 The issue of gaps in employment history is a thorny one, and one that often gets posed at interviews. A large unexplained gap in your employment history can be a showstopper.
Many of us take time off. Sometimes, it's by choice. Sometimes, it can take time to find a new job. Sometimes it is not even a gap. If you’ve worked for one company for 10 years (something that is uncommon these days), you can be viewed as being complacent or lacking ambition. On the other hand a long unexplained gap in your resume can imply you are not employable. It can also imply you might have been 'dishonourably discharged' from a role and you have not included it in your resume. Even worse is when prospective employers might assume you are simply lazy and don't care much for your career. Honesty is the best policy! The following lists how you should explain these gaps in your resume: 1. Emphasise why it was that you were let go from your previous job. Say your company or department restructured or downsized, or your position was moved overseas and you lost your job or was made redundant. In case this coincided with a period of recession, site that to explain why it has taken time to find new employment. 2. Do not badmouth your previous employer. Do not bag your previous employer. Explanations that scream: “I didn’t like my previous employer” won't look good. Instead you can say the previous role was not a good fit. 3. If you left a job voluntarily, don’t be afraid to mention why. You might have taken the year off to travel, or for family. Perhaps you had a child. Perhaps you went back to University. These reasons are very acceptable to hiring managers. 4. Emphasise any activities you undertook during the gap to improve your professional standing. Make sure you mention any certifications or courses you undertook during the gap. This shows you have the initiative to pursue self-education. Remember to also mention any freelance or voluntary work you’ve done. 5. Use Your Cover Letter to Briefly Explain the Employment Gap When you have employment gaps that don't fit on your resume (you took time off to care for an aged parent or to raise a child) you can use your cover letter to explain the gap. 6. Use Dates to Cover the Employment Gaps in Your Resume When listing dates on your resume, you don't need to list the month/year if you were in a position for over a year or if your position spans multiple years. For example, you could say 2014 - 2016 (rather than May, 2014 - February, 2016) which would give you some room to cover the gaps. Your employment gap can also give you an edge. Surprised? Watch this video and see how you can turn a negative into a positive! Good luck and keep the faith.
1 Comment
 More and more companies are turning to telephone interviews to screen candidates, reduce costs and narrow the pool of applicants for face-to-face interviews.
 So you have done all the hard yards - gotten shortlisted for the interview, impressed at the interview and finally you got the call offering you the role. However, you are not satisfied with the salary on offer and wish to nail the salary you want. Here comes the often tricky salary negotiation.
What you don't want to do is be too aggressive and offend your prospective employer - your future boss. Inexperience can often lead you to go straight for the jugular. Aggression does not work in this situation. No one likes a bully. So what do you do? What should your approach be so you end up in a win-win situation? Here are some tips:
Here is an article from Susan Adams from Forbes on how to successfully negotiate a desired salary once you have landed the job offer. Good luck!  In a job interview, it's likely that your body language will have more of a positive impact on your success than anything you say. Interviews are notorious tightrope walks. You want to be confident, but not obnoxious; intelligent but not a know-it-all. Trying to find a balance and also explain why you deserve a job is hard enough.
Consider the following scenarios: As you're waiting to be called in for a job interview, do you patiently check emails on your phone, or do you nervously practice answers to tough questions? When introduced to your interviewer, do you make strong eye contact and offer a firm handshake? And as the meeting begins, do you speak passionately and expressively, or are your responses rehearsed and carefully controlled? In each of these examples, your body language is giving off important signals about what kind of employee you would be. In fact, studies indicate that body language accounts for a full 55% of any response, while what you actually say accounts for just 7%. The remaining 38% is taken up by "paralanguage," or the intonation, pauses and sighs you give off when answering a question. In other words, even if your spoken answers convey intelligence and confidence, your body language during job interviews may be saying exactly the opposite. The following are some vital tips to get your body language to help you out during those nerve wracking interviews: 1. Project Confidence From the Start In a job interview, you're being judged even before the discussion gets underway. When entering your interviewer's office, act as though you belong. Knocking gingerly first implies a lack of confidence, just when your body language should be conveying self-assurance. Instead, greet your interviewer with direct eye contact and a firm, sincere handshake. Don't start talking immediately or dive into a chair. If you aren't invited to sit, choose a chair across from or beside the interviewer's desk. Avoid plush couches that can prevent you from rising easily. 2. How Close is too Close? Like anyone, interviewers become uncomfortable if their personal space is invaded. Adjust where you sit based on your interviewer's seating arrangements. Sitting too far away makes you look afraid, but trying to seem "friendly" by getting right in your interviewer's face is likely to make them uncomfortable. Project sincerity and confidence by leaning forward, maintaining eye contact and using expressive gestures. Leaning back and looking down may be interpreted as a lack of confidence, and interviewers are less likely to engage with someone who has a "closed" appearance. Leaning in is a natural thing to do when you're engaged in a conversation. Leaning slightly forward (keeping your shoulders back and down, and your chest high demonstrates interest. Your posture is an integral part of your nonverbal conversation." 