Category: Job Center

By Randy Wooden

I’m often asked how to answer interview questions; it is just as important to know good questions to ask the employer since interviewing is a back and forth dialogue.

Today, in the first of a three-part blog series, I’ll provide some key questions along with why they’re important and what you could hope to learn from their answers.

At the beginning of an interview, an employer will often ask you to tell them about yourself and what you are seeking in a job. As you conclude your answer, you have an opportunity to learn more about what the interview is seeking. Perhaps, “I was excited to get to meet with you. Could you tell me a bit more about what you’re looking for?”

This question accomplishes a few things.  First, it prevents you from talking too much. When you’re not being interrupted – and are maybe nervous – you can tend to ramble. Asking a question allows the employer to talk.

It can also help establish a trend of productive back and forth dialogue.  You can potentially learn about the job’s education, skills and experience requirements and soft skills or character traits they’re seeking. Once you do, you can better tailor your responses to what you know for the employer wants.

Another question to ask at the beginning of the interview is for the employer to describe the position in greater detail. Just as you come prepared with your work history on a resume and/or application, the employer will often ask you to articulate what you’ve done on those jobs. Be sure to have the employer describe the position, ideally prioritizing the duties for you.

The employer is analyzing you on competency and culture fit. They are trying to learn whether you have the skills, education, personality and desire to do the job well.

At the same time, you are determining whether the opportunity is something you can perform well and whether it’s a company with which you want to work.

To help your thought process, it can be beneficial to ask questions about the goals or objectives for the position.

• How does the employer judge success in this role?
• What obstacles might you encounter to accomplishing those goals?
• Are the goals realistic?

You could also ask about the resources available to achieve the goals. The interview is an exchange of information. Asking thoughtful questions is a great way to determine whether you really want the job.  Good luck!

By Randy Wooden

Job hunting can be a daunting task for many of us, but if it’s your first time looking for work, it can really present some challenges. Today, let’s explore five tips for landing that first job.

#1.  Be realistic. Your first job might not be your dream job but it is a fantastic way to gain experience. You might want to think about whether you’d prefer working with the public (retail, restaurants, etcetera) or whether you’d prefer working away from the public (factories, warehouses, physical labor, etcetera)

#2.  Networking. You’ll learn soon enough that relationships matter, including when companies make hiring decisions. Enlist the help of friends, neighbors, friends of your parents, etcetera. Employers appreciate it when someone they know can recommend you.

#3.  Resume. If you don’t have paid work to show, include your volunteer or extra-curricular activities. List some of your soft skills, qualities or traits. For example, are you a fast learner, dependable, collaborative? If possible, provide brief examples of those traits on the resume and be prepared to discuss them in greater detail during your interview.

#4.  Your appearance. Studies have shown that 55 percent of interpersonal communication is body language, 38 percent is your tone of voice, and your actual words only 7 percent. What does this mean? People form opinions about you based on how you look, how you act and how you sound.

Dress appropriately. You don’t want your appearance to distract from your personal qualities and skills. For most positions, you would not wear flip flops, shorts and a t-shirt. For some positions, you might want to cover tattoos and remove your piercings.

#5.  Show up in person. Most companies will want you to complete an online application or apply at an in-store kiosk; go the extra mile by showing up at their place of business.Bring a resume, dress appropriately, and be prepared with an enthusiastic smile and firm handshake.

If you’re looking for an entry level job, the main criteria are things like dependability, honesty, and enthusiasm rather than highly technical skills or management experience. Demonstrating initiative by walking in helps you stand out in a large online applicant pool.

Another way to show initiative is to follow up on your interviews with a thank you email and, ideally, a hand-written thank you note. Be sure to call to follow up on your interview with friendly persistence and enthusiasm. Often, entry level jobs go to those who appear to want it more.  Be that person.

Good luck!

By Randy Wooden

You’ve accepted a new job. You’re in the idle time before your first day on the job or possibly in your first few weeks of new employment. Then it happens. Another company calls you to set up an interview. What do you do?

Each of us has our own moral compass. So do organizations. Some companies rescind accepted offers or decide they really didn’t need the position after all – even after the new hire showed up.

While you must make the decision you feel is right, I would discourage you from going on the interview for several reasons.

Reasons for turning down the interview:

#1. You gave your word that you’d accept the job at a mutually-agreed upon rate of pay. No one forced you to say yes.

#2. You would permanently burn bridges, and word gets around. To protect your reputation, think long and hard about seeing whether you can earn a few extra dollars elsewhere.

