can you possibly condense it without losing value?

As a certified and award-winning resume writer, I face this dilemma on a daily basis. Most resumes contain a lot of "fat" in the form of run-on sentences, unwieldy skill descriptions, lackluster branding, and unnecessary details. By trimming these problem areas, your resume can become a lean, mean, brand communication machine.

But isn't it better to include more content so you can weave in more keywords throughout your resume? No, actually.

When it comes to resume writing, less is generally more. Here's why:

Recruiters, HR professionals, and hiring managers are, like most of us, overworked and inundated with information overload. Crisp, lean sentences filled with the right details will stand out more in a sea of candidates.
Too many keywords in a document can actually be a negative thing because it may make it appear that you are stuffing your document for the sole purpose of ranking high in resume searches. The database systems, or applicant tracking systems (ATS), that recruiters, companies, and job boards use to store and analyze incoming resumes are sophisticated enough to identify which documents have the right range of keywords specified in applicant searchesâenough to meet their needs but not too much to raise eyebrows. In other words, keyword density is important, but too many keywords is a red flag.
Important details stand out more when there is less text, especially if those details have been whittled and shaped wisely. Clogging up your resume with unnecessary information and vague details impairs its ability to communicate your brand in the four to six seconds it is screened by humans.

Let's take a look at a few length targets to give you an idea of where your resume is out of balance. While there are few hard and fast resume rules, these are general guidelines that most highly experienced and credentialed writers and career coaches follow.

Resume & Content Length Guidelines

Resume Length

Most recruiters expect resumes to be two to three pages in length, with a strong preference for two pages in North America. While this varies from recruiter to recruiter, most like to see two-page resumes for job seekers with up to 10-15 years of experience. For those with considerably more experience, a three-page resume may be necessary to capture and present all relevant details.

One-Page Resume Rule

The one-page-only resume rule is still common, though. Those with limited experience may find that length most appropriate for their needs.

Career Summaries

Career summary statements have shortened since the 2008 recession and now trend at three to six lines of text. In mid-career, mid-management, and executive resumes, it is often appropriate to add branding content to this section of the resume, though generally such material is best restricted to up to the first half of the document's first page. Work It DAILY recommends ditching the career summary entirely and focusing on a headline insteadâa short summary of the problem you solve that highlights your personal brand.

Core Competencies

Core competency sections are best limited to six to eight skills. At Work It DAILY, we call this the "Experience Summary," which is a list of any skills and requirements you possess that are needed for a certain job and are relevant to the position you're applying for.

Bullets per Role

Too many bulleted statements in a resume overwhelm your reader. Limit bullets to five per role if possible, but don't list fewer than three, either.

Bullet Length

Ideally, bullets should be limited to two lines of space. If additional critical details must be included, consider separating content into different bullets.

Amount of Work History to Include

Recruiters typically are most interested in the last 10-15 years of your experience, so this is the amount of experience you will want to profile on your resume. Older relevant experience can be briefly summarized in your "Additional Experience" section at the end of your resume. In most cases, any irrelevant work experience can be safely eliminated altogether. The usual exception is recent college grads and young professionals just starting out their careers who already have limited work experience to quantify and show off.

Resume Shortening Strategies

1. Say More with Less

Cut out words that aren't needed and delete words that are repeated. When you're fighting a two-line bullet length, every word counts.

2. Leverage Action Verbs

While all verbs convey action of some sort, some contain more energy and action than others. It may be accurate to say you wrote the company's five-year plan, for example, but it's more powerful to say that you strategized, authored, and executed the company's first-ever five-year plan.

3. Eliminate Passive Language

Passive language on a resume masks the true role you played in the task you're describing. The sentence, "I was exposed to different cultures, people, and challenges" is weaker than "Gained cross-functional and cross-cultural exposure to 5 ethnicities in 12 countries," for example.

4. Be Specific

Avoid vague descriptors and phrases such as "a variety of," "many," "others," and "successfully." Replace them with specific details that add value and meaning to the text.

5. Use Numbers Whenever Possible

Numbers talk, so it's imperative to use them in resumes to quantify key achievements and context information. Don't tell your reader that you exceeded sales targets. Show them how much you surpassed goals year over year. Every bullet point under your "Work History" section should contain at least one number. If you only follow one tip in this article, this should be the one.

