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June 20, 2024 0 Comments

Manage Your Image Prior to the Big Job Interview

Not that long ago, employers relied on interviews, reference checks and resumes to determine whether or not they wanted to hire someone. These days, business owners use a variety of other methods to decide if someone is hire-worthy. Some business owners will look into your background as part of the screening process; this may include asking you information about your educational background, any criminal records, your financial history, and the way in which you use social media, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission notes. Potential employers may also do a background check, which can include looking up a credit report and any past criminal activity, and they will probably spend some time online learning what they can about you and your activities.

Here are some interview tips to prepare for the background screening and help ensure that your image is as upstanding, responsible and professional as possible.

Research yourself

Since employers often use a search engine like Google to learn more about you, beat them to the proverbial punch and research yourself, Lifehacker suggests. Hopefully what pops up will be a pretty accurate representation of who you are, including recent achievements and awards, articles that may have mentioned your name, and social media profiles. If your name is fairly common or if you are in the unfortunate situation where your name is the same or close to some notorious individual, you may want to go ahead and mention this during the interview. You could even add links and URLs to accurate articles about you to your resume.

Make sure your driving record is spotless — or close to it

Many employers will want or even require that you have a clean driving record. In addition to being a good indicator of responsibility and competency, a lack of tickets and other moving violations can show your future boss that you are capable of good decision making. Of course, this is especially important if the job involves any kind of driving. If your license has expired or if you have recently moved to a new state and you have not been down to the MVD yet, do everything you can before your interview to make sure your driving records are up-to-date. For example, if you just moved and you need to get your driver’s license, you can prepare for your exam by taking the permit practice test online at DrivingTests.org.

Clean up your social media act

Chances are good the person who will be interviewing you will look you up on social media sites. Take the time and go through all of your pages and remove anything that might be remotely questionable. This includes those fun pictures taken of you at that party on your Facebook page — you may not have been doing anything wrong, but it’s probably best to err on the side of caution.

Also, as Wisconsin Job Center notes, never speak poorly of your last boss in a job interview. If you ever did any complaining about your job, boss or co-workers on social media sites, take those comments off, pronto. Assume that your potential future boss will scroll through some of your Tweets, so go back and remove any that make you look less than positive. In addition, if you have a page on LinkedIn, make sure your profile is up to date with your latest job history and references.

Take these interview tips to heart — do anything you can to make sure that whatever someone learns about you online will increase, and not decrease, your chances of being hired.

Check out these other great articles about job search tips as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

 

 

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April 1, 2019 0 Comments

#1 Complaint Job Seekers Have…

We hear it over and over again…

“I never hear back from the jobs I’ve applied for.”

I’ll tell you why that’s not good for your business.

1.  It puts your company’s reputation in a negative light as unresponsive and unprofessional.

2.  The next time you post a job, those applicants are less likely to apply because they’ve felt rejected without any feedback or communication at all.

You don’t have to craft a long, drawn out response to every candidate but even a simple, professional response is much appreciated!

Your email can be as quick and simple as:

 

Dear _________,

Thank you for your interest in our position posted with HireMyMom.com.  
 
I wanted to let you know that we have selected another candidate who we feel more closely matches the skills, traits and expertise we are looking for at this time. 
 
We truly appreciate your time and thank you for your interest in our job. We wish you much success in your endeavors. 
 
Warm Regards,
Your Name

If the candidate was a close runner up, let them know. You may need to hire additional help or replace your current hire. Keep the lines of communication open!

We look forward to helping you with your hiring needs.

Please contact us and let us know how we can help.

 

 

 

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February 10, 2015 0 Comments

5 Ways to Prepare for a Skype Interview

Skype is a major communication tool in our modern world, and it’s not any different in business. With more telecommute positions becoming available across the country and beyond, more and more employers are utilizing Skype interviews to keep low costs and increase the chances of finding a suitable job candidate, no matter the location.

While a Skype interview may be a bit less conventional, it’s still a crucial step in the job process. The next time your interview is over your webcam, utilize these Skype interviewing tips below to ensure success.

1. Dress to Impress: It’s not an official interview in an office, but it’s still an interview. By dressing like you’re going to a regular interview, you get yourself into that mindset. Additionally, the interviewer can see part of you, so it’s important to look your best. Dress for success! Wear your favorite interview outfit, even if you’re just taking the call in your spare bedroom. Take the time to make yourself look your best, since we often perform better that way.

2. Remove Background Clutter: Look around your interview room, make sure that you don’t have random clutter in the background. This does not look professional and may be distracting to your interviewer. Turn on your camera before the interview begins and make sure that all clutter is cleared from visible spaces.

3. Hire a Babysitter: If you’re at home with the kids all day, hire a babysitter during your interview time. It’s worth it from a time standpoint too, because you’ll need time before, during, and after the interview to debrief and get yourself situated to do a good job. It’s worth hiring a babysitter and eliminating any distractions from your kids to ensure a positive interview. You’ll know that your kids are being well cared for and have everything they need, versus rushing an interview to get back to them in the other room.

