Entrepreneur, Solopreneur - Its Not a Hobby Any More!

Entrepreneur, Solopreneur - It’s Not a Hobby Any More! 5 tips to turn your hobby into a powerhouse career Corporate burnout is no laughing matter. For women, especially, the work-life struggle is proving harder and harder to juggle as our professional lives bleed more and more into our personal lives. Luckily, we live in an age of online-driven businesses that allow entrepreneurship and its sister, solopreneurship, to thrive. According to the National Women’s Business Council as of 2012 there were 9,878,397 women-owned businesses in the United Statesâ€"an increase of 2,086,282 businesses or 26.8 percent from 2007. This proves that women are looking for new opportunities to become independent and successful entrepreneurs and solopreneurs. Furthermore, the industry with the highest percentage of women-owned businesses relative to men-owned and equally-owned is Health Care and Social Assistance at 64.6 percent. I spoke with Stacey Morgenstern and Carey Peters, co-founders of Health Coach Institute (HCI)â€"an online coaching school that was recently dubbed by Forbes as a lifestyle empire. Their program’s business and marketing pillar is to teach students how to leverage their skills to create successful businesses. Morgenstern and Peters share their top five tips for transforming your passion into a profitable, purpose-driven career: 1 Discover your true passion and once you find it, own it with all your heart. Morgenstern and Peters teach that every change starts with the desire to want something to be different. The decision to say yes to the desire leads to acting to manifest the desire. Morgenstern says, “We call this ‘yesing’ your heart’s desires. So often we come from a place of ‘shoulding’ all over ourselves by taking on what others want for us. To be true to your heart and live your passion, you must drop the ‘shoulds’ and say yes to what you alone truly desire.” 2 Surround yourself with people who both support you and stretch you. According to Morgenstern and Peters, people often try to build businesses from scratch with either no support or the wrong supportâ€"too much stretch. Instead, they say that to become empowered in business, you need support from mentors, peers, friends, and family who hold your vision to beâ€"without a doubtâ€"attainable. Equally important is stretch from the right people who ask for goals and plans while practicing tough love. Peters says, “There has to be an equal balance of both support and stretch for there to be healthy personal growth that produces lasting and sustainable results.” 3 Get empowered with skills you need to succeed and systems to make it easier. Building a business is like building a house â€" it has to have a strong foundation to be formidable. “So many of our students have cried to us over the years that they wasted thousands of dollars and years of study that did not translate to making a living in the real world as coaches,” says Morgenstern. To counter that, Morgenstern and Peters have designed curated programs that Peters says, “Incorporate exactly what coaches really need to know to coach clients successfully and ditches the rest.” The right skills proven to create results and systems that are easy to follow will lead to success as a solopreneur. 4 Step into your spotlightâ€"it’s yours to own because there’s only one of you. HCI’s “Step Into Your Spotlight” live events are what Morgenstern and Peters refer to as business game-changers because success does not happen in isolation. Peters says their live events are all about “claiming your personal power, owning it, and having it witnessed by your tribe.” She adds, “Our events have a strong focus on a money mindset because if you can’t foster a healthy relationship with money, how can you expect to attract it into your life? And if you don’t attract money, how can you run a business?” 5 Become a mentor and share your success path with others. A continual love of learning and personal growth are just some of the things that Morgenstern and Peters believe have contributed to their company’s success. As mentors themselves, they teach their grads that one of the best ways to accelerate business growth is to become a mentor to others who want to follow in your footsteps. Morgenstern says, “Not only do you get to inspire others to live their dreams, but by sharing your journey, you realize your mistakes and in so doing, teach yourself to constantly improve and innovate your own business models.” Morgenstern and Peters agree that their school is founded on the maxim: “Love what you do, do what you love.” It’s your passion, they say, that fires up your business. As one of the only coaching schools to offer business and marketing training integrated into their curriculum, Peters explains, “It’s the combination of your passion plus the right skills that fuels your business and sparks success.” Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class now and get the most comprehensive job search system available!

