Today we will conclude our series on the top 10 worst mistakes that lead to a bad interview. If you take time to review all of the mistakes, then you will notice that some are not as obvious as it might seem. What candidates get frustrated with most is when they are failing at interviews but have no idea as to what they are doing wrong.
The longer I am in the recruiting business the more I am convinced that the most important thing in a job search is a face to face interview. Some may argue that it is about who you know or the experience you have gained, but I have seen plenty of examples of people less-qualified getting the job over the better candidate on paper.
That is why in your job search you need to really understand the art of interviewing and avoid bad job interviews altogether. Today’s topic may seem a bit silly to discuss, but I have a few important angles to bring up that I believe are relevant.
Do you know the basics of networking? Even if you are not a social person you can work this basic game plan that I am about to give you.
Ever been to the circus? Remember the spinning plates? Well, networking is a lot like those spinning plates. You need to do a little bit of all of it in order to keep things going in a positive direction. Today I want to give you some basics of networking and how you can apply that to doing a job search on Linkedin. I am going to list for you six strategies that you can use on a regular basis to get the word out on Linkedin that you are looking for your next position.
Here is the game plan that I recommend (the spinning plates):
1. Use the Status Bar on a Regular Basis
If you are familiar with Facebook or Twitter then you know what the status bar is. It is located on your profile page and it is under your name it says:
“Jonathan is…..”
I am going to share with you how you can get “super-connected” quickly and easily on Linkedin. Why is this important? Well, just like in real life…sometimes it is all in who you know. Once you are connected with someone on LinkedIn you are able to view up to 3 levels down from them. For those that are in your first group you can send email and communicate with them more easily.
In the 2nd and 3rd levels, you will need an introduction from someone in your 1st level or let me give you two tricks of the trade:
Tip #1: Call the contact directly.
If someone is at the 2nd or 3rd level, you can still view their name, title, and company they work for. For example, if someone has Sally Smith, Director of Human Resources at ACME Company in their network. You can simply call them up by name and tell them who you are and that you wanted to introduce yourself. Also take a minute to brag about the company and that you would like to get your info to her and see if there are any potential opportunities.
Tip #2: Email the contact directly at work.
Most of the time an email address is not going to be visible to you. By doing a little research you can usually find out the email pattern of any company online. Do a quick Google search and you will find the pattern.
Here is a sample email script that I would send (you can always come up with your own as well).
As an admin, a big part of your job is to collaborate effectively with others. That’s tough to do if your colleagues and supervisors find you irritating. And it’s easier than you might think to rub people the wrong way, even when you’re sitting at your desk minding your own business.
Jen Star of The Jennifer Group, a New York City-based recruiting firm that specializes in placing and maintaining support staff, cites 10 surefire ways to become a workplace annoyance:
I hear a lot of poignant phrases as people describe their work. This happens to have come from an attorney just this week. “Loathe” is not your common everyday word. Webster defines it as “to feel intense dislike, disgust, or hatred for; abhor, detest.” Obviously, it’s pretty difficult to put yourself into your work if you “loathe” it. There may be attempts to perform as others expect you to and you may even be able to do the basics and get a paycheck. But you are not likely to experience meaning, purpose, peace or fulfillment in work you “loathe.”Now interestingly enough, the first
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