Questions Job Seekers Should NOT Ask in the Interview

A few weeks ago we told you all how to ‘turn the tables on the interviewer’ by asking intelligent, knowledgeable and considered questions to impress your interviewer and give you an edge over other applicants.

To equip you with the right questions, it is essential you also are aware of questions you should not ask in the interview.

What does this company do?

Always do your research on the company prior to the interview. Being prepared will ease your nerves and may help you anticipate some questions. Linking back your responses to the core business activities will strengthen your case and impress your interviewer. Not knowing what the company does may come across as insulting to an interviewer and this may seriously hurt your chances of progressing to the next stage.

What is the pay?

The purpose of the first interview is to see how you present yourself, your skills and experience and to gain a greater insight into how you might fit into the company. In other words, are you the right fit for the culture and role within the company? If you progress to the next round, questions around pay and remuneration are acceptable but hold out until this time.

What are the hours?

When you start asking eager questions about the hours and work schedule in the first interview, this could cause the interviewer to doubt your level of commitment to the role. No one wants to be known as the person who leaves at five o’clock on the dot, regardless of progress made. Unless there’s the possibility that you would be working “shift work” you should stay away from time related questions.  Other similar questions that you should avoid are:

• How many breaks do you have and for how long?
• Can I work from home?
• Am I required to be in the office every day?

What are the benefits?

Similar to the pay question, this could signal to interviewers that you are more concerned with ‘perks’ of the job, rather than what value you can bring to the role and what value the job can give you in terms of career progression, job satisfaction and engagement.

Final Tip

Your first interview is a time to demonstrate your expertise and skills, as well as learn more about the company and position.  Stick to questions related to the company and the job responsibilities.  By doing this, you will leave a great impression on the interviewer and this will increase your chances of progressing to the next round and finding out the answers to the questions mentioned above!

Make sure some of your questions are related to the mission vision strategy of the company – enough so that you can intelligently talk about ‘where the company is going’ and infer the competence and competencies it will require to get there – which is where you come in! Be careful of asking purely operational questions as this may indicate that you need an operational plan to function, rather than follow a strategic plan.

Tools and Strategies for Effective Job Hunting

It’s always a toss-up between spending time on an application and applying for more jobs. The truth is that many people miss out on securing employment because they simply aren’t able to meet the application deadlines or do not allow sufficient time to submit quality applications.

There are many tools available to help you manage your job-seeking-presence online. Here are some tools and strategies that you can implement to help you through the stressful time that is job hunting.

Strategy #1: Allocate time
One of the hardest things about job hunting is getting started. One of the easiest places to start, however, is by making lists and scheduling time. Allocate time in your calendar to job hunting and make it a part of your routine. The more you practice applying for jobs, the more it will become like second nature. It is important to allocate time to this task to ensure you give yourself the permission to work solely on job hunting, and not do anything else. In addition to allocating time, set targets and goals to help motivate you and keep you on track.

Tool #1: Subscribe to job alerts
Nowadays, all job seeking websites have tools to help you manage your online job-seeking-presence. Subscribing to job alerts is a great way to get the right jobs, that are relevant to you sent straight to your inbox. This will save you time from heading to multiple places to see what is out there. It will also help you stay up-to-date with jobs as they are placed out into the market.

Strategy #2: Create the best online profile possible
Job boards generally allow you to create a 'Job Seeker' or 'Applicant Profile'. This allows you to pre-upload your resume so as soon as you see a job that you like; making it quick and easy to apply for that job. Creating an online profile also allows employers to find you when they are actively searching for the right candidate. To improve the effectiveness of your application, use key words that are common in your Allied Health profession.

Tool #2: Organise your skills
Each application should be adapted to suit the job role and company, which can be a time-consuming process. Make this process easier by organising your skills (e.g. in an excel spreadsheet) so that you can easily link the skills you have with how you demonstrate them and the type of jobs that require these skills.

These steps will help make the job search easier in the midst of a busy schedule. Remember, it's never too early to start the process of finding your next great role! For more information relevant to you, check out the Career Advice section on Career Exchange.

How to Sell Yourself in a Job Interview: Succeeding Over the Rest! 6 Simple Steps for Success

In a job interview, you might like to fancy yourself as a salesperson. The product? Yourself! You must have enough confidence in yourself and your abilities to succeed over the rest. As Allied Health professionals, one thing that does not come naturally is the ability to sell yourself. Unfortunately it is not good enough to be highly skilled at what you do, you need to be highly skilled at telling others of your skills! Here are 6 simple steps to selling yourself to get that job!

1. Find out exactly what your interviewer wants: 

Do your research and come prepared. Don’t be caught out not knowing everything a potential employee needs to know.  This may mean thoroughly reviewing the company’s website, looking up articles in online newspaper archives, all the way through to connecting with current employees of the company before the interview and asking some strategic questions about what the company values and is looking for.

