hi! I love the tips you give, they're all so helpful❤️ I was wondering if you could make a video where you're the person taking the interview and we have to sort of guess how to reply, and in the end you share what the appropriate reply was. this would make understanding and remembering your tips even easier.
Be courteous and don’t assume anything. I had a boss who had a flat tire on the way to work. He arrived 45 minutes late, dirty and sweating. I was the only one to stay. His first question was why I stayed? I told him everyone is late at some time and I wanted to work for the company. I got the job and started a new career.
Had that happen to me when I was interviewing for a job while pregnant. I was miserable but still chose not to glance at my phone. I just stared at the wall clock. I arrived 15 min early and the boss was 45 min late. I was sitting for an hour uncomfortable just twiddling my thumbs. The boss apologized and I got the job. I was very angry and frustrated, but I did not let it show. I was very kind and forgiving. I needed the job now that I was expecting a baby.
RELAX you've got experience in spades, and if you've kept yourself current, take a deep breath. Exuding confidence is a learned skill so practice that. You got this.
The hiring world has shifted fully online since you were last looking for jobs - it was definitely online 15 years ago, but now it's a lot more! If you're in the corporate world, you almost certainly need a linkedin profile. No matter what you see other people doing, do not treat it like facebook - treat it like a digital resume but with 15% more personality. This is also where all the job postings are for professional/white collar work. Speaking of resumes: at large companies, and some small/medium ones too, resumes get fed through a machine. Do not use any fancy formatting, tables, columns, etc. - the software can't read it. Instead, use straightforward titles/headings with bullet points underneath. You can still make it look nice and tidy with proper indenting and a nice font, but keep it simple. I haven't tried it out, but I wouldn't be surprised if using the accessibility checker in MS word helps, some that should point out areas where a screen reader might struggle. Also, work in key words from the job posting wherever you can, as long as it still sounds relatively natural, because that makes it more likely to get to the stage where a human looks at it. And make sure to export the word doc of your resume to a PDF - a PDF looks more polished and ensures that the formatting isn't getting messed up and hard to read if an when a real person looks at it! (Edit: if you aren't aware, it needs to be exported as a PDF. If you print your resume and then scan it, it will treat everything as an image instead of text, and again, the machines don't like that)
i'm in nearly the opposite boat, 23 year old mom who's been on mat leave for 2 years and got (illegally) laid off during that time. best luck to you! the job market's gotten wild and things have changed quite a bit even in 15 years ❤
As an almost 60-year-old, i think many of these tips aeem normal and natural to me. Review is always good, though. The commenter who talked about how to format your resume is spot on. That lovely line which seperated my contact info from the body of the resume was probably read by the machine as a page break splitting my contact info away from my experience. Learn the new jargon. It feels a little silly having to use new terminology when we might feel the previous versions were just fine but has to be done. Uaing a head hunter or a temp agency can be helpful to cut through some of the age discrimination .. it is a real thing. Good luck and I hope you land in an excellent place.
Yep! I'm autistic and my boyfriend has AuDHD. I work in academia and he works in healthcare, which both have their fair share of neurodivergent indidividuals, but I digress. We still have to practice and role-play professional interactions so that they begin to feel more "natural." Channels like this have been a big help.
Scandinavian recommendation: definitely take the coffee if you're in Sweden. Well you don't HAVE to but it's very polite and you're considered friendly.
I remember my first job interview after college. We introduced ourselves, she showed me into her office, we sat down, and she said “Ok, I have 3-11 or 11-7. Which shift do you want?” The end.
Two of the hardest shifts to keep adequately staffed… depending on industry of course. But generally if thats what they got/ all applicants are hired. Unless they present badly. Sometimes they make you feel special like you hit all the marks and that they like you… but it’s usually buttering you up before making the choice between two evils. As a young adult I worked many second and third shifts and watched the high turnovers vs their first shift. First shifters were actually reserved for people who worked night shift long enough or someone with kids who cannot work nights. I’ve had hiring managers say that even though I applied to first they have third at this time as they just crossed someone over as she is having a kid. And can no longer work nights as daycare is only open daily. TMI for nome but I understood. It seems doable until it’s not. Working 5 days overnight is extremely hard on your mind and body and family life. If you don’t have much of that then it makes it a tad easier.
