by Fabianna Mueti | Nov 18, 2019 | Career Happiness, Happy Workplaces, Job Applications, Job hunting, Job Search
If you haven’t already, read our blog post about how to get ready to succeed in an interview and possibly, get hired!
In the same spirit, we’re sharing with you some of the mistakes we have seen job seekers make in our interviews, which often limit their chances of proceeding to clients’ interviews 🙁 in a bid to ensure you don’t repeat the same mistakes.
1. Lack of preparation – in several cases, we have had candidates who came to our interviews lacking information necessitated to have a productive conversation. We know because; in certain instances, we have had to explain what our clients (organization candidate applied to) do.
Additional signs that show us that a candidate did not prepare effectively is not answering questions as asked, lacking structure in responses, an inability to tie their past experiences and achievements to the role they applied for, over-explaining something instead of being concise, and asking the wrong questions at the wrong time. Find our interview preps checklist here to see how you can prepare for your next interview.
2. Showing a lack of interest in participating in the interview/conversation – sometimes, a candidate will display a lack of enthusiasm in their communication style. If a recruiter has to constantly probe you to get more context in the responses you provide, chances are; you’re not too excited about the position you applied for.
Most, if not all employers are looking to hire people who are excited about their work and buy into their vision, this is especially the case if you’re applying to join one of the organizations we support; that are at the growth stage and are looking for team members to take their organizations to the next level. In relation to point one, researching the organization and figuring out how your own interests and career aspirations connect with the organization goes a long way in boosting your scores on motivation!
3. Body language mistakes – examples include; not maintaining eye contact, aggressive facial expressions, crossing your arms or legs, pointing and so forth. All these are potential signs of defensiveness. Now, we are all human and sometimes these are just triggered as a result of you not knowing how to answer a question or feeling like you’re being attacked. Always remember that by the fact you were invited for an interview, you stand a high chance of getting this job! Read more about how to avoid getting defensive in an interview in this article to get more context.
If you’re not sure or don’t have an answer to a question, ask for a chance to think more about it as the interview continues, or just say that you don’t have an appropriate response to provide.
4. Not asking any questions – Even if you did your research, and were well prepared for the interview, not asking questions in the interview may demonstrate that you’re not 100% committed to the role. The quality of the questions you ask is also important. Put more focus on the role and the organization, examples include: asking about the work culture, professional development opportunities that are available, what would be expected of you in the first three months, and so forth. Here is an article with questions to ask at the end of an interview that you can use as guidance.
Wondering why you may not have heard back from a recruiter and you’re not getting invited for interviews? Check out our blog post on the 5 mistakes you should avoid when making applications.
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by Reynold Owuor | Oct 22, 2019 | Career Happiness, Job Applications, Job hunting, Job Search
Want to know the difference between a job seeker and recruiter scroll down.
Continue scrolling, the answer might surprise you!
There is none recruiters are human, just like you.
They are working to ensure they connect great talent to great opportunities. So when reaching out to one ensure you put your best foot forward and express yourself well. They have limited time to play guesswork around what you mean. It’s better to ask if you don’t understand than to leave anything to chance, remember the only way they can help you is if you present yourself well. Treat them with the same respect and professionalism you would expect them to treat you.
by Fabianna Mueti | Oct 18, 2019 | Career Happiness, Job Applications, Job hunting, Job Search
So your job hunting hustles have paid off, and you’ve been invited for an interview with the recruiter, or the hiring manager. How do you ensure you’re prepared to succeed in the interview and potentially get shortlisted, or better yet, get the job? We’ll be sharing with you some tips today.
But first, why not begin by checking out this interview checklist we created.
And now, the tips:
1. Show up on time for the interview (always communicate in advance, communication is a key skill in any job and lack of doing so could lead to you being potentially disqualified)
2. We can’t stress this enough: Do your research; about the organization, projects, financial state, culture, etc. Not only will this show the interviewer that you’re prepared, but it also shows that you did your due diligence and emphasizes your interest to join the organization.
3. Reflect on and prepare your answers in advance. How? Go through the job description, as many times as you can, identify relevant roles you have undertaken, list your successes, include challenges you faced and how you navigated them. If it’s a managerial role; think about the sizes of teams managed, your coaching approach, attained results by said team, project goals versus achieved results, etc. Google is your friend here guys. Look up anticipated questions for what you’re applying for and the expected answers.
4. Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) method to answer questions. Here is a great article to kick you off; there are plenty more on the World Wide Web where this came from. This approach is also key to keep in mind when making written job applications.
5. Ask questions after the interview! We know it can be nerve-wracking for some of us to know what to ask a recruiter or employer at this stage. However, we highly recommend that you still ask. If you don’t know what to ask, here is an article that can guide you. Pick what is relevant and connects with you. Asking questions shows the recruiter/hiring manager that you’ve reflected on the role you applied for and you get extra points if your questions are brilliant!
What are some of the other tips you know of that have helped you ace your interviews?
Share with us on our social media platforms, where you can also find more content like this: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
As always, if you’re looking for a thought partner to help you navigate this topic and more of your career queries, we’re happy to help. Send an email to happycareers@edgeperformance.co.ke and start your journey to a happy career!
by Fabianna Mueti | Oct 18, 2019 | Career Happiness, Job Applications, Job hunting, Job Search
Have you been looking for a job lately, and just feel like you’re in a rut and things are not moving?
Approaching job hunting with clear goals and strategies is more likely to increase your chances of success.
Many times, when we have interacted with job seekers, they are rather in shock to hear that the number of job applications is not directly related to your success. And just sending out applications and hoping it will all work out is not a strategy either.
It may also surprise you to hear that you have a good amount of control over your job hunting hustles. How recruiters perceive you through lenses such as; how you present your best self in an interview, the level of effort in your job hunting, the awareness of what value you can add, the quality of your application, etc. is all dependent on you.
Today, we’re sharing with you 5 key strategies you can adapt to support you in hacking the hustle of job hunting:
1. Map out your target jobs and organizations – Narrowing down your search to companies and jobs that are aligned to your career plans & interests makes it easier for you to confidently articulate your skills and experiences when applying, and in the event of talking to a hiring manager; you’re more confident and clear on what value you can add. With the rise of companies seeking more intentional and purposeful applications, there’s no need for you to apply for irrelevant jobs that will not contribute to your career growth.
2. Use multiple proactive approaches – Sent applications on the 5 websites and think it’s enough? Have an active LinkedIn account and connect to all your prospective employers and confidently reach out to them, that’s what LinkedIn is for. Sharing relevant industry content also shows that you’re passionate about the work that you do. Go to career fairs, talk to your professional networks, attend career coaching if you need more guidance mapping out your career, schedule informational chats with people who are in your target jobs, and they may help you get your foot in the door….see where I’m heading?
3. Update your CV constantly – Listen. Don’t undermine added responsibilities even if they are not in your JD. If any additional work you’re doing is adding value to your department/organization, include it, but ensure it’s relevant to the jobs you are applying for. Even better; have multiple resumes you can use, especially if you’re looking to transition careers.
4. Set periodic job hunting goals – Whether it’s updating your CV, connecting to a number of people on LinkedIn, doing market research, going to a career event, talking to 5 other people outside your circle in the industry. All these small steps; when articulated into a plan are more doable and set the pace to being intentional, which is the foundation of job hunting.
5. Prepare for interviews – Yes! This is part of it too. If you can, run dry runs with a friend and see how well prepared you are, research the organization, Google likely interview questions based on the JD and have your success stories at your fingertips, always!
We leave you with this short video that highlights some tips about for preparing for interviews.
What tactics have you used in your past hunting hustles to secure a job?
Share with us on our social media platforms, where you can also find more content like this: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
And if you’re looking for a thought partner to help you navigate these and more career queries, we’re happy to help. Send an email to happycareers@edgeperformance.co.ke and start your journey to a happy career!
by Reynold Owuor | Oct 18, 2019 | Career Happiness, CV, Job Applications, Job hunting, Job Search
The job market is stiff and it’s a no-brainer that your CV has to be in top shape in order to attract a hiring manager or recruiter, and it has to be 2-3 pages long.
Some things have become obsolete and take up too much space and as a result, are no longer required in today’s CV i.e.
1. Personal Information – Other than your contact information all other information is unnecessary i.e. age, date of birth, race, religion, sex, or marital status. Although some of these might be useful in international applications, if the job is in your home country it’s better to leave it out.
2. Education Level – Always include your latest educational level on the CV and any other certification that might be relevant for the role you are applying to. Often little attention is given to where you went to primary or high school. Unless it’s the highest level attained or is required in the application, leave it out.
