Any job seeker would say that the best phone call they are keen to get is a job interview invitation from a potential recruiter. Such a call comes with a mixture of feelings, coupled with anxiety and sometimes overboard expectations. Above all, it comes with the need to prepare well for the interview.

According to Melody Mwendwa, Career Advisor at Corporate Staffing Services, there are step by step things that any job seeker wishing to succeed must adhere to.
“They revolve around general preparedness and they ensure that you are not nervous in the interview room. They actually help you fit in the company’s ideal candidate,” Ms Mwendwa says.

Step By Step Things To Do After Job Interview Invitation

Ms Mwendwa advises on the to-do list of things as a way to prepare for interview after any job interview invitation. She divulges that such are the things that boost your confidence and also help you master what the organization is looking for.

1. After Job Interview Invitation, Understand Your Job
The recruiter will definitely search in you someone that is able to perform the tasks on the job description.

Do you know what your job entails?
It is likely that you will be informed of the position you are to be interviewed for in the job interview invitation. There are instances, however, in which as a job seeker, you might have made various applications with the same job but in different companies. Most job seekers do this. Companies however give varied descriptions for a particular job. Ensure that you understand what the job you are to be interviewed for entails so that you know the exact skills to talk about in the interview room.

2. Master your CV
“There are candidates who say totally different things from those entailed in the CV, which brings out conflicting perceptions about you during the interview. Master your CV to ensure its relevance to the particular job and go ahead to tell the recruiter the information they can also see on your CV,” Ms Mwendwa says.
This is definitely a part of preparation that is overlooked by most job seekers- taking time to go through their CV. You don’t want to forget your skills and achievements and start giving information that can’t add value to your interview.

3. Understand the company
There are many things that you must do in your bid to understand the company extending the job interview invitation. Ms Mwendwa hints on understanding the company location and generally its working culture.
“Some job seekers err when they call the company a few minutes before the interview only to ask where the company is located. It shows lack of seriousness on the part of the job seekers,” she reveals.

Much as some recruiters would send you an email or phone text describing their location, you might be required at one point of your job search to look for the company yourself. Nowadays, job seekers are lucky to locate most of companies from their websites. Make a point top search on the internet at least a day before the interview.

In addition, find the company’s website and gather as much information as possible that you need to know about the organization. It is here that you can get the clues about the company’s working culture, its core values and objectives and find a way to fit in.

4. Prepare what to bring After Job Interview Invitation
Know what you will be required to bring in the interview room. Some recruiters will give you a list of the things to carry in to the interview, other will not. Ensure you stick to the instructions.

Where you are not tied to the recruiter’s requirement however, carry the following job interview basic materials.

• Your CV
• Original certificates and their copies
• A notebook
• A pen
• What you choose to bring also depends on the job you are being interviewed for. Legal professionals for instance can bring along their own copy of the constitution.
• You can choose to carry anything else bound to make you comfortable for the interview.

5. Prepare what to wear
Run through your wardrobe for the best outfit that suits the interview. Settle for a professional one that includes a decent suit. Your choice of shoes and handbag should work for you too. Don’t make this a last minute rush as inappropriate dressing lowers your confidence during the interview.

Have you received a job interview invitation? Well, the above tips will aid you in your job interview preparation. All the best.

Resumes are very personal documents. In fact, whenever I’m reviewing a resume, I always ask permission before I mark it up. Who am I to edit your life’s work?

That said, I can almost guarantee you that the way your career counselor handles your resume is not the way it will be handled once you submit your job applications. After speaking with many, many recruiters, here are some hard truths I’ve learned.

1. If your relevant experience, education, or skills are hard to find at a glance, your resume might as well be blank.

It’s understandable to want to make your resume stand out a bit from the typical resume, but getting creative in InDesign isn’t the way to do it. As the head of Google’s HR states, “Unless you’re applying for a job such as a designer or artist, your focus should be on making your resume clean and legible.”

In other words, no funky formats. You’re far better off spending your time trying to maximize the top half of your resume. This could mean writing a resume summary with your most relevant qualifications or maybe pulling all your most relevant experiences into a separate section at the top of your resume and relegating the rest into an “Additional Experiences” section. As long as you’re trying to maximize traditional resume formatting rather than do something entirely different, you should be safe.

2. If it’s not immediately clear from your experience why you’re applying, no one will connect the dots for you.

Whether you’re a career changer or just applying for a reach position, if a recruiter’s initial reaction to your resume is confusion, you’re not going to get very far.

So, make sure you connect the dots for the reader. It’s likely that you have an idea of how your skills can be transferred or why you’re more skilled than your years of experience might let on. But, unless you spell it out on your resume, the recruiter probably won’t be able to put the pieces together—and you’ll never have the chance to explain in person.

