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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.

It May be Halloween, But Applying For a Job Shouldn’t be Scary

October is a time for scary things: vampires, werewolves, monsters, and witches. If you are a job seeker, you might be tempted to add “hiring managers” to that list. All too often, a job hunt can snap a person of confidence. Rejections can feel personal, and if your search drags on longer than you anticipated, it can have a serious effect on your self-esteem. Here are five tips to help you tackle your job search with confidence this Halloween season:

One: It All Starts With Your Resume

Your resume will either open doors for new opportunities, or it won’t. In order to make it work for you, it must be concise, accurate, and appealing. It should cover the scope of each position you’ve held in your career as well as the impact of the results you produced for your employers. When you’ve got a rock-star resume, your confidence will skyrocket.

Two: Have a Plan and Work That Plan

When you’re applying to random jobs here and there, or to every job you see on a job board, it can have a negative effect on your energy and your confidence. You must have a plan of attack for your job search. Choose the job boards you will use, decide how much time each week you’ll devote to those boards as well as how much time you will devote to LinkedIn, personal networking, cold emailing, etc. Know what types of organizations you want to target, as well as the specific job titles you’re qualified for, and apply only to positions that align with that criteria.  When you have a plan of attack, it can reduce stress and boost your confidence.

Three: Develop an Elevator Pitch

Throughout your job search, you’re going to leave a lot of voice messages and you’ll meet lots of new people at networking events. You must be able to state your purpose and your personal value proposition quickly and effectively. Once you’ve got your pitch, practice it every time you find yourself alone: in the shower, in the car, while walking the dog, after the kids go to bed, etc. The more you practice your pitch, the more confidently you can deliver it in front of others.

Four: Take Breaks

If you’ve been pounding the pavement for weeks with little return, cut yourself some slack and take a break for a week or even two. Stepping away from your search can help you recharge your batteries and return to the market feeling renewed and confident.

Five: Work With a Professional Recruiter

Working with a professional recruiter can help you attack your job search with confidence. Recruiters not only have a line on job openings for which you are well suited and well qualified, but they can work with you to create a strong resume and improve your interviewing techniques. When they recommend you to their clients, they have a vested interest in your success. It’s like having your own personal coach and cheering section encouraging you to succeed.

The Prevalent Group is a nationally recognized management and executive placement and recruitment company. We place executives in sales, marketing, engineering, technology and more. If you are looking for new opportunities in these fields, contact us today.

Do Not be Too Closed Off Nor Too Open in an Interview

Landing a job interview can lead to feelings of excitement and anticipation, but it can also lead to feelings of nervousness. That nervousness can lead people to act very differently in an interview than they would act in a typical professional setting. Some people are too closed off, while other people are too open in an interview. Either situation can not only cause embarrassment, but it can quickly knock you out of the running for a position.

The Danger of Oversharing

When you’re nervous, it’s easy to overshare. Your mind may be going a mile a minute, but being too open can backfire on you. For example, if an employer asks you what your biggest failure is and you answer by telling her about the time you cheated on your fiancé in Cabo, you’ll probably destroy your chances of getting hired. Not because you made a bad personal choice, but because personal information has no place in a professional job interview.

Oversharing isn’t limited to exposing your deepest personal secrets. It is possible to be too open about information relating to your work history and experience, as well. When the interviewer asks you why you’re seeking new opportunities, avoid the temptation to tell her what a jerk your current boss is or how backwards your current company’s processes are. Speaking poorly of former bosses will quickly eliminate you from consideration.

The Danger of Clamming Up

While some people tend to overshare when they are nervous, other people will freeze. That scenario might look something like this:

  • Q: What is your biggest strength?
  • A: I am an excellent communicator.
  • Q: Great! Can you give me an example?
  • A: I like talking to people.
  • Q: Ok, and what else?
  • A: I’m an excellent communicator.

Giving terse answers to questions, or failing to elaborate and provide examples of your successes can make you seem disinterested in the position, knocking you out of the running for a follow-up interview. Even though you may be nervous, try your best to always offer examples that support your answers.

Practice Makes Perfect

The only way to avoid being too closed off or too open in an interview is to practice, practice again, and then practice some more. Study common interview questions and prepare yourself for the interview by pulling examples from your work history. Don’t memorize answers, however. You’ll come off as robotic, and if you panic and forget your “lines,” you’ll wind up stuck, searching for words.  Instead, take inventory of your work history: what are your biggest accomplishments? What are you most proud of in your career? What are some weaknesses that you have overcome in the past? Go over those things with a partner, so that you will know what to say in your interview.

Work With A Professional Recruiter

If you want to perfect your interviewing techniques, it can be very useful to partner with a professional recruiter. Not only can they connect you with new job opportunities, but they can help you prepare for interviews so that you’ll be comfortable and far less likely to overshare or undershare.

