Tag: Interview

Acing Your Next Virtual Interview

Posted on by Melissa Silver

Arriving early, having a firm handshake, and maintaining eye contact are some of the key factors to making a great first impression during an interview. However, what happens when companies switch to virtual interviews? Suddenly, those tips are impossible to use and must be replaced to ace that interview. With these tips, you’ll be ready for your upcoming virtual interview:

  1. Practice.

Record yourself while you are answering questions to later review and analyze how your voice and body language. Do you seem confident? Nervous? Unprepared? However, you think you sound, the interviewer will think too.

  1. Dress for the role.

Although the interviewer will only see you from the shoulders up, wearing a full business outfit will help you get into the professional mindset.

  1. Print out a copy of your resume and write down any information you want to cover with the interviewer.

The bonus to interviewing by video is that you can have notes prepared and available during the interview. Be sure not to stare or read directly off the page but use the notes to make sure you do not miss out on key points, questions and qualifications for the position.

  1. Find a quiet, distraction-free area.

While the company interviewing you will more than likely forgive distractions, these minor sounds can be harmful to your concentration. Instead of focusing on your next answer, you may still be thinking about the distraction after the moment passes.

  1. Test your device(s) before the interview.

There is nothing worse than spending the first eight minutes of the interview troubleshooting your technology issues and having the interviewer think you are running late.

  1. Maintain eye contact with the camera.

It may seem odd at first but looking at the camera instead of the screen will look as though you are speaking directly to the interviewer and give the same effect as real eye contact.

Have any tips you use? Comment them below, we would love to hear from you!

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How To Get More Interview Practice

Posted on by Melissa Silver

The interview can be most difficult and nerve-wracking step of the job hunt process. Some of us have only had a few interviews which have all resulted in job offers, while some of us have left interviews feeling like failures. This may seem like a no-brainer but the key to interviewing is practice, practice, and MORE practice! Even if you think you’re naturally amazing at interviews, it won’t hurt to practice anyway! Here are some ways you can get more interview practice outside of the ACTUAL interviews you want to nail for that dream job.

  1. Apply for jobs you don’t want.

It sounds crazy I know, but this is an easy way to get a few practice interviews under your belt. Note, this only works if you THINK of them as practice! Apply anywhere, it doesn’t matter where. Wait for them to call you for the phone screen and practice away! If they want to interview you in person, that’s even better. There is no loss here for you since you’ll get the practice you need.

  1. Partner up with family and friends.

Set up a weekly a mock interview with your parents, siblings or even your best bud. Keeping this scheduled with a partner will also help hold you accountable to weekly practice. It is best if they choose the questions, you want this to feel like a real interview, and in a real interview you won’t know what the interviewer is going to ask!

  1. Look for official mock interview resources.

This can be an online platform or maybe the local community college that has resources set up with professional mock interviewers. Take full advantage and use as many resources as you need to practice as much as you can. Also, make sure you are practicing all KINDS of interviews, such as: the phone screen, phone interview, video/Skype interview, and the in-person interview.

After all this practice, there is no doubt interviews will become a piece of cake. Have you ever practiced interviewing? If so, how did it go? If not, do you plan to now?

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Preparing For The Big Day

Posted on by Melissa Silver

If you’ve been job hunting, you know the excitement you feel when you are finally scheduling that interview you’ve been waiting for! Getting an interview is half the battle, acing the interview is the other half! Here are some tips that will help you feel like your best self on that big day.

  1. Plan your outfit the night before

It is important to choose the perfect interview outfit. Make sure it is clean, fresh and pressed. Make sure all parts of the outfit and accessories are laid out before you head to bed. In the morning, you will be confident putting on that amazing fit. If you need a more in-depth guide to creating your outfit, check out our guide!

  1. Get a fresh start

If your interview is in the morning, go to bed early and wake up early too! You want to be well rested and you do not want to feel rushed. You need enough time to get yourself looking great and eat a nice breakfast or snack. Taking your time in the morning will make you feel calm, organized and grounded. Feeling in control breeds confidence!

  1. Know the ropes

On the day of the interview, you want to have all the important information you need and we aren’t just referring to the talking points you’ve practiced. You need to know the interview time, place, directions to the site and how much time it would take for you to get there a little early. Estimate the amount of traffic to expect and fill up your gas tank if needed. Think of all the things that could set you back and prepare for them beforehand. You want to prep for a stress-free day!

  1. Give yourself pep talks

Fill your mind with positive affirmations. Sometimes, what makes you shine most in an interview is how you feel about yourself and your skills. You got this! For additional tips on managing pre-interview stress, click here.

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All-Star Music Country Jam

Posted on by Melissa Silver
Nutzy, Tianna and Nutasha
Torin gets interviewed by ABC8

The Richmond Flying Squirrels held their annual All-Star Week in early July and Astyra staff decided to join in on the festivities!