6. Reformat

Many old-style resumes and built-in MS Word templates don't use the most effective format to get a hiring manager's attention. In your resume, make sure you're using a clean, 11-18 pt. font (Arial, Calibri). Also, don't shrink your margins to fit more text on a page. This will sacrifice white space and make your resume harder to read. Finally, place your titles and employer names on one line if you held only one role with the company, and eradicate widows and orphans (stray paragraph lines and single words on a line by themselves).

7. Categorize

Some content can be categorized or sub-categorized to convey information in more powerful ways. Subdividing a long series of bullets, say, into three to four categories that emphasize the cross-functionality of your skill set will not only make your achievements easier to read but will also showcase your multi-function brand while adding industry-specific keywords to the resume.

8. Contextualize

Give your readers the right quality and type of detail to help them understand the full scope of your impact. For instance, if you turned around an operation, that's a critical accomplishment to include. However, including before and after context details will automatically strengthen the presentation. How much money was the business losing per month or year before your tenure? How much profit or revenue was it generating by the time you left?

9. Focus on Results

In real estate, it's location, location, location that is critical; in resumes, it's achievements, achievements, achievements. Numerically quantified statements communicate volumes of information in fewer words while conveying your accomplishment in specific, measurable terms. Here's a sentence from a client's original resume: "Managed multimillion-dollar business and IT initiatives from inception to implementation to increase productivity, reduce operational cost, and improve service quality by collaborating with IT staff, C-level executives, business users, and external healthcare service providers." Here's a revamp that shortens the sentence from 35 to 25 words while adding content to dramatically improve its results' focus: "Ramped productivity 15%, cut operational costs $7M, and strengthened service quality 14%, leading $25M to $50M cross-functional business and IT initiatives from inception to rollout." Notice that the original bullet spanned three lines while the revamp needs just two.

10. Ditch Extraneous Details

Choose carefully which details you include and how you do so. For example, in the original client sentence included in the prior bullet, you'll find a list of folks this person collaborated with in his position. The results he achieved are more central to his brand so I substituted the word "cross-functional" to cover my client's list of four groups that required 11 words to describe. A distinction that underlines many of the above points is to recognize the difference between resume content that is important versus that which is critical to include.

There simply isn't room for all of your skills and entire work history on a resume, so sooner or later you have to choose which important details are must-haves. By following the 10 tips above, you'll know exactly what to include and omit so you can successfully condense your resume without losing value.

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What To Do When Your Email Goes Unanswered

Some people experience anxiety when their emails go unanswered. Anxiety from unanswered emails is especially prominent in job seekers.

At least once a day, a client contacts me in a frustrated panic because the email they sent days ago to a colleague, perspective networking contact, online application, recruiter, and so on hasn't been answered. Each time, I walk them through the three tips that should be followed to increase the chances they get a response.

They are...

1. Wait One Full Business Week Before Following Up

While it feels like months to you, to the person you sent the email to, a week feels like a day. If they didn't answer you yet, it just means you weren't viewed as needing an immediate response. It doesn't mean they are saying "no" to your request, they are just saying "not now."

2. Never Send A Nudge On A Monday

Professional on laptop shows signs of stress and frustration on a Monday morning

Even the happiest people feel a little off on Mondays. We call it the Weekend Flu. You might call it the Monday Blues. Regardless, it puts people in a mood to say "no" more quickly.

So even if it's been a full business week, if it's Monday, don't do anything.

3. Send Value Next Time, Not Another Request For Help

A job seeker holding her laptop gets a good idea about a follow-up email

When you finally do follow up, don't send a "Just wanted to check in and see if you got my request" note. That's like taking a hot poker and pushing it in their back. They know they haven't responded to you, and they most likely don't feel good about it. They don't need you to point it out.

Instead, find an article online that you think they would find interesting and pass it along with a simple note like this: "Saw this article and thought of youâhope you enjoy it!" That's it. You'll be respected for your restraint from asking the obvious. Moreover, you'll be appreciated for offering up something of professional value.