Tips For Writing a Mission Statement Resume

Tips For Writing a Mission Statement ResumeTips for writing a mission statement resume are an essential component of a successful career move. A statement of purpose is the fundamental requirement for any successful resume or CV that tells prospective employers your vision, interests and skills, along with any previous achievements that demonstrate how you have fulfilled your job responsibilities.With all the hard work and dedication an employee puts into his or her career, a mission statement resume is a great way to express that person's personal qualities and interests. People usually work harder when they feel important people in their lives appreciate that effort. It's well-known that a job without a purpose will inevitably lead to unhappiness and frustration.Even if an employee may not be at the top of the totem pole within the employer's perspective, he or she should know that he or she has provided that employer with what is needed to make the business a success. As a result, an employee will be able to contribute to that success and get recognition for it as well. Of course, every employer has a specific purpose for their company, and the mission statement should complement it. Mission statements can be fun, professional and inspiring - all in one.To develop a mission statement, you will need to ask yourself a few questions. It's important to set some ground rules and determine the general focus of your resume (and an applicant's CV for that matter). The most important decision you'll make is about the most important things in your life and career.Of course, there are a wide variety of answers that an employer can give in order to determine the most important aspect of his or her life and career to that employer. Things like career choice, education and educational achievement can be equally important to the employer. If you are applying for a position that requires an associate's degree, include the degree you attained alongwith your passion and goals .If you are seeking a position requiring a bachelor's degree, include special interest, hobbies and sports interests. Any additional qualifications for your specific career goal should also be included. These statements are very important, because they will help you stand out from other applicants who may have only one or two accomplishments to tell potential employers about.Your career objective will be revealed to an employer, but that should not be the end of the story. You should prepare an outline for your mission statement, and you should also take the time to research the industry in which you hope to find employment. You can do a great deal in advance to prepare a resume that is professionally written, professional, and appealing to the hiring manager.When you find yourself ready to put together a career statement that will help you achieve your great purpose, take the time to develop a resume that will help you stand out from the rest of the competition. Good Luck!

6 Ways to Make a Great Interview First Impression - Hire Imaging

6 Ways to Make a Great Interview First Impression - Hire Imaging It's unquestionably imperative to do explore on the potential business talking with you. It's similarly imperative to consider and rehearse what you'll ask and state. Be that as it may, in the event that you flub the initial couple of moments with a poor impression by means of your appearance or non-verbal communication, it's occasionally difficult to return. All in all, how might you wow them as it so happens? Lead with your way. Individuals regularly read your disposition right away. Settle on a cognizant decision about the mentality you need to convey. Neighborly, open, persistent, congenial, inviting, and inquisitive perspectives are appealing. Those that are restless, exhausted, egotistical, frightful, or skeptical are definitely not. Ascend. Your non-verbal communication is in excess of an impression of your emotions; it's an influencer on them. Task certainty and believability by standing upright, pulling your shoulders back, and holding your head high. This situating without anyone else will really cause you to feel increasingly confident. Grin. An authentic grin is so inviting! It tells others that you are charming and agreeable. It impacts how others react to you. Examination shows that an upbeat cerebrum favors a glad face. At the point when you grin, it's a characteristic reaction for the other individual to grin back at you! Shake hands. This is the best and quickest approach to build up compatibility. Examination shows that it takes a normal of three hours of persistent association to build up a similar degree of compatibility that you can get with one great handshake. Square your body off, confronting that individual completely. Utilize a firm (yet not pulverizing) grasp, with palm-to-palm contact. On the off chance that you hold the other individual's hand a smidgen of a second longer than you may typically do, this passes on truthfulness and holds the other individual's consideration during the welcome. Look. Seeing somebody eye-to-eye shows essentialness, intrigue, and truthfulness. You can improve your eye to eye connection in those initial couple of moments by investigating the questioner's eyes sufficiently long to see what shading they are. Try not to feel you need to take part in a gazing challenge however! What's more, in case you're awkward gazing at the other individual's eyes excessively long, you can look the questioner decisively in the nose. Lean in a tad. An extraordinary method to show that you're intrigued and drawn in is to lean forward with the little of your back against the seat. Individuals normally lean toward individuals we like and subjects we concur with. Simply know to adjust this inclining forward stance with deference for the other individual's space. While talking with, you can make a positive impression from the second you stroll in the entryway! I generally love to get notification from you! If it's not too much trouble remark underneath.

