The Interview Guys
- 1. There are 3 key goals we are going to help you achieve at TheInterviewGuys.com: Get the Job Interview Ace the Job Interview Get the Job So Who Are We?
- 2. Mike Simpson is one of the most well-respected job interview experts in North America. His skillset includes job searching, job interview skills, resume and cover letter writing, personal branding, and website building for job seekers. Having completed a Bachelors Degree in Human Resources and Economics from Bishops University (well known for its business program), you would think that Mike learned tools necessary for nailing any job interview he went on. But he soon discovered that the modern job interview had changed beyond what universities were teaching, and he set out to develop a method that the modern job seeker could use to master the job interview process. Once he had perfected the method, Mike (along with his friend Jeff Gillis) created TheInterviewGuys.com, and he has spent the last 5 years using the platform to help teach students of all socioeconomic backgrounds, industries, and experience levels. Through a series of blog articles and downloadable content, Mike has helped nearly two million students improve their job interview, resume and cover letter skills.Mike
- 3. Let’s just say that I was completely hopeless. I had been on a series of interviews and had not received job offers on any of them. I was basically about to pack it all in and accept my fate as a dishwasher somewhere when a friend recommended I meet this guy Mike Simpson, who was basically the Albert Einstein of job interviews. I did not expect him to say, “Hey man, I was just like you not that long ago…”" Jeff How Are We Different? One thing that we agreed on is how boring job interview preparation is. Have you ever searched around online? The blogs are all SO boring. The videos will put you to sleep. How are you supposed to get fired up about your job interview if you’re half asleep? It’s important to us that we keep the process fun and engaging, because it our opinion, that’s the way it’s supposed to be! So we had the idea that we teach all of the essentials while still making it fun and engaging. So keeping this in mind, we started with our YouTube channel, creating silly videos that both teach the important lessons and let job seekers have the occasional laugh…and it really took off! From there we moved on to this blog, and the rest is history!
- 4. https://theinterviewguys.com/top-3-career-test-or-career-quiz-guide/ If you’ve found this article, there’s a pretty good chance that you are either unhappy with your career or that you feel like you don’t know what it is that you’re supposed to be doing. Enter the career test. What is a career test? Generally speaking, a career test is a multiple-choice test (primarily done online) that determines your different personality traits, and then uses this information to help identify a career that would suit you the most. In theory, you should be able to take one of these tests and get a better idea of the type of work you should be doing based on your personality, skills, and temperament. But it isn’t always that easy.
- 5. https://theinterviewguys.com/cv-curriculum-vitae/ In the job hunting market, there are lots of ways an employer can learn about potential hires; from business cards, to personal websites, to job applications. Of course, no little piece of paper is better known than the resume. But what if an employer asks you for a CV? What is a CV? To really figure out what a CV is, we first have to talk about what CV means. The letters CV stand for curriculum vitae which is Latin for “course of life.” When used in a job seeking context, a CV (also sometimes referred to as just a vita) is a detailed accounting of not only a person’s past history of education, experiences and qualifications but also related accomplishments and is generally used when an individual is looking for a job.
- 6. https://theinterviewguys.com/how-to-write-a-letter-of-interest/ What Is a Letter of Interest? A letter of interest is a letter you send to your target company letting them know that you’re interested in working with them and seeing if there are any potential job opportunities that match up with your skill set. Hang on, isn’t that just another fancy word for cover letter? Nope. Not at all. Yes, your letter of interest might contain similar things to your cover letter, but they are two very different animals. A cover letter is a letter you send with your resume when applying to a specific job at a specific time (when they ask for job applications and/or post an opening). A letter of interest can be sent at any time whether or not the company is actively hiring and isn’t sent in response to a specific job opening. Rather, it’s a way of introducing yourself to a company you’re interested in and seeing about the possibility of employment with them.
- 7. https://theinterviewguys.com/skills-to-put-on-a-resume/ When somebody says the word “skills” to you, what immediately comes to mind? For most people, the answer is “things I am good at“. Typing. Woodworking. Public speaking… Cartwheels. Yes, all of the things listed above can be considered skills, but when it comes to the job hunt, you have to be selective as to which of these to include on your resume. Why? Because the company you are interviewing with AND the job you are interviewing for both require a very specific set of skills in order for you to get the job done effectively. Filling up the skills section of your resume with a bunch of skills that have absolutely nothing to do with the job you are applying for is basically just a waste of space. This is why it is important that you understand how to choose the correct skills to include.