As they say, "You gotta give to get!" Follow the tips above and I guarantee more of your emails will get answered. While some may still ultimately say "no," or never respond, the chances the folks who failed to respond initially will finally follow up increases when you are patient, polite, and, most importantly, focused on helping them too.

Whether you're waiting for a response on an online application, job interview, or networking request, the combination of patience and strategic persistence will serve you well.

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3 Reasons Why Job Boards Could Hinder Your Search

At one time, job boards were the way to go for job seekers. It's where you can post your resume for employers and recruiters to view and apply for job openings. But today, it's a different story.

The modern-day job search has changed, and finding your dream job (or just a good job) is about personal branding and leveraging your professional network.

Imagine you are a hiring manager. Would you be more likely to take time to interview a candidate you don't know except for what's been given on a submitted cover letter and resume or someone who's been referred to you? A referral has much less risk, and that's why networking has a higher success rate than job boards when it comes to securing a position.

This doesn't mean that job boards are dead because there are plenty of niche job boards worth going to as a job seeker. But you can't build an effective job search strategy around applying for jobs on job boards.

Here are a few other things about the limitations of using job boards when you're a job seeker.

1. Recruiters May Never See Your Cover Letter And Resume

Just because you apply for a job on a job board doesn't mean an actual person will ever look at your cover letter and resume.

More than 85% of companies are now using applicant tracking systems (ATS) to review and rank resumes according to skills, experience, and keywords. The simple fact is that companies use internal algorithms, so ensuring a strong ranking is extremely difficult. A recent HR manager told me that they get an average of 400 resumes for each position and only look at the top 10-20âmeaning 380 resumes are not even reviewed.

In many instances, before a job posting goes up on the job board, it's already been shared around internally at the employer and by trusted sources. So, it's likely hundreds applied before the posting even made it to the job board.

2. Many Job Openings Don't Get Posted On Job Boards

Big job boards can be overwhelming with job postings (both relevant and irrelevant to you). This is a similar perspective for the employer when they get an overwhelming number of applicants for the job opening posted on a job board.

It's also the reason why some may prefer to work solely with recruiters or find other means to source the right talent. If you're not networking with the right contacts, you're missing out on opportunities that will never be found on job boards.

3. Recruiters Have More Resources To Find Talent

Recruiters/hiring managers talk about job candidates during hiring process

Recruiters and hiring managers have professional networks too! Whether it's a professional acquaintance or reaching out to their own workforce, they can put together a list of potential candidates before even posting a job.

In addition, many recruiters also use LinkedIn to find talent.

Resumes that get posted to job boards are still viewed, but there's a good chance the information is outdated, which is one reason why hiring managers and recruiters are relying more on LinkedIn where information is generally more current.

Networking is the answer!

The best way to get a job is to put together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and network your way onto that company's radar before they even post a job opening.

However, if you do want to apply for a job that you come across on a job board, make sure you go the extra mile to get past the ATS. Instead of applying to the link on the job board, do some research, find out who the hiring manager is, and take steps to get your updated cover letter and resume in front of them.

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4 Ways To Edit Your Resume Like A Professional Resume Writer

Professional resume writers take on the mindset of the employer and recruiter when crafting and editing resumes. To edit your resume like a professional resume writer, you have to develop a fresh mindset.

If that means taking a break from your resume for a day or two before going back to it, that's what you will have to do.

Candidates often spend so much time on their resume that they can no longer give it an objective review. Many candidates are also challenged with writing their own resume because they are so involved in their own experiences. They are unable to offer a macro view of their experience and achievements, and rather than focusing on information that is important to a potential employer, like quantifiable accomplishments, they are stuck focusing on mundane daily tasks of the job that are less impactful on a resume.

To tackle your resume like a professional resume writer, have an open mind and think like the employer you are applying to.

Here are some general rules to follow as you edit your resume.

1. Show What You Do Well

Identify the top five skill sets that an employer wants in the perfect candidate, which they've mentioned in the job description. Then, focus your resume on how you've achieved great things leveraging these skills.

For instance, if you are applying for a sales position, your focus should be on quota achievement, account penetration, prospecting, and closing techniques. Don't sway from focusing on the core skills an employer wants.