Honestly as an employer I can usually tell by how a person is dressed and how they are in the first minute if they will be a good fit or not. I do still talk to them more but I have yet to be wrong.
@@tatiana4050 I do interview everyone well and ask them questions. I give everyone a chance and have hired people before who didn't make a great impression in the first few minutes but who I talked to and liked based off of the conversation but everyone who hasn't made a good impression on me right away ended up being unreliable, as in being hours late some days (not people with kids just overslept, and I don't fire people because they're late once in a while it was just a constant thing), didn't finish their work on time like days or weeks late when given a reasonable schedule. I have done every single job I ask people to do for me and roughly assess how long it takes me and then take that time and multiply it by 1.5 and that's the time frame I ask from people and even if they're a few days late I don't say anything but when it's two weeks late that's too much for producing a 30 second video, then there were people who constantly took super long breaks when we had material to get out. Like a 20 minute break every 30-40 minutes is a lot if you're on set trying to get content out and you're only shooting for 3 hours. Okay go to the bathroom or have a cigarette but then don't be gone that long constantly. And for the record I feed people on the shoots and do allow them breaks but there is a point where it's just too much. When we do longer shoots of course there are more breaks but in a 3 hours time window 30 minutes needs to be enough of a break. Also had people steal small amounts of money etc. The ones who made a good impression were always the ones who were on time, not late very often etc.
Just don't put yourself down. Don't make it worse by saying "I'm often clumsy" - I actually am but they can find that out later 😅. If you need to say something say that you were nervous because you were looking forward to meeting them/ are excited. Ask for a tissue or waste bin if you have one on you and then move on.
I once spilled a whole water pitcher because it was a bit far across the table (no one was sitting closer than me) and it slipped from my grasp. Miraculously I still got that job.
i hate when (its always men) squeeze so hard, like ok you're a guy, you're physically stronger but you don't have to crush my hand to prove that, i instantly go limp and give a bad handshake when that happens because its usually painful and i'm like, gtf off of my hand lol, like it's not a competition it's just a hand shake...
When men death grip my hand, I look them dead in the eye and pretend like I don't feel anything. They always bring it up, so I know it's intentional, I just don't know why they do it!
Oh, yes! Really nice edition to add in "in America" too! I find that some of these tips (despite being very helpful overall) wouldn't give a great impression about me if I used them in the country where I grew up. 😅 Edit: Adding on a more specific example. I'm not sure if this tip came from your channel or from someone else, but it was regarding what to say to give a good impression during a phone interview. The (American) creator gave the tip to not open with a simple "hello, how are you?", and that that would just make you seem boring. But to instead open with how good you are doing because of your amazing breakfast or energizing morning workout, and to then continue to ask the interviewer what their favourite breakfast food is. Idk about how it is in other countries, but interviewers would absolutely hate you if you did that where I'm from.
Nah, as an American, that would be a weird intro. It might work for some people, but that would throw a lot of people off, especially older people who are likely to be doing interviews. Not all advice is good lol
This would also be weird in America, haha. Everyone likes to pretend that we should do away with our routine greetings that seem to follow a script so that you can get to the "real stuff" but these bits do serve a social function. There's even a term for them in linguistics - phatic expressions. Also, asking a stranger about their breakfast habits is kinda weird and slightly too personal for an interview, except maybe if you were interviewing for a position at a company in the business of making breakfast food
@@impostor6982The reason to choose water over coffee is simply because if you spill a drop the water will evaporate while coffee might show on your clothes.