Monday’s event was a Country Music Jam with country stars Big & Rich at the Richmond International Raceway. Our Corporate Communications Specialist Tianna met with Nutzy and Nutasha and took a selfie.

Our newest Account Admin Torin was interviewed by ABC8 on his experience at All-Star Week. The news station also got a sneak peek of our President Sam and his wife walking!

Click here to see the video.

Our Controller Chris and his family went to the Eastern League All-Star game at the Diamond on Wednesday. After the game ended, there were fireworks to celebrate the end of All-Star Week!

We’re glad to have gotten the chance to check out another event by the Richmond Flying Squirrels. The last time we attended an event by the baseball team, Brenna won a competition. Read more here.

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The Women’s Guide To Interview Fashion – Comfort Level

Posted on by Melissa Silver
An outfit that can be worn in the spring

There is a lot that goes into the final product when picking an outfit for an interview. I will go through the deciding factors of how to create the best interview outfit for you therefore making the outfit selecting process a little easier.

If you haven’t read them yet, check out the preceding articles company dress code and seasonal fabrics as they will provide tips leading to my final point!

At this point, you have the outfit style and the right fabrics, but none of that matters if you are not comfortable in what you are wearing. Comfort could mean a lot of things for you, it could be in the colors you wear, the sizing of your clothes, or the cut/shape of the fabric and how it looks/feels on you. Regardless of how you define comfort, you MUST have it in order for your interview to be successful. I always say, “if it doesn’t work, don’t force it.” An interview is not the time to experiment with clothes you “think” you might like or styles you have been dying to try. An interview is a meeting where someone is trying to get know YOU! You know what flatters your shape, you know what colors look good on you, and you know what fits you not too long or too short, but just right. Making sure that your outfit fits you comfortably, allows you to be confident in what you are wearing, which in return promotes confidence in you. Who wouldn’t want a little confidence going into an interview?

That wasn’t so hard was it? Follow these tips and you’ll be fashion-ready for your interview in no time!

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The Women’s Guide To Interview Fashion – Seasonal Fabrics

Posted on by Melissa Silver
An outfit that can be worn in the spring

The first part to creating the perfect interview outfit can be found in the first article of the series. If you haven’t read it yet, check out my previous guide to company dress code!

Seasonal fabrics are the next piece of your “this job is mine” outfit. After you know the style of outfit you are looking for, the next step is determining the articles of clothing that fit the current season you are in. The fall and winter seasons call for darker colored fabrics that keep you warmer.  A few examples include cashmere, wool, and thick cotton. Interviews that are held in the spring and summer months call for lighter colors and fabrics that keep you cool, like thinner cotton, linen, and blended fabrics. Choosing the right fabric is very important, imagine being in an interview in the middle of December with a linen suit on; your focus could shift from the interview questions to how cold you are in that suit. It would be quite distracting to regret your outfit choice amidst an interview. If ever in doubt of what type of fabrics to wear, try wearing something similar a few days before your interview. Thus, allowing you to to get a feel for what you could to wear and adjust any changes that need to be made prior to the interview and not at the last-minute.

Check out comfort level for the final step of the interview outfit process!

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The Women’s Guide To Interview Fashion – Company Dress Code

Posted on by Melissa Silver
An outfit that can be worn in the spring

Having a hard time trying to determine what to wear to your upcoming interview? A little insight on a few things to think about when deciding on the perfect outfit will help you nail your upcoming interview.

Company dress code is one of the first things to keep in mind when narrowing down your “this job is mine” outfit. I will go through one of the deciding factors to give a more in-depth understanding of how to create the best interview outfit for you, so that it may make the processing of selecting your outfit a little easier.

It is important to know the dress code of the company you are interviewing for, as it can help you to determine what would be considered “too little” or “too much” for the interview setting. Most companies are broken up into (3) main dress code types:

  • Business Professional
  • Business Casual
  • Casual

Determining the environment will definitely help with determining the style of outfit to go for. For example, a company that defines their work culture/attire as casual, may not expect an applicant to interview in a 3-piece skirt suit. On the other hand, a company that’s dress code is business professional, may be turned off by someone who shows up to interview in a jean skirt and short sleeve cardigan. Information regarding the dress code of a company may be obtained from a quick search on their company website, or in a detailed conversation with your recruiter. Regardless of the way you receive that information, it is a great starting point to picking the appropriate ensemble.

Check out our other fashion guides on seasonal fabrics and comfort level!

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Tips For Your 2019 Job Search

Posted on by Melissa Silver

If you plan on looking for a new job in 2019, then you’ll want to pay attention to these tips, they’ll help you launch and execute an effective 2019 job search.

