There’s no question about it. Job interviews can be stressful, but they are also a life changing opportunity. At Moore Staffing we are involved in a lot of them and understand what it takes to ace it. We know it’s important to make sure you are putting your best foot forward, so here are some tips for every type of interview situation that should help you accomplish just that.
Start with our general interview tips and tricks and then check out the extra tips we have for your specific interview type!
General Interview Tips, Tricks & Resources:
Do your research: Visit the company website/ Google the company to review recent news articles
Connect with key people on LinkedIn.
Bring a notebook, pen and a water bottle.
Set your cell phone to silent mode.
Be prepared to answer the basic questions
“Why are you interested in this role?”
“Where do you see yourself in five years?”
“What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
Prepare questions to ask. The right questions to ask should be around the position & company such as:
What are the main challenges?
What the interviewer likes about working with the company?
What current projects they are working on? etc.
Stay away from asking about pay, benefits etc.
Wear your best smile and come off as genuine and interested during the meeting!
Use the STAR interview method to prepare on “Tell me about a time when… “ questions and past examples of your success or failures
Determine if the video interview is going to be recorded answering of prompts or a video conference with back and forth conversation between you and the hiring manager.
Download the correct video chat platform and create account using the same email on your resume prior to your scheduled interview time.
Check your internet connection.
Be close to your router if you need better connection, plug into the ethernet or disconnect all other devices from WIFI for the time being.
Dress the part.
Wear the attire you would expect during an in person interview.
We recommend pulling your hair out of your face as shadows appear darker on screens.
Don’t get interrupted.
Be sure notifications are turned off and that potential noise making applications are closed.
Be conscious of your background and lighting.
You should be well lit so that they can see your face clearly without distracting objects behind you.
Have bulleted notes for answers to potential questions at hand
Keep your resume in clear view .
Be sure they have received an updated copy and have the file available to send if needed.
Have the job description available to look at.
Highlight key words before the interview to help you make sure you hit those key points
If it is a video conference using a video chat application, arrive a few minutes early.
If it is recorded interview questions, write down your thoughts and practice saying them with direct eye contact at the camera. Then record.
8 Smart Questions to Ask Hiring Mangers in a Job Interview: here
Now that you’ve read your list of tips and tricks, take a deep breath and know that you will be presented the opportunity you were made for. We have complete confidence in you and you should too. While it may feel awkward to promote yourself, you are being honest and genuine about your abilities and it is information your potential employer will be glad to hear. You are amazing, so express that! Not that you’ll need it, but good luck!
Comment below your favorite trip or trick and how you have used it! We’d love to hear from you.
“A person who won’t read has no advantage over the one who can’t read” – Mark Twain
Education and developing skills is something that drastically changes after we decide to leave the traditional school route. Many of us leave this system after high school, undergraduate or masters and that’s it. If professional development is required or created by our employer, we attend and participate, but many of us do not seek out education on our own. But continuing education doesn’t have to be in the traditional sense through a school, the internet has changed the way we can continue to learn.
If the recent times has taught us anything here at Moore Staffing, we have learned that seeking education to develop our skills is of the utmost importance. It is a great way to support or extend your resume, sticking out as a potential employee. (Come back soon for ways to fine tune your resume and stick out to hiring managers specifically. It’ll be series on our blog over the next few weeks.)
Continuing education does not directly have to align with your career either. Developing new skills strengthens other skill sets that may apply to your profession. In attempting to fill our day with meaning during these times, taking steps to explore education online is in everyone’s best interest.
To put one skill, reading, into perspective, here are a few statistics:
“Less than a third of 13-year-olds were daily readers in 2007, a 14 percent decline from 20 years earlier. For 17-year-olds, the percentage of non-readers doubled over a 20 year period.” (From: here)
“21 million Americans can’t read at all, 45 million are marginally illiterate and one-fifth of high school graduates can’t read their diplomas.” (From: here)
Education is the greatest weapon in our arsenal. Many times it’s as simple as dedicating time to pick up a book. The billionaires of the world are a perfect example of how education, more specifically reading, correlates to your success. If reading isn’t enjoyable, audio books are a great way to receive the same content and pass the time.
Online resources are extensive and great opportunities to capitalize on. While motivating oneself to be on top of learning in this way is an adjustment, practice makes perfect and there are plenty of free opportunities to get in the swing of things.
