Monthly Archives: November 2017

5 Soft Skills To Remember In An Interview

More and more, employers are putting an emphasis on hiring candidates with the right soft skills to be successful. It will be important, however, to remember to showcase those soft skills in your interview.

Here are some of the common soft skills that employers are looking for and some helpful tips on how to convey those skills to your interviewer.

Presenting Yourself as a Professional

Like it or not, an interviewer will make a snap judgment about you within the first few moments of meeting you. This is just human nature. Be sure to show that you are a consummate professional by dressing the part. Look professional, and don’t load on the perfume or cologne. Stand and sit with good posture, watch your hand gestures and tone of voice. Use a firm, but not overbearing handshake, look your interviewer in the eye, and smile genuinely. Try to make a connection quickly with some small talk, even if it’s just about the weather. Projecting a professional image shows that you care about yourself, your work, and the way people see you.

Preparation

If you’re unprepared for an interview, the hiring manager will assume that you’ll be unprepared for your job. Be sure to do your homework and learn everything you can about the company: its history, its current focus, its mission and vision, and other relevant facts. Go over the job posting and description one more time, and review any correspondence you’ve had thus far with the hiring manager. A little bit of preparation can help make a big statement about your work ethic.

Personality

Employers want to hire friendly, positive, high-energy people. If you are nervous or naturally reserved, you’ll have to work to overcome this. Good preparation and interview practice can help build your confidence. If need be, do what professional athletes do before a game and listen to music that will pump you up and get positive feelings flowing. Show true passion for your profession and your career. If you really love what you do, your interviewer will be able to pick up on it quickly.

Willingness to Learn and Grow With the Company

Interviewers know that there is no such thing as a perfect candidate. Not everybody will have all of the skills and requirements they are looking for. They will overlook some of those shortcomings if a candidate shows a real willingness to learn and develop on the job. Showcase the ways and times in which you conducted your own development, and have stories ready that illustrate your willingness to learn new skills.

Flexibility

Job duties and requirements can change quickly, especially in technical fields. You may want to focus on one project, but circumstances may draw you to another. Employers want people who will be able to accept change and adapt quickly. Be sure to have examples ready that show times when you had to remain flexible on the job.

If you are an information technology professional or engineer seeking new opportunities for career growth in Northern Illinois, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our recruiters can connect you with tech jobs in northern Illinois that align with your skills and qualifications, and we can work with you to help you develop your interviewing style to ensure your soft skills shine through.

How To Handle Being Let Go From An Engineering Position

Being let go from a job is never easy, no matter the circumstances. Even so, it is a situation that engineers can handle if they take a strategic approach to getting back into the workforce quickly. The faster you take action, the more likely your chances of getting back in the saddle without disrupting your life or your career goals.

Accept the Situation

It is easy to become mired down in fear, anger, and shame after being let go from an engineering job – even if you were laid off due to cutbacks or closings. Instead of getting caught in a cycle of negativity, accept the situation for what it is. Give yourself a day or two to feel your negative feelings, but the faster you accept the circumstances, the better – both for your job search and your mental health. Layoffs are common in this post-recession economy, and people get fired from jobs every day. A job loss does not have to prevent you from reaching your goals.

Reframe the Loss as an Opportunity

In some cases, a job loss can be a long-term blessing. Perhaps your old company did not offer engineers a clear career path. Perhaps they had frozen raises or cut benefits. Treat your loss as an opportunity for growth. Make a list of your career goals. Now that you are unemployed, you have the time and energy to focus your search on companies that will help you advance in your career.

Get Down to Work

Searching for a job is a job in itself. Refresh your resume and start making a list of your target jobs and organizations. Start applying for openings and making connections with hiring managers immediately. Know that your days will be eaten up with job-search activities, and you likely won’t land a job right out of the gate. However, the work can be a good distraction from any lingering feelings of depression or negativity you may be feeling.

Make Personal Contacts

While looking on job boards and LinkedIn can be a good use of your time, don’t forget to network. Reach out to old colleagues and supervisors to see if they know of any openings at their current organizations. Attend industry networking events and get out in front of as many people as possible. The social interaction will also be good to help keep your mind busy.

Connect with an Engineering Recruiter

Recruiters who work with engineers can be an extremely valuable resource for you if you’ve just lost your job. Research companies that focus their energy in your field, so that you can find a recruiter who understands industry market trends. Recruiters can help take some of the legwork and pressure off of you, and they likely have contacts at some of your target employers.

If you are an engineer who has recently been let go, or you are looking for new opportunities, the recruiters at The Prevalent Group would love to talk to you. We are always on the lookout for experienced professionals who have the skills and the ability to deliver results for our client organizations. As a nationally recognized engineering recruitment recruitment company, we place engineers in a variety of disciplines with some of the most innovative firms in the country. We encourage you to visit our job board to scan our current openings, and then contact us to learn more. We look forward to helping you get back to work.