- 8. https://theinterviewguys.com/write-elevator-pitch/ So what exactly is an elevator pitch? In a nutshell it’s just what it sounds like: a short, 30-60 second well crafted business pitch telling someone who you are and why they should want to hire you. It’s called the elevator pitch because it’s meant to represent the amount of time you’d have if you were stuck in an elevator with someone riding from the bottom of the building to the top. What Is An Elevator Pitch?
- 9. https://theinterviewguys.com/plan-job-references-strategically/ How To Plan Your Job References Strategically Many jobs these days require applicants to submit job references along with applications, and depending on who you use, can either hurt or help you. Be prepared to have your past employers contacted! Many times future employers want to know little beyond your general performance and salary. Some may want more information like your ability to work in a team or your response to deadlines and pressure and your attendance record.
- 10. Individual Frame of Reference Stephen Eddy, Managing Director Worldwide Industrial Initiatives, Inc. Work: (908) 555-2222 Cell: (908) 222-7777 Mr. Eddy will speak from first-hand knowledge concerning my achievements in the cost- containment and inventory control arenas - I was his direct report over an 8-year period. He will be able to cite several key internationally-based initiatives (particularly in Thailand and Malaysia) that reflect my knowledge of material control, procurement and supply chain management. Jonathan Riggins, CFO Financial Visions, Inc. Work: (505) 938-4444 Cell: (505) 633-4200 Mr. Riggins was my direct supervisor over a 4-year period. He will attest to my credentials and successful track record involving varied disciplines including finance, IT management, material control and supply chain. He will also speak to my performance in key initiatives, in particular in the technology implementation and cost-reduction venues. Melanie Magnuson, VP Operations Technology Plus Corporation Work: (606) 237-4521 Cell: (606) 221-8900 From our 6-year association at Technology Plus, Ms. Magnuson can cite with familiarity my abilities as both manager and leader. She is well positioned to attest to my corporate contributions in product life cycle planning as well as supply chain scheduling. Professional References of Allison Taylor 42 Oak Street • Peoria, IL 44389 Home: (309) 123-4567 • Cell: (309) 987-6543 • Email: allisontaylor@gmail.com http://www.sample-references.com/ New Reference Format
- 11. https://theinterviewguys.com/cover-letter-examples/ There comes a time in nearly every job seekers life when you plop yourself down in front of the computer and say to yourself… “Okay, it’s time to find a couple good cover letter examples I can use to help me start writing my cover letter…” So you do a quick Google search, grab the first three cover letter samples you can find, copy a paragraph from each one, and then you’re off to the races feeling like now all you have to do is “click send” a few times and the interviews will simply start rolling in. Consider this a gentle wake-up call. Why Your Cover Letter Is So Important?
- 12. https://theinterviewguys.com/cover-letter-format-guide/ Have you ever heard the phrase “You never get a second chance to make a first impression?” Of course you have. So what’s the point? Bear with me for a moment. Let’s say you’re at a party and meeting people for the very first time. You want to look your best, right? You put on your favorite outfit, double and triple check your hair, brush your teeth five times, roll on your strongest deodorant and pack your pockets full of mints. You’re doing everything you can to make sure you’re ready to go. Okay so here’s another question: When people meet you for the first time, how long does it take for them to form an opinion about you based on their first impression. Ready for this? Seven seconds. Seven seconds?! Are you serious?
- 13. https://theinterviewguys.com/sample-thank-you-letter-templates/ Have you ever done something really nice for someone, perhaps given them a wedding gift or covered for them somehow, and after a few weeks have gone by ever wondered if they were going to thank-you for it? I’d imagine so. How did that make you feel? Well, hiring managers are no different. Except in this case, the timeline for them to have to make a decision on the role is so short, it actually makes the timeline of your thank you note that much more important. Brand New Strategy For Supercharging Your Thank You Letter In 2017, we’ve noticed a very interesting trend. Thank you letters have started to lose their effectiveness, and it is pretty easy to see why. They’re boring!
- 14. https://theinterviewguys.com/job-interview-questions-and-answers-101/ If you’re anything like I was just over a decade ago, the very mention of interview questions is enough to make your temperature rise like a bad fever and your palms to sweat as if you were holding a never-ending tree pose during a hot yoga session. But why the anxiety? What is it about these simple little phrases that end with a question mark that causes us to lose our minds and run for the hills? Well, much like anything else… it’s the fear of the unknown. You’re afraid of not knowing what interview questions are going to be asked. You’re afraid of giving the wrong answer.
