by Katie Dunn | Feb 4, 2018 | confidence, interview, job search, moms, women in business
Interviewing for jobs can be nerve-wracking! In my role as a Career Coach at a top-20 business school, I hear from multiple recruiters each year about the things candidates did well (and not so well) during job interviews. Here are three things we hear from recruiters that might help you avoid making some common interview mistakes and get the offer:
#1 Bring Your Energy! Maybe candidates are trying so hard to be “professional” that they forget to let their enthusiasm for the company or the position shine through. Or maybe nerves get the best of some interviewees and they just can’t relax enough to show their excitement. Whatever the reason, your interviewers are investing their time and resources bringing you in for an interview and they want to see that you’re excited to be there.
Here are some ways you can show your energy:
- Clearly articulate how happy you are to be interviewing for the position.
- Smile! It sounds basic, but in a pressure situation you might forget this most basic way of connecting with other people.
- Pay attention to your body language – sit up straight, talk with your hands, speak clearly and at an appropriate volume.
#2 Be prepared to talk about why you’re interested in this company. You’ll need to do your research to answer this question well. This is your chance to show that you’re the kind of person who does their homework and comes prepared. It’s also a chance to compliment what you admire about the company and demonstrate that you’re self-aware enough to know why you’d be a good fit for them.
Here’s how you can show your interest:
- Have 3 reasons why you love this company in mind when you walk into your interview.
- Come prepared to talk about how your strengths match up to what the position requires.
- Answer this question in terms of what you can do for them, not what they can do for you.
#3 Ask insightful questions at the end of the interview. A recruiter once told us that she interviewed a candidate whose questions for her hit on the three things that kept her up at night. This candidate had so thoroughly researched the company and the position he was interviewing for that he was able to zero in on the business issues that they were grappling with and ask thoughtful questions about them. He got the job!
Here’s how you can ask insightful questions:
- Know who the competition is, what the trends are in the industry and what, if any, threats exist to the way they currently do business. Use this information to formulate questions that show that you did your homework.
- Research online by reading industry blogs and the company’s website and Linkedin page. Supplement this knowledge by talking to people you know who work at the company to get the inside scoop.
- Be sure to mention during your interview that you spoke with people who work at the company as part of your preparation. This shows you went the extra mile to understand their business.
The keys to interviewing well are preparation and practice. Be sure to bring your energy, do your research so you know why you’re a good fit for the company and ask smart questions of your interviewers. Get a list of common interview questions and record yourself giving answers so you can hear how you sound. Enlist a friend to give you a mock interview and some honest feedback.
Then get out there and show ‘em what you’re made of!
When Katie’s not working to place MBA candidates, she’s writing articles, conducting workshops and MeetUps, and preparing courses to help women like her transition back into the workforce. Find out what’s going on at www.backtobusinessconference.com.
by Katie Dunn | Jan 21, 2018 | career break, confidence, job search, women in business
Focusing on our job search means updating our resumes….which means a solid review of our skills – determining which relevant skills we already possess and which require an update. Here are the critical skills we’ve identified and then what some experts have to say about them –
Professional Skills: Communication, Leadership, Teamwork
These are interpersonal skills that are so vital, yet not always common, in a work environment. Clear and concise verbal and written communications, the ability and confidence to have others follow your lead and the ability to work well with others as a leader or member of a team are crucial for success.
Business Basic Skills: E-mail, Spreadsheets, Word processing, Budgets, Scheduling
Being proficient on e-mail and in scheduling is probably not that tough for women re-entering the workforce as we’ve just spent the last many years coordinating our families’ activities! But a Microsoft refresher course is definitely in order with recent technological upgrades and advancements.
Technical Skills: Software-specific, Coding
Recruiters and employers are often looking for technical skills. Search job postings in your area of interest and check on LinkedIn to see what skills people working in your intended field possess. Remember that even if you don’t plan to go into a technical field, it can be important for you to understand the language of technology and have a basic understanding of modern technical terms.
Use our Job Re-Entry Checklist to assess your skills and identify any gaps that might need a refresher or training.
