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Biggest Mistakes Job Seekers Make in Interview

IA new survey shows that job hunters may want to do their homework about a prospective employer before heading to an interview.

Forty-seven percent of executives polled in a survey for Accountemps say that having little or no knowledge of the company is the most common mistake job seekers make during interviews.

Seventeen percent felt that being unprepared to discuss skills and experience was another huge mistake. Officials say successful applicants will have a beyond-the-basics understanding of a firm, including its history, chief competitors and business objectives.

Accountemps has offices in Indiana.

Source: Inside INdiana Business

Press Release

MENLO PARK, CA — They say job-hunting success is all about who you know. But how much you know about prospective employers plays a crucial role, too, a new survey confirms. Forty-seven percent of executives polled said that having little or no knowledge of the company is the most common mistake job seekers make during interviews.

The national survey includes responses from 150 senior executives — including those from human resources, finance and marketing departments — with the nation’s 1,000 largest companies. It was conducted by an independent research firm and developed by Accountemps, the world’s first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals.

Executives were asked, “What do you think is the most common mistake candidates make during job interviews?” Their responses:

Little or no knowledge of the company……………………47%

Unprepared to discuss skills and experience…………………17%

Unprepared to discuss career plans and goals………………..9%

Limited enthusiasm…………………………………………..9%

Lack of eye contact……………………………………………3%

Monopolize interview…………………………………………2%

Focus on salary/benefits/perks………………………………2%

Lack of self-confidence………………………………………2%

Inappropriate dress……………………………………………2%

Late arrival……………………………………………………2%

Don’t know/no answer…………………….….….….….….…5%

Candidates should learn as much as they can about a company before meeting a prospective employer,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Managing Your Career For Dummies® (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). “The most successful applicants will have a beyond-the-basics understanding of the firm, including its history, chief competitors and business objectives. Armed with this knowledge, job hopefuls should be able to describe how their skills and experience can help the business reach its goals.”
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Accountemps offers the following tips for researching potential employers:

Find information at your fingertips. By visiting the company’s website, you can locate a wealth of information, such as the firm’s mission and values, what products and services it provides, recent press releases and more. If it’s a publicly traded company, call the investor relations department to request an annual report.
Research the industry. In addition to learning about the company, research the industry in which it competes to gain a better understanding of the market and specific issues and trends that may affect the organization.

Check your network. Ask your colleagues, friends and others for information about your prospective employer. Your contacts may have worked for or with the organization and could provide insight that may prove valuable during a job interview.

Good ideas for writing good résumé

It’s time to drag out that résumé and take a good, hard look.

Because September, it seems, is Update Your Résumé Month.

Career Directors International, formerly known as the Professional Résumé Writers & Research Association, is a Melbourne, Fla.-based organization that claims credit for originating the observance.

Maybe you’re craving a challenge or looking to earn more money. Maybe you already have the perfect-fitting job.

Either way, analyzing your résumé on a regular basis is a healthful exercise in self-analysis.

Are you keeping up with the herd, just getting by, or pushing the envelope? Would a new graduate walk into the work force with skills that left you behind? How much initiative, creativity, innovation does your résumé reflect, and does it truly demonstrate your employment value?

The association’s Web site, at www.prwra.com/uyrm.htm, offers several worksheets and articles to help résumé-writers focus on the essentials, from the basics “Why You Need a Résumé” to “Getting Past the 15-Second Scan” and advice on everything from the proper length of a good résumé to how to account for job history gaps.

And Ford R. Myers, president of Pennsylvania-based career consulting firm Career Potential, LLC, and author of “The Ultimate Career Guide,” has issued the following tips for stand-out résumés that get results:

• Be brief.

Less is more. If you break your résumé into the most familiar format — five sections featuring summary, professional experience, education, professional development and affiliations — a concise summary is most vital. Sum up who you are, what you have to offer an organization, in five or six lines.

• Be specific.

Don’t skip crucial details, particularly in the “professional experience” section. List past jobs, responsibilities and accomplishments, but also highlight specific business results. Most employers will focus 90 percent of their attention here, so give it the attention it deserves. “Quantify wherever possible — everything from retention rates to sales achievements, profits generated and performance improvements by using percentages, dollars and hard numbers,” Myers writes.

• Be active.

Strong action words, such as “develop,” launch,” “initiate,” “lead” and “build” are infinitely better than the more vaguely stated “was responsible for,’” advised Myers.

• Be selective.

Skip after-school jobs, old news or accomplishments in irrelevant fields unless they directly relate to the job you want.

• Be honest.

