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How To Shine During an Interview

The biggest mistakes that you can make in an interview are lying and not being yourself. Yes, your qualifications matter. But they don’t matter near as much as your authenticity. If you want to shine during an interview, you need to know and do these things.

Research:

We’ve said it before, and we will say it until the end of time. Do your research before you go into an interview. Research the company, its history, purpose, management, etc. Look up recent news articles about them and any press releases. Knowing your facts and being able to showcase that in the interview will give you so much confidence and help you put your best foot forward.

Practice

There are several common interview questions that you need to be prepared to answer. Those include things like “Tell me about yourself,” “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” and “Why do you want to work here?”

Practice your answers to these questions so that you aren’t spending the entire interview trying to think of answers. Just be careful not to over practice so that you sound like you’re reading from a script.

Be honest

While an interview is meant for you and the recruiter to get to know each other better, the recruiter did their research on you just like you did on the company. They performed reference checks and reviewed your resume. If they haven’t done that before your interview, you can bet they will after, so don’t lie. Don’t embellish your work experience or qualifications. They will find out and it will not be good for you.

Be yourself

You were called to the interview because the recruiter wants to get to know YOU. Not the person you think they want to see. The most important thing you can do to shine during an interview is to be yourself.

Do you have any more tips on how to shine during an interview? Drop them in the comments!

Benefits of Hiring Through a Staffing Agency

Lisa Yannett Companies Comments Off

There are many benefits of using a staffing agency. A staffing agency is inherently designed to benefit companies who hire new employees frequently or are constantly searching for specifically qualified candidates.

Staffing agencies typically have a niche or specialty that they exclusively hire for. For example, Horizon Staffing, located in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, specializes in light industrial positions. That means that if you need to hire for your distribution center, you should consider giving them a call, but if you’re a hospital looking for nurses, they probably won’t be able to connect you to the right candidates.

No matter the company, location, or position there is a staffing agency that can help connect your company with qualified candidates.

What do staffing agencies do?

Staffing agencies build a database of candidates. After meeting with a new client (hiring company) to get the specifics of what candidate the company is looking for and descriptions of the positions that need to be filled, the staffing agency then combs their database for candidates who match these specifications.

If one is not found, the recruiters then advertise the position to receive new applications. These new applicants undergo a screening process to determine their qualifications, skills, and eligibility to work.

During this entire process, the client does not have to do anything. When the staffing agency locates a qualified candidate, they then send them to the client for either a second interview or to start work immediately.

If you’re looking for more information about staffing agencies, check out the American Staffing Association for current statistics, trends, and news regarding staffing agencies.

Benefits of a Staffing Agency

1. Time:

Staffing agencies have spent years building their database of candidates. They have access to significantly more candidates than you will find with a simple job search. Where it could take you weeks to locate a qualified candidate, staffing agencies could have the right person sitting in their database.

Not to mention, all of the paperwork that comes with a new employee would be handled by the staffing agency. Not only are you saving time finding the candidate, but also after they are hired.

2. Expertise:

Another benefit of using a staffing agency is their expertise.

While you know best what candidate you need, staffing agencies know best how to find them. Because their sole job is to search through applications and locate qualified candidates, they know the market and trends. Even though staffing agencies have specific niches, they come into contact with more than one type of group of people, unlike a company’s human resource department.

Not to mention, your HR department probably has other responsibilities and can’t dedicate 8 hours a day to searching for a new employee. Staffing agencies can.

3. Cost:

This goes hand in hand with saving you time. If your HR department doesn’t have to dedicate the time to find a new employee, you don’t have to allocate the money to pay them for it. Also, costs related to marketing the open position would fall to the staffing agency instead of you.

4. Network:

It’s already been said, but let’s say it again. Staffing agencies have built an extensive database of job seekers. They have access to a larger network of candidates than the average HR department. While some positions will need to marketed, many positions are filled with existing candidates within the staffing agency’s database.

5. Retention:

There is a reason staffing agencies are commonly known as temp agencies, but it probably isn’t what you think. They aren’t called ‘temp agencies’ because their turnover rate is high. Rather, the name comes from the fact that most employees hired through staffing agencies start as a temporary employee.