4. Step Away From the Noise: This should go without saying, but be sure to turn off all radios and televisions before your interview. We can’t always do anything about our neighbor cutting grass outside or any other noises from the outdoors, but we can eliminate them inside our homes. Do your best to choose the quietest room in your home and turn off anything that would make a noise; this includes your cell phone and any alarms or notifications on your computer. If you have pets, keep them outside during your interview, or ensure that you are far enough away from them to avoid barking or other noises.

5. Print Your Qualifications: Have you resume, notes, and any other qualifying documents ready to go. This is an important tip for any interview that does not take place in person, since you can reference these documents as you proceed. Since you’ll be on video, it will be difficult to be discreet and walk across the room to access your notes, so be sure to have them ready before the interview begins. Additionally, keep a pen and paper with you and let your interviewer know that you are taking notes at appropriate times.

You are sure to make an impression on your potential employer by utilizing all five Skype interviewing tips. Start here by checking out our current work from home job postings.

Check out these other great articles about interviewing tips as a work from home professional. Also check out our home-based job descriptions and current job postings for mom professionals.

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January 6, 2015 0 Comments

5 Tips For Your Best Resume

Resumes are the gateway to your new job! When applying for a home-based (or any) job, your resume is your first impression. You can make simple modifications to truly make your resume stand out while making yourself more appealing to the employer.

Follow the actionable tips below for writing a resume that shines above the rest:

  1. Highlight the Right Things: Resumes are typically a list of your job tasks, but that’s not all it should feature. Be sure to highlight your accomplishments and results from your job, not just what you did while employed. Always include numbers, statistics, and percentages when applicable, since that will function as proof of your ability to accomplish goals and projects. This is a bonus tweak that will take your resume from good to exceptional!
  2. Get Specific: Tailor every cover letter, resume and email to each one of your job applications. Yes, this takes more time, but it’s highly worth it! When you focus on each specific need and quality of the job posting and integrate it into your resume, you stand out. When you meet a specific criteria, use those exact words in your materials. It will show the employer that you pay attention and that the perfect employee is really out there!
  3. Be Honest: Of course you should never lie about past experience, but also be sure that you aren’t stretching the truth of your experience and accomplishments. You always want to make yourself sound great, but over-promising and stating that you can do things that you cannot will only land you in trouble later. It’s better to lack the skill in the beginning and be honest, since you can always learn new skills and improve yourself further.
  4. Stand Out: Are you creative? This is your time to show off! With new technology and programs, resumes aren’t all looking the same way anymore. From different shaped resumes to those that resemble Facebook profiles, there’s something for everyone. Especially when applying to creative-based positions, think outside the box and come up with something beyond the standard layout. This may not be needed for all industries, but if nothing else, you will certainly be remembered.
  5. Keep It Short and Sweet: Generally no more than two pages is just fine! You may have years and years of experience, but you must be concise. It’s tempting to think that a long resume equals better, but it’s often the opposite. Make your critical information easily visible and accessible, and remember to remove outdated and irrelevant job positions.

Resumes can be tough to perfect, but they’re so important! Making a solid first impression is crucial, and it will speak for you before you even have a chance to interview. Spend time on writing a resume now and your future job position will be that much easier to achieve.

Check out these other great articles about interviewing tips as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

(Image courtesy of phasinphoto at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

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December 18, 2014 0 Comments

Not Landing an Interview? 4 Things Costing You That Dream Job

You’ve polished up your resume and spent hours finessing your cover letter. You feel great about it and press send, confident that you’ll be getting a response ASAP. But 24 hours turn into a week and then a month, and still no call comes your way. You were feeling pretty confident in knowing how to land a job interview. What went wrong? Such a devastating scenario is not uncommon. If the interview for the career of your dreams is continuing to elude you, you might be falling prey to four mistakes job seekers frequently make. Here’s a look at each error, and what you can do to make sure none of them stand in the way of you and that corner office.

You have Skills, But Not the Right Ones

While reading the job posting in-depth, you probably cross-referenced your own résumé. Experience with marketing automation? Check. Familiarity with integrating CRM and marketing automation systems? Check. But wait. Hold your horses, eager one. Maybe the company you’re applying to uses Marketo and Salesforce.com, but your experience has only been with Eloqua and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. You might not see a difference, but the hiring manager will.

Failing to specify your exact experience, or having similar, but not exact experience to what is required can cause an employer to pass you over. The hiring company’s goal is to spend as little time training you as possible, so be sure to be explicit about your skills. If you notice a trend in specific skills you’re lacking, try to see if Coursera has a course on the subject, and get busy learning. If you come into the interview, you want your acumen to clearly back up what’s on your CV.

