Category Archives: Interview Tips

How to Interview Effectively

Posted on January 1, 2019 by Lisa


How to interview effectively

Learning how to interview effectively is a skill, one that requires lots of preparation and practice. This McKinsey video is an excellent example of how to prepare for an important interview. It also contains suggestions on how to stand out. The advice contained in the video is applicable across the board, no matter what your career interests are.

Management consulting interviews often focus heavily on case studies. Like all interviews, they also seek to see how well you would fit into the team and the company culture. It’s critical to remember that while results definitely matter, how you achieve them, and your impact on others, is important. Being a high producer, but a terrible team player, is a certain route to career trouble.

Looking to boost your interview confidence? Check out the key to interviewing confidently here.

Posted in Interview Tips, Uncategorized | Tagged , |

14 Tips to Ace your Second Interview

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Lisa
happy young professionals

second interview
Congratulations, you made it to the second interview. Now what? Getting to a second interview is confirmation that the company generally feels that you have the qualifications to do the job. You should be pleased that you made it to the next round. That does not mean, however, that the job is yours. Most likely you are competing with two to three other finalists, candidates about whom you know nothing. They may even be more qualified than you, at least on paper. Now most definitely is not the time to sit back and coast. These 14 tips will help you prepare for and ace your second interview. (more…)

Posted in Career Advice, Interview Tips, Job Market | Tagged |

7 Tips For Acing a Phone Interview

Posted on October 10, 2017 by Lisa

phone interview

A phone interview is the gateway to a face-to-face interview so why do so many people fail to prepare properly for them? You might be thinking that you are merely interested in finding out more about the job opportunity, having submitted an application and possibly a cover letter. Or perhaps a recruiter contacted you via LinkedIn.

The good news is that you made it past the interview gatekeeper and to a phone interview. The bad news is that the phone interview is a real interview so you need to treat it as such. That means following all the same steps for preparing for a face to face interview. (more…)

Posted in Interview Tips, Job Search |

5 Tips to Get Hired With No Internship Experience

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Lisa

 

career coach, resume help

It is still true in today’s economy that if you have graduated without one, ideally two, internships that your likelihood of getting a good job, quickly, is much, much lower. According to Forbes, “66% of employers view interview performance and relevant experience” as the most critical factors in making a hiring decision. So what should you do if you’ve graduated and your resume is seriously lacking in pertinent experience? Here are 5 tips for getting hired with no internship experience. (more…)

Posted in Career Advice, Interview Tips, Job Search |

The Secret To A Job Offer Is Attitude: 10 Ways To Improve Your Job Interviewing Confidence

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Lisa

 

Don't Ignore These 5 Critical Job Search Steps

Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You

Job searches, especially unsuccessful ones, are notorious for sucking the confidence out of anyone. Who really enjoys sending endless resumes and cover letters out only to get a computerized rejection letter? After a string of rejections, it’s no wonder that your self-confidence takes a beating.

As a career coach who works primarily with college students and recent graduates, building my clients’ self-confidence is often the most important work that we do together.

Like many of the things that you need to do to get a job, and be successful in the role, gaining confidence is an acquired skill for most people. Self-confidence gives you a positive, but not unrealistic, perception of your ability to tackle challenges, such as a new job. (more…)

Posted in Interview Tips, Job Search |

Maine Movers and Makers: Interview with Ed McKersie, founder of LiveandWorkinMaine.com

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Lisa

This interview with Ed McKersie, is part of my new blog series, Maine Movers and Makers, featuring career insights from Maine’s leading executives. Ed is the President of Pro Search, a recruiting and placement services company focused on connecting talent with Maine based employers. He is also the creative force and founder of LiveandWorkinMaine.com, a website dedicated to making “Vacationland Work for You.”

Ed McKersie Pro Search LiveandWorkinMaine

“Ask good questions.”

This interview has been edited for space and clarity.

Please tell me a bit about your childhood and the influences that helped shape you?

(more…)

Posted in Career Advice, College Student, Interview Tips, Job Search |

Converting your interview into a job offer

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Lisa

job offer

Converting your interview into a job offer is the goal of all job searches. So how do you do it?

You’ve done the hard work: crafted an outstanding resume, written an engaging cover letters, passed the initial phone screen, aced the interview and then landed the coveted second interview.  You are feeling confident that the interviews went well. You can feel that the offer is coming. When you walk out the door, you are not done. Far from it. Now is the time to finish strong and use this key tip for converting your interview into a job offer.

So what’s my proven key tip?  (more…)

Posted in Career Advice, Interview Tips, Job Search |

5 Critical Interview Tips You Can Use to Find the Right Job for You

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Lisa

job interview

When preparing for an interview, many of my clients initially focus all their energy on preparing their answers for the typical interview questions: “Tell me about yourself?”, “What are your strengths (or weaknesses)” and the money question, “Why should we hire you?”. Don’t get me wrong, it’s critical that you have great responses to these, and a host of other questions. But equally important is making the interview work for you. Below are 5 critical interview tips to help you understand if the job is the right job for you. (more…)

Posted in Career Advice, Interview Tips, Job Search |

6 Tips To Get An Internship

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Lisa

Photo of JOBS and internship articleIt is still true in today’s economy that if you have graduated without one, ideally two, internships that your likelihood of getting a good job, quickly, is much, much lower. According to Forbes, “66% of employers view interview performance and relevant experience” as the most critical factors in making a hiring decision. So what should you do if you are looking for an internship and your resume is seriously lacking in pertinent experience? Here are 6 tips to get an internship. (more…)

Posted in Internships, Interview Tips, Job Search, Resumes & Cover Letters |

12 Things To Do Today To Find A Job or Internship

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Lisa

job search tips

February – the month when winter doldrums are overtaking your hopes and expectations. If you’re in college and don’t have an internship lined up or are graduating this spring with no job in sight, things might seem even bleaker. Here are 12 things you can do today to find a job or internship.

Employers always are looking for college students/grads with problem solving, decision making and prioritization skills. An organized job search requires all the above, especially when you are balancing your classes, final exams, and the endless senior year social events.

Here are 12 action steps to find a job that you can take to improve your success rate in your  job search and demonstrate to employers that you have what it takes to be successful in the real world. (more…)

Posted in Career Advice, Interview Tips, Job Search, Networking, Resumes & Cover Letters |