Job Search

How Personal Brand Applies In The Job Search Process

November 28, 2022 by Markitors

What is one way a “personal brand” is relevant when applying and interviewing for a job role?

To help you make the best of your online presence, we asked C-suite executives and other career experts this question for why they think branding is critical. From showing off your core values to proving your initiative, there are several reasons below why you should take building a strong personal brand seriously when entering the job market.

Here are 11 reasons your personal brand is essential to becoming an attractive candidate for any role:

Shows Employers Your Core Values
Aligns Your Interview Answers With Your Online Persona
Gives Potential Employers Insight
Battles the Recruiters’ Paradox of Choice
Creates Your Real First Impression
Makes You Strategically Attractive For Higher Positions
Proves to Be the Best Candidate Differentiator
Lets Your Personality Shine Through
Helps Make Common Connections With the Interviewer
Attracts the Right Opportunities
Demonstrates You Have Initiative

Shows Employers Your Core Values

Businesses are not only looking for skills but the core values of a candidate, and this is one reason having a personal brand can play an important role in applying for and interviewing for a job.

Just as businesses use marketing to convey their brand’s values to their customers, personal brands work much the same way.

By using your LinkedIn and other professional accounts to tell your story, demonstrate your values, display your growth, and talk about your skills and passions, you will showcase who you are in a manner that is not common to most job-search formats.

In using your professional social media accounts to highlight personal attributes and core values, you will effectively market your personal brand and better your chances in the application and interview process.

Greg Gillman, Chief Revenue Officer, MuteSix

Aligns Your Interview Answers With Your Online Persona

Interviewers are savvy and often check online profiles on various social media platforms. They’ll look at your posts, opinions, pictures, and other content that you’ve shared. All of this contributes to your personal brand.

Many people will tell you to take an inventory of your online persona and edit out those things that can harm your job prospects. But what many people ignore is the lack of alignment that can arise when your social media content doesn’t match the answers you give in an interview.

The best way to solve this is by being honest. You don’t have to share everything in an interview. But, you also shouldn’t pretend to be someone you’re not. An interviewer will see straight through it if they’ve spent a little time studying your personal brand online.

Instead, focus on how the different dimensions of your personality—and brand can be seen as a positive for the company. Then, when those aspects show through in your online posts, they’ll feel aligned with your interview answers.

Dennis Consorte, Digital Marketing & Leadership Consultant, Snackable Solutions

Gives Potential Employers Insight

An online personal brand affects the preconceived notions the interviewer may have of your skill set.

For example, if you position yourself as an expert on LinkedIn, the preconceived beliefs about your professional value will be in your favor. Your personal brand relieves some of the heavy lifting in the interview; with readily available anecdotes online, it makes it easier for potential employers to get an idea of your values.

Patricio Paucar, Co-Founder & Chief Customer Officer, Navi

Battles the Recruiters’ Paradox of Choice

A personal brand makes you go from a number or name in the sea of applications to a person—as odd as it sounds—it humanizes you.

The dark reality of today’s society and recruitment processes is that there are so many options to choose from that it all becomes a digit that often obscures the individuals’ complexity and the qualities they offer.

Having a personal brand pushes you above the pile and makes you a recognizable and desired player. The paradox of choice is a real thing, and it concerns recruiters as well. A personal brand boosts your image and lets you control to a much greater extent how you are perceived when applying for jobs, making you a bold, unique, and high-value contender. Thanks to this, you will surpass the recruitment challenge of the paradox of choice.

Nicole Ostrowska, Career Expert, Zety

Creates Your Real First Impression

I’m a BIG believer in personal branding and have worked very hard to build mine on both LinkedIn & our company page.

When someone applies for jobs the FIRST thing recruiters/employers do is check the resume against their LinkedIn account for consistency & to get acquainted in a non-committal “safe space.” That’s your first impression and you can control the narrative.

It can either be an asset or a liability depending on several factors like a professional headshot, consistency with resume, and personal branding like recommendations/published work. This is how I differentiate myself.

I ask for branding content from my candidates via success story feedback for our website and recommendations for my LinkedIn. These endorsements can be the difference between whether top talent works with me versus the many other recruiters that approach them.

The best part is this branding is FREE! Does your LinkedIn make a 10/10 impression? If not, it’s like using your worst photo on a dating app, very limiting.

Matthew Jones, Senior IT Recruiter, VIP Staffing

Makes You Strategically Attractive For Higher Positions

Personal branding applies only to strategic positions, not every job. These positions require credible candidates who take responsibility for their actions and decisions—and care about their reputation as experts in the field.