- 15. https://theinterviewguys.com/16-genius-job-interview-tips-and-hacks/ EVERYONE who has a job interview coming up is anxious to get the real job interview tips that will put them over the top and allow them to be the best candidate in the eyes of the hiring manager. I’m sure you are no different, right? Right? So where are you supposed to look? How do you get the best interview tips? You can easily find the people who will tell you to “dress nicely” and suggest that you “tell them you’re a perfectionist“, but this is the 21st century, and the run-of-the-mill tips for interviews are not going to cut it anymore. Enter life hacks.
- 16. https://theinterviewguys.com/phone-interview-tips/ Why do some employers ask for phone interviews in the first place? In order to quickly eliminate you as a candidate. This is especially common in big companies. Instead of spending the time and resources needed to bring you in for an in person interview they’ll want to see if you give them a reason to cross your name off the list. Interview candidates that are out of town or aren’t able to attend an in person interview for whatever reason. The point is, this is probably your first point of real contact with the company. While you’re not going to land the job from phone interview (most likely) you certainly can lose it!
- 17. https://theinterviewguys.com/skype-interview-tips/ Prepping for the traditional job interview usually requires some pretty routine steps; make sure you’ve done your research, print out and bring along several clean copies of your resume, plan out your interview wardrobe, practice answering interview questions, and always bring along a pack of breath mints. But in today’s increasingly technological world, the traditional interview is being replaced with Skype interviews. What is a Skype Interview?
- 18. https://theinterviewguys.com/informational-interview-questions-included/ Every good job seeker knows the value of research when it comes to preparing for job interviews. From looking up company websites to reading corporate articles and keeping on top of industry trends and news, it pays to stay up-to-date on everything. Of course, nothing beats networking for insider information and connecting with the right people within your desired industry is a quick and easy way to make sure you’re in the loop. Now, what if we told you there was a way to combine and supercharge your research and networking in such a way that it could potentially streamline your entire job search and ultimately help you land that interview you’ve been dreaming about? Seriously? Wait…is it legal?
- 19. https://theinterviewguys.com/nail-panel-interview-questions-answers-included/ A panel interview is one in which you, the interviewee, are brought in to interview with a group of individuals from the company. Now before we go any further, try not to get panel interviews confused with a group interview. A group interview is where you are interviewed alongside several other potential candidates for the same position, whereas in a panel interview, the opposite is true. In general*, instead of being surrounded by other job seekers, it’s just you…all by yourself…facing not only the hiring manager, but also potential coworkers and professional peers as well as managers, supervisors, and other upper level individuals.
- 20. https://theinterviewguys.com/group-interview-questions-included/ It’s here! It’s finally here! The day you’ve been waiting for forever – the day of your interview for your dream job with the company of your choice. Man, you’ve worked hard to get where you are right now. You spent hours perfecting your resume and tailoring your cover letter. You spent days agonizing over your interview wardrobe and spent three hours in the mirror perfecting your Windsor knot. You’ve done your research on not only the company you want to work for, but the people who will be interviewing you. You’re confident (but not cocky) and ready to tackle anything the interviewer throws your way – anything that is, except the dreaded group interview. You walk into the room, fully prepared to walk out with a job offer, but nothing could prepare you for the fact that instead of meeting one on one with the hiring manager, you’re sitting down with five other candidates, five other equally bright and qualified job seekers – and they’ve all worked just as hard as you have to get where they are right now. Oh…darn. So, how do you handle a situation like this?
- 21. https://theinterviewguys.com/situational-interview-questions-and-answers-examples-included/ Situational interview questions are similar to behavioral questions, but instead of asking you to relay a past experience and tell how you handled yourself in that situation, you’re presented with a hypothetical situation. Rather than being asked “Tell me about a time you…” the interviewer will start out with a more ambiguous prompt. “How would you handle..?” In essence, you’re given a situation and then asked how you would behave in that situation…which as any good dungeon master knows…is the core of all role playing!
- 22. https://theinterviewguys.com/behavioral-interview-questions-and-answers-101/ Imagine you’re sitting on a black folding chair in the middle of the hiring manager’s office at your very next job interview. You want this job. Bad. You’re eye to eye with the hiring manager… The hiring manager takes a long pause and after what seems like an eternity finally leans forward and says: “Tell me about a time when a group project you were working on failed….” Uh oh. One of the dreaded behavioral interview questions.