Amazon HQ2 Washington D.C. Area as Headquarters Frontrunner

Amazon HQ2 Washington D.C. Zone as Headquarters Frontrunner HQ2 in D.C.? To an ever increasing extent, signs show that Seattle-based tech mammoth Amazon will pick the Washington, D.C., region for its much-advertised second home office, named by Amazon as HQ2. Amazon author and CEO Jeff Bezos clearly adores Washington, D.C. Bezosâ€"the world's most extravagant man, with a total assets over $120 billion of lateâ€"is the proprietor of the Washington Post and a year ago purchased a 27,000-square-foot previous historical center in the city to make into a subsequent home. Presently it's looking like Bezos could be investing much more energy in the country's capital, as the Washington, D.C., metro territory is progressively resembling the leader to land Amazon's subsequent central commandâ€"and the 50,000 lucrative employments that accompany it. The Washington Post announced that last week Amazon agents met with neighborhood authorities and visited a few potential advancement locales in northern Virginia, Montgomery Country, Maryland, and the District itself. The three regions were among the 20 finalists in North America Amazon named as HQ2 contenders in mid 2018. Every finalist is giving Amazon a HQ2 proposition, and a considerable lot of them remember billions of dollars for tax cuts and foundation enhancements as a way to prevail upon Amazon's kindness. For instance, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has proposed a $5 billion motivating force bundle to draw the firm, while D.C. also, Virginia authorities have made their own rewarding offers that they have not revealed, the Washington Post announced. Beforehand, oddsmakers have named Atlanta or Boston as having the best odds of ending up as host to Amazon's subsequent central station. In any case, the D.C. zone has consistently been directly in the blend of top picks to land HQ2. Also, Atlanta may have gotten its opportunities of landing HQ2 hurt severely a week ago, when the Georgia council expelled a duty exception for Delta Air Lines as reprisal for the aircraft's choice to end a rebate program for NRA individuals. Georgia has likewise passed enactment as of late that pundits state will oppress same-sex couples who need to receive youngsters or be temporary parents. Specialists state that Amazon has a by and large dynamic corporate culture, and that Amazon and Bezos have taken positions on social issues previously. Thus, Atlanta's chances to be picked by Amazon have been harmed by the state's ongoing moves. Georgia has truly harmed their Amazon offers as of late, Nathan Jensen, an administration educator at the University of Texas at Austin, said on CNN. Another sign that the Washington, D.C., region is developing as the HQ2 leader is that Amazon workers are clearly giving more consideration to this piece of the nation. The neighborhood news site ARLNow.com, which centers around Arlington Country, Virginia, noticed that a story it distributed in December about a natural honor given to the region shockingly surfaced as one of its most-saw posts during seven days in mid-February. Furthermore, most by far of web traffic originated from an inner Amazon.com interface page about the quest for HQ2. Amazon, which is famously hush-hush about nearly all that it does, has been naturally close-lipped regarding its HQ2 observation missions. Amazon authorities are visiting the urban areas, and they're not doing it with a great deal of flourish, said John Tory, the Mayor of Toronto, which is the solitary non-U.S. city among the 20 HQ2 finalists. They're visiting the urban areas that are on the waitlist and they are requesting more subtleties of the things that were contained in the offer books and they're approaching a deliberate procedure of making their choice. Because of gossipy tidbits about where HQ2 may at last end up, an announcement discharged by Amazon says basically: Amazon is working with each HQ2 up-and-comer city to plunge further on their recommendations and offer extra data about the organization's arrangements. We're eager to visit every area and discussion about how HQ2 could profit our representatives and the neighborhood network.

