Jeff Lipschultz, Author at Job-Hunt

How to Connect With Recruiters On LinkedIn (with Sample Messages)

Jeff Lipschultz — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 21:50:33 +0000

Be easily found by recruiters if you want them to connect with you on LinkedIn and share their job openings.

LinkedIn is THE social network for job search, so it is definitely the place to be.

5 Ways to Add Recruiters on LinkedIn to Your Network

Building on the information in the previous article, take these steps to add recruiters to your LinkedIn Network.

1. Search for Recruiters on LinkedIn.

Adding recruiters to your network takes only a little effort on your part. You can find members by typing the word “recruiter” (singular not the plural form) in the search box, and then entering your current (or desired) location in the “Location” box.

You can also search by employer name and connection level (1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree). Click on “All Filters” on the right side of the “People filters” bar to see all of the search options.

To find people with whom you share a school, type the school name into the search box or click on your school name in your Profile.

If you know the recruiter’s name, simply type it into the search bar, and LinkedIn will show you the person’s Profile link. When you know the person’s name, you don’t need to be connected at any level to see their LinkedIn Profile.

If you’re in the same LinkedIn Group(s), you can leverage that to send an invite. Or you can use InMail or a common connection for an introduction. It is important to state a little bit about you so that your invite does not seem too generic.

For a LinkedIn invitation message to a recruiter, I would simply say something along the lines of:

Hi [first name], I am currently in a job search and connecting with others to build my professional network. You appear to be a recruiter who might be interested in my background for current or future roles you seek to fill. Feel free to request my resume once we connect on LinkedIn.

Much appreciated,
Name

If the recruiter doesn’t reach out with a LinkedIn message or an email AFTER connecting, a follow-up message can be:

Thanks for connecting with me on LinkedIn. As mentioned, I’d be happy to provide you with a resume for future opportunities. I am mainly looking for roles such as x, y, and z. I am currently at a level of (Manager, Director, etc.), but am open to all levels of responsibility or sole-contributor.

Thanks again,
Name

You can also grow your network by leveraging LinkedIn’s PEOPLE YOU MAY KNOW tool in the “My Network” section — some of these folks suggested to you are 2nd degree connections that you actually know. Some you will not know, but will be good people to network with. Reach out with a customized invitation to connect.

2. Become More Visible on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn offers ever-increasing ways to grow your visibility, but do tread carefully. Avoid being rude or nasty, and pick your topics carefully.

Join LinkedIn Groups relevant to your profession, employer, and industry. Share and make professional comments in Group “conversations.” Share updates from your LinkedIn home page — industry news and other information relevant and important to professionals like you.

If you like to write and can write well, publish articles on LinkedIn. As usual, the best idea is to stay “on topic” for you and your profession. When an article is published, share it in your updates, on Twitter and Facebook, and your other professional visibility.

3. Use Keywords to Describe Yourself AND to Demonstrate Credibility Throughout Your Profile

It is still good advice to use keywords in your job descriptions—at least a few sentences beyond your title. Just because you list Software Developer, doesn’t mean a recruiter knows the kind of programs you worked on or what tools you used.

Endorsements:

Beyond job descriptions, it is very easy to share your skill set on LinkedIn using the Skills section which includes Endorsements by other members, hopefully. These are not as substantial as Recommendations, but as you collect Endorsements for your top skills, you’ll build credibility and are more visible in LinkedIn Recruiter searches.

Feel free to endorse others as they will be notified and likely endorse you in return. As long as you are accurate in picking skills in which they excel, I see no reason not to “trade endorsements.”

[Read 4 Steps to Leverage LinkedIn Skills & Endorsements for a More Powerful Profile for more information.]

Recommendations:

Recommendations are now listed within each position you have held. All the more reason to ask for recommendations (just a few per job will do) to validate the work you did. In the past, some readers of your Profile may have missed the Recommendations at the bottom, but now they are very noticeable.

Volunteering/Causes:

Another nice feature in LinkedIn is the Volunteer Experience Section of Background. This can be leveraged to share your non-work activities that round out your personality. For some hiring managers or recruiters, it may give them an ice-breaker to start a conversation with you (they might even have similar experiences).

[Read the 25 Best Keywords for Your Job Search. Also check out 10 Steps to Better Ranking in LinkedIn Search for more detailed LinkedIn SEO strategies.]

4. Provide Contact Info

Details for contacting you are at the top of your Profile in the “See contact info” in your Profile’s “Introduction Card” which is the top section of your Profile. You can include email, telephone, address, websites, and Twitter. Do NOT make your home address or birthdate visible!

Depending on your Profile settings and use of InMail, not everyone will be able to see your email address. So, recruiters may not see your email address to contact you directly (outside of LinkedIn) unless you place that information in your Profile’s Summary. This is a personal decision as you may get a lot of email from recruiters, depending on your abilities and experience.

By the way, if you don’t want recruiters contacting you about contractor roles (or permanent roles), feel free to state this. They tend to listen. If you only want to take on side projects, share that, too.

Also, I highly recommend you use your personal email as the link in your LinkedIn account/mail. You might be surprised to hear how many job seekers I’ve seen using the work email. Not usually a good idea.

[Read Safely Publish Your Contact Information for more details.]

5. Be Open to Connections

LinkedIn has evolved to be a “place” to make contacts, not just archive the ones you already have. Employers know that smart employees are always building their networks (heck, your boss probably is, too).

Inside LinkedIn, your visiblity in LinkedIn People search results depends on the number of connections you have since search results include only people in your network (1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree connections). So, the more connections you have inside of LinkedIn, the greater your LinkedIn visibility will be.

On your Profile, LinkedIn now has a section near the top called “Articles and Activity” which includes anything you’ve shared with the LinkedIn world. While LinkedIn automatically makes anything you publish visible to your 1st-degree connections, anyone can “Follow” you by simply clicking that button on your Profile.

If you don’t want to allow anyone not a 1st degree connection to follow you, you can opt out in your Profile’s Settings & Privacy controls.

Bottom Line on Connecting With Recruiters on LinkedIn

Particularly in the USA, but increasingly across the globe, LinkedIn remains the go-to resource for recruiters and hiring managers to learn more about your professional experience. Some hiring managers will also use it to determine common connections and ask those connections of yours about you (without you knowing). Even the simplest of Profiles gives you a chance to be found by recruiters, but the more you put into it, the more likely it can lead to connections to your next job.

If you haven’t read the first part of this series, here it is — How to Be Found by Recruiters on LinkedIn.

More About Working with Recruiters:

About the author…

Job-Hunt’s Working with Recruiters Expert Jeff Lipschultz is a 20+ year veteran in management, hiring, and recruiting of all types of business and technical professionals. He has worked in industries ranging from telecom to transportation to dotcom. Jeff is a founding partner of A-List Solutions, a Dallas-based recruiting and employment consulting company. Learn more about him through his company site alistsolutions.com. Follow Jeff on LinkedIn and on Twitter (@JLipschultz).
More about this author…

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9 Tips to Ace Your Phone Interview

Jeff Lipschultz — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 21:44:15 +0000

You’ve worked hard to network to a company of interest and potential job you would love.

And finally, you get the good news and bad news.

You have received a invitation to interview!

But, the first step in their hiring process is an interview over the phone.

No dressing up. No big smiles and firm handshakes. Whew! But…

Phone Interview Tips

You are going to have to impress the company over the telephone lines.

This can seem like a strong barrier to overcome. Actually, with the right approach, phone interviews can be seen as an advantage to interviewees.

Consider these tips to help you stand out from the crowd. Also be sure to thoroughly prepare for your phone interview and practice your answers to common interview questions.

1. Start Strong

When meeting an interviewer in person, you are able to give a firm handshake, smile, and start with a pleasant greeting. During a phone screening, you need to make a great first impression without body language.

Make sure you show your enthusiasm for the job by immediately saying,

“Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with me today. I’ve been looking forward to this call.”

The tone of your voice should be upbeat and sound genuine about the statement.

2. Maintain a Conversational Tone

Many candidates start strong during the interview and then fade before the end. Your tone should stay upbeat and friendly.

I often tell candidates that interviewers can practically “hear your smile” over the phone.

Consider how you sound when you talk about something exciting with one of your friends.

Do not give answers that are too short or non-descriptive.The interviewer is trying to gauge your interest and cultural fit with the company by how you sound. With this in mind, you shouldn’t come across as too cocky (confident is fine — overly confident turns people off).
Speaking too fast makes you sound nervous. If you have a strong accent, talking quickly can make you hard to understand. Maintain a nice and easy pace. A conversational tone will convey that you are at ease speaking with the interviewers, too.
Humor can be tough over the phone, and sarcasm is a no-no. It’s hard to convey humor when you cannot wink or smile. Of course, if the interviewer says something clearly intended to be funny, you should laugh a bit.

If you are comfortable standing while talking, you can fill your lungs better and project (which makes you sound confident). Just make sure you don’t start pacing — the extra movement may become a distraction.

3. Be Sure to Listen

Many people I know feel they are great communicators. However, most think of this only as delivering a message.

