Landing the Second Interview

Hello Friday, it’s so nice to see you again! This week has been full of snow and other chilly things that have made making plans a little difficult. My flight home was cancelled due to the winter storm the Washington, DC region will be experiencing tonight. I’m actually thankful because the last thing I want my mom to have to do is drive in icy conditions to pick me up from the airport.

Since I’m going through a new phase of job hunting, I thought I’d share some of my “snag a job” tips. By no means am I an expert on getting a job, but I have been a job hunter and interviewee quite a few times. What I’ve learned has helped me understand people better and acknowledge important unwritten rules no one tells you about. Follow my lead!

Tips for the Big Interview

• Watch out for scams: The number of “scam jobs” I’ve seen posted on every career site is incredible. If the title of the posting includes the words “entry level” or “training provided,” be very cautious. It might be legit but read the posting further for more clues on if the job is what it appears to be. For example, if you come across a title like “Entry level event planners wanted, no experience required” I can almost promise you that those “events” you’ll be planning are actually trade shows at Sam’s Club or Costco. Get your hair net and apron ready!
• Landing the second interview: Getting an over-the-phone interview is hard enough, but getting an in-person interview is even harder! Prepare what you are going to say ahead of time. Have your resume ready because you will have to walk the employer through your experiences. If you stutter through this, it sounds like you aren’t prepared and that won’t land you another interview.
• The in-person interview: Wahoo! You made it to this step, don’t screw it up by looking unprofessional. My mom went to an interview at our local library for a desk clerk position and the woman being interviewed ahead of her was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. This is possibly the worst outfit you could wear! Let me break down a business professional look:
  • Crisp blouse (white or cream are my favorites for a clean first impression)
  • Fitted skirt (slightly above the knee is appropriate; patterns should be kept minimal but a striped skirt in muted tones are nice)
  • Smart shoe (no heels you can’t walk in or anything strappy, nude kitten heel is best)
  • Classic jewelry (a watch and pearl earrings is professional and says a lot about you; large hoop earrings or clanking bracelets also says a lot about you in a negative way)
• Don’t look up- When you’re speaking to someone face-to-face, avoid looking up in the air when they ask you a question. You appear to be pulling answers out of the sky. Look down with your eyes and you appear contemplative.

Please leave your interviewing and job hunting tips in a comment below! Best of luck for everyone in the middle of job hunting!

How to Know if an Interview is Going Well

Happy Monday! I love this beautiful time of the year. Everything smells like peppermint and gingerbread, sleigh bells literally ring, and the deals at my favorite stores are aplenty! How can you not like this time of year? Despite the difficulties everyone has with job hunting, the general merriment of the season keeps me smiling.

Since I have so much experience interviewing for jobs, I figured I’d share a few tips on how to know if an interview is going well. There are several things I look for when I’m talking with a hiring manager and all of them have provided me with good insight into the company and the position.

Gauging an Interview

1. Laugh- Has the interviewer laughed or smiled at all? Even if it’s just over something simple like the crazy weather the area has had, a smile or laugh indicates that they are comfortable with you.
2. Confidence- Do you feel and sound confident? I’ve walked into interviews where I was on top of my game and felt amazing and then I’ve had a few that made me crawl back into my shell.
3. Compatibility- Are you and the interviewer compatible? You’ll be able to tell almost immediately and that will have a lot to do with how the interview goes.
4. Interest- Do they want to talk about things besides your resume? For example, has the interviewer asked about your personal interests? Last week, I was asked what I like to do for fun. That’s a good sign. They want to know who you are as a person, not just who you are as a professional.
5. Follow up- Did they communicate to you what happens next or simply say “we’ll be in touch?” In my experience, if they’re talking to you about the next steps before you’ve even left, they’re interested!

Please leave a comment if you’ve observed similar things or have other tips on things to look for!

Touring Charleston in the Rain

Hello friends! It’s been a busy few days with insane travel and little projects I’ve been working on. I left Saturday for my trip to Charleston and was met with snow and ice at the airport. I spent 10 hours waiting for my plane to leave from Reagan National Airport. Needless to say, I became very acquainted with airport staff and the floor. I met some great people though. That’s the funny thing about being stuck somewhere, you’re forced to talk to the people around you and frankly, it’s kind of nice.

I had a job interview on Monday and met some of the nicest people. Their offices were in a big, old home in downtown Charleston. Wide-planked wood floors and beautiful high ceilings with their crystal chandeliers added so much to the style of the house. There’s something incredibly charming about southern style homes around here. As if I didn’t want the job enough, the office location made it a hundred times more desirable.

After my interview, I went exploring and unfortunately got a little lost on the wrong side of town. I went into a convenience store and the clerk said in a thick Egyptian accent, “This isn’t the side of King Street you want to be on, let me call a cab.” I was most grateful given that I was soaked to the skin because of the torrential downpour outside and my lack of umbrella.

I got some great pictures of a few old homes around the area though. I found it odd how some have been so well-cared for and others are dilapidated and look dangerous to walk in. I noticed that many had scaffolding on them so it appears that people are trying to flip them and bring to light the home’s glory days.

I appreciate the traditions and warmth of this town so much. The people are just wonderful and so kind. I had a little boy open the door for me the other day and after I smiled and said “thank you”, he looked at me and said, “you’re welcome, ma’am.” I’ve never been to a place where children are actually polite. Of course there will always be an exception to this observation, but overall I’d say this is a general practice.

As I mentioned earlier, I got some photos of pretty, old homes around here and I’m so happy I get to share them with you!