High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Why So Many Employees Quit Within The First 6 Months

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• Why So Many Employees Quit Within the First 6 Months: "when managers take an active role in onboarding, 'employees are 3.4 times as likely to strongly agree their onboarding experience was exceptional'."

• 9 CEOs Share Their Favorite Interview Question: "This helps me get at what really motivates people and how passionate they are about the work they do."

• How to Know Which Ideas Your Company Should Pursue: "our method might not make it easier to pick great ideas, but it should make it easier to avoid picking bad ones. It helps to prioritize ideas or consider which ones should be more thoroughly evaluated."

• 4 Tips for Prioritizing Your Health: "We make it a team commitment to be healthy. Lunches are catered at work, and we hold each other to picking the healthier options. Every hour on the hour during the work week, we do a short round of exercises."
• 4 Tips to Achieve Work-Life Balance:"In many cases, I would delegate something and then grab it back if I started to see a problem. Thankfully, I eventually learned to simply oversee the process and help freelancers bring their output up to my standards."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Steps to Surviving a Career Mishap

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 5 Steps to Surviving a Career Mishap: "Keep in mind that, no matter the situation, your reaction to the error will play a large part in how effectively you survive the mishap."

• Want to Be Successful? Learn These 3 Skills: If you don’t step out of your comfort zone, you won’t create connections that can take you to the next level in your professional career."

• 3 Simple, Powerful Ways to Boost Your Energy: "Focus on a wellness regimen that takes care of personal you, and watch professional you follow suit. You might also raise the bar for your friends, family and team members along the way."

• 5 Interview Questions You Should Always Be Prepared to Answer: "Your answer to this question shows two things: Whether you’re passionate about the job and whether you’ve done your research."
• 11 Modern Leadership Lessons from History's Masters: "Angry activists have never been in short supply, but the greatest leaders don’t just complain."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Answer "What Did Your Last Job Pay?"

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• How to Answer "What Did Your Last Job Pay?": "You don't have to give up your past or current salary information to anyone during your job search, but in order to keep those details to yourself you'll need to be prepared."

• 3 Necessary Follow-Ups to Get the Job: "Here are some key things you need to do to keep your job search up to date and moving forward."

• 25 Best Habits to Have in Life: "The early morning hours are a time for peaceful reflection and ample productivity, where the world is still and asleep, allowing you to focus wholeheartedly on your long-term goals."

• The Stage in the Hiring Process When Job Seekers Have the Most Leverage: "Regardless, there’s generally a sense of urgency somewhere in the organization for the position to be filled. Someone is in pain because you’re not there yet."
• 10 Reasons Why Every Office Needs Plants and Flowers: "Although it is not the first thing that most people think of when looking for ways to improve efficiency and the quality of their work, plants can actually help to improve productivity levels."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: The 5 Best Questions to Ask in an Interview

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• The 5 Best Questions to Ask in an Interview: "Since a job interview is your chance to interview the company while they interview you, it's important to ask the hiring team questions that will help you decide if it's the right fit for you, too."

• How to Calm Your Nerves Before a Big Presentation: "Don’t take the basics for granted. Get a good night’s sleep, hydrate, and watch your caffeine intake before a big presentation so that your heart rate isn’t already elevated. Also, make sure that you’ve eaten a good meal and that you aren’t going in hungry."

• 7 Small Changes that Will Make a Big Difference in Your Life: "It is impossible to be confident and self-assured if your thoughts are filled with self-doubt and judgment. If you would never speak to others the way you internally speak to yourself, you can change."