If you are an information technology professional or engineer in northern Illinois who is seeking new opportunities for career growth, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of recruiters can help you locate tech jobs in northern Illinois that align with your skills, qualifications, and your long-term career goals. We will work with you to help perfect your interviewing technique to ensure you’ll always interview to impress.

Why a Unique and Personalized Application Does Wonders

When you’re on the hunt for a new job and you aren’t getting calls for interviews, discouragement is sure to set in. The problem might not be with your work history or experience. Instead, the problem may rest with the way you present your resume and cover letter. Most job seekers, in an effort to save time, send out form cover letters and the same exact resume for each position. Customizing your documents for each job is one of the most important steps that you can take to make yourself stand out among the crowd.

Not all job requirements are the same, even though you may be applying for the same type of job with each of your target companies. Job responsibilities vary from organization to organization, so you can’t possibly expect to meet each employer’s requirements if you’re sending the same documents to everyone.  If you hope to grab a hiring manager’s attention from the very beginning, you’ve got to give them something different.

Before responding to a job posting, review the description carefully to determine exactly which credentials are important. Once you are able to identify those qualifications, you can customize your resume and cover letter to meet those needs.

You don’t have to create a brand new resume and cover letter from scratch each and every time, however. You can create a master copy of each document and then tweak them to match the specific job opportunity. Here’s how:

1. Open up a copy of your master resume and immediately save it as a new document with a unique title. This will ensure that you don’t permanently alter your master resume.
2. Edit your objective to be specific to the job title and the company. For example, “To become a lead front-end developer for XYZ Corporation’s Web Services Group.”
3. Review the employer’s qualifications closely and be sure that your career summary matches those requirements. It can help to rearrange your previous work history to highlight the most relevant experience first, instead of listing everything in chronological order. This allows the hiring manager to spot those relevant qualifications quickly, rather than forcing them to scan the entire document to find matches.
4. Review your individual job descriptions and modify your duties and achievements to make them relevant to the job opening. Do not lie or exaggerate, but highlight those tasks and responsibilities that align with the new job.
5. Once your resume has been customized, you can follow the same process for your cover letter.

Sending unique applications to each employer may seem like a lot of additional work, but it is worth the effort. Hiring managers see hundreds of form letters and resumes each day, and they will notice that you took the time to personalize your application. Customizing your documents shows a genuine interest in the position as well, and identifies you as someone who is not simply applying to any job they can find.

If you’re a job seeker looking to take the next step in your career, we’d love to talk to you. At The Prevalent Group, we are always seeking relationships with experienced professionals who have the skills and the ability to deliver results.  As a nationally recognized management and executive placement recruitment company, we place executives in sales, marketing, engineering, technology and more. If you are looking for new opportunities in these fields, visit our job board to scan our current openings, and then contact us to learn more. We look forward to connecting you with your next job.

How to Successfully Highlight Your Resume in a Digital Scanner

Digital scanners are a new trend in human resources software. Also called applicant tracking systems (ATS), these computer programs scan all incoming resumes for a specific set of predetermined keywords, scoring each resume based upon the number of keyword matches it finds. Resumes that don’t include enough keywords will be automatically kicked out of the system, while those that have many matches are sent on for personal review.

Digital ATS systems are designed to make life easier for HR departments, which are often stretched to the limit. However, qualified candidates who submit a resume that is not optimized can be eliminated before human eyes ever have a chance to see their resume.

In order to have the best chance of passing the scan, here are some tips to follow:

  • Create a master keyword list – You will notice throughout your job search that the same keywords show up in postings again and again. Keep a list of those keywords, especially those that are specific to your field. Be sure that your resume includes all of these recurring terms.
  • Read each job posting carefully – While you will spot trends in job postings, each listing is unique. Be sure that your resume includes keywords from the individual posting that seem important. Words that show up more than once in a list of desired skills and qualifications should definitely be included in your resume.
  • Don’t lie – Though the object is to match your resume to the posting as closely as possible, lying will only hurt you in the long run. Hiring managers understand that not every qualified candidate will have all of their desired skills, so do your best to match your resume to the posting, but don’t falsify your qualifications.
  • Beef up your first page – Many hiring managers save time by setting parameters in their ATS to scan just the first page of a resume. Focus most of your attention here.
  • State the company name in your objective – Some hiring managers will award “bonus” points in the scoring system for resumes that include the name of the organization.
  • Create two versions of your resume – It might be useful to create a resume that is designed specifically for the digital scanner, and keep a longer version that you can send to the hiring team if you’re contacted for an interview. The objective of optimizing your resume for an ATS is to get to that first point of contact. From there, you can utilize your meatier resume to help make your case throughout the hiring process.

Another way to ensure your resume passes the ATS test is to partner with a professional recruiter. They have established long-standing relationships with hiring managers over time, and they will know whether or not those companies use digital scanning systems. If a particular organization to which you are applying does automate their resume screening process, your recruiter can help you tailor your resume to help you pass with flying colors.

