Many people go through an interview and don’t ask a single question. They are scared or assume that the hiring manager is the only one allowed to lead the conversation. In reality, interviewers appreciate job seekers who know what they are looking for and demonstrate their interest in the position. When you ask great questions you’ll also uncover the priorities and responsibilities of the job so you can effectively sell your experiences and accomplishments back to the employer.

Three key questions you should consider asking in an interview are:

1. Company Challenges – Ask: “What are some of the key challenges the company is facing right now?” You’ll demonstrate that you’re thinking not only about your own position, but also the well-being of the company. Employers love team players who think about the bigger picture.
2. Keys to Success – Ask: “What abilities are the most important for success in this position?” This question will show that you are focused on succeeding and you’ll be able prioritize your answers based on what the interviewer tell you is important.
3. Personal Approach – Ask: “What do you most enjoy about your work here?” You’ll show that you have a genuine interest in your interviewer as well as an interest in enjoying your work. This will demonstrate that the job is not just a paycheck for you.

Asking the right questions gives the interviewer a chance to talk while educating you on what you need to know about the job.‍

Helping you land your next great job...faster.‍

Employers can subscribe to our Reemployment Industry Insights mailing list and job seekers can subscribe to our Job Search News & Tips mailing list.

Networking can be hard, but one great trick you can use is the "informational interview." Simply find someone who works in a company or a job you're targeting and ask for a conversation to learn more. To save them time and make it casual, ask them to meet for coffee or lunch. You'll normally learn more about a target company or occupation over lunch than you might in months of researching, and you'll often discover job openings and gain connections you'd otherwise miss.

Use these three tips to start tapping the power of an informational interview:

• Use your employer target list – Look for hiring managers or people in your network who work at a target employer by searching for the company on LinkedIn or Google. Narrow your search to your local area, so you can meet in person. If you don't find anyone that way, ask the receptionist to connect you to someone from the department you're targeting.
• Make contact – Be personal and sincere -- do not use the default generic messaging options if you are using LinkedIn. Simply ask this question: "I'm really interested in your work and your company. Would you be willing to have a conversation with me over lunch or coffee about your job and how you started in your career?"
• Ask great questions – Most people are flattered that you would want to know about their life and even more flattered that you might want to be like them. When you meet, ask personal questions such as, why they chose their job, what they like about their current company, and recommendations they have for you to gain experience in their field. Always close by asking if they are aware of any opportunities in their current company or anyone else they'd recommend you talk with next.

Use these tips and you may just find that you’ve taken a big step toward finding your next job.

Employers can subscribe to our Reemployment Industry Insights mailing list and job seekers can subscribe to our Job Search News & Tips mailing list.

Research on landing a job faster

‍Despite over five million open jobs, the average job seeker remains unemployed over six months and over one third of unemployment insurance claimants are still exhausting all of their benefits, without landing a job.

This is costly for employers and job seekers alike. The average claim against an employer’s unemployment account is over $5,000 and, for job seekers who are parents, a six-month or greater spell of unemployment nearly tripled the rate of poverty.

Read this month’s Reemployment Insight, “The Six Month Question” to learn more about the 5 factors you should ensure are included in your reemployment support model.

With 2.2 M people still stuck in long term unemployment and another 6 M hoping to get back into the labor force, we all tend to know someone who’s struggling to land a job.

Many of us, especially those of us in jobs that touch workforce topics, such as HR or unemployment, are expected to know something about landing a job; and we often do. But it’s often difficult to know exactly what we can do to help. Fortunately, with the right approach, job seekers can improve their chances of landing a job by nearly 600%.

Read this month’s Reemployment Insight, “Three Ways to Help a Friend Back to Work” to learn more about three of the most effective strategies used to help people land jobs.

The Impact of Layoffs on Employer Branding

‍At 75 million workers, Millennials are now the largest generation in our workforce. According to studies, they are cause-oriented and more focused on who they work for and why. They’re also socially-driven and highly connected.

For a growing generation of workers, how an employer treats employees at exit matters. In a workforce now dominated by Millennials that are empowered by social media, the implications are stronger than ever, both for the culture of those left behind in a layoff as well as those sizing up an employer’s brand when considering a new job opportunity.

