Eek! A virtual interview! Now what?

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Almost all hires are being done right now with video or phone interviews. While in person interviews are normally nerve wracking, phone and video interviews can be too!

Here’s some tips to help you out in a virtual interview. These may sound funny but try them!

1. Print out / show on a screen people so that you have something to focus on. This could be random pictures of business people or your interviewer’s picture on LinkedIn.

2. If headphones (or anything else) helps you concentrate, wear them! This can include using a quiet fidget toy, headphones, or even business shoes. Need to pace? Do it.

3. Smile! You can’t rely on body language in a phone (or even a video interview as you can’t see all of the interviewer), so your face and your voice need to express emotion for you a little more than usual. If you smile, it comes across in your voice.

4. Dress like you’re at an in person interview. Doing this will make you feel more like you are in the interview frame of mind. Also, if it’s a video interview and you have to get up… it’s much better to be properly dressed and not be wearing sweatpants!

5. Practice questions in advance. The best to practice are the behavioral questions (what would you do if..) This questions are great because there’s a structure to answering that helps minimizes oversharing/ long answers - SAR (S - situation, A - Action [yours], R - Results)

6. Know what makes you different from others they are considering - this is the answer to “Why should we hire you?”. What makes you unique? What value have you brought to your past work experiences?

7. Make sure you know about the company. Have they been in the news, what’s their philosophy etc. What draws you to this company?

Have your resume ready, the job posting, make sure your phone/ computer is charged, be in a (hopefully!) quiet place and take a deep breath! You’ve got this. :)

Free résumé review

Friends, I know that lots of people have lost work or are concerned they won't have a job to go back to.

I am a certified Résumé Writer. I help people find jobs. Right now, I'm offering FREE RÉSUMÉ REVIEWS (regular $50 & includes written feedback on content, style and ATS compatibility checks) to anyone who has lost their job or is concerned about having a job when they go back. (limited offer dependent on # of requests and only for North America)

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First essential item in a Job search: confidence.

Having support is always critical, especially when job hunting, but in the end, how you feel about yourself is up to you. Be gentle.

Now what? What to do with your résumé AFTER you've worked with a résumé writer.

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1. Check it over.

- Make sure there are no mistakes (spelling mistakes, job title mistakes, etc.) and that everything is truthful. (Brag about your accomplishments though!)

- Read through and see if the words are words that you would use. Are you comfortable referring to this in an interview? Does it reflect you in tone, phrases, and achievements?

- Go back to your résumé writer if you need any edits or changes (check your contract to see the allowed time frame.)

2. Save a copy, once you have the edited and reviewed documented. Keep it and don’t save over it.

3. Review it for interview talking points. Through the résumé writing process, your skills and achievements should have been identified. Which of these points do you want to expand on in an interview?

4. Start applying to positions that are a good fit.

- Target, target, target! This means making sure you are reviewing what’s important to the job you are applying for and highlighting that in your résumé. Literally, go through the job posting and highlight what’s important. Is that in your résumé? Where?

- Your achievements/skills/ highlights sections can be moved around (don’t be afraid to do this)! What’s most important to this position? Is that your first bullet?

- Update your profile section with the title of the job you’re applying for.

5. Take it with you.

- Do you have an interview? (Congratulations!) Print out a couple of copies and bring them with you. This will allow you to remember your talking points about why you are a good fit AND shows that you are prepared if any interviewer comes in and doesn’t have a copy.

6. Keep it updated.

- When you get a new position, update your résumé with the new experience. Keep documentation of all the new responsibilities and achievements. You may not have to use all of that in a future job search, but it’s good to have it written down and ready to use.

5 Things Everybody Should Know About Job Searching During the Holidays...

1.       DON’T STOP! Just because we’re getting closer to the holidays (and all the craziness that goes with it) doesn’t mean you should stop! So many people slack off during this season, so be one of the few that keep networking, applying and being active on LinkedIn. You’ll have less competition.

2.       Employers are still hiring. Really, they are. Look at all the job postings out right now. I just looked at my city’s careers page and there are 17 open positions right now, ranging from casual clerical to senior accounting!

3.       Networking! There are so many opportunities for networking this time of year, whether it’s gatherings at friends’ homes, associations’ holiday events or even grocery shopping, make sure you are out and talking to people. Let people know you are looking for work while you are chatting. It doesn’t have to be an in-depth discussion of your job search activities but don’t skirt around it! EVERYONE has had to look for work before.

4.       Make sure your resume is still up to date and relevant for the position you are looking for! Has your target changed recently? Noticing skills on job ads that aren’t highlighted on your resume? Make sure it’s added to your resume.

5.       Make your social media on point. Clean it up, check your privacy settings, update your LinkedIn and make some new connections!

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