Half (or more) of good communication is listening.

During the interview, it is important to help the process go smoothly (usually there is a limited amount of time).

Respect the time limit.Usually, a limited amount of time is scheduled for the interview, so making interviewers repeat the question can be a little annoying. And, don’t take 10 minutes to answer a question. Be brief, but focused on the job and the employer.
Listen! If you don’t listen to the questions carefully and end up answering the “wrong question,” you are conveying you’re a bad listener. Hiring managers often feel that bad listeners tend to not follow directions well.
It is also very important to not interrupt. Make sure the interviewer has finished their sentence before answering (wait for a pause). If you do start talking over each other, you be the one to stop, and let them reset the conversation.

[For more detials, read Interview Success Secret: Smart Listening!]

4. Eliminate Distractions

Make sure you are in a quiet place where you will not have background noise.

It is preferable to use a landline phone and not your cell phone (which could have poor reception, drop the call unexpectedly, or have battery issues).
Speaker phones or Bluetooth devices are not a good idea as they tend to distort your voice or make you harder to hear.
Have a glass of water handy in case you need it.

You should also eat a light snack an hour before the call so you are not distracted by your stomach growling.

5. Don’t Overdo It

When interviewing in person, you can watch the interviewer taking notes and see if they are engaged in your answers. When they stop writing, you’ve probably said enough in answering the question.

“Blindfolded” on the phone, you cannot do this. Instead, you have two choices.

You can pause when you think you’ve said enough, and see if they jump in with the next question.
Alternatively, you can simply ask, “Did I provide you with enough insight/examples or would you like more information?”

6. Take Advantage of Being Unseen

There are several advantages of being unseen:

You can wear comfortable clothes.
You should have your resume/notes/questions strategically spread across the desk so you can reference key answers to phone interview questions you know you’ll be asked. [Have your Interview Checklist in front of you.]
Plus, you can have one little page of reminders taken from this article to make sure you don’t slip into bad habits.

In some ways, being unseen takes some of the pressure off. You don’t have to be aware of your posture, eye contact, or facial expressions. But don’t let this aspect lull you into a false sense of security. You still have to remain on top of your game the whole time.

7. Interview Them

Although a phone interview can be less formal than an on-site one, you should still be equally prepared to ask questions of the interviewer.

Asking good questions about the company vision, challenges, or products can help convey your interest in the opportunity and provide you with more insight on whether you want the job.

8. Watch the Time

You should anticipate that you may run out of time towards the end, so prioritize your questions.

If they do have to stop the interview, you can ask for their e-mail address and permission to send a few more questions to them (which is also a great opportunity to thank them for their time and reiterate your strong interest in the position).

Read Questions to Ask the Interviewers — choose the best questions for you to ask them from these 50+ possibilities.

9. End on a High Note

Make sure to state that you are, “Looking forward to next steps, and meeting [them] in person.”

Ask them about the possible timing of the next steps, and let them know you will make every effort to accommodate their schedules to have the on-site visit.

It’s important to share that you’ve learned enough through what they’ve shared and asked that you’ve solidified your interest in this position.

A Note on Video Conferencing

Skype and its equivalents have become more popular in the interviewing process. This adds a little more complexity. I recommend practicing with a friend before the interview. You need to get used to looking at your camera so you’re “looking at your interviewer.” You should look professional, but don’t put on a suit/tie.

For more about succeeding with Skype and other video interviews, read 5 Tips for Acing Your Video Interview, 10 Keys to Success in One-Way Video Interviews, and Handline Your Video Interview.

More from Jeff about job interviews: his free ebook Successful Job Interviewing: What Job Candidates Need to Know and his articles listed below.

More About Job Interviews:

More About Working with Recruiters:

About the author…

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Behavioral Interview Questions & Answers: Top Tips & Samples

Jeff Lipschultz — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 21:29:41 +0000

Interviewers often use “behavioral interview questions” in job interviews today to learn about how job candidates behave.

The reason employers ask behavioral questions is to understand how the job candidate handles different — often difficult — situations, demonstrating their “soft skills.”

Behavioral questions typically start with, “Tell me about a time when you…” or “Describe how you have handled…” or “Give me an example of…” or even “Walk me through…”

While these questions may feel like a trap when you are asked, that’s really not the employer’s intent (most of the time).

They are looking for insight into the job candidate’s behavior beyond the questions traditionally asked (read Smart Answers to Interview Questions for those).

Common Things Employers Seek When They Ask Behavioral Based Questions During Interviews

Your answers to these questions should demonstrate your personal qualities and illustrate those “soft skills” often relentlessly claimed on resumes.

Behavioral interview questions typically focus on common problems faced at work. Employers are looking for examples that you have demonstrated key soft skills like these:

Problem-solving, initiative, judgement
Handling stress, resilience, adaptability
Analytical skills, creativity
Persuasiveness, negotiation
Attention to detail, planning and organizing
Integrity, reliability, motivation
Team building, leadership, management

To be well-prepared, think about situations where you had to put these abilities into action, and make sure they are listed on your interview checklist. Your “stories” about these experiences can provide concrete answers to behavioral interview questions.

Samples on How to Best Answer Behavioral Interview Questions

Many of the behavioral questions follow a pattern where each have certain soft skills in mind.

A key to handling these questions is to anticipate which skill sets they will likely ask about and have answers ready.

I have provided some popular skills along with related questions or thoughts for you to consider as you develop your answers:

Tell me about a time when you handled a challenging situation.

Did you have an irate client? Did the boss leave you in charge? Did you need to find compromise among your team?

For example:

On Project XYZ at Company 123, I was unexpectedly thrust into a team lead role and had two team members who hated working with each other.

So I designed a project planning meeting that would get the three of us talking about best ways to approach the project and leverage each of their strengths. The results were excellent as we delivered the project on time and on budget.
This answer showcases skills/traits of leadership, adaptability, strategic planning, getting consensus, teamwork, among others.
Tell me about a time when you made a mistake and how you handled it.

Did you leverage problem-solving skills? Did you need to act humbly? Did you need to rebuild trust? How do you avoid making that mistake again?

For example:

Last year, I made a terrible mistake while adding financial information to our company’s bookkeeping system. It lead to a shortfall in available funds at a critical time. I was actually the one who discovered my mistake first. When I did, I was able to figure out how it happened and what needed to be done about it.

With a plan in hand, I talked to my supervisor and asked that I be responsible for fixing the mistake and calling all effected parties required to remedy it, including our bank. Fortunately, this was caught soon enough that very limited impact occurred, and I was able to prove I was capable of fixing the problem myself.

As a result of that mistake, I developed a method to quickly do a final review and verification of the data before publishing it, added that step to our publishing protocol, and I haven’t made that mistake again.
This answer showcases skills/traits of honesty, taking ownership, good communication, sound accounting practices, loyalty, problem-solving, analytical thinking, quick thinking, and ability to deliver bad news, among others.
Tell me about a time when you (or your boss) made an unpopular decision that had to be executed by your team.

Did you need to work hard to get buy-in or to motivate the team? Did people threaten to quit? What did you learn from the experience?

For example:

I was working on a project last year that fell behind schedule. My boss asked me to mandate to the team that they work overtime until the project was completed.

I knew this would be a very touchy request as the team had been working hard already and not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Plus, the schedule slippage was not their fault, but actually our vendor’s.

Before I shared the request with the team, I built a project plan on how we could “share the load” of the overtime hours. I also created a strategy on how to partner closer with our vendor along the way to ensure no more schedule slippages.

When I presented the request to the team, I included how we were going to get out of this stage as quickly as possible. Just as importantly, I shared how the company views our team as dedicated to the cause and willing to do whatever it takes.

I also made sure they knew we were not being blamed for the project delay, but instead, the company valued our contributions. I made a point to mention how the plan would affect the company’s bottom line, too.

Through this experience, I learned the importance of developing a detailed recovery plan, identifying and managing the key variables. Positively communicating that plan kept team morale high and made the project completion possible.

This answer showcases strategic thinking in several ways, both how to fix problems as they occur and how to effectively communicate while under high pressure. The focus on building consensus and teamwork also is evident when talking about how the team is viewed and allowing them to understand the tradeoffs.

Sharing all the facts and being open to direct reports is a quality many value in a leader, too.
Tell me about a time when you were in direct conflict with a peer and how was it resolved.

Did you resolve it using your own skills or was external help required? Why did the conflict happen in the first place? How would you avoid this conflict in the future?

For example:

I was working on a project last year with a colleague. Our internal client told us our solution was not adequate and we needed to start over. My peer blamed me for the failure even though the majority of the design ideas were his.

He was clearly upset about what had happened. In the past, I would have likely argued my point of being the minor player in the design, but I decided to “take the high road,” and just focus on what to do next.

Since he was still not thinking rationally about the direction to take, I took the reins subtly and started asking how could we address the aspects the client didn’t like by finding modifications or improvements.

I got his mind percolating again on the task, and we collaborated on several options and presented a new version we both agreed had the best chance of being successful.

Ultimately, the client was happy, and better yet, the working relationship was improved between us.

