Friday, November 29, 2019

What to Do After the Job Interview to Speed Things Up

What to Do After the Job Interview to Speed Things UpWhat to Do After the Job Interview to Speed Things UpYour job application and resume are in stellar shape, and youve rocked every single interview. But no matter what you do, hiring managers seem to take forever to make hiring decisions. The problem isnt you its them.At least thats how 57 percent of workers who responded to a recent Robert Half survey see it. They said the most frustrating parte of the job search is the wait time between the interview and either an offer or rejection. How long is too long? Of the respondents, 39 percent said seven to 14 days was pushing it, while 24 percent said three weeks was excessive.When youre excited about job opportunities, it can be discouraging when potential employers dawdle. The good news is that waiting patiently isnt your only course of action. Here are four non-pushy ways to help speed up their hiring process.1. Be honest about your interestIf you really clicked with the interviewers and fell in love with the position and workplace culture, let them know with a thank-you note. Before you leave that meeting room, tell them know how genuinely interested you are in joining their company. Employers value skilled workers who are also enthusiastic and motivated, and this extra step may encourage them to expedite the hiring process so you dont get away.2. Follow up within a couple of daysManagers are busy, and they may get distracted by other work after the interview round. To ensure you stay on their radar, send an email or handwritten note - or pick up the phone - to thank them for their time. Keep the katechese short and sweet, but do reemphasize your interest in the position. An additional tip Add a relevant point that wasnt discussed during the interview, such as how youre actively pursuing an industry certification. New information could help swing the odds in your favor.3. Check back within a few weeksWhile you dont want to come across as demanding or impatien t with the companys hiring process, its perfectly acceptable to politely ask for an update. If the employer is non-responsive or evasive, its probably time to move on. Not all employers have gotten the memo that they need to accelerate the hiring process, and sometimes its you who has to nudge them along.4. Notify the employer of other offersManagers realize candidates apply for several positions at one time, and you may speed up a hiring decision if you let them know other employers are courting you. The critical thing here is how you do this Any updates should be a courtesy, not a threat. Simply mention that you are still interviewing and where you are in the process. This helps the hiring manager know up front what the competition for you looks like so hes not surprised at the end of the process. And it goes without saying that you should never invent a job offer.Meanwhile, keep your options open and find temporary accounting jobs that are right for you. WORK WITH ur RECRUITERS

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Dont fear your doubts and insecurities? ?Let them drive your life

