Category Archives: Interviews

“WHY SHOULD I HIRE YOU?” < The Bottom Line in an Interview

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Contributor: Nadya_Art / Shutterstock

 

Do you dread this question?

Do you know what how you would answer it? What would you tell an employer that highlights what you can do for them? While many variables are assessed in an interview, this particular question is the bottom line that every employer and recruiter wonders about with each candidate – even if they do not ask it directly. It is central to their decision-making. Understanding what a candidate offers can help them make a good selection. And, having a strong answer – one that speaks to the bottom line – can get you the offer.

So how should you respond to the question? Be prepared – the more you know about the employer and their specific needs, the more you will be armed with relevant insights to connect to your talent.

Here are 3 steps to help you get there:

Step 1 – Know Yourself. Be ready to address your strengths, experience, and accomplishments. Make sure you are prepared with examples and stories that support your responses. Re-read the job ad. What expertise are they looking for? What do you need to be sure that you address in the interview?

Step 2 – Know the company and players. Take time to research the specific company of interest. Look at their website and key people. What are their products and services? Who are their customers? What do they promote? Read press articles to uncover successes and challenges. Who is your interviewer? Google them and/or find them on LinkedIn.  What insights might be helpful to bring up in the interview?

Step 3 – Connect the dots. Practice summarizing why you are a strong candidate for this particular position (keep key points in your head, not a memorized paragraph). Be sure to address (a) why you are interested in this specific job, (b) the relevant strengths/experience you bring to the table, and (c) what you can do for this company….the bottom line that can help them.

What do you do if you are not asked this question?

Take the initiative and bring it up! Make sure they understand the bottom line of what you offer. Oh, and always make sure to convey your enthusiasm for the job. Wishing you the best of success!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entrepreneurial Perseverance: How to Use Failure to Your Advantage

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Image via Unsplash

 

Guest Post by Lance Cody-Valdez

A few years ago, burned out and miserable from his job in corporate marketing, Lance Cody-Valdez decided it was time to invest in himself. He quit his job the following day and used his meager savings to stay afloat as he built a career as a freelance writer and content marketer. He created free-lance-now.com to help others use freelancing to escape the 9 to 5 daily grind.”

***

Few things are more rewarding than entrepreneurial success. When you have built a business from the ground up into something valuable to customers, it has a way of bringing fulfillment in all of your hard work and motivating you to keep pushing forward.

But if you are an entrepreneur for long enough, you will realize that failure is imminent. We don’t mean that it’s a given that you will be a failure, simply that setbacks are part of the entrepreneurial process. Most of the world’s richest business people will tell you that!

The key is to view your setbacks as opportunities to become stronger, wiser, and more persistent in the pursuit of your goals. Below, there are a few practical ways to use your failure for your entrepreneurial growth!

Lean Into Your Mistakes    

First of all, you must embrace your mistakes if you are going to learn from them. Think through all of your setbacks, from your most recent to any you may have suffered years ago. Dig into each failure and analyze where you went wrong. Accepting your mistakes and strategizing how to prevent similar ones in the future is how you will grow wiser and more resilient down the road.

Find Other People

So many entrepreneurial failures stem from a business owner who has tried to do too much and burned out. That’s why you must find qualified team members to lighten the load and focus on what you’re best at. Delegating tasks is crucial to making your operations as efficient as possible while also helping you to maintain the joy of your passion.

One practical example of delegation is your administrative tasks. You have an overall vision of your venture. If you get hung up on the menial everyday jobs like data entry, customer service, and calendar management, you can hinder your company’s ability to move forward. Consider hiring virtual assistant services to help minimize distractions and handle all of the administrative duties of your business.

Foster Your Network

Through failures and successes, you need a network of professionals to support you. Always think of how you can build your network because you never know when you will need it. Along with engaging on online platforms, consider joining the chamber of commerce in your area, attend as many industry events as you can, and try to find mentors and advisors who can help you navigate the various challenges ahead.

Refine Your Marketing Strategies

So much of running a business comes down to the effectiveness of your marketing. Take advantage of your setbacks to revisit the strategies you have implemented in the past. Thoroughly research the market and your competition so that you can make adjustments that will put your company on the right path.

Once you clearly understand what your competitors are doing and what the market demands, you can create accurate customer profiles, figure out which marketing channels to use, and craft your brand’s message to where it most appeals to your target audience.

Get Uncomfortable

When your business experiences a setback, it typically means that some type of change is necessary. And if you are going to figure out what that change is and implement it effectively, you will need to step out of your comfort zone. One way to boost your knowledge of your field is to go back to school. Best of all, the flexibility of online programs allows you to keep working even as you learn the skills to take your business to the next level.

Doing so will help your brain (and the brains of your team members) to engage in creative solutions like you have never experienced before. Then, you can go back to the drawing board and determine how to take sensible risks to maximize your company’s potential (not to mention polish up that résumé).

 Entrepreneurship comes with successes and failures. The difference between an entrepreneur who succeeds long-term and one who never seems able to get over the hump is that the successful one learns to improve from their mistakes and roll with the punches. Remember to build a qualified and dedicated team and professional network around you. And figure out how to effectively market your venture from now on. Lastly, don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone to get to the next level!