• 5 Characteristics of Grit: "The definition of grit is courage and resolve or strength of character. It can also mean an indomitable and irrepressible spirit that doesn’t back down in the face of failure or obstacles."
• 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do: "They say that bravery is being scared to death to do something and doing it anyway. Many times, that’s true, even when it comes to your career."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 8 Tips to Fast-Track Your Career

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 8 Tips to Fast-Track Your Career: "Know where your organization/industry is going and understand what you can contribute to making your team more successful. Make sure your supervisor sees you as an asset."
• 5 Ways to Tackle Job Insecurity: "If you've been neglecting your network for a while, now is the time to reconnect. Don't wait until you need to call in a favor. It's also a good idea to expand your network by attending events or joining a professional association."
• 13 Time Management Tips for Success: "One of the biggest mistakes is just doing whatever comes your way instead of having exact times when you will do certain things in your week. Discipline and planning is required if you want to achieve your career goals."
• 7 Interview Questions That Determine Emotional Intelligence: "Curiosity and the desire to learn are vital signs that a prospective employee wants to get better at something."
• How to Dress for Your Next Job Interview: "Whether you like it or not, your appearance is the first thing people notice about you–and the hiring managers first impression may play a big part in his or her hiring decision."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Finding a Career Sponsor

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• The Key Qualities Every Employer Looks For: "Ask the question and most people will tell you that they are a self starter, but it is actually quite tough to find people who have the right personal drive and can work under their own steam."

• 3 Strategies for Managing Life's Many Big (and Small) Transitions: "By naming that you are in a transition, you are likely to be kinder and gentler with yourself, be open to the fact that 'not knowing' what’s ahead is a natural part of this state, and also attract other people who are in transition or who have made a similar transition who can support you."                                                      
• The Right Way to Find a Career Sponsor: "When it comes to powering your career up the corporate heights, you need a sponsor.... sponsors may advise or steer you but their chief role is to develop you as a leader."


• The Interview Questions You Should Be Asking: "It’s important to not only find someone with the qualifications to do the job, but also someone who is uniquely driven to help make the company the absolute best it can be."


• 9 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Next University Career Fair: "If you are interested in a company, take the time to review their history and current projects. Explore their website by looking for news reports and press releases to find topics of interest to you. These make great conversation starters with company representatives attending the event!"

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Career Success and Working at Home

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Staying the Course When You Truly Hate Your Job: "The key is getting back to what engages you and making it a part of your daily work life – a little creativity can go a long way."

• How I Went from Zero to Success in Four Weeks: "Defining a brand and nailing your message may seem relatively easy, but your business’s first, powerful impression is the most important thing for any company. Get it right the first time and you’ll be well on your way."                                                      
• Do You Have What it Takes to Work from Home?: "A home office is filled with distractions, from dishes in the sink to the ability to walk away from your desk on a sunny day with no boss to tell you to keep working. Can you resist the temptation to take your eye off the ball?"


• The 8 Rules of Success to Think about Every Morning: "When it comes to doing business, building a brand and a good reputation is vital. Once you have done this, you will find things a lot easier, as most of us prefer to deal with people or companies that are recognised and trusted."


• The 3 Questions People Always Forget to Ask in an Interview: "The people who are interviewing you will have heard it all before and they will be looking for someone who has that little bit extra quality or personality which sets them apart from the rest of the crowd." 

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Make a Stranger Believe in You: "No one knows how we arrive in the places or jobs we do. We did not do it by ourselves, we were surrounded by people along the way who gave tiny bits of advice, who we watched, who helped us make and not make choices."


• Write E-Mails That People Won't Ignore: "Conventions of good writing may seem like a waste of time for e-mail.... But it's a matter of getting things right — the little things. Even if people in your group don't capitalize or punctuate in their messages, stand out as someone who does."


• Master the 5 Toughest Interview Questions: "Here are five tough interview questions that frequently trip up job candidates, straight from hiring managers."


• The Most Successful Leaders Do 15 Things Automatically, Every Day: "Successful leaders are expert decision makers. They either facilitate the dialogue to empower their colleagues to reach a strategic conclusion or they do it themselves. They focus on 'making things happen' at all times."


• 8 Career-Change Disasters to Avoid at All Costs: "If you have absolutely no 'fire in your belly' for your new career area, you won't be willing to put in the time and effort to build your skills and make a successful new start." 

Why do Employers Ask Bizarre Interview Questions

Glass door recently published its top 25 oddball interview questions. You can see the full list here, but here are some of the highlights.

