Interviewing when you have already got a job is without doubt one of the finest methods to advance your profession.
There’s not as a lot strain, and firms view it as a good signal that you just’re at the moment employed, so that they’re extra keen to rent you.
Going on interviews whereas employed can nonetheless be tense, although. In this text I’m going to share my finest ideas that can assist you efficiently handle your job interviews and job search when you have a job.
Tips for Going on Interviews When You Have a Job:
1. Be selective
Job looking whereas employed is your likelihood to improve your profession and wage in a large approach. So be particular in what you need, and keep on with it. Don’t be afraid to say, “no” to an interview request.
Or one in every of my favourite methods you may attempt: Take as many telephone interviews as you may, because it’s very simple to schedule them on lunch breaks, espresso breaks, and so forth., after which be very choosy about who you go in for a face-to-face interview with.
So do tons of phone interviews, however solely say, “yes” to the very best corporations for an in-particular person assembly (based mostly on what you study in these telephone interviews).
2. Ask questions upfront
An enormous a part of on the lookout for a job when you may have a job is defending your time and managing your time.
I discussed above that you ought to be selective, and the one approach to try this is to learn about every alternative BEFORE agreeing to interview.
So ask for a job description earlier than an interview in the event you don’t have already got it.
Ask nice questions in every telephone interview so you may make a higher choice about whether or not to go in face-to-face in the event that they invite you. You can get a enormous record of nice inquiries to ask here.
Then you’ll be capable of precisely determine which roles make sense to pursue and spend time interviewing for, and which don’t.
As an added bonus, ensuring you understand about every job earlier than interviewing goes that can assist you reply a lot of questions like, “why do you think you’d be a good fit for this job?”, “why do you want to work here?” and extra.
If you need extra questions you’re more likely to hear, and pattern solutions so you may apply, it’s all in this article.
3. Get artistic with scheduling
If a firm proposes a time you could’t do, inform them, and ask for what you want. Early in my profession I had a firm schedule my interviews from 7 AM – 8:30 AM, so I may get to work at 9:30 AM.
Getting to work barely late is a lot higher than having to take a full time without work. When you’re interviewing when you have a job, you wish to save sick days for whenever you completely want them, so ask for early or late interviews when you may.
They gained’t at all times say, “yes”, and that’s okay. Have the dialog, and don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. Just be cheap and if they will’t do it, work with them to provide you with one thing that may work.
4. Be able to compromise
Getting day off from work to go on interviews isn’t simple. But neither is organizing a hiring supervisor’s time to interview you (plus anybody else you’re going to fulfill – as a result of an increasing number of corporations are having you meet multiple people earlier than they rent you).
So be cheap, and be prepared to compromise. If you make a scheduling request they usually merely can’t do it, keep calm and attempt to perceive their wants.
If you simply consider it as a dialog the place either side are attempting their finest to make it work, you’ll be capable of discover a strategy to get it completed.
5. Use your sick time properly
You can use one or two sick days in most jobs earlier than your boss begins getting suspicious that you just’re job looking.
So attempt to save them for when you really want them (a full day interview, and so forth.)
You may also take into consideration whether or not you should utilize one or two trip days as wanted.
I discussed earlier that one technique to avoid wasting sick days is schedule early-morning or late-afternoon interviews so that you don’t miss a full day of labor. So that’s one other strategy to save these “full” sick days for when you really want them.
Coming in a single hour late (you may say it’s for a physician’s appointment or anything), is best than lacking a full day.
6. Dress up (or don’t)
Let’s say they comply with interview you from 8 AM to 9 AM, so you may nonetheless make it into work later that morning.
Now, usually you’d wish to put on a swimsuit for many interviews. But in the event you put on enterprise informal at your job, strolling in with a swimsuit at 10 AM goes to be a lifeless giveaway that you just’re interviewing for one more place. Not good, proper?
So you may have two choices:
You may ask them, “I’m going to work immediately after. Is it alright if I dress in business casual?”
Most corporations will perceive and say it’s okay, after which the particular person you’re assembly with will know why you’re “dressed-down”.
Or, you could possibly at all times simply put on a swimsuit and tie (or full girls’s enterprise apparel in the event you’re a girl), after which take away the jacket, necktie (in the event you’re a man), and so forth., earlier than going to work, so that you just’re not too over-dressed at your job that day.
It’s as much as you. The level is, don’t be afraid to ask for issues and have a dialog to make interviewing extra snug for you.
7. Remember your aim and keep centered on that
Looking for a job and occurring interviews whereas employed goes to be a bit tense, so be prepared for that. On one hand, it’s much less strain when you may have a job, however the scheduling half is extra tense.
So remind your self why you’re doing this whenever you really feel harassed, and take into consideration what you stand to achieve…
- The next wage
- A job you’re extra enthusiastic about
- A greater boss, higher coworkers or each
- More thrilling tasks and work
- A greater profession path or brighter future for you
And keep in mind you’re fortunate to be interviewing when you may have a job. Lots of people – and many of the readers of this blog – would not have a job when on the lookout for a job. They don’t have any earnings coming in and it’s very tense/troublesome mentally.
8. Don’t minimize corners on interview preparation!
Chances are you’re solely going to have the ability to go on a few face-to-face interviews earlier than your boss figures out you’re job looking. So benefit from them.
One approach is to be selective and say “no” to interviews that you just’re not enthusiastic about. I discussed that earlier.
But the opposite approach is to ensure you stroll in extremely-ready and able to “wow” the hiring supervisor and switch the interview into a job provide!
Here are a couple assets I like to recommend to ensure you’re 100% prepared:
1. How to introduce your self in an interview and reply, “tell me about yourself”… Article + video.
2. Complete interview preparation checklist
9. Make positive to comply with up after your interviews
Think about how a lot time and vitality it takes to get interviews… from writing your resume, talking to your network, making use of for jobs on-line, sending infinite scheduling emails, and eventually taking day off from work to go to the interview.
So after the interview, doesn’t it make sense to remain organized so as to comply with-up, test for suggestions, and thank interviewers for his or her time to spice up your possibilities of getting get employed?
I like to recommend you observe the whole lot in a spreadsheet together with:
- How many interviews you’ve had with them
- Date of final interview
- Next steps in course of
- When they mentioned they’d ship suggestions
- Whether you’ve adopted up already or not, and on what date
Then ship thank you emails a day after the interview, and follow-up emails after 5-6 days in the event you heard no response.
10. Don’t inform coworkers
If you may have pals at work, it might be tempting to inform them you’re interviewing, however don’t do it!
Gossip spreads quick in most work environments. They may suppose they’re simply telling one other good friend harmlessly, however then that good friend may inform a third particular person and earlier than you understand it – your boss finds out.
Then what in the event you don’t find yourself accepting a new place? It appears to be like horrible.
So simply play it secure, and inform your mates AFTER you discover a new job. They’ll perceive in the event you inform them you have been ready since you needed to maintain it skilled and wait till issues have been remaining.
In truth, as one other tip, I’d truly advocate handing your 2-week discover or resignation letter to your boss earlier than telling pals too.
You do NOT ever wish to danger your boss discovering out you’re resigning, by way of gossip, earlier than you formally hand in resignation. So after you’ve accepted a job provide, resign formally, then inform your coworkers and pals.
If you comply with the following tips you’ll have a lot much less stress interviewing when you may have a job, and also you’ll be extra profitable in these interviews.
As a remaining be aware, in the event you do have interviews developing and don’t wish to depart something to likelihood, I’ve created a new information the place you may copy my actual step-by-step methodology for getting job gives. You can get more details here.