How To Develop A Strong And Beneficial Relationship With A Recruiter

Recruiters can be a powerful tool in your job search. They can act as a cheerleader, a guide, a salesperson, and a coach. In order to get all of these benefits from a recruiter, however, you have to establish a strong and beneficial relationship.

One: Be Sure of Your Search

Don’t contact a recruiter as a knee-jerk reaction to a bad experience at work. Be sure that you’re truly ready to move on. Recruiters are busy and they invest a lot of time in their candidates, so be respectful and only work with a recruiter if you’re absolutely sure it’s the right time to make a change.

Two: Be Specific About Your Needs and Goals

If you know in your heart that you will not uproot your family to move for a job no matter how much it pays, do not tell your recruiter you’d consider relocating. If you absolutely must be home at 5:00 pm in order to care for your aging parent, be honest about this. While your personal needs and requirements may make your opportunities a little thinner, your recruiter won’t waste time sending you on interviews for jobs that don’t match those requirements.

Three: Give and Receive Feedback Like a Pro

When you go on interviews, your recruiter will speak with the hiring manager to get feedback on how you did. They will then relay that feedback to you. This process helps you to become a better interviewee. Accept the feedback and act on it. At the same time, if a recruiter offers you an interview for a job that isn’t right for you, say no – but explain why you are turning it down. This feedback will help the recruiter know what types of jobs you are truly interested in. Always give and receive feedback with respect.

Four: Be an Active Participant

Your recruiter can only do so much – as a job seeker, you have to pull some of the weight, as well. Share the names of companies you have previously interviewed with so that the recruiter knows not to contact them. Provide references and all necessary paperwork in a timely fashion. Return calls and emails promptly. Check in occasionally – don’t make the recruiter call you all the time. When you’re actively involved in the process, you’ll feel more invested in it, and you’ll build a great relationship with your recruiter.

If you are looking to work with an effective recruiter, contact The Prevalent Group today. We are a nationally recognized management and executive placement and recruitment agency that works with experienced managers and executives in sales, marketing, engineering, technology and more. We can help you locate job opportunities that align with your long-term personal and professional goals.

Four Tips To Leaving A Positive Impression During An Engineering Interview

When you land an engineering interview, it’s clear that your resume made a great first impression. In order to land the job, however, you must make a lasting positive impression on your interviewer. So what can you do to help increase your chances of getting a call back?

Be On Time

If you’re late to the interview, the hiring manager will remember it after you leave. Leave much earlier than you think you need to – you never know if you’ll hit traffic. If you arrive more than ten minutes early, sit in your car and go over your notes about the employer. Be sure to enter the building and check in ten minutes before the interview is scheduled to begin.

Be Prepared

An unprepared interviewee will always leave a bad impression. Do your homework and learn as much as you can about the company you’re interviewing with. You should also do some practice interviews ahead of time so that you’re prepared with answers to questions that require specific examples of your successes.

Exude Confidence

You may be as nervous as a cat in a dog pound, but don’t let it show. Good preparation can go a long way in helping you feel confident. Remember, this is not the time to downplay your career achievements. This is your time to shine. Where else but an interview will you get to boast about yourself to someone who will actually listen?

Be sure that your appearance shows confidence, as well. Break out your best power suit – even if you know the work environment is casual. Career experts tell you to dress for the job you want, and nowhere is that more important than the interview.

Always Behave Professionally

You never, ever know what type of relationship your interviewer has with others in the industry. Do not speak ill of your supervisors, coworkers, or your employers. Even if the interviewer doesn’t personally know the people you’re talking about, speaking poorly about past employers makes you look bad. Always be respectful when asked about previous employers, no matter how tempting it may be to take the low road.

Friendly will always win you points over standoffishness. Be warm and positive, and engage in a bit of small talk before the interview starts. Do not ask inappropriate personal questions of the interviewer, however. Remember, you are in a professional interview, not a cocktail party.

Bonus Tip: Say Thank you and Follow Up

Always end the interview by asking about next steps. If you fail to ask about those steps, it shows disinterest. Keep thank you notes and stamps in the car. Write a thank you card immediately and drop it in the mail on your way home. Many people choose to send thank you emails, and while there is nothing wrong with that, a handwritten note will make a bigger impression than a digital correspondence. Be sure to keep in touch with the hiring manager, but do not be a pest. Badgering will leave a negative impression.

In order to leave an interview with a positive impression, you have to do more than just show up and answer questions. Look the part, arrive on time, be prepared, and conduct yourself in a professional manner, and you’ll be sure to leave a lasting, positive mark.

If you are an engineer in the Northern Illinois area seeking new career opportunities, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of recruiters can help you locate engineering jobs in Illinois that align with your long-term career goals, and we can work with you to help perfect your interviewing skills to ensure that you always leave a positive impression on hiring managers.