Common CV Mistakes And How To Avoid Them - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Normal CV Mistakes And How To Avoid Them It is safe to say that you are conveying your CV and finding that you nearly nerve get an answer? In any case, there are approaches to get your CV saw and tangle that significant meeting. Here are a portion of the missteps you might be making, and how to stay away from them. Concealing the significant data The experience you have is frequently more significant than where youve worked before. Numerous enrollment specialists dont take a gander at a CV on the off chance that it isnt demonstrating them the data about you that theyre searching for. When structuring your CV, hope to check whether the significant areas are up front. Dont shroud them away in a later segment, or they may not be taken note. Utilizing poor spelling and language On the off chance that your CV is brimming with spelling botches and linguistic mistakes, the spotter isnt going to take a second look at them. That is on the grounds that they see several CVs consistently, and they just dont have the opportunity. That is the reason you have to get rid of each misstep before you hit submit. On the off chance that you need some assistance, utilize an editing administration, for example, UK Writings to assist you with examining it and alter. Not clarifying holes in work Numerous individuals simply disregard the holes in work on their CV without even batting an eye. They trust in the event that they dont cause to notice it, the enrollment specialist wont take note. Actually, the enrollment specialist will spot it in a flash and marvel why you werent working. Be forthright about any holes, and clarify what you were doing during that hole. Genuineness is consistently the best arrangement. Being excessively ambiguous Gina Capes, CV composing master, says Many individuals wrongly be excessively dubious in their CVs. They use phrases like a couple or many, which dont mean anything all alone. To maintain a strategic distance from this, be explicit in what youre saying. On the off chance that you surpassed raising support targets, state how much by. On the off chance that youve worked for a specific organization, state precisely to what extent you were there for. Counting an excess of data The employments you have held in the past might be huge to you, however they may not hold any importance with the enrollment specialist. Concentrate on what abilities you can bring to the job, and limit any activity jobs that dont assist you with getting the meeting you need. Leaving in awful accentuation and errors Any CV that contains issues with accentuation, or still has grammatical mistakes in it, will be tossed directly out. On the off chance that you havent adjusted your mix-ups, at that point it shows that youre glad to surge things and that you dont focus on the little subtleties that make up the master plan. On the off chance that youre experiencing difficulty keeping on them, talk with an editing organization, for example, Big Assignments so as to keep them out of your CV. Composing an overlong CV A decent normal length for a CV is around 2 pages in length. Any more drawn out than that, and youre at risk for wavering, or including data that the enrollment specialist doesnt need or need. On the off chance that your CV is excessively thick, the spotter may not look at it. On the off chance that you have to watch out for the length of your CV, utilize a device, for example, Easy Word Count to watch out for your promise check. Being excessively extravagant in your structure Those luxurious outskirts and textual styles may look great, yet theyll simply give a selection representative a cerebral pain. Make it simpler by utilizing a decent perfect text style, and abandoning the embellishments. Stay away from these missteps, and your experience can truly radiate through. Clean up your CV and see with your own eyes. Creator bio: Brenda Berg is an expert with more than 15 years involvement with business the executives, promoting and enterprise. Specialist and mentor for understudies and business visionaries. Self-roused results driven person who is urged to travel.