One way to solve it? Using a simple objective statement. While you should definitely not use an objective statement if you’re applying for a position that makes perfect sense—or if it’s a clichéd “I’d like to use my skills at an innovative, fast-growing organization”—if your background is a little unusual for the job you’re targeting, a brief explanation might just be what gets you to the interview.

3. If your resume is difficult to skim, it probably won’t be read at all.

There’s some debate over how much time a recruiter will spend looking over a resume, but everyone agrees that it’s less than 20 seconds. What does that mean for job seekers? It means your resume needs to be as easy to read—really, skim—as possible.

Read: Don’t make your font so small that it’s barely legible. It doesn’t matter how much more you’re able to fit on your one-pager if no one is reading it. And don’t let your bullet points drag on to that third line. Two is all you get and, more likely than not, one is all that will get read. (Here’s a bit more on how to make your resume easy to skim.)

4. If you expect to get your resume in front of a hiring manager, you need to first make sure you get through HR.

That means making sure a layperson can understand what you’re talking about in your resume. It doesn’t matter if you’re managing complicated supply chains, coding complex algorithms, or conducting cutting-edge research on nanolasers—none of your impressive feats will reach the appropriate hiring manager if you can’t at least explain it in a way that a nontechnical human resources representative can understand well enough to put you in the right pile.

This means cutting the jargon, giving proper context, and focusing on results. Use the job posting to your advantage here—find the keywords and present your work the same way they do. I know, jargon can be pretty fun to use and starts to get instinctive when you’re around it for long enough, but step outside of your industry bubble for a bit and try to approach your resume as an industry outsider. The easier you make things for HR, the more smoothly your application process will go.

5. If your contact info isn’t correct, nothing else matters.

Finally, don’t be that person who has everything a recruiter is looking for but is just impossible to contact. Check, double check, and test your contact information. Typos are always bad, but a typo in your contact information is probably as bad as it gets. It’s a really crummy feeling to notice an incorrect email address a couple months into your job search. Don’t let that be you.

Looking for a new job is filled with constant emotional highs and lows. Battling the fear of the unknown (will you ever find a job?) is enough to make anyone feel frustrated, anxious, and downright bummed.

Job hunting is an intense process that can seriously mess with your mood. For most people, your career is closely linked to your identity, so you may feel like searching for a job is like searching for a piece of yourself—and until that piece is in place, you can feel unsettled and incomplete.

Or, you may feel that by being unemployed, you’re letting others down—like your parents, mentor, or significant other—which only exacerbates the roller coaster of emotions you’re on.

And to add to all that, looking for a new job is a constant lesson in dealing with rejection. No matter how many people tell you not to take it personally, rejection stings every time and can take a major toll on your motivation to move forward with your job hunt. You can’t help but wonder what’s wrong with you that’s preventing you from getting hired.

It’s normal to feel additional stress and anxiety during the job search process—but it’s also a difficult cycle to break. So when you’re feeling down about your job search, how can you cope? The good news is there are proven ways to better manage your mood during your job search, so you can rock your interviews and land a new role you love.

1. Create Structure

As humans, we naturally crave order and control, so it’s no wonder why the uncertainty associated with job searching can make us feel uneasy.

Creating a schedule and boundaries for your job search can help add that sense of control to your life, which can sustain your motivation and keep you thinking positively. For example, you might set aside one hour each morning specifically to work on updating your resume or set a goal to attend three networking events per month.

By incorporating structure into your daily job search, you’ll accomplish small wins each day, which helps foster positive feelings of self-efficacy—that is, a sense that you are capable of finding a new job. Knowing that you’re able to accomplish goals you set for yourself can help revive your waning motivation and flip your mindset around.

2. Stay Organized

The more organized you are, the less likely you are to become overwhelmed and fall victim to worst-case scenario or defeatist thinking (e.g., “They’ll take one look at my resume and laugh me out of the room” or “Why bother, I won’t get this job anyway”). So, create step-by-step plans for tackling each piece of the job search like it’s any other work assignment.

For example, for one opportunity, you may need to find contact information for setting up an informational interview and then draft an email to send. For another opportunity, you may have already landed an interview, so your next tasks would be to research the company, organize your notes, and lay out your interview outfit.

Breaking down the job search into smaller, more manageable tasks can help a big, daunting process feel less overwhelming and more within your control.

3. Take a Hiatus

Lining up as many interviews as you can fit into a short period of time may seem like the best strategy to land a role quickly, but when you’re feeling unmotivated and burnt out, it’s important to pace yourself.