Click here to read this month’s Reemployment Insight, “Breaking Up is Hard” to learn how employers can take matters into their own hands and manage the brand fallout of unemployment over social media.

Do you know someone who is searching for that great next job?

Due to popular demand, additional dates and times have been added for a free interactive 45-minute
 virtual seminar

where we will explore why every career seeker should have a professional brand, key elements in building a brand and initial steps to showcasing your brand in social networks.  Dates, times & registration details below.

After attending this seminar you will understand

1. The purpose a brand serves as applied to your career.
2. Key conceptual and functional elements of a well-created professional brand.
3. First steps in preparing to effectively use social networks for career building.
4. How to actively build your brand identity in social networks.

Mark Your Calendar:

Elements of Effective Career Branding for Social Networking

Date: December 3, 2015
‍Time: 12:30pm ET
Where to register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1118917279196515330

Date: December 12, 2015
Time: 11:00am ET
Where to register:https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/86282346668524034

Date: December 15, 2015Time: 9:00pm ET
Where to register:https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9213367951255758082

Visit our Job Coaching Scholarships webpage for free access to our jobseekers toolkit to claim a scholarship to receive help from a professional job coach.  (Available for a limited time.)

 See the flyer! 

Are you or someone you know searching for that great next job?

Join us on 11/17/15 at 12pm EST for a free interactive 45 minute virtual seminar where we will explore why every career seeker should have a professional brand, key elements in building a brand and initial steps to showcasing your brand in social networks.After attending this seminar you will understand:

1. The purpose a brand serves as applied to your career.
2. Key conceptual and functional elements of a well-created professional brand.
3. First steps in preparing to effectively use social networks for career building.
4. How to actively build your brand identity in social networks.

Mark Your Calendar:

Elements of Effective Career Branding for Social Networking
Date: Nov. 17, 2015

Time: 12pm ET

Where to register:
‍/attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8743339924162325249

Testimonial

‍We come out of college excited and ambitious yet with little guidance on how to keep building ourselves as professionals for a successful career future.

Having a career coach opened my eyes to what is truly meant by the term ‘job market’, how I fit in and stand out in it, and the simple yet effective steps every person can take to get to where they want to go. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to work with a NextJob coach.
‍– Gina Harrison

Presented by NextJob Coaches, Tara Orchard and Dixie Bullock

Dixie is a Coach Team Manager at NextJob where she manages a team of job coaches. Dixie’s coaching

and employment-related services experience include over 15 years in staffing, recruiting, training, and job-matching. She has been consistently successful in helping others feel empowered about next steps, outcomes and options.

‍

Tara is a Career Performance, Branding, Social Networking and LinkedIn Coach and Freelancer Writer. For over 18 years she has advised 1000’s of people on effective Career and Social networking strategies that include taking control of their careers by adapting to constantly changing opportunities.

‍Visit our Job Coaching Scholarships webpage for free access to our jobseekers toolkit to claim a scholarship to receive help from a professional job coach.  (Available for a limited time.)

‍

Over half of college graduates are unemployed six months after graduation and 39% of Unemployment Insurance claimants are considered long-term unemployed having been out of work for more than six months.

Research shows that job seekers receiving the right kind of help can increase their chances of landing a job by six times. What is the right kind of help? Broadly, the right help—according to the research—is teaching a variety of job search skills, providing motivation and encouraging proactivity. In the outplacement world, this can be provided using the right combination of the latest technology and a job coach.

I use the word coach, because a good coach helps people strengthen and sharpen their skills, in this case, job search skills. They fill the job search tool box with important stuff: advice, instructions, motivation, inspiration and direction.

A job coach can be many things to many people, but a good job coach will play the following key roles as part of the team that will help a job seeker land their next job.

1. Mentor

A good job coach won’t just tell a job seeker how to do something. Instead, they explain why certain processes and actions in their profession are necessary and beneficial to the job seeker’s success. The coach will help identify and provide advice and direction on how best to target professional opportunities. They will also help develop strategies for improving performance in particular areas. This approach helps the job seeker understand not just how to do something, but why they need to do it.