Career Enhancement Your Complete Guide - CareerEnlightenment.com

Vocation Enhancement Your Complete Guide Vocations are a long lasting development venture with you as site supervisor. Any patient and careful individual will realize that vocations are a lifetime really taking shape, and that progress can be delayed now and again, and rapid at others.While once in a while the best counsel is to just stick around for your chance and hang tight for your chance, there are regardless things that you can never really support your profession possibilities, upgrade your CV, and set yourself up for jobs with more noteworthy obligation, more significant compensation, and more prestige.You'll find how to do that in the focuses plot below. Learning and EducationOne of the crucial manners by which you can help your vocation is additionally one of the most fulfilling it's getting the hang of, contemplating and teaching yourself about the things you're generally enthusiastic about and intrigued by. Training will consistently be viewed as one of the most significant components of a person's working lifes o it's consistently worth contributing in.But how? Indeed, there are a lot of manners by which you can get over into instruction. You may decide to experience a Six Sigma White Belt training course, so as to get business-explicit abilities to assist you with ascending the profession ladder.Or, you could come back to college or school for a graduate degree or an accreditation that shows off the new aptitudes you've picked up. Indeed, even evening classes, something you can accomplish for years, will assist you with singling yourself out as a devoted and energizing possibility for organizations to recruit. Need to Read More Articles Like This One?Sign up here to get week after week refreshes from Career Enlightenment, and never miss another incredible employment looking through tip! Buy in! You have Successfully Subscribed!We abhor spam as well. Withdraw whenever. Systems administration and SocializingWhether you're long in the tooth or new to the vocation game, it ought to be obvious to you that all the training and abilities on the planet will just get you so far.Business and professions are a generally social undertaking, thus you'll be decided as much by your handshake and your business direct as your aptitudes, information and regular knowledge. In case you can't to network, you'll see it hard to ascend the business stepping stool effectively.As such, a vocation proficient requirements to get themselves into the spaces in which they can meet and associate with new individuals regularly including senior office laborers, senior industry figures, and the movers and shakers who may, at some point, have the option to outfit you with a job.Hunt for these chances, and profit by them, so as to help your career. Taking on Extra WorkThis thing of guidance is a dubious one. From one perspective, you'll generally need to show your value by showing up to the workplace early, leaving late, and indicating your complete commitment to the job at hand. In any case, then agai n, you don't need this tremendous additional speculation to go unnoticed by your superiors.As such, be vital with respect to where and when you put additional assets into your job. Continuously invest more energy with a significant bit of work for which you'll be exclusively judged and give less consideration to those littler, less significant bits of work that you'll not be judged on.As such, you'll cause to notice yourself at the privilege time and avoiding the undesirable sentiment of putting resources into an undertaking for which you get zero recognition.These tips will assist you with upgrading your vocation and lift your possibilities long into what's to come.

Job Seekers Guide to a Phone Interview -

Job Seeker’s Guide to a Phone Interview - In today’s global and mobile economy, many job seekers regularly apply for positions that are hundreds or thousands of miles away from their current job and homeâ€"perhaps even in a different country. Long gone are the days where everybody stays at the same job for 50 years, or even stays in the same city or state for their entire career. As a result, phone interviews are an incredibly common method that hiring managers and recruiters use to screen applicants and pare down the applicant pool. After all, it’s a lot easier for a hiring manager to pick up the phone in Boston to call someone in Chicago than it is to schedule and make the time for an in-person interview when a phone call can easily tell them all they need to know before crossing that person off the applicant list. One Forbes article estimated that up to half of screening interviews take place over the phone, not in person. This makes sense. Phone interviews do not require as much time and can be conducted outside the company’s normal work hours, which can be helpful for certain job applicants. Many positions may even require multiple phone interviews before they call you for an in-person interview. Perhaps the hiring manager had a good first impression of you, but they want the person who will be your direct supervisor to talk to you before they commit to flying you in for an in-person interview. Initial phone interviews used to be a quick way to answer any immediate questions that a potential employer may have had about unclear or missing items on a resume. Now, though, they are more of a formal actual first (and second … or third) interview. While phone interviews