• What song best describes your work ethic? - asked by Dell 
• What do you think about when you are alone in your car? - asked by Gallup 
• How many windows are in New York? - asked by Bain & Company 
• What two celebrities would you pick to be your parents? - asked by Urban Outfitters 

This menagerie of off-the-wall questions is quite entertaining, but more importantly you need to know why companies ask these types of questions. Unless the interviewer is inexperienced, unprepared, and just "winging it" by asking random questions, the motivation behind the oddball interview question usually fits into one of these three categories.

They are evaluating how well you can "think on your feet." Interviews are already pressure-filled situations. Add in the extra stress of an odd question and many people believe the candidate's true colors come out. They don't really want to know what kind of animal you would like to be, they simply want to see how quickly you can formulate an intelligent response.

They are assessing your problem solving skills. Microsoft was one of the pioneers of the "puzzle" questions. These questions are designed not to elicit the true answer to the original question (i.e. how many windows are there in New York) but are asked to assess the logical process through which you can solve a problem.

They want to know if you fit into the company's culture. The question asked by Urban Outfitters about celebrity parents is a very strategically asked question. Urban Outfitters is a hip and trendy retailer that wants to hire people that it into its culture. If your answer is that you would want Mike Brady (from the Brady Bunch) instead of Tom Brady (the quarterback married to a supermodel) you probably will not fit into their company! By researching your potential employer's culture and values before you go into the interview you should be able to show that you will fit in nicely.

What Should You Do if You Get Stumped in an Interview?

In my last blog post last week, I shared with you that I had an upcoming interview. That interview went well and I was scheduled for a second phone interview on Monday. Knowing she was interviewing me - a career services professional who teaches interviewing techniques - the interviewer must have prepared some extra-tough questions, because she stumped me once!

The interviewer asked me the top three qualities that I thought were necessary to succeed in the position for which I was interviewing. No problem, I easily answered the question. However, she then proceeded to ask which one I thought I had that was MOST important. I could honestly make a case for any one of these three skills that I knew I could bring to the table and I could not decide how to answer. I was stumped!

If you ever run into a situation where you don't know the best answer to a question, I want you to be prepared to handle the situation. We are often so concerned with how we are perceived in an interview that we are unwilling to admit to any kind of weakness. Faced with the situation of not knowing how to answer, I went with what I considered to be the best option. Here is how I answered:

"I can honestly say I bring all three qualities to the position. I also can make a case for any one of the three qualities being most important. You have stumped me, so give me a second to think about it." I then went on to say that I thought two of the three qualities could be taught in training, but the third quality was the most important and I offered my reasoning.

In an interview, don't be afraid to ask for more time. Don't be afraid to say that you are torn between several answers. Don't be afraid to admit when you get stumped. Any of these situations show you are taking the interview seriously, you are considering each answer carefully, and you have extensive knowledge of the subject matter.  Don't take yourself too seriously and show poise and confidence in the interview - no matter what comes your way.

The interviewer admitted to me at the end of the interview that she was quite proud that she was able to stump me, a professional, and that she put a lot of thought into the question. Quite honestly, it allowed us to build rapport and my being stumped was not perceived negatively.

** Update: as I wrote this blog post, I received an email requesting a final interview, so it must not have been too bad!

Five Interview Myths to Steer Clear From

Your resume and cover letter were impeccable, and they helped land you an interview. Have you bought in to any of the following interview myths? Read on to learn how to make an impression that lasts.

No need to prepare for the interview: Some feel there's no point in preparing for an interview because either you know the answers to their questions or you do not. Going into an interview without any practice or reflection is a kiss of death. There are two distinct things you can proactively practice before an interview: fleshing out your stories and how you deliver them. Your stories are the content of your interview: the experiences that matter most to the interviewer that will demonstrate competency in the position. Your delivery is the way in which you verbally convey your experiences: with confidence, authenticity, and without interruption. Prepare for your interview by addressing these two areas, using the job description and what you know about the job to create your content and practice your delivery in front of a mirror or with a friend.