3. Unrelated skills – Employers are interested in learning about your current skills that will be useful for the role, not skills you gained in your entire career. Be careful when using overused words and phrases. Balanced careers have created a guide on the list of skills and words that will give you an edge. Read more here.
4. Work Experience – Only include experience related to the job opening. If you worked as an assistant in your uncle’s company while in campus it’s best to leave it out unless the job you are applying for is for an assistant position, or this is your latest experience. Also if you have had an 8+ years experience, it’s best to include experience related to the job you are applying for. If narrowing down is a challenge, talk to a recruiter or career coach to help you out.
5. Career Objectives – Lengthy objectives might end up doing the opposite of what it’s intended to i.e. be a career summary. Make sure it’s concise and ties up your key areas of contribution and ambitions well. I can’t stress this enough but it should be tailored to the role you’re applying for and your career aspirations.
Other things to leave out include; personal pronouns, long descriptions, acronyms, exaggerations, spelling and grammatical errors.
by Fabianna Mueti | Oct 8, 2019 | Career Happiness, Job Applications, Job hunting, Job Search
We like to acknowledge the fact that job hunting is not easy. We know because we are constantly getting requests from hundreds of job seekers who are looking for jobs, and some of them can’t seem to understand why they are not getting hired.
Times have evolved, employers are no longer just asking for your CV and inviting you for interviews. A lot of organizations are asking people to fill in application forms and there are other stages in between such as take-home tests, phone interviews, video interviews and psychometric tests before physically meeting your prospective employer. So as a job seeker, the ball is in your court to prove that you’re dedicated to getting that job and you’ll be able to add value to their organization.
It’s important to recognize as a job seeker that organizations spend a lot of resources hiring, so it’s paramount to them that the people they add to their teams will contribute to the success of the organization and will be a good culture fit.
That being said, here are top 5 mistakes you can avoid when applying for jobs, why they get you disqualified, and what you can do to possibly get considered for the next stages.
1. Grammatical errors – it goes without saying that grammar errors represent a lack of attention to detail. As recruiters, we find it hard shortlisting such a candidate, because it tells us that their lack of attention to detail will also display itself at work, and why would an employer want to risk this? Grammarly is your friend, download it today! Please proofread all your documents before sending them out. A tip to sending a great application is preparing it on a word doc first and then putting the answers on an application form.
2. Not following directions – I can’t begin to tell you how often candidates fail to follow instructions outlined in applications. Only 10% or less of applicants follow application instructions. Are you one of them? Do you set time aside to fully internalize what is required of you? Not answering questions as asked, ignoring certain aspects of the questions, leaving blanks and not attaching certain documents is what happens as a result of not being intentional.
3. Not tailoring your application to the role – Many times, people fail to customize their knowledge, skills and abilities to fit the jobs they are applying for. Just because you are applying for jobs in the same career path, does not mean that all requirements are the same. All organizations operate differently and have a different set of skills that matter more than others. Ensure you thoroughly go through the JD and tailor your CV, cover letter and application answers to these requirements. Again, be intentional about this so that you avoid getting into the rut of sending applications randomly.
4. Applying for jobs you’re unqualified for – This one is a bone of contention because there is a small group of people who have gotten jobs they were not qualified for, according to testaments on different social media platforms. We are aware of the fact that people are encouraged to apply for jobs they’re not qualified for because “you never know what will happen”. This can be true, you can be hired because of the potential you exude, or because you are in a job that does not utilize your abilities fully and the next employer sees that in you and you have proven it. What is also true, is that applying for jobs you are absolutely not qualified for shows the recruiter that you did not pay attention to the requirements of the role, or you completely ignored them. Either way, it’s not a good look, and constantly doing this may position you as one without a clear focus.
5. Excluding relevant details in your CV or application – Oftentimes, we have had to call candidates and ask them to send us a more detailed CV, or make clarifications on something they said on their application form, because the information provided seems incomplete. Please avoid sending out a CV that does not list your responsibilities, or successes in your current or past jobs, or an application that provides little information about the same. You may just miss out on an opportunity for these reasons, and the truth is, not every recruiter will call you for clarifications. You know the saying; first impressions matter? Still holds true.
We hope you found the above information useful. We’d love to hear your thoughts. What other reasons do you think get people disqualified from job applications? Share with us on our social media pages, where you can find more similar content: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
