By J.T. O'Donnell
I saw this video a while back and couldn't stop laughing. I don't know if it's the kid doing the interview, the one over-the-top guy that connects with him about a monkey mug, or how crazy the interview questions are, but I guarantee anyone that's ever interviewed for jobs has felt the way these interviewees felt at least once. It takes everything in our power not to want to get up and leave an interview that is going wrong, and yet, we stay in hopes of getting the offer. Why do we want the job so bad? Shouldn't red flags be waving wildly through our heads that we should chalk it up to a bad fit and move on? Nope. Instead, something inside us says, "I just got to get this job offer." Well, I say, if it felt wrong in the interview, it's going to feel wrong on-the-job too.
I should know, it happened to me....
Many years ago, I was living at home after college. I graduated in the last recession and the job market was horrible for new grads - just like it is now. I was miserable in my hometown and desperately trying to find a job back in Boston where I went to college. I finally got the call from a small company I had applied to that specialized in translating documents. I had spent a year abroad and spoke French, I also had a degree in Engineering - it was these two points that got me the interview. I should have known the moment I got there that something wasn't right. The first person to interview me was the CFO and he asked me questions like, "How well do you take criticism? Do you have a high tolerance for being yelled at?" He proceeded to explain the owner of the agency was a bit challenging to work with. He defended him by saying he was a very intelligent guy (went to MIT, etc.), but his people skills left something to be desired. I, eager to get out of my hometown, squelched the desire to leave the interview and simply said, "Oh, no problem. I've got really thick skin." I was asked similar questions by the other two managers who interviewed me, but again, instead of being honest, I gave them the answer they wanted to hear.
Finally, I was then ushered in to meet the owner. He was disheveled-looking in clothes that made me wonder if he slept in them. He began asking the most random questions I have ever heard. I was stuck in his office for over an hour while he went on-and-on about with random stories about translation that had no relevance as far as I could tell to the job I would be doing. Once again I should have known, as I finally escaped the interview two hours later, this job was not for me. But, I was young and naive.
The next day they offered me a job - the VERY next day. (C'mon now, who does that?) Yet, I swallowed my concerns and said 'yes,' thinking I could at least stand the job long enough to get settled in Boston and start looking for a new one. What a critical error on my part. The job was a nightmare. The office dynamics I experienced make the ones on the show "The Office" look ideal. There was screaming and crying almost daily. I was so drained leaving there every day, it left me with no energy to look for a new position. My husband was my boyfriend at the time. He felt helpless watching me become depressed. I gained 20 pounds as I tried to eat my problems away.
And then I snapped...
On my year anniversary, I anxiously awaited my paycheck, which was supposed to include my raise. I had been told it was significant and my hard work would be rewarded. I was proud of the fact I had dealt with the male version of Miranda from "The Devil Wears Prada" for 52 weeks. I was sure I would see big $$$. I was making $28,000/year. I opened the check, calculated the increase, and realized I had only gotten a $1000 raise. I imploded. I walked into the CFO's office and resigned. He chased me down the hall, begging me to go home and think about it. He said, "Please! You are the longest person we've ever had in this role!" I returned the next day and said I would stay on, but that was the first day of my last days there. I went on a mission to find a new job. It took four months to find one. When I resigned, the owner wouldn't speak to me and asked me to leave immediately. The employees wouldn't look at me either. I think they just hated the idea I was free.
Taking that job changed the way I looked at interviews for ever. So tell me....what was your worst interview like? Did you accept the job when it got offered to you? How'd it go? Can you relate to what I experienced?
February 12, 2009
Learn how to land a career you love
Here are five tips for managing your time for academic—and professional—success.
1. Talk
Does your college offer courses that work with your life rather than against it? You'll have a better chance of attaining your life goals if they do. So, talk with the admissions counselor and/or your advisor and find out if courses are available online as well as in class, whether courses are flexible, and whether you can complete your program at your own pace. Many campuses offer help with time management, so try to find out what support is available. You could even consider setting up a peer mentoring program to give and get support from fellow students if your college doesn't have one.
You should also talk to your employer. Assess when busy periods are likely to be, and try to avoid big assignments at the same time. Show commitment and consideration, and you'll probably get your boss's support. If you can, look for assignments where you can exploit your professional experience; it's a more efficient use of your time.
2. Prioritize
Busy, successful people understand what they can do each day, how they use their time, and what can realistically be accomplished. Learn from their techniques and you can do the same. Record your daily activities to find out how much time you really have. Assign a specific time to important tasks rather than hoping they will happen at some point. Get smart when prioritizing tasks so that "clean the attic" does not have the same weight as "write term paper." Build in buffer time for the inevitable interruptions. And set time limits for each task to stop it spreading into the rest of your day.
Once you have your schedule, beat procrastination by breaking down massive projects into manageable blocks. Work is usually the best way to get working, so start with small tasks to get the ball rolling. Finally, once you're in the zone, note any good ideas that pop up and move on. That way your ideas for your company's sales conference won't distract you from your revision—and you won't forget them.
3. Delegate
John C. Maxwell, author of How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life, put it best: "If something can be done 80% as well by someone else, delegate!" Clear out the clutter of unnecessary tasks and make more room for more important activities. Evaluate your commitments, discuss realistic goals with friends and family, and then learn to make use of other people.
It can be hard to let go sometimes, but you don't have to do it all. There are almost certainly tasks in your daily routine that can be done easily by others, even if your only available resource is a willing spouse or child.
4. Focus
Stay in the here-and-now and focus on one class at a time. If you complete one or two courses, you'll be motivated to take another. Equally, don't put too much pressure on yourself to complete your degree within a certain timeline.
Success is the biggest motivator, so acknowledge a job well done but don't allow yourself to be distracted when things don't go according to plan. Learn from mistakes and then move on. Remember that learning is a cumulative process: you won't be judged by one project alone and you don't have to be perfect every time. Sometimes, good enough is just that.
5. Sleep
Extra-strong coffee is not a long-term study aid! When schedules fill up, sleep is often the first to be sacrificed. But lack of sleep actually makes your task much harder: your mental health, physical health, stress levels, and schedule are all affected.
Make sure you take time to look after yourself. It doesn't take long for the constant round of class, study, work and more study to take its toll on your ability to perform. Plan time to relax and be social—and treat it like every other commitment. It will improve your productivity overall.
Time management isn't a skill you pick up right away. Ironically, it too takes time. But the good news is that more and more students are managing to earn a degree while working full-time. The even better news is that the time management techniques you learn when balancing your various commitments can be applied throughout your career to enhance your chances of future success.
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This post was originally published at an earlier date.
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The short answer: employer branding can actually help job seekers find the right job (and company) for them.
If you're looking for a job, here are three specific reasons why you should pay attention to employer branding in your job search.
It Helps You Get To Know A Company Better
As you browse job postings and find employment opportunities that pique your interest, it's important to research a company before applying for a job. Employer branding makes it easier for you to research a company and find out what they do, who they serve, and what it's like to work for them.
Companies with a strong employer branding strategy focus on creating and sharing content about their organization on many different platforms, including social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. Job seekers can easily get a feel for a company's culture through browsing their accounts on these platforms, getting a better idea whether they'd like to work for them or not.
It Shows You How A Company Treats Their Employees
While you can get a decent amount of information about how a company treats their employees from sites like Glassdoor, employer branding takes it a step further. Every piece of content a company pushes out for their employer branding strategy, from educational articles to fun videos, provides job seekers with a snapshot of the company culture and the types of employees who work there. With employer branding, employees are encouraged to talk about their experiences at work. If job seekers want to find a job at a great company that cares about their employees, they should listen.
Nobody wants to work for a company that treats their employees poorly. By paying attention to a company's employer brand, you'll learn a lot about what it would be like to work there. You don't want to realize you made the wrong decision on your first day at work.
It Makes It Easier For You To Create Your Interview Bucket List
Paying attention to employer branding will help you create and manage your interview bucket list. As a professional, you should always have an interview bucket list, a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Companies with strong employer brands will have a higher chance of landing on your interview bucket list because you'll be able to find enough information about them and decide whether they're the right company for you.
What are their values and beliefs as an organization? Do you feel connected to their mission? Are you passionate about what they do? A company with a strong employer brand will help you figure out the answers to these questions very easily so you can conduct an efficient and effective job search.
As you look for a job, remember the importance of employer branding. The companies that spend time building their employer brands are often the companies that have great company cultures, benefits, and other things they're proud of that are worth showing off. The ones that don't—well, that sends quite a different message.
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Here are seven great tips on writing LinkedIn invitations from our approved career experts:
1. Be Honest
"Explain why you want to connect with the person," says Amanda Haddaway, author of Destination Real World: Success After Graduation For New And Soon-To-Be College Graduates. "Just say something. There's nothing worse than receiving a LinkedIn request with the standard, generic format and not having any earthly idea who the person is or why he/she wants to connect with you."
Dorothy Tannahill-Moran of Next Chapter New Life says honesty is the best policy when trying to connect with someone, especially if you're looking to do some serious networking. "If you want to work for their company," Tannahill-Moran says, "don't be shy about admitting that they are working for your targeted company and are looking for insights about that company. Open communication is always best."
2. Tell Them How You Know Them
"I get a lot of requests and I always appreciate a brief mention of why the person wants to connect," says Jenny Yerrick Martin of Your Industry Insider. "Whether they saw my post on LinkedIn Groups, found me through my website, or know someone who knows me in real life, that extra step usually gets me to accept the invitation."
3. Find Something In Common
When trying to to find something in common with your potential connection, Haddaway suggests asking yourself these questions:
- Is it a mutual career field or interest?
- Do you have connections in common?
- Are you connected through LinkedIn Groups?
Here's a request example offered by Debra Wheatman of Careers Done Write...
Dear Jane: I see that you are a member of X Group. I am also engaged with this group and would like to share some ideas with you. Please accept my invitation to connect.
This example is short and sweet, but it gets the point across effectively.
4. Make It Personal
"One-size-fits-all invitations are a waste of time," says Cheryl Simpson of Executive Resume Rescue. Always personalize your invitation to connect in some way, she advises. Mention a shared group membership, note a common contact, or point out similar backgrounds, education, or experience. If all else fails, tell the prospective contact what you hope you both will gain from the connection.
5. Be Enthusiastic
"If you're approaching the CEO/founder of a startup on LinkedIn, as part of a job search, you want to start and end by showing your enthusiasm for their business," says Kathy Ver Eecke of Working For Wonka. "Your expertise, background, and skill set should take a backseat to your enthusiasm and passion for their business. You want to get their attention and break the ice? Lead with that and you're in."
6. Reference Their Profile
Ben Eubanks of Upstart HR suggests taking a moment to check out your potential connection's profile and referencing something in it.
Example: "Hey, Mike! I saw on your profile that you attended XYZ University. I have a good friend who went there and have heard great things about it. I'd love the opportunity to connect with you. Thanks! Have a great day."
"Reaching out without offering some reason is a quick way to get your message relegated to the 'spam' folder, and LinkedIn will eventually suspend your account if you hit the limit of those responses," he says.
7. Thank Them
Arnie Fertig of Job Hunter Coach says it's important to thank the person in advance for agreeing to connect. Not only that, but you also want to offer to help him/her in any way possible and encourage them to call on you. That way, your potential contact feels like they can benefit from the connection. It's all about providing value. Remember, you get what you give!
The next time you're trying to connect with someone on LinkedIn, follow these seven tips. You'll grow your professional network faster than you think!
Want more career tips?
Check out our FREE resources page and Live Events Calendar.
Or, join our career growth club today and get access to one-on-one career coaching, resume and cover letter reviews, online tutorials, and unlimited networking opportunities—all in your back pocket!
If you want FREE career advice in your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily Dose!
Struggling to find the right job?
Check out Work It Daily's Incredible Companies page to see snapshots of companies hiring. Work It Daily also highlights job opportunities on a daily basis on TikTok.
This post was originally published at an earlier date.
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If your company hasn't considered using TikTok for employer branding, or you're on the fence about it, here are three reasons why you should incorporate TikTok into your employer branding efforts today.
Reach A New Audience
Think about your current employer branding strategy. You're probably reaching a pretty consistent audience in the various channels where you post and share content about your company. With TikTok though, you could reach a new audience every single day.
Depending on factors like hashtags, video content, and the sound you use, your videos will reach the audience most likely to interact with them, due to TikTok's insanely accurate algorithm. For example, if one day you post a funny video about your product to promote it and get people thinking about your brand in a new way, that video will reach users who have liked similar videos and content in the past. And then if on another day you post a video about your company's unique employee benefits, and mention that you're hiring, that video will likely reach a completely different audience, one that's full of job seekers.
Connect With A Younger Generation Of Talented Workers
Reaching a new audience might also mean connecting with younger job seekers. Although TikTok is for everyone, the vast majority of users are between the ages of 16-24. This means millions of recent college grads are using the platform—and are probably looking for their first "real" job out of school at the same time. Wouldn't you love to connect with young and talented job seekers and attract the right candidates to your open positions?
This younger generation is Gen Z, and in order to gain their attention and show that your company is modern and can keep up with the times, a TikTok account is almost essential. Nobody wants to work for a boring and outdated company! Think about how you can connect with a younger generation of talented workers with your current employer branding strategy. If there's some room for improvement, give TikTok a try.
Attract Job Seekers With Fun & Educational Content
The content you create on TikTok is what will determine how successful you are at achieving your employer branding goals. At the end of the day, TikTok is a great opportunity to attract job seekers who otherwise might not have thought about applying to your company for a job if they hadn't seen your videos or connected with your company in some way on the social media platform.
To attract job seekers, create fun and educational videos about your company, highlighting employee benefits, company culture, and unique job opportunities. Interact with commenters and followers. Consider what a job seeker's impression of you would be if they stumbled across one of your videos and checked out your profile. Is your company relevant? Why would someone want to work for you? What makes you stand out from other employers? Think about these questions when you add TikTok to your employer branding strategy to ensure your content is helping you attract job seekers.
As an employer, you need to stay on top of your employer branding strategy, using every tool out there to your advantage, or else other companies will attract more job seekers and you'll miss out on talented professionals of all ages. If you were unsure about the importance of TikTok in your employer branding strategy before, we hope this article motivated you to give TikTok a try. You'll attract the right job candidates (and have a lot of fun, too!).
Could your employer branding strategy use a boost? We can help!
Check out our employer branding services today and start attracting the right talent to your organization!
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What Analysis Tools Should I Use?
There are tons of business analysis models that can help you better understand your business, but some of the most effective ones are the SWOT and PESTLE strategic analysis models.
SWOT stands for:
INTERNAL FACTORS
Strengths and weaknesses represent your company's internal environment—things that are happening now. They represent things that you have control over and can change.
EXTERNAL FACTORS
Opportunities and threats represent your company's external environment—things that are happening in the future. They are things going on outside of your company and are not something you can control or change.
A PESTLE analysis can be done in conjunction with a SWOT to more deeply analyze the external section in the SWOT. It is more valuable than SWOT for longer term strategic plans. PESTLE stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental.
- POLITICAL: Government policy, corruption levels, trade controls, import and export restrictions, taxation changes
- ECONOMIC: Exchange rates, disposable income levels, interest rates, unemployment rates, wealth distribution
- SOCIAL: Education levels, population growth rate, religious harmony, attitude towards health, social welfare programs, generational shifts
- TECHNOLOGICAL: New technology considerations, internet penetration, access to basic infrastructure, software privacy, technology competency of workforce
- LEGAL: Tax laws and regulations, labor laws and firing policies, copyright and anti-piracy laws
- ENVIRONMENTAL: Weather patterns, attitude towards recycling, attitude towards organic and green products
SWOT and PESTLE are simple tools that, when combined, provide a complete picture of your business environment for an effective strategic planning process.
Here are downloadable free templates and examples to get you started.
SWOT ANALYSIS TEMPLATE