There is a great quote about education from Andy McIntyre stating “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” And there are many aspects to this statement that are true, but we also realize many people are on a budget or don’t have the same access to education as others. For that reason, below is a list of mostly free, some paid for opportunities to learn almost anything online.
We recommend starting with something you’re passionate about or interested in to get into the swing of dedicating time to learning and producing work outside of your workplace. It will keep motivation high and add to the amount of fun in your day during times where we feel stuck. Then progress to other skills that may not be as intriguing but necessary or complimentary to your chosen or future profession. For example, our Marketing Strategist has been taking the Imagineering in a Box course on Khan Academy created by Disney. While imagineering and creating a theme park does not apply to her career, she has been developing and increasing her skills regarding creativity and the importance of genuineness.
Comment below what your favorite course have been and why! Wed love to gain some feedback on which learning channels have worked for you and provide others with suggestions on where to start.
A Simple and Effective Hiring Tool
By Mike Moore, President & COO
During my nearly 40-year staffing industry career, I have seen many changes in the ways companies hire.
In the 1980s candidates were asked to mail or deliver their resumes or stop by the “personnel office” and complete an application. The process picked up speed when the fax machine gained popularity in the late 1980s and even more so with the widespread usage of email in the late 1990s.
With our current labor market, it is critical that hiring companies look for new ways to shorten the cycle time and improve the candidate hiring process. At Moore Staffing, we often see companies take too long to meet face-to-face with candidates, only to lose out on top talent because the candidate accepted an offer from another firm. One simple step we encourage our clients to take is to schedule an initial 20-30 minute phone interview with candidates.
Here are some of the benefits of conducting phone interviews:
• Phone interviews can be scheduled much more quickly than in-person interviews – the sooner you engage a good candidate, the better.
• By making the initial contact by phone, it widens the candidate pool to include out of area superstars who are open to relocation.
• For those candidates who you speak to despite being short on experience, but who appear on paper to be bright and ambitious with strong potential upside, a phone interview is a great tool for assessing whether this candidate may be worth meeting.
• The hiring process is maximized because unqualified candidates are eliminated before wasting the valuable time of human resources, hiring managers and anyone else on the hiring team.
• Verbal communication skills can be assessed during the phone screen.
• Through conversation, candidate and company mismatches can be eliminated and instances of “I wish we knew this before this interview was scheduled” can be avoided. It’s an ideal way to pick up on potential red flags and identify a candidate’s true level of compatibility and interest.
• Candidates are taught never to bring up salary in the first interview, but the green elephant in the room needs to be paid attention to early in the process. If your salary range is 50-60k and the candidate is seeking 70-80k, an early conversation might save both of you time and effort.
• If the pieces appear to be falling into place, initial interviewers can talk about what a great leader the hiring manager is, how the company promotes from within, low turnover, great benefits, etc…and anything else that sells the organization to candidates and encourages them to go forward in the interview process.
• For each candidate moving forward to the in-person interview stage, now equipped with preliminary information, you can prepare specific interview questions that will help peel the onion back on their qualifications for this job, their interest, and overall fit.
By using the phone screen interview you will significantly improve your chances of meeting only qualified, top talent, and save the time, resource allocation and costs associated with a prolonged hiring process!
The team at Moore Staffing Services prides itself on working hard to get the job done! Our core values of Expertise, Sincerity, Compassion, and Community drive us toward the mutual goals of finding every client the best possible candidate to fill their open position, and every candidate the opportunity they want and deserve. To learn more about partnering with us, contact mike@moorestaffing.com or call (978) 682-4994.
Before you are able to dazzle a hiring manager with your in-depth knowledge of Lean Six Sigma procedures or your expertise in QuickBooks, you need to be invited to interview. A sharp, well-written resume is necessary to receive that invitation! Here are a few tips to help:
Spelling and grammar matter! Be sure to spellcheck your resume. Run it through Grammarly.com. Have a trusted friend or family member look it over. A spelling error or glaring grammar mistake could easily get your resume transferred to the “no” pile.
Be concise. Resumes for most positions should not run longer than two pages and, if you are newer to the workforce, it shouldn’t be more than a page. 4-5 bullets are sufficient in describing your job responsibilities. Include only the last 10-15 years’ experience. The hiring manager is extremely busy and, more than likely has received a slew of resumes for the position. They simply don’t have the time to read lengthy resumes so they will not do so.