3. Speak Naturally, and Get to The Point When trying to project good job interview body language, how you say something often is more important than what you say. Monitor your speaking voice to ensure you're conveying the right message. When in doubt, don't deviate from your regular speaking style. Secure applicants have relaxed voices and are comfortable speaking directly. Conversely, insecure candidates can't control their voice pitch and volume. They sound hesitant, clear their throats, use "uhs" and "ums" excessively, or use over-complex sentences and have trouble getting to the point. 4. Sit all the way back in your seat. Sit firmly and lean your back straight against the chair. It's an automatic signal of assurance and confidence. If you're a natural sloucher, pretend there's a string pulling you up from the crown of your head. 5. Maintain Eye Contact and Don't Be "Wooden" Relaxed, confident people alter their facial expressions to match what they’re saying, and maintain good eye contact to help signify openness and honesty. Less-assured candidates, on the other hand, don't maintain eye contact and tend to be very rigid, which can make them appear shy or even untrustworthy. Don't overdo eye contact with interviewers, however. A gaze that lasts longer than seven to 10 seconds can cause discomfort. You may be trying to connect, but it only increases the tension. Aside from keeping eye and face contact, nodding your head while listening is an additional way to show attentiveness. Nod your head occasionally to let them know you are enjoying and understand what is being said. 6. Monitor Your Posture and Gestures Even when you're trying to remain motionless, your posture gives important body language signals. Confident applicants have relaxed, balanced postures. They hold their bodies upright and take determined strides. Less-assured candidates have rigid or stooped postures. Strive for posture that's as free and natural as your speaking style, but don't be too controlled or rehearsed. When your movements are in sync with your words, your job interview body language will appear confident and controlled. If you're not sure what to do with your hands, go ahead and gesture while speaking.When you’re really nervous, you tend to want to hide your hands because they express your anxiety. Keeping your hands hidden can be misinterpreted as distrustful behaviour. When your palms are up, it signals honesty and engagement. The limbic brain picks up the positivity, which will make the interviewer comfortable. In general, upward-facing body language, such as open palms, smiles and straight posture, also makes you look energetic. Keep feet firmly the ground. Women should never cross at the knees, but rather the ankles as this allows them to switch if necessary without being obvious. There's also a scientific benefit to keeping your feet grounded. Planted feet can help you go between creative thought and highly complex rational thought. 7. Work on your Walk Interviewers often make a hiring judgment within the first 10 seconds of meeting you, How you walk into the room is a part of that judgment. Shoulders pulled back and neck elongated, each stride should be roughly one to two feet wide. Walk directly toward the person you are meeting with every body part pointing in his direction, maintaining eye contact with occasional breaks to the side. 8. Breath deeply and Speak on the Exhale One way to soothe interview nerves is to breathe properly. Focusing on the breath as a vital part of the interview process. Inhale when the interviewer asks you a question, then speak on the exhale, following the air flow. Taking 10 deep, diaphragmatic breaths before the interview reduces our heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormone level. 9. Pick Up on your Interviewer's Body Language, Too Hiring managers also use gestures to convey specific messages during a job interview. Nodding signifies approval, while leaning forward shows they're interested. Thumb twiddling, finger drumming or other fidgeting means they aren't paying attention. One caveat: Don't imagine a hidden meaning in every gesture. If an interviewer rubs their nose, they may just have an itch. Try to gauge the situation – a group of gestures may be significant, but random ones aren't likely to have any real meaning. For further insight, check out this article by Forbes magazine. It delves into the common mistakes we make through our body language during an interview.  If you notice that your job interview ends in 15 minutes, you may have done one of the 9 mistakes listed below. When you arrive at a job interview make sure you are prepared well but also make sure you do not do any of these things: 1. Being late and showing up unprepared The first and biggest mistake you can make in a job interview is to be late. If you are far away and see that time is short, call or send a message to the contact person organising the interview. Apologise for being late and tell them when you expect to be present. 2. Dress inappropriatelyYou will not be taken seriously if you dress inappropriately. Be clean and neat. If you are unsure what to wear, visit the workplace. Stand outside and make note of what people who are coming out are wearing. In this way you get an indication of how they dress. 3. Lie or bragPeople who lie and brag about themselves, won't make a good impression on an interview panel. If you cannot back up something, don't say it. 4. Do not turn off mobile phoneTo answer your mobile phone in the middle of an interview is committing professional suicide. A tip is not to just put your mobile on silent, but to turn off the vibration as well. It's annoying to hear a mobile vibrate in your bag. 5. Speak constantly to avoid unpleasant questionsIf you think it's advantageous to talk much at a job interview, you're wrong. Those who will be interviewing you have a plan. If you use the time to do a monologue to avoid unpleasant questions, you won't be allowing the panel to execute their plan or to find out what they need about you. You will not be considered. Remember to breathe and think before you give an answer. If required, ask the panel to repeat the question - this gives you more time to think. If you have a glass of water, take a sip - once more this buys you more time. 6. Answer all questions with a yes or a noIf you do not elaborate on your answers but simply use a yes or a no, the employer won't have the information they need to make their decision. It is your responsibility to give good examples of things you've done before so that those who want to hire you know more when the interview is finished. 