Your Most Common Career Questions: Answered

People regularly ask me why, after all this time, I continue blogging as much as I do on the Influencer platform. The answer is, because I love it. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy giving you all advice in the hope it will help someone, somewhere, develop themselves professionally.

Career advice and job seeker support blogs always receive great engagement, which is why this Thursday from 6pm I’ll be hosting a live twitter Q&A. Sometimes I don’t have enough time to answer all your questions, so this will give me a chance to engage with you on a more personal level and, hopefully, help you make the best of your career or find your dream job.

While there isn’t a one size fits all approach for everyone and every sector, there are some simple tips and tricks you can learn from which can really make a difference.

Here’s some of the most common questions I’ve been asked and how to tackle them:

How do I make my application stand out from the crowd?

Tailor your application and be unique

When you’re applying for several roles it’s easy to get lazy and send the same note to everyone – but this will be noticed straight away. Don’t just draft a generic note, tell them why you want this role, how you can add value and why you think you’d fit in with the team. As for your CV, make sure you maximise on your strengths and tailor these to the job role. There’s only one of you, remember that when writing your CV. I’m fed up of reading CVs with no colour and no personality. Illustrate passion for what you do and make me believe you really want this job – that could be the difference between me hiring you or not.

How do I communicate effectively in an interview?

Break the ice, engage and use the STAR technique!

It’s always good to connect with the interviewer on a personal level, this will not only show your communication skills, it will humanise you both. Once the conversation has started to flow, it’s time to engage with the interviewer and apply the research you’ve conducted about the business and the role in question. Here is your opportunity to ask as many questions about the role as you can, ready to match your experience with the required skillset and prove you’re more than competent. The pinnacle of the interview process is illustrating how you can add value to the role and become the missing part of the puzzle in the interviewers’ eyes. This is where STAR comes into play. Roll out a Situation, the task at hand, what actions you planned and the results you achieved. If you have followed this process, 9 times out of 10 you’ll be in a very good place. You will instinctively know whether the interview has gone well or not but leading the interview like this shows you are eager yet respectful and sure to make a lasting impression.

 Should I follow up after an interview or play the waiting game?

Both! Send a follow up follow email, and wait...

Firstly, as soon as you leave the interview, send a follow up email thanking your interviewer for their time, expressing your interest in the role and how much you enjoyed visiting the office. Finish the email with an open ended question, this will prompt a reply and means you continue the conversation post interview. Sometimes you can wait 3-4 weeks to hear back from an employer you’ve interviewed with. If your potential new employer has given you a specific feedback date and it passes or you’ve waited for over a week, I think it’s completely fine to chase. Give them a call, not to ask if you have the job, but to check a time period of when you are likely to hear anything – there’s nothing wrong with a little eagerness!

For more advice on how to unleash your potential, accelerate your career or land your dream job please get in touch and send your questions to @jamescaan using #JCJOBS. I’ll be live from 6pm Thursday to answer them.

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