- 23. https://theinterviewguys.com/top-14-questions-to-ask-in-an-interview/# Have you ever been on a horrible date where the person you are out with spent the whole time talking about themselves without ever asking you a single question? Ugh, sounds miserable, right? Would you want to see that person again? Probably not. Who would want to spend any more precious time with someone who was so self-involved? Dating is a two way street and the goal is to learn as much as you can about your potential partner through a give and take approach to dialogue. Did you know a job interview is a lot like a date? You’re kidding, right? Does this mean I have to start bringing flowers and chocolates with me as well as copies of my resume?
- 24. https://theinterviewguys.com/top-10-job-interview-questions/ I want to give you a quick and easy way to get started preparing for your job interview, and of course, that begins with learning how to answer the most common job interview questions for 2017! That’s right. If you haven’t had a job interview for a while, you might be surprised at how much things have changed. But don’t worry, because we’ve really gone out of our way to make sure that we are sharing our “latest and greatest” techniques for answering each question. That’s what this top 10 list is all about….
- 25. https://theinterviewguys.com/what-are-your-strengths-and-weaknesses-example-answers-included/ What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses? At first, it might seem like a ridiculous question, but the strategy behind asking it is actually brilliant. The interviewer is intentionally trying to get you to answer a question that is designed to trip you up. Do you notice how this question is essentially in two parts? No? Don’t worry, we’ve got some strategies to help you turn a potential stumbling block into a launching pad of awesome!
- 26. https://theinterviewguys.com/where-do-you-see-yourself-in-5-years/ So how do you answer this question without falling into the trap? By sidestepping it. Rather than leaping directly over it and avoiding the question all together, we’ll show you how to work around it in such a way that you not only answer the question, but that you do it in such a way that your answer aligns with the company’s long term goals and values. First off, let’s stop and look at the question itself. “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Seems like an easy question, right? Wrong. Amazingly enough, this question is one that most job seekers get incorrect. Why?
- 27. https://theinterviewguys.com/what-is-your-greatest-weakness-examples-included/ “So, tell me, what is your greatest weakness?” (The flip side to this question is “What are your strengths?”, which we have also written an article for.) Instantly your dream car disappears in a puff of panicked smoke and you look at the hiring manager with wide eyes. You shuffle through everything in your brain, trying to figure out how to answer this question. Is it stepping on a Lego with bare feet? Maybe it’s a fresh chocolate cheesecake in the fridge? Or is it Kryptonite? No, wait, that’s Superman…and last you checked, you’re not Superman. At least, not that you’d admit publicly (well played, secret identity…well played.)
- 28. https://theinterviewguys.com/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question/ But what is it about this seemingly simple question that is such a thorn in your side? Well, it can come down to a few things. Why are they asking this? What are they looking for in my answer? What is the best strategy for giving them what they want? As these questions start to mount inside your brain, it’s likely that your level of stress is growing along with them, and that doesn’t make for the most comfortable of job interviews. And if you aren’t comfortable, chances are the hiring manager can sense it and we all know what that means… Bye bye job offer! (gulp) But it doesn’t have to be this hard. In fact, this article will show you that answering this question can actually be an easy (and even pleasant!) experience. Because what this unique question really is, is an opportunity for you to take control of the interview and position yourself as the perfect candidate for the job.
- 29. https://theinterviewguys.com/15-things-you-never-ever-want-to-hear-during-your-job-interview/ We’ve all been there… You’re firmly planted in your chair, chest puffed out as you rattle off perfect answers to any interview question the hiring manager throws at you… “This isn’t so bad! I’m a shoe-in for this position,” you surely think as the taste of victory fills your mouth and visions of dollar signs begin filling your head. But then it happens. The hiring manager says something that changes everything. And not in a good way. "I was looking at your Facebook/Twitter page and I noticed that..."
- 30. https://theinterviewguys.com/what-to-do-after-an-interview/ Remember that totally amazing interview you had a few days ago? You remember, the one where you blew the competition out of the water? You were prepped, ready, and on point! In fact, if you’d been any more the Perfect Candidate, you would have already had the job! So why haven’t you heard from the company yet? Why are you home, sitting by yourself in your living room, still waiting to hear what’s going on? Why have they left you hanging? Ugh. The waiting game. It’s the worst. That hollow “Did I?” or “Didn’t I?” ping pong of thoughts going on in your head as you replay your interview over and over again. After a while that victorious glow you felt after a solid interview starts to fade and is replaced by the dreaded “Waiting Game Blues.” You know the feeling…that creeping sense of anxiety mixed with self-doubt and frustration. Why haven’t they called? Was it something I said? Something I did? Did I get the job? I thought I did a great job! They told me I was amazing and that they’d be in touch…but it’s been years and years and still nothing!