Dont fear yur doubts and insecurities? ?Let them drive your lifeDont fear your doubts and insecurities? ?Let them drive your lifeCriticism didnt really stop us and it shouldnt ever stop anyone - Paul McCartneyThe greatest strides and triumphs of our lives will come when we cast fears and insecurities to the side - by accepting them for what they are - and continue powering forward to what we want most. As John Mayer once sang, fear is a friend whos misunderstood. But fear can also be an enemy. So as we experience the doubts and insecurities of life, we must learn how to harness the energy to both accept and reject fear.I watched one of my artistic heroes in delight last night on 60 Minutes as he discussed memories, fears, proudest moments and shockingly- insecurities. Few people would think of the greatest icon in the history of popular - and rock n roll music - as a man who is insecure. And yet Paul McCartney, at age 76, was here to tell us that hes menschengerecht, too.McC artney was asked what the biggest misconception about him is. Like most of us, well never really know of what others think of us. So, on its head, it was a curious question. But McCartney digested it, thought a bit and said,I dont know what people think about me. I can try and guess. Ill tell you what,You must have no insecurities.Just like anyone else, you have insecurities. Cause everyone has them. And no matter how high and great and wonderful you get, theres still something will make you worry.No matter how high and great and wonderful you get, there will always be worry. Even when youre the greatest the world has ever seen, you still doubt. Youre still insecure about whether your work, your thoughts or things that you do will resonate and matter. When youre dedicated to giving the world your absolute best, you will always care. Youll always worry.And thats OK. To fear is human. To worry is, too. Insecure?Arent we all?This is notlage a bad thing. The mora we disown our human nat ure, the mora we struggle. The more we pretend that we can make it through life without worrying about the good and the bad, the less vulnerable we are. The less we are ourselves. And we should always try to live our best, boldest life - which is being ourselves and striving to get better everyday.Our job in this life is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it. - Steven PressfieldLife isnt about living someone elses life - and furthermore, its not about pretending to be someone that doesnt even exist. If you find yourself succumbing to fears and worries on your journey, take solace in the fact that the worlds most talented and successful people find themselves in moments of doubt, just like you and me.In fact, the more experienced you become in insecurity and fear, the better able you are at mastering it and launching the greatest growth moments of your life.How do I know? Ill tell you.Launching a dreamMy whole life, I wanted to write a book. But I didnt just want to write a book to say that I was an author. It was never about that. Titles mean nothing. Impact is really what matters. I wanted to write a book that changed peoples lives, offered a glimpse into what it means to do what matters most, and to provide clear definition to why we do, what we do.The more I dedicated time to self-examination, to thinking of all of my biggest failures and mistakes, as well as my biggest victories and moments of progress, I found very deep meaning in what I needed to do. I motivated and inspired myself to make meaning of my life and to continue doing what I love most writing in an effort to help others.I was living my calling. And yet the closer I got to living my dream and publishing my book, The Value of You, the more fear set in. It was crazy. How could it be that the more I immersed myself in what meant everything to me, in certain respects, the more difficult it became? I didnt have an answe r, at the time. But I knew the intensity of the moment was real.Right before I was wrapping up the editing of the final chapters of my book, I was sitting at my dining room table staring at the screen. For all intents and purposes, I was finished. But I knew there was still just a little bit left. I could feel the doubt starting to set inYou cant finish this. Just leave it be. No ones going to care anyway. Youre not going to be a published author. No ones going to care.In a moment of epiphany that I can only describe as sublime, I snapped out of the moment, re-applied myself and powered through the rest of the editing. I was finished. The book wasnt yet published. But I had just completed living my dream. It was one of the most remarkable feelings Ive ever experienced, in part because I overcame the feelings of insecurity and doubt and smashed them in their face.You too will face fear when you commit to a consistent daily approach of doing great work - doing what you love. You must be prepared.The Battle of lifeIn his must-read book, The War of Art, Steven Pressfield talks about the biggest enemy (and sometimes catalyst) all of us will face in life fear. Fear is our lifelong companion. We cant shake it. So we might as well live with it. Pressfield asks a timeless question that all of us will need to answer time and time again,Are you paralyzed with fear? Thats a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember one rule of thumb the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more aya we can be that we have to do it.Fear, Insecurities, Doubt. It really depends on which side of the coin youre looking at.When I was in the doldrums of insecurity while struggling with anxiety, fear and low self-esteem - which included the loss of a job, the loss of a family member and rejections from publishers - thats when I really learned the most about myself. It was in those moments that I realized that fear is the b iggest fight and battle of our lives. And it will never end.If we succumb to fear, if we begin rationalizing the voice inside our head that tells us to give in to what we dont really want, we lose big time. We stop fighting and acquiesce, letting the wind take us whichever way it so pleases. We must keep up the fight, and while we wont always control every outcome, our effort to influence and embrace ourselves for exactly who and what we are at all times, is the epitome of what it means to triumph and persevere.Fear and insecurities are given life by the voice inside our heads. Its rare that it comes from others. And frankly, if youre finding yourself speaking with people who are making you more fearful and anxious, then cut them off. Eliminate those conversations from your life.Lean in and do what you really wantInsecurities are truly pushing us in the direction of what we really want. It sure doesnt seem that way, but take a step back and realize the way that you feel when you try to launch your dream and you find your mind leading you astray into doubt. It happens in the blink of an eye. Youll start to think you dont really want this thing that drives the passion inside of you each day.Please. Do what you want. Go after what you want with maximum effort and energy. If youre reading this and this resonates with you in your personal struggle, then know that this is your time to do that. Dont get caught up worrying about time or the *Im too old or Im starting too late or What if it isnt all that its cracked up to be or What if Im not as good as I think I am?Those excuses and rationalizations are all fear-based. Theyre bullsh-t.You may want to create your own website, write a book, perhaps you want to launch a new app that helps increase literacy among children, or maybe you just want to rock on the guitar and write a few songs.Paul McCartney will tell you that all of us struggle with insecurity. Its how we both proactively embrace fear, as well as how we react to moments of self-doubt that define our lives. When you view life through this lens, you begin to make the most of your human experience. I think youll look back and realize that youve learned a tremendous amount about yourself.Fear can break you, if you let it. But fear and insecurity can drive your life to do things that can literally change the world - and the lives of others for the better. Know your insecurities. Know your fears. Things that will help positively shape the rest of your life.Find your wayJoin my newsletterfor inspiring content. I share resources that will lead you to the life you most desire to live. If youre interested in working with me, pleasesend me a messageand let me know how I can help you.Thisarticlefirst appeared on Medium.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