What the Experts Say
These skills are so important, that reacHIRE’s comprehensive PowerUpTM training program includes 70+ hours of training in these areas. reacHIRE has a program in Boston and RTP that helps women to successfully re-enter the workforce. Sonja Neiger, reacHire’s Regional Director, Talent & Training tells us that they include finance fundamentals, working with big data and understanding the software development process in their training.
“Most businesses are very interconnected, so strong communication skills are critical” says Leigh-Wallace Hines of The Select Group. “I typically also look for responsibilities listed on a resume where the candidate has given presentations using various methods (in person and teleconference) to groups of people and written documentation or marketing materials. When speaking to a candidate over the phone or in person, I want to make sure that they speak clearly and that their personality will mesh well with the environment that they will work in for our customer.”
Regarding technical skills, Hines says that “if someone is looking to ‘start from scratch’ and enter the technical world as a Help Desk Analyst or a Network Technician, then having some sort of certification (unless they have a Bachelor’s Degree in the field) will demonstrate that they have the baseline knowledge to be successful in the role. For a data analytics role, having demonstrable experience with software relevant to their field (SAP, SPSS, SQL, etc.) is important. If someone has been out of work for some time, candidates should be able to show some sort of effort in keeping their skills up-to-date by attending seminars, conferences, or classes at a local technical school.”
If you’ve been a busy, involved parent, chances are good that you’ve probably cultivated many of the skills that employers find desirable in candidates while you were on your career break. Many women stay active by managing committees through their churches or children’s schools, leading PTAs, organizing events or fundraising. Don’t overlook the value of these activities. Take a good look at what you’ve been involved in and make a list of the tools and skills you used in those situations, even if it wasn’t paid work.
Once you identify those skill areas in which you are relatively weak, make a plan to improve them. Your plan could include attending Back to Business events where you can brush up on some of those critical job skills in a hands-on environment. And if you’ve been putting off volunteering, now is a good time to pick a few activities that will help you strengthen a skill area you’ve identified as important to your next career move.
Communicating that you possess these skills is the next step. We’ve addressed that in subsequent Back to Business articles on effective networking. So keep working on your checklist and stay tuned!
by Katie Dunn | Oct 2, 2017 | career break, confidence, interview, job search, leadership, resume, women in business
Whether you’re ready to go back to work after taking time off or just thinking about it, my Returning to Work After a Career Break Webinar will be helpful. It’s full of the professional advice that I use in my position as Senior Associate Director, Career & Leadership at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School but geared toward women returning to work. Sign-up to receive the Webinar Replay that you can watch at your convenience — it’s about 30 minutes — and the accompanying Worksheet, and return to work the right way.
by Katie Dunn | Sep 5, 2017 | career break, confidence, job search
Back to school means a return to more structured days and a sense of routine at home. I personally love the freedom of summer, but I can also appreciate the rhythm that returns to our lives once school begins and the kids settle into a new year.
Back to college for the kids, however, may mean something entirely different for you as a Mom. If you help them pack up and then drop them off with a smile on your face – good for you! If you’re like me and feel a little hole in your heart when they leave every August – I see you. I love to talk to parents about the phenomenon of kids leaving home – some of my friends LOVE it when the kiddos ship out and others feel down about it.
Whichever camp you’re in, there is no denying that late August/early September ushers in a new season in our lives and family routines. Let’s use this to our advantage!
If you’re actively looking for a job, this is your season! You have time during the day (uninterrupted time!) to schedule meetings with people, do informational interviews, write amazing cover letters and polish up your LinkedIn profile. What a gift!
Back to school isn’t just a new start for your children: It’s also a fresh start for you. This is an ideal time to recommit yourself to your job search goals and get re-energized to focus on the things you need to get done for you. Here are a few ideas to keep you on track:
Start with a plan: Focus your job search by planning out the time you’ll spend looking for your next career move. Block the time on your calendar and stick to it. Aim to get better every week with your time management.
Be interactive! Be sure your job-search time is heavily weighted toward activities that have you actively engaging with other people as opposed to being at home in front of your computer.