After a trial period where they are able to learn the process, company, and position before they are offered a permanent position. When you hire through a staffing agency, the employee is on the staffing agency’s payroll, not yours, until they become a permanent employee. This means that if the employee quits before becoming a permanent employee, this doesn’t affect your turnover rate.

6. Providing resources and guidance:

Staffing agencies have experienced recruiters who know the ins and outs of the hiring process. They provide resources and guidance to job seekers including resume and cover letter tips and dressing for an interview.

Learn more about the benefits of using a staffing agency for job seekers here.

5 Questions You Need to Ask on Your First Day on the Job

Lisa Yannett Jobs Comments Off

Your first day on the job can be exciting and nerve-wracking. Even if you’ve worked in a similar position before, there are bound to be differences between how your previous company operated compared to the new one. Make sure you ask these important questions to make your transition and smooth and successful one.

1. Who do I report to?

No matter what your role or the company’s purpose, there will be some form of a chain of command. Make sure you understand your place and who you should report to with questions and completed tasks. Make sure you ask who you report to if your direct supervisor it out, too.

2. What are the key things you want me to focus on this week?

You may already have experience in your new role, but it’s best to ask what your supervisor wants you to focus on to make sure you are working towards the same goal.

3. Where is the bathroom?

It’s a natural need, we know. Don’t get lost on your first day because you’re embarrassed to ask where the bathroom is. If you don’t want to ask your supervisor, ask a coworker.

4. When (and how long) is lunch?

Don’t assume that because you’ve always had an hour for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. that this company operates the same way. Ask before you’re starving when lunch time is.

5. What’s your name?

Get to know the people you will be working around. Find out who handles what aspects of the business and who you will need to contact for what information. Your coworkers should be your team, so make an effort to connect with them.

For interview tips to get you to that first day on the job, check out these 2 great blog posts.

How to Calm Interview Nerves in 2 Easy Steps

The Key to a Successful Interview: Leave Something Behind

How to Calm Interview Nerves in 2 Easy Steps

Lisa Yannett Interview Tips,Uncategorized 1 Comment

I wish there was a superfood or magical drink I could recommend that would calm your nerves during an interview. Unfortunately, scientists haven’t invented it yet. However, there is one sure fire way to walk into an interview with confidence and walk out of it feeling even better – PREPARE.

I can GUARANTEE that if you adequately prepare more than just the day before the interview, you will exude confidence and leave those pre-interview nerves in the trash. But telling you to prepare is kind of vague, so let me break it down for you.

Research

PLEASE. I beg you. Do NOT go into an interview without researching the company and its employees. Here are some ways you can research any company.

Website – Read the company’s website. I don’t mean look at it or check out the home page. I mean READ the website. Go to every page and read the content from top to bottom. Look at their most recent blog posts and think of ways you can mention them in the interview.
Search – Do a Google or Bing search of the company and look for articles written about them recently. Identify achievements or groundbreaking work they are doing. These are great things to bring up in the interview and will show your genuine interest in the company, not just the job.
Social Media – Find the company on social media and look at what they post about. You can go one step further and engage with some of the posts. You never know, the social media manager may be present during the interview and recognize your name from the notifications.
LinkedIn – I separate this from social media because LinkedIn allows you to see who the employees are for a company and connect with them. If you really want to show interest in joining the company, send connection requests with the employees listed on LinkedIn. If they accept your connection, scroll through the content they’ve shared. These could be great icebreakers.

Practice

Doing your research isn’t enough. Just like with anything you want to excel at, you need to practice. But practice what? Here are some things to frequently practice at least a week before you interview.

