Job Interviews

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Originally Posted by Ilikai

basically a CV has you put down in Exacting detail every little thing that you do in your job position. Instead of a short story, its a novel.

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And speaking as someone who used to have to review a lot of resumes, the shorter the better. If I'm hiring an expert witness on the other hand, I want a CV.

I have a small question that boggles me about resumes, particularly mine. I have a gap in work/studies when my children were small and I mostly stayed at home with them. I know that I am not supposed to hand out information regarding my personal life (children etc.), but do you think it would be better to explain why there is the gap (and if so, then should it be in cover letter or resume itself?), or leave it "blank"?

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Originally Posted by JR.

I have a few to add:

A firm hand shake (yes even you ladies), there is nothing worse than the "dead fish" shake.

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Thank you JR! So many good tips had been brought up here, and this is one of my big peeves. Be firm, show me that you're happy to meet me, PLEASE! I don't think I've ever actually ended up hiring anyone who gave me the "dead fish" or just barely stuck their hand out like they'd never shook hands before.

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Originally Posted by Tirlittan

I have a small question that boggles me about resumes, particularly mine. I have a gap in work/studies when my children were small and I mostly stayed at home with them. I know that I am not supposed to hand out information regarding my personal life (children etc.), but do you think it would be better to explain why there is the gap (and if so, then should it be in cover letter or resume itself?), or leave it "blank"?

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Do you think the gap keeps you from getting interviews? If so, I'd put an explanation in a cover letter. Otherwise, I'd just be ready to explain at the interview. I wouldn't add an explanation in the resume itself.

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Originally Posted by speedbump

Here's my teeny tiny bit-o-advice since everything else has been covered.

Remember as far as appearance goes, have everything covered as small as clipped noseheairs and a little edge dressing on the shoes.

I interviewed for a position within my job and I was tied with another member. It came down to the extra shine I had on my shoes. Your suit could be bling-bling, but if your shoes look like they came from a truck and tractor pull, you're done. Remember the total package. Details Details Details.

And to echo Lucy, don't talk smack about your former boss. You never know how small of a world it can be.

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wonder about what advice you'd give for someone looking into a maintenance or construction job?

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Originally Posted by joeguy

wonder about what advice you'd give for someone looking into a maintenance or construction job?

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:lol :lol

Can't help you on that one.

Before leaving my career to be a mom, I spent several years working my way up the ladder of an organization, and at one time was responsible for 1200 employees. I have had the opportunity to interview more people than I can count for positions from Sales Associate to VP's, Division President, CFO, etc. No matter what the position, there are certain things that I would always look for and appreciate in the person with whom I was speaking. I often hired people with far less experience than other candidates because I felt that they provided me a more honest vision of who they were.

1. Body languare / Eye contact....not a stare but someone who would look me in the eye while speaking. This also means sitting with confidence, not kicking their leg under the table or twisting their hands, etc. Also don't blink constantly. Most importantly, a nice comfortable smile. Pretend you are talking with a friend whose opinion you really respect.

2. Knowledge of the company. Make sure you have some understanding of what the company is all about. This is as simple as doing a google search and looking in the "company profile" or "about us" page on the website. Just get a general idea of the company philosphy.

3 Listen to their questions completely before answering. No jumping in mid-question and then answer that question. Don't jump around to other topics. This will give them an idea of your listening and communication style.

4. Ask only a few specific open ended questions appropriate for the situation. Ideas woud be:
How would your employees/team describe you as a supervisor/manager?
What are 3 standards of performance you expect from your team?
Describe your ideal candidate for this position?
Why do you enjoy working for this company?

I wouldn't necessarily ask about vacation, sick pay, taking time off during a first interview.

5. At the end of the interview, be sure to thank the person by name. Don't be afraid to ask when you might hear from them. That same afternoon, send a thank you note through the mail. Something simple like, "Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me today. I really enjoyed speaking with you about the ......position and learning about your company. I look forward to hearing from you. Regards, ....." You can easily add in any interesting comment to make this more personal.

Sorry, i'll shut up now...





:hiya

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Originally Posted by Mariner

Do you think the gap keeps you from getting interviews? If so, I'd put an explanation in a cover letter. Otherwise, I'd just be ready to explain at the interview. I wouldn't add an explanation in the resume itself.

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Tirlittan,
I agree. you could also play with different resume formats so the gap in employment doesn't jump out at poeple. Maybe focus more on qualifications, education, etc. and then list your previous work experiences. Peruse a variety of formats and I am sure you will find one that works. I know when I was looking to go back to work, I had a few versions and whenever I mentioned staying home with my kids in the cover letter, I didn't receive any calls. When I just listed things as they were without an explanation, I received calls. I think it really depends on your field and situation though. Good Luck!

At my current job (best job I've ever had), a panel of interviewers called the Hiring Committee selected me over four more qualified applicants/interviewees. I learned through the grapevine about the four others' qualifications and was surprised, in retrospect, that I was even hired. What I learned was that 1) my cover letter really "matched" my resume, and 2) the people on the Hiring Committee were really looking forward to working with me.

I may not have been the most qualified/lettered/experienced person, but I presented myself in an honest and personable way. I offered them samples of my work and engaged them in light-hearted discussion about their own experience working at this organization, and I listened carefully to their responses so as to review whether or not I wanted to work there. Also, at the time, I demonstrated and discussed my versatility which made me competitive against people who still clung to dusty, outmoded methods. I'm sure that having "fresh ideas" isn't always what a company/organization is looking for, but I made sure to know this in advance.

ETA: oops! I forgot to add: Good luck, and keep us posted as to how things go.

The last full-time job that I got, I actually got primarily by following Applesauce's top#5 above. (well, as well as the others)

I went to a "job fair" the company was having. One of the HR people seemed to take an interest in me, although she could have been doing that with everyone, and I just didn't see it. But anyway, I didn't hear from them for a couple of days, as I expected, so I sat down and wrote a quick thank-you letter to the HR person (by name), thanking her for taking some extra time during the busy job fair to take an interest, and expressing my hope that I was still under consideration for the position. I got a call 2 days later, most likely the day she received the letter. I got the interview, and got the job, which was admittedly quite a ways above my skill level when I started.