Interviewing Made Easy: You're Hired!

It’s often said that finding a job is a job itself; whew, such an understatement. But the process can be seamless with directed strategies to calm your nerves so that you stay focused on the goal ahead. Even when you have went on more interviews than you can count, job interviewing never seems to get any easier. With each job interview, you are meeting new people, feeling individuals out and selling your skillset. Sometimes, you’re often left wondering, did I respond to that correctly? Or did I completely answerthe question that was asked? Staying upbeat and personable is the best energy to lead with.   This can be a challenge, especially when you're interviewing for a position that you’re genuinely interested in.

Relax, there’s help on the horizon. As a Talent Advisor and Consultant I've learned a few tricks and I'm here to share my knowledge. Though my Interviewing Strategies are personalized to each individual due to industry specific alignments there are a few basic best practices that are interchangeable within all career levels. Let’s be honest; my advice for a Software Engineer are different than my Service industry professionals. But you’d be surprised how unprepared many individuals are for interviews at all levels. 

So relax, here's some helpful Tips to calm your nerves.

Create a Stellar Resume or TWO!

• Post Resume on multiple sites; Indeed, LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, Monster and other industry specific sites...
• (Update often) REFRESH your resume to the top of the pile.
• Submit.Submit.Submit & APPLY. (In depth resume writing tips coming soon or inbox me to get ahead of the game)

Hot dog, we're getting calls! 📱📱

• The Prescreen & Vetting Process. The first call is imperative that your listening and able to respond so if it's not a good time advice them that you will call them back. This will also give you time to do your research on the position that you applied for and how to answer questions. Afterall, as a Recruiter this call rules out more than 70% of individuals. WOW, that's truth for you!

• Wooohooo!!! Interview scheduled. What's next! Research the position, print the JD (job description) as an reference, research the companies competitors. If the position list specific software experience that you have moderate knowledge on, refresh yourself so that you're conversational while speaking on it when the Manager ask. Please know that most companies will train you according to their specific training guidelines.

• Think about those behavioral based questions. Most companies use the S.T.A.R Method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) Basically giving them an example of how you resolved a situation, what did you do and what was the result of it. We will go more in-depth later around these questions. Usually they want to see how you handled a certain issue, customer complaint or convinced a hard to please client or Manager into trusting you.

• Prepare!!!!!!... Do we really need to discuss the obvious!!!! Map the location area, Print extra resumes, JD, arrive early and dress according...We all got that RIGHT? GEESH!!!!!!

Compensation Questions... Show me the money!

• Here's a fact. According to Policy and laws this questions save many of us. An interviewer can not ask you what you're currently making. However, they can ask you what your expected compensation is for your next opportunity. Why do we need full truth in this area? I suggest you ask them up front, what the range is for this position? This is a lengthy questions so we will discuss this in more detail later. NEVER LEAVE MONEY ON THE TABLE!
• More to come: Salary negotiations, Counter-offers (JUST RUN, nothing will change), Asking your worth, Cover Letters (Who needs them) & the on-boarding process.

Spotlight is on! Interview time...

- Sell your skillset. - Don't over talk or ramble. - Speak to the question that's being asked. - Remember the S.T.A.R Method. - Ask questions about the company and/or role, BE ENGAGED! - Ask what the ideal candidate looks like for this role. This is usually a wower... It also gives you a chance to highlight any other stand out qualities they've failed to mention or want to revisit. - Keep in mind... Reframe from bad talking current or past employers OR citing personal issues.

******Closing...You got this! 🤑💰🤑💸
- Show interest

- Thank them for the opportunity.

- Send a thank you email.

- Connect them on LinkedIn

Leave confident and re-assured.
You're HIRED!!!

These tips and more from your HR Expert and Talent Acquisition Advisor giving you the GREEN 🚦light to be AUDACIOUS in your walk!

- Author LaSha Marie

Each Day Keep Saying HELLO!

A new morning filled with possibilities should be a gift. Sun shining and birds chirping outside the window; those are all sounds of a day ready to be taken. I was told once, “seize the day and capture undiscovered blessings”. This is how most enthusiastically tackle each new day. Even on those rainy days some people welcome the peacefulness of hearing raindrops and that slight haze over the sky. If you’re like me, I have checklist or daily routines that become habit. Rise, bath, brush teeth, dress, get kids together all to dash out to the car to actually start the long day. Entering work spaces being greeted by welcoming Hello’s and Good Morning’s by co-workers. I have to admit, prior to working from home, I hated the daily good morning rants in the work place mainly because I just wanted to be invisible. I simply couldn’t understand why or how people was that damn peppy.

Those of us with depression or mental illness are faced with a different fate. Just as the change of the wind, we never know how each day will be. It’s almost like being trapped in your own head playing games to conquer each level. Sometimes that achievable moment is finding the energy to leave the bed. (Win for Shay, one foot out of the bed!) People with a mental illness or depression create strategies on these black days by recognizing triggers. We are the best “head” game players in the world. It’s a way to keep connected and somewhat sustaining throughout the day. These bouts can linger for days, weeks and even months in severe cases.

Mental Illness can control your life if the mind, body, spirit and environment are not conducive to positivity. For myself, it was imperative to firstly recognize that I was “in fact” depressed and face the underlining issues of it. This was the hardest because as I met my hurts, pains, regrets and childhood traumas the surface was cluttered. What I learned by comforting every aspect of my life:

~ You are not to blame; forgive yourself and others

~ Pain is to be healed NOT to keep one bound

~ Don’t hide in others. You will become co-dependant by looking for others to make you feel good

~ Over-giving of self. You give others for gratification. (The maybe they’ll love me more syndrome) 

~ Never be afraid to Fail. We are NOT perfect

~ It’s ok to say NO. Don’t overextend yourself so much that you become lost

~ Put you FIRST. Happiness is a self-selection

There are daily habits so that bleak days are farther in-between. This is the work after the “Comforting”. There were times my mind wouldn’t allow me to get out of bed. Days where I was completely happy floating on life then “Boom”, I wake up sun bright but my head recognizes the darkest gray. Your family would even learn your “good” and “bad” days. The question, “what’s wrong” was the most hated inquiry and my responses was always, Nothing and EVERYTHING! I know, enough to drive anyone bananas, right? The earth never had to shake for my mood to change abruptly. I just know that I simply didn’t want to deal with life. I needed a “reset”. I needed to find some way of balancing it all even on dark days. How did this shift start to manifest change for me?

~ I became more cautious of what entered my body

~ I ended friendships/relationships that were toxic. THIS WAS HUGE FOR ME

~ Create a hobby that relaxes you; I wrote till my soul glowed to LIVE

~ Change of environment… move, relocate or create some space for real reflection

~ Recognize what your triggers are. These are usually connections directly linked to you

~ I began to love me; flaws and all. I now owned all of my mistakes to help rebuild me

Depression and mental illness is a very real subject today. The numbers are increasing in suicides and in younger age ranges. It’s no surprise I haven’t mentioned “medication”. I’m an avid advocate for seeking professional help, some aren’t able to cope without prescription. I’m 3 years with no medication but there were times I just knew I needed that “stabilizer” but I then went back to these methods; just like going back to basics. I had to heal me “whole” inorder to fight days a little less and the work continues.

There is true freedom after an unchained mind.