Do not include references, letters of recommendations, salary history/requirements, a photograph, marital status/children, or personal info beyond your name, address, email address and phone number. I would also avoid including hobbies/interests unless you are a student applying for an internship. Including these bits of info could open you up to subtle discrimination.
Unless you are applying for an artistic role, avoid adding graphics, watermarks, or different colors. The “look” of your resume is very important. White space within the document allows for easier reading. Use one font throughout. You have 4-6 seconds to grab the reader’s attention. A wordy, dense resume makes it much harder for your experience to stand out.
Be sure to include keywords for the position you are applying to in your resume. This will help if your resume is being fed into an automated applicant tracking system. It will also help if human eyes are reading it first. Hiring managers want to know that you have the basic qualifications at a quick glance.
A resume is your sales sheet. It gets your foot in the door and provides recruiters and hiring managers with their first impression of you. Make sure it represents who you are and what you can offer! If you would like more tips, please feel free to email Stephanie at Stephanie@Moorestaffing.com.
Interview Rule #1: Many say ‘dress for the job you want’, but also you should ‘dress for the company’. Best tip: Inquire with your staffing manager on the company’s dress code. Always remember: An interview is one of the most important first impressions you will make!
Business Professional:
Men:
A business suit in solid colors, preferably black, grey, or navy blue
Tie
Long-sleeved shirt; color coordinated with your suit
Dark socks with leather shoes; again, coordinated with your suit
Leather belt
Neat, trimmed hairstyle
Briefcase
Women:
Business pantsuit in solid colors, preferably black, grey, or navy blue
If interviewing in warmer weather, some women may opt for wearing a business suit with a skirt, as opposed to pants. If choosing the skirt route, ensure the skirt is at least knee-length
A blouse that coordinates with a business suit
Subtle/conservative footwear; some women prefer to throw on some heels for this important occasion
For jewelry – less is better
Light on the makeup and perfume
Neat hairstyle
Briefcase or office-appropriate bag
Business Casual:
Men:
Khaki pants or black slacks
Cotton long-sleeved, preferably with buttons or short-sleeved polo shirt
Sweaters are okay, too
Leather shoes
Tie optional
Women:
Khaki-colored pants or black slacks
Dress skirts (still at knee length or longer here!)
Sweaters or blouses
Heels, flats or other conservative-style shoes
__________________________________________
Important Tips
Wash and iron your clothes
Avoid loud colors
Take out piercings (an earring on each ear is okay)
Cover up any visible tattoos
Women – keep it light and casual on the makeup
Men – show up cleanly shaven
What Not to Wear – Men & Women
T-shirts
Jeans
Ripped clothing
Sneakers or flip-flop sandals
Shorts
Short skirts
Low-cut shirts
Any piece of clothing that reveals too much skin
Clothing that reveals tattoos/body piercings
Low-rise or tight pants
Clothing that reveals undergarments
Did You Know?
Some say blue clothing radiates confidence and trust – Need extra confidence on interview day? Cue the blue!
Temp to hire, also known as a contract to hire or temp to perm, opportunities are roles in which you work through a team like Moore Staffing, are placed on a temporary assignment with a company. If both you and the company find and confirm that the position is a good match, then you may be hired on as a permanent employee.
Will I definitely become a permanent employee?
While there is no guarantee to becoming a permanent employee, the goal from all party perspectives is for it to be a long-term, permanent role.
What about health insurance and other benefits?
On contract, Moore offers a Health insurance plan through Tufts Medical after 30 days of employment, in addition to sick-time and a 401k match program. Once an employee goes permanent, they assume the benefits offered by their long-term employer.
What are the benefits of choosing a contract-to-hire role?
Get your resume on top – you have the option of applying for all opportunities on your own, however, with Moore, we are able to send your resume directly to the hiring Manager’s desk. Thus, your resume is separated from the many sent in via their company website.
Try before you buy – on contract/temp you can try out a company and position to see if it’s a good long-term fit for your career goals and lifestyle.
Keeping busy while on the search – if you’ve been on the job market for some time now, you know how it can be exhausting. Fill the gaps in your resume and stay sharp by considering temp-to-hire or temporary roles.
You get your foot in the door with employers, but also a Staffing Manager – Maybe this temporary role wasn’t a fit! That’s okay. If you did a great job and proved yourself to be reliable, your staffing manager will be excited to help you find a new and even better role! We can share our professional connections with you.
Does Moore Staffing only offer temp-to-hire opportunities?
No! We offer direct hire and temporary opportunities as well.