This answer showcases how one approaches a very touchy situation with grace and maturity. It also highlights how to move forward in tough situations, find consensus, problem-solve, and harness the power of team (going alone on the project was not an option).

As I said, many of these questions are asked to understand how you leveraged certain abilities (more than the actual outcome).

For another example of a tough behavioral interview question, read: Tell Me About a Time When You Failed. Find more answer examples at the bottom of this article.

The Finer Points on Answering Common Behavioral Based Questions During Interviews

Don’t feel you must immediately provide an answer.

Think about the question before you answer — which of the examples of your accomplishments would provide an answer to the question asked?

Ask for a clarification, if that would be helpful.

Or simply say something like,

That’s an interesting question. Let me think about that for a second…

Then, after a short pause while you gather your thoughts, use the strategies described below to answer the questions successfully.

Be sure to give enough details to make it clear that you are describing a genuine experience. When appropriate, use the same example to answer more than one of the behavioral interview questions.

Expect follow-up questions asking for clarification or requesting more details about the situation.

Throughout the process of answering these types of questions you will be slipping in the soft skills you leveraged (see my other article on discussing your Soft Skills during the interview).

The Bottom Line with Behavioral Interview Questions & Answers

Don’t be intimidated. Think of these questions as opportunities to share how you have succeeded in your work. Prepare by analyzing the job, determining both the hard and soft skills needed for the job, and then noting examples of how you have handled similar situations in the past, demonstrating that you have those soft skills.

More Help for Succeeding in Your Job Interviews:

Smart Answers to Common Interview Questions — how to successfully answer the non-behavioral interview questions
Successful Job Interviewing: What Job Candidates Need to Know — my short, free ebook
Interview Questions in a Post-COVID Pandemic World — asking and answering pandemic-related questions
Job Interview Success Secret: Your Relevant Stories
3 Steps to Interview Success: Build Your Interview Checklist — essential interview preparation
The S-T-A-R Method of Answering Interview Questions — a structure for your stories
Guide to Writing Thank You Notes After a Job Interview

More About Different Types of Job Interviews

About the author…

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21 Common Job Interview Questions & Answers

Jeff Lipschultz — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 21:27:41 +0000

The number of questions that can be asked by Human Resources, the hiring manager, and other interviewers is limitless.

These are some of the most commonly asked questions and my thoughts on how to answer them in a way that makes you memorable in a positive way.

Even these “boring, standard, or basic questions” can have unique and useful answers — your best answers — smart answers to these questions!

Samples of Short Interview Questions & Answers

Take the time to read these questions and to have carefully thought about how you would answer each when asked.

Before the interview, review the job description, and customize your answers to the employer and the specific opportunity.

Preparation is the key to interview success. There are no perfect interview answers, but there are good answers to important questions that can help you differentiate yourself from other job applicants. Use the Interview Checklist to identify and document your match with the job description.

How to Answer the Most Common Questions During Online or In-Person Interviews

Poor preparation is a common job interview mistake, demonstrating to the employer a lack of interest. Using your checklist (above), develop your answers to these common interview questions, following the adivce (below) for each question.

MORE:

Interview Questions in a Post-COVID Pandemic World – questions to be prepared to answer and also questions for you to ask an employer to understand how they react to major economic/health crises. More:
Smart Strategies to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions. These are the “Tell me about a time when you…” or “Give me an example of when you…” questions, with more sample answers.

Examples of Best Interview Answers for Questions About You:

Employers want to understand more about you and how you might fit into their organization.

1. Question: Tell me about yourself.

One of the most common questions in an interview is “Tell me about yourself.” Actually, it is not even a question — it is an invitation.

Your answer to this question is your opportunity to share with the interviewer whatever you think is important about you in their hiring decision.

More importantly, it is your chance to differentiate yourself from other candidates. In most cases, the standard questions offer the same opportunity.

[MORE: How to Answer: Tell Me About Yourself (with sample answers).]

2. Question: What do you want?

Don’t interpret this as a philosophical question about your plans for family, retirement, or dinner. The reality is that a potential employer is looking to see if your career aspirations and professional work satisfaction are achievable within their framework. If you want to be a CEO within five years, that may not be a good match for them.

Focus on them: With that in mind, you will want to know if this job and their organization are a good fit for you. So, instead, share the qualifications, experience, and desires you have that fit this opportunity. Make it clear that this job has all the elements you’re looking for in a role (know what these are).

[MORE: How to Answer: What Do You Want?]

3. Question: Where do you see yourself in five years?

Employers don’t necessarily care to hear that you expect to climb the corporate ladder and be a supervisor.

If the job you’re interviewing for is not a supervisor, they probably are not concerned about your management skills. You can share how you have been a mentor to others and led projects with little to no supervision. That should indicate you have leadership potential.

Focus on them: In five years, you should have made a significant impact to the company’s bottom line. Think about how you can achieve this in the role you are interviewing for. In technology careers, advancing your skills is important, too. You should be able to share what areas you want to strengthen in the near term (but be careful that they are not areas of expertise that the company needs now).

[MORE: How to Answer: Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years? (with sample answers).]

4. Question: Why should we hire YOU?

This is clearly a differentiation question. What you want to tell them is: they’d be crazy not to they hire you.

Focus on them: You need to only share how you meet almost all the criteria they seek, and also have two to three additional abilities that they might not even know they need…yet. They need to know you are a candidate who can not only meet their needs now, but will also be valuable for where they want to go in the future.

Are they likely to need another skill set as they grow as a company?
Or maybe you have skills that you noticed are in another job description they are looking to fill?

You can help out with those deliverables until they find someone (or be a backup to the person they hire).

Have you been down a path already that they are currently starting? Having “lessons learned” to offer them is a very strong plus for a job candidate.

[MORE: How to Answer: Why Should We Hire You? (with sample answers).]

5. Question: Why do you want THIS job?

There should be a heartfelt answer on this one. Your gut should be giving you the answer.

Although, if the reason is about money, location, work schedule, benefits, and other factors not tied to actual role, you may want to think a little more about your answer. None of those reasons are important to the hiring manager.

Focus on them: They want to hear that this job is exactly what you’ve been thinking about as a next step in your career.

Of course, the follow-up question they’ll ask is: How so?

Be prepared to answer with your rationale for how this job meets your professional needs and how you can contribute at your highest potential while in this role. People want to feel like their work means something. There is nothing wrong with sharing that feeling in a thoughtful way.

[MORE: How to Answer: Why Do You Want This Job? (with sample answers).]

6. Question: How do people describe you?

Here’s another opportunity to differentiate yourself. Everyone claims to be: a hard worker, good communicator, and team player.

But how many are a: problem-solver, game-changer, leader in the industry?

Be creative, and have stories to back it up. The interviewer will want to know why someone thinks you are one of these things.

Focus on them: You want to present attributes that make you sound like the go-to guy or gal wherever you work. Even the standard answers can be taken a step further to be more valuable:

Yes, they want hard workers, but most likely that’s commonplace at their office. Maybe you work hard, but also help others work fewer hours (by helping them do their job better or making their jobs easier).
Good communicators are everywhere. But this does not mean just speaking well. It includes active listening. Do you hear things that others don’t? Do you understand things quickly? Can you figure out what people are trying to tell you through other clues (body language, for example)?
Being a good team player is expected, too. But what does this really mean? Getting along with everyone? That’s not hard to do if you’re a nice person. Pulling your weight in the office? Again, expected. What have you done, beyond your job description, that saved the team from a disaster or helped them make an impossible deadline? Have you won an award for this?

7. Question: What is your greatest weakness?

I hate the “greatest weakness” question. Everyone knows it’s a trap, and everyone knows the candidate is going to say something trite (popular example: “I’m a perfectionist”).

Focus on them: Don’t pick a weakness that will disqualify you for the job, but do give a real answer.

When you give a real answer, you are being genuine. You are admitting you have some growth opportunities and are not perfect. But you can include that you already have a plan to overcome this weakness through training or practice (or have already started down this road).

Some people even insert a little humor in their answer—“I wish I was better at tennis.” You can, too, if you feel like the interviewer has a sense of humor. But, be sure to quickly follow with a serious answer. Showing you have a lighter side is usually a good thing.

[MORE: How to Answer: What Is Your Greatest Weakness?]

8. Question: What is your greatest strength?

Your greatest strength is something they actually need.

Don’t choose something irrelevant to the job or the employer, like your skill in Sudoku (unless Sudoku expertise is a requirement for this job).

Focus on them: You have many strengths, but pick the one they need help with the most. Is it your expertise in a particular skill or technology? Is it your ability to turn low-performing teams into high performers? Share something that makes them think they need to hire you…right now.

If they often outsource or hire consultants in a key area of your expertise, you’re in their sweet spot for candidates.

[MORE: How to Answer: What Is Your Greatest Strength?]

9. Question: What is your greatest accomplishment (or achievement)?

Consider this question an invitation to do some bragging about what you have achieved in your career that can benefit this new employer. By asking this question, the interviewers are inviting you to share an achievement/accomplishment which provides proof that you are the best candidate for this job

Focus on them: Choose a recent accomplishment, if possible, that demonstrates your ability to do this job very well. Have several good examples prepared before the interview.