are still generally shorter than in-person interviews, they now are likely to address some of the same types of questions as a more traditional in-person interview. If you’re applying for a management position or c-suite and executive-level positions, you’re even more likely to encounter an in-depth phone interview as part of the hiring process.Instead of being expected to answer quick questions that fill in the blanks of your resume or expand on certain required skills, you can expect to answer more in-depth questions about your experience and why you’re interested in this job. That’s why it’s so important to prepare for a phone interview just as you would for an in-person interview. A phone interview may not be in-person, but it is still a formal, professional conversation that has a direct impact on your career. And you need to treat it as such. As with a face-to-face interview, there are two possible outcomes from a phone interview. Either you will advance to another interview (either by phone, via Skype, or face-to-face), or you will be eliminated from consideration for the job. Handling a Phone Interview: The Absence of Body Language and Nonverbal Cues Whether we like to admit it or not, so many first impressions are made based on how a job seeker looks. Are they dressed appropriately for the interview and the office setting? Are they smiling or frowning? Are they relaxed and confident and sitting up straight, or are they overly anxious and shrinking into themselves? Do they have a put-together appearance, or do they seem like a disorganized slob? And, unfortunately, judgments about ageâ€"even unconsciouslyâ€"occur during in-person interviews. During a phone interview, these kinds of judgments and assumptions can’t be based on your appearance, which can actually be an advantage of a phone interviewâ€"it focuses on content, not appearance. What matters is what you say and how you say it. Phone interviews can be an advantage for job seekers concerned about age discrimination or being judged by how they look. However, this means you need to have answers very well-prepared and have your tone of voice and attitude prepared to appropriately convey any relevant information during a phone interview, as you won’t have the benefit of body language to help you show enthusiasm, or to be able to tell if an interviewer wants you to stop talking or keep going. Approximately 70 percent of what we communicate is shared nonverbally through body language. However, in a phone interview, all you have to rely on are verbal cues and context. One of the most problematic things about a phone interview is that you cannot use the interviewer’s non-verbal cues to judge whether you should continue speaking or not. To compensate for this, it is best to keep your answers brief: allow the interviewer to ask follow-up questions if he or she wants more information. What to Expect From a Phone Interview Phone interviews are huge time savers for hiring managers. Some phone interviews are very briefâ€"designed to make an initial introduction, clarify issues on the résumé, or discuss the position. Phone interviews are sometimes called “screening interviews.” That is because they are often used to “weed out” candidates before beginning a round of in-person interviews. While you may certainly be askedâ€"and you should be prepared forâ€"more in-depth questions, the most common types of information generated from a phone interview are: • Credential checks â€" The most common questions asked in phone interviews are those that corroborate facts or information on an application or résuméâ€"or that fill in the blanks for missing information. • Experience check â€" If the hiring manager has determined that you meet the requirements of the position, the phone interview may be used to verify your experience (specific questions about position responsibilities and accomplishments). • Predictive information â€" the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Behavioral types of questions ask how you handled a challenge in the past, giving the interviewer insight into how you would perform on this job. Because a phone interview is perceived as less “personal,” you may also be asked “difficult” questions in the phone interview, such as: “Why did you leave your last job?” or “Why are you looking for a new job?” Remember, often one of the primary purposes of a phone interview is its use as a screening tool. How a Phone Interview Can Benefit the Job Seeker There are several reasons why a phone interview may work out better for you than an initial in-person interview. First, you don’t have to travel. Traveling can add more anxiety to the already stressful process of going to the interview. Second, you don’t have to worry about a first impression based on your physical appearance. This is often helpful, especially if you may be worried about age discrimination. You may also find it easier to ask questions on the phone than at face-to-face interviews. For example, at the beginning of the call, you can ask the interviewer for the correct spelling and pronunciation of their name. At the end of the call, you can ask about the next step in the interview process. Another advantage to a phone interview is that you can take notes. You can also use the information you have prepared ahead of time more extensively than in a face-to-face interview. However, do not read directly from your notes! Instead, create a cheat sheet with your key accomplishments, have your résumé