2. Remove What's Irrelevant

Man on laptop edits his resume during a job search

In most instances, a hiring manager makes a decision of whether you are an appropriate candidate for a callback after reviewing your resume for only a few seconds. Rarely is every line on your resume read in its entirety. The more information on your resume that is relevant, the quicker the hiring manager will come to the conclusion that you are a good candidate to call.

However, if your resume includes too much irrelevant information, you increase your chances of being dismissed. So, in the end, the less an employer finds irrelevant on your resume, the more impactful it is. You are better off removing information that doesn't offer much to an employer, including resume fluff. Just don't do it.

3. Don't Be Afraid To Market Yourself

Woman on laptop editing her resume before applying for a job

For a resume to have an impact, you have to market yourself. Every aspect of what you put on your resume should sell. Take all of your experiences, skills, and capabilities, and position them in a manner to sell. The information on a resume should present itself in a manner that says, "This is what I have achieved before, and this is what I can do for you."

Many resumes don't sell simply because they are poorly focused. For instance, just because your job was to bag groceries does not mean that is the information you put on your resume. You can make it more marketable by indicating how your customer service skills helped maintain customer satisfaction, resulting in returning customers. (Make sure you use numbers to quantify your work experience!) Your statement is not a lie. It is simply reframing information in a way that shows more relevance for the job.

4. Look Out For Common Mistakes

Man on laptop editing and fixing mistakes on his resume

Minor mistakes such as spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors are avoidable. However, many resumes that are not carefully proofread contain such mistakes that are cause for dismissal by the hiring manager.

Of all the reasons for a resume to be dismissed, don't let these easy fixes be one of them. Ask a friend or family member to give it a review. You need another pair of eyes or, at the very least, a fresh pair of eyes. Remove yourself from your resume for some time before giving it a good review. When you stare at a resume too long, it makes it harder to detect and edit mistakes.

Reviewing and editing your resume like a professional resume writer can make a significant impact. It is often the difference between actually securing interview opportunities for jobs and spending valuable time continuously searching and applying for new opportunities only to receive no response in return.

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4 Ways To Edit Your Resume Like …

4 Things To Know About Building An Interview Bucket List

Applying to every company that's hiring isn't a very effective way to conduct a job search. To improve your chances of landing a job, it's important to be very strategic about the companies that you're applying to.

The fact that a company is hiring is only a small piece of the puzzle. You want to apply to a company that fits your skills and personality and has similar values. Most importantly, you want the company's mission to inspire you, and you want to have a part in that mission.

That's why it's important to create an interview bucket list of 10-20 companies you would love to work before you start hunting for a job.

Here's how to put together an interview bucket list.

Do A Self-Assessment

What industry do you want to work for? What are your key skill sets? What weaknesses do you need to improve?

These are just some of the self-assessment questions that you need to ask yourself before you begin your job search. From there, you also need to consider location. Do you want to stay where you currently live, or are you looking to move?

Once these important factors are considered, it becomes a lot easier to create the criteria for the interview bucket list and narrow down the search.

Research Companies

Young job seeker takes notes during her job search and adds companies to her interview bucket list

There are plenty of ways to find and research companies for your interview bucket list. Chances are you may already have some companies in mind, or great recommendations from your professional network.

A large part of your search will likely be done over the internet. You can find a lot of great companies by searching industry websites, news and business websites, and trade publications.

Once you get a list of companies going, you'll need to take a deeper dive into each one of them by visiting their individual websites and social media accounts and reviewing any news stories about them.

It's also beneficial to view sites like Glassdoor and Indeed to read employee reviews about working at the company.

Find Your Personal Connection

Man on laptop writes his interview bucket list

Company culture, perks and benefits, salary, and job opportunities are major factors to consider before adding companies to your interview bucket list.Â ButÂ it's also important to ask yourself if you respect and admire the company. And if so, how do you personally connect with the company?

When you respect and admire a company, you can make a connection to its purpose. Companies are in the business of solving a problem for their customers; how can you fit into the company's plans for solving this problem? Is there a personal reason why you're passionate aboutÂ solving this problem or why you identifyÂ withÂ theÂ company's values?

The more passionate you are about a company's mission, the more fulfilling your career with that company willÂ be.