Even exaggerations are regrettable and can come back to haunt you. If your résumé isn’t getting results, rewrite it, or take actions necessary to include the skills and experience to sell yourself for the job you want: take a class, learn new computer skills, join professional organizations or volunteer for a new project.

Startup Jobs: Cash, not Perks

The best reason to ask for a raise right now? Your new boss probably just got one—but you might want to forget about the country club membership.
August 28, 2006

It’s official. The bust is over and hiring in Silicon Valley
is up. But if things are looking good in the land of startups, they’re looking very, very good for the executives running them.

In a July survey of 500 chief executive officers across the valley by the Bay Area Council, 39 percent of the respondents said they expected their workforce to increase. Things are particularly exciting, however, for the chief executives, who are getting more offers and better compensation, say a number of hiring experts around Silicon Valley.

The good news begins at the top. The most popular post in executive hiring is that of chief executive, said Thomas Taft, managing partner of the Seattle-based Laurel Group, which specializes in executive search for startups.

Experienced leaders are needed because many of the Silicon Valley technologists who are starting innovative companies and grabbing good funding are too young to grow the business. Opportunities are especially plentiful in wireless, vertical search, software as a service, and social networking, said Mr. Taft.

‘The venture community still wants someone with scar tissue and gray hair.’

-Thomas Taft, Laurel Group

“The venture community still wants someone with scar tissue and gray hair,” said Mr. Taft. “They are saying ‘I don’t care how smart you are… nothing makes up for experience.’”

The right kind of experience, however, is important. Venture capitalists and board members at startups are searching for chief executives who have experience growing a business from small beginnings to an IPO or an acquisition.

As a result, executives running divisions of large companies such as Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Oracle, or Hewlett-Packard are not as popular as those who have run startups, experts say.

Another in-demand job: chief financial officer, said Jack Scott, managing partner at executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles. Tough regulations such as the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act are pushing startups to hire smart financial people well in advance of an acquisition by a public company or a stock offering.

“A combination of growth, shorter tolerance for non-performers, and Sarbanes-Oxley has led to a different approach for board members being actively involved with their CEOs,” Mr. Scott said.
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Many are wielding the Web as a job-hunting tool

When Zach Bowman graduated from the University of Texas last year with a radio-TV-film degree, he did what many people seeking jobs do these days: He posted his résumé on the Web.

But while he spent the year getting interviews and contract work, the jobs were not always what he was looking for.

“One employer advertised itself as a creative, sports-minded marketing industry. Their Web site was pretty vague, but I went on an interview anyway,” Bowman said.

He was told the company he applied to was a marketing agency. After an initial interview he was told he needed to come back for an all-day tryout, but when he showed up for the second day, he discovered the company did cold-call office-supply sales — not what he was looking for. “I left before I got too sucked in,” Bowman said.

With huge job-seeking sites advertising hundreds of thousands of jobs every day, it’s no wonder Bowman had trouble.

But for those job seekers who know how to take advantage of new Web sites and services, the Internet can give them an edge.

From sites that allow job seekers to post biographies, photos and samples of their work — along with a résumé — to sites that provide detailed information about the companies job seekers are considering, it’s getting easier to find the right job using the Internet. For example, there’s http://www
.chron.com/class/jobs/ in the Houston Chronicle.

“I’ve been using résumés for 30 years now for my own personal pursuit of jobs, and they’re the same as they were in the ’80s,” said Heather Galler, CEO of jobkite.com. “But for most people, there’s a lot more than a page worth of information you can present. We can go so much further, and why not? It’s important to supply employers with all the evidence of why you should be hired.”

Galler suggested job candidates use the Internet as a portfolio, posting everything from written excerpts of work to graphs highlighting sales. She said on her Web site employers can advertise job openings by using flash ads, which move and use pictures.
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Nine tips for better online job hunting

It goes without saying that the Internet has drastically changed the way people today hunt for jobs. After all, it’s probably been a few years since you’ve submitted a resume via mail or fax. But even though most professionals turn to the Internet first for help locating a new position, not all understand the finer points of a Web-based job search. Following are some tips to keep in mind the next time you look online.

1. Think big

It’s wise to start your search by visiting large job sites such as CareerBuilder.com because of the sheer number of listings offered. In addition, employers of all sizes and in every industry are apt to list their job openings on sites with strong brand recognition. Checking out smaller niche Web pages can be helpful, but if you’re at a crossroads in your career or willing to relocate, the big boards offer the widest view of what jobs are currently available.

2. Scan the oldies but goodies

When visiting job boards, many job hunters make the mistake of limiting their search to positions posted in the last few days. A position posted one month ago might still be open, especially if it requires hard-to-find skills. Plus, with most job seekers focusing on recent postings, you may be competing with fewer candidates. A dated job advertisement doesn’t reflect the quality of the company or the potential desirability of the position.

