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Hello lovely people 
today's world is economically crazy and people around the globe who are going through some difficult situations in their countries, are afraid of losing their jobs, or are still trying to find one.
Not long ago I was going through that situation, I was job hunting, and something that usually takes an amount of 2 weeks in my field of work to find a job turned into almost three long months. Even getting a call to do a job interview is getting harder by the day depending on where you live and with what you work. Thankfully I got a call for a job interview and during those precious 40 minutes of conversation I did my best to give the best first impression and guarantee i was going to get a second call to either confirm I was going to get the job or start the training process.
I'm currently doing the training at my new job and bellow I'll post some of the things I did during that job interview and before that, that I know helped me getting the call that really changed my life.
1. Strong and well written resumé: The first thing we must have is a strong and well written resumé. A resumé is where you highlight your strengths and abilities, and it's the first thing that brings you closer of getting that job interview you want to. We must take in consideration that not every country will demand the same thing from a candidate's resumé, so apply your cultural background while making your resumé for jobs in your country. Here in Brazil we usually attach a picture of our face to the resumé, so our future employer know how we look like and can easily indentify us during the interview; if that is something common in your country too my only recommendation is to be careful with the picture you will attach. Use a candid picture that shows your face, either with you smiling or serious, take a selfie, and remember that the picture must also convey the message that you are a responsible person, so avoid using pics of when you are at a party, or the kind of picture you'd post on instagram for your friends to see. The minute you send out your resumé the job interview already started.
But the photo is not everything, is only a small part of it, what matters most is what you can do and what you've done before applying to that job slot at that specific company. There are some basic information you must always put in your resumé, such as: full name, address, phone number, e-mail address and age. With the advent of the internet and social media, some companies do request your FB, IG, Twitter and Linked In aacount or any social media device you may have. My advice on that topic is not to give them your personal accounts. Create one for work only, where you can post things about your field of work, the things you've done etc. Most of the times our personal accounts are filled with photos of us in rather embarassing situations, certain jokes we make with our friends and family that can give a bad first impression to the person trying to hire us. So keep those personal accounts personal and leep one for work only.
Now lets talk about the most important things in a resumé: your skills, your previous work experiences, job description. There are two kinds of skills Soft Skills and Hard Skills. Soft Skills are the skills that apply to any job in any area, and these are: people skills, communication skills and any skill that enable you to to be successful at your work place. Hard Skills are the qualifications required to do the job you're applying to, found at the job description. And those skills/qualifications can be: computer skills, administrative skills.
But how to include all that information on the resumé? Well something you can do is really pay close attention to the job you're applying to, read it as much as you need to understad what the emplyer wants and expects of the candidate for that job slot, and from that you'll know how to insert your Soft and Hard skills on the skill section of your resumé, so it matches what is required at the job description. You can also use the experience section of your resumé to talk more about what your skills are and how they were used on your past experiences, such as the roles and the responnsibilities you've had. Now that you've built your strong resumé is important to know how to make it seen. Nowadays we've got many plataforms where we can insert our resumés in, we can e-mail them directly to the hiring company, there are many options. So use the right keywords that will help the employer find and select your resumé. These keyowrds are the same from your skill section.
2. Walk in the room and be nice to everyone: Never forget that the job interview started with your resumé, that was the first contact your future employer had with you, and the reason why he called yuo is because you've made a first good impression that you must now maintain. Something I've learned after having many job interviews is that the way you walk into a room is noticed by everyone and it says a lot about you. Most employers rely on the receptionists or the cleaning staff to get more information about you, because in most of cases people tend to be awfuly rude to the people doing this service, not acknowledging them or don't even greet them properly. Remember that if everything goes well those people will be your co-workers, and that many employers like to provide a good and healthy work environment. So when you walk in the room greet everyone, even your competitors, with a sincere smile, be polite, introduce yourself to the receptionist, and be nice to everyone that talks to you. You'll increase your chances of getting the job by doing that.
3. Be punctual: This is one of the things that can either make you or break you. It doesn't matter how strong your resumé is, and of how nice you are to people, if you can't be on time to your job interview that first good impression you've managed to make is just lost. It will show to your future boss that he or she can't rely on you to be prepared to all the obstacles and adversities of life to be there when they need you, aside from the fact that it shows a great deal of disrespect to their time. My advice for you is that on the day scheduled to your interview is to think of everything that can go wrong transportation wise especially. Prepare yourself for all the small things that can go wrong as well, such as the outfit you picked out is still at the dry cleaners, or you've burned it while ironing it. So think of at least three different outifts you can wear at the interview that will give you that serious, professional look. Think of three different hair styles you can make (if you're a girl). And most importantly think of at least 4 different routes you can take to get there on time. Decide your transportation before hand, study the traffic on the streets that day to avoid getting stuck ona a traffic jam. If everything you plan and try go terribly wrong call the company to inform them you'll might be late and explain the reasons why. Calling them and justifying why you'll probably be late will show them how much you care and respect them, and it's a good damage control.