Companies don’t want anyone with an unprofessional image representing their brand. They want people who are passionate about what they do and can communicate that passion to all the employees, customers, and other stakeholders.

In fact, sometimes personal branding helps candidates appointed to a significant position in the company without having to go through the typical recruitment process of interviews, tests, and assessment rounds.

It gives an advantage over those candidates who don’t have a strong personal brand and makes themselves more visible to recruiters.

Arkadiusz Terpilowski, Head of Growth & Co-Founder, Primetric

Proves to Be the Best Candidate Differentiator

Establishing a personal brand, or the image and characteristics thought of when you are considered professionally for a new role, can be the calling card that helps you to stand out from the rest regarding an interview process or candidate selection process.

Being known in your industry or amongst peers as a subject matter expert relative to a certain function or skill set, coupled with a personal brand that embodies work ethic, connections, and a measurable ROI to a company associated with your work, will help you stand out more than the candidate that just has a “good resume.”

Establishing a professional brand can start with a LinkedIn profile, but what makes it tangible and real is support from those in your network through recommendations and endorsements. A presence at industry events as a speaker, panelist, or expo presenter will also bolster your brand.

Tiffani Murray, Director, HR Tech Partners, LinkedIn

Lets Your Personality Shine Through

A major part of the interview process revolves around striking a good rapport with your interviewer. Having a solid personal brand can be a great way to achieve this because it lets your personality take the spotlight.

Your resume, for instance, only talks about your achievements and experience—it does little to paint a clear picture of your personality. A personal brand, on the other hand, lets you express yourself a lot more and interviewers can actually connect with who you are and fill in the missing gaps.

Guy Sharp, Relocation Advisor, Andorra Guides

Helps Make Common Connections With the Interviewer

Experience and skills are important in leaving a great impression on the interviewer, but communication also plays an essential role in setting you apart from your competitors.

Engaging in small talk not only leaves a lasting impression, but also establishes a connection between the job seeker and the interviewer. Thus, it helps to showcase your personal brand as well.

Before appearing for an interview, try going through the background of the interviewer to find the most common topic of interest. Some topics may help in promoting your personal brand. For example, passion, hobbies, and professional interests. Keep in mind, you might offend the interviewer by discussing political or religious topics.

Zephyr Chan, Founder & Growth Marketer, Living The Good Life

Attracts the Right Opportunities

One of the biggest advantages of having a personal brand is that it allows you to evaluate what is truly important in your professional life.

When you can do this and present it confidently amongst your peers, your network, and potential employers, you’re more likely to land opportunities that align with your long-term goals and true interests.

This benefits both yourself and your employer as it serves to move you both in the right direction.

Larissa Pickens, Owner, Repeat Replay

Demonstrates You Have Initiative

You want recruiters and hiring managers to take comfort in knowing that you’re able to take the initiative. If you can successfully promote yourself with just a social media platform (or two) and some well-honed instincts, just think how well you can promote an established brand.

If you’re interviewing for a marketing role at a company, it will serve you well to show the hiring managers you know how to sell a brand, that includes your personal brand.

You may even come with a robust, built-in following, which is something that is sure to appeal to any company looking for more exposure.

Emily Saunders, Chief Revenue Officer, eLuxury

How Leaders Run Successful Meetings: 10 Tips and Tricks

October 3, 2022 by Markitors

As a business leader, what is one tip/trick for running a successful meeting?

To help you adopt the best approach in running meetings successfully, we asked CEOs and business leaders this question for their best insights. From allowing your team to contribute in advance to using friendly communication during meetings, there are several tips that are useful for any business leader seeking to conduct successful meetings.

Here are 10 tips these leaders follow to run successful meetings:

Allow Your Team to Contribute in Advance
Pep Things Up With a Brainstorming Session
Create and Share a Clear Agenda for the Meeting
Pay Attention to Who You Ask to Attend
Engage Everyone
Kick-Off With Dialogue that Supports Team Trust
Leave Smartphones at the Door
Send Out a Meeting Announcement Early
Leave Room in Your Schedule for Questions
Use Friendly Communication During the Meeting

Allow Your Team to Contribute in Advance

To have a successful, collaborative meeting, offer your entire team the opportunity to suggest topics or ask questions beforehand. This can be done simply on a project-management task or even on a Google sheet. Start by stating the main purpose of the meeting, and then encourage your employees to add sub-topics and put forth any questions or comments they may have. This will keep everyone engaged by feeling they’ve actually contributed to the meeting, rather than just be an “attendee.”

