TIP FOR JOB SEEKERS ON MASTERING PANEL INTERVIEWS

Panel interviews are gaining popularity as employers earnestly seek for exceptional staff to represent their company. The hiring process can be daunting, let a lone interviewing with a panel of top company leaders. Don’t be caught in a state of panic. Be prepared and confident throughout the interview process by mastering the ten strategies listed below.

10 STRATEGIES TO MASTER PANEL INTERVIEWS:

1. Learn the company. Research facts, accomplishments, projects, goals, and company credentials. Much information is accessible on the web and in company websites. Gathering company data can be of great value when preparing for an interview, demonstrating interest and adequate preparation in part of the jobseeker.

2. Examine the job culture. Every company has a unique work environment. Scope the workplace examining language, attire, employee interactions, and overall work ambiance. Verbal and nonverbal cues will key you into the job culture.

3. Be prepared to answer an array of questions. You may have all the credentials on paper, yet there are personal attributes that can make or break your chances of getting hired. How well do you handle change, stress, and unexpected life events? How do you spend your time outside of work? Are you involved in high-risk activities? Do you attend non-profitable organizations? Answers to these questions share insight on character and behavioral patterns in and out of the workplace.

4. Make a list of strong points you want to discuss. Panel interviews provide opportunity to share valuable information with company leaders. Outline how you can be an asset to the company, share goals & aspirations, and provide other valuable points. The idea is to stand out from the crowd, highlighting your passion and ambition for the job position.

5. Ask questions. Make a list of valuable questions for the interviewer. Be sure to inquire job responsibilities and expectations that may affect you as a future employee. Will the company be opening more locations? Is there room for growth in the company? What are the benefits for full-time employees?

6. Prepare days in advance. Practice and preparation is key for success when interviewing. Ask family and friends to listen as you engage asking and answering different interview questions. Have your resume, professional attire, and other needed essentials ready days in advance for the interview. 

7. Stay focused and confident throughout the interview. Fear, anxiety, excitement, dread, nervousness, and other emotions may arise as various leaders flood you with questions. Regain your focus and confidence remembering what you want to accomplish from this interview.

8. Follow-up. Send a follow-up email to the assigned personnel sharing your gratitude for the job consideration. If appropriate, inquire as to when you should be expecting a response on your qualification status. 

9. Be patient. Panel interviews can take days to weeks before a final decision is made. Some companies perform all interviews in one day, while others separate interviews into weeks.

10. Stay positive and learn from experiences. Give it your best and regardless of the outcome, this will be a valuable experience in the interviewing process. If you get the job, great! If you don’t get hired ask yourself what you can learn from the experience, and be confident for the next interview. Panel interviewing can be intimidating, but with practice and preparation it can be beneficial for both employees and companies. This form of interviewing provides job candidates one-on-one access with company leaders to address important points in the hiring process. Although it can be nerve-racking, panel interviews can have positive outcomes for both businesses and job candidates. Much success on your panel interview!

TIPS TO MAKING YOUR RESUME SHINE!

You’re optimistic, dedicated, and focused in finding suitable employment opportunities. How do you convey work skills and experience on paper in a manner that captivates potential employers? Perhaps you’re seeking a career venture or steady employment options. In either case it’s crucial to have an updated resume readily available. Employers are bombarded with resumes and potential candidates seeking jobs. Fortunately with simple strategies you can make your resume shine!

Tips to Making Your Resume Shine!

1. Avoid lengthy resumes. Excessive content can be overwhelming leaving the reader perplexed. Keep out superfluous information and focus on essential details like work experience, occupational skills, and other information pertinent to the job opening. List experience from the past three years avoiding drawn-out explanations. Rather highlight what you can share if given the job opportunity. Keeping resumes to no more than two pages fosters reader engagement and attention.

2. Include keywords. Review the company’s job roles and expectations noting words to be used on your resume. For instance, a job opening may read, “Seeking a positive and energetic administrative assistant who is flexible and willing to take on different job roles”. If considering this job your resume should include the keywords “positive”, “energetic”, “flexible”. 

3. Proofread your work. Microsoft Word offers spell check and other features that aid in detecting grammatical errors. In addition, review your contact information ensuring it’s correct and up-to-date.  Also, have other people review your resume for constructive feedback.

4. Be specific in your objective statement. Use this section to leave an impression and share a powerful message. Let’s review two different objective statements. First objective statement example, “Seeking a Full-Time position as a cook in a company where I can grow”. Second objective example, “Motivated to work as a Full-Time cook in a company with growth potentials where I can share my skills and be part of an inspiring team.” The latter example uses vivid language giving the reader clear insight on the jobseeker’s motivation and career goals.

