Category Archives: interview

Doing This After An Interview Could Help You Get The Job

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Sending a follow-up message to thank the interviewer can make the difference between getting hired and being rejected. Of course it won’t save you if your interview went badly from start to finish, but it can definitely sway their decision if it’s neck-and-neck between you and another candidate!

Below is an example of a thank you email or note that should impress any potential employer.

A good interview thank you email or note should contain these three essential pieces:

  1. Show appreciation for their time and thank them
  2. Mention something specific you talked about in the interview, so they know it’s not a cut & paste email
  3. Express interest in the position and tell them you’re excited to learn more

There are also two optional steps you may want to include…

  1. Invite them to contact you if they have any questions/concerns, or need clarification on anything discussed
  2. Show that you’re confident you can perform well in this role and explain why. Tell them why you feel you could excel in the position

Here is the example…

Hello <Interviewer’s Name>,

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me <yesterday/Friday/etc.> about the <Job Title> position at <Company Name>. It was a pleasure talking with you, and I really enjoyed hearing all the details you shared about the opportunity.

The information you shared about <Something specific about the job that interests you> sounded particularly interesting. 

I am confident that my skills will allow me to come in and succeed in this role, and it’s a position I’d be excited to take on. 

I’m looking forward to hearing from you about the next steps, and please don’t hesitate to contact me in the meantime if you have any questions.

Thank you again, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Best Regards,

<Your Name>

At the end of the third paragraph, you could also add details about WHY you feel confident you’d succeed in this role. That will make this thank you email more convincing. So, try to remind them of something you shared in the interview, like a piece of past experience, or a skill you have, that will prove to them you’ll be able to come in and be successful in their role.

Nowhere does it say you have to write a thank you letter after an interview, but it definitely can’t hurt! Use this example as just that, an example; mess around with it and make it your own! You’ll “thank me” later!

Written by Lindsay Olewniczak

Visit our website here: http://www.cpstaffing.com/index.aspx

Visit our open jobs here: http://www.cpstaffing.com/jobs.aspx

Misconceptions About Staffing Agencies

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There are many misconceptions about what a staffing company actually does and I’d like to set the record straight! Here are three of the most common beliefs about staffing agencies and whether or not they are true.

Agencies only provide temps or “fill ins.” – False! Some clients think that a staffing agency provides the “fill in” worker while the company searches for the “real” substitute for a position or that an agency won’t provide the best candidate to ensure repeat business; this couldn’t be further from the truth! Staffing agencies aim to find a candidate that not only fits a client’s immediate need, but one that will be a great fit with the company in the long run. Seeing a client grow in a position/company is the ultimate feel-good moment for staffing agencies!

Staffing Agencies are only for entry level jobs. – This one couldn’t be more false! Staffing agencies find jobs for all levels, in nearly every industry. Here at CP Staffing we do specialize in Financial, Medical and Computer jobs. Agencies are also very honest about what skills or training is needed to ensure that you’re properly prepared for the level of job you are applying for.

We get you an interview and then that’s it. – False! We pride ourselves in the fact that we follow up, follow up and then follow up! We thoroughly prepare you for the interview and stick with you long after you accepted the position.

Here at CP Staffing, we have everyone’s best interest in mind. We aim to make the client and the candidate happy with every job post and interview.

If you are unsure about a posting you see, don’t hesitate to call one of our recruiters! They are always more than willing to help!

What questions do you have about what we do?

Written by Lindsay Olewniczak

Visit our website here: http://www.cpstaffing.com/index.aspx

Visit our open jobs here: http://www.cpstaffing.com/jobs.aspx

Doing These Things Could Cost You Your Dream Job

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It is very exciting when you apply for a job and get the call to come in for an interview! But there are a few things that may slip your mind amidst all the excitement and nerves. Here is a list of some obvious (or not so obvious) things to remember NOT to do when interviewing.

Arriving Late – Shoot to arrive about ten minutes early. Make sure to factor in traffic and getting lost; if you arrive earlier, no worries. Showing up early will show your possible future employer that you are good at time management and care about the job.