I'm assuming this was meant if it was like a one on one situation. If there see 5 people at the table, definitely not. If you say down at a coffee shop or something with one person, maybe
i think it's like... you're supposed to offer to be polite, even if it would actually not make sense? like she said, they will say "no, we got it" because it isn't a _real_ offer, it's a script. idk allistic people can be weird
If you have time before the interview, ask to use the bathroom. It gives you a glimpse to see how things are without the boss adding a chilling effect/ people are themselves without the boss around. I use the bathroom break mostly to calm down and mentally prepare for the interview but also look around. Is it clean, well stocked, and no broken tiles, or holes in the ceiling? Or anything that could be taken as neglect? A broken stall lock gets a benefit of the doubt.
Thank you for doing this service honestly. Everyone could use it but especially those from families who didn't have professional opportunities or those who find delicate social interactions challenging ♥️
Yeah, this sort of thing get overlooked/not talked about when it comes to talking about class divide and how middle to high classes have an advantage over those from lower middle and lower classes. So many private schools, drill these sort of manners into the kids. Where I grew up, everyone that went to private school (and a very small few people from public) actually had to go to what's basically manners school where we were taught how to behave in pretty much every single social situation and were tested on it. These skills carry over into adulthood and give a huge leg up compared to those that never got those opportunities and have to learn as an adult.
I have a virtual interview with an organization I've been with for 6 years. Supervisor is retiring and she's been training me for the position. I have all the skills but I've been made aware our boss isn't sure about me as a supervisor. It's a dream library role. I'll be devastated if I don't get it.
Your boss might not want to lose you. Don't take it personally, but if asked, you could drop a "my boss will certainly miss me, but I'm sure she'll be supportive if moved into my dream role" if you plant the seed that the boss has their own agenda, that might help negate any negative messaging from your boss who has her own agenda.
If it's a supervisory role, hopefully you've had some experience supervising people, even if just temporarily. If not you might want to ask your current boss who's training you up how much supervisory experience they had before being moved into their current position.
Thank you so much for doing all this! I’ve been in business 30 years. This is the most categorically comprehensive career advice I’ve seen so far. Basic business etiquette is learned, so TY for those posts. Could you pls discuss a few things that I’ve heard hiring managers complain about? Lack of eye contact, vocal fry, verbal fillers (esp. “like”), & speaking like still in college. Studying how national news broadcasters present is a good start. This is all so helpful! TYVM!
I mean, what are you supposed to do if you naturally talk with vocal fry or making eye contact is painful for you? Why do people get upset over those things? What?
No way I’m offering to pay. That’s insane. Do you expect me to offer to pay for my flight and hotel too? They’re interviewing me, the relationship is clear. They pay for my time. If they want me to even make a mock attempt to pay then they don’t respect the relationship and I don’t want to work with them.
I knew an older gentleman and every single time without a doubt. If you went shake his hand while sitting down, he would stand up first. Every. single. Time.
Yeah it’s etiquette I think. Like how in Japan if someone above you in authority walks in you have to stand up. I think it shows respect by saying they are worth the effort to stand up for. Or it’s an “at attention” thing.
Yeah, it generally polite. If you visit or live in the South, you'll see it all the time. It's very ingrained in a lot of Southern people so we do it without even thinking about it.
Re: the handshake. I don't know about USA but in my country and generally I know in many others too the big VERY IMPORTANT rule that will make people form an opinion on you is: the person in higher position, in terms of power, older etc has to offer. So in a job interview NEVER extend your hand, wait for a handshake to be offered and then return it.
I can sit and do nothing when I'm dead. Until then, my ADHD will scream loudly in pain is I try any such thing. If you are like me, try bringing a professional-looking task. I'm usually reviewing the notebook where I write the questions I have for the interviewer, and write any last-minute additions I might have. I might also bring a book to read or some crochet, both of which show personality and can help break the ice and connect with the interviewer, although it probably doesn't make that big of a difference.
The not looking at your phone is huge! I was also told this from my teaching program! I was told to either sit in the chair and look around (they may ask you about the school and hit you noticed and you can point out something you saw in the lobby).
Oh my goodness, you nailed this. As a hiring manager, I can say that I have more than half decided whether or not I’m going to hire based on how this first interaction goes.