Shaun Price, MitoQ

Pep Things Up With a Brainstorming Session

A successful meeting requires every participant to contribute to the outcome, and one way to get the adrenaline flowing is to have a brainstorming session where everyone in the meeting can share their viewpoints. In addition to adding to the energy in the room, this move will also give team members the chance to present their ideas without feeling conscious about how they’ll play out in the long run. After all, brainstorming is all about coming up with ideas, no matter how vague, so that every thought and notion can be explored.

Riley Beam, Douglas R. Beam, P.A.

Create and Share a Clear Agenda for the Meeting

Prepare and send out a clear agenda before the meeting starts. This will help the meeting stay on track and ensure that all of the topics that need to be discussed are covered. It is also helpful to provide a brief overview of each topic before the meeting starts so everyone is on the same page. Having discipline around creating an agenda for each meeting may sound like a lot of work, but that’s actually a very good thing, since it leads to fewer, but much higher quality meetings. One thing that employees commonly complain a lot about is too many unnecessary meetings and too much time wasted. So by having a laser focus on the topics that are truly relevant for the meeting, you’ll be able to get to the core of the matter much faster, and everyone will appreciate that.

Matthew Ramirez, Paraphrase Tool

Pay Attention to Who You Ask to Attend

Many business leaders spend a lot of time on setting up their meeting agenda, but give little thought to who should be in attendance, yet by making it exclusive you will have a greater likelihood of it being successful. The people in attendance can have a dramatic impact on a meeting in everything from its focus to meaningful engagement, and making it a catch-all in terms of who is requested to be there can water down the presentation’s effectiveness. Making sure those who are asked to attend have relevant knowledge, have responsibilities related to the topic, will be involved in agenda implementation, and can contribute points that add to the presentation, is as critical to the meeting’s effectiveness as any material or discussion points. By spending as much time evaluating who you want to be at the meeting as you do setting up your presentation, you will better ensure the engagement of those in attendance and its overall success.

Adelle Archer, Eterneva

Engage Everyone

Find a way to engage everybody at the meeting. No one wants to spend time at a meeting just to keep a chair warm, and if they sit there the whole time without saying a word, you haven’t done your job in leading the meeting. Everyone should have something to offer, or they shouldn’t be there. Make sure to touch base with each participant and see what they have to contribute. They’ll feel engaged and appreciated, and you won’t be leaving any valuable input on the table.

Marcus Hutsen, Patriot Coolers

Kick-Off With Dialogue that Supports Team Trust

Kick it off with an opportunity for people to share what is going well and areas they wish to take the initiative to improve to support team trust. This is the most critical element for teams to achieve their goals, so it’s important to cultivate trust in each interaction and meeting. Behaviors that erode trust include micromanaging, failure to share information, gossip, comparison of colleagues, and toxic productivity. Instead, allow your team to thrive by embodying a culture of learning, growth, and collaboration so people feel it’s okay to fail, share progress with others, and cheer on teammates’ success. When trust-building is a priority in meetings, all stakeholders can raise issues and ideas without fear of retaliation.

Tommy Chang, Homelister

Leave Smartphones at the Door

Require everyone to leave their smartphones at the door. Smartphones are supposed to be a convenient productivity tool, but I’ve noticed that they ultimately get in the way of collaboration and creativity more than they help it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve referred to my phone to aid in work, but then became sidetracked by a text or voice message, or a juicy piece of news. Meetings should only last about 30 minutes anyway: People should be able to live without their phones for that long.

Asker Ahmed, iProcess

Send Out a Meeting Announcement Early

Give early notice. One important but often overlooked key to running a successful meeting takes place before it even begins. If you want to be a good host, you need to announce the meeting with plenty of advanced notice. Sending out a timely announcement and reminders about your agenda helps ensure that your attendees can be there and sets a good tone for the rest of your meeting.

Rachel Reid, Subtl Beauty

Leave Room in Your Schedule for Questions

Don’t forget to leave time for clarifications. When you’re outlining a meeting agenda, there’s internal pressure to ensure you have enough material and that you’re not leaving out anything relevant. But it’s also important to build time into that schedule for questions. Most meetings are not so clear that no one needs clarification in any area. If you fill your agenda to the brim, you risk running over and delaying people getting to their next commitment. It’s better in the long run to have that gap built in.