Dress doesn't matter: How you dress most certainly matters in an interview, whether you are interviewing for a janitor or CEO position. I recommend dressing for two positions above your own. That typically means a suit, whether you are a man or a woman. Unless you are told specifically how to dress before coming to an interview, dress more formally than informally to show you value professionalism and take the experience seriously.

Interview begins in the interview room: The interview doesn't begin when you get face to face with the interviewer(s): it begins the moment you are contacted for the interview. The way that you treat others - from the human resources representative to the administrative assistant - will reflect on you as a candidate. Convey your most professional self. 

Interview types are the same: When most people think of an interview, they think of themselves sitting one-on-one with an interviewer, being asked questions like "what are your weaknesses?" and "why do you want this job?" Interviews can take many forms, including panel interviews, where a group of people interview a candidate, all-day interviews, where a candidate will interview with one or two people for a period of time and then move on to another person or persons, and let's not forget behavioral interviews, where the questions focus on how your specific experiences and actions correspond to the position. Be prepared to handle any of these scenarios!

No need for questions at the end: If you don't have any questions for the interviewers at the end of the interview, you shouldn't ask any…right? Wrong: the questions that you ask at the end of an interview indicate the depth with which you have thought about the position and are a great time to learn more about aspects of the position on which you might not be clear, such as company culture and work environment. Have at least five questions ready for the end of the interview and be prepared to ask as many as you are able.

What are your interview myths? Leave them in the comments below!

How to Navigate Potential Interview Minefields - Part 2

Last week, in Part 1 of this blog post, I discussed some of the most commonly asked interview questions that are also commonly answered incorrectly. Here are two more questions that you should prepare your "answer map" so that you can avoid self-destructing your interview process!

"Why should we hire you?"
The absolute worst way to answer this question is one I actually heard from a candidate in an interview. When asked this question, he answered "Because I need a job!" As a rule, the employer really does not want to talk about what they can do for you. The employer is looking for the most cost-effective employee that meets their unique needs. They are most definitely not looking for the candidate who is most in need, and they are especially not looking for the most desperate candidate!

Research the company to find out what they need and what issues they are going through. Use this opportunity to demonstrate that you have taken the necessary steps to research the company and discover their needs. Once you know the company's issues, you can convey how you can benefit their company and achieve results for their organization.

"What are your ideas on salary?"
This could truly be the most dangerous minefield of them all! Answer too high and you price yourself out of their range. Answer too low and you don't optimize your annual salary. The rule rule of thumb is that the person who names a number first loses, so it is best to try to avoid naming an exact salary.

Be aware that this question is often being asked before the interview, as early as when they call for the interview appointment. Therefore, preparation is once again the key to effectively answering the question about salary. Research average salaries for your job title in your geographic area on websites such as www.salary.com or www.payscale.com. The best way to answer the question is to quote your source of choice and provide a range of pay. Always ask the interviewer how that range compares to what their company is paying in order to ensure you have not priced yourself out of their range.

How to Navigate Potential Interview Minefields - Part 1

Job interviews are a study in contrasts. You are excited but terrified at the prospect of an interview. You prepare yourself for the interview but often feel unprepared once you enter the room. I have said before on this blog that the best way to achieve interview success is to prepare yourself in advance. One of the ways you can do this is to prepare answers to some of the most commonly asked interview questions. Unfortunately, these same questions are often the ones that are most commonly answered incorrectly.

"Tell me about yourself."
As I explained in this earlier blog post, when this question is asked, it is usually asked first. Interviewers use the question as an icebreaker to help get the ball rolling and get to know you. However, don't make the mistake of thinking the interviewer wants you to share personal details such as marital status, age, religion, or how many kids or dogs you have.

Prepare a two-minute career summary that details your experience, your skills, one of your major accomplishments, and how you fit into their company. Practice this answer until you can recite it from memory.

"What are your biggest weaknesses?"
When asked about your weaknesses, you should pick an actual weakness that you learned to overcome. State your weakness, and demonstrate the steps you took to ensure that this weakness does not interfere with your ability to do your job.