It absolutely is! Social events are the bane of my existence. Last winter, I attended a scholarship reception where I was the guest of honor. Of course, I appreciated the donors' accolades and I am thankful for their support, but I had to sit in a quiet room with my sensory-safe clothing for hours afterwards. I'm just so out of my element!
@@Lumosnight It's never all-encompassing. A lot of things people expect you to just figure out, or there are things that vary according to the situation and neurodivergent people have trouble understanding why a certain behavior or topic is okay for a certain setting but not for others, and what exactly makes the difference. And we're not wired to pick these things up naturally. We need to be told very explicitly which behaviors and topics are appropriate for x, y, and z situations, and then we commit it to memory and hope that nothing changes on the fly.
You MUST accept the coffee so that you can determine if YOU want to work there. If they have BAD coffee, then walk out right then.😊 if they have one of those fancy coffee machines with 20 flavor choices, then it shows that they care about their employees.
If they force you to drink Coffee ☕️ maybe you should pass on them, or bring your own drink. My stomach doesn't care for Coffee (it gets queasy). The last place had a normal coffee maker... then switched out to one of those individual pod types. Sure, the first-floor people now didn't have an inexpensive choice for coffee. (You had to purchase your own coffee pods 😅) If you can handle coffee, then it might be ok to test their Cup o' Joe.
This is good advice lol. In Sweden we have a coffee culture as well and you'd definitely benefit from establishing that you're a part of that culture as early as possible
I taught at a French high school before and they had this coffee vending machine in the teacher's lounge that is the sweetest coffee you'll ever taste, and it has 20ish options that taste exactly the same. I don't think any of my colleagues will call that good coffee. Doesn't prevent them from lining up there during break though, and socializing over who needs to lend whom some coins to get their cup of bad coffee with.
I once had an interview where my interviewer and later on boss revealed to me at some point that she asks people whether she can bring them anything to drink to see if somebody is assertive or doesn’t wanna make waves or inconvenience anyone. I asked for a glass of water, but according to her reasoning coffee would have been fine, too. I wonder: what if I hadn’t been thirsty? 😅
As a boomer (yes, I'm old, LOL) I'm always a little taken aback by people's casual use of first names in a business setting, especially when they're first meeting. If I'm going into an interview with Katie Smith, I'll stand up, shake hands, and say, "Hi, Ms Smith, it's nice to meet you." It's respectful, and also shows that I know her full name -- I paid attention to the name in the letter or phone call inviting me in for the interview. Almost invariably, she will smile and say, "Oh, call me Katie, please!" and of course from that point on, I will. I might also say with a chuckle, "And I'm Lori. Had to get the formalities out of the way!" It almost always breaks the tension a bit, makes me a little more comfortable, and hopefully helps the interviewer see me as someone with a bit of a sense of humor as well as respect for their position in the company.
Sure, do that if you want, it won’t come off as weird at all at your age but no one else actually uses that level of formality and if younger people did in an interview it might rub people the wrong way, they want to see your “real” personality, you’re not gonna show them your real personality but you need to show them one that looks real and if you’re not a boomer or a child talking to a teacher Mrs. Smith doesn’t even look real
@@blackroserevolution3989 Yeah, I know. My daughter calls her college professors by their first names, which blows my mind -- I can't imagine referring to, much less addressing, one of my profs by their first name!
THANK YOU!! i’m currently in a future career class and one of the assignments was a mock interview. these videos definitely helped me get a good grade and they’re so helpful!!
@@nottheone582Same! After 15 minutes maximum I will ask if they know what the hold up is, but it’s already a red flag if they do not themselves mention anything after 7ish minutes. I once had someone tell me in an interview that he, as the boss, is allowed to make people wait but he expects all employees to always be on time for meetings and appointments. I didn’t say it out loud but was thinking no way do I want to work for him (there were other red flags too) if he thinks his time is more important than anyone else’s.
No way you sat there for 5 hours, that’s next level patience, I’m sitting for 1 hour, asking the receptionist or anybody if I’ll be attended to and if I wait another hour then im leaving
Sometimes colleges have like a single lecture or 2 about how to apply and some stuff about your CV. At least mine did. You know a prepare for internships class. It wasn't fully fully mandatory I believe, but was advised. You could even once send in your cv and mock motivation letter and get feedback from a specific company
Fantastic advice Erin! This is the kind of stuff that having interviewed over 100 candidates does make a difference in their perception even if it's just to get started and ended on the right foot.
We love you sharing the make or breaking dos or don't of having a successful interview experience of a job interview!! You are a God send of secret job interview protocol!! I'm your biggest fan!! Thank you, thank you going forward for the New Year❤❤❤
Thanks for saying “in America” with the handshake thing. I know so many channels that just talk to their American viewers like they are the only people that matter when things actually differ in many countries.
As always, perfect advice!! Young people please listen, it‘s guaranteed to improve your career. i regularly send these informative videos to my daughters.
There is so much to remember! I'm almost done with my education degree and will be interviewing soon. I am terrible at interviews, so I have been practicing a lot.
Erin, I love your videos! It would be nice, when you have multi-part videos, if you would either link them in the description or pinned post, or at least keep the description consistent so people can find them easily. Yes, I saw several other interesting videos of yours in the process of digging for this one, but I didn't appreciate having to dig.
No. When hospitality is offered, it includes a refreshment of some kind offered without condition. Offering to clean up will make you look servile and unaccustomed to accepting basic hospitality. Just say “thank you very much for the coffee, that was kind of you.”
@@calarch78 My boss didn't see it that way, and I'd find it quite disrespectful is someone just left their dirty cup around the office, but thanks for giving your input too! Im sure there are bosses who may see it that way, so I guess it's just best to judge it in the moment
Hey Erin, been loving the content! I'm a final year university student and have been applying for graduate programs. I'm about to have my fourth final interview (four different programs) but still haven't heard back from any of the companies yet, what should I do?
You should also arrive 30 minutes before the interview and sit in the lobby. This allows your brain to calm down that you are in an unfamiliar place. It helps you project more confidence than someone who is late.
I dunno, I feel most confident as I’m walking into a new place. If I sit on a couch in the lobby for half an hour, I’ll get very in my head and start getting anxiety. Especially if it’s very quiet and no people around me.
Too early. Do not arrive more than 10 mins. Walk around the block or wait in a cafe nearby. Esp in smaller firms the person you're interviewing with may feel pressured to attend to you early if they don't have a receptionist . This could immediately create a bad impression
@@nottheone582 I was thinking about a large company like AT&T where they have a main lobby that you can wait in until you go up to the office that you need to be at. 10 minutes is good but just don't be late because that gives a negative impression.
If a person asks you out & says, "My Treat" Then you still offer to pay at end of it, RUDE! Otherwise, offering to pay is standard of respect, independence & equality. This is about a job interview: so, offering to pay shows self-management skills; (do not offer to pay if you cannot cover it) A trained HR manager that suggests a restaurant meeting pays: or, it shows the company is in trouble & not good about respecting your time, IMO. (Foreshadowing of expecting you to do more for less.) Whether you are offered a job, or not, a good company respects your time is valuable.
Thank you so much for your reply! But with the thing about not offering if it's a treat - I've always been told it's the expectation the company will say so it's rude to offer to pay them? Especially if there's more than just you and the interviewer. And there's so many rules about what to eat! I'd love a whole video on lunch interviews actually!
It depends on the exact situation. If they haven’t told you that they’ll be covering it, it’s nice to offer to at least pay for yourself. If they told you that it would be on the company, you probably shouldn’t offer or it’ll look like you weren’t listening. Might also be culture dependent
I literally just had an interview today and already watching some of the previous videos about an interview i actually aced it! I did exactly what she said in this video ! Thank you for giving me the confidence to know I got this!
None of that applies for technical positions, from my experience. I've interviewed engineers, and while we do want to hire a person who is nice to work with, their technical experience and knowledge are the decisive factor in selecting a candidate. (not any of the stuff mentioned in this video)
Since the pandemic, a lot of companies have moved away from handshakes, especially in something as common as an interview. I myself will not shake hands with someone I am interviewing, even if it may seem awkward for a split second. I do multiple interviews every week and often am meeting this person for the first time. It's just an unnecessary risk for an outdated practice imo.
Always better to look around. If they are making you wait 20 minutes, the book might be okay. After they say, "it will be 20 more minutes". However the chance to observe is invaluable.
I always leave a thank you note after a day or two just like thanks for taking the time to interview me, I’m really excited to hear back, etc. My current boss has mine on the desk in his office still 😂 said nobody ever did that for him before
If you are attending a job interview over lunch, offering to pay is unnecessary. And therefore, no need to open yourself to potential awkwardness. In business, when a company rep takes their client to lunch, the client never offers to pay. And a company rep interviewing a potential employee is a very similar situation. Edit: But expressing sincere appreciation to the interviewer at the end for paying for the meal is 100% important.
These are just sooooo helpful! I’m a first generation immigrant. My parents have never worked in this country for one day, so they have nothing to teach me since the culture is different in different countries. I really need these advices! Thank you so much Erin!
I’m not coming at Erin at all, but coming at the bs people that expect these mind games. All of this for a job is ridiculous. All these hidden meanings of things to do. All of this is too much to be aware of and not have anxiety about.
This is all basic stuff. None of this is “mind games”. She’s doing people a great service by making them aware if they haven’t been exposed to them before.
@@kimthomson132what do you call basic about having to take water (likely lukewarm and non carbonated = instant gag for quite a large portion of people) than coffee?
Not going on the phone might be difficult for people with anxiety/attention disorders. And a lot of people would prefer not to shake hands for personal/religious reasons, if a company is funny about that, you don’t wanna work there
It’s more difficult to un-breath airborne virus (such as covid) than to wash your hands so if you’re already in the room with them without respirators acting as if covid is over you might as well shake their hand. (And with a respirator you won’t accidentally put your newly shaken hand into your mouth so it’s easier to remember to wash it so go ahead and shake their hand) 🙃🙃🙃
@@johnp139 Thank you, yes exactly. I just don't want to touch people anymore. I'm out of the habit and don't want to do it. I don't care about when I'm going to sanitize, that's not the worry. I just no longer think that I should HAVE to shake hands. I don't want to touch these people. So how do I gracefully navigate that?
Why can’t you shake someone’s hand while you are sitting down? It’s so awkward, and not your fault, when they extend their hand to you while you are sitting down. At point, it almost seems rude to keep them waiting, while you gather your purse and everything to stand up.
@@mokshitaagrawal7050 unfortunately, some folks need a purse or bag wherever they may go. It could be carrying critical items such as medication that could be needed at a moments notice.
If she came in and did ALL the good things, I wouldn't hire her because anyone over 35 can tell by her appearance she's a head case and will be problematic.
An interview tip I got from a video long back about the handshake was to only shake hands if the table between you and the interviewer is short. Don't go around the table to greet them unless they stand up and step to the side. If the table is so long that you'll need to bend to shake their hands then don't do it as that doesn't look good. And it also could mean that the interviewer prefers space and less physical contact so it's best to just greet verbally. Basically, don't shake hands if you have to bend or stretch more than necessary. I'm yet to have my first interview so I don't know how relevant this is but they do sound like very good points to me
(My sister told me about this story )One time, her interviewer offered her some water and it overflowed a bit, the interviewer said, “oh! Looks like your water overflowed a bit!” And my sister said “No, I just always give 110%”😂
Im very bad with interviews but i already knew all of it. Your channel is great, and certainly fill a hole. I wish i found you earlier. but if some need to be told not to look at their phones during an interview then the problem is more then that.
My last interview I didn't initiate the handshake, (neither did they) and I was questioning the whole time, come to find out both people doing my interview (as well as myself) had been getting over being sick! They looked at it as being courteous