3. Visit recruiter sites

In addition to browsing the large boards, visit the Web sites of recruiting firms that specialize in your field, which maintain their own job postings. Some even offer detailed career information and job search advice. The advantage of these sites is that job seekers can conduct highly targeted searches and also connect with a recruiter who can work on their behalf.

4. Go surfing

Job sites offer more than just listings. They also can serve as a launching pad for other opportunities. For instance, you may find an appealing job posting for which you are overqualified. Though you’re not right for this role, you now know the company is hiring. Visit the prospective employer’s Web site to see if there are any additional openings. Send a resume and cover letter to the company expressing your desire to be considered for future jobs.

5. Get social

Networking is one of the most effective ways of locating new opportunities, and the Internet makes it easier than ever to expand your web of contacts. Social networking sites such as LinkedIn.com provide “virtual” opportunities to connect with other professionals — in your area or halfway across the world. Participating in chat rooms and discussion forums, such as those hosted by professional associations in your field or industry, also is an excellent way to find about open positions.
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Employers look online for clues to job seeker’s lifestyle

Tomorrow’s worker bees are today’s young adults, but any thoughts of future 9-to-5 jobs, neckties, cubicles and benefits are often buried beneath the pursuits of youth.

Sometimes the youth lifestyle doesn’t exactly mesh with the corporate world.

Young people have been warned recently: be careful how you portray yourself online, it might harm your job chances down the road. Your life today may revolve around keg parties and beach days, but a potential employer may think twice about hiring you if you detail the party lifestyle on Myspace.com or some other Web site.

But are area employers really scouring the Internet to research job candidates? The answer is yes and no.

By and large, the larger, old-guard companies haven’t changed their human resource practices when it comes to hiring. Companies like Mercy Hospital and Maine Medical Center aren’t Googling candidates, and TD Banknorth and UnumProvident don’t check out Myspace or Facebook. They still rely on resumes, references and, sometimes, background checks performed by professional firms.

But some smaller, tech-savvy area businesses have added varied Web searches to their HR toolbox. Westbrook-based JobsInTheUS.com has Googled every job candidate for the past year and this summer began searching both Myspace and Facebook for applicant profiles.
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To Get That Job, Bring On The Charm

Forget about those professional tech certifications, those many years grinding out code at your company, or your fancy MBA. What matters nearly as much are your charm and personality when it comes to getting jobs and being promoted, according to a new survey.

A survey of 223 senior executives and managers–including tech leaders–across several industries found that 63% rely on “likability” and personality of a candidate when making hiring and promotion decisions, according to a new report by research firm NFI Research.

In fact, a candidate’s “skills” mattered slightly less than likability, at 62%.

Apparently, personality isn’t just what the managers and executives themselves focus on. The survey found that 64% of the respondents admitted that the likability of a candidate was also something that their companies or departments relied on when making hiring and promotion decisions.

“We were stunned, the idea that a person relies on personality and likability vs. delivering results and past performance in those decisions were shocking,” says NFI CEO Chuck Martin.

Well, being likable isn’t exactly everything, but the other key factors are pretty closely related, says Martin. Some 73% said they base their hiring and promotion decisions on a candidate’s “likelihood to fit in” with the organization; 70% on how the interview with the candidate went; and 69% said a willingness to learn.

“People tend to want to hire other people who are like themselves, clones, someone they think will fit in with them,” says Martin.
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Lack of company knowledge biggest job interview gaffe

They say job-hunting success is all about who you know. But how much you know about prospective employers plays a crucial role, too, a new survey confirms. Forty-seven percent of executives polled said that having little or no knowledge of the company is the most common mistake job seekers make during interviews.

The national survey includes responses from 150 senior executives - including those from human resources, finance and marketing departments - with the nation’s 1,000 largest companies. It was conducted by an independent research firm and developed by Accountemps, a U.S.-based staffing service.

Executives were asked, “What do you think is the most common mistake candidates make during job interviews?” Their responses:

Little or no knowledge of the company 47%
Unprepared to discuss skills and experience 17%
Unprepared to discuss career plans and goals 9%
Limited enthusiasm 9%
Lack of eye contact 3%
Monopolize interview 2%
Focus on salary/benefits/perks 2%
Lack of self-confidence 2%
Inappropriate dress 2%
Late arrival 2%
Don’t know/no answer 5%
100%

“Candidates should learn as much as they can about a company before meeting a prospective employer,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Managing Your Career For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons Inc.). “The most successful applicants will have a beyond-the-basics understanding of the firm, including its history, chief competitors and business objectives. Armed with this knowledge, job hopefuls should be able to describe how their skills and experience can help the business reach its goals.”