Be sure not to bring up a skill that is critical to performing the job for which you are applying. Stating your weakness as a lack of patience for whiny children when you want to manage a child care center will not win you any points!

Check back on Tuesday for two more potentially damaging interview questions and tips to successfully navigate your way past them.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. 5 Techie Tools Every Job Seeker Should Use
"Technology provides the tools to make life easier, however, they are not the quick fix to getting a job. These tools will improve upon the job-search strategies you're already using."

2. 5 Career Training Tips Inspired by Olympic Athletes 
"Olympic athletes have an array of mentors, from coaches to physical therapists and expert analysts. Seek out peers and influential colleagues to learn more about your company, line of work or industry when you need help."

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos 

3. 5 Lessons the Presidential Campaign Teaches Us About Getting a Job
"While most of us won't experience anything near this level of intensity in our own job-search efforts, we can still learn quite a bit from watching the candidates as they make their way through the process of trying to get the country's most important job."

4. 5 Questions Great Job Candidates Ask
"Great candidates want to know what truly makes a difference. They know helping the company succeed means they succeed as well."

5. Colleagues Complaining? Why You Need to Tune it Out  
"It's clear that constant exposure to complaints will reinforce negative thinking, and your behavior is likely to change to fit those negative perceptions."

Weird Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Glass Door just came out with their annual Top 25 OddballInterview Questions of 2011. This article covers some of the most unexpected – and often strange – interview questions that are reported on their site www.glassdoor.com. Among this year’s winners are questions like, what do you think of garden gnomes?, name 5 uses of a stapler without staples in it, and how much money did the residents of Dallas/Fort Worth spend on gasoline in 2008.

You may think of these types of questions as new ways that devious employers have come up with to torture you. You may be right, however most of the time these questions are designed to get the interviewee to drop their interview “game face” and show their true personality. These questions can be a way for employers to assess how the candidate can think on their feet, how they solve problems, how they handle stress, and also evaluate their critical thinking skills.

With so much being read into the answer to these types of questions, you should be sure you are ready for them. There is no way to truly prepare for these types of oddball questions. However, being prepared to answer the mainstream questions will make you less nervous, and you will therefore feel more at-ease and less likely to be stumped by these oddballs.

The most important note is that you should never forget to bring your personality with you to the interview. Be yourself and show your true colors in the interview. Some people fear that if they show their personality that it will cost them the job. That may be true, but wouldn’t you rather be screened out than work in a job where you don’t fit in?

Do you Have Any Questions for Me? Don’t Miss This Interview Opportunity.

When an interview is drawing to a close, the interviewer often says “I don’t have any more questions, but do you have any questions for me?” All too often, interviewees do not take advantage of this golden opportunity to take back a bit of control in the interview. Here are some tips that will help you make the most of this opportunity the next time you are faced with the situation.

• Always ask questions when given the chance. When you do not ask questions in the interview you appear either disinterested or unprepared.

• Often hiring managers do not want to offer a job to someone they do not know whether or not will accept. Use this question session to clearly communicate that you are interested.

• Prepare your questions in advance and write them down. This will be one less thing you need to commit to memory.

• Research the company thoroughly and use your questions to demonstrate your knowledge and preparedness. For example, you may ask “I see that the ABC Company is your biggest competitor. I know they recently launched a new version of the software you both license. What is your strategy to counterbalance this new release?”

• Show interest in the interviewer by asking them what they like about the company, asking about their career path within the company and how they view the company culture. Use their answers to make your assessment of the company climate and whether or not it is a match for you.

• Identify and address any concerns they may have by asking, “Do you see any areas or qualifications where I may be lacking for this position?” This will allow you to overcome their objections and provide additional information about your skills and experience that may not have come up during the interview.

• All questions should relate to the company or the job. Never ask about salary, benefits or time off.

• A few examples of appropriate questions:
* Can you describe a typical day for someone in this position?
* What is the top priority of the person who accepts this job?
* What are the day-to-day expectations and responsibilities of this job?
* What do you think is the greatest threat/opportunity facing the organization in the near future?
* Why did you come to work here? What keeps you here?
* When will you be making your decision, and how will I be notified?

