When the Interviewer Hates You

The whole point of a job interview is to make a good impression. Every candidate wants to wow the interviewers with their skills and experience so that it’s almost impossible to reject them.

But it isn’t always plain sailing.

Sometimes, you get the sense that things aren’t going well. It might be that you struggle to answer, or stumble over, a particular question. Or, even worse, you don’t feel like you’re making a good impression with the people asking the questions.

Having a feeling that an interviewer doesn’t like you is horrible. It can dent your confidence and lead to a difficult experience where hopes of the job disappear in front of your eyes.

So, even if things get off to a rocky start, it’s important to keep the interview on track and ensure that you stay in contention for the job. Here are some tips for helping you to achieve just that.

Don’t Panic

Easier said than done but failing to hit it off with an interviewer doesn’t mean that all is lost. The following points should be kept in mind:

Your belief that the interviewer doesn’t isn’t a fan of yours might not be true.
The remainder of the interview is an opportunity to turn any negative impressions into positive ones.
The individual concerned may not have the final say when it comes to who gets the job.

Try to Build Rapport

Even if the interview hasn’t had the best of starts, the aim of the candidate should continue to be to give the best possible version of themselves.

Smile and make good eye contact with the people across the table, or on the screen if it’s a video interview. Speak positively about yourself, your career and the role you are applying for.

Don’t Overdo it

While showing enthusiasm is usually beneficial when going through the recruitment process, be careful not to go too far if the interview isn’t going to plan.

Cracking jokes, talking too much, going off subject or focusing too much on the interviewer who doesn’t appear to be a fan won’t turn things around.

Learn from the Experience

If your application ultimately proves to be unsuccessful it’s important to learn from the experience. Did you say or do anything that could have offended the interviewer or left them feeling less than impressed by you as a candidate?

However, it’s also important to remember that a failure to connect with an interviewer is not automatically your fault. It could have been down to unconscious bias, a random dislike or a lack of people skills on the part of the other person or people involved.

Step up your Job Search in 2021

If you spent 2020 applying for multiple jobs, only to be rejected every time, then perhaps 2021 is the year for a different approach.

Here are eleven suggestions for improving your job-hunting process and, in turn, giving your career prospects a much- needed boost.

Update Your CV

Are you really detailing your skills and achievements, or just noting a list of tasks in each job? Also, ensure any recent experience or relevant training is included and use keywords to overcome applicant tracking systems.

Draft a Killer Cover Letter

Far too many good or great CV’s are undermined by a lazy, uninspiring cover letter. It’s another opportunity to tell a prospective employer about who you are and why they need to give you the job.

Use LinkedIn

There’s a huge difference between having a LinkedIn account and using LinkedIn to your advantage. Once you have tidied up your own page (suitable photo, engaging profile summary, etc…), then use it to network, blog and find work. This, from last year, is worth a read.

Contact Employers

If employers aren’t knocking down your door, then down theirs…well, not literally. But if there’s a particular industry or company you want to work for, contact them direct. You never know what might happen.

Upload your CV to Job Websites

Many of the big websites allow job hunters to upload a CV or CV’s. Make yours stand out and you may be headhunted.

Register with Recruitment Agencies

Many agencies specialise in particular sectors and may be able to put you in touch with suitable employers.

Think About a Portfolio Career

Perhaps you don’t need a new job…instead you need two or three or four. Think about what you’re good and make the most of your talents, working hours that suit you.

Consider a Qualification

Your CV or application form saying that you’re good at something is fine but backing it up with a recognised qualification can put you ahead of the competition.

Use Different Websites

Consider sector specific sites if you know what you want to do. Alternatively, visit the careers sections of large organisations or public services.

Work for a Charity

Good causes need admin, human resources, IT, maintenance and marketing staff as much as large, private organisations. Check out the likes of Charity Job and Goodmoves for vacancies that could lead to greater job satisfaction.