If you are on the hunt for new job opportunities, and you’re having trouble standing out in the impersonal ATS environment, contact The Prevalent Group today. We are a nationally recognized management and executive placement and recruitment company that works with experienced managers and executives in sales, marketing, engineering, technology and more. We can help you stand out from the pack and land a job that aligns with your personal and professional goals.

4 Reasons Why It Is So Important To Follow Up And Stay In Touch

Jobs, bosses, colleagues and interviewers will come and go, but connections can last a lifetime.  It is imperative to stay in touch with your professional network, even while you are happily employed, because you never know when those connections may help you in your career.

1. Keep in Touch With Interviewers

It can be frustrating to make it to a final round of interviews, only to lose the position to another candidate. If you made it that far, however, it means that the hiring team saw something in you that they liked. Once you find out that you did not get the job, ask the hiring manager if it’s alright to keep in touch. Connect via LinkedIn, and check in sporadically. It is possible that their needs will change over time, and you may be a better fit for an open position in the future. It is also possible that the hiring manager will move on to another company. When she has an open position that suits you, you’ll have a much easier time getting your foot in the door if you’ve been diligent about remaining on her radar.

2. Don’t Lose Contact with Former Bosses

Hopefully, you’ve resigned from your former positions on a good note. If you parted ways amicably with an old boss, it’s not out of the question to keep in touch. Connect on LinkedIn, and when you see your former supervisors out and about at professional events, take some time to say hello and catch up.  Why? You never know where your career, or your former supervisor’s career, will go. Your old boss may move on to a new company, your old company could expand, each providing opportunities for you to return in a new capacity.

3. Follow up with Connections Made at Networking Events

People attend networking events to make connections. In order to make those connections work, you have to stay in touch. After each event, make time to sit down and email those people who made an impression on you – or those people you hope to impress. The emails should be short, but friendly and professional. Remind each person who you are and what you discussed at the event. Follow up by sending a LinkedIn invitation. Keep those people on your touch-base list and be sure to check in regularly.

4. Don’t Go Overboard

Staying in touch means sending an occasional email or placing an occasional phone call. Each point of contact should have a distinct purpose. You might attach or mention a news article about your connection’s company, or a piece of industry news they might find interesting. Don’t reach out once a week asking for a job. That is a surefire way to make yourself known as a nuisance. The point of networking is to establish professional relationships, not to hound people into doing things to further your career.

If you are actively seeking new career opportunities, the recruiters at The Prevalent Group would love to connect with you. We are always on the lookout for talented professionals in sales, marketing, engineering and technology. As a nationally recognized recruitment and executive placement agency, we work with some of the most innovative and forward-thinking companies in the country. We invite you to visit our job board and then contact us to learn more about current openings and potential opportunities. We look forward to meeting you.

Four Ways To Deal With Relocation

Making the decision to relocate for a job is never easy. That decision may often turn out to be the least stressful part of the move. Uprooting your family and your life to live in a new place can be extremely overwhelming. With a little bit of planning, however, you can ease some of the mental and emotional strain that comes with relocation. Here are four tips to help you manage that stress:

1. Take Advantage of Relocation Services

Many organizations offer relocation services to their employees. This typically involves working with a concierge who can help you with everything from locating a new home, to scheduling your moving van, to connecting you with local utilities. If your new company does not offer such a service, ask the HR department to connect you with a local, private relocation company.  Having a single point of contact to manage the details of your move can help minimize stress.

2. Stay Organized

Keep a calendar and detailed to-do lists for your move. Those lists should involve not only tasks, but also deadlines and important contact numbers. Keep a hard copy of each to do list as well as a digital copy in order to prevent loss. Lists will not only help you stay organized, but will allow you to break down large tasks into smaller, easy-to-handle steps.

3. Schedule a Visit to Your New City

If you’ve never visited your new city, schedule a trip for you and your family before moving day. While you certainly can take time to sightsee, the trip should be more about getting acclimated to your new surroundings. Show your family your new home or apartment. Figure out where the closest grocery store is, where the closest department stores and home improvement stores are, etc. If you have children, schedule a visit to their new school so that they can actually go inside the building, meet their teachers and see where they will attend class. This can ease some of the anxiety that you and your family are sure to feel in the first few days and weeks of relocation.

4. Create a Social Safety Net

Moving means leaving behind your social support network. Before you relocate, look for clubs and organizations that are similar to those you currently belong to.  If you use a site like Meetup, you can even connect with new people that share your interests before you move. The sooner you and your family can create social connections, the sooner you’ll feel at home in your new town.

Relocating for a new job can be overwhelming, but it can also be exciting. If you take steps to plan your move properly, it can ease some of the stress and keep you focused on doing well in your new position.

If you are an IT professional seeking new opportunities for professional growth, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of experienced recruiters can help you locate ideal information technology jobs in northern Illinois that align with your skills and your long-term career goals.