7. Do not listen to the questions, but concentrate on what to say about yourselfTurn off the brain activity and listen to what you are asked, and then turn on again. Listen. 8. Speak ill of colleagues and former bossesIf you do this, the interview panel will not view you favourable. They might be concerned you might target them next. While you are allowed to be disgruntled and dissatisfied with previous employers, but do not mention it in a job interview. 9. Bring parents to the interviewNeed I explain why this is a bad idea? If your parents have to take you to an interview, ask them to sit in the car or ask them to do something else while your interview is on. I have actually experienced this when a candidate brought his mother to an interview. It was not a good look and the panel viewed the candidate as immature and perhaps not ready to take on the role we had on offer.  Some office environments are extremely formal, while others are far more relaxed. I’ve worked in both, and what I’ve seen is that one type of person always prevails—the casual professional.
A casual professional never compromises on the fundamentals of professionalism: being on time to everything, accountable for her work, and extremely respectful of her colleagues. However, he/she also understands how to authentically represent who they are as an individual. Successful professionals often end up working long hours, and it’s neither fun nor realistic to only talk about work. You should selectively let your colleagues know a bit more about you–it’ll humanize you and make you more fun to be around. This may mean telling your co-workers about a non work-related interest (food, sports, and the arts are usually safe), or buying beer for your colleagues at the end of a particularly rough (or awesome!) week. Please be warned that it can be difficult to strike a good balance, so to make sure you’re on the right side of casual, watch the behaviour of people who are admired at all levels of the organization. If you think they’d do it, go for it.  Starting a new job should mean new adventures, new possibilities, and new outfits. However, the reality is usually far less glamorous. Some instantly demonstrate their capability, while others trip over their shoelaces (figuratively speaking). Even experienced managers sometimes fall victim to amateur mistakes. In your first month, you should focus on building relationships and show excitement for your role. You need to discern between when to ask questions and when to do it alone. Be a casual professional who never compromises on the fundamentals of professionalism: being on time to everything, accountable for her work, and extremely respectful of her colleagues. I will provide more details about how to be one successfully in another post. But now let's talk about your first day at work. You will be nervous and eager. You will be scrutinised. So how do you rock that all important first day. Sarah Beyrath from REST Super has the following tips to help you on your first day at work::
1 First impressions count: First opinions are often based on appearance and body language. Wear clothes that are appropriate for the workplace but that you still feel good in. Check what's expected to be worn and buy a simple work wardrobe that you can easily mix and match. 2 Get prepared for the first day: Any background reading that can be done before you start will help you get a grasp of the job. Being familiar with what needs to be done will also help. Jump online and read about the company. 3 Be confident: Remember that they liked you enough to give you the job. Confidence is a key quality for career success. Once you feel comfortable in your new role, if you see a way to improve processes or do your job better, suggest it to your manager. They'll see you as someone dedicated to making the company better. 4 Don't underestimate the importance of admin: Take along the details of the bank account you want your salary to be paid into and have your tax file number. 5 Choose the super fund that's right for you: Your first job will probably be the first time you have super. But don't stress - managing it can be very easy. 6 Listen as well as talk: Listening lets you learn as much as possible in the first few weeks, and then hit the ground running with the tasks your managers expect you to do. 7 Be organised with your time: If you've had to manage deadlines for study assignments, it's very likely that you're already really good at this. Complete one task at a time, in order of priority. 8 Handle the tough jobs first: Knowing how to prioritise your everyday jobs is an important part of being successful. 9 Keep healthy: Keeping fit and healthy at work can be challenging. Start the day right - eat a healthy breakfast that will keep you full until lunchtime, such as a low-fat cereal. Go for a walk at lunchtime - get some fresh air and step away from thinking about work for at least half an hour. 10 Get a guru: Keep an eye out for a manager you think will make a good mentor. Mentoring has loads of benefits, from having someone you can run your ideas past to a person who helps direct and advance your career. When the time comes to actually ask someone to mentor you, it's a good idea to explain why you want the person as your mentor and how you would like the person to help you. Along with my tips check out the following links for more tips and tricks:  Busy recruiters these days often pay more attention to our cover letters than the resume. If the cover letter grabs their attention, the resume will be next. So it is critical that our cover letter is sharp, succinct and professional. Yes we have to market ourselves - and this is one of our most important marketing tools.