In fact, you may even want to take a break from interviewing or job searching altogether. The length of your recovery will vary depending on your individual circumstances, but generally, the more detached and listless you feel, the more time you’ll need to disconnect and recoup. By taking occasional breaks, you’ll give yourself time to do an internal audit of your physical and emotional well-being and replenish your reserves as needed.

Use this time to physically rest and work on other priorities that may be tangential (but still beneficial) to your job search, such as setting up coffee dates to deepen networking connections or investing effort in finding a mentor who can support you when you pick your search back up again. While getting a job is important, keeping yourself healthy in the process is also an essential long-term investment.

4. Seek Out Emotional Support

The job search can stir up challenging emotions, fears, and limiting beliefs that can keep you up at night. If you bottle up those reactions, you’ll perpetuate the production of stress hormones throughout your entire body, which will continue to bring you down.

Instead, take these emotions as a signal to make a change in your behavior or outlook. A great way to do this is to turn to a friend or family member, who can provide a helpful reminder that you are loved, cared for, and a person of tremendous value despite the challenges you’re currently facing.

Simply talking through your emotions with another person can be an effective way of processing messy, challenging emotions. Engaging with a trusted friend, family member, or therapist can also help you uncover limiting beliefs that are holding you back and learn how to turn those around.

5. Know Your Triggers

Ask yourself: What situations make you feel the most bummed out or trigger stress? For example, maybe you’re sent into a tailspin of uncertainty when you don’t hear back right away after an interview. The longer you experience the silence, the less motivation you have to continue your search—and you might even self-sabotage by canceling other interviews.

If you can identify situations or people that trigger your frustration, you can anticipate your reaction and create emotional buffers to help you cope better. For instance, you could ask your interviewer directly when you can expect to hear back—which can lessen the impact of that trigger.
The road to landing a job can seem endless and can take a major toll on your emotional well-being. But just like you wouldn’t go into work if you had the flu, you can’t go through the interview process without caring for your physical, mental, and emotional health. By following these tips, you can weather the storm and expedite your path to employment and happiness.

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Source: Marcandangel

I have always been fascinated by people who are consistently successful at what they do; especially those who experience repeated success in many areas of their life throughout their lifetime. We all have many examples of super successful people who we admire. But how do they do it?
Here are twelve things they do differently that the rest of us can easily emulate.

1. They create and pursue S.M.A.R.T. goals.
Successful people are objective. They have realistic targets in mind. They know what they are looking for and why they are fighting for it. Successful people create and pursue S.M.A.R.T. goals.
S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. Let’s briefly review each:

When you identify S.M.A.R.T. goals that are truly important to you, you become motivated to figure out ways to attain them. You develop the necessary attitude, abilities, and skills.

2. They take decisive and immediate action.
Sadly, very few people ever live to become the success story they dream about. And there’s one simple reason why: They never take action!

The acquisition of knowledge doesn’t mean you’re growing. Growing happens when what you know changes how you live. So many people live in a complete daze. Actually, they don’t ‘live.’ They simply ‘get by’ because they never take the necessary action to make things happen – to seek their dreams.

Success hinges on the simple act of making a decision to live – to absorb yourself in the process of going after your dreams and goals. So make that decision. And take action.

3. They focus on being productive, not being busy.
Just take a quick look around. The busy outnumber the productive by a wide margin.
Busy people are rushing all over the place, and running late half of the time. They’re heading to work, conferences, meetings, social engagements, etc.

They barely have enough free time for family get-togethers and they rarely get enough sleep.
Slow down. Breathe. Review your commitments and goals. Put first things first. Do one thing at a time. Start now. Take a short break in two hours. Repeat.

4. They make logical, informed decisions.
Sometimes we do things that are permanently foolish simply because we are temporarily upset or excited.
Decisions driven by heavy emotion typically contain minimal amounts of conscious thought, and are primarily based on momentary feelings instead of mindful awareness.
Don’t let your emotions trump your intelligence. Slow down and think things through before you make any life-changing decisions.

5. They avoid the trap of trying to make things perfect.
Many of us are perfectionists in our own right. We set high bars for ourselves and put our best foot forward. And this dedication towards perfection undoubtedly helps us achieve results… So long as we don’t get carried away.
True perfectionists have a hard time starting things and an even harder time finishing them, always.

6. They work outside of their comfort zone.
The number one thing I persistently see holding smart people back is their own reluctance to accept an opportunity simply because they don’t think they’re ready.

If you are looking to make positive changes and new breakthroughs in your life, you will need to embrace these moments of opportunity even though you will never feel 100% ready for them.