Making Sense of Interview Questions That Make No Sense.

I was teaching a class on interview techniques last night. One of the attendees was discussing why interviews are so challenging for her.She brought up the fact that she is a logical person who has a hard time with being asked questions that are illogical. Believe it or not, even the most illogical questions are asked for a reason.

When you stop and consider the motivation behind an interview question, you can begin to formulate an answer that will meet the expectations of the interviewer. In this article I will attempt to explain why interviewers may be asking some questions that don’t seem to have a purpose on the surface.

Tell me about a time when . . .
These types of questions are called behavioral questions and these occur when the interviewer asks you for an example or story. The reasoning behind these types of questions is that the interviewer can gain insight into your skills and experience from past accomplishments and examples. Answering these questions allow you to offer proof of your knowledge, skills, and experience.

Tell me about yourself.
An employer does not want to know where you grew up, how many dogs you have, or what you like to do in your free time. So why do they ask this question? Usually this is the first question that is asked and it is used as an ice breaker.

Instead of offering personal information, tell the interviewer how many years of experience you have in the career field for which you are applying, what are the skills you bring to their company, tell them about an accomplishment that proves your skills, and elaborate on why you are the right person for the job. Think of this answer as a 2 minute synopsis of why you are the right person for the job.

Why did you leave your last job?
This question is often a fishing expedition to see if you will speak negatively about your former employer. Don’t ever offer the details of why you left a job; simply state that you made a decision to take your career in a new direction. Even if you feel like you were wronged, when you tell a story that paints your former employer in a negative light, you look like a problem employee.

Puzzle questions.
How many quarters would it take to stack as high as the Empire State Building? If you could be any animal, which one would you choose and why? These types of questions are intended to see how you react to uncertainty, how fast you can think on your feet, and test your problem solving skills.

If I was asked the Empire State Building question, I would simply say “I don’t know. However, if you give me five minutes, a calculator, and an internet connection, I can find out the height of the building, the thickness of a quarter, and do some quick calculations to get you an answer.

What are Your Weaknesses. How to Answer this Interview Question without Jeopardizing your Interview.

In an interview, the hiring manager is often looking for a reason NOT to hire you. Instead of looking for positives, the truth of the matter is that most interviewers take a negative approach to the screening process. Therefore, your goal in an interview is to ensure that you do not provide them a reason to say no to you.

However, one of the questions we are often asked is “What are your weaknesses?” If we are trying to avoid providing negatives about ourselves, it is difficult to properly answer this question. In the past we were told we should bring up a negative that really is not so bad. For example “I am such a perfectionist that I go above and beyond in everything I do.” However, this answer does not seem sincere and is not the approach I recommend in today’s market.

My rule of thumb when interviewing is that whenever you have to bring up a negative, state the negative and cover it up with a positive statement. The best approach to answering this particular interview question is to define a weakness that you have learned to overcome. Here is an example of how you can effectively answer this question.

“I am not very good at saying no and in the past I have taken on more than I can handle. This led to me missing deadlines or producing work that was not my best quality. I learned to overcome this weakness in several ways. First, I have learned to delegate and am a much better team player. I have also learned to manage my time, organize my daily tasks, and prioritize my day much better. I make a list for the next day at the end of each work day and review it first thing in the morning in order to better plan my daily priorities. Learning to deal with this weakness has led me to be a better time manager and to realize that I am not superwoman who has to say yes to every request myself.”

With this strategy you demonstrate that you are self-aware and that you are willing to admit that you are not perfect. However, you are also able to show your ability to solve problems and overcome obstacles. So, what weakness have you learned to overcome in

Why Did you Leave your Last Job? How to Navigate This Interview Question.

One of my favorite sayings is “luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” Success in an interview is measured by being prepared for all questions that may be asked. Don’t be thrown off-track by this popular question. The key to answering this question effectively is to remain brief, be positive, and don’t provide unnecessary details.

