Why Am I NOT Getting Interviewed?!

What your file may look like in a
human resources management database.

by Megan Elliott, Social Media Developer

I know I’ve said this a million times when I’ve been on the desperate job hunt, and I probably will a million more times throughout my working lifetime. The job search is frustrating, it’s tiresome, and it is intensely hard to keep a positive outlook. The advice out there all seems to be the same, and unfortunately, you start just tuning out what other people are saying about what you should be doing.

What are you doing wrong, and how can you fix it?

It may not have anything to do with you. See, everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, so everyone has a different career path. Not everyone graduates from high school and goes straight to college – not everyone who goes to college from high school knows what they want to major in and takes four years to do it – not everyone has been able to start working in their field of choice right away.

I’ve mentioned screening software in earlier blog posts, but not gone into any sort of depth. Well, here’s why: I don’t agree with the use of it because, like this author, I think it is a limiting device for human resources to say “Well, we didn’t find anyone who matched our exact requirements, so we’re just not going to fill that open position this time around.” The software takes the terms that a human hasplugged into it and scans each application and resume for those specific terms. It doesn’t know that “communications specialist” as a job title has the same weight and similar responsibilities as “media specialist,” as I pull examples from my own resume, unless the human plugging terms in has specified them as valid terms for the software.

And the questionnaires! You have to answer the questions SPECIFICALLY according to the human who selected those questions wanted them answered or, again, your resume gets tossed into the virtual trash bin before anyone human can lay eyes on it. You have to be aware of the keywords that they’re searching for – combing the job description for clues to the specific ones they want to see.

All of this ends up being the bulk of your effort when filling out job applications, and is probably why networking is still your best chance of getting an offer of an interview. If you don’t use the precise keywords for your resume and/or cover letter and the questionnaire, you don’t get the call. A human with the knowlege of what you can do and the quiet endorsement of just making sure your resume gets into the appropriate hands makes the difference.

We can help with the keyword identification in the job description, but as one of my coworkers put it, “In other words, when the job description says ‘communications,’ you put communications down. When they say ‘media,’ you put media down.” Make sure you use the same words that they use, and you’ll be much better off.

Dressing for an Interview on a Budget



Can you believe how many results this search returned?

by Megan Elliott, Social Media Developer

There are well over 35 million articles on the internet giving you advice on how to dress for a job interview. They are written by job coaches, by hiring managers, by professionals, by hired freelance bloggers, and by people who just have no clue. It’s a really popular topic!

Chances are, you’ve read at least a good dozen of them.  Most suggest a basic black or charcoal grey suit, with a neutral colored shirt, with low heels and the barest of jewelry. If you’re going for professionalism, to carry a portfolio with you with copies of your resume in hand. Some go so far as to advise that you get your suit professionally tailored to make sure that it fits properly.

Now, this blogger states that at the very least you should wear neat, clean, and pressed clothing for an interview. She’s as upset as I am at the inordinate number of articles suggesting that you should wear a tailored suit to an interview with a fast food chain manager, which I find a ridiculous suggestion. Of course, if you have a suit, wear it. If you have a friend or relative who will let you borrow one of theirs, wear it. But please, don’t go running out and spending money you don’t have on a suit!

One method is to do your research on the company (have I mentioned before how much you need to research the company?) and figure out what their dress code is for their employees, and then step it up a couple of notches. For instance, let’s say that you’ve been called in for an interview at the McDonald’s around the corner. Every employee is wearing chinos and the company uniform polo shirt and hat. What’s two steps up from chinos and a polo?

The other method is to actually call the person who called you in for the interview and ask. Saying something along the lines of “I want to make sure that I understand the dress code,” indicates before your interview that you’ve been doing your homework on the company. Just be sure to err on the side of caution, as the advisers in that article suggest.

If you have nice things in your closet that fit well and don’t show threadbare spots, by all means, make sure they’re well-pressed (if you can’t iron or don’t own the equipment, like me, take your outfit to a dry cleaner at least a couple of days in advance).  If you feel that a suit or even business separates are essential, I’ll let you in on one of my secrets. I have had great success in finding gently-used to tags-still-on clothes from consignment shops, and even in thrift shops like Goodwill and Salvation Army. You might also want to ask around and see if there are any consignment shops that provide outfits to lower income individuals, like Career Closet.