7. They keep things simple.
If you complicate your life by inundating yourself with too many choices, your subconscious mind will give up.
The solution is to simplify. Choose something that you think will work and give it a shot. If it doesn’t work out, learn what you can from the experience, choose something else and keep pressing forward.

8. They focus on making small, continuous improvements.
Making small, positive changes – eating a little healthier, exercising a little, creating some small productive habits, for example – is an amazing way to get excited about life and slowly reach the level of success you aspire to.
Start with just one activity, and make a plan for how you will deal with troubles when they arise.

9. They measure and track their progress.
Successful people are not only working in their job/business, they are also working on it. They step back and assess their progress regularly.
You can’t control what you don’t properly measure.

10. They maintain a positive outlook as they learn from their mistakes.
Successful people concentrate on the positives – they look for the silver lining in every situation. They know that it is their positivity that will take them to greatness.
Remember, every mistake you make is progress. So don’t hesitate – don’t doubt yourself! Don’t let your own negativity sabotage you. Learn what you can and press forward.

11. They spend time with the right people.
Successful people associate with people who are likeminded, focused, and supportive.
socialize with people who create energy when they enter the room versus those who create energy when they leave. They reach out to connected, influential individuals who are right for their dreams and goals.

12. They maintain balance in their life.
If you ask most people to summarize what they want out of life they’ll shout out a list of things like: ‘fall in love,’ ‘make money,’ ‘spend time with family,’ ‘find happiness,’ ‘achieve goals,’ etc. But sadly, a lot of people don’t balance their life properly to achieve these things. Typically they’ll achieve one or two of them while completely neglecting the rest.

When you let your work life (or social life, family life, etc.) consume you, and all your energy is focused in that area, it’s extremely easy to lose your balance.

We’ve all been there: It’s the end of the interview, and after nearly an hour of pouring your heart (and work experience) out to a potential employer, the hiring manager asks if you have any last questions before wrapping up.

It’s meant to be a formality, of course—a way to end the conversation without kicking you out right then and there. But it’s also an opportunity, intentional or not, to make one final impression and give your interviewer something to remember you by.

As Marshall Darr points out in this short piece on Medium, this final remark is actually a moment to “add value to the conversation” before you both head your separate ways. It’s especially noteworthy when you do manage to pull that off, since so many other candidates, having already asked many questions throughout the session, mindlessly shrug off this little last thing at the end.

But if you play your cards right, he says, it can turn a completely lost cause into a foot in the door. According to Darr, you should wrap things up nicely with this question:

“Actually yeah, I was wondering what your best moment so far at [Company Name] was?”

This simple ask, cleverly masked as innocent curiosity, can give you many important insights—on your interviewer’s values, the company, and how well you might fit in with a position there. Think about it: There’s no higher note to end on than with your interviewer’s fondest memory of the company, a feeling that can now be subconsciously associated with your prospects as a future employee.

And aside from being an emotional plus for you, it’ll also give you an idea of what your future co-workers might value, and the kind of culture that company cultivates for its team members. If your interviewer struggles to come up with a meaningful memory, that’s a helpful red flag for you to keep in mind if you end up with an offer.

So, the next time you’re hard-pressed for something to say in those awkward few moments before the door closes with you on the other side, give this question a shot. Odds are, it can only help.

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Finishing college is a big accomplishment, and for many people, a big relief. College can be a lot of fun, but some people are just ready to start their careers and start the next phase of their lives. Whether you’re ready or not, you will need to move forward after college. If you are still attending, then you need to be sure to stay on budget while you are in school. Once you graduate though, making wise choices in your job search and at your first job, and smart financial decisions, will help set you up for a successful life and career. On the other hand, spending money like you will never run out, or failing to appreciate your first job and learn as much as possible, can set you down a bad path that can be hard to come back from. Here are five mistakes you want to avoid.

1. Failing to take your job search seriously

Ideally, you will have a job set up before you graduate. If you don’t, you will want to make finding one your top priority. According to USA Today, you can get a job coach, and also network and reach out to people at a company that you want to work for. Don’t make the mistake of assuming a job will simply fall into your lap; you need to get out there and apply.

Also, be careful of taking just any job. While you have to pay your bills, you will be in a much better place career-wise if you can find a job in your field. This is another reason why you should start searching early.

2. Coasting at your first job

Landing a job is a big deal, but don’t assume that just because you get a job, you will keep it. It’s important to work hard and prove that you deserve to be at the company. Particularly when you are working at your first job, you want to establish yourself as an asset to the company. Being lazy or doing the bare minimum will only hurt you later.