Interviewers ask this question so that they can understand your motivations and try to gain insight into how you handle conflict. You would be amazed at some of the things candidates have told me in response to this question. The answer to this one question can serve as a giant red warning sign that says “DO NOT HIRE.” Here are some situations you may be facing and how to deal with each one:

If you were fired
This situation can be tricky. You could answer that you made a mutual decision to take your career in a new direction. However, honesty is always the best policy. Take responsibility for the situation, explain what you learned from the experience, and express that the issue will not happen again. Don’t feel compelled go into details. Never try to blame your former employer; you will always come across as though you were the problem.

If you were laid off
Being laid off is seldom viewed as a negative toward the candidate. When stating your reason, explain that you were part of large-scale reduction in force. Provide a general reason for the lay-off such as the company was downsizing, outsourcing, or business slowed down. Do not come across as bitter or angry. Express appreciation for your former company, talk about what you learned in your previous position, and convey enthusiasm for your future opportunities and challenges.

If you did not get along with your boss or coworkers
Never speak negatively about a boss, coworker or the company in an interview. Do not feel the need to explain the situation and who was right or wrong. No matter the circumstances, if you are the one complaining you will come across as a problem employee who is difficult to manage.

When the situation was uncomfortable, it is best to offer a brief answer such as “I was looking to use my skills and experience in an environment where I could make a positive impact.” Unless pressed for further details, it is best to leave it at that.

If you were unhappy with your career direction
Career satisfaction comes from many angles – being challenged, continued growth, adequate pay, and appreciation. However, if you complain about any of these issues, you may come across as easily bored and unmotivated. Talk about how you want to continue to grow and develop your career and how you feel your skills and knowledge can benefit their company. Show that you are self-aware and motivated to succeed by talking about how your skills were not a fit in your previous employer and then state how you feel you fit into the company for which you are interviewing.

If your life circumstances changed
Our personal lives inevitably impact our work. However, you don’t want the interviewer to feel as though your job will be negatively impacted by your personal life. Briefly explain how you left your last job to raise a family, but be sure focus on how you feel you can contribute and bring value to the organization.

Tell Me About Yourself – 4 steps to Preparing a Compelling Answer to This Interview Question

This question is one of the most commonly asked interview questions. When it is asked, it is usually one of the first questions. Your answer to this question can play a big role in making a positive first impression in the interview. This is one of the few interview questions that I recommend scripting out and practicing until you can say it by rote.

Keep in mind that this question is not a chance to offer your life story. The response should not include any personal information (i.e. where you grew up, how many dogs or kids you have, etc.) and should be no longer than two minutes. Here are some tips to prepare your answer to this important question.

Your background and experience
Offer an overview of how many years of experience you have to offer and your area of specialty in the field. Here is an example of how to start off the answer to the question. “I am a production manager who specializes in leading teams of up to 200 personnel to meet daily goals. I have more than 7 years of experience organizing maintenance professionals from multiple specialties. My experience includes production management in the semiconductor and microchip fields.”

Your skills
Do your research before the interview and define the company’s needs or specific problems that they hope to solve by filling the position. Identify your top two or three skills and speak about benefits these skills can bring to the company. For example, “I am a motivational leader who has the ability to gain team buy-in to new processes. I consider myself a productivity expert who is able to identify the source of inefficiencies and streamline procedures to optimize the team’s efforts.”

Your best accomplishment
Based on this same research, offer an example of your greatest accomplishment that demonstrates your ability to apply your skills such as “In fact, in my last position at XYZ Microchips, I was part of a continuous improvement team that revamped the production processes. By rearranging the production floor and streamlining the supply gathering procedures we were able to increase production by 22% while improving quality standards by 11%.”

Why you want to work for their company
As I discussed in a previous blog post, the job search process is not all about you. Never talk about what a company can offer you such as benefits, salary, or work conditions. Instead focus on the benefits you can bring the company with your skills. Make the interviewer feel as though you have chosen to work for their company – not as though you are just looking for a paycheck. For example, you could end your answer with a statement like this, “I understand that your company just started implementing Lean and 5S concepts. I have experience rolling out these programs at my previous employer and know I can be of assistance to your company during this same program implementation.”