Like your greatest strength, your greatest accomplishment aligns with something they need. Again, as with strengths, while you have many accomplishments you could describe, the smartest strategy is to focus on your recent accomplishments that make it clear you can do their job very well.

Be truthful and also be very careful about treating this question casually. Advanced preparation is the smartest strategy.

Hopefully, your LinkedIn Profile and your resume reference this accomplishment or situation in some way.

[MORE: How to Answer: What Is Your Achievement/Accomplishment? (with sample answers)?]

10. Question: Why do you want to leave your current job?

This can be a deal-breaker question.

Obviously, if you say you hate your current boss or company, the interviewer will naturally believe you will hate them eventually. And, if you say, your current compensation or role is below your standards, they will again assume the worst.

Although these may be legitimate reasons to leave a job, there must be other reasons, too.

Your current company or department may have become unstable (hopefully the interviewer’s company is very stable).
Your current employer may not be able to offer you any professional growth (the interviewer’s should be able to do this).

Do you see a pattern here? Highlight a reason that the hiring manager cannot be concerned about.

Of course, if you have an issue that is very important to you that could be a deal-breaker (like company culture), you can mention it. Just be prepared for them to take one extreme or the other. For example, maybe you only want to work for companies that buy from vendors in your home country. The hiring manager will let you know if their company does this. And if they don’t, I guess the interview is over.

[MORE: How to Answer: Why You Want to Leave Your Current Job? (with sample answers).]

11. Question: Do YOU have any questions?

My simple advice is: yes, you had better have questions.

When I hired people to work on my teams in the past, I expected interviewees to have questions.

This is your chance to “interview the interviewer.” In essence, to learn about the company, the role, the corporate culture, the manager’s leadership style, and a host of other important things.

Candidates who are genuinely interested in the opportunity, ask these types of questions. Those who don’t ask questions give the impression they’re “just kicking the tires” or not really too concerned about getting the job.

It is imperative that you ask questions that do three things:

Show you did some research about the company.
Mention something else (related, but interesting) about you.
Will have an interesting answer or prompt a good discussion.

When given the floor to ask questions, you should realize the interview is not over yet. Good candidates know this is another time to shine.

[MORE: 50+ Good Questions for You to Ask the Interviewers, 5 Key Questions to Ask in Second (and Subsequent) Interviews, and 45 Questions You Should NOT Ask in a Job Interview.]

12. Question: When can you start?

Be careful about this question for several reasons:

It doesn’t mean that you have “landed the job.” They may be just checking to add that to their notes. You must keep your guard up until you are in your car and driving away from the interview.

If you are currently employed, you should be honest about the start date and show professionalism. You should tell them you would have to discuss a transition with your current company to see if they require a two-week notice (or some other timing). If you currently have a critical role, your potential new employer would expect a transition period.

If you can start right away (and they know you are not currently employed), you certainly can say you’re able to start tomorrow. Sense of urgency and excitement about starting work at the new company is always a good thing.

[MORE: How to Answer: When Can You Start? (with sample answers).]

Best Interview Answers for Salary Questions:

These are scary questions that need to be answered carefully. Your answers will likely impact any job offer you may receive.

13. Question: What is your current salary?

This question is illegal for an employer to ask in many locations in the USA (listed here).

In addition, asking for your current salary is inappropriate because that salary is being paid by a different employer for a different job (even if the job titles are the same) in a different environment (maybe even different geography, industry, or size of company).

If this question is legal in the employer’s location, and even if it is not legal, be prepared to answer. You can probably dodge the question for a while by offering your salary expectations (see below) for the job and/or asking for the typical salary band for this role in their company.

[MORE: What Is Your Current Salary? (with sample answers)]

14. Question: What are your salary expectations?

This question is the start of the salary negotiation, in case they decide to make you an offer (unfortunately an offer is not guaranteed just because they ask).

Reality is that salary is on part of the employer’s “compensation package” which may include other items of very high value, like bonuses, tuition reimbursement, healthcare, paid vacation, and other benefits.

Be prepared by researching what most employers in your location pay for this type of job; if you can, find out what this employer pays for the job. Conduct your research on sites like PayScale, Salary.com, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and Google.

When you do answer, provide a salary range rather than a specific number, and indicate that it is variable depending on the benefits they offer. Be sure you are comfortable with a salary at the bottom of this range.

[MORE: What Are Your Salary Expectations? (with sample answers)]

Best Interview Answers for Questions About Them:

15. Question: Why do you want to work here?

This is a key indicator of how interested you really are in the employer and the job. The answer to this question has two aspects:

The content
Your delivery

Focus on them:

Content — Employers want to know you feel you can fit in at the company quickly. That means not only deliverables in the job description, but also your fit with the company culture. You will likely have to do some homework to answer this one. You need to understand the reasons why others enjoy working there. Is it a great place to advance your skills, have great challenges to add to your resume, or will it allow you to grow as a professional?
Delivery — The delivery must be genuine. If a hiring manager feels you’re just “telling them want they want to hear,” but don’t mean it…well, the interview is over in their mind. They want to know this is not just a job and paycheck. They want to hear this is what you want to do and the best place to do it.

[MORE: How to Answer: Why Do You Want to Work Here? (with sample answers).]

16. Question: What do you know about us?

This is actually a test. If you know very little, it is an indication that you are not very serious about working there.

Focus on them: Candidates who are really excited about the prospect of working there have done their homework. If you really want to stand out, learn more than what is listed on their web site.

Do some heavy research — perhaps find some articles on the company that not many would know about. It may even come up in conversation spontaneously, and you can show them a copy of the article (I have had this happen to me).

[MORE: How to Answer: What Do You Know About Us? (with sample answers).]

17. Question: How did you find this job?

You may have found the opportunity through research on ideal jobs where you can make the most impact and hope to grow professionally.

I would also hope you looked for companies that you feel meet your standards for corporate culture, investment in employees, successful business model (or perhaps giving back to community), and any other aspects you feel are important to you.

Make sure you can go into a little detail on what you found in your research.

The “job” may have found you. In that case, you can say you were contacted by HR or a recruiter who felt you were a good fit. But don’t leave it there.

You should still mention you did your homework and verified that this is right for you — as a potential contributor to the company’s success, and as a good match for what you’re looking for in an employer.

[MORE: How to Answer: How Did You Find This Job? (with sample answers).]

Best Interview Answers About Special Career Situations:

18. Question: Why did you quit your last job?

This is a tough one. Typically, you should not quit a job until you have accepted another job.

However, life doesn’t always allow that to happen. Did you quit because you couldn’t spend enough time looking for your next job? Perhaps the company you worked for was close to shutting down and you didn’t want to waste valuable time waiting for the last day of operation.

Certainly, there are common reasons that are understood as necessity:

Had to move to a new location for various reasons.
Family or health reasons.
Unbearable work conditions (careful here, as already discussed).

The key to answering this question is to keep it short. Don’t feel the need to expand your answer to include a lot of details.

[MORE: After You Quit, How to Answer: Why Did You Leave Your Last Job (with sample answers).]

19. Question: Why were you fired?

This is another danger zone. This is not the time for defending yourself with a long story about you being the victim.

If you made a mistake, you are going to have to try to minimize the severity of the situation.

An argument with a boss could be described as a difference in opinion. Not following orders because your moral compass told you not to could be described as “taking the high road.”

Just be careful not to cast blame on others. Consider including a “silver lining.” Did you learn a lot from the experience and now possess knowledge that will mitigate the chances of this happening again?

[MORE: After Being Fired, How to Answer: Whey Did You Leave Your Job (with sample answers).]

Laid off is not fired: If you were part of a layoff, this is different from being fired. It was likely a financial decision by management, and you were part of a group that was targeted as part of budget cuts. Layoffs are typically not personal — they are just business. Hiring managers know this (and likely have been involved in one at some point in their careers).

[MORE: If You Were Laid Off, You Weren’t Fired!]

20. Question: Why were you laid off?

Be very careful with this question. It sounds like an invitation to complain about your previous employer. Interviews are a bad time to trash anyone — even the previous employer who eliminated your job.

Let the interviewer decide on their own (if they care) about how badly management performed. Just make a simple statement about the cause of the layoff (as it was explained to you upon exit), and then quickly follow with a question about the stability of their company and history with layoffs.

[MORE: After a Layoff: Why Did You Leave Your Job? (with sample answers)]

21. Question: How do you explain your gap in employment?

I’ve dedicated a whole article to this topic (with 5 options to fill that gap). The bottom line is you should make sure to paint a picture that you were productive, improving yourself, helping family, or something constructive.

Hiring managers don’t want to hear that you felt it was time for a “long-awaited break from the rat-race.” Or “time to recharge your batteries.” The first thought that will pop into their heads: When is your next break coming? Probably in the middle of a big project we’re working on.

[MORE: Long-Term Unemployed? 5 Options to Bridge that Employment Gap and How to Answer What About that Employment Gap?]