Answers – All interviews are intended to gather information, so most of the questions are similar no matter the position. Practice your answers to some of the most common interview questions (Tell me about yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Why did you leave a previous position? How will you be an asset for our company? What makes you different than other applicants?) There is nothing more nerve-wracking than being asked a question and sitting there in silence for minutes while you try and pull together an answer.
Questions – You may think that an interview is a chance for the recruiter to interrogate you, but it is a chance for them to get to know you and you to get to know the company better. Prepare some questions about the company and the position you are interviewing for.
- How would you describe the office environment here?
- Why is this position available (Is this a new position or did someone leave it? Why did they leave?)
- How will you measure success in this position?
- What opportunities are there for growth within the company?
Basics – This may seem childish, but practice introducing yourself and your handshake. From the moment the recruiter calls you back to the conference room for the interview, you can show confidence. Your handshake is a sure-fire way to start the interview with confidence. Practice standing up and shaking someone’s hand. Get your friends and family to help you. Don’t wait for them to extend their hand to you. Reach your hand out first and show that you mean business.

If you want to add an extra WOW factor during your interview, put together a leave behind. Learn more about that by clicking here to read last week’s blog post!

The Key to a Successful Interview: Leave Something Behind

Lisa Yannett Interview Tips,Uncategorized 1 Comment

You probably go into an interview with very little in your hands. Your phone is in the car, keys in your pocket, and your resume is tucked inside a notebook you will use to take notes during the interview. What if I told you that you’ve forgotten something? Not sure what it is? Let me help you. You need a leave-behind.

What is a leave-behind? I can hear your panicked voice already. You’ve been preparing for this interview, and you want it to be as successful as possible. That’s why you want to put together a folder with content that you plan to leave with the interviewer at the end of the interview.

You more than likely submitted samples of your work when you applied, but the interviewers may not have seen them or might not remember what was your work. For that reason, you want to pick some of your best samples. Showcase your writing skills or graphic design experience. If you’ve managed social media, bring some analytics that highlights your talent to reach an audience. All of these should be found in your online portfolio, but it is much more convenient for the interviewer if you have physical copies to show them and discuss during the interview.

Here are some key things you should include in your leave-behind.

Folder – Don’t ever leave a stack of loose papers. Head over to Walmart and get yourself a cheap folder with prongs and a pack of plastic paper cover dividers. You won’t impress them by buying the most expensive folder and professionally laminating each paper. Something cheap will do.
Resume – ALWAYS have a copy of your resume. ALWAYS. When you go into the interview, they will likely have a copy of your resume already. Bring several copies anyways. Some interviews are conducted with panels, and nothing is more inconveniencing than having several people lean over one sheet of paper. Print several copies, and put them in the front pouch of the folder.
References – As you know, your references should not be on your resume, so print out your references and put them as the first page in your leave-behind.
Writing samples – If you have a lot of experience writing, or the position you’re applying for requires a skilled writer, you NEED to provide proof of your writing skills. Pick 2-3 of your best writing samples, and include them in your leave-behind.
Graphic Design – Graphic design is a sought after skill these days. Many positions require applicants to have some knowledge of graphic design programs like Photoshop and InDesign. Show the interviewer that you have the skills they’re looking for by including 3-4 samples of graphic design work that you have done.
Analytics – Creating compelling social media posts is impressive, but to impress, even more, provide analytics of social media accounts you’ve managed. Include the following and engagement when you started compared to when you left.

What NOT to include in your leave-behind

Your selfie – You may think that having your picture in your leave-behind will help the recruiters remember you, but it can cause more harm than good. Including your image can open up the door for the interviewers to make a decision based on bias. You want them to call you back because of your qualifications, not your face, so focus on your skills and experience instead of your appearance.
Your address – No interviewer on the earth needs to know your full home address. While it’s fine to provide the area that you live in to assure the interviewer that you can make the commute to the office, they don’t need to know exactly where you rest your head at night.
Bad samples – Your goal is to impress the interviewer. Providing samples with grammatical errors or poor design will only guarantee that you don’t get a callback.
Plagiarized work – While it may impress them in the interview, the truth will come out, and let me just tell you – recruiters talk with other recruiters.
Group work without attribution – This falls under plagiarism, technically, but it needs to be stated separately. If you were not the sole author or creator of a piece of work, you need to attribute it to all contributors to the project. It is okay to provide group work in your leave-behind, but make sure you highlight the portions that you worked on the most.

Do you include something in your leave-behind that didn’t make our list? Put it in the comments below!