2. Do not flood your interviewer with irrelevant past experience: 

Although it is great that you have a list of past experiences, your interviewer is interested in what skills you have that they can utilise. Keep it simple, to the point and only mention the recent experiences you have that are particularly relevant to the field you are interviewing for. Try to avoid the narrative and 'story' approach in an interview. Keep it crisp, short, and "headlines and bullet points". Know when to STOP in an answer.

3. Believe in yourself: 

Just like in sales, if the salesperson does not believe in their product, they are going to have a hard time convincing others to believe in the produce, or coming across as genuine. An employer will only hire somebody they have confidence in. They are not likely to be confident about a person who isn’t even confident in themselves. So believe in yourself and present a positive vibe. An interviewer will remember an interview that was a pleasant experience for them.

4. Never give up: 

This does not mean be a pest to your potential employer. Be patient and keep following up on the application process- not only does that show that you’re interested in the job, but it will also give you an opportunity to source out other openings if you are not successful this time around. This can be as simple as a follow-up email a day or two after your interview.

5. Be enthusiastic about the job:  

Being enthusiastic about the company and the job you wish to apply for shows your potential employer that employing you will benefit them. You may wish to couch your interview responses in terms of "benefit statements". Perhaps you can identify how you can help the company achieve its goals through the role you are being interviewed for. If you are enthusiastic and show that you care about the success of the company, the potential employer is inclined to think you are in it for the long haul and are not just applying for the job to work at until something better comes along.

6. Let the interviewer know you are available: 

Once you have nailed your interview, let your interviewer know that if they require any further information that you are easily contactable. Inform them of when you are available to begin so they are confident you are able to take up the position at a time that suits them if you are successful. Be sure to put a "messagebank" longer than 10 seconds on your phone, and don't answer calls with "yeah?"
                                              

So you missed the job application deadline…Apply for it anyway!

It is closing onto midnight and your eyes are half closed as you mind-numbingly scroll through the endless list of jobs on your favourite job seeking website. Suddenly something catches your eye! Can it be? IT IS! The perfect position that you’ve been dreaming of! You’re filled with excitement as you gloss over the selection criteria: qualifications- check, experience- check, location- check, availability- check. And then you reach the application details and your heart sinks. Closing date... yesterday.

Before you melt into a puddle of disappointment, it’s not the end of the world! The reason why the closing date is there is because the employer will need to start selecting potential candidates at some point and likely have internal processes and systems to adhere to, but they aren’t going to decide who gets the job as soon as the clock ticks over the specific time and date necessarily.

While it is best to get your application in before the specified date it’s important to realise the employer is going to want to hire the candidate who expresses the most interest and enthusiasm with the best job-fit, not whoever waltzes through first. Many human resource managers agree that it’s worth submitting an application even after the deadline. Unless strictly stated that they will not accept applications after the date (e.g. some government departments or large organisations), apply for the job anyway!

Here are some handy tips for applying after the deadline:

Call someone: Definitely get in touch with the contact person or the hiring manager listed on the job ad. Express your genuine interest for the position, and rather than ASK if it’s still okay to send in an application. TELL the person that you are very interested in the role advertised and you would truly appreciate the opportunity to send through an application.

Once you have called ahead, the hiring person is going to be anticipating your application. Send it in as soon as you can. Ensure you thank them for their consideration.

Be honest in the cover letter: They know you’ve applied late, might as well own up to it. Remind the hiring person you’ve already spoken to them; this may even put yourself ahead of other candidates, as it’s much easier to remember a personified applicant over a piece of paper. Tell them that you only discovered the role through a network/colleague past the deadline, or that you were told about the position by a colleague late, or whatever other reason. It is important to be honest and thankful for their time and consideration.

Consider a special delivery: Hand delivering an application may be an effective way to get your foot in the door. Going in person can have many advantages over submitting an application, such as, the opportunity to speak directly to the decision maker, and getting a feel for the organisation you want to work with. And who knows, you might just catch them at a good time and land an on-the-spot interview! Even if they are adamant in keeping to the deadline, you might learn about upcoming job openings. This could give you an advantage over other applicants as you are in a great position to detail your interest right then and there to a potential future employer.

If it’s that particular company or organisation that you love and missed an opportunity with, leave them an application for future openings. They might contact you sooner than you think!

Move on and forward: If you have tried all you can in applying but are still unable to land that dream job, try and view the experience as a positive one.  You have made another contact and are now aware of another organisation to keep an eye on and one to keep in contact with. Use this knowledge to research other similar organisations that may have roles like the one you just missed out on.