Not Reviewing Your Key Points – Make sure you go over your resume and achievements prior to your interview. This will ensure that you can answer them straight away without referring to your resume. Your confidence will shine through while answering questions about yourself and past jobs.

Not Looking the Part – If you have the time and ability, find out the company’s dress code prior to the interview. If you cannot find this information, always dress smart. It looks better to be over dressed than under dressed.

Smoking Before You Go In – Don’t! That will be one of the first things noticed about you. Not only will the room smell like smoke for the duration of the interview, it will smell like smoke after you leave.

Having Your Phone On – It looks very unprofessional when your phone goes off during an interview. This is a time that should be focused solely on the interviewer and their questions/your answers. Even if you put your phone on silent there may be an alarm you forgot about that might still go off. If it’s possible, turning your phone completely off is the best thing to do.

Using Slang or Curse Words – This is most likely the first time meeting these people and making a good first impression should be at the top of your list. It’s best to come off as polite and not use such words.

Lying or Over-exaggerating – Saying you speak five different languages and lead your previous department to an all-time high will not help you if it’s not true! Be truthful about your accomplishments. Focus on the skills and achievements that could be valuable in your new role.

Bringing Up Personal Matters – Don’t discuss your views on controversial topics or personal issues you may be experiencing. Keeping your discussion professional and positive will look much better to the interviewer(s).

Going Off Topic – Listen carefully to the questions being asked. Try to stay on topic and keep answers concise and relevant. If you go off on a tangent you will miss out on making your point.

Going for an interview can be a very exciting yet stressful experience and there’s a lot to remember to do and not do during one. Try to be yourself and stay as calm as possible. Remember, the interviewer may be nervous too! Good luck!

Written by Lindsay Olewniczak

Visit our website here: http://www.cpstaffing.com/index.aspx

Visit our open jobs here: http://www.cpstaffing.com/jobs.aspx

So, do you have any questions?

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Your interview is wrapping up, and the interviewer asks; “Do you have any questions?”

Some candidates have no qualms about this – they can think on their feet after a long, nerve-wracking hour of interrogation. Others struggle greatly.

The purpose of this post is to help the latter with this final question.

1) Preparation is key.

Sit down the night before your interview and put some thought into the initial list of questions that you’d like to ask during your interview. To get started, think about what questions you need answered to know if this is the right opportunity.

Some examples might be:

  • How do you measure success in your company? Tell me about the best person you have ever had in this position and what made that person
  • What are some of the common denominators that exist with the more successful employees of this company?
  • What are the biggest challenges one will face in this role?
  • What are the two most important problems that need to be addressed/corrected in the first six months by the person in this position?
  • What are the key responsibilities for this position and which are most important?
  • What results are expected of this position? What are examples of the best results produced by people in this role?
  • Why did my predecessor leave this position?
  • Tell me about your background and what attracted you
  • What advancement can a person expect, in this company and in the industry at large, after doing this job well?
  • What are some of the company’s short and long range objectives?
  • In what areas does this company excel? In what areas does this company have some limitations?
  • What are the company or department goals for this year and next?
  • How will I be evaluated, and how often?

2) Never just say “No”.

Never reply with a “No” – even if all of your prepared questions have been answered. (If you prepared thoroughly and your interviewer doesn’t just happen to be a mind reader, you should have at least one question left!)

You can come up with new questions throughout the interviewing process as others on your list get answered. Instead of asking a question during the interview, write it down and wait until the end.

If you feel that thinking of questions while trying to answer questions during your interview would distract you, you can reiterate the questions you had with the answers already given by your interviewer. This will assure him or her that you are in fact interested in the opportunity and the company, that you were listening, and that you were prepared. The more you can extend your face-time with the interviewer, the more likely you are to stumble upon a shared subject of interest, a sought after skill, or some other common ground. Your last impression is often just as important as your first. Ending on an abrupt note will leave a lasting, negative impression on the interviewer.

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So, do you have any questions?

Written by Faith Drew

Creating A Resume From a Template? Read this First.

