Our Trillium Technical Recruiters specialize in Engineering and IT mid-level to executive level placements, mostly with Fortune 100 companies. They’ve compiled 10 quick tips to help you land your next position, don’t miss these!
Tag Archives: Interviews
Interview Instant Failures
Are you wondering why you are booking several interviews but not landing any job offers? Here are some common interview mistakes that will likely end in an instant failure!
- Poor hygiene. Whether you arrive wearing stained clothing, have a strong odor, clothing that does not appear to fit, or you appear to have just rolled out of bed; chances are you’ve already made your impression. Any of these could give the impression that you have lack of interest in the position or attention to detail. Your goal should be to look professional, prepared, and interested in the position. Avoid anything that could distract the hiring manager from focusing on your skills and abilities.
- Arriving late. Many hiring managers book interviews back to back and are working with a tight schedule. Arriving late can demonstrate that you have punctuality problems, poor planning skills, do not see the interview as a priority, and do not respect their time. Plan ahead for traffic, road construction, and plan to arrive early to ensure that you are able to find parking and the correct building entrance while still arriving a few minutes early.
- Lack of preparation. Applicants who forget who they are supposed to meet with, do not bring a clean and professional copy of their latest resume and references, or seem unsure of their answers tend to fall short of an employment offer. The interview is your opportunity to sell your skills, professionalism, and prove to an employer that you are the best candidate to represent their organization; be sure to start by showing them that you can represent yourself well.
- Falsify your information. Whether you falsify your resume, an application, or your experience in an answer; chances are the truth will come out eventually. Most employers have a policy against falsifying an application which can even lead to termination if you do obtain the position. Chances are between reference checks, background checks, skills testing, and their previous knowledge; a hiring manager will likely catch on to your lack of honesty and look to other applicants.
Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of top level talent? Contact us today! If you are a stand out in your profession and seeking contingent or long term career opportunities, visit our job seekers section for more information!
Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.
How To Land A Job At A Job Fair
Let’s face it, most job fairs are filled with hundreds to thousands of applicants like yourself that are all chasing the same positions. Standing out against the competition, especially when the hiring managers and recruiters are likely to be overwhelmed by the end of the day can be very difficult. Here are some great tips to help you land a job at a job fair!
1. Come prepared. Sounds simple right? Some simple steps such as dressing professionally, researching which employers will be on hand that you are most interested in meeting with, researching those companies, and having a professionally built resume are the biggest steps to achieving success at a job fair. Many applicants consider a job fair to be a less formal setting and may appear more relaxed in their dress, often run out of a resumes, and can be seen wandering about hitting every booth. Walking with confidence to the locations that you are most interested in pursuing a career with can quickly set the tone for your conversation. Better yet, have a personalized cover letter for each of those employers to demonstrate that you came to the event seeking a career opportunity with them specifically.
2. Have your pitch ready. You’ll likely have 60 seconds or less to speak with a hiring manager or recruiter. Creating a strong first impression is key. Speak confidently, be to the point, and make sure you are express your strongest skills and accomplishments during this time. There is plenty of time in the future to discover what positions they have open currently and what they anticipate for the future. This is your time to convince them of why they need to meet with you formally.
3. Demonstrate professional etiquette. Similar to any job interview you should come dressed professionally, avoid chewing gum, silence your mobile devices, and avoid strong smells such as smoke, coffee, or cologne. Make sure that the employer is focused on your skills and abilities, not something with your presence. Be sure to stand a safe distance behind the candidate ahead of you in line allowing them to speak confidentially with the hiring manager and not making either party feel rushed.
4. Leave with information. After meeting with each employer make any notes from your conversation on the back of their business card. This will allow you to follow up with information that may trigger them to remember your conversation such as “We had spoken in regards to your desire to expand your engineering services into the Phoenix market, that is something that I would have a strong interest in participating with”. Be sure to note any follow up actions that were requested of you such as submitting an electronic version of your resume. Remember to send a personalized thank you card within 24 hours, expressing your continued desire to speak further with them in regards to career opportunities and what you can bring to their organization.
How To Improve Your Interviewing Skills
Have you experienced a moment during or after an interview in which you wish you would have responded in a different manner? Chances are if you are actively interviewing and haven’t experienced this yet, you likely will. It’s well known that many people face “interview anxiety” just as many people experience a heightened level of anxiety before taking a test, making a difficult decision, or beginning a new experience. What sets many individuals apart from the masses, is how they choose to deal with these experiences.
An interview can be a nerve racking experience for even the most confident candidate. You are often facing a new environment, meeting new individuals, and you are most often unsure of what their expectations are for applicants and for the position. Even the most calm and collected public speakers experience a heightened level of nervousness or anxiety in an interview setting. So how can you prepare yourself?
As with any experience, the best way to improve is through learning from your previous experiences. Whether you wish you would have dressed more professionally, answered a question more quickly, or responded with a completely different answer; you more often than not cannot change the immediate response. What you can do is move past the decision quickly and change it for future interviews. Often, the response or reaction that you are concerned about may go unnoticed or leave less of an impact with the hiring manager if you remain confident and move on from the moment. Becoming flustered, attempting to change your answer, or trying to further justify your response can show signs of indecisiveness and draw more attention to the response.
The majority of hiring managers debrief themselves following an interview, you should plan to do the same. What do you feel went well? What do you wish you could improve upon for future interviews? Is there a question in regards to the position or the organization that you wish you would have asked? The best time to review your thoughts is within an hour of the interview. Take a few moments to document for future reference what you felt very positive about and areas that you could use improvement. Use this list to prepare yourself for future interviews by taking confidence in your interviewing strengths and preparing yourself for areas of weakness.
As with almost anything, practice and preparation can greatly ease your sense of nervousness in an interview setting. If you find that you are continuing to struggle with the interview process, consider speaking with those who are familiar with your work to ask them to identify some of your areas of strength, what sets you apart from your peers, and practice reviewing interview questions that can be found online. Some candidates greatly benefit from partnering with a recruiter or staffing firm to help prepare them for the interviewing and debriefing process. Find a process and comfort level that works best for you and remain persistent.
Are you a stand out professional or technical professional seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities? Visit our job seekers section for more information! Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!
Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.