 

Dynamic Résumés serves clients ANYWHERE in the nation through the convenience of virtual consultations. You can “Schedule a Call” at your convenience right on our website – www.dynamicresumesofNJ.com

 

Is “business casual” costing you the job?

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By the Guest Blogger Team at T.M. Lewin

It’s no secret that first impressions are powerful. It really is true, you never get a second chance to make another first impression. Research proves that it takes only a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger from only their face. When you begin to factor in a person’s choice of clothing, body language, and appearance, the stakes are even higher. According to several studies, 90% of people form their opinion about you in under less than a minute of an initial introduction. In a job interview, this means that a potential employer could have made their decision of whether or not to hire you before you’ve even begun the formal questioning.

Does the phrase “business casual” fill you with confusion and uncertainty? What really defines business casual from business professional or formal?

Deciding what to wear for an interview or a day at work is becoming increasingly more perplexing. Office environments continue to change and traditional standards of professional dress have surely become more relaxed. What is acceptable and appropriate to wear to an interview or new work environment remains subjective and universally undefined. Beyond the employee handbook (often received after the interview/offer letter) there is no concrete definition for what warrants an appropriate outfit from the next. Of course, in any work environment a dress code is circumstantial to geographical location, workplace culture, corporate policy, title or position and the field or line of work. One thing that remains unquestioned is the importance of a positive and polished appearance on interview day.

 

Even the best candidates who have crafted the perfect resume, completed their research about the company and their potential role forget to also consider the office dress code. There are many ways to gain an insider’s insight prior to the interview. Be observant while dropping off a resume or while in attendance for an office tour. If the job prospect is local, consider casually walking around the lobby or possibly sitting in your car in the parking lot to watch what people are wearing. If your target company is remote, you may be able to gain some insight from company photos of employees, especially in groups versus professional headshots.

 

T.M. Lewin, experts in office-ready work-wear in the UK, has helped to decipher the professional dress code puzzle. They have crafted the savvy guide below as a perfect tool for aspiring jobseekers, with plenty of style references, tips and advice for our modern workforce. Please note that while the guide has been developed for the European workforce, it can easily be adapted to what you learn upon researching the interviewing company.

 

 

T.M. Lewin is a British heritage brand established in 1898 on Jermyn Street in London. Experts of smart style and dressing our modern working world. is a British heritage brand established in 1898 on Jermyn Street in London. Experts of smart style and dressing our modern working world. 

 

Time to refresh your elevator speech!

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Most of you have heard of an “Elevator Speech,” right? The story goes something like this – let’s say you have an interview for a job you really want. You get into the elevator on the first floor of the building and find out the other person in the elevator is the head honcho who is going to have the final say in whether you get hired.  You now have about 60 seconds to ride in the elevator with her to the top floor.  When she finds out that you are the candidate under consideration, she seems curious about you. What “speech” can you give her in that elevator ride to peak her interest and ensure that you get the offer? Ahhhhh! If you don’t know, then you need to figure this out – and fast!

You meet people all the time, especially if you are networking, attending professional organization meetings, and actively pursuing job leads. Sometimes, you really only have about an “elevator ride” worth of time to impress someone or not. So what can you do? Try to identify what you really want to market about yourself and what sets you apart out there.  What value do you add? What do you want other networking professionals to remember about you? Practice your “elevator speech” out loud. Listen to other people’s answers when you ask them what they do – what impresses you? Who do you remember and why? These are not easy questions to answer – but investing some time and careful thought into your “elevator speech” can create a lot of opportunities for you.

If you are at a networking event, be sure that your interaction is not “just about you.”  It’s important  to focus on building relationships, too.  So show interest in the other person and ask how you might be able to help them. You will certainly be remembered for that!

 

Ring in the New Year with a fresh approach for your search

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The New Year is a great time to charge forward with new ideas and commitments.  So, if you’ve been in a job search for a while, now is a great time to gear up with a fresh start and IGNITE your search!

Review and evaluate your existing plan and activities. Here are some questions to ask in assessing what is working and what is not:

  • What is your job target? Are you clearly conveying this to others and on your résumé?
  • Have you gotten feedback from others about the strength of your career documents – résumé, cover letter, LinkedIn profile?
  • Are you getting calls for interviews? Are they for the right job target?
  • Have you had many interviews but no offers? Why?
  • Are you actively networking? Are you establishing quality relationships?
  • Do you know how to reach out to new contacts (appropriately) on LinkedIn?
  • Are you using a variety of methods to search for your new job or only using online job boards?
  • Do you have colleagues who will give you honest feedback and support?

Then, create a new plan that ignites your search based on what you have learned in your assessment. The most important step is to treat your search as a “job” with goals and target dates that will keep you moving forward:

  • Be sure to have a “to do” list that is translated into manageable weekly and monthly goals that are realistic and that push you forward
  • Keep your goals POSTED where you can see them every day!
  • Use an organized system to track your contacts, companies you’ve interviewed with, and the status of anything to do with your search.  (One FREE resource for tracking this info can be found with www.jibberjobber.com).

Use this opportunity to step back and recharge. A little reflection and organization will go a long way in setting things in motion. Here’s to a happy, healthy, and successful new year!