Even if your first job isn’t ideal, you can still make the most of it: learn as much as you can, grow professionally, and network. You never know how your hard work will pay off. Even if your first job isn’t as interesting as you want, or isn’t at the level that you want, working hard and showing that you are a loyal and innovative team member may lead to just the job you do want.

3. Spending money impulsively

Once you have a job, it can be exciting to spend the money you make. Having a lot of money for the first time can be exhilarating and it can be very dangerous as well. As tempting as it is to go out and buy a new car, new furniture, and splurge on many dinners out, try to limit your extravagant spending. You probably have some time before you need to start saving for retirement, but spending wildly just because you have a job won’t pay off in the long run.

According to U.S. News & World Report, you should consider the benefits your employer offers and take advantage of them; also, think about your fixed costs and about your future savings.

4. Ignoring debt

If you took out student loans, you probably have a grace period before you need to start repaying them. If you have other debt you need to pay off, then it’s reasonable to wait to pay off your student loans, especially if you have other debt with higher interest rates. However, it’s a good idea to pay off as much debt as you can now. You don’t need to pay the minimum due for your student loans, and if you have credit card debt, the same is true. The more you can pay off now, the more available funds you will have to save for traveling, a house, or retirement.

When you graduate college, you will most likely have as few responsibilities as you ever will. Now is the time to pay your debt if you can.

5.Forgetting about your health

Yes, you’re young, and it can be tempting to spend money on the things you want instead of investing in health insurance. However, if you are no longer on your parents’ plan (which you usually can be until you are 26 if dependents are covered), you do need to think about coverage. Even if you are still on your parents’ plan, you won’t be forever and you need to look at what plans your company offers and the cost of those plans. Also, it’s important to consider how many years you have before you need to pay for the insurance, or how it will affect your budget.

If your parents can’t cover you, then be sure that you do sign up for coverage. Without health insurance, you risk a serious financial hardship if an expensive health surprise comes your way (this is also a good reason to have an emergency fund).

Also, when you are working full-time, it can be easy to neglect other aspects of your health, such as exercise or diet. Maintaining a healthy diet, and finding time for exercise, will help you save money on expensive health care costs later.

The years after graduating college should be exciting, and you can learn a lot and advance professionally and financially if you avoid financial and career mistakes.

With the huge number of applications a job opening usually gets, it’s frustrating—but not much of a surprise—that most recruiters spend all of six seconds looking at your resume.

So, what’s a job seeker to do? Stop putting effort into perfecting your resume bullet points? Forget about quantifying accomplishments? Shorten your resume to just be five targeted keywords in a large font?

No, no, and no. Your goal is actually pretty straightforward: Give recruiters a reason to take a closer look at your resume during their quick glance.

Here are a few ideas on how to do exactly that.

1. Call Attention to Keywords

The bulk of your resume is likely made up of the bullets listed under your experiences, but unless there’s something that catches your reader’s eye, he or she may never even make it to the meat of your resume.

To combat this, pull up the sections that allow for the use of more keywords to the top third of the page, such as your skills section or summary statement. Then comb through the job description to find what words, skills, or qualifications keep coming up. Pick out your strengths from what you’ve found, and make sure a reader doesn’t have to go very far to find something he or she would be interested in.

2. Use Section Headings Strategically

While we’re on the topic of keywords, one component that tends to get a lot of emphasis is your section headings. It makes sense. They need to be very clear so that your resume is easy to navigate and skim, but what a wasted opportunity for these bolded, eye-catching headings to only point out where the next section starts.

To take advantage of these inherently attention-grabbing areas, add some relevant flair. Instead of just an “Experience” section, change it to “Teaching Experience” or “Project Management Experience.” Instead of just “Skills,” give “Technical Skills” or “Stage Management Skills” a whirl.

3. Maximize Your Company Brands

No matter how clear your own personal brand is, it’s hard to compete with the brands of established companies. But, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, you can use that to your advantage on your resume.

If you’ve worked at a company like Facebook, HBO, or Gucci, you better believe a recruiter will spare an extra minute or two to see what you did there. This means making sure that if you have any well-known companies on your resume, you’re either bolding your company names or writing them in all-caps. Don’t diminish their impact by italicizing them or bolding your position title instead.

4. Don’t Hide Your Quirks

You’ve probably heard the advice to keep your resume all about business. And, with such little space to make your case for why you can do the job, that’s not bad advice. That said, you also don’t want to hide all your quirks—even if it’s just to get the recruiter to do a double take.

Is your side gig to take people out for tandem skydives? Are you a computer science major who minored in dance? Do you have a third degree black belt in taekwondo? It’s very possible that none of this is relevant to the position you’re applying for, but it just might be so interesting that a recruiter spends a little extra time on your resume.

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