The following article from Forbes provides us with 6 very good tips. http://www.forbes.com/sites/sethporges/2012/08/29/6-secrets-to-writing-a-great-cover-letter/  We’re often told what to say, what not to say, what to wear, and even how to shake hands at an interview.
But what we ask the interview panel/interviewer can leave a lasting impact and might me what wins you the role. I am a firm believer in this theory and have been in fact commended for my questions. While I don't wish to put the panel on the spot, good questions show my interest in the role - specially my keenness to learn more. Personally, I can remember instances at the end of job interviews when the interviewer has asked me: “Well, do you have any questions?,” and I realise I’ve been so caught up in trying to impress that I’m lost for words. Now I have a good question that provides me further insight into the role, shows I am proactive in trying to educate myself in the expectations and provides me with a good closure to the interview. I ask 'What will be the challenges facing me if I won this role?'. Sometimes it can expose deep seated cultural issues in the Organisation that changes your own decision later. So it is a tactic to suss out if the role will suit you. Sometimes it gives you a head start since you are prepared when commencing the role. Besides this question, there are some standard questions that you can use as well. 1. What is a typical day like in this position? You want to have a good sense of what an average day is going to be like, how busy the day will be, your main and ad-hoc responsibilities, whether the work load will be too much of a challenge or not enough. It is important to ask yourself (and therefore the interviewer) whether you are looking for the sort of job role where no two days are the same, or if you would prefer a more predictable role. 2. How will you measure success in my role? It is important to get a clear idea of what is expected of you and how you will be assessed. That way if you are successful in getting the job you know exactly what your employer is expecting for you to achieve and you can then aim to not only achieve, but exceed them. 3. Is there any room for advancement in this position? Interviewers want to know whether you are looking to progress within the company or whether you are only interested in the job as a means of making money. This question shows ambition and where your professional loyalties will lie. By asking this question you are showing that you are pursuing this job for more than your bank balance, but rather to develop your own skills and to develop the (and within) company. 4. Where have successful people in this position progressed to in the past? If you are looking to progress within the company then you need to be sure if this is a) possible and b) the timescale of this happening. It also shows initiative and that you are thinking ahead, rather than starting in a job and learning three years down the line that there is still no room for progression. 5. What type of training is available for the position? This is crucial for 2 reasons: firstly, the interviewer will be impressed that you are interested in growing within the company and bettering yourself will in turn better the company. Secondly, a job is an opportunity to learn new skills and develop existing ones. It shows you are not going to be a passive employee, but are open (and want to) become the best version of yourself as an employee. For some more handy questions have a read of this article: http://www.businessinsider.com.au/10-questions-you-should-be-asking-in-your-next-job-interview-2015-5 Have you come across any good ones in your career so far? If so, do share!  We have LinkedIn and we have Facebook and Twitter etc. Each of these have a different impact on our job prospects. Often employers do a social media scan to gain insight into a candidate. What they pick up from Facebook for instance can colour their opinions. Of course we are well behaved on LinkedIn but do you know that what you say on Facebook can have a detrimental impact on your prospects? Here is a good video that gives you 6 quick and sharp tips on how to best harness the might of social media and use it to your advantage:
http://www.forbes.com/video/4447449812001/ |
AuthorThe employment market has evolved and social media dictates how we market ourselves - so here we go - another blog - hope to add value with this one though! Archives
December 2016
Categories |
RSS Feed
