“As mentioned in my last blog about how to land a job in a competitive market, I now want to provide a few tips on how to make a good and lasting impression. After speaking to many members of Human Resources and researching websites (www.simplyhired.com), here are six good tips:

Prepare for the interview – Never walk into an interview without first doing your research about the company and position. This includes knowing what the company does and how they do it, recent news/press, and information about their competitors. Not knowing about the company is a turn-off for most interviewers.

Dress well – The moment you walk into the room, your interviewer is going to start making judgments about you, and the best way to impress them is to pay attention to your appearance. This means dressing professionally and being well-groomed and having impeccable hygiene.

Arrive on time – Even if you have a good excuse, your interviewer won't think as highly of you if you're late. Plan to arrive 10 minutes early. If you get to the building sooner than that, use that extra time to prepare for interview questions in the car—arriving more than 10 minutes early may make your interviewer feel rushed.

Act confident – Although being interviewed might be on your top ten list of most intimidating moments along with public speaking and skydiving, try your best to emit confidence! A couple ways to feign confidence is to smile, stand/sit up tall, make eye contact with the interviewer, have a firm handshake, and respond to those interview questions with enthusiasm. And hey, besides dating, this is the only time when can speak about ourselves without appearing arrogant (refrain from that, by the way), so try to sound proud, cheerful about your achievements and be sure to correlate how it applies to what the job is seeking.

Ask intelligent questions – By asking intelligent questions (and not questions you could find out from a quick Google search), you'll not only impress the interviewer with your interest but also set yourself apart from the competition. Such questions may include:

• Why is this position open? (Find out why the previous person left or if it’s a new role in a growing company)
• What traits or experience would a person need to be successful in this role?
• What are the top goals for the person you hire in this role?
• What are the next steps in this process?

Say "Thanks" – As your mother might say, "Mind your manners!" At the end of your interview, don't forget to thank your interviewer for taking the time to meet with you. The next day, send a personal "thank you" note to each person you met with via email. It'll set you apart from the crowd.

With these tips, you'll make the best possible impression for any interview.

Go get ‘em!

Robin L.

It seems like everyone has some sort of smart phone these days. If you find yourself sitting in a coffee shop or restaurant between interviews, take a moment to review the tips and tricks provided in these mobile applications. I have an iPhone myself, so these are some quality apps I have come across that can help you make the most of your job search.

1.    Jobmo- https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jobmo/id448483260?mt=8 –

Jobmo pulls employment opportunities from multiple sources and allows you to search for jobs in your city or zip code. You can edit the settings to narrow your search by distance, salary, and a variety of other factors. Jobmo even allows you to connect their app to LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. When you are interested in a job posting, Jobmo will connect you directly with the client’s website for more information. Jobmo is an excellent app to search for employment opportunities.

2.    Job Interview Q&A- https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/job-interview-question-answer/id527637543?mt=8

With so many applicants to every job, nailing your interview is absolutely essential. This app prepares you for the actual interview. The free version gives you 5 basic prep questions that everybody should know. For each question there is a nearly 2 minute video response from a professional that explains how you should best answer the question. A really cool feature this app has is the ability to record yourself answering the question. You just press record and then you can watch video footage of you answering the question. There is a limited amount of questions, but there are a ton of extra questions that you can purchase which pretty much covers any topic you could imagine as it relates to interviewing. I definitely recommend using this app to prepare for an interview.

3.    JobAware- https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jobaware-job-search-just-got/id453682011?mt=8

This app offers the most complete information for a job seeker. It offers interview tips, salary negotiation tips, salaries listed by profession, and resume tips to help you ace your interview and get selected. You are able to search by location for jobs in your area and then track the jobs you have applied to. It gives you multiple options to research the company with Google, LinkedIn, Wikipedia, and a few others. You can link this app to LinkedIn as well. JobAware will definitely keep you active in your job search and is a great organizational app to utilize during the job search process.

4.    How to Get a Job Interview- https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/how-to-get-a-job-interview/id485804851?mt=8

This app specifically aids you in getting interview. There are 5 different chapters with 5-6 different videos prepping you for different interview questions. This app also has different resume templates and cover letter templates to use. Outside of interview questions, this app also goes over how to dress for an interview and provides body language tips and many other little details as it pertains to landing a job. You could definitely spend hours on this app brushing up on your interview skills. The information it provides on body language and talking points can also be useful if you have a job. You would be surprised how much these details play a role in promotions and career advancement.

I highly recommend trying these free apps to aid in your quest for employment as well as checking other apps out. There are also paid apps out there that will format a resume for you and allow you to send it out from your phone. You are no longer stuck in your home office all day to search for work. Have you found any other apps that were helpful in your job search? If so, please share in the comments.

Go mobile and best of luck in finding your dream job.

Jeremy

Follow me on Twitter @jeremydreynolds, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+

Employers frequently leverage technology to gain access to larger talent pools and successfully recruit candidates during today’s “war for talent.” Although logistics may seem secondary to a growing number of employees, it still plays a critical role in candidate selection.

Candidates would be wise to recognize (and prepare for) the unique challenges posed by interviewing for long-distance job opportunities.

For example, employers tend to place greater emphasis on phone interviews when engaging a long-distance candidate. The impression candidates make during this initial contact will determine whether the employer is willing to ultimately incur the cost/time associated with bringing them in for a face-to-face interview.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when interviewing via phone for a long-distance opportunity:

Plan ahead. Secure a land line (so connectivity is not an issue.)You’ll also need to interview in a quiet space; somewhere you will not be interrupted or distracted from the interview. Strong communication skills are imperative to a successful phone interview—you will need to listen carefully, respond clearly, and build rapport with the individual conducting the interview.

Offer specifics about your move. A potential employer will likely inquire about your motivation or desire to move—hiring a new employee is a substantial investment for an employer so it’s important to clearly articulate your reasons for moving and reassure them that hiring you would be a sound, long-term decision. Give your prospective employer specific dates you plan to be in the area and available to meet them or better yet, just how quickly you’ll be able to start a position if offered the opportunity. Make sure the person interviewing you knows you have a plan!

Ask about next steps. What are the next steps in the interview process? Ask the person that’s just interviewed you how well you qualify for the opportunity you’ve just discussed. Address any potential concerns that surface. If you are not offered concrete next steps, then take initiative…ask them when you’d be able to come in to meet with them in-person.

By taking just a little extra time to prepare, you can make your phone interview go the distance! Best of luck!

Meghan