Build Your Network

Job seeker on laptop takes notes while creating her interview bucket list

Building an interview bucket list is one thing, but if you really want to improve your chances of landing an interview with one of these companies, you need to network your way into their orbit.

Identify five people at each company and find ways to connect with them. You can start by seeing if you have any shared connections in your professional network. It's always easier to be introduced by a mutual connection.

If you don't have a mutual connection, you'll have to take some initiative and reach out to some of these professionals on LinkedIn on your own.

The goal is to ask these professionals to connect in hopes you can learn more about the company and what it might take to land a position there. Make sure you let them know that you aren't looking for them to help you get a job, just some insight as to what the process is like.

These connections may start small with a few casual conversations, but the more commonalities you find with these connections, the more opportunity you'll have to build meaningful conversations, and trust and mutual respect will follow.

The more of these connections you build, the more opportunity you have to earn a referral to one of your bucket list companies or gain insight about other great companies that may be worth your time.

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4 Things To Know About Building An …

1 (Sneaky) Question You Should Ask In A Job Interview

If you want to make a great, positive, lasting impression in a job interview, there is one question you should ask the hiring manager. It's also a bit of a sneaky question because it will reveal something about this person and what it would be like to work at the company.

"What's The Most Significant/Positive Thing That's Happened To You At This Company?"

When you get to the end of the interview and the hiring manager asks you if you have any questions, look them in the eye, smile, and say, "Tell me about the most significant or positive thing that's happened to you here at the company in the last year."

The reason why you're asking them about the most significant or positive or exciting thing that's happened to them in the last year is that any time we get to talk to somebody and share a positive experience, we tend to associate them with being positive as well. We end up liking them more and feeling more connected to them. So, this is a way for you to achieve this with the person who's interviewing you.

But if you ask them this question and they can't quickly answer, or if they hesitate, or if they struggle to think of something, what does that tell you about the company? Why is this person not thinking of something positive? It makes you wonder.

Asking this question in a job interview is a way to look under the hood and find out if the company might be a fit for you. It will tell you a lot about the organization's values, goals, and workplace culture.

Now, in order to have the opportunity to ask these great questions, you need to nail the job interview, and that means getting the behavioral questions right. If you want to know how to answer the 18 hardest behavioral questions, sign up for a Work It DAILY membership today. It'll be the best money you've ever spent on your job search.

Good luck, and go get 'em!

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1 (Sneaky) Question You Should Ask In …

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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How To Get Hired With A Criminal …

The Most Important Part Of Your Resume

What's the most important part of your resume? We hate to say it, but the attention span of hiring managers seems to be getting shorter.

In fact, I was speaking with an executive-level individual the other day (who regularly reviews resumes) and he commented about how quickly he can scan through a stack of resumes and choose the candidates he plans to call. He admitted that it really is an unfair processâthat so many job seekers are judged solely by the quality and presentation of their resumes (documents that too often are afforded a review of only a few seconds). And if it's a poor presentation, or boring to the reader, or just doesn't communicate the right message, they are quickly passed over.

It's a given that the average employer will invest only a few secondsâliterallyâin his or her initial resume scan. So, it's critically important to your candidacy to ensure that the part of your resume in which he or she is willing to invest five seconds of attention grabsâand keepsâtheir attention.

So, where is the employer's attention going first? And how can you make the most of that section of your resume?

The First Third Of Your Resume Is The Most Important

Woman on laptop writes the most important part of her resume

The top third of your resume is where the employer will direct the bulk of his or her initial resume scan. So what you put here is vitally important.

If it's boring, too text-dense, or doesn't speak to the position they're trying to fill, you're sure to be passed over.

What Should You Put In This Critical Section?

The top third of your resume should contain the most dynamic, persuasive, and noteworthy information about yourself and your career. Top load your resume with skills, accomplishments, and quantifiable results that are the most applicable to the position you're applying for.

Here are some critical areas:

The contact information â Include links to your LinkedIn profile, career blog, or professional website. Direct the hiring manager to places where he or she can find more engaging information about you.
The headline â This is not a job title. It's where you summarize the problem you solve for employers, keeping in mind your personal branding statement.
The experience summary â List 6-8 skills that are needed for a certain position. These are not soft skills. They are hard/transferable skills that will help you succeed in the job you're applying for. Remember: The employer has a need they're trying to fill, and if what you are known for meets that need, you've just become very employable.