handy, and prepare a list of questions you want to ask the interviewer. The cheat sheet should contain specific metrics and accomplishments from your career, in detailâ€"the numbers, percentages, and dollar amounts. It would be inappropriate to have these kinds of notes with you at an in-person interview, but it’s perfectly fine to have a cheat sheet front and center during a phone interview. Phone Interview Preparation As with an in-person interview, preparation is key. Prepare just as well for a phone interview as you would for an in-person interview. Otherwise, you might not get the opportunity to get a face-to-face interview. When scheduling a phone interview with a hiring manager, find out: • The time of the call (and clarify any time zone differences) • Who is calling whom (and on what phone number) • How long to expect the call to last • Any specific preparation required for the call • Which person(s) will the call be with (name, job title) On a piece of paper, write down the job title you are applying for, the company name, and key points you want to remember to make. Create a “talking points” outline. These are key points you want to cover during the interview. This can include: • Position and industry-specific accomplishments • Unique assets you possess as an employee • Information about the company that you learned from your research that ties into your skills, abilities, and qualifications Anticipate the conversationâ€"think about the questions you might be asked and the key points to include in your answers. Prepare a list of questions to practice for the phone interview. You should also prepare questions ahead of time that you will ask in the interview. One of the best ways to prepare for a phone interview is to practice. Tape record the practice call so you can identify areas to improve. Practice speaking concisely and clearly. Many people are surprised to hear how they sound on the phone. One easy way to do this is to use a free conference call service, like freeconferencing.com (freeconferencing.com). There is no cost to use the service; your only charge is for the long-distance call to access the conference line. It is important to convey your enthusiasm in a phone interview â€" which can be done through your voice pitch, tone, and volume. Thinking through where you will conduct an interview is critical. Pick a location that will be free from distracting background noisesâ€"kids, pets, phones ringing. Turn off the TV, computer, and/or iPad. Hang a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door. Plan your outfit for the interview. It’s always important to dress for an interview â€" even if it is a phone interview. This can help put you in the right “frame of mind” for your interview. It can also help to find a photo of your interviewer and look at that while you are on the call. This is a constant reminder that even though you are on the phone, you are talking to a real person who has a real impact on your future career. Do a “dry run.” Call a friend or family member and have them test the phone connection (volume) and whether there is anything distracting that may affect the call. The more you prepare for the interview, the better. Review the company’s website. Google your interviewer. Make sure you are thoroughly familiar with the job description or job posting. Prepare an opening and closing statement in advance. The opening statement might be the answer to “Tell me about yourself.” This should include a 30- to 60-second statement of why you are qualified for the job, based on what you know about the position. The closing statement should include your desire to work for the company, reiterating your interest in the job. But do not read these word-for-wordâ€"just have them at the ready for reference. Tips for Handling an Unscheduled Phone Interview Not all phone interviews are scheduled in advance. If you get a call from a hiring manager or recruiter and it is not a good time to talk (i.e., you are at work, you are driving, or you are someplace noisy, do not answer the call). Instead, call back as soon as you are able to and feel ready to handle the call. Remember, you only get one chance to make that first impression. It is better to have the call go to voicemail and call the interviewer back than to perform poorly in an interview you are not prepared for. If the prospective employer calls unannounced and you decide to do the interview right then, ask if you can excuse yourself to a quiet place and call them back in a few minutes. This will also give you time to prepare for the call. Even a five-minute break can allow you to prepare for the interview. Most hiring managers do not expect you to be available at a moment’s notice. So if you need to schedule the call for the next day, that is generally fine. Phone Interview Do’s and Don’ts Here are some basic tips for phone interviews that you may find helpful as you prepare. Some of them may seem obvious, but never take for granted the small things you might forget the day of the phone interview. Maybe you get so caught up in reviewing your resume you forget to use the bathroom before the call! DO: Make sure there are no distractions or things (people, pets, TV/radio) that will create background noise. Use a landline if at all possible. If using a cell phone, make sure the phone is charged (or plugged in) and has a strong cell signal in the area you are taking the call. If you are using a cordless phone, make sure the battery is charged. Hang