Have you ever gone to an interview, answered all of the interviewer’s questions, felt good about how things went, were offered the position, but had no idea what the job was about?
Yes, you may have read the job description and yes, the interviewer may have told you more about the firm and culture, but you didn’t learn about all the specific details you had hoped to during the interview.
While you hope that the interviewer will tell you as much as they can about the job, it's important to remember that the onus is on you to get as much information as you can about the position. You need to ask questions.
In this market, job offers can come fast. Interviews tend to be brief. Often, you are being assessed on your work experience and technical skills. Many firms may only conduct one interview and if they feel like you can do the job, they will make their hiring decision.
The last thing you want to do is be in a position of making a career-altering decision, without knowing the details of what you will be doing. Why does this happen?
Some of the candidates who find themselves in these positions tell us that they felt embarrassed asking the interviewer about the specifics of a role. They did not want to seem as if they didn’t do their homework. You need to remember that most job descriptions are quite generic. You should not feel embarrassed about asking for more information about the role.
Others tell us that they got caught up in the moment, were overcome with excitement and simply forgot to ask. You need to be self-aware during your interview. You need to ask yourself, what information do I have about the position and what information do I still need to obtain. The onus is on you to learn as much as you can about the role in that interview.
Next time you are in an interview and unsure about the specifics of the position you are interviewing for, ask the interviewer to tell you more about the day-to-day responsibilities of the job.
When you work with us, not only will we tell you as much as we know about the role, we will also prep you to ask as many questions as you can about the position. We can also gather more information after your interview and follow up on any questions you may have forgotten to ask.
Thanks for reading! I hope this helps. If you have any questions about this or any other job searching tips, contact us.
Happy Job Hunting and Good Luck!
Have you recently started a new role and are unsure how to deal with some of the growing pains during your probation period?
Your probation period is an interesting time. You are meeting new people, learning new processes and ultimately seeing how you fit into your new firm. Being patient and adaptive is critical during this time.
Growing pains will be inevitable. As the initial shine and lustre of your new job wears off you will start to realize that there are things you like and don’t like about your new role and firm. This is very normal! Some of these issues will be small and easy to work through. However, some will be bigger – i.e. personality challenges, workflow challenges, or organizational challenges.
If things do become extremely frustrating, to the point that you feel on the verge of quitting, you need to step back, breathe and assess the best course of action. Remember the things you initially liked about this job. Why were you attracted to it? Will the current issues you are facing have a negative impact on your long-term career plans with this firm?
If you cannot see a way around it, we suggest that you sit down with your superior (either your lawyer, office manager, or HR) and let them know how you are feeling. Be sure to schedule a meeting with them. Do not spring this conversation upon them and do not have it in public. In the meeting let them know the challenges you are experiencing. Remember, they may have no clue how things are going for you and may have even assumed things have been going well.
Keep your meeting professional. Do not cast blame or play a victim. Ask them if there is anything that either you or they can do to alleviate the issue. Most people we speak with feel that there is nothing that can be done to solve the issue. However, sometimes the firm will be able to make the necessary changes to help you with the areas you are struggling with. Other times, they won’t be, and you will need to adapt to the situation. However, by having a conversation with your employer on the issue, you are at the very least allowing for the opportunity for issues to be rectified.
Also, be sure to establish an action plan. Ask for regular meetings so the two of you can discuss how the issue is progressing. Remember to be patient and see what can be done. Also, ask yourself how much you can adapt to alleviate the issue.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions regarding this topic or would like to discuss some of the challenges you are facing during your probation period and how to overcome them, be sure to contact us.
Happy Job Hunting and Good Luck!
It can be the elephant in the room. Talking about the reason why you were fired. You know the interviewer is going to ask what happened. They will want to know why it didn’t work out. They will want to know what the problem was, and will it happen again?
The reality is, during an interview, you will also be asked your reasons for changing jobs. Therefore, if you were fired from one of your previous positions, expect it to come out and expect it be discussed further. With this, lets look at the best way to talk about getting fired from a previous job when in an interview.
Hope this helps. Thanks for reading! If you have any questions about this or any other job searching topic, be sure to contact us.
Happy Job Hunting and Good Luck!