Practice the Interview

For some applicants, the CV or the application form is the easy bit. Their issues only start at the interview. Regardless of it’s down to nerves, lack of confidence or experience, practicing possible interview questions with a friend, relative or colleague could prove to be hugely beneficial.

New Job or New Career?

“That’s it! I’ve had enough.”

After another awful working day, you’ve decided that it’s time for a change. You’re ready to move on and leave your current employer behind.

While there’s nothing wrong with that way of thinking, it’s important to know what type of change you need. Is moving to a new organisation for a similar role enough? Or is it time to consider a full career change?

The following factors will hopefully steer you in the right direction.

It’s Time for a New Job When…

You don’t like the organisation

It might be the culture, the terms and conditions or the actual working environment. Some people love their job while hating their employer.

You don’t like the people

Not every workplace is one big happy family. If you don’t get on with your colleagues or the boss is a nightmare, it’s time to move on.

Location is a problem

A long commute can be a nightmare, particularly with busy roads or poor public transport. For others, working from home can be the problem.

There’s a glass ceiling

You’re ambitious and want to progress but you always seem to be passed over for promotion opportunities. There’s only so much rejection one person can take.

It’s Time for a New Career When…

Boredom has set in

It’s Groundhog Day. Every task, every aspect of your working day feels like a chore. And you know you would feel the same performing that role at another company.

You’re not enjoying what you do

People change. As you get older your values may change and you could become less comfortable with what you do for a living.

You’ve seen something else

If your head has already been turned and you’ve seen a shiny new career that appeals to you, then you may already know where your future lies.

You’ve looked into the future

“Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?” If the answer isn’t where you are now, then it’s time to think about doing something else.

Making the Most of an Appraisal

Appraisals, Performance Review Systems or whatever they are called by your employer, are treated very differently from one organisation to another.

Some firms take appraisals seriously, fully utilising them to the benefit of both employer and employee. Other companies, however, view the whole process as nothing more than a ‘tick the box’ exercise.

Regardless of how your organisation views it, your end of year review can be an important part of your career development. Here are some ways in which you can use your appraisal to your advantage.

Find Out How You’re Doing

While you won’t know what your line manager is going to say word for word, your appraisal meeting shouldn’t have too many surprises. If you’ve been receiving regular performance updates, you should have a fair idea of how you are progressing.

However, different managers have different ideas about feedback and how often it’s delivered. So, if it isn’t always easy to pin your boss down during the course of the year, use the meeting to find out exactly how well your are performing and what he or she thinks of you.

Highlight any Concerns

Any good appraisal meeting should be a two-way street. So, while any positive or negative feedback should not be new to you, the same should apply to any issues you have.

However, sitting down with your manager is an opportunity to discuss any problems or worries you have in more depth. It’s also a chance to push for an answer on any concerns you have raised during the course of the year.

Use Supporting Evidence

As mentioned above, you should be kept up to date regarding how you are performing against any targets set for you. Being aware of your results during the year puts you in a far stronger position as your approach the meeting with your boss.

If you want to challenge your appraisal grading, ask for a pay rise or show that you are ready for more challenges or responsibility, you can back up your claims with cold hard facts.

Plan Your Career

While an appraisal is largely a review of the year just past, it is also about looking ahead. If you are interested in progressing within your organisation, use the process to your advantage.

You can agree with your manager on objectives or targets that you can help you to move forward. This could include training (online, in-house or external), secondments or additional tasks. Seeing a clear route to the career you want can be a real boost to your confidence and motivation.

Formalise Any Requests

How often have you asked your supervisor about going on a training course or being allowed to complete a specific task? They agree and tell you they’ll sort it…then nothing. Your request has gone in one ear and out of the other.

By raising any issues of this kind at your appraisal, the manager involved will not only be obliged to record what you have asked, they’ll also need to revisit it in twelve months’ time. And if you haven’t been granted what you asked for, you’ll be perfectly entitled to query why not.

Delivering Presentations

So, you’ve designed your presentation. Your slides are clean and crisp, and you know exactly what you’re going to say and when. All that’s left now is to get out there and do it.

