Everyone, no matter who they are, from the office rookie right up to the President of an organization, makes mistakes at work. When you are a manager or a leader of a team, however, those mistakes are magnified. As a leader, whatever the reason for your error, it is vital that you are accountable and own up to your error.
Whether you’ve been in the full-time work force for a week or a couple of decades, you’ve probably noticed that there is no shortage of “career advancement” advice out there. But have you noticed that most of that advice is pretty narrow? So narrow, in fact, that it goes in one direction only: up, up, up. Any great career coach, recruiter or mentor can give you solid advice on how to ascend the all-important promotion track. But what if you love what you’re doing right now? What if you don’t have the skills – or the aptitude – to take on that job one rung up the corporate ladder? Conversely, maybe you’re one of the growing number of successful professionals who are more than qualified to succeed in that bigger job – but you just don’t want it. You may fear that it would rob you of precious family or social time.
As a candidate, you’ve probably gotten plenty of advice on how to get your resume past the ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems, those AI-powered screeners most employers and recruiters use these days).
That’s all very useful. But how will your resume fare in the next round? How do you survive the human scan?
Congratulations, you’ve been invited for an interview! That means the employer has seen something in your resume that matches the requirements of the job you’ve applied for. The next step is to build on that initial impression during your interview. Attending your first interview can be a nerve-wracking experience, so we’ve put together our five golden rules to help reduce your anxiety levels:
A successful job search is all about nailing the interview. But you’ll never have the opportunity to do that if your resume can’t pass the automated screeners – and dazzle the human ones.
You’re looking for your next career move, and you’ve drawn up a list of target employers. How many of those are small companies that may not have the obvious pull of an instantly recognizable brand like Apple, Google or Microsoft?
Big doesn’t necessarily mean better in career terms. Here we present some of the advantages of working with smaller organizations:
You have an interview lined up. You’ve rehearsed answers to typical questions and you’re fairly confident you’re prepared for whatever the hiring manager will fire your way. You may know what you should say, but are you certain about what you shouldn't?
The interviewer asks, point blank, “what is your salary requirement?” And there you are, trying to present yourself as forthright, easy to work with, and clear about what you need. It’s a tricky business, refusing to answer without looking rude, unprepared or both. With thoughtful preparation, a little online homework, and careful scripting, you can navigate your way through these discussions masterfully.
At SkyWater Search, we specialize in a number of disciplines and are often asked for advice on how to secure a job in a specific sector. Here, we explain what it takes to succeed in the role of sales engineer.
Emerging from a job interview that went really well is a great feeling. You answered all the questions just as you wanted, put some relevant ones of your own forward and the hiring manager was hinting at a job offer. After a few days without a phone call or e-mail from the employer you naturally begin to get anxious. As a few more days pass by, doubts and frustration begin to creep in.