Vimla Black Gupta, Ourself

Use Friendly Communication During the Meeting

Meetings are typically serious affairs, especially if objectives and agendas are closely followed. To maintain a good environment and promote a sense of collaboration and relationship building, allot a few minutes at the start and end of each meeting for some small talk, questions, and other chit-chats. A serious topic can be made more entertaining and interactive by using humor. Always be kind in your communication, encourage laughter or pleasant contact, and remember that meetings are still social gatherings. Keep meetings on schedule, but provide time for personal interaction.

Shad Elia, New England Home Buyers

13 Stories: The Best Career Advice I’ve Ever Received

October 11, 2022 by Markitors

What is the best career advice you’ve been given?

To help you learn from the career advice of others to make you successful, we asked CEOs and business leaders this question for their best guidance. From being proactive in seizing growth opportunities to working to learn rather than to earn, there are several pieces of career advice that you could make your own to help you chart your course for a successful career.

Here are 13 pieces of career advice these leaders have received that help them the most:

Be Proactive in Seizing Career Growth Opportunities
Don’t Settle
Honor Your Instincts
Get a Mentor
Seek Happiness Instead of Money
No Job is Too Small
Trust Your Instincts
Focus on Living Your Dream and Not Someone Else’s
Network to Help You Advance
Learn How to Set Boundaries Right From the Get-Go
Set Aside Time for Yourself to Avoid Burnout
Be 15 Minutes Early for All Appointments
Work to Learn Rather Than to Earn

Be Proactive in Seizing Career Growth Opportunities

I entered the workforce over a decade ago with the concept that if I worked hard enough and exceeded my employer’s expectations, they would automatically reward me with raises and offer promotions. My then manager cleared this sad misconception during my very first year at that job. Upon asking why I wasn’t considered for a better-paying position at a larger branch of the organization, he responded by saying, “your career is your responsibility. Learn to advocate for yourself when you know there’s an opportunity; if there is no opportunity, create one.”

I believe his words led me to where I am now, heading my own well-established recruiting firm. So many people become successful due to stellar career management skills, even with otherwise average job skills. Offering to work on an important project or asking for a raise or promotion when you deserve one will lead to faster professional growth than waiting for an opportunity to knock at your door.

Anjela Mangrum, Mangrum Career Solutions

Don’t Settle

Don’t settle. That’s the best career advice I’ve ever been given, and it’s something that I try to live by every day. When you’re looking for a job, don’t just take the first offer that comes your way. Make sure that it’s a job that you’re passionate about and that you can see yourself doing for the long haul. Don’t settle for a position just because it pays well or because it’s easy. Challenges and obstacles are what make life interesting and worthwhile. If you can find a job that offers both of those things, then you’ve found something special. So, don’t settle – keep searching until you find the perfect fit.

Antreas Koutis, Financer

Honor Your Instincts

While advice can be helpful, you should also honor your own instincts. Be honest with yourself about what you want to do career-wise, and try not to worry too much about doing what people expect you to do or what they think you should do. This idea may sound simple, but it is a pain point for many people who feel parental or societal pressure to pursue careers in traditional fields such as law or healthcare.

Drew Sherman, RPM

Get a Mentor

Once you have been working in the field for some time and have started seeing some success, it is important to get a mentor. A mentor will help you take your career to the next level by sharing their own expertise and knowledge with you. They will also provide guidance on how you can progress further in your field and what new challenges you should take up. Having a mentor is an invaluable asset, so if you can find one, make sure to make the most of their mentorship!

Danielle Bedford, Coople

Seek Happiness Instead of Money

Entry level workers should focus on what they want to be doing. This is the start of everything, and it’s important that you enjoy the work you’re doing. We’re so driven by money, but sometimes that negatively impacts our health and we end up in a job we hate. Take your young working days to determine what you like and what you don’t like, and work on improving your skills. Your older self will be grateful you chased happiness instead of money.

Jodi Neuhauser, Ovaterra

No Job is Too Small

Right after college, I wanted to go to New York to start my career in television. But Barbara Walters told me I should ‘go local’ by working at smaller market television stations nearer my hometown and work my way up. So, I started as an assistant, getting coffee, logging tapes, and running audio. Then I worked my way up to writer, producer, and anchor. I’m so glad I took Barbara’s advice because it allowed me to make mistakes and learn from them without worrying that my career would be over before it even began. Starting small also helped me figure out what I like doing regarding news broadcasting and what I don’t like–which, I always tell my kids, is just as important because figuring out precisely what you want to do takes time.