If only it were that easy. Public speaking, even if it’s only in front of a couple of people, can be hugely challenging. In the second of two posts, we look at how to handle the nerves, and any other challenges, in order to deliver your best possible presentation.

Practice

The only way to confirm that you’re happy with how your presentation sounds, and how long it lasts, is to practice delivering it.

A series of trial runs will increase your confidence and hopefully help you to sound more natural on the big day. If you’re not a confident presenter, then start off in an empty room before including a friend, relative or colleagues. They don’t have to understand everything, it’s about you being familiar with your content and speaking in front of others.

Position Yourself

So, you’ve arrived at the venue and you’re minutes away from beginning your presentation. It’s at this point that you make those final preparations – like where to stand.

Make sure that you are not blocking anyone’s view of your slides and try to avoid nervously pacing across the floor. Instead, stand in a prominent place (that isn’t too close to your audience) and be in a position to easily move onto the next slide without making it obvious.

Pace Yourself

That point, where you first start to speak, is huge. All your hard work and preparations have led to that moment. It’s likely that you’ll feel a mixture of nerves and excitement.

So, don’t be surprised if you find yourself speaking far too quickly. Don’t be hard on yourself, it’s perfectly natural. Instead, try to be aware of your delivery and, if necessary, take a breath and slow it down a bit. After all, a fifteen-minute presentation shouldn’t be over in five minutes.

Have Some Water Nearby

One other ‘side effect’ of delivering a presentation is that, as time goes on, your throat will dry up and your voice may start to sound just a little bit croaky.

To avoid this, a little sip of water now and then will be a big help – particularly during lengthy deliveries. Keep a glass or bottle nearby and grab a quick drink at convenient points. Don’t stop mid-sentence to guzzle half a litre, no matter how tempted you are.

Enjoy Yourself

Now, this may seem like strange advice. It’s difficult to have fun when you’re public speaking and there’s a job, or something else of equal importance, on the line.

But if you’re friendly, positive and perhaps even manage a smile along the way, your enthusiasm for the subject matter will shine through and make a lasting impression on other people in the room.

Welcome Questions

Many presenters are glad when it’s all over and they can make a hasty exit from the room. But they’re missing out on an opportunity.

Inviting questions from the audience is another chance to show those in attendance what you know and what you are capable of. If it’s at the end, you’ll feel so relieved that the presentation is over that any questions thrown at you will be a breeze. Or, if it’s more appropriate, allow questions during the course of your delivery.

Designing Presentations

Presentations are scary. Standing in front of an audience and speaking for any length of time can be hugely challenging, even for confident, experienced professionals.

It doesn’t matter if you’re applying for a job, managing a project or telling another organisation about what your company can offer, presenting can be intimidating even if it’s only for a couple of people.

But before you get that far, you must make sure that the content is spot on. Having confidence in what you’re about to say and show is essential for any successful presentation.

In the first of two blog posts, here are some pointers on designing your presentation.

Focus on the Content

Many presentations contain slides with fancy graphics, animated characters, and all sorts of other gimmicks. Unfortunately, in many instances, the presenter has spent more time working on how the presentation looks, rather than what it says.

Most audiences will quickly be able to tell if your content lacks substance. So, spend more time getting that right and less time on colour schemes, graphics, and animation. And remember, the presentation comes from you – slides, flipcharts and booklets are just aids to help you deliver it.

Stick to the Brief

If a presentation is part of the process for a vacancy, then the recruiting agency or organisation will normally set a brief which outlines the subject or area around which the content should be focused.

When you’re trying to make a good impression, it may be tempting to drift off into other topics and let everyone see how talented and knowledgeable you are. Big mistake – not only will it make your presentation seem disjointed, it will also show the recruiter that you haven’t been able to follow instructions.

Make Slides Easy to Read

Assuming that you are using a presentation package, you will have at the least a few slides to refer to as you speak. A common rookie mistake is to cram these with as much information as possible. That approach means the slides are less than pleasing on the eye for your audience and there is a danger that you have nothing additional to say and your whole delivery is you reading from a screen.