a “do not disturb” sign on the door. Let anyone who will be nearby know that you will be on a call and should not be interrupted. Take several deep breaths before the call. And do not forget to breathe during the call. This can help lower your voice pitch. Go to the bathroom before you get on the call. Be on time for a phone interview. Ensure you are ready when the scheduled time arrives. Ask the interviewer at the beginning of the call how long they have scheduled for the interview. This will help you pace yourself. Acknowledge if you have a strong accent, lisp, or anything that may make it difficult for the interviewer to understand you. The interviewer will appreciate your doing so. Simply tell the interviewer, “Let me know if you have any trouble understanding me, and I will be happy to repeat the information.” Smile. It can help to look in a mirror while you interviewâ€"this will help ensure you are expressing emotion. It can be helpful for you to put a sticky note somewhere to remind yourself to smile. The smile will come through in your voice. Let your enthusiasm come through in your voice. However, be mindful of your tone and volume. Limit “uhhs,” “umms,” and “you knows” in your responses. Slow down. When you are nervous, you are likely to talk faster, which makes you more difficult to understand. So talk a bit slower than you normally would. Listen carefully to the question you are being asked before answering. Wait until the interviewer has finished asking the question before you answer. And make sure you understand the question before you begin answering. Use facts in your answers. Be specific with your achievements, statistics, and numbers. Keep your answers brief and to the point. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in a phone interview is not knowing when to stop talking. Without seeing the interviewer, it can be hard to know that he or she is losing interest in what you are saying. So answer briefly, but use verbal cues. For example, “Do you want to know more?” Even during a phone interview, be mindful of your posture. One trick that can help give you energy is to stand up or walk around during the phone interview. Sit while the interviewer is talking, so you can take notes. But stand when you are responding. It allows you to breathe from your diaphragm, which helps you to project your voice. It will also keep you from relaxing too much and being too informal. DO NOT: Take a job interview phone call at work or at Starbucks or in your backyard. Make sure you are someplace quiet to take the call. Interrupt your interviewer. Make sure he or she has finished asking the question before you answer. Wait a second or two before answering. This can be tough without body language cues, but it is better to have a long pause than to be talking over the person who is making hiring decisions. Never put your interviewer on hold to answer another call. Ignore call waiting (if you have it)â€"or disable it, if possible. Similarly, shut off notifications that might distract you. Do you have a loud text sound that might go off and come through during the phone interview? Shut off text notifications for the duration of the call. Be too “casual” or “informal” in your conversation. This is still a job interview! Never chew gum or eat anything during a phone interview. Use “uptalk.” This is a nervous habit where you end a declarative statement with an intonation that makes it sound like a question. (Tape recording your interview can be a good way to identify whether this is something you do.) Avoid using your phone’s speakerphone feature on a phone interview. Not only can a speakerphone create an echo, but it also picks up more background noise (such as shuffling papers). If you take notes, do not take them on your computer. The sound of typing is distracting. Have a pen and paper to take notes. Restrain yourself. If you are an animated speaker in personâ€"for example, you use your hands while speakingâ€"it is fine to use your hands. The interviewer cannot see them anyway. Using your hands will help make the interview feel more like a natural conversation. Use the “mute” button on your phone for the first time on a job interview call. The mute button can eliminate distracting noise (for example, if you must take a drink of water). You will want to have practiced using it before the call so you do not accidentally mute yourself while you want to be talking. If you’re a practiced hand at the mute button, however, it can be a useful tool. Bring up salary, benefits, or reporting structure (whom you would report to) during a phone interview. Save that for an in-person interview. But do be prepared to answer the salary question if you are asked. CONSIDER: Placing an empty chair near yours when you are interviewing. “Talk” to the empty chair as if there were a real person sitting there. Eating a cough drop (especially one with menthol) before the call. A medicated cough drop can help your voice. (But make sure you finish the cough drop before you get on the call!) A phone interview is a good signâ€"it means you’re being considered as a candidate for a position. To increase your chances at getting an in-person interview, take your preparation for the phone interview very seriously. For more interview advice, resume writing tips, and general career advice, head to the Great Resumes Fast blog where we have hundreds of articles on topics related to job searches. 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