Ultimately, the decision on what to wear to your interview is up to you. This is your chance to show who that person is behind that smashing resume, and we want you to shine! Good luck, and happy interviewing!

Interview Nervousness is Normal!

Does this image make your palms start to sweat?

by Megan Elliott, Social Media Developer

It can be absolutely nerve-wracking to get called in for an interview with a company - and if you don't know what kind of preparations you're expected to make, the more nervous you get! So, we're going to provide you with five little tips to get you started.

1) Do research on the company.
Figure out how large the company is, what its culture is like, ask friends of friends what the company is like (if they work there), and so on. If the company is pretty large and has been around for a while, it will probably have a lot of reviews online from current and former employees, and even customers. Read those to get a good feel for the company. Don't just rely on their website to tell you what you need.

2) Along the same lines, do research on how well they treat their employees.
Usually, if you applied to a position online, you were introduced to some of the benefits that the company you're interested in offers employees. What sorts of benefits are you interested in - medical, dental, 401(k) matching? Some companies list an ability to provide flexible schedules or occasional working from home opportunities, which is a great opening for a question for YOU to ask in the interview, if that's important to you.

3) Practice interview questions. Practice, practice, practice!
There are practically thousands of different lists of practice interview questions online. Here's one, and another, and another. There are lots of ways to practice as well! My favorite way is to get a friend to pretend that she's my interviewer, and she'll ask me questions from those lists. We then hash out the best way to word a response, if she feels that I haven't done well on that question. Using my research on the company, I also practice asking her questions for the interviewer. This interview is a two-way conversation, and the responses you get from your questions will tell you whether or not you actually want to work for that company.

4) Believe in yourself!
I know this sounds so cliche, but so many people start to wonder if they're truly up to the task of interviewing for the job - or they've been out of the workforce for so long, they don't think they're going to be valuable team members if they do interview and get the job. You are valuable! You are important! And most of all, you bring experiences that no one else has had to the interview and to the job!

5) Relax.
While you're picking out what you're going to wear to the interview (which we'll tackle in another blog post), breathe deeply, and focus on how you're feeling inside. Take a deep breath, hold it, and let it out slowly. Repeat ten times. This will calm those butterflies in the pit of your stomach. Being nervous is normal, and chances are, the interviewer will be as nervous as you!

If you need help practicing your interview, we're here for you. We'll be the friend who pretends to be the interviewer, if you wish, and we'll give you pointers on how to answer those tough questions like a pro!

Top Five Fatal Mistakes Job Seekers Make

Image courtesy of: 
http://www.wpclipart.com/sign_language/American_Numbers/5.png.html

by Megan Elliott, Social Media Developer

Searching for a job can be really stressful; you question every move you make, and everywhere you turn, someone has a bit of advice for you.  But there are certain things that you shouldn’t do under any circumstances. These are the top five mistakes that job seekers make, just for you!

1. Not customizing your resume and cover letter for the position that you want.

During your job search, I bet you are finding a lot of really awesome job descriptions. Ones that fit you perfectly, others not so much, but you’re finding ones that you could fill. So why aren’t you customizing your stuff so that you stand out from the crowd?

With more and more employers using software that filter resumes and cover letters by keyword, you don’t want to sabotage yourself by not customizing your resume and cover letter to the job posting. One word of warning to the wise: don’t completely recreate the wheel, just spend five to ten minutes changing some words to fit the post.

2. Not researching the company before you go in for the interview.

What research? It’s just a company, right? Wrong. A company’s culture means a lot about your success or failure as an employee of that company. Some companies support your efforts to go back to school, some believe in professional development, and some companies have a really strict dress code. These are all things that you can find out with a little bit of research.

If you can, try to establish a connection within your network who has some experience with the company you’re applying to, or who has a friend who does, and really think about what you want out of an employer. Asking questions like, “What is your typical work day like?” is a great one to open with and listen for clues as to how often their interaction with their supervisor is, what their coworkers are like (even how good the coffee is), which are all good indicators of what the company is like.