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Resume templates are amazing tools. They allow candidates to create stunning resumes in a short amount of time. They are usually easy to read, cover all the details, and look very professional. However, if you use a template resume, there are a couple of mistakes that are easy to make. Read on to find out some of the most commonly made mistakes when using a template resume and how to avoid them.

Not filling in all of the sections. This seems so simple, but you would be surprised how often we see things like [company name here], [more detail about your role here], and [add your reference here]. Recruiters and hiring managers usually take about 30 seconds or less to review a resume, but that is an extremely noticeable mistake that will ALWAYS be caught. Employers want to know that you have attention to detail, and this is a quick way to get yourself dismissed from the candidate search. You can avoid this my reading over every word of your resume out loud before you submit. When you read out loud, your brain cannot skip over things and you will catch the mistake. We also recommend having one of our recruiters or a trusted friend read over your resume before you submit it.

Not listing all of your experience. Just because your resume template only has three sections of prior experience does not mean you should only list three sections of prior experience. It is definitely okay to break the mold of the resume template if you have extra sections to add. Also, don’t forget to add things like relevant skills or experience if that information would be applicable to the job. You can avoid this by brainstorming all of your experience and skills into an unformatted “master resume.” When you apply to a new job, make sure to highlight the most relevant things from your “master resume,” and do not include the things that are not relevant. You never want to lie or exaggerate on your resume, but it is definitely a great idea to tailor your resume to the job.

Not fixing your spacing. You should do everything you can to try and keep your resume down to one page, especially if you do not have a lot of experience. If you absolutely have to go on to two or three pages then that is okay, but do everything you can with spacing and margins to reduce the amount of pages in your resume before you submit. Your first priority should be that your resume is easily readable, but you also want to keep it as short as possible while still including details about your skillset and experiences.

Is your resume based on a template? Comment back with the mistakes that you caught or lessons that you learned!

 

Written by Kaitlyn Gahagen 

Interviewing 101: The basics of a fantastic interview.

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Do you have an interview coming up? We compiled some of the simplest things to remember when going in for an interview and divided them into lists of DOs and DON’Ts. Oh, and DON’T forget that our wonderful recruiters DO provide interview coaching if you need some extra help!

Do:

Do show professional body language. Do not slump or look too comfortable. Your body language will help the interviewer determine what kind of person you are within the first few minutes of the interview. Sit up and radiate confidence, professionalism, and fortitude.

Do focus your eye contact. Engage yourself in the conversation. Do not drift off away from the interviewer or look around the room. It is okay to occasionally look at any notes you may have, but be ready to maintain solid eye contact throughout the interview.

Do be prepared to concisely explain your job moves. That is going to be a question 100% of the time. You have to be able to articulately provide good reasons for moving around and this is something that often takes practice. Avoid “um” and “uh” by knowing what you are going to say ahead of time!

Do arrive on time. Not too early (desperate), definitely not late (irresponsible). Generally, walking in the door about 10-15 minutes ahead of time is appropriate.

Do bring a portfolio with paper, pen, the job description, your resume and references. This will show the interviewer that you are prepared and serious about the job opportunity.

Don’t:

Don’t touch your cell phone. Turn it off. Leave it in the car. Do not even give yourself the opportunity to look at it during an interview. If it goes off for some reason, discreetly turn off the ring without checking to see who is calling. You do not want to distract the interviewer away from your skills and accomplishments by allowing a cell phone to intervene.

Don’t trash your former company. This looks very bad on you, even if your former company was ridiculous. You do not have to lie or become your former company’s biggest fan, but always be respectful and gracious about your time with former employers.

Don’t behave anxiously. This includes moving around frequently, tapping your pen or foot, or any unusual movement or behavior. This distracts from your professionalism and credibility.

Don’t dwell on past accomplishments to the point of sounding conceited. You want to be confident and share your strengths, but you do not want to turn your interviewer off by making everything all about how wonderful you are. Besides, there will likely be plenty of interview questions that provide you with the opportunity to directly speak to what value you can provide.

We hope this helps you during your next interview! Comment below on the most important DOs and DON’Ts that you have learned (possibly the hard way) from experiencing interviews.