Instead, keep the slides looking clean (using a suitable font) with a few bullet points on each. You then use these points to lead into the message you want to put across. If you want to use a quote or some stats, do it on a separate slide.

Link Slides/Topics together

If you’re a natural when it comes to presentations and you can ‘wing it’, thinking up what to say on the spot, then good luck to you. For the rest of us mere mortals, it’s essential that we know what we are going to say and when.

This is particularly important when it comes to moving from one slide, or one subject area, to another. If you don’t plan how you will achieve this, the transition can be very clumsy as you hesitate and ‘um’ your way through it. It only takes a few words to bring things together and ensures your delivery is smooth and seamless. Examples include

‘I now want to move on from customer service and discuss sales.’

‘So, that’s some of the challenges faced by a new manager. Now, let us consider some possible solutions.’

Decide on Extra Materials

As articulate and charismatic as you are, it may be wise to consider other ways of providing information to your audience, rather than just the spoken word. This is particularly important in longer presentations (to keep your audience interested) or where there are complex processes involved.

Whether it’s a single sheet of A4 paper or a longer brochure or manual, a good presenter will also know the right time to provide their audience with these materials. If you’re trying to land a job you may want the audience to focus on you and finish off by handing them a booklet summarising your key point. In other situations, allowing others to refer to a guide or manual as you speak might help them to understand the content.

Consider Time Constraints

It’s possible, or highly likely if it’s part of the interview process, that your presentation will have a time limit. If you’re nervous about speaking in front of a group of people then you might think the shorter the length of time, the better. But that’s a very negative viewpoint – the longer the presentation, the greater the opportunity to make a good impression.

Other than a brief introduction and a summary at the end, the rest of your time should be spent on getting your message across. Regardless of how long you have, prioritise your key points and topics of discussion.

Reasons to Love Video Interviews

Video interviews are, for many job hunters, a necessary evil. The Covid-19 lockdown means that remote interviewing has quickly moved from being a novelty to the norm.

It’s a format that isn’t without its issues. Technical difficulties, poor connection and talking when someone on the screen in front of you hasn’t finished speaking are all challenges faced by many interviewees.

But it isn’t all bad. Despite some negative coverage on websites and social media, there are a host of benefits to being interviewed via Teams, Skype, Zoom are any other video conferencing service.

You’ll be on Time

In addition to the interview itself, one of the biggest causes of stress is planning your arrival at the venue. What bus or train do you need to get? Or where you can park your car?

A video interview, from the comfort of your own home, means one less thing to worry about. Instead of rushing to make your appointment, you can be relaxed, getting in some last-minute practice, double checking your laptop or taking some time to relax and compose yourself.

You Can Decide on the ‘Venue’

When it comes to where interviews are held, some organisations do it right. Large, air-conditioned rooms with comfortable seating and tasteful décor. Unfortunately, not every employer can provide such luxuries, with some companies struggling for space and interviews being held in what feels like no bigger than a broom cupboard.

Being at home, you can choose a comfortable room with plenty of natural light and set the room temperature to your own preference. Just don’t get too comfy – be in a chair looking directly at the screen and don’t be tempted to lounge around on the couch or your bed.

It’s Less Intimidating

Sitting across a desk from one or more people who are firing questions at you while watching your every move can be a scary (traumatic?) experience. The room feels small no matter how big it is, you’re sweating, and your voice sounds croaky.

While a remote interview can’t stop the questions, it can at least put a bit of distance between you and the interviewer(s). That might put you a bit more at ease and make the whole process just a little less frightening.

You can Cheat

Now, hold on. This doesn’t mean that you can tell blatant lies about your achievements, experience or skills. But there are a couple of sneaky shortcuts which could make a difference to how well the interview goes.