3. Not having a solid answer to “Describe your biggest weakness.”

Preparing for the interview is one of the most important things that you can do! There are plenty of websites out there, like here and here, that can give you lists of popular interview questions and how best to answer them. We would also strongly encourage you to think outside the box on these and other questions, and really answer them as yourself, and then tweak those answers to fit the pat answers provided. Practice with someone!

4. Not asking for time to consider an offer before accepting it.

I know that it is exciting to get a job offer, especially if you've been out of work for a while. I’ve been there… out of work for six months and no real prospects on the horizon, and then out of the blue you get a call and an interview! It goes so well that you are so excited and want to accept… STOP. This is the time to consider your options carefully. Review the offer. If they are offering you the bottom of the pay scale for the position, say $12 an hour, but you have 7 years of experience, why not come back with a counteroffer of $17 an hour? They might accept, and they might not.

Consider the math. Twelve dollars an hour is $24,960 a year before taxes. Subtract about a third of that for taxes and FICA… that leaves you with $18,635.36 for yourself. Compare that with $17 an hour: $35,360 before taxes; $25,951.76 after taxes. Which will actually cover your monthly expenses? What about other perks, like medical and dental insurance? Paid time off, possibly to go to the doctor? (Please note that the above calculations were based on an assumption of 40 hours a week, filing as single, no deductions, and exempt, living in South Carolina.)

5. Not knowing when to say “No.”

One of the biggest harms to your job search is you. Your friends and family think that you have all of this time now that you can devote to them – and you really don’t, do you? Your full-time job right now, while you’re unemployed, is looking for a job. That means spending time on job board websites (like this one, this one, and this one) scrubbing for jobs that fit you, writing your resume so that it is customized for the positions you’re applying for, writing your cover letter fifty ways to Sunday, going to networking events… do they pay overtime for this?

I’m not saying don’t do stuff with your friends and family! Just prioritize your job search, just like you would if you did have a job. Don’t give in every time someone calls and asks you to do a huge favor for them, like walk their dog while they're out to lunch. You have priorities, so learn to say no so you can focus on those.

I hope these help you in your job hunt, and if you need any help with any of these tips, don’t hesitate to give us a call and let us know where you need help. That’s what we’re here for!

Asking for Accommodations for the Job Interview

by Megan Elliott

Say you’ve been a client of ERS for a while, and we’ve found you a job that has your name all over it. You apply for it with the resume we’ve helped you create, and you’ve gotten a phone call from the company. They want you to come in for an interview!

Your career coach does mock interviews with you over and over again, and helps you feel better about the interview, but there’s something missing. There’s something that you can’t bring yourself to ask us, even though it’s a pretty important set of information. What are the rules about asking for an accommodation before the interview?

According to this factsheet, produced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, there are protections in the Americans with Disabilities Act not just for those who already have a job and have a disability, but also for those who are applying for jobs. “Reasonable accommodations,” or changes or adjustments to routines or facilities that do not place undue hardships on employers, are required of employers to enable all applicants to be considered for job openings.

When asking for accommodations for the interview, keep in mind that you will be asked what would be a reasonable accommodation for you, but it’s up to the employer to decide what will be reasonable for them. If a particular accommodation would cause a monetary hardship or would significantly alter business-as-usual to the employer, then you need to recognize that and perhaps offer another alternative.

Take this as an opportunity to demonstrate your negotiation skills. Accommodations are not favors done for the applicant, they are required by law. That doesn’t entitle you to demand the accommodations, and would most likely damage your chances of receiving an offer. Demonstrate those excellent communication skills you listed on your resume, and always leave the hiring manager with a good impression of you.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, as of September 2012, 21.9% of the American labor force is disabled, and 13.5% of unemployed Americans are disabled. The need seems greater than ever before to have a solid strategy in hand for applying for jobs, for asking for accommodations once an interview is requested, and for asking for accommodations once an offer has been made.

ERS is here for you to support you throughout the process. Your career coach can help you brainstorm ideas for accommodations, and practice how to ask for them. This is your journey, but you won’t be walking it alone!

What kind of experiences have you had in asking for accommodations, for job interviews or for job offers? Share your stories with us in the comments!