Written by Kaitlyn Gahagen

Weird Interview Questions That You Will Hopefully Never Have To Answer

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Have you ever been asked a super random question during an interview? I have, and it definitely threw me off guard. The ComputerPeople Staffing recruiters decided to create list of the weirdest interview questions they have ever heard. I guess any question is fair game in an interview these days!

  • If you were a box of cereal, what would you be and why?
  • What would you say if a penguin walked into this room wearing a sombrero?
  • If you were to get rid of one US state what would it be and why?
  • Name 5 uses for a stapler, without staples.
  • If you were a fruit what would you be?
  • Do you make your bed every morning?
  • What is in the trunk of your car right now?
  • What did you wear for Halloween last year?
  • If you could sing one song on American Idol, what would it be?
  • Are you more of a hunter or a gatherer?
  • If you were on an island and could only bring three things, what would you bring?

Have you ever been asked a weird question during an interview? What was it?

 

Written by Kaitlyn Gahagen

Recruiter Spotlight: Kevin Pyle

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Kevin Pyle has been with us at ComputerPeople for almost four years. He is hardworking, funny, he is an excellent recruiter, and his kids are probably the cutest twins that we have ever seen. We sat down with Kevin to find out a little bit more about how he gets the job done. Here is what he had to say!

How do you find candidates for a new job order? 

Several methods – LinkedIn, job boards (Indeed, Dice, etc.), referrals, posting job on website, and networking.

What is the most important quality that a candidate can have to make them standout from the rest?

I’ll give you two….personality and drive.

What advice do you have for someone that is just starting his or her job search? 

Be patient!  Finding a position is a full-time job in itself, especially for someone just starting their career.  Utilize as many resources as possible, including recruiters, applying for jobs on your own though employment agencies (career builder, indeed, etc) and networking. Also, it is worth the time to get several opinions on your resume to make sure it’s solid!

What inspires you to be the best recruiter you can be? 

Just knowing the potential positive impact I can have on someone’s life.  It’s a great feeling to place someone in a position that I know they are going to enjoy and love.

 

Thanks for all you do, Kevin! We are so glad to have you at ComputerPeople.

If you want to work with Kevin as your recruiter, contact him at kpyle@cpstaffing.com

Written by Kaitlyn Gahagen

 

Just Starting Your Job Search? Perfect Your Resume First.

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Beth Courtney knows recruiting.

She originally started recruiting in the airline industry in New Jersey over 30 years ago.  She believes that there is a job out there for everyone who is willing to work hard.  Currently, she focuses on sourcing technical candidates for ComputerPeople through her position as Sr. Internet Recruiter. We asked Beth what advice she would give to someone BRAND NEW to their job search. Here is what she had to say. 

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Beth Courtney, Sr. Internet Recruiter

“A good resume is key since your resume is typically an employer or recruiter’s first impression of you. Make sure it is easy to read— no long paragraphs of verbiage please! Triple check for typos and misspellings. If you don’t have a lot of job experience, include internships/volunteer experience and highlight the skills you used in each.   Keep an open mind and be willing to interview for a less than perfect position to get your foot in the door of a great company.”

Thanks for the the advice, Beth!

 

Written by Kaitlyn Gahagen

How Do I Standout From All The Other Candidates During My Job Search? Wise Words from Our Rockstar Recruiter Brooke DeLucia.

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Brooke DeLucia has been a recruiter at ComputerPeople for over 20 years. She has seen it all and has worked with candidates from all over the world. We asked Brooke one simple question. What is the most important quality that a candidate can have to make them standout from the rest?

Brooke’s Response is gold.

“Drive & Professionalism.   Having the ability to sell yourself as a driven individual with the aptitude and hunger to learn can make all the difference.   Your body language can make or break an opportunity, no matter how qualified you are for the job. It’s still important to be respectful, attentive and professional when you are interviewing.  Don’t slouch in your chair, don’t pick lint off your suit, don’t chew gum or swear. It may seem basic but sometimes the people you least expect are the ones making these mistakes!”

Thanks for the words of wisdom, Brooke! Connect with Brooke Here.

 

 

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Written by Kaitlyn Gahagen