2. Motivator

For a job seeker to be successful in their job search they need to be motivated about their work history, career direction, skills and ability to move forward. A good job coach will help them identify what they are doing well and assist them in capitalizing on their strengths. At the same time, the coach will point out their weaknesses, or areas in which they need improvement, and help them develop an approach to bettering themselves. The coach needs to build an honest, trusting relationship with each and every job seeker they serve in order to help each job seeker achieve their goals.

3. Goal-Setter

A good job coach helps chart the course of the job search through goal setting. They help set agendas, develop timetables, plan for the job search, and help the job seeker stay focused and on-track. In addition to meeting with the job seeker on a regular basis to assess progress, the coach will be available on an “as-needed” basis to help evaluate opportunities, plan for interviews and develop networking strategies.

4. Confidence Builder

A good job coach will recognize and celebrate positive strides and remind the job seeker of the progress they’re making. They will help identify and highlight a job seeker’s strengths in a way that builds confidence.

Everyone has had a great coach in their past. It may have been a parent at home, a sports coach in school, a manager at a summer job who pushed them a bit or a mentor who took them under their wing. These were all coaches in their lives.

A good job coach can help each job seeker learn a critical life skill – job search.

For a limited time, job seekers can visit us at https://nextjobcom.webflow.io/nextjob-scholarships-recent-grads for free access to our jobseekers toolkit where they can create their own job search plan.

Half of all job openings are “hidden”; that is, they’re not listed anywhere. Instead, they’re filled through networking, word-of-mouth and direct contact with job seekers. This is why building your brand online and putting it to work for you can mean the difference between finding a job and finding your “dream” job.

You’ve heard it said, “It’s not always what you know, it’s who you know.” It’s also who you can get to know. There is truth in these statements, especially in finding your next job, and there are some good reasons for it.

It’s the same reason employers ask for professional references. Hiring managers want to know who you are, who you know, and that you share their core values.

If you know someone in their network, it's as if you have already had an initial interview. The hiring manager can rely on your network contact's recommendation to go to the next step.

Fortunately, your network may be even bigger than you think and it’s important to connect with the right people, in the right way, so they can connect you with the right jobs.

Here are the 5 critical truths to networking your way to your next job:

1. Don’t be antisocial: Use all of your networks, both personal and online social networks whenever possible. LinkedIn is especially important for establishing and nurturing business relationships.
2. Be a job-stalker: Evaluate what you want in an employer, what you value, and the best cultural fit for you and follow companies that interest you. Connect with their recruiters, key players, associates and company websites.
3. Rub some elbows: Seek out professional opportunities to meet these key players in person whether through mutual connections or local industry events.
4. It’s who you know: Don’t be afraid to ask existing contacts for introductions to make new contacts. You never know where a new connection will lead. Try out asking insiders for time to share their experiences in an informational interview but don’t be pushy – keep it informational.
5. Make it snappy: Develop and refine the elevator pitch for your personal brand and build your own personal commercial.

For a limited time, job seekers can visit us at https://nextjobcom.webflow.io/nextjob-scholarships-recent-grads for free access to our jobseekers toolkit where they can create their own job search plan.

Just another cost of doing business…or a missed opportunity?

This past month, the Department of Education proposed expanded eligibility rules for its Pay As You Earn (PAYE) program which is designed to help relieve the debt burden for close to six million students.

The national unemployment rate has dropped to 5.1%, yet 39% of UI claimants are still “exhausting” their benefits – often at six months which costs employers an average of over $8,000 per claimant.

Some consider these claims a sunk cost, but it doesn’t have to be money down the drain. Research shows that job seekers can improve their likelihood of finding a job by nearly 600% with the right kind of help.

Click here to read this month’s Reemployment Insight, “The Big Unemployment Insurance Write-off” to learn how exhaustee claims and average claims can be reduced by one to two months, saving $1,300 to $2,600 in claimant charges.

For a limited time, job seekers can visit us at https://nextjobcom.webflow.io/nextjob-scholarships-recent-grads for free access to our jobseekers toolkit where they can create their own job search plan.