Update your online presence as part of the fresh start. Take a look at your LinkedIn profile and find a few places that you can freshen up. The more you update your profile, the higher your chances of showing up in a recruiter search. Be sure to include keywords that appear in job postings in your profile in multiple places such as your About section, your skills list and your work experience.
Make it fun! Find a group of friends to support you through your transition. Yes, it’s work, but it can still be enjoyable. Meet a friend at a coffee shop or a co-working location and work together to keep each other on task.If you are local to the Raleigh area, The Frontier in RTP is a co-working location that is completely free.
Join us at Back to Business Our website and programming are all geared toward helping you transition back to work after a career break. Be sure you’re on our email list and consider joining us for the Back to Business Women’s Conference. This opportunity only comes around once a year (even less in a pandemic!) and it’s an invaluable opportunity to bask in a programming that was designed to help you restart your career. Honestly, there’s a lot of career advice out there, but there are very few people talking to women like us about solving the challenges that are unique to a Mom returning to the workforce. I look forward to meeting you and helping you get back to business.
by Katie Dunn | Sep 1, 2017 | career break, confidence, job search, moms, resume, women in business
Preparing to re-enter the workforce can be overwhelming! Download this step-by-step plan to get you going in the right direction.
by Katie Dunn | Aug 21, 2017 | confidence, job search
At our first Back to Business MeetUp, we heard from 4 women who have successfully transitioned back to work after a career break. We talked about finding work you enjoy (and finding work that you don’t enjoy so much). Our panelists included Back to Business Conference Attendees Jeannine Herrick, Larissa Muchnick, Petra Sargent and Marla Wolf.
Here are 3 key points from this informative conversation:
“My first job back was not the right job”
Three of our 4 panelists returned to work after taking time off to be home with children, then switched jobs. Petra started back as a teacher, then realized that wasn’t exactly what she wanted to be doing. Jeanine and Larissa were both lured away to bigger jobs than where they originally started.
The good news for women returning to work is that you just need to get started somewhere. Yes, be choosy when you select your job but realize that it may not be your forever job. Let that take some of the pressure off of thinking you have to have the perfect job. We make trade-offs all the time in life, and returning to work is going to be another trade-off. Maybe you’ll take a lower-level job to get the experience or opt for a longer-than-ideal commute because you know you’ll love the work.
What works for you now may not work so well for you in the future and that’s OK. Flexibility is a survival skill, and if you’ve raised children, you’ve got it!
Jeanine suggested that taking interviews for jobs at all levels might lead to the right job down the road. If you make a positive impression in an interview but don’t get the job, you may be the right candidate for a future job opening at the company. You just never know. Hopefully soon you find yourself in Jeanine’s shoes: “Now I’m singing on the way to work!”
“You have to put yourself out there to find it”
Marla told us to stop blindly sending out resumes – “it just doesn’t work!” Petra volunteered at conferences in her field to build her network and stay current on the latest thinking. Jeanine got on the phone with a former colleague and found herself fast-tracked to an interview. While each of these women did it differently, the common thread was that they got busy growing their networks and connecting to people on a personal level rather than sitting at home behind their computer looking for a job.
One of our panelists compared job searching to dating – you have to meet people, talk about different possibilities and discover what you like and what you don’t.
What have you done today to connect 1-to-1 with someone who might be able to assist in your return to work? If you need guidance on conducting an informational interview, check out our blog on that topic – we’ll walk you through the whole process from start to finish.
“You are all amazing women with a skill set that could land you a job today”
The ever-upbeat Larissa reminded us of this very true (and confidence-boosting) fact. If you’ve been looking for a job for a while, you know that it’s hard work returning to work. Staying positive is so important when what you’re really selling is YOU – your skills and your presence as a team member. Don’t overlook all the amazing skills you developed while you were out of the paid workforce. Packaging these in a marketable way, owning them and being proud of what you bring to the table will make you a stronger job candidate. I believe in you!
Need more information? Take a look at the useful info on our site and visit our blog on positioning yourself for your return to work.