- 31. https://theinterviewguys.com/how-to-prepare-for-a-second-interview/ Ahh, the first interview. Such a magical moment in time. You, terrified, trying so hard to be everything you know you need to be. You’re on time (which is actually a touch early!), you’re prepared, you’re dressed to impress and you’re ready to answer any question they throw at you. You walk out, shoulders back, heart racing, adrenaline putting an extra spring in your step. Congratulations, you’ve survived! You get home and take a deep breath. It’s time to relax and bask in the golden glow of your success. But then the unexpected happens…you get a phone call…and not just ANY phone call! It’s the hiring manager and he wants to know if you’re available for a second interview!
- 32. https://theinterviewguys.com/job-interview-salary/ More often than not salary won’t even come up until the final interview, which means you’ve jumped through all those hoops and invested all that time and energy only to find out at the very end that what they’re offering and what you’re expecting are two very different amounts. Money…money…money…money…money. It makes the world go ‘round… it’s rumored to be the root of all evil… and if you listen to the old saying, it can’t buy you happiness. Hmm. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say whoever coined that phrase hasn’t had to face the struggle of negotiating a fair salary for a job. In a perfect world we’d all be working at jobs we love making piles of money and nobody would ever have to worry about negotiating salary.
- 33. https://theinterviewguys.com/7-ways-to-prepare-yourself-for-a-background-check-before-your- interview/ Nowadays, virtually every type of employer—from education and medicine to office work and retail—requires their applicants to undergo criminal and/or other types of background checks prior to hiring. There are numerous reasons for these checks: employers run them to keep the workplace safe, to avoid negligible hiring claims, and more. For you as the applicant, though, the presence of the background check means one thing: another step in the employment screening process for which you need to be prepared. Many job searchers ask, “But how can I prepare for a background check?” It’s a valid question, given the fact that most of the information employers are digging for—criminal convictions, driving records, etc.— are things that you cannot alter or fix on a whim. However, there are still numerous ways that you can get prepared for the big background check test.
- 34. https://theinterviewguys.com/find-a-job-using-these-job-boards/ I’m sure you have your “go-to’s” as well. Monster. Careerbuilder. Indeed. These are all fantastic options that you definitely should be using to your advantage. But’s here’s the deal. Literally every job seeker on the planet is using Monster.com. Heck, everyone I know uses Careerbuilder. And Indeed? Fuggetaboudit. While these great job search websites may have the largest collection of jobs (and therefore opportunities) available online, they are also a melting pot of competitors who are out to get the exact same job you are. To complete your job hunt arsenal you need to focus in on the industry that you are hoping to begin (or further) your career in, and to do that you sometimes need to go off the beaten path. There are tons of other smaller, more specific “niche job search engines” that help cut through the fat and clutter of the larger job sites. But what are the best ones? How do you know if they are legit?
- 35. https://theinterviewguys.com/optimizing-linkedin-profile-job-interview/ Resume…check. Cover letter…check. Fancy new corporate outfit…check. Perfectly crafted and optimized LinkedIn profile… Uh oh… Just when you thought you had covered every angle, crossed every “t” and dotted every lower-case “j”, you realize that your LinkedIn profile is opened up on the screen on the hiring manager’s computer as you go strolling into her office for your interview. Do you remember the last time you looked at your LinkedIn Page? Have you any idea of which work experience you decided to include when you first set up your profile all of those years ago? Is there any chance at all that your profile is optimized for the job interview that you are sitting in right now? I’m going to guess the answers are no, no and NO. Don’t worry though, because you’re not alone. Despite being the second largest social network in the world and the largest career- based platform, LinkedIn often is on the back of many job seekers’ minds.
- 36. https://theinterviewguys.com/top-5-networking-tips-job-seekers/ Being skilled at your job, having the right qualifications and work experience and having a finely tuned cover letter and resume are all excellent tools to have in your job seeking tool box, but there’s one tool that too often gets overlooked…networking to find a job. How many times have you heard the phrase, “It’s not what you know…it’s who you know.”? When it comes to job seeking, knowing the right people and leveraging those relationships responsibly through networking can make your job seeking quest infinitely easier.
- 37. This presentation has been brought to you on behalf of: Elsa Langer, M.A. Employment Counselor Wix Certified Webmaster Wix Certified Trainer Please visit my “Resources For Job Seekers” website: https://www.employmentcounselor.net Have you ever wanted to create a website but didn’t have a programming background? No worries! Visit my Cre8tive Web Designs LLC website to learn more: https://www.cre8tivewebdesigns.net/