You off-ramped your career, taking years off to stay home with your child. You’ve started applying for positions and just received word you have your first interview next week! You’re excited, but you’re also nervous .It’s been more than a couple years since your last interview and you feel a bit rusty. My advice to…
Tag Archive: interview
7 ways to knock it out of the park on your next interview
A few ground rules to start: all things being equal, a company is much more likely to hire someone they like than someone they don’t. That’s why it’s key to find ways to build rapport with your interviewer. Equally true, nobody can be good at everything so anyone who tries to sound in an interview…
Interview Communication Techniques
Not everyone can claim strong verbal communication skills, and sometimes nerves or stress can unhinge a normally effective communicator. Interview coaching can often work out the kinks, but other times, it’s a problem for which job search candidates need to devise work-around strategies. When faced with a traditional face-to-face interview scenario, consider some of the…
How to wrap up your cover letters
A client recently wrote me that she was struggling with drafting a general closing for her cover letters. “I look forward to hearing from you” felt a bit presumptuous, and “When would be a good time to discuss the position?” a bit too pushy. “Thank you for your consideration” is nice, but too passive. She…
How to conduct valuable company research before your interview
Job interviews aren’t meant to be an interrogation — they are supposed to be a dialogue. An interview is as much about making sure the company is a fit for you as it is that you are a fit for the company. With that in mind, before the interview, you should research the company —…
Questions a Job Seeker Needs to Ask at an Interview
Interviewing is often stressful for the average job seeker. When you finally have the opportunity to speak to a recruiter or hiring agent, what do you want to ask them? You don’t want to blow the interview and yet, you may have many questions whirling around in your head. What’s appropriate to ask in which…
Why is my résumé writer giving me homework?
It’s natural to stumble through the beginning steps of developing your new résumé as you hash out the specifics of your job target, the type of job to which you’re best suited, what you want and what you don’t want, which specific industries or locations. An astute professional résumé writer will ask you some pointed…
Handling salary questions during an interview
To start, try to deflect the question. Explain that salary is not your top concern and that you are focusing your search on identifying the right opportunity. If pushed further, it’s critical at this point to provide a range: “The positions for which I’m interviewing are in the $70-80,000 range.” By addressing the topic this…
Strategies for Answering Interview Questions
• Keep your answers short, limited to a couple of sentences to avoid losing your listener. • Avoid “yes” or “no” responses. Always provide examples demonstrating your skills and/or experience. • Don’t use the words “but” or “however.” These words negate everything that came before them, i.e., don’t say “I enjoy working in a team…
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Laurie's work, including resumes, cover letters, and job search advice, has been included in the following career books:
