Interview Preparation (Re-entering The Workplace)

Interview Preparation (Re-entering The Workplace)

By Terry Harris

One of the most important factors to interviewing is being prepared. I can not stress enough how important this simple but commonly overlooked part of the interview is. Just taking a little time before your scheduled interview to practice answering interview questions will not only help you with having an arsenal of prepared answers to the interview questions but it will also give you a sense of confidence during the interview.

If you don’t have the resources to work with a professional interview coach, find a friend, or relative. Give them a list of questions that are usually asked in an interview and have them act like the interviewer. If you can, I would recommend recording your answers so you can play them back after the practice interview is over.

Listen to the way you answered the questions and critique yourself.

Did your answers make sense? 

         Did your answers stay on point or did you have a tendency to ramble on?

Did you answer the questions with ease?Did you cover everything you wanted to get across to the interviewer?Did you come across as having confidence in your abilities?

Did you sell yourself the way you wanted?

Did you solve their problem? (remember you are the solution)

Did you keep the interviewer engaged?

Did you ask the appropriate questions at the end of your practice interview?

If you were not comfortable with the way you answered the practice interviewers questions, then keep practicing until you feel good about the way you handled yourself.

By recording your practice interview you will be able to hear how you are coming across to the interviewer. If you are not confident in the way you answered the questions neither will your interviewer. It is all about perception. How did the interviewer perceive you?

If you want to instill a sense of confidence with your interviewer, you need to be confident in yourself during the interview.

So Practice, Practice, Practice!

 

Terry Harris, the Premier Interview Coach and Consultant, specializes in the teachings of Real World Interview Skills to both individual and small business clients. For more information on his online services, products, and customized coaching packages go to:

http://www.TGHarris.com

or call 858-204-9689.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resume Cover Letter For Sequencing Mothers

Resume Cover Letter For Sequencing Mothers,
Or Mothers Re-entering The Workforce

There’s no need for you to feel uncomfortable about the fact that there’s a gap in your resume. You’re part of a growing population of stay at home mothers that have taken time off from their professional life to care for their families. The increase in women making the choice to stay home and raise their children has caused a rise in employer awareness. More women than ever feel confident in their decision to take much needed time off to raise their children and later return to the workforce.

The traditional purpose for a cover letter is to allow your employer to see what qualities you have that relate specifically to their available position, and to see whether you have taken the time to do any research about their company.
For the sequencing mother, though, the cover letter is the perfect opportunity for you to shine and highlight the skills you’ve learned as a full-time manager of your household.

Instead of approaching your absence from the workforce with hesitation, highlight your time spent managing your family and the many new skills you’ve mastered during this time. Be proud of the decision that you made to be a stay at home mother, for this is no small accomplishment. It is vital that you are up front about your absence from the workforce because it is a very important part of who you are and your working career. Besides, you don’t want to get caught up making excuses or speaking half-truths during the interview to explain away your gap in employment.

Of course, it would be ideal to be able to tell your story in person, but often you don’t have the luxury of meeting someone face-to-face. As such, the cover letter becomes a great tool to let a potential employer know about your resume gap and why you are now ready to re-enter the professional arena.

Selling your interviewer on a gap in your resume takes careful thought. Don’t try tricks like changing dates or exaggerating your managerial skills because you were able to keep your household running smoothly for years. Your interviewer is aware of a mothers duties and will know if he/she is being tricked. What he/she wants to know is that you’re back in the game and have something to offer their company. Be sure to mention why you’re re-entering the workforce now. Such as, your children are now in school full-time, so it’s the perfect opportunity for you to re-enter the workforce. You now have the time and the motivation to regain your career.

We are all proud of our children and love to share stories and photos with others, but when it comes to the resume cover letter and interview, It’s best not to mention the children in a personal aspect. Try to keep it business or position related. You may, however, mention your children in support of certain skills you mastered during your time away from the workforce. For example, you stayed current with computer technology because you spent numerous hours helping your children with research on their computer. The best way to present your newly acquired skills is in the same manner you would present other skills you have mastered during your professional career. Example:

Positive attitude and exceptional people skills.
Highly effective organizational abilities.
Exceptional attention to detail and follow-through while managing multiple projects and meeting demanding deadlines.
The ability to work both independently, or as part of a team to produce quality bottom-line results.

The most important thing to remember when beginning the resume writing process, is to be proud of your choice to stay home and manage your family. List your newly acquired skills with confidence, for they have made you who you
are today!

Terry Harris, the Premier Interview Coach and Consultant, specializes in the teachings of Real World Interview Skills to both individual and small business clients. For more information on his online services, products, and customized coaching packages go to: http://www.TGHarris.com or call 858-204-9689.

Sequencing Mothers (Regaining Your Career)

Sequencing Mothers
Regaining Your Career After Staying Home To Manage The Family
Written By: Terry Harris

Sequencing:The fluid work pattern which occurs over a number of years and at various stages of motherhood in which mothers move in and out of paid employment and/or opt for a variety of flexible work arrangements in order to successfully balance their work and family responsibilities.

Regaining your professional career after staying home to raise a family presents an often frustrating challenge for the stay at home mom. The truth is that the longer you are out of the workforce, the harder it is to sell yourself and your abilities in such a way that you can actually get an interview, much less a job.

The Good news is that according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of April 2007, 60% of married mothers with pre-school aged children are now back in the workforce.

Repeated labor shortages and periods of high unemployment work in favor of moms returning to the workforce. For the past several years many companies have been starting up programs geared towards the sequencing mother.

But Where do you begin to search for available jobs? How do you regain the self confidence to get your professional life back on track, and most importantly, get offered a job when you have been out of circulation for so long?

Networking is an important step in the sequencing mothers list of preparations for regaining her career. Seventy-eight percent of employers use employee referrals as their primary method of recruitment. Once you have made the decision to return to work you should start discussing your decision with anyone who will listen. You never know who may have a lead, or may have heard of an available position through the grapevine. Get in touch with old work buddies or coworkers and do lunch. If you belong to some sort of Mommy & Me group begin discussions with other mothers about their plans to return to the workforce, or start a blog on the Mommy & Me website where you can share information, personal stories, and tips about the job market. Join clubs and attend alumni events. Many of these organizations have online newsletters, communities, and job boards. Another really great source of information is job fairs and expos. Even if you don’t walk away with the job leads you were hoping for, job fairs and expos will give you the opportunity to ask questions and to get a feel for what companies are looking for these days. Use job fairs and expos as an opportunity to work on your interviewing skills by engaging in conversation with the people working the booths.

The most important thing you can do for yourself when trying to get back into the workforce is to make your intentions known. So get out there and get the process started!

Creating a winning resume and cover letter is also of major importance for the sequencing mother. It is here that you will get the opportunity to explain the gaps in your resume and sell your future employer on all the great skills you have mastered while staying home to manage your household.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the preparation involved in regaining your career, you may want to consider hiring an interview coach or consultant. An interview coach will help you to discover your hidden skills and create a job objective, write a creative cover letter and resume to get you noticed, and prepare you for the interviewer‘s difficult questions. Nothing builds confidence better than preparation, and nothing can prepare you for the interview process better than someone who has spent years mastering the art of interviewing. For more information on interview coaching go to http://www.TGHarris.com.

The biggest hurdle for mothers re-entering the work force, or sequencing moms, is their uneasiness about having been out of the professional world for so long. It’s really just a matter of changing your perspective and giving yourself a mental makeover about all of your wonderful qualities and all you have to offer your employer.

If you have a clear vision of who you are, what you are looking for in a job, and what your skills and strong traits are, then you will be prepared for the interviewer’s questions. Especially the ones directed towards sequencing mothers.

Why Hire An Interview Coach

Why Hire An Interview Coach?

According to recent studies, over 90% of people do not know how to interview successfully, and with today’s economic decline there are more people than ever jumping back into the job search arena.

It is more important than ever to have an edge over your competition and to make a lasting impression on potential employers.

An interview coach will help you to become a confident interviewee by familiarizing you with the interview process, sharing interview tips and techniques, and teaching you how to make a positive impact on your perspective employer.

An interview coach will be your mentor and sounding board throughout the job search process. He/she will help you to discover your individual strengths and skills, thus increasing your ability to choose the right job for you, as well as enhancing your confidence and self esteem.

The more confidently you present yourself to a perspective employer, the more of a chance you have to leave a lasting impression, thus increasing your chance to get the job.

For a free 30 minute consultation, please contact me at Terry@TGHarris.com or you can call me on the phone at 858-204-9689.

Majority Of High School Students Don’t Go To College!

Majority Of High School Students Don’t Go To College!

By Terry Harris

 

For the past ten years I have been donating my time to local high schools teaching students how to conduct job searches as well as interview techniques. Over the years I began to notice about 8 out of 10 students could not get through a mock interview, let alone know how to even start looking for a job. As I started to research nation wide statistics regarding interview abilities I was amazed to find that nation wide studies among hiring managers and human resource managers supported that fact. The research statistics reported that 80% of the interview candidates could not successfully get through the interview process. While I was conducting this research I ran across statistics that were staggering. It seems that only 30% of high school students end up going to college. That means about 70% of students don’t go to college and have to go out into the world to find a good paying job with little or no skills.

The unfortunate fact is that our education system pays little attention to preparing our students to enter the workforce. On the other hand, they put so much emphasis on preparing them for college they forget to help the majority of the students who truly need help preparing for their future.

It has become my personal mission to help these overlooked students by teaching them the skills necessary to find a job or career that will make them a productive member of society.

 

Terry Harris, the Premier Interview Coach and Consultant, specializes in the teachings of Real World Interview Skills to both individual and small business clients. For more information on interview preparation, or a schedule of future seminars on this topic, go to

http://www.TGHarris.com, or call toll free (877) 484-4262. Email

 

http://www.TGHarris.com, or call toll free (877) 484-4262. Email

Terry@TGHarris.com

.