5. Design, color, and style. Resume designs vary depending on the job you are seeking. Graphic designers, stylist, and other artist may wish to include colors, textures, special fonts, and other visual aids to show their creative potential. Do keep in mind a resume is not a portfolio of your work. Other professions require traditional resumes that adhere to standard resume fonts and style. When in doubt use a 12-point font like Times New Romans and avoid cursive or other fancy fonts. Consider the job you are applying for when selecting resume templates, colors, and font styles.

FINDING A CAREER THAT FITS YOUR PERSONALITY

A sales manager position opened at work, and the boss inquires if anyone knows of a potential candidate. Immediately you think of Sally, your bubbly friend who can make buddies with just about anyone – even pets. To your surprise, after a few weeks into the job Sally mentions how the sales position just doesn’t fit her personality. How could this be? Sally is friendly, social, and energetic – the perfect fit for the sales manager position we’ve been seeking to fill.

There are many intriguing aspects to an individual’s personality. Although it may appear irrelevant, personality types influence work fulfillment, productivity, longevity, and general satisfaction in career choices. Before presenting job recommendations for each personality type, let’s explore four common types of temperaments.

4-BASIC TYPES OF TEMPERAMENTS AS DEFINED BY WIKIPEDIA:

1. Sanguine- Playful, lively, carefree, talkative, and social characters. These individuals are warm-hearted and can make friends easily, yet many have difficulty following tasks, keeping appointments, and can be a bit forgetful.

2. Choleric- Egocentric, extroverted,strong-willed, impulsive, and aggressive personalities. These are task-oriented individuals who like to be in charge, and receive recognition for their accomplishments.

3. Melancholic- Serious, cautious, and introverted temperaments. Such individuals are focused and sympathetic, yet can be prone to depression and changes in mood.

4. Phlegmatic- Private, calm, patient, caring, and tolerant personalities. These individuals often have a rich inner life, enjoy quite settings, exhibit consistency, yet may appear somewhat clumsy.

Using Carl Jung’s Theory of Personalities, Truity Psychometrics developed a questionnaire and provided it freely to the public. Truity’s findings lead to their development of 16-personality types, outlining common characteristics within each personality. By understanding personalities types, we can narrow job options to bring about excellence and fulfillment with various temperaments. You may resonate with more than one of the categories listed below, which explains how some people experience a passion for multiple job roles.

16-PERSONALITY TYPES PROVIDED BY TRUITY & COMMON JOBS OF INTEREST:

1. The Inspector: Neat and orderly, abide to rules, traditional, predictable, hardworking, and reliable personality traits. Hobbies include chess, trivia, and solitary sports.

Career ideas: Management, accounting, administration, golfers, and law enforcement.

2. The Protector: Practical, compassionate, grounded, conventional, and traditional personality traits. These individuals are hard workers, appreciate traditions, value relationships, and maintain a devotion to family.

Career ideas: Chefs, education, healthcare professional, and religious positions.

3. The Counselor: Nurturers,strong personal integrity,quiet, caring, intuitive, and ethical personality traits.

Career ideas: Counselors, coaches, teachers, artists, writers, and musicians.

4. The Mastermind: Problem-solvers, introverted, analytical, perfectionist, and strategically driven personality traits.

Career ideas: Computer occupations, technical fields, and legal professions.

5. The Craftsman: Troubleshooter, independent, adaptable, value stability, attentive to details, and logical personality traits. These individuals are good with their hands and enjoy working with others to solve problems.

Career ideas: Technicians, law enforcement, criminal justice, agriculture, military, mechanics, comedians, and aviators.

6. The Composer: Cheerful, flexible, spontaneous, quiet, friendly, supportive, loyal, nonjudgmental, modest, and sensitive personality traits. Such individuals are sensitive to color, texture, and tone.

Career ideas: Artist, interior designers, wedding planners, musicians, healthcare workers, and business.

7. The Healer: Imaginative, pursue truth & meaning, optimistic, caring, ethical, compassionate, self-expressive, and sensitive personality traits.

Career ideas: Counselors, coaches, therapists, writers, and artists.

8. The Architect: Philosophical, analytical, explore concepts, innovative, independent, and nontraditional personality traits. These individuals may come off as unconventional, as may offend with their precise speech and communication style. Many enjoy activities like meditation, hiking, writing, and computers.

Career ideas: engineers, technicians, scientists, architects, writers, and computer experts.

