Madeline Mann

Here are top 3 biggest interview mistakes I’ve seen based on the level of the candidate (though all 3 levels can be guilty of all 3): For early career: Not being sure about what they want as their next career step, and that shines through in their interviews. For mid career: not being concise. Rambling loses so many people Manager and director level roles. For later career: Not being specific. People with lots of experience will talk in generalities and philosophies. This often loses them the job because the interviewer can’t get a clear understanding of how the person works.

Too often as career changers we hold onto our previous identity. Such as we position ourselves as a “Teacher transitioning to be a Digital Marketer” instead of positioning ourselves as a digital marketer. An employer isn’t interested in your previous career. Instead, they want to know if you can solve their problems. Therefore being open to multiple career paths or continuing to brand yourself around your previous career will prevent you from landing your next job.

I would print my nicely designed portfolio out, put it in a binder, and pull it out in interviews as I answered different interview questions. This also works for screen sharing in virtual interviews. Most people are too scared to do it but interviewers love the visual aid.

Many people think of a portfolio as something that people in visual careers have, but I have seen this work for all professionals. It's a the difference between saying you have a skill, and showing it. Some examples include: -The agenda of an event you planned -A budget you balanced -A presentation you put together Of course, you'll want to sanitize the information, such as take out key names and information that reveals who it was about or violates any privacy.

The value of an assessment is to get out of our own heads and get a fresh perspective. So often we are sitting in the bottle and can't read the label -- we are so close to our own careers that we are unsure what is the right next move. An assessment can get your thoughts flowing. But which ones are good? That is a tough question. I've always relied on career and industry experts to vet them, as well as I both vetted & created some myself. Here are some that I would recommend: ASA Futurescape - Help suggest career paths -https://futurescape.asa.org/ How to Land More Job Offers - Report on how to improve your job search - https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/638d3fda79ef5c0016ff3577 High5 - Free strengths assessment - https://high5test.com/?ref=18

It's so common to not be the "perfect fit" for an opportunity. The employer will say "You're great, but..." What is that "but"? Stop seeing this as a weakness. See your difference as a fresh perspective and point of connection. Let's say that your difference is that you're significantly older than the people on the team you want to join at a video game company. What's your advantage? No, not something fluffy like “maturity.” Think about how your "but" actually helps the business. Such as: "My experience as a baby boomer has enabled me to be highly in touch with the largest and most profitable consumer segment in the mobile game space, women over 60."