How to Write Thank-You Emails After Interviews

How to Write Thank-You Emails After InterviewsHow to Write Thank-You Emails After InterviewsMost job seekers put a lot of effort into crafting a resume and preparing for an interview. Heres what many people dont spend much time on but should thank-you emails after interviews.Its surprising how many job candidates dont bother to send a thank-you musiknote, because it really does make a positive impression on employers. Its a simple step to take, and it can separate you from equally qualified candidates who didnt send a thank-you email after an interview. It also takes very little time once you know how to do it.If the thought of crafting a great thank-you email is holding you back from sending one, youve come to the right place.What to include in a thank-you email after an interviewHere are the basic points you should include in just about any thank-you note you send after an interview, and a few optional ideasExpress thanks for the interviewers time.Briefly reinforce why youre intere sted in the job and why youd be a good match.Consider adding something that you and the interviewer discussed while getting to know each other that makes the thank-you email mora personal.Offer to answer any questions they might have.Add relevant examples of yur work, or suggest a solution to a company problem that came up during your conversation.Close your email by reiterating your appreciation for the interview and asking about next steps.SEARCH JOBS NOWTemplates for thank-you emails after an interviewThe type of thank-you email you write will depend on what kind of company you interviewed with. welches it a casual workplace or startup? If so, you might try something like thisHi persons name,It was such a pleasure to meet you today to discuss role you applied for at company name.The position sounds like exactly the type of job Im looking for, and I believe my experience in/with accounts receivable/Java programming/managing a team would help me thrive in the position.If there are any additional questions I can answer, please let me know. Thanks again for meeting with me to speak about this exciting opportunity.Best regards,your nameThis first template for a thank-you email after an interview is short and to the point, but it gets the job done. If you want to distinguish yourself a little more in a thank-you email, you might try something like thisHello persons name,Thank you so much for meeting with me insert day and discussing the exciting job opportunity at company name.Im very interested in the position and believe my two/five/ten years experience writing marketing copy/managing a sales team/designing websites would be valuable as your company is rebranding/opens new stores/courts new customers.You mentioned that your team is in the middle of an expansion/migration to the cloud, and I wanted to offer you a few ideas I think would help briefly talk about your ideas.Youll find some links to my rebranding work/website redesign at the bottom of this email.I l ook forward to hearing from you about next steps in the interview process and would be happy to answer any other questions you have about my fit for this position.Best regards,your nameThe two thank-you note examples above would likely work well for many companies. But if you are applying for a job in a more buttoned-up industry you might want a slightly different tone. However, even in a company with a formal culture, a candidate for a web developer position may find that the people she meets are more casual than the client-facing side of the business, so use your best judgement.If you are interviewing for a financial or consulting position at an accounting firm or somewhere similar, this third option might be for youDear insert name,Thank you for meeting with me today to discuss the job opportunity at insert company name.I am very interested in the job and believe my skills would be an excellent match for the position as you described it. With more than three/seven/fifteen years o f management/financial accounting/investment banking experience, I could immediately begin to contribute to your firm as it transitions/expands/seeks new customers.On a personal note, I really enjoyed talking to you about our alma mater/love of basketball/interest in travel.I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please dont hesitate to ask if there are any other questions I can answer about my work experience and how I might contribute to your company.Best regards,your nameFinal considerationsThe above templates for thank-you emails after interviews should work in most cases. You can mix and match parts of the sample messages to create a unique thank-you email. There are a few other related things to think about, however Write a clear subject line. You can simply write Thank you for the interview in the subject line, or something like Following up on our interview. Use your best judgement it depends on how casual or formal the place and people seemed to you.Email multiple intervi ewers. If you met with three or four individuals, write a separate thank-you email after the interview to each person. Change each note slightly so those you met with dont think you sent the same message to everyone. An easy way to do this is to mention something that only the two of you spoke about when meeting maybe it was your shared love of dogs or the city you grew up in.Carefully review the email. Dont send your note without reading it through a few times to make sure you dont have any typos. Sending a note with mistakes is going to accomplish the opposite of what you want Youll distinguish yourself for the wrong reason. You might ask a trusted friend to review it as well.Time it right. Its best to send a thank-you email within 24 hours of your interview. Doing so demonstrates your interest in the job. It also keeps you top of mind with those you met with as they consider other candidates.A closing thought on thank-you emails Make sure you sound genuine in your note. Consider what you might say if you were saying thank-you in person to make the email a little more personal. Even a formal thank-you email after an interview should sound like its from a real person, not a template. Good luck