Interview like the “Stars” but without the spray tan…

That’s right; my inspiration for this blog comes from the hit television show, “Dancing with the Stars”. After watching this number one rated television show, I realized that many of the principals that make this show a success hold true to the interview process as well. You might not have to sport a spray tan and skimpy costume, but you will need to be on-point, in-sync, entertaining, confident, and put in lots of hard work.

The stars usually come on the show with little to no dance experience, but somehow manage to put on a good performance. One thing that does hold true for the winners of the show is that they are true competitors that consistently improve night after night. They take the feedback given from Carrie Anne, Bruno, and Len each week in hopes to improve their scores and be saved from elimination.

Most people aren’t the most natural interviewers, but much like our “Stars,” putting in the hours of practice before the performance will increase your chances of getting a perfect 10 (or in a jobseekers case, landing the job).

So don’t tip-toe around the dance floor; come out with a bang! Be confident. Don’t stray from the integrity of the “dance” or your values. Don’t let your nerves get the best of you. And most importantly, try to have a little fun!

Now go salsa, tango and waltz your way towards that mirror-ball trophy… or the job you always wanted!

Need some dancing lessons of your own? Contact amanda.williams@mattressfirm.com

Are you killing two birds with one stone, or are you killing your chances of landing a job by multi-tasking?

Multi-tasking is a bad thing especially when you are on a phone interview! Most of you are reading this and thinking, well of course that is not a good thing; but you would be surprised by the number of people who do not know this simple fact. To many, multi-tasking is a way to be productive, “kill two birds with one stone”, and manage your time…. But when you are trying to land a job, multi-tasking while on a phone interview can be the stone that kills your chances of landing a face-to-face interview.

Moral of the story, if you are on a phone interview make sure you pull over if you are driving, shut out any other noise that may come up, DON’T type on the computer or shuffle through papers and keep focused on the task at hand… landing a face-to-face interview.

Save those multi-tasking skills for when you get the job!

Do you have any questions?



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That moment that you walk into an interview can be daunting. You don’t know what kinds of questions the interviewer might ask you. And as soon as you finally get though of the interviewers questions, they ask you the big question. “Do you have any questions?”

The important thing is not to worry. Remember that you are not the only one being interviewed. You are also interviewing the interviewer. Bring questions with you to the interview. It’s okay to have them written down. Having your questions prepared exhibits good preparation on your part to the employer. Preparation is a competency that most employers look for.

How do you prepare for these questions? Most people know the general questions that we have been taught from our parents, career services, or friends. “When can I expect to hear from you?” or “Why is this position available?.” These are still great questions, but don’t forget that you are also doing the interviewing. Also use questions that directly affect what you’re looking for in a company.

Write down 3 things that you’re looking for in your next career opportunity. Now that you’ve done that, starting thinking of questions that you can ask that would allow you to know if this is a career that would be satisfying. For instance, if you value a fun environment, ask a question geared towards the day to day duties or about the culture. Once you think of all the questions that you have developed, write it down. Take your questions to your interview. Now the interviewer knows that you are engaged, prepared, and ready for the career opportunity.

Tell Me About Yourself

We all know that this is typically the first question in most interviews. You may think this is the easiest or one of the most challenging questions in an interview.

I cannot tell you how many times I see a great resume, (and yes, I get excited to interview them) ask candidates this question and they completely go off topic!

Don’t get me wrong, I love that you just got back from your honeymoon, just had your third baby, just sent your kids off to college or just bought a new home. However; it’s another story when you begin to inform me about your battling divorce, how you can’t stand your parents or kids, your recent break-up or how your dog just ran away from you.

Here are a few tips on a great way to actually answer this question:

• Begin with any educational experience…you earned that degree, be proud of it!

• If you are a recent college graduate, talk about extra-curricular activities you were involved with during school—employers love to see that you put yourself in leadership positions.

• When discussing employment history, start with your first position and end with most recent.

• Make sure you touch base on what your responsibilities entailed with each position.

• Never talk negatively about former companies!

• Always end on a positive note; for example…that brings us to today and I’m looking forward to learning more about this organization!

• Lastly, keep it professional and leave the personal topics at home!

The First Interview...Ring Ring!

If you are out there in the job market you have probably realized that formal/face-to-face interviews are few and far between, why is that you may ask? Well, how well did you do on your phone interview? You may