Maria Shriver, MOSH

Trust Your Instincts

Although intuition and gut feeling are mostly subjective and hard to describe, each person knows what it’s like to trust their instincts. Having all the information and facts is undoubtedly a crucial part of decision-making, but it’s the indescribable quality of your instincts that will ultimately take you to the right place. If you start feeling into your intuition early in your career, you’re more likely to be able to count on it for the bigger decisions later on.

Igal Rubinshtein, Home Essentials Direct

Focus on Living Your Dream and Not Someone Else’s

Focus on living your dream and not someone else’s. That is the most profound piece of advice someone has ever handed down to me as a business leader in my community. It’s so common to be consumed by someone else’s success on social media or within your friendship circle or family. Instead, the principal objective is to focus on your business’s ups and downs, be present with the teachings of the hardships and celebrate your wins. You must halt all comparisons and enjoy the voyage and the place it’s taking you because someone else’s highlights are not your reality.

Anamika Goyal, Cottage

Network to Help You Advance

The best piece of advice I’ve ever received regarding my professional life was to always place a strong emphasis on networking in order to remain relevant (both technically and relationship-wise). Through our networks, we will be able to learn about new advances in our sectors and environments, new ways of thinking, and new opportunities that will help us advance in our careers. Our networks, which can include coaches, mentors, sponsors, stakeholders, and peers, are an essential component of our reputation and skill-building, as well as our overall well-being, and they serve as a foundation for each stage of our professional path.

Josh Tyler, Tell Me Best

Learn How to Set Boundaries Right From the Get-Go

There was a time when hustle and grind were in the spotlight and having little to no boundaries was encouraged. But given how unsustainable this practice is, it didn’t last long and most leaders picked up on this shift. However, traces of this culture still remain and that is why it’s crucial to have healthy boundaries and maintain a work-life balance. Although it can feel uncomfortable at first, you will soon realize the importance of boundaries for your mental well-being and the longevity of your career.

Benoit Lacroix, Portmoni

Set Aside Time for Yourself to Avoid Burnout

Make sure to take breaks. A mentor once told me about the importance of setting aside time for relaxation. As an entrepreneur, my work can feel deeply personal and all-consuming. But never putting aside time for yourself can cause major burnout, which can be detrimental to your career. Putting aside my job for a little while each day to do something I enjoy helps me stay sharp and focused when it’s time to get back to work.

Rachel Reid, Subtl Beauty

Be 15 Minutes Early for All Appointments

The best career advice I have ever gotten is to be 15 minutes early. In other words, you should make it a habit to be 15 minutes early for all your appointments in a professional setting. Keeping in mind the slogan “15 minutes early or you’re late” helps me leave the house more quickly since I have, how should we put it, an unjustifiably optimistic perception of the amount of time it takes to get from point A to point B. That slogan has helped me be on time for meetings and activities at work. You will undoubtedly come into contact with several pieces of career advice as your career progresses. Consider career guidance like you would feedback. You can read some suggestions and find out what you already do well and what you should work on improving.

Akber Zaidi, WeLoans

Work to Learn Rather Than to Earn

The best advice I’ve been given was by Robert Kiyosaki in Rich Dad Poor Dad. The advice is to ask – “are you working to earn, or working to learn?” Society teaches us to chase the big paycheque. Everyone’s rushing to earn the biggest number they can, mostly so they can feel better when comparing their salary or net worth to others their age. Chasing a bigger salary can often lead to working stressful jobs, with bad management and a poor path upwards.

Instead, working to learn is much more fun, and often leads to a higher level of financial success further down the line. By pursuing opportunities to expand your skillset you’ll naturally become much more valuable. Instead of going down one path, you can end up combining several different skill sets and be uniquely valuable in a specific niche. This can lead to some incredibly unique and exciting opportunities. Which are far more fulfilling than rushing down a traditional route, not to mention often more lucrative in the end too.

Craig Galloway, Tech Detective

How to Answer “What Can You Bring to The Company?” In a Job Interview

October 3, 2022 by Markitors

As an interviewer, what is one way a candidate should respond to your interview question “What can you bring to the company?”

To help candidates respond to the interview question “What can you bring to the company?”, we asked recruiters and hiring managers this question for their best tips. From showing that you’ve done your research to providing examples of professional success, there are several responses that hiring professionals look for when asking “What can you bring to the company?” in an interview.