**Close the Interview by Asking the Question if They Have Any Concerns**

You may not get a chance to address shortcomings in a follow-up interview — it is imperative to understand what was missing from the discussion while still in the interview.

After you have had a chance to ask your questions, you will want to validate that you are an ideal candidate for the job. To do this, you should probe into the minds of the interviewers and see if there are any concerns they have about you.

The key question to do this can be along the lines of:

“After discussing this job, I feel as if I would be a perfect fit for it. I’m curious to know if there is anything I said or DID NOT say that would make you believe otherwise.”

The answer you get to this question may open the door to mentioning something you did not get to talk about during the interview or clarify any potential misconception over something that was covered.

The Bottom Line on Top Interview Questions & Answers

You should think hard about how you can differentiate yourself from others — every step of the way during the interview. Be memorable in a positive way even when answering these “boring questions.” And, to be well-prepared to give smart answers to behavioral interview questions, read my article Smart Strategies to Answer to Behavioral Interview Questions

More Help for Succeeding in Your Job Interviews

As some of you know from reading my free Job-Hunt interviewing guide — Successful Job Interviewing: What Job Candidates Need to Know — I recommend building a checklist of key experiences and attributes you want to cover and find opportunities to present them during the interview. The “Standard Questions” are often times those moments.

In developing your answers to the typical questions, focus on stories rather than simply stated facts. Read my post The Secret to Job Interview Success for details on how to choose and structure those stories.

Don’t forget the important follow-up — including– email or snail mail, short or long?

Interview Preparation:

Interview Follow-Up

More About Different Types of Job Interviews

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Keeping the External Recruiter Informed

Jeff Lipschultz — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:47 +0000

External recruiters (also known as “independent recruiters” and “head hunters”), like me, can be helpful to you even though you do not pay them.

The employer pays external recruiters for referring good, qualified job candidates.

I know this may seem counterintuitive, but the reality is, they cannot do their job without you.

And if you keep them in the dark about your job situation or requirements, they will be impaired from doing their job well on your behalf.

The Recruiter Is in the Middle

Although a third-party candidate search process starts with a company contacting their external recruiter, it ends with an offer to you.

All the information passed between you and the company — outside of the interview — passes through the recruiter.

Just as you would expect accurate data coming from the company, the company wants to know accurate and relevant information about you.

Often, candidates are given advice about withholding information from the recruiter because the information will be used against the candidate. Let’s take a look at some of these examples and why that advice is bad, when applied to external (a.k.a. “independent”) recruiters.

Your Other Opportunities

Some candidates do not want to share with a recruiter that they have other active opportunities and/or may be close to an offer. They are afraid the recruiter will not present them to the company if they are nearing an offer.

You do not have to share that information until after you are presented to the recruiter’s client.

By sharing this information, the recruiter is aware that he or she must move their client along. This helps gauge the hiring manager’s interest, too. It also can make you look like a more attractive candidate.

You are not obligated to tell the recruiter who the other company is. You might want to share the range of the potential offer as the recruiter will likely share that info to make sure an offer coming from their client is competitive.

By the way, you should not make up phony “other opportunities.” I have had some candidates look silly during the process when they made up stories about an impending offer.

Your Weaknesses

It may seem like a self-defeating tactic to share your weaknesses with the recruiter.

Remember, it is their job to make sure you are a good fit.

If you do get presented, you are already “approved” to a certain degree for the position — the recruiter is putting their reputation on the line when they present you. You are much better off knowing exactly where you stand going into an interview.

The recruiter also has insider information behind the job description. By sharing where you think you exceed or come up short, you are allowing the recruiter to compare you to the “unwritten priorities.”

The client may be willing to take a related skill or knowledge instead of one they have listed. If you are weak in a critical area, the recruiter can give you advice on how to manage through that during an interview.

Common sense dictates that there is no need to waste everyone’s time if you really are not a great fit for the job. Work with the recruiter to figure this out.

Your Salary Requirements

I covered this in detail in my Starting Salary Question article; however, one thing to add here —

job offers have been withdrawn when there are disconnects in this area.

Here’s a scenario:

If you are stating you want $70,000 when your highest salary has been $52,000, you may price yourself right out of a job offer. When you interview, it may become clear from your experience and knowledge that your market value is a maximum of $60,000.

Perhaps, you are willing to take $60,000. But if you don’t share that with the recruiter and are asking too much (in the opinion of the hiring company), you are likely out of the running. Their impression of you is tarnished since you are projecting yourself as a candidate with unrealistic expectations.

Your True Interest in the Job

Sometimes candidates try to interview with companies even though they don’t want the job they are interviewing for. Their logic is they will impress the company so much that they will be in a position to ask about different jobs.

This logic is faulty. Companies do not appreciate their time being wasted.

When a recruiter is in the middle, you have the opportunity to look for the “other job” BEFORE you interview. The recruiter may know of other opportunities or may be able to “shop you around” within the company before officially presenting you.

You score a lot more points with recruiters for being up front at the beginning, than surprising them at the end.

These “points” may be worth more than you think.

Your Relocation Flexibility

Willingness to relocate for the job is typically a clear yes or no answer for most people.

Either you are willing to move or you are not. If you need to hear more about the opportunity to determine this, simply tell the recruiter this.

By listening to the background on the job, you are not committing yourself to the company.

But, if you request an interview, you are sending the message that you are willing to consider moving. You might still be in exploration mode in solidifying your decision, but you should be open to moving.

If you’re not open to moving, don’t fake it. Like in the last section, you are wasting people’s time, and that’s not a good long-term strategy (a.k.a. “buring bridges”).

A Note on Trust

Some candidates are not comfortable sharing much because they don’t trust the recruiter. If this is the case, you might not want to work with the recruiter at all. And perhaps the company is not ideal either if they employ recruiters that present themselves as distrustful. Good companies are typically careful about who they allow to represent them.

Bottom Line

Recruiters can be your partner in the process. Their job is to present qualified candidates who are a good match for what the company expects. If you are a good candidate, they will work hard to give you the opportunity to shine. If you are holding back important information, you could diminish your recruiter’s ability to help you get the job.

More About Working with Independent Recruiters:

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Who Has Your Resume?

Jeff Lipschultz — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:47 +0000

Do you know where a recruiter is sending your resume? When it comes to working with external recruiters, there is a logical time when you learn the name of their client (the company with the open position).

However, sometimes the process doesn’t play out the way it should. Here’s a scenario you may have had with a recruiter:

The recruiter calls you up out of the blue and after a quick discussion, he or she determines you are a perfect candidate for their client’s open position, and asks if you agree, based on the job description. You agree, and they say they will submit you to the client.

One problem, you don’t know who the client is. So you ask. The recruiter tells you they’ll get back to you on that after they’ve talked to the client.

At this point you may wonder, why all the secrecy?

Because some recruiters fear that – if they tell you the company name – you will immediately apply on your own in an attempt to work around the recruiter. After all, are you positive your resume will be submitted to this employer?

The lack of trust in both directions can be debilitating in this process.

Why You Should Know the Employer’s Name.

Recruiters should share with you where they are submitting your resume for several reasons:

You should have a say in who receives your resume. After researching the hiring company, you may decide you don’t want to work for them.
You may have worked for or with the hiring company before. It may not be on your resume because it was a vendor or client, so the recruiter wouldn’t know if you have some history with them.
You do not want to be double-submitted. If another recruiter has recently submitted you, you don’t want to be submitted again. This confusion over who “owns the candidate” can become an issue with the hiring company, and they may drop you altogether to avoid the issue.
You may have applied on your own already. Or have a friend who’s already put your name in. Again, to avoid an issue of whether or not the recruiter earned a commission, the original submitter should be the only submitter of your resume.

If the recruiter is not sharing the identity of the company, you need to decide if there are risks mentioned above. If you think there could be a problem, you need to state you will not allow them to submit you without this information.

With this in mind, do realize there are a few unique circumstances where you may not get to know the hiring company’s name right away.

Confidential Searches

Sometimes the hiring company does not want to advertise that they are looking for a candidate. In this case, they may ask the recruiter to only discuss the company generically (mostly the position and some on the company environment/products/services). After the hiring company has determined they would like to meet the candidate, the recruiter can provide more detail on the company.

Under these circumstances, it is unlikely there will be a double-submit situation since the recruiter is probably the only one working on the job opening (and you didn’t apply already). You still have the option to not accept the interview after being asked since you didn’t know the company name in the first conversation with the recruiter. Hopefully, the recruiter gave you enough information to at least know if you’d like the role they are offering before talking to their client about you.

By the way, it is very poor judgment to share the company name with others if the company is conducting a confidential search. It creates a broken trust between you and recruiter, which could hurt your chances for future consideration for other job openings down the road.

Additional Screening Required

In some instances, the recruiter may not feel comfortable sharing the company name until they have learned a little more about you through additional screening. This may take the form of an in-person interview, a test, or a questionnaire.

Since you will not be submitted until after this step is completed, there is no harm in going a little further in the process. Once you are deemed a qualified candidate, the recruiter should be able to share more details before submitting you.

