EMPLOYMENT

• Investigate the company and the role as you apply, and recognize that you might need to customize your resume and cover letter to match the position


• Rejection can be hard, but you cannot take it personally... sometimes they already knew who they were going to hire, but still had to go through the process of posting the job


• You won't hear back on every application (like when I applied to be Global Product Lead for the Halo franchise, or my friend applied to be UW-Madison Football's Head Coach)


• Don't stop applying to jobs even if you've found your dream
• It is likely also someone else's dream
• You can gain some valuable interview experience from other job openings
• Eggs in a single basket much?

Finally, please bear this in mind: one of the most common regrets I hear from people once they've moved on to a new job is wishing they had taken better advantage of that time between jobs.

Yes, not making money as bills still arrive is stressful, and while hunting for something that excites you is exciting itself, remember to (at least try to) enjoy any free time you have. Do the things you that you cannot when you work full-time. So, if your situation allows, take advantage of the opportunities that having free time offers or you might wind up regretting it.

Your parents or an old coach would tell you that practice makes perfect... Well, they were right, but you don't have to tell them that if you don't want to.

• Conduct mock interviews, practice your responses to common questions
• Tell me about yourself
• What do you know about us?
• How did you learn about this position?
• Why do you want this job?
• Why should we hire you?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10?
• How would others describe you?
• How do you deal with conflict in the workplace?
• How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?
• Tell me about a time you exercised leadership in the workplace
• What is your greatest professional achievement?
• Tell me about a time you've overcome a professional challenge
• What is your dream job?
• Why are you leaving your current job?
• Why was there a gap in your employment?


• Off the wall (and sometimes absurd) questions are intended to expose sub-surface elements about you such as stress responses, problem solving skills, and personality traits
  • How many square yards of Astro Turf are there in the U.S.?
  • How many tennis balls can you fit into a limousine?
  These types of questions are designed to test whether you can understand what is asked of you, whether you can construct and set in motion a systematic and logical way of responding, as well as how you might deal with the unexpected
  • If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?
  • If you could have lunch with one person, dead or alive, who would it be?
  These types of questions don't really have a wrong answer, but are designed to test how you think on your feet, how you might relate your own strengths or weaknesses, how you might see yourself, and the like
  
  
• Know that the question, "what is your biggest weakness," can distinguish you
• DO NOT give some bullshit answer like being a perfectionist, a workaholic, caring too much, being too passionate about the work you do, or something similarly fake. Especially avoid joking about your greatest weakness being that you have no weaknesses or disguising a strength as a weakness
• Everyone is human with faults and failings. This question is designed to put you on the spot to make sure you understand yours
• First: Self-awareness -- Interviewers want to know whether you are and have been introspective about your flaws, shortcomings, and limitations
• Second: Honesty -- Interviewers what to know that prospective employees will be honest with them, as well as with themselves and respond to the question in an open way
• Third: Self-improvement -- If you are self-aware and honest with yourself to the point of knowing there is a problem, what are you doing/have you done to improve?
• Fourth: Professional -- Interviewers don't want to know about your fear of horses or of dying alone. Don't talk about details of your personal life impacting your job performance as a weakness. Don't make it weird, don't give away the store, just focus on one weakness relevant to your work life
• Lastly, be prepared to talk about more than one weakness. Sometimes interviewers will try to throw you off with a follow-up question of "What are some other weaknesses?"


• Learn how to listen
• Interviews are an opportunity to sell yourself, but do you generally like people who only talk?
• Don't get so caught up in trying to push a message and image to a prospective employer that you fail to listen... what use do they have for an employee that doesn't listen?
• Make sure that you practice listening carefully without interrupting as others speak
• Be prepared to ask questions, listen to the responses, and ask follow-up questions based on the responses


• Look the part
• Dress up a level to the position for which you're interviewing
• Not every company has a loose dress code
• If your shoes are leather, polish them: it's one of the first things people will notice


• Follow-up on the interview, and send a thank you note (hand written if you can) - - it matters


• Be aware of and practice your body language
• In communicating face-to-face, 7% is overall message content; 38% is tone, speed, and inflection; 55% is appearance and body language... So, 93% of in-person, interpersonal communication is non-verbal
• Non-verbal signals hold 5 times the impact of verbal signals
• Proximity: general western society comfort zones
• Violating personal space can be perceived as threatening
• 0 - 18 inches: Intimate distance. This is reserved for deep, personal relationships
• 18 inches - 4 feet: Personal distance. Reserved for personal conversation
• 4 - 12 feet: Social distance. Reserved for formal interactions (meetings and interviews)
• 12 feet through line-of-site: Public distance. reserved for things like public speaking and lectures
• Eliminate barriers if possible
• Side-by-side fosters cooperation
• Opposite sides fosters competition (generally)
• Sit at right angles for good conversation
• Gestures
• Slower, expansive movements made with deliberation appear more confident
• Minimizing head movements while speaking will present a more powerful image than moving your head about
• How much you show your unprotected front can show how confident, secure, and trusting you are - also, facing the person to whom you are speaking shows your attention
• Mirroring postures and gestures of others can make them slightly more comfortable, but obvious mimicry is no good
• Walking tall, erect, and briskly = Confidence
• Walking with hands in pockets and/or shoulders hunched = Dejection
• Standing with hands on hips = Aggression
• Standing with hands clasped behind back = Anger, Frustration, Apprehension
• Sitting with legs crossed, foot kicking slightly = Boredom
• Sitting with arms crossed on chest = Defensive
• Sitting with hands clasped behind head = Superiority
• Biting nails = Nervousness
• Touching/slightly rubbing nose = Rejection, Doubt, Lying
• Stroking chin = Deciding
• Pulling or tugging at ear = Indecision
• Patting/fondling hair = Lack of self-confidence, Insecurity
• Pinching bridge of nose, eyes closed = Negative evaluation
• Tilted head = Interest
• Open palm = Sincerity, Openness
• Tapping or drumming fingers = Impatience
• Responsiveness (to others as they speak)
• How responsive we are signals our feelings on the person or subject
• Facial expression
• Tone of voice
• Gestures
• Eye contact
• More reaction shows strength of feelings, and that we are actively listening and involved in the conversation; little reaction might show a lack of concern or indifference
• Eye contact
• Make eye contact during hellos and goodbyes
• Make eye contact 60-80% of the time in conversation
• Too little appears nervous, evasive, bored, or unconcerned
• Too much makes others nervous and you appear dominant or forceful (in some cases, flirtatious)
• Don't be weird... remember to blink
• Smiling can put others at ease, so smile often when appropriate (you don't want to appear unable to be serious)