Here are 13 tips for responding to “What can you bring to the company?” in an interview:

Show that You Have Done Your Research
Bring A New Perspective
Focus On Controllable Inputs
Be Yourself
Focus On Who You Are as a Team Player
Talk About Why You Love This Career Path
Show Your Coachability
Highlight Your Experiences That Uniquely Fit The Role
Show Preparation and Insight
Bring Diversity, New Knowledge, and Good Environment
Show a Passion to Improve Lives
Center Your Response Around the Company’s Objectives
Provide Specific Instances of Your Professional Success

Show that You Have Done Your Research

From my experience in HR, when interviewers ask candidates what they can bring to the company, they ate looking for more than just a list of skills and qualifications. In my experience, this question gives you the opportunity to show that you’ve done your research. For example, you might say something like, “I’ve read about your company’s commitment to sustainability, and I’m passionate about working for a company that is making a positive impact on the environment. I know I can contribute to your efforts by…” By indicating that you’re familiar with the company’s mission and values, you show that you’re a good fit for the team and leave an impression on the interviewer.

Antreas Koutis, Financer

Bring A New Perspective

While you may be tempted to take the same old route and talk about the strengths and expertise you bring to the table so that it aligns with the job description, it doesn’t help you stand out from the crowd. If you really want to leave a mark, talk about your unique and fresh perspective and how that can pave the way for new innovations and strategies. The fact that you can see things in a new light and offer suggestions on the way things already work makes you an asset to any organization that’s committed to growing and evolving.

Harry Morton, Lower Street

Focus On Controllable Inputs

A candidate can respond by saying they will bring a relentless drive to discover the key levers of success for the business and then apply them to grow the company. In isolating the controllable inputs that lead to success, the candidate can focus on what they can do to improve performance, demonstrate alignment with the company’s vision, and add value.

Matthew Ramirez, Paraphrase Tool

Be Yourself

The candidate should try to come up with something unique. If they give an answer that they believe the interviewer wants to hear, this will be obvious. The candidate should ultimately be honest about their strengths and how they can utilize these strengths to benefit the company. For example, even if the candidate is an introvert, they may be very organized. So, they can say that they can offer their keen attention to detail and organization to keep the company running smoothly. Being yourself when answering this question is essential.

Drew Sherman, RPM

Focus On Who You Are as a Team Player

Focus on who you are as a team player. The hiring manager wants to determine if you’re a good cultural fit along with your skill level. Are you always willing to help others complete projects on a tight deadline? Share an example of how you’ve done that in the past and how you intend to do it for the company. Not only will they be able to determine your work ethic, but who you are as a colleague as well.

Natália Sadowski, Nourishing Biologicals

Talk About Why You Love This Career Path

Talk about your dedication and goals. When I ask “What can you bring to the company?” during an interview, I’m always compelled by the candidates who respond with their personal connection to the role. For example, if they tell me a story about the first time they realized they wanted to be in fashion, and how our company plays a part in realizing their dreams – I want that person on our team. By sharing their goals and love for the job during the interview, I can see how they’ll be dedicated to the company and add great energy to the team.

Karim Hachem, Sunshine79

Show Your Coachability

When you start a new role with a new company, you will not know everything. However you need to be open, willing to listen and learn from others. You always need to have the ability to be coachable. Coachable employees are excited learners and they are willing to learn how to improve their performance. They are open to new perspectives and ideas from their peers. Coachability means employees have a level of self-awareness and the desire to achieve new heights within the organization.

TK Morgan, Tuesday At 1030

Highlight Your Experiences That Uniquely Fit The Role

When asked this question, the candidates more likely to get hired all answer with a similar structure. They highlight their work experience and then explain what makes them uniquely fit for the job.

Chances are, at this stage in the interview, the resume has already been discussed, so the highlighting of experience should be brief. The key is the explanation as to why they’d be the perfect candidate for the role. This explanation usually has the candidate mention skills and proficiencies, but always mention soft skills and how they’d fit into the company.

The candidates who do research into the company will mention how the company culture is a perfect fit for them as they’d be able to thrive in that environment. If a candidate is able to do all of that confidently and convincingly, they usually end up on the shortlist and are invited to a final interview, granted that they’re the type of person the company wants.

Iohan Chan, Clark Staff

Show Preparation and Insight

I regularly am active in the hiring process of our company whether it’s hiring for our lab, office, or marketing department. The one thing that always impresses me is when interviewees should that they took the time to research your company or position that they applied for.