#3. Give the new job some time, especially if this new interview would be held during that idle time before you actually show up for work. The grass may not end up being greener with that new interview, so you’ll have not only jumped from the frying pan into the fire, but you’ll have burned bridges. (See #2)

#4.  If you did go on the interview, how would you respond when asked about where you last worked? To be transparent, you have to mention the new job you’d just accepted.

#5.  If word about your interview gets back to your new employer, how do you think it would make the hiring official feel about your conducting interviews? Not the best way to start a new job.

In rare occasions, one might accept another interview.

#1.  The job you took was a temporary assignment with no guarantee of it being a permanent hire. That’s a big downside, particularly if the temporary job isn’t a full-time role with benefits.

#2.  If you started the job and were misled about job duties or if the work culture is highly toxic, you might want to consider another interview.

While accepting an interview doesn’t equate to accepting a new job, your decision has potential downside. Think it through carefully. Good luck.

By Randy Wooden

If you’re a college student or know one who is, today’s blog is for you.  Here are three tips for landing that first job after graduation.

#1.  For those about to graduate, you’ve missed this one already.  Internships give you exposure to corporate life and a leg up on your competition since the company with which you’re interning gets to see you in action. If you were an employer, wouldn’t you feel better hiring someone you’d already seen work? Their hard skills and their people skills? You bet. Internships often lead to a first job after graduation.

How do you land an internship? Check with your school’s career center for assistance. They’ve likely established corporate relationships. Talk with other students to learn how they secured theirs.

#2.  Network, network, network. You’ve heard this before. It’s more than asking others who they know might be hiring.  Let’s explore in more detail.

If you haven’t done so, create a LinkedIn account. Think of LinkedIn as a large professional network where you’re able to connect (or “link”) with others for any number of reasons including leveraging those connections to help get a leg up during the hiring process.

Conduct searches for alums already in the workplace. The fact you share a common college experience means they’re more likely to accept your connection invitation and share their college-to-corporate transition experiences.

Go to your school’s career center or virtual site to see companies that have taken part in past campus hiring fairs. If the school can’t or won’t provide recruiter contact information, check for those people via LinkedIn.

Your goal is to build rapport so that a hiring official will either know you directly or know someone who knows you and can put in a good word for you.

#3.  Don’t stress.  The job you land out of school will be the first step on a long journey of learning as you go. You may find your first job or industry isn’t what you’d hoped it would be. Take that knowledge as you move forward.

Unlike decades ago, people entering the workforce are much more likely to change careers than ever before.  If you’re the parent of a college student, are you  doing the sort of work you did right out of school? How relevant is your degree in your present job?

Bonus Tip:  Consider volunteerism to build your network, references and experience if you aren’t able to land a career-oriented job right out of school.  It look good on your resume, and you’ll likely meet people who have a similar passion.  They might be able to assist you with your job search.  Good luck!

By Randy Wooden

Moonlighting has given way to a new term – side hustle.  Throw in gig economy, and it’s a new world out there. But does your boss need to know what you do in your spare time to earn extra income?  Some companies require you to tell them if you’re earning money outside of your employment with them. They have three primary reasons for wanting to know.

1. They want to be sure you’re not creating a conflict of interest. In my role with Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina (Winson Salem), I lead our Professional Center, assisting professionals with their job search.  It would be a conflict of interest for me to have a side hustle where I provide similar individualized services for an hourly fee. It would also be inappropriate for me to go to work for a direct competitor.
2. They don’t want other work to negatively impact your ability to perform your current job. For example, if my job requires me to be on call or perhaps work an irregular schedule, but my side gig requires me to be on site, my full-time employer would have issues with that. You can’t be in two places at once. If your side hustle work means you show up tired or late, your full-time employer won’t be happy.
3. Your side hustle could reflect negatively on your primary employer. Companies guard their brand to avoid controversy and awkward publicity.

Even if your employer doesn’t require you to disclose your side hustle, I’d encourage you to level with them. Any potential fallout is likely much less than if they happen to discover it later, especially if they find  one or more of their concerns above apply.

Whether it’s out of necessity to make ends meet or simply as a way to earn a little spending money, many people have multiple income sources.

Let’s consider some potential side hustles. There’s always the part-time hourly job in the service industry; retail, restaurants, and others come to mind. Scheduling work hours could be a challenge and mayconflict with your full-time job.

The internet has given rise to a multitude of jobs you can perform whenever you wish. Whether it’s being a driver, renting out a room, doing tasks, providing care or perhaps selling items online, you choose how much time you wish to devote to it. You could also choose to work an hourly job part-time from home. This could alleviate trying to be in two places at once – the issue you might encounter if trying to work in customer service, for instance.

Lots of people work a side hustle, and many employers realize this.  Regardless of your reason for taking on a second job, keep in mind why employers would want to be informed. Good luck!