Accountemps offers the following tips for researching potential employers:

Find information at your fingertips. By visiting the company’s Web site, you can locate a wealth of information, such as the firm’s mission and values, what products and services it provides, recent press releases and more. If it’s a publicly traded company, call the investor relations department to request an annual report.
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Seven Career Killers

You worked hard to get the education, the skills and now the job. Don’t let these mistakes sabotage your climb up the career ladder.

Lying on your résumé, stealing office supplies or failing to show up for work will surely dampen your career prospects. But young workers need to beware of less-obvious mistakes that can sabotage their careers. Your behavior, attitude and appearance will play important roles in finding success, not only in your first job, but throughout your entire working lifetime.

As someone just starting out in the work world, you probably don’t have a reputation yet. Take advantage of this blank slate. “You want to be seen as an up-and-comer, not the stereotypical young slacker,” says Marty Nemko, a job coach in Oakland, Cal., and columnist for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. Avoiding these seven career killers will help you craft a stellar reputation and keep your career on track.

1. Procrastinating. Remember the first time you put off studying for a test then crammed at the last minute and still got a decent grade? Many of us have been procrastinating since grade school and have done just fine, but that’s a habit you’ve got to break. “There’s no grade inflation in the workplace,” says Nemko. If you pull together a report or presentation at the last minute, your shoddy preparation is going to show. And if something unexpected happens — say your computer crashes or a key contact fails to return a call — the old “dog-ate-my-homework” excuse isn’t going to cut it. “Procrastination is an ingrained habit,” Nemko says, “but if you don’t kick it pretty quick, you’re going to find yourself on the corporate slow track.”

2. Having a sense of entitlement. Our generation was raised on instant gratification — we’re used to getting what we want, and getting it now. Yet when it comes to our careers, no matter how hard we work, we cannot get five years of experience in one year. Younger employees tend to feel entitled to quick promotions, says Randall Hansen, founder of Quintessential Careers and associate professor of marketing at Stetson University in Deland, Fla. Falling into that trap can, instead, hinder a climb up the career ladder. If you carry the attitude that you deserve to be promoted or else, you may find that “or else” is your only option, says Hansen.

Fresh out of school, you’re on the bottom rung of the career ladder, which means you’re going to have to pay some dues, such as taking on jobs others don’t want or working days others want off. But that doesn’t mean you should accept your low status forever. Learn more about how to know when it’s time to move up — and how to pull it off.

3. Settling into your job description. You may have your set responsibilities, but you should always be on the lookout for opportunities to shine. Going above and beyond your mundane entry-level tasks can demonstrate your untapped talents and show your boss you’re not afraid to take initiative. Settle into your job description for too long and your reputation may be cast as a low-level lackey.

You may have to do a little self-promotion, but try not to come off as a braggart. Nemko’s daughter, for example, got her first job working for Hillary Clinton — but her job description was to answer letters to Socks, the Clintons’ pet cat. Soon after starting, she approached her boss and said she was willing to pay her dues, but that she had good research and writing skills. She pointed out that she might be useful on some other task. A few days went by and her boss asked her to research a topic and write a one-page brief for Clinton. She ended up spending a year as a researcher — that certainly beats handling feline fan mail.
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Tips on switching careers

Every year a large number of people consider switching to another career. If you are in this group, before making a decision, take a look at your employment background, education and credentials.

If the new field you are considering utilizes many of the same skills and qualifications, there may be an easy transition. However, if they differ substantially, you may want to reconsider or formulate a transition strategy.

Examine the educational and credential requirements for the position you are targeting. If there are specific requirements that you need and don’t possess, you may have to go back to school. Consider the time and expense you will have to invest for the change. For instance, if you want to change from a career in sales to public relations, you may already possess the skills and education for that change. If you want to change to accounting, your chances of a successful transition may not be very good unless you go back to school. In all likelihood, you will have to obtain a degree in accounting, and for even further advancement in your new career interest, you will have to take and pass the Certified Public Accounting exam. Without a CPA designation, your chances for long-term career advancement may not be worth the change.

Research the field extensively. Look at job opportunities, future growth of the field, potential employers, income potential, benefits, promotion timetable and licensing or certification requirements.

Timing can be everything. If there is an over abundance of qualified employees, you should consider waiting until the job market improves. The most important thing that career changers fail to consider is their motivation to perform the new job. It needs to be something you really want to do for a living. You don’t want to be unhappy and unmotivated for the rest of your working life.
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