I had over 40 college students apply for an internship in our marketing department and the ones that stood out right away were the ones that came with suggestions or a plan for the position. When asked “What can you bring to the company” they had real suggestions or knowledge of the company in discussing the answer. It’s clear to distinguish between those who are just pulling answers out of thin air versus those who looked at our website and social media channels and give real input. I had one interviewee show me a video that she prepared for an ad for us and discussed optimizing our TikTok channel. I was very impressed and she got the position. Give real suggestions!

Seth Newman, SportingSmiles

Bring Diversity, New Knowledge, and Good Environment

It’s never easy to answer some questions when we need to go to job interviews.
I already did a lot of job interviews and one of the questions that is always present is “What can you bring to the company?” Most of them answer this question with the same responses. They are fast learners, or they want to bring organization to the company.
The best way to answer this question is by saying that the person will bring diversity in working methods, new knowledge as a fresh mind and improve the great environment in the company. Bringing diversity is always a good idea, because companies are always improving and learning new things to be on the top. A person who can answer this question with this answer will be a great hire for the company.

Stanislav Baciu, BuzzLogic

Show a Passion to Improve Lives

While every company requires a candidate to be passionate about their jobs and careers, some companies require candidates to be passionate about the impact their roles create too. In the health and wellness industry, individual drive and dedication are the cornerstones of each position. Even if their positions are relegated to behind-the-scenes, without individual passion, no employee can contribute the extra effort that our company needs to impact lives. So the first thing we need from our candidates is a genuine passion to change and improve lives.

David Northup, InShapeMD

Center Your Response Around the Company’s Objectives

The answer should center around the company’s objectives and long-term goals. The interviewee should have researched the company through its website, projects, undertakings, etc. For example, if the company looks for team players, you can say that you will bring a sense of unity and oneness amongst the people working under you. If the company is research-oriented, you promise on focusing on getting government grants and good projects for the company. The answer should integrate your own as well as the company’s objectives.

Chris Heerdegen, OnDemand Painters Midwest

Provide Specific Instances of Your Professional Success

Answering this question, candidates generally need to relate how their skills, experience, and personal qualities will be an asset to the company, and a good fit for the organization’s values and goals. It is also important to be specific when responding to this question, and to avoid using generalities. In essence, a candidate should bring up actual instances where they’ve exhibited these desirable qualities in their professional life, without having to be prompted by the interviewer for these specifics.

This is a sure-fire way for the candidate to demonstrate to the interviewer that they know the dance. They can additionally show that they value the interviewer’s time; by relating the information straight away in the desired format. Practical demonstrations of skills and values, and relating the results of these real-life case studies, are always going to be more useful than just stating that you possess the desirable attributes, and hoping for belief from the interviewer.

Alex Ugarte, London Office Space

9 Tips to Help You Move into a New Career

June 22, 2022 by Markitors

What is one tip you have for someone looking to launch into a new career?

To help you launch into a new career, we asked career coaches and successful entrepreneurs this question for their best insights. From finding your transferable skills to talking to those who know you, there are several tips that may help you break into a new profession.

Here are nine tips to help you move into a new career:

Find Your Transferable Skills
Don’t “Fake it Until You Make it”
Turn “What I’ve Done” Into “What I can do for You”
Start Building Your Network Early
Write Down Your Then, Now, and Next
Research, Listen, and Network
Upskill to Prepare to Launch a New Career
Ask for Help
Talk to Those Who Know You

Find Your Transferable Skills

It doesn’t matter if you are going from a pastry chef to an astronaut, every job, every volunteer experience, every class taken, has provided you with a skill that you can bring to another sector of your life. Find those skills from your past experiences and highlight them on your resume and cover letter. If you are having trouble finding these transferable skills, try reviewing job posts you are interested in and see what skills are listed on the job posting that you have. A lot of the time a little creativity is all you need.

Bryor Mosley, Southern New Hampshire University

Don’t “Fake it Until You Make it”

One strategy that a lot of people employ when wading into a totally new area is to fake it until they make it. In other words, they pretend to know a lot more about the industry and role than they do in reality. In my opinion, this is a terrible technique for breaking into a new vertical and gaining the trust of new team members. It is a much smarter play to own your lack of expertise and show some humility, while at the same time expressing your passion to learn and gain experience.

People, especially managers, will respect you more for being humble and genuine than feigning expertise. Most people are smart enough to be able to see right through a phony. Plus, when you try the “fake it till you make it” approach, it just takes one tough question or misstatement to expose you. Don’t run the risk – just own your inexperience and be cool about it.