Background Checks Not Checking Out

Not all companies perform background checks on prospective hires, but many do. And seemingly insignificant things you’ve forgotten about can negatively impact such a check. Even though you’ve forgotten it, the hiring manager will see a big red flag and move on to the next candidate. Scour your memory for anything that could taint a background check. Did you have credit card fraud from identify theft years ago? It’s likely that hasn’t been cleared up. It’s advisable to look into a company like Lifelock for an identify theft protection service that’ll protect your reputation and even give you a one-million dollar guarantee.

Another form of background check, albeit more informal, is a look at your social media profiles. Be sure any of your pages that are public present your most professional image. Many a job seeker has been shunned thanks to a poorly worded tweet or an inappropriate Facebook photo.

Timidity and Fear

In life and your job search, you really can be your own worst enemy. People sabotage themselves in a variety of ways without even knowing it when going after a new career. A lack of confidence can prevent you from even submitting your application. Anxiety over being told no can keep you from asking the people in your network for a personal recommendation. A fear of public speaking can hold you back from completing the presentation portion of your interview process.

The best advice for surmounting these self-created obstacles? The old adage, “fake it until you make it.” Force yourself to send in your resume. Remind yourself that some people may reject your request for a recommendation, but that others will be happy to help you. And if public speaking is an issue, there’s never a better time than the present to brush up on this very valuable skill. Look into a Dale Carnegie course or a program like Toastmasters to improve your communication and your confidence.

You’re Barking up the Wrong Tree

Finally, you may have all the rest of the ingredients right, but are just going to the wrong place. When applying for a job, it’s best to go through the channels prescribed on the company’s website. Does it say to submit a Web form? Submit a Web form. You may think you’re being clever and unforgettable by showing up in person and asking to see the CEO, but you probably won’t get past the receptionist, and may cause a lot of annoyance too.

Remember that job applications often go through several layers of people, sometimes starting with a secretary or office manager. You never know who is responsible for the initial sifting of applications, so be courteous to everybody. And if you don’t hear anything back, it’s okay to be persistent but never be pushy.

So, there you have it. Investigate this “How to Land a Job Interview” tips. If there’s a position out there that is calling your name, it’s probably worth pursuing with everything you have. Don’t let avoidable gaffes obstruct your vision for your life. Make sure you have the skills needed, and are precise about communicating them. Keep your background checks sparkly clean by getting identity theft protection, and keep your social media profiles just as immaculate since you never know who’s looking at them. Push yourself to overcome any obstacles you’ve put in your way, and be sure you’re applying to the right person in the proper way. With this approach, you’ll be unstoppable. And that dream job will be inching closer and closer to your fingertips.

Check out these other great articles about interviewing tips as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

(Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.)

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September 12, 2014 0 Comments

Manage Your Image Prior to the Big Job Interview

Not that long ago, employers relied on interviews, reference checks and resumes to determine whether or not they wanted to hire someone. These days, business owners use a variety of other methods to decide if someone is hire-worthy. Some business owners will look into your background as part of the screening process; this may include asking you information about your educational background, any criminal records, your financial history, and the way in which you use social media, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission notes. Potential employers may also do a background check, which can include looking up a credit report and any past criminal activity, and they will probably spend some time online learning what they can about you and your activities.

Here are some interview tips to prepare for the background screening and help ensure that your image is as upstanding, responsible and professional as possible.

Research yourself

Since employers often use a search engine like Google to learn more about you, beat them to the proverbial punch and research yourself, Lifehacker suggests. Hopefully what pops up will be a pretty accurate representation of who you are, including recent achievements and awards, articles that may have mentioned your name, and social media profiles. If your name is fairly common or if you are in the unfortunate situation where your name is the same or close to some notorious individual, you may want to go ahead and mention this during the interview. You could even add links and URLs to accurate articles about you to your resume.

Make sure your driving record is spotless — or close to it

Many employers will want or even require that you have a clean driving record. In addition to being a good indicator of responsibility and competency, a lack of tickets and other moving violations can show your future boss that you are capable of good decision making. Of course, this is especially important if the job involves any kind of driving. If your license has expired or if you have recently moved to a new state and you have not been down to the MVD yet, do everything you can before your interview to make sure your driving records are up-to-date. For example, if you just moved and you need to get your driver’s license, you can prepare for your exam by taking the permit practice test online at DrivingTests.org.

Clean up your social media act

Chances are good the person who will be interviewing you will look you up on social media sites. Take the time and go through all of your pages and remove anything that might be remotely questionable. This includes those fun pictures taken of you at that party on your Facebook page — you may not have been doing anything wrong, but it’s probably best to err on the side of caution.

Also, as Wisconsin Job Center notes, never speak poorly of your last boss in a job interview. If you ever did any complaining about your job, boss or co-workers on social media sites, take those comments off, pronto. Assume that your potential future boss will scroll through some of your Tweets, so go back and remove any that make you look less than positive. In addition, if you have a page on LinkedIn, make sure your profile is up to date with your latest job history and references.

Take these interview tips to heart — do anything you can to make sure that whatever someone learns about you online will increase, and not decrease, your chances of being hired.

Check out these other great articles about job search tips as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

 

 

Continue Reading