Monthly Archives: January 2021

1. “Tell me about yourself”

This is usually the first question, so it sets the tone for the rest of the interview. It is important that you have a cohesive, well-formulated response in order to start the interview on a positive note.

You should…

• Elaborate on your education and job experiences
• Describe an accomplishment in your career and relate it to how you would excel in this position
• Explain what led you to interviewing for this position today – describe your career goals and what excites you about the position and industry

You should NOT…

• Get too personal – always keep it professional
• Ramble or include irrelevant details – stick to the point
• Slander previous employers – this is unprofessional and a major red flag to hiring mangers

2. “What is your greatest weakness?”

This question tests your level of self-awareness and motivation for improvement. It is tricky because you don’t want to appear dishonest or calculated, but you also don’t want the weakness you say to cause the hiring manager to question your capabilities.

You should…

• Share a weakness that wouldn’t negatively impact your job performance
• Think of a time in your professional life where you have turned one of your weaknesses into a strength
• Explain how you are actively working to improve this weakness and provide an example

You should NOT…

• Mention a weakness without an explanation
• Disguise a strength as a weakness (e.g., “I work too much”, or “I am a perfectionist”) – you will be seen as dishonest and/or manipulative
• Be self-deprecating in your answer – you never want to seem unconfident or defeated

3. “Why should we hire you?”

This question is meant to highlight what makes you unique from other candidates. You always want to make sure your answer is valuable and stands out!

You should…

• Explain what unique value you would bring to the company
• Relate your skills to the requirements in the job description and provide examples
• Describe your previous unique job experiences and explain how these experiences would positively impact your job performance

You should NOT…

• Explain your skills without examples – you want the hiring manager to truly believe in your skills
• Answer vaguely – always give concrete examples
• Sound desperate, arrogant and/or conceited in your answer – be confident, yet humble

4. “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

This is a really important question because the interviewer wants to know that you are not only in it for the short term and that you are passionate about this position and company. Additionally, they ask this question to gauge your planning and goal-setting abilities.

You should…

• Explain how you would like to grow in your career – what skills do you want to improve?
• List the responsibilities you hope to have or projects you hope to be working on and why
• Discuss your interests and how you would like to grow your knowledge of the industry

You should NOT…

• Say that you want to be making more money or working for a different company
• Seem unsure or say that you don’t know – it will make you seem shortsighted and unprepared
• Make it sound like this position is simply a steppingstone to a promotion

5. “Do you have any questions?”

This question is usually last, but definitely not least. Always ask questions! Remember, the interview goes both ways; you want to determine if the company would be a good fit for you as well.

You should…

• Always plan to ask questions at the end of the interview to further demonstrate your interest in the company
• Ask questions that you genuinely want to know the answer to
• Take notes on their answers for future reference

You should NOT…

• Ask inappropriate or unrelated questions
• Bring up questions regarding salary, vacation time, or benefits
• Ask questions that show you haven’t done any research on the company – always do research beforehand!

Example questions:

• “What does success look like in this position?” / “How do you measure success?”
• “Can you tell me about most successful employee you have ever hired?”
• “What are the opportunities/trajectory for growth beyond this position?”
• “Can you tell me about the company culture?” / “How would you describe the culture of company?”
• “How are the company culture and values integrated into this position?” / “How does this position contribute to these shared values?”

We hope that these tips help you ace your next interview!

The Right Team. Right Now.

Photo by fizkes/Shutterstock.com

As we ring in the New Year, now is the perfect time to reflect on your progress in 2020 and create resolutions for 2021! If you are hoping to advance your career in 2021, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading for some New Year’s resolutions you can set to succeed in your job search!

Resolution 1: Set goals and frequently evaluate progress

Start by taking some time to write down your goals and objectives for the year. Set large-scale, overall goals for yourself, followed by any number of sub-goals. For example, one of your overall goals for 2021 might be to find a job. The sub-goals associated with that could be your goals for industry, location, pay, benefits, etc. Creating sub-goals will give you a chance to specify all parameters and validate the importance of your overall goal. It will also set the framework for achievement and boost your motivation!

*Be sure to consistently reflect on your progress over the course of your job search. Take some time every couple of weeks to regroup and reevaluate your goals to ensure you are staying on track!

It can be easy to lose sight of your end-game due to stress and frustration. To prevent this from happening, find a way to ensure that your goals are always visible when at your workspace. For example, hang them up on the wall in front of you or write them on a post-it and place it on your desk. Whenever you get stressed or overwhelmed during your job search, you can simply refer back to your goals which can help ease your mind and put things into perspective.

Resolution 2: Update credentials

When beginning a job search, it is extremely important to update your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn page and anything else that may be viewed by a recruiter. Make sure everything is up to date and that each cover letter appeals to the respective company and job description! Consistently updating and reviewing your credentials will ensure that you are presenting accurate information to potential employers.

Check out our blog post on improving your LinkedIn profile:

Resolution 3: Stay organized and track progress

If you are job searching, organization is key! To start, organize your workspace and ensure there are no potential distractions. A clear workspace is a great stress reliever and will allow you to stay focused and on task! Once your workspace is clear, make sure you have all the materials you will need during your job search (list of goals, resume, cover letter, etc.) readily available.

Take it a step further by tracking your progress along the way. For example, create a comprehensive spreadsheet or document dedicated to keeping track of all the jobs in which you have applied/plan to apply in the future. You can also use this to organize the status of each application, interview dates and even notes/questions you may have. This will allow you to stay organized and give you a sense of accomplishment during your job search.

Resolution 4: Hold yourself accountable

Consistency and perseverance are key to achieving your career goals! Hold yourself accountable by dedicating a specific time every day or even a few times a week to conduct your job search. Here are some things you can do to ensure that you remain consistent and eventually fall into a routine:

• Set an alarm or reminder on your phone to notify you when it is time to begin
• Keep this time of day blocked out in your calendar
• Notify friends, family members, and/or roommates so they know exactly when you will be unavailable

Resolution 5: Build your professional network

LinkedIn is one of the best ways to build your professional network. Growing your connections can be a great steppingstone for accomplishing your career goals! Building your network is something you should always prioritize throughout your career, as it has the potential to present you with many opportunities! In 2021, try your best to make a new connection once a week or even once a month. Here are some ways you can accomplish this:

• Click the ‘My Network’ tab on your LinkedIn home page and scroll down to the ‘More suggestions for you’ section. LinkedIn will generate a list of people that you may know or be interested in connecting with due to mutual connections.

• There are many ways to optimize your search in the ‘My Network’ tab. In the search bar, type in a company, industry or location in which you are interested and click on the ‘People’ tab on their LinkedIn page. This will show you people who are associated with this company, industry or location, respectively.

In addition to these resolutions, we have some additional resources that may be helpful in your job search. Visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn to stay in the loop on all of our current job opportunities!

• On our website, go to ‘Current Openings’ or click here to check it out!
• On our LinkedIn, go to the ‘Jobs’ tab or click here to check it out!

For more information and any additional questions:                                                                 

• Give us a call: (215) 568-2300
• Follow our hashtag on LinkedIn: #xplorasearch
• Message one of our team members via LinkedIn and let us help you!

The Right Team. Right Now.

Photo by Monster Ztudio/Shutterstock.com

Sources used: TopResume and Monster