John Ross, Test Prep Insight

Turn “What I’ve Done” Into “What I can do for You”

A good starting point is your resume. Rewrite it as a skills-based document instead of a chronological listing of your previous experience. Consider a personal website where you introduce yourself with a YouTube video. Create short video case studies highlighting your problem-solving prowess that will help you succeed in your new profession.

Your goal is to reinforce the fact you have the skills to succeed in a new career and previous job titles aren’t significant. Finally, mentally prepare yourself to be looked at like you’re applying for your first “real” job because that’s how many prospective employers will see you.

Joshua Chin, Chronos

Start Building Your Network Early

Having a professional network in your new industry before you make the transition will give you access to more opportunities when you’re ready to make the switch, and your resume is likely to get more serious consideration from hiring managers if you’re referred or recommended by someone connected to the company. This is often a big hurdle for those switching careers since they don’t have experience in the industry, which can make it a challenge to compete with applicants who are already established in the field. You can kill two birds with one stone by attending workshops, conferences, trade fairs, or certification courses that help you gain the skills and knowledge you’ll need in the new industry while making connections with other professionals.

Archie Payne, Caltek Staffing

Write Down Your Then, Now, and Next

The space in time when you are on the brink of launching into a new career is incredibly special. It is a pivotal point where you have this rare view of where you’ve been, where you are now and can see a wide view of what could be next. You have both the benefit of hindsight (to learn from), the benefit of aversion (to understand what isn’t working), and the benefit of motivation (to understand what drives you and what you really value).
This window is temporary, and it’s unlikely that you’ll remember it all when you make a decision and are 1 year into your new career.

So, write it all down. Write down answers to why you did what you’ve done already, what worked, what didn’t, and what you learned. Write down how you feel right now, what sensations arise for you when you think of change, and what feels important to do differently. Write down what you want to take with you for your next chapter and what outcomes you’d love to achieve. Take stock, and enjoy reflecting on your journey in a year!

Hannah Ray, TAKE Coaching Amsterdam

Research, Listen, and Network

Launching into a new career is an exciting endeavor! Some folks are prone to jumping headfirst into unknown territory while others refrain from making impulsive decisions. Know ‘why’ you’re desiring to pursue a new career. Map out questions you have pertaining to this transition and the type of work you expect to be performing in the future. Conduct your own research. Do not blindly rely upon third-party resources from people to companies painting a picture of your desired career.

Engage actively in this learning process by engaging in online and offline forums, network with people in those respective career paths, talk to headhunters representing roles in that respective career sector, weigh the pros & cons of this career choice, connect with institutions (academic & professional) that can share more information; etc. Remember we live in a world where the majority of the population is in “sales mode”. It’s important that you exercise sensible judgment when making this important decision.

Sasha Laghonh, Sasha Talks

Upskill to Prepare to Launch a New Career

Upskilling offers a significant advantage in the modern labor market. Launching a new career is hard. The barrier to entry is often difficult to overcome and this is especially true for individuals who have spent a considerable amount of time in a career they would like to leave behind. These individuals could have plenty of experience but it may not be relevant to another industry.

Employers are mostly considered by this fact. Individuals should want to obtain new skills before they enter a new career for a better chance of success. Getting more formal education can be expensive, but other methods are available. Bootcamps are available for a variety of information economy skill sets such as marketing, coding, sales and graphic design. Upskilling presents a significant advantage for individuals who are looking to enter a new career.

Sean Doherty, Box Genie

Ask for Help

There’s going to be a lot to learn as you begin your journey into a new career. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a manager, coworker, or anyone else. Reach out to other professionals in your desired career on LinkedIn and other business networking platforms—be sure to briefly explain why you’re looking to make a transition and ask well thought out questions—it shows that you are proactive, resourceful, and an effective communicator.

Dan Gray, Kotn Supply

Talk to Those Who Know You

With many companies making layoffs right now, the time is perfect to launch into a new career. Daunting, scary, and something you’ve always wanted to do. The best ideas during times of RIF and redundancy have come out of layoffs. Explore what you are passionate about and where your knowledge is or what you want to learn about. Engage with that space. Contribute and learn. Ask questions and network.

Talk to those who know you well. Family, friends, and colleagues from past and present. Ask them what your strengths are, and what you are great at. Don’t ask what they think about you – just what they feel your strongest self is. Know what you ‘want to be famous for’. Follow it with energy and passion. The rest will follow.

Duncan Evemy, DE Talent Consulting

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