4. Study the company you want to work at: Something that not everybody does is to study the company they're applying to. One of the questions you'll be asked is why you want to work at that companyand what you know about it. Not knowing will sure remove you from the list of a second call, because it will show them that you didn't care enough to know about the company, and something that many employers out there are looking for in future employees is someone who cares about the business they've founded. So accesss the company's website, read their story, how they started, all kinds of service that they provide, their place in the market. It will be a great differential to you and it will increase your chances of getting the job.
5. Pay attention to your body language: The way you sit, your hand shake, if you make eye contact or not, all of that says a lot about you. People can read you based on those things, so sit up straight, give a firm but not too tight hand shake, make eye contact, people that can't make eye contact, hardly ever connect to the people speaking to them, and it can give the impression you're trying to hide something, or lying, although you might just be nervous. My recommendation is to practice your answers in front of your mirror while you look at yourself. That has been proven to boost your confidence and you'll feel way more comfortable afterwards.
6. Be professional and be yourself: The minute you are called to start your job interview, don't be afraid to be yourself but don't forget you're there to show all your professional skills ad why you're fit for the job. Speak clearly and don't be afraid to be passionate about your skills and the past experiences, you can be enthusiastic, but pay attention to your tone of voice, enthusiasm can be shown without raising your tone of voice. When asked a question you don't need to answer right away, but also don't take too long to answer, you can take short pauses to formulate your answer, it will show you're being natural and thoughtful about it.
7. Be positive: When asked about why you left your previous job pay attention to what you say, especially if you had a bad experience that led you to be either fired or made you quit. Instead of going on about the bad things that happened, briefly describe what happened without giving much detail, and focus on what you've learned from it. Remember that both good and bad things can bring us learning. And if you allow that one bad experience to contaminate you, and you spend a long time complaining about it, that will definately affect on the employer's decision of hiring you or not.
8. Ask your questions too: At some point of the interview the employer might want to know if you have any questions to ask him or her about the job, about them, about the company. So have a list of questions prepared, you can ask about your possible future salary, work conditions etc. Candidates that don't have questions to ask don't usually get the job, it again shows they didn't care much about that opportunity, so be different, it's the small things such as this that can make you jump to the top of the list of hiring options.
These are my advices to you all looking for jobs right now. Please let me know what else you find important to have in a resumé or do during in a job interview and share your experiences with us
today's world is economically crazy and people around the globe who are going through some difficult situations in their countries, are afraid of losing their jobs, or are still trying to find one.Not long ago I was going through that situation, I was job hunting, and something that usually takes an amount of 2 weeks in my field of work to find a job turned into almost three long months. Even getting a call to do a job interview is getting harder by the day depending on where you live and with what you work. Thankfully I got a call for a job interview and during those precious 40 minutes of conversation I did my best to give the best first impression and guarantee i was going to get a second call to either confirm I was going to get the job or start the training process.
I'm currently doing the training at my new job and bellow I'll post some of the things I did during that job interview and before that, that I know helped me getting the call that really changed my life.
1. Strong and well written resumé: The first thing we must have is a strong and well written resumé. A resumé is where you highlight your strengths and abilities, and it's the first thing that brings you closer of getting that job interview you want to. We must take in consideration that not every country will demand the same thing from a candidate's resumé, so apply your cultural background while making your resumé for jobs in your country. Here in Brazil we usually attach a picture of our face to the resumé, so our future employer know how we look like and can easily indentify us during the interview; if that is something common in your country too my only recommendation is to be careful with the picture you will attach. Use a candid picture that shows your face, either with you smiling or serious, take a selfie, and remember that the picture must also convey the message that you are a responsible person, so avoid using pics of when you are at a party, or the kind of picture you'd post on instagram for your friends to see. The minute you send out your resumé the job interview already started.
But the photo is not everything, is only a small part of it, what matters most is what you can do and what you've done before applying to that job slot at that specific company. There are some basic information you must always put in your resumé, such as: full name, address, phone number, e-mail address and age. With the advent of the internet and social media, some companies do request your FB, IG, Twitter and Linked In aacount or any social media device you may have. My advice on that topic is not to give them your personal accounts. Create one for work only, where you can post things about your field of work, the things you've done etc. Most of the times our personal accounts are filled with photos of us in rather embarassing situations, certain jokes we make with our friends and family that can give a bad first impression to the person trying to hire us. So keep those personal accounts personal and leep one for work only.
Now lets talk about the most important things in a resumé: your skills, your previous work experiences, job description. There are two kinds of skills Soft Skills and Hard Skills. Soft Skills are the skills that apply to any job in any area, and these are: people skills, communication skills and any skill that enable you to to be successful at your work place. Hard Skills are the qualifications required to do the job you're applying to, found at the job description. And those skills/qualifications can be: computer skills, administrative skills.
