Candidates

Recruiter Reaches out to You-Now What?

Most of the time during your job search, you’re the one who is responsible for making all the first moves in the process. It’s up to you to write a stand-out resume, find an opportunity that’s right for you, apply to the position(s) and really market yourself to the company/hiring manager. But if you’ve got an impressive enough background or a mastery of hard-to-find skills, chances are that recruiters will be the ones reaching out to you.

So, what should you do when a recruiter contacts you? Here’s what Glassdoor had to say about it:

The Virtual Interview: What Hiring Managers Want to Hear from Candidates

Virtual Interviews have become more commonplace than ever during the early stages of the interview and hiring process. This is a way to efficiently screen through large candidate pools, as well as minimize interview expenses for out-of-town candidates. For some remote positions, an online or phone interview may be the only method.

Below are some ways candidates can ace their next telephone interview, according to Glassdoor:

Why Soft Skills Are So Important

89% of recruiters say bad hires typically lack soft skills (LinkedIn, 2019)

What exactly are soft skills and how important are they? According to The Balance Careers:

“Soft skills relate to how you work. Soft skills include interpersonal (people) skills, communication skills, listening skills, time management, and empathy, among others. They are among the top skills employers seek in the candidates they hire, because soft skills are important for just about every job.>

Hiring managers typically look for job candidates with soft skills because they make someone more successful in the workplace. Someone can be excellent with technical, job-specific skills, but if they can't manage their time or work within a team, they may not be successful in the workplace.”

How To "Kill It" at Your Next Job Interview

Lately I have dealt with some good candidates who end up interviewing badly. What gives? They have the smarts, education, technical/sales knowledge, and most importantly, the experience. Yet, they fail to connect with the hiring manager or convince the company that they should be their next hire. This can happen for a few reasons:

• Sometimes the person hasn’t interviewed in several years, and their interview style is a bit lackluster.
• In other cases, which I see more in junior people, the candidate is just plain nervous. (Nerves are totally normal because it shows that the person cares and is excited about the job opportunity.)

The hard truth is that not everyone who wants the job will get the job ... Here are some basic pointers for these two types of people I mentioned, or anyone really, so you can present your best self and land the job you’re truly excited for….

Should You Accept the Job Offer?

Great News! You got the interview, made it through the initial telephone or Zoom screen, and then moved on to the final interview stages. YOU GOT A JOB OFFER! …Now it’s time to decide if this is the offer you truly deserve. Sure, you can always keep looking for the “perfect” job that fits you or seize the opportunity that lies before you.

Here are some steps to find out if you should accept the job offer you received or to keep looking. 

The Phone Interview: What Hiring Managers Want to Hear from Candidates

The phone interview has become more commonplace than ever during the early stages of the interview and hiring process. This is a way to efficiently screen through large candidate pools, as well as minimize interview expenses for out-of-town candidates. For some remote positions, a phone interview may be the only method.

Below are some ways candidates can ace their next telephone interview, according to Glassdoor:

Considering Making a Lateral Career Move? Read This.

When it comes to your career, sometimes "up" isn't the only direction you should be traveling.

A sideways or "lateral" move -- defined as a move either within your current company or to a new organization with similar title, pay, and responsibility -- can often be a strategic move that pays off big time in the long-run. 

Here are some things to consider before making a lateral job change, thanks to our friends at TopResume.

Your Top Virtual Job Interview Tips (Including How to Nail the First Impression)

Zoom Video Conferencing (or Skype, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams..the options are endless)..Before the pandemic, some people had never heard of or used Zoom. Consider it the new normal now. This part of the candidate interview process is not going to go away any time soon, and will likely be here to stay.

We’re still living in a pandemic. But the hiring must go on—fingers crossed—which means many of us will be subjected to virtual job interviews. It’s just one more aspect of remote work, right? Wrong. On the contrary, an interview conducted via video call requires just as much effort as an in-person one, if not more, especially if you want your virtual “conversation” to go smoothly. We asked a handful of experts to share their advice for the best ways to prep.

Check out what the people at the website PureWow said on the topic:

Keep Calm and Quarantine On!

Stay home, they say. We need to reduce the curve and stop this COVID-19 virus from spreading. Use this time home with your family and loved ones to recharge, reconnect, and tackle new projects…

We are all doing our part to fight this current battle, yet there are so many unknowns and questions:

Face masks or no masks?...Gloves, no gloves?... Bring your own grocery bags? Don't bring your own bags! …Take Ibuprofen? …Should I gargle with salt water? …Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer instead? …Don't touch your face!... When will this end!?

The data and information are overwhelming, to the point that you just want to throw up your gloved hands in the air and completely shut down. But we need to continue living and thriving. This may be our current reality and “new normal”, at least for the next few months, but life cannot stand still. We need to keep going on as a society and adapt (and trust the government and medical professionals to do their part!)

So, what can we do in the meantime?  A LOT! In my daily work as a recruiter, I’ve had to quickly adapt and learn to work smarter. So here are some words of wisdom from a professional who is working at home and trying to make things happen-more than ever:

Ace Your Next Phone Interview With These 13 Tips [Infographic]

Phone interviews can be weird and nerve-racking. You're trying to impress a stranger on the other end of the phone without the benefit of body language. 

But no matter how uncomfortable phone interviews can be, they’ve become a key part of the hiring process for many companies today. If you want a job, there’s a good chance you’ll have to kill a phone screen.

Check out the infographic below by NetCredit that narrows down the tips for a perfect phone interview. This includes pre-interview prep, phone interview best practices, and post-interview follow up. So don’t sweat your next phone interview – just follow the advice below!