Straying off the critical path can be fatal
Q: “I sat on the other side of the table last week for the first time – I was an interviewer. We interviewed seven candidates. Two did really well and clearly had their preparation done. They ended up being the clear 1-2. Two really didn’t have the experience we needed and you could see this […]
You will go far without the PowerPoint crutch
Q: I’m going for a job next week where they have asked me to make a 15-minute presentation on my plans for the position – but they have specifically said it must be done without the use of technology. I’m not a huge PowerPoint person, but I’d like the crutch of something on the wall. […]
Let your career triumphs be your qualifications
Q: I’m going for a job in my own company – and, between you and me, I should get it. I’ve got the best experience and the best record in the company. But I’m a bit shy on the ‘piece of paper’ front. I’ve got a degree but a few of my rivals have got […]
Quick tip for a powerful interview story
When telling a story in an interview, consider mentioning what might have happened instead of just focusing on what did actually happen, writes Liam Horan, Career Coach, Sli Nua Careers. “If I didn’t intervene,” you could say, “we would have really annoyed the client and possibly lost the contract”. “If I didn’t step in, the system […]
Don’t let distractions shake your self-belief
Q: I was sitting in the foyer. The interviewers were running late. Rather unprofessionally, I thought, the school had made no provision to ensure that candidates didn’t meet each other. The woman sitting next to me made some small talk before informing me that “actually, I’ve already got the job”. It completely threw me. I […]
Want to communicate well? Speak your natural language
Q: I’ve done all the basic preparation for an upcoming interview – went over my CV, listed reasons why I’m suitable for the role, drawn out examples of career successes, researched the company’s mission and values. I’m focusing now on how to communicate what I’ve prepared. Any thoughts? (DA, email) A: A candidate said to […]
Don’t forget the ‘why’ in your story
Q: I’m going for a senior level position in a new organisation, which has caused me to reflect on my career achievements. I’ve steadily climbed up the ladder over the last 20 years through various jobs and promotions. Granted, I worked quite hard, but there was definitely a huge amount of luck to it all. […]
Collaboration means more than just working together
Q: I have an interview coming up – a competency-based one – for a management job in a bank. One of the qualities emphasised on the job spec is ‘ability to work collaboratively’. I work as part of a close-knit team in my current bank, but is collaboration the same as team work? As this […]
Factor yourself into interview research
Sometimes a candidate preparing for a job interview has got to go back to basics – and, by basics, I mean back to themselves, writes Arthur Geraghty, Career Coach, Sli Nua Careers. Yes, some of the answers lie in the new company’s annual reports, strategic plans or press statements, but there is a limit to […]
A pinch of perspective will help with career lows
I recently spoke to a candidate who had an issue she described as being ‘like a pebble grating beneath a door’, writes Liam Horan, Career Coach, Sli Nua Careers. The candidate in question had tried to bring about change in the section she managed, and it didn’t go as favourably as she would have liked. […]