But how to include all that information on the resumé? Well something you can do is really pay close attention to the job you're applying to, read it as much as you need to understad what the emplyer wants and expects of the candidate for that job slot, and from that you'll know how to insert your Soft and Hard skills on the skill section of your resumé, so it matches what is required at the job description. You can also use the experience section of your resumé to talk more about what your skills are and how they were used on your past experiences, such as the roles and the responnsibilities you've had. Now that you've built your strong resumé is important to know how to make it seen. Nowadays we've got many plataforms where we can insert our resumés in, we can e-mail them directly to the hiring company, there are many options. So use the right keywords that will help the employer find and select your resumé. These keyowrds are the same from your skill section.
2. Walk in the room and be nice to everyone: Never forget that the job interview started with your resumé, that was the first contact your future employer had with you, and the reason why he called yuo is because you've made a first good impression that you must now maintain. Something I've learned after having many job interviews is that the way you walk into a room is noticed by everyone and it says a lot about you. Most employers rely on the receptionists or the cleaning staff to get more information about you, because in most of cases people tend to be awfuly rude to the people doing this service, not acknowledging them or don't even greet them properly. Remember that if everything goes well those people will be your co-workers, and that many employers like to provide a good and healthy work environment. So when you walk in the room greet everyone, even your competitors, with a sincere smile, be polite, introduce yourself to the receptionist, and be nice to everyone that talks to you. You'll increase your chances of getting the job by doing that.
3. Be punctual: This is one of the things that can either make you or break you. It doesn't matter how strong your resumé is, and of how nice you are to people, if you can't be on time to your job interview that first good impression you've managed to make is just lost. It will show to your future boss that he or she can't rely on you to be prepared to all the obstacles and adversities of life to be there when they need you, aside from the fact that it shows a great deal of disrespect to their time. My advice for you is that on the day scheduled to your interview is to think of everything that can go wrong transportation wise especially. Prepare yourself for all the small things that can go wrong as well, such as the outfit you picked out is still at the dry cleaners, or you've burned it while ironing it. So think of at least three different outifts you can wear at the interview that will give you that serious, professional look. Think of three different hair styles you can make (if you're a girl). And most importantly think of at least 4 different routes you can take to get there on time. Decide your transportation before hand, study the traffic on the streets that day to avoid getting stuck ona a traffic jam. If everything you plan and try go terribly wrong call the company to inform them you'll might be late and explain the reasons why. Calling them and justifying why you'll probably be late will show them how much you care and respect them, and it's a good damage control.
4. Study the company you want to work at: Something that not everybody does is to study the company they're applying to. One of the questions you'll be asked is why you want to work at that companyand what you know about it. Not knowing will sure remove you from the list of a second call, because it will show them that you didn't care enough to know about the company, and something that many employers out there are looking for in future employees is someone who cares about the business they've founded. So accesss the company's website, read their story, how they started, all kinds of service that they provide, their place in the market. It will be a great differential to you and it will increase your chances of getting the job.
5. Pay attention to your body language: The way you sit, your hand shake, if you make eye contact or not, all of that says a lot about you. People can read you based on those things, so sit up straight, give a firm but not too tight hand shake, make eye contact, people that can't make eye contact, hardly ever connect to the people speaking to them, and it can give the impression you're trying to hide something, or lying, although you might just be nervous. My recommendation is to practice your answers in front of your mirror while you look at yourself. That has been proven to boost your confidence and you'll feel way more comfortable afterwards.
6. Be professional and be yourself: The minute you are called to start your job interview, don't be afraid to be yourself but don't forget you're there to show all your professional skills ad why you're fit for the job. Speak clearly and don't be afraid to be passionate about your skills and the past experiences, you can be enthusiastic, but pay attention to your tone of voice, enthusiasm can be shown without raising your tone of voice. When asked a question you don't need to answer right away, but also don't take too long to answer, you can take short pauses to formulate your answer, it will show you're being natural and thoughtful about it.
7. Be positive: When asked about why you left your previous job pay attention to what you say, especially if you had a bad experience that led you to be either fired or made you quit. Instead of going on about the bad things that happened, briefly describe what happened without giving much detail, and focus on what you've learned from it. Remember that both good and bad things can bring us learning. And if you allow that one bad experience to contaminate you, and you spend a long time complaining about it, that will definately affect on the employer's decision of hiring you or not.
8. Ask your questions too: At some point of the interview the employer might want to know if you have any questions to ask him or her about the job, about them, about the company. So have a list of questions prepared, you can ask about your possible future salary, work conditions etc. Candidates that don't have questions to ask don't usually get the job, it again shows they didn't care much about that opportunity, so be different, it's the small things such as this that can make you jump to the top of the list of hiring options.
These are my advices to you all looking for jobs right now. Please let me know what else you find important to have in a resumé or do during in a job interview and share your experiences with us
