Let’s take a moment to recognize how much time and effort a Hiring Manager puts into filling an open position. From the moment the position is posted, up to calling the candidate to congratulate them on being hired, filling just one job may take a large portion of a Hiring Manager’s time for weeks on end.

Not surprisingly, Hiring Managers tend to create their own process for each new hire. This extends from how they receive applications to how they handle interviews. Whatever that Hiring Manager’s process, they have found these “rules” work best and they aren’t going to be shy about sharing them with candidates.  So, while the person who originally said “rules were meant to be broken” may have made a killing of T-shirt licensing, they probably weren’t very good at their job search. Here are three areas where following basic instructions will put you ahead of other job applicants:

Continue reading “Why Following Directions May Be The Key To Your Job Search” →

“What are your weaknesses?”

Nothing says fun like talking about your weaknesses during a job interview, amirite? Nobody wants to spend precious time during their interview talking about something negative, as doing so can make you feel vulnerable and uncomfortable.

Of course, Hiring Managers aren’t asking you this question because they want to see you sweat, they are asking because they want to make sure that you are self-aware enough to recognize that you have weaknesses, and that you took action to actually fix the issue. When you look at the question in this way, you can begin to see how this question is not to be feared, but instead embraced. In truth, the dreaded “weakness” question actually has the biggest upside of any question you’ll be asked during your interview.

Continue reading ““What are your weaknesses?” How to Turn a Negative Question into a Positive Answer” →