After you've caught the eye of the employer with your top third, they will be inclined to spend more time on your resume and read further.

Your work history section should not contain any resume fluff. It also should not be a summary full of generic statements that are vague and speak nothing to who you are or what you bring to the table as an employee. This is the time to set yourself apart as a candidate. Use specific keywords and quantifiable information in your bullet points under each job title. This will impress the hiring manager and make you stand out in a sea of job applicants.

Employers want to see results, and they want to know what you've accomplished in the past. Having a friend or family member look over your resume and then provide an opinion is nice when it comes to proofreading and pointing out errors within the resume. But someone who knows you and has a vested interest won't be able to tell you in an unbiased way if your resume is boring. Try to have an unbiased third party give you some feedback on how engaging they consider your resume.

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The Most Important Part Of Your Resume

Writing a career change resume can be tricky. How can you effectively market yourself to employers in a different industry when you don't have nearly enough experience as the average candidate applying for the same job as you?

If you're looking to make a career change, optimizing your resume becomes even more important than it normally is. It's also critical to write a disruptive cover letter and make strategic networking and intentional branding the priority.

Follow these five tips for an effective career change resume so you can land your dream job in a new industry.

1. Create An Interview Bucket List

An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Before beginning your job search as a career changer, having an interview bucket list is a must.

How can you identify the right companies to add to your interview bucket list? Well, it's simpler than it sounds. Think about the companies you admireâfor their mission, the product or service they provide, or both. Then, determine whether you could find an opportunity at these companies that aligns with your career change goals.

When creating your interview bucket list, you're ultimately looking for companies you connect with. Why are you passionate about working for them? Tell that connection story in your disruptive cover letter. Then, you'll be able to tailor your resume for specific job openings at these companies, customizing it for each position that you apply for. This leads to our next tip for a career change resume...

2. Highlight Your Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are hard skills that are in demand across many different roles and industries. As a career changer, highlighting your transferable skills on your resume is the key to looking as qualified as possible for the position you're applying for.

Never include soft skills on your resume. It doesn't matter whether you're changing careers or not. Soft skills cannot be quantified. Therefore, they do not belong on your resume.

For example, "detail-oriented" is a soft skill, and "project management" is a transferable skill. You may not have experience managing the types of projects in the industry you're looking to get a job in, but if you have the skill, you'll likely be able to transition into a role that requires project management smoothly.

3. Focus On Your Accomplishments

In the "Work History" section of your resume, you'll want to focus on what you accomplished in previous roles, keeping your transferable skills in mind. For each role you list, you should have at least three bullet points detailing your quantifiable accomplishments.

Employers want to see what you accomplished in your previous roles and how those accomplishments could translate to success in their industry. They don't care what your tasks or responsibilities were. That won't tell them the value you provide as a business-of-one.

What accomplishments are you most proud of in your career? Write those down. Hiring managers will probably be impressed by them too.

4. Avoid Irrelevant Information

Any irrelevant information you include on your career change resume will hurt your chances of getting an interview. Hiring managers spend only seconds reviewing each resume that comes across their desk. If they can't easily identify relevant information, they'll assume you aren't qualified for the position and toss your resume.

Only including relevant information on your resume will be difficult if you're changing careers. But if you follow the tips above, you should be on the right track.

5. Use The "Additional Experience" Section To Your Advantage

The "Additional Experience" section of your resume is the perfect place to showcase more relevant work or volunteer experience for the industry you're looking to switch to.

Did you volunteer at an organization within the same industry? Have you worked on special projects that involved the industry in some way? This section is where you should include any remaining relevant information you believe makes you qualified for the job you're applying for.

These five tips will help you write an effective career change resume. Just remember the importance of strategic networking and intentional branding in your job search as well.

To get your resume in front of hiring managers, you'll likely need to go around the ATS and focus on networking your way into companies by connecting with current employees of these companies on LinkedIn. Customizing your resume, writing a disruptive cover letter, and having a solid networking strategy will help you successfully change careers.

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