The Job Order

One thing to keep in mind: recruiters need to know you are qualified before they tell you the company’s name. Sometimes candidates ask me right away who it is, and I have to tell them we’ll get to that shortly, but first let’s talk about the position and you.

Unfortunately, this comes back to the trust issue. Picture this scenario.

The recruiter shares who the company is right away. After the initial screening conversation, the candidate is deemed to be a poor fit for the job. The candidate immediately tells all his or her colleagues that this company is hiring. They all apply, and one of them gets the job. Because the recruiter didn’t refer the successful applicant, the recruiter is out of luck, and doesn’t get paid for the project.

This is always a risk, but if the candidate is not qualified and will not be submitted, there really is no reason for the recruiter to increase their risk of losing the opportunity.

Bottom Line

Typically the process is simple. If the recruiter did their homework upfront, they will likely submit the candidate and will share the company name during the first or second discussion (before submitting the resume). If they don’t, move forward cautiously.

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How to Figure Out What You Want in a Job

Jeff Lipschultz — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:47 +0000

When I talk to jobseekers about their career aspirations, they are sometimes tired of their current specialty.

They want to try something else.

Anything else.

Ever seen a job posting for “Anything”? No. They don’t exist.

Unfortunately, being a “generalist” really doesn’t work anymore.

Hiring managers and recruiters are not big fans of the “I can do anything” response to the question “What are you looking to do next in your career?”

Typically, hiring managers are looking for someone with very specific skills for a very specific job.

The question then becomes, “What are you qualified to do?” You might have to start over with new training or internship programs to get your foot in the door in a new field.

What Do I Want in a Job?

Often, the biggest challenge is figuring out what job you actually want, not finding the job.

What you want should be closely tied to your past experience so it isn’t viewed as too much of a leap across job boundaries.

For example, I have had clients who are willing to interview Quality Engineers who have worked in manufacturing environments but not had the specific industry exposure of plastic products required.

I have also had clients who have agreed to interview Software Developers with similar skills sets to their requirements, as long as the candidate has a proven track record of learning new programming languages.

Note that, in both of those cases, there is still a strong connection to past experience.

This connection to past experience is not quite enough to specify what you are looking for when talking to a recruiter. Nor can most recruiters figure this out for you.

Choosing your next job and career path is a very personal decision. Employers and recruiters want to talk to candidates who have already decided what they want to do.

Making a job or career change is usually easiest within the current company because that employer already knows you and your work.

Determine Your Likes/Dislikes

I often recommend that job seekers conduct the following 5-step exercise:

Identify your 7 favorite job attributes.

Think of all the things you’ve liked to do in the past both when you were working and when you were not working. Write very short (one to five words) descriptions of those things on a blank sheet of paper — as many as you can think of.

Even if some of those activities had little to do with your actual job description (i.e., bookkeeping, designing training, writing user documentation, implementing internal marketing programs, working on IT project teams). Highlight the top seven favorites on the page.
Also identify what you hate to do.

Write down all the things you’ve done that you never want to do again. Put these on a separate sheet of paper.
Find the jobs that include your top job attributes.

Research job descriptions on a job board, like CareerBuilder or Indeed.com by searching for jobs that include your top seven job attributes (stretch to the top ten, if necessary).
Research the job responsibilities with your favorite attributes.

Identify the jobs that appeal to you (save them if you can or cut and paste into your own document). Note the job titles and employer names.

Don’t lock down on job titles quite yet. Look for responsibilities you like, not titles (as those sometimes can change from company to company, industry to industry). Feel free to also use past job descriptions you’ve had if they were ideal jobs for you.
Rank the responsibilities.

Capture one long list of bulleted responsibilities and rank them from most appealing to least appealing.

Now, you have a better understanding of the jobs you would enjoy doing.

Write an Ideal Job Description

With all this work done, you can then write your ideal job description. You can add a title, but again, this might be constraining.

Make sure the job description covers the following:

Day-to-day tasks.
Long term deliverables.
Managerial responsibilities (does it have direct reports?).
Financial tasks (if any).
Application of required skills (what are the deliverables—are they tangible or theoretical?).

Be sure to exclude all of the things on your never-want-to-do-again list.

Compare your ideal job description with the job descriptions you have found and saved. Then, look at the job titles used most often for the jobs that seemed like good fits.

Choose one to three job titles that seem to be most appropriate for you, and note the industries and employers they represent.

With this “ideal job description,” you can present to hiring managers and recruiters not just a resume, but also the kind of role you are looking for. And hopefully, you’ll have a job description that you are very qualified for and matches closely to what they hire. If it does not, keep looking for other decision-makers that do.

Be sure to know your location and salary requirements before talking with recruiters, too. The more information you can share, the better they can answer the question, “Do they place candidates in jobs like the one you are searching for?”

The Bottom Line on How to Figure Out What You Want in a Job

The obvious purpose in all this effort is to have a concrete idea of what you want. Compare your ideal job description with the job postings you find so you can easily focus on jobs that are in (or near) your area of expertise.

To some, this is easy or common sense.
To others, the exercise serves as a benchmarking exercise to see where you are in your career and gauge where it is going. Or should go in the future.
For others, this can even be a wake-up call that they need to start exploring more marketable skill sets to keep up with the ever-changing job market.

There are endless possibilities out there for those who do their homework and discover new avenues to explore. And it all starts with knowing what you want, and wanting what you know.

More About Changing Your Career:

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How to Gracefully Leave Your Old Job

Jeff Lipschultz — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:47 +0000

It’s almost always exciting to start a new position, especially after looking for it for some time.

Sometimes it is easy to get so wrapped up in the prospect of a new job, one forgets how to professionally leave the current job.

Time and time again, I have seen resumes where people have returned to a former employer later on in their career.

You just never know where life will take you, and, sometimes, it takes you back to where you had your overall best experience — known as being a “boomerang” employee.

This is the number one reason (amongst many) for leaving your employer on a high note. There are many aspects regarding how to do this, but all center around good communication.

Be Prepared for a Quick Exit

Regardless of the amount of notice that an employer has requested before you leave your job (typically two weeks), do not expect that you will have two weeks to prepare and move out of your office. Some employers will end your employment the day (and the hour) you give them your notice.

Expect that when you hand in your resignation, that may be your last day of work for that employer, perhaps your last hour. Many people have shared that they were escorted out of the office, permanently, immediately after they offered their resignation.

Pre-resignation preparation is the best strategy. Prepare by:

Replacing your work contact information (particularly your work email address) with your personal contact information on sites like LinkedIn and other professional websites so you retain control of your accounts when you no longer have access to your work email account. Read How to Safely Publish Your Contact Information on LinkedIn for details.
Copying your personal information from your office and your employer’s equipment, like your work computer and work cellphone. This includes items like your performance appraisals, your professional network contacts, reports and presentations you created, etc.
Deleting personal email and text messages and other very important personal information like your passwords for your social media and other websites from your work computer and work cell phone.
Removing all personal apps from your work computer and work cellphone. Also consider deleting your browsing history.
Removing your other personal documents and personal items from your work location. If something is particularly visible, like a plant or a photograph of your family, you may want to delay removing that item until your last day at work.

As you archive information for future use or reference, pay heed to any “company confidential” or intellectual property agreements you have agreed to as part of your employment.

Communicate the Reason You Are Leaving

Typically, the best reasons for leaving a job are career growth or taking on a new type of profession — something perhaps that your current employer cannot offer you.

There are countless reasons to make a move, but the key is to make it center around you, not them.

It might be that you just want to see what else is out there, or how you can make an impact in a different way.

Or, you might be looking to work at a place that sells a product or service you really like.

Obviously, you are to steer clear of citing reasons why you don’t like working there. Being negative about your current job accomplishes little, and most times the true message is lost by time it is communicated to those who could make a change.

Basically, you gain nothing from being negative about the organization and the people you are leaving.

Often, this is what people are referring to when they warn against “burning bridges” when you change employers, or even when changing jobs within the same employer.

People often struggle with how to present this decision, and that is a natural reaction. It is not an easy message to deliver.

If you are struggling, I recommend writing a letter (not an email) and presenting it to your boss in person. Let them read it, and then discuss it with you.

Give Appropriate Notice

Professional courtesy is to offer two-week’s notice before leaving.

You might want to present an action plan of what you will accomplish during that time and how you propose to hand-off projects to others. This might seem like the boss’s job, but, when you do this for them, it makes the whole process easier. After all, one of the first things they worry about is “how am I going to make sure the work gets done?”

Occasionally, an employer opts to have you leave right away. They may not want you hanging around telling others where you’re going and that they should join you.

Other companies ask you to leave immediately due to policies regarding protection of intellectual property.

With this in mind, make sure you ask your new employer about flexibility on start date. You may have a gap in your paychecks if you’re locked into a later start date.

If You Receive a Counter-Offer…

Sometimes when a job seeker submits their resignation they get a surprise in return: a counter-offer. Quite frequently, this includes a match on salary with the new company’s offer and, sometimes, an increase in responsibility and/or better job title.