9. The Dynamo: energetic, practical, active, silly, and playful personality traits. These individuals are very energetic, funny, and adventurous.

Career ideas: Sales representatives, marketing, brokers, business owners, aviators, and racecar drivers.

10. The Performer: Entertainers, spontaneous, centered, enthusiastic, and playful personality traits. These individuals enjoy the pleasures of food, nature, animal and people.

Career ideas: Chefs, teachers, actors, musicians, and childcare occupations.

11. The Champion: Innovative, creative, passionate, warm, energetic, unconventional, skillfulness with language, changeable, and self-expressive personality traits. The champion is often bored by repetition, explaining the wide range of friends and experiences.

Career Ideas: Writers, composers, musicians, counselors, educators, and artist.

12. The Visionary: Curious, open-minded, influential, lack patience, re-inventors, friendly, confident, creative, and charming personality traits.

Career Ideas: Travel guides, stewardess, writers, educators, artists, also careers in science and technology. 

13. The Supervisor: Hardworking, traditional, orderly, logical, conventional, and practical personality traits. Such individuals value ground rules, and like to be in control of things.

Career Ideas: Bankers, managers, administrators, financial executives, business owners, and other leadership positions.

14. The Provider: Giving, sensitive, dedicated to helping others, loyal, strong moral character, and caring personality traits. Routine and organization are highly welcomed by these individuals.

Career Ideas: Charity organizer, positions in religious affiliations, teachers, nurses & other healthcare professions, and cooks. 

15. The Teacher: Good communicators,charismatic, idealist, persuasive, focused, optimistic, forward thinking, storytellers, and compassionate personality traits.

Career Ideas: Educators, social workers, gourmet chefs, event planners, artists, and tour guides.

16. The Commander: Ambitious,strategic, problem solver, solution oriented, objective, blunt, decisive, and assertive personality traits. These individuals are focused on results having clear action plans.

Career Ideas: Managers, supervisors, administrators, business owners, and other leadership positions.

The key to finding an occupation that suits your personality is to first have a thorough understanding of your preferences and character traits. This requires introspection and time, but prevents the dread of entering a career path that doesn’t express your strengths and talents. People who report high work satisfaction are often those who “love what they do”. Take some time today to see which personality type best describes you. It may be that you connect with multiple types of characters, which is an advantage for more options in job-fulfilling roles. 

WORK-RELATED STRESS: HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

Thriving in today’s fast-paced society calls for excellence and quick turn around. Employees are faced with multiple job tasks and thinner and thinner deadlines.  Experts agree that a healthy level of stress known as eustress can yield productivity and enhance work performance. Unfortunately, poor management can push employees beyond healthy stress, leading to physical and/or mental burnout.

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? 

Each person has his or her own stress threshold. It’s important to keep this in mind when taking on new job responsibilities or promotions within the company. Share with your employer areas of strengths and the areas you are working to improve.  It’s just as important for leaders to examine job assignments, workloads, deadlines, competency & skills, and employee availability before designating assignments. Stepping into new job roles is a great opportunity for success, yet it can add stress as employees are in the process of learning new skills and responsibilities. Proficient leaders are mindful of such circumstances, allowing ample time for deadlines during periods of training and transitioning.

The World Health Organization (WHO) compares the difference between healthy and unhealthy work stress mentioning the following:

  • Healthy stress motivates employees to work and to achieve their highest potential. This type of stress is healthy and productive. It keeps individuals alert and interested in their job roles.
  • Unhealthy stress places demands and expectations that are beyond the ability or timeframe, which the employee can offer. This stress is unhealthy and can lead to occupational stress.
  • Factors include poor management, and lack of support from supervisors and colleagues. 

WHO comments on work stress stating, “A healthy working environment is one in which there is not only an absence of harmful conditions but an abundance of health-promoting ones.”

TIPS FOR EMPLOYEES:

1. Do not overcommit. Before accepting a project or job tasks examine your comfort level with any given job assignment.

2. Express realistic deadlines when given time sensitive assignments.

3. Suggest ideas for decreasing stress in your workplace.

4. Communicate with your employer if you are feeling overwhelmed.

TIPS FOR MANAGERS:

1. Set realistic deadlines for projects and job tasks.

2. Encourage teamwork, and provide assistance if needed.

3. Put into account competency & skills, experience, and employee availability before designating assignments.

4. Encourage quality improvement and employee meetings for feedback and support.

5. Promote a stress-free environment with periodic luncheons, and other employee incentives.

6. Provide strategies to decrease work-related stress, and allow for workers to share areas of concern.