1. Don’t depend on job boards – reach out to the hiring managers or recruiting agencies. 
2. Follow up, Follow up – create lists of the companies that you apply for and follow up on the status of your application. 
3. Prepare for the interview – talk to your recruiter, reach out to friends, practice, practice, practice it makes a difference
 
The market is saturated with candidates, the trick is differentiating yourself from the pack.
 
What tips do you have? Comment them below.

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Virtual Reality In The Interviewing Process

Posted on by Melissa Silver

In an economy where there are far more jobs than job-seekers, hiring managers will agree that it’s incredibly important to ensure they’re making the best choice. The “best” way of doing that is highly subjective in nature, but one approach that some companies are beginning to take is bolstering their interview process with… virtual reality!
 
According to 52% of respondents to LinkedIn’s Global Recruiting Trends, these innovations to the interview process are very important and, according to CloserIQ’s article, utilizing video or VR have been are “gaining ground.” 
 
A further quote from them reveals that, “Companies that incorporated either video or VR platforms into their interviewing process found they were able to better assess skills, engage candidates more, increase efficiency and improve talent pool diversity, and encountered less unconscious bias.” 
 
For example, it may be easier for someone to showcase their hand-eye coordination or ability to extract and process numerous points of information at once through such an unorthodox method. In any case, it seems as though this way of thinking has gained traction for a reason.
 
What are your thoughts?

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Managing Pre-Interview Stress: Grounding Techniques

Posted on by Melissa Silver

It is perfectly normal to feel stressed before an interview. You may really want the job or you might just be naturally shy. You know that your interviewer will be in control of the conversation and you don’t know what questions they will ask. This stress can lead to anxiety and may make you feel nervous. Here are some grounding techniques to help you reduce and manage your stress and anxiety:

  1. Senses

Sit comfortably, close your eyes and take a couple of deep breaths. In through your nose on a three count, out through your mouth on a three count.

Now open your eyes. Take your time and say out loud:

  • 5 things you can see
  • 4 things you can feel (Examples: the fabric of the chair, the hair on your forearms, the smoothness of your teeth)
  • 3 things you can hear (Examples: the ticking of a clock, the birds outside, the hum of the air conditioning).
  • 2 things you can smell 
  • 1 thing you can taste (It might be a good idea to have a piece of candy or a mint handy before you start this process. Otherwise, can you still taste the peanut butter and jelly sandwich you had for lunch).

Take a deep breath to end.

  1. Visualize

Imagine the interview going well. Imagine, shaking your interviewers hand and saying you’ll see them on Monday. Imagine coming to work, sitting at your desk and enjoying your new start. Take a look at your negative thoughts and see if they are realistic. Being aware of your unrealistic, negative thoughts can often make them disappear.

  1. Release Your Energy

Sometimes if you are stressed, you are not able to concentrate enough to do some of the grounding exercises listed above. Releasing this pent-up stress and energy can help you relax.

  • Go for a run outside or on a treadmill
  • Clean up the kitchen or vacuum
  • Turn up the music and dance, dance, dance

Once you’ve exerted some energy, sit down and try some of the exercises one more time.

  1. Feel

Hold an object (preferably an object with texture) and close your eyes. Focus on its characteristics.

  • Is it rough or smooth?
  • How heavy is it?
  • Can you close your fist around it or is it much larger?
  • What is the shape of the object?

Now open your eyes and examine that same object.

  • How many colors can you see?
  • How long or short?
  • Are there patterns or pictures of any kind?

Congratulations! You’re now mentally and emotionally prepared for your interview. Just remember, you’ve got this!

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Interviewing For Your Dream Job

Posted on by Melissa Silver

Interviews – the place where your palms are sweaty, your heart races and at some point, you leave with a thought about how you will spend the money you will earn when you get the job.  Being nervous during an interview is common for the interviewee and usually, for the interviewer too.  Smiling, confidence and a good presentation of your competencies are key.

Here are 5 tips to make sure you have a good shot (no promises):

  1. Be on time.  On time = 15 minutes early and not a minute more.  It is polite to be early, but not so early that your interviewer has to adjust their schedule to accommodate your presence.  If you arrive more than 15 minutes early, sit in the foyer or in your car.
  2. Dress appropriately.  Appropriate for a business meeting because that is what an interview is.  Sportswear and attire that you would wear to a party should be left in your closet.
  3. Know your resume.  Good practice – to hand your interviewer a copy of your résumé.  Poor practice – to refer to your résumé when asked questions about your work history because you cannot remember.
  4. Do your research.  Before attending an interview with a company, make sure you have researched them and understand their mission statement, at the very least.  It is very disappointing to an interviewer if they find out you don’t know who they are and a sure way to lose the opportunity.
  5. Thank your interviewer.  Once your interview is complete, be sure to thank the person that interviewed you for considering your application AND send a brief thank you email to this effect.

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