A couple of post-it notes on the edge of your laptop screen would allow you to recall key points or examples you want to put across, without making it obvious that you are referring to your notes. Also, while you need to adopt the same dress code for a video interview as its face to face equivalent, the interviewer will only see your top half. So, if shorts, pyjama trousers or slippers make you more comfortable, then go for it.

Deciding on a New Career

A career doesn’t have to be for life. Many people, for all sorts of reasons, decide that it’s time to do something different with their working lives.

And it doesn’t have to happen in your 20s. Many people make the big switch in their 40s or 50s. But more about that another time.

Whatever age you are, here are five steps to help set you on the path to a happy new career.

Identify what Motivates You

Before deciding what you’re going to do for a living, you need to work out what you want out of a new career. For some, it’s all about the money, while others want job security.

Others are following a dream or turning a hobby into a profession. Then there are those who want a sense of fulfilment and get a kick out of helping others.

Recognise Your Talents

Everyone has skills and abilities and knowing what you are good at should play an important part when deciding on your next role. Some talents are immediately obvious while others require a bit of thought.

Examples may include soft skills like assertiveness, negotiating or presentation skills. Hard skills, meanwhile, could be speaking a foreign language, bookkeeping or being able to use a specific IT packages.

Try Different Things

It’s ok to have a list of possible career choices – options are always a good thing. But to help you to make an informed decision, it’s not a bad idea to dip your toe in the water.

Volunteering, studying, reading online profiles and making contact with people or organisations relevant to the career you are interested in are all great ways of helping you decide what you want to do.

Decide if Your Career is Achievable

Having dreams is great but it’s important to keep a sense of realism when choosing the next step in your working life. For example, if you’re in your mid 40s the chances of a career in professional football are looking unlikely.

Take a step back and be honest with yourself. If you have any chance of making it in the career you have in mind then go for it. If not, then it’s time to reconsider.

Work Out How to Get There

For some professions, a degree is a must. The only decision to be made is whether full-time study is required or if there are part-time alternatives.

Other career paths are not so straightforward. Sometimes, getting your foot in the door at a suitable organisation is every bit as useful as a qualification. As mentioned above, volunteering can also be a great way of starting out in a particular industry.

Consider Other Factors

Many of these factors will be financial. Will changing careers involving starting in a bottom of the ladder position with a lower salary? Or how will your fund your studies and support yourself and any other dependants.

There are a host of potential sacrifices. If you’re studying and working at the same time, when do you plan to spend time with you other half and your kids? And are you prepared to scale back on you social life and leisure activities?

Returning to Job Interviews

Job interviews are nerve racking. Answering questions about yourself in front of one or more people is a daunting prospect for many.

And those butterflies in the tummy can be multiplied when you haven’t been interviewed in years.

Many people go extended periods between interviews for many reasons, including poor health, raising kids or simply spending a long time in one job.

So for anyone who hasn’t been in that position for a while, here are some tips to get you through that first interview:

Learn About the Organisation

Do your homework and find about the company you hope to work for.

Plan your Journey

Work the best route to drive or know your public transport times. And try to have a fall back in case of delays.

Remember Who to Ask for

The contact name should be on the letter or email inviting you to interview. To a copy with you if you need to.

Know What’s Involved

Do you only need to go through one interview? Or is there a presentation or an assessment centre? Again, being prepared helps.

Have Prepared Answers

Try to anticipate the type of questions you’ll be asked and have a set of answers that you can go to. This is particularly useful when it comes to competency based interviews.

Smile and be Confident

On the big day, give a good first impression and remember that you were invited to interview because of a good application form or CV. The interviewer wants you to perform well.

Make Yourself Comfortable

Once you’re in the interview room, don’t be afraid to take off your coat or jacket if it helps cool you down. And, if offered a glass of water, take it.

Nobody Has a Perfect Interview

Take time to think about the questions before answering. If you stumble don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to make up for it.

Ask Questions

Relevant questions about the role can show how keen you are and perhaps even demonstrate your knowledge – while helping you find out about anything not covered in the interview.