Why an Employer May Make a Counter-Offer

I’ve talked to many hiring managers about this, and many do not make counter-offers for a myriad of reasons.

Although no one likes to lose good employees, when an employee makes the hard decision to leave, most employers realize keeping them on is only trying to band-aid the situation (it will likely prove to be a temporary fix). The joy of a raise and new title is short-lived in the working world. Six month later, the employee will realize they still want to move on.

Sometimes the boss offers a counter just to protect their own reputation. Are you first to leave the group in a while or part of a trend of folks leaving? Is the timing really bad for the company?

You need to assess why the offer is being presented.

Is it simply because you are too good to lose? And if so, why did it take a resignation to prompt this kind of action?

Why Accepting a Counter-Offer Can Backfire on You

If you accept the counter, you should realize that:

You may be on “thin ice” if you stay.

Some companies will start a search for a replacement, anticipating your future departure. This is a disastrous situation as you may be potentially fired (or overlooked for future promotions).
You will have burned the bridge with the potential new employer.

If you don’t start your new job, you have wasted their time. They probably will assume you got their offer to get a counter from your current employer.

So…

Think long and hard before accepting a counter-offer.

Maintain Your Network

Make sure you connect with your colleagues via LinkedIn, or capture their contact info before you leave.

You never know when you’ll need to contact them down the road. It could be a professional request (as a potential customer), a reference (for another job), or even to hire them (maybe not at your new employer, but the one after that). If possible, stay in touch after you leave.

Networking is a constant in our professional careers, not something to be done once in a while. Hopefully, you have already done this.

The Bottom Line on Leaving for a New Job

Leaving a company is often difficult. But if done professionally and gracefully, you’ll be remembered in a positive way. Your reputation in your industry can be paramount to your long-term success. You want the company to say only how much they miss having you, not how glad they are that you left.

Read on for how to answer the question “why are you leaving your current job” in an interview.

For More Information About Finding a Job While Employed:

More About Working with Recruiters:

About the author…

The post How to Gracefully Leave Your Old Job appeared first on Job-Hunt.

How to Be a Successful LinkedIn Groupie

Jeff Lipschultz — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:47 +0000

Having a LinkedIn profile is a good start to connecting with recruiters and hiring managers, but you must do more than just create an account and list a few jobs in your profile. A few of my previous articles highlight some of the key tasks to getting noticed on LinkedIn: How to Be Found by Recruiters on LinkedIn and How to Add Recruiters to Your LinkedIn Network.

Included in these articles are mentions on being part of Groups. Beyond what is suggested in those articles, I’d like to share some more ideas on Group participation.

Successful Group Strategies

Participating in LinkedIn Groups is typically good for your online reputation and visibility (a.k.a. “personal SEO”). But some unwritten rules do apply:

No Spam

Although this should be obvious, Group leaders are looking for relevant posts to attract and keep Group members. They will block you if you continually just submit generic links, mundane information that has little to do with the intent of the Group, and worse yet, promotions of your services. If several members block you, LinkedIn may end your access.

Credibility

On the flipside of this, Groups provide the chance to build credibility. If a Group leader sees that you are continually sharing good information, they may eventually approve your contributions automatically, and you’ll become a “resident expert” within the Group.

This means you’ll pop up in different places on the Group site (maybe even as Manager’s Choice at the top of the home page) and appear as very knowledgeable and involved in your chosen community.

Participation

LinkedIn provides a forum for commenting to others’ posts, formerly known as “Discussions” and now called “Conversations.” Certainly, intelligent responses which prompt more in-depth discussion show more elements of your knowledge and communication skills. Consider these interactions as public-facing, as many will read and respond, if they are of interest.

These discussions can lead to new contacts (as LinkedIn connections) that can be helpful in many ways — not just advice on job search or introductions within their network.

Professionalism

Like not spamming other Group members, be professional. Don’t make comments or create Conversations in the Group which are confrontational or nasty. Recruiters and potential employers will see the nastiness as the symptom of someone who doesn’t know how to act professionally.

As the old saying goes, “put your best foot forward” in this venue.

Connectivity

Groups allow for recruiters to connect with you with some common bond — instead of just sending you a generic InMail message. When recruiters leverage LinkedIn to find candidates, they use keywords (which should be in your profile) to find the right candidates.

When you show up in a Group, you two already have something in common (the Group), and you have moved towards the top of the list for getting reviewed and possibly contacted. Simply put, you’re easier to interact with – even more than a third-level connection.

Feel free to connect with any recruiter in a Group that looks to be working within your field. They have selected this Group for a reason – they too, want to be found. If they are in a Java Programming Group, generally, it is not because they want to learn more about coding in Java. They want to network with Java experts.

Accessibility

When you are active in a Group, you demonstrate that you are a relatively frequent LinkedIn user. This is appealing to recruiters because it often means that if they reach out to you about a potential opportunity, you will respond relatively quickly. They can message you within LinkedIn with an expectation that you will respond within a day. [Increase your accessibility by adding contact information to your LinkedIn Profile.]

Which Groups?

You should select mainly groups that are tied to your professional interests (with a few personal favorites, perhaps—I find Facebook is better for personal interests in this regard). You are limited to one hundred groups, so pick wisely.

Stay away from groups that seem off-topic or spammy. These likely are not growing or useful, with little recruiter participation. You can always join a group, peruse the member list to see the type of people involved, and decide to leave the group. There is no penalty for doing so.

For tips on finding and selecting the best LinkedIn Groups for you, read How to Engage More Recruiters and Employers with LinkedIn Groups.

Bottom Line

LinkedIn has created these forums with good reason. It gives perfect strangers an ability to interact on a common topic. At the same time, it gives these Group participants a chance to network with all types of professionals (including recruiters and hiring managers). Don’t miss out on this important aspect to your networking efforts when seeking a new opportunity.

About the author…

The post How to Be a Successful LinkedIn Groupie appeared first on Job-Hunt.

How to Be Found by Recruiters on LinkedIn

Jeff Lipschultz — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:47 +0000

With all the rage around social media in job searching, LinkedIn stands out as the tool of choice for many recruiters to connect with job seekers (or future job seekers).

Knowing how recruiters use the tool may shed some light on how to leverage LinkedIn in your own job search efforts.

Granted, good recruiters use many social media tools to find candidates, like Facebook and Twitter.

However, LinkedIn.com is the largest social network for professionals.

LinkedIn provides the best avenue for a recruiter to quickly learn enough about a person to see if they should be contacted for a particular job opening.

Candidates need to leverage LinkedIn as much as possible to be included in these searches.

1. Have a Large LinkedIn Network

To be found on LinkedIn, you need to have a large network because…

LinkedIn search results are limited to those accounts which are the searcher’s first, second, and third level connections. If you aren’t connected to someone at one of those levels, you won’t appear in their search results.

Although many recruiters know how to search for candidates who are outside their own LinkedIn three degrees of connectivity or pay LinkedIn for that access, not all do. Therefore, the more people you are connected to, the more likely you may be connected to recruiters.

Many recruiters, especially independent recruiters who don’t work for a single employer, love invites to your network, too.

Don’t be afraid to ask recruiters to join your network — they may be unable to ask you to join their network because of LinkedIn’s built-in rules.

[More: 3 Ways to Effectively Grow Your LinkedIn Network.]

2. Use the Right Keywords to Describe Yourself

When recruiters search for candidates in LinkedIn, they focus on keywords just like the resume databases and applicant tracking systems do.

Without the right keywords, your LinkedIn Profile will not be found.

Your LinkedIn Professional Headline is the perfect place to include the right keywords for your job search. Be specific to attract recruiter attention.

No one searches for a “business professional” but they do search for a “marketing manager who understands how to leverage social media for B2B visibility and sales.” So, avoid being too general — general headlines will not be impressive or contain the right keywords.

There are also ample opportunities to sprinkle in your key abilities and skills within the Summary and Experience sections. Every job you list should include the expertise that you demonstrated in that job. Think keywords!

Read the articles in Guide to LinkedIn SEO to understand more about the techniques: 25 Best Keywords for Your Job Search, 7 Best Ways for IT Professionals to Optimize Keywords for a More Powerful LinkedIn Profile, and Choosing the Best Keywords for Your LinkedIn Profile for more information.

3. Demonstrate Your Professional Credibility

Prove that the keywords you have used to describe yourself are accurate.

LinkedIn offers many opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise, including these five:

LinkedIn Recommendations

Having recommendations within LinkedIn is a nice way to convey you are a quality candidate. But having more than two from each job looks like you are just asking everyone you know for a recommendation. This can diminish the value of the best and most articulate recommendations you have.

So, unless you have been in one job for many years, two short recommendations are best.

Recruiters sometimes ask for references who are not included in LinkedIn, so be prepared for that request.

Read How to Gather LinkedIn Recommendations for Your Job Search and How to Manage Your References to Close — not Kill — Opportunities for more details.

Your Blog, Presentations, and Videos

If you publish a blog, include it in your Profile. Add it to the contact information near the top of your Profile. Click on the “See contact info” link near the top of your Profile, and then click on the pencil icon in the dialog box that pops open to add and edit the information.

Having a blog included in your Profile adds to your credibility, too. You can show off your technical knowledge and insights as well as your writing skills.

Similarly, you can use another application, SlideShare (which is owned by LinkedIn), to post a PowerPoint presentation on related subject matter. Link those SlideShare pages to your LinkedIn Profile. These will catch the eye of the recruiter, and provide more information about you and the knowledge and skills your presentations demonstrate.

LinkedIn Posts

This may look a bit like Facebook’s news feed, but remember that it is NOT!

Keep in mind that LinkedIn is NOT Facebook, and should not be the place where you share photos of you and your child playing in the snow (unless taking care of children is your profession) or making political statements.

Use Status Updates in your Profile to share good relevant news and other helpful information, including:

Share good information posted by other professionals on LinkedIn, whether as a “post” (short discussion in the news feed) or as articles they publish on LinkedIn.
Share important happenings in your industry, and whenever you publish an article, are quoted in someone else’s article, or receive other positive visibility, share that as well.
Share images, videos, or documents you upload.
Link to good information you find (understand the LinkedIn does not distribute links to external websites as generously as it distributes content inside of LinkedIn).

Of course, if you are actively looking for a new job (and are unemployed so you safely can announce this), feel free to post a status of exactly the type of job you’re looking for.

Also, check the “Notifications” stream, and “Like” or share good information shared by others. When appropriate, comment on the others’ posts (positively and professionally, not negatively or nastily).

[Read Publishing on LinkedIn: Gain Both Visibility and Credibility, 3 Benefits of LinkedIn Status Updates for Your Job Search, and How to Leverage LinkedIn Status Updates for Your Job Search for more information.]

LinkedIn Groups

Currently, every LinkedIn member can belong to as many as 100 Groups, and over 2.1 million Groups exist.

You can be found more easily if you are a member of LinkedIn Groups for your specialty (i.e., .NET, SQL Server, Flex, Information Architects).

LinkedIn will suggest Groups for you to join if you click on the “Work” link at the top of your Profile, which opens the dialog box shown on the left here.

As the image on the left shows, you can also find Groups to join by clicking on the “Groups” icon in the options that drop down when you click on the “Work” icon at the top, right of most LinkedIn pages.

Recruiters love to scan discussions on topics related to positions they are working on in order to find “subject-matter experts.”

Posting good information or making well-informed comments on Discussions in Groups relevant to your profession, industry, or, even, location can bring you to the attention of recruiters scanning the Group for good candidates.

Employers and recruiting companies even start their own Groups to share news and attract members. Join, and contribute to discussions or provide valuable news relevant to members.

You can meet and even connect with people on LinkedIn through the dialogs that develop over discussions. People notice those who “like” their posts, and also those who make positive, relevant comments — not necessarily saying everything is “Great!”

Don’t automatically “like” a Discussion to bring yourself to the attention of the person who shared it. Read the related web page first to be sure that you do actually agree with it. If you do, then “like” it.

[More: How to Be a Successful LinkedIn Groupie.]

LinkedIn Articles

If you are a reasonably skilled at writing and have good information to share, LinkedIn’s blog is a very visible platform.

The articles you publish are highlighted by LinkedIn near the top of your Profile for everyone who visits your Profile to see (and, potentially, read).

Simply click on the “Write an article” link at the top of your LinkedIn home page, as shown above, and get started. You choose when your article is shared with the public on LinkedIn.

Well done, these posts can dramatically raise your visibility as more and more people read and share them. But, even if they don’t end up with 5,000 views in a week (or even 50), they demonstrate your communications skills and some aspects of your professional knowledge. A recruiter scanning your Profile is apt to check your articles to gain more insight into your qualifications and personality.

4. Provide Contact Info!

If you want to be contacted by recruiters and potential employers, you must share your contact info.

If they cannot contact you, they cannot hire you.

You can list your Twitter handle and can include your personal Web site or blog (which should also have your contact info). Edit the “Contact Info” in the column on the right near the top of your LinkedIn Profile. You can safely include your email address and phone number. Read To Be Hired, Be Reachable – How to Safely Publish Your Contact Information on LinkedIn for how to do it without compromising your privacy or putting your job at risk.

5. Include Your Photo!

It’s not a bad idea to include a picture, too.

Recruiters roll through dozens to hundreds of Profiles a month. They don’t always remember names they have seen, but they do remember pictures.

This will help them remember if they have contacted you in the past (and check their files accordingly).

Also, Profiles without pictures can send the message of “anti-social media” or “not social media savvy” or even “fake LinkedIn Profile” or “hiding something.”

[Read How Recruiters View Your LinkedIn Profile Photo, Why You Need a LinkedIn Profile Photo, and LinkedIn Profile Photos for Job Seekers Boomers and Over 50 for more information.]

6. Be Open to Connections

Obviously, you need to make sure you are open to invitations to connect or InMails from recruiters. Make sure your contact settings are set appropriately in your Profile. You can include your preferred contact information in this section, as well as, the Personal Information section.

You should be open to connecting with recruiters even when you are not looking for a job. You may not currently be a job seeker now — but some day you likely will be.

If you already have a strong network of recruiters on LinkedIn, you’ll be way ahead of the game when it’s time to look for your next opportunity.

[Read Refusing or Accepting LinkedIn Connections for more information.]

Bottom Line

Notice that the advice above is all about getting a recruiter to find you, not the other way around. You are presenting yourself to recruiters without any extra outreach work on your part. All you need to do is set up your Profile well, keep it current, stay active on LinkedIn (ten to twenty minutes a day reading and sharing), and LinkedIn does the work for you.

More About Working with Recruiters:

About the author…

The post How to Be Found by Recruiters on LinkedIn appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Jeff Lipschultz, Author at Job-Hunt

How to Connect With Recruiters On LinkedIn (with Sample Messages)

5 Ways to Add Recruiters on LinkedIn to Your Network

1. Search for Recruiters on LinkedIn.

2. Become More Visible on LinkedIn.

3. Use Keywords to Describe Yourself AND to Demonstrate Credibility Throughout Your Profile

4. Provide Contact Info

5. Be Open to Connections

Bottom Line on Connecting With Recruiters on LinkedIn

More About Working with Recruiters:

9 Tips to Ace Your Phone Interview

Phone Interview Tips

1. Start Strong

2. Maintain a Conversational Tone

3. Be Sure to Listen

4. Eliminate Distractions

5. Don’t Overdo It

6. Take Advantage of Being Unseen

7. Interview Them

8. Watch the Time

9. End on a High Note

A Note on Video Conferencing

More About Job Interviews:

More About Working with Recruiters:

Behavioral Interview Questions & Answers: Top Tips & Samples

Common Things Employers Seek When They Ask Behavioral Based Questions During Interviews

Top 5 Interview Tips When Answering Behavioral Questions

Be prepared.

Be positive.

Be brief.

Be truthful.

Be careful.

Samples on How to Best Answer Behavioral Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you handled a challenging situation.

Tell me about a time when you made a mistake and how you handled it.

Tell me about a time when you (or your boss) made an unpopular decision that had to be executed by your team.

Tell me about a time when you were in direct conflict with a peer and how was it resolved.

The Finer Points on Answering Common Behavioral Based Questions During Interviews

The Bottom Line with Behavioral Interview Questions & Answers

More Examples of Answers to Behavioral Interview Questions:

More Help for Succeeding in Your Job Interviews:

More About Different Types of Job Interviews

21 Common Job Interview Questions & Answers

Samples of Short Interview Questions & Answers

How to Answer the Most Common Questions During Online or In-Person Interviews

Answering Interview Questions About You

Answering the Salary Questions

Answering Interview Questions About Them

Handling Special Career Situations

Examples of Best Interview Answers for Questions About You:

1. Question: Tell me about yourself.

2. Question: What do you want?

3. Question: Where do you see yourself in five years?

4. Question: Why should we hire YOU?

5. Question: Why do you want THIS job?

6. Question: How do people describe you?

7. Question: What is your greatest weakness?

8. Question: What is your greatest strength?

9. Question: What is your greatest accomplishment (or achievement)?

10. Question: Why do you want to leave your current job?

11. Question: Do YOU have any questions?

12. Question: When can you start?

Best Interview Answers for Salary Questions:

13. Question: What is your current salary?

14. Question: What are your salary expectations?

Best Interview Answers for Questions About Them:

15. Question: Why do you want to work here?

16. Question: What do you know about us?

17. Question: How did you find this job?

Best Interview Answers About Special Career Situations:

18. Question: Why did you quit your last job?

19. Question: Why were you fired?

20. Question: Why were you laid off?

21. Question: How do you explain your gap in employment?

Close the Interview by Asking the Question if They Have Any Concerns

The Bottom Line on Top Interview Questions & Answers

More Help for Succeeding in Your Job Interviews

Interview Preparation:

Interview Follow-Up

More About Different Types of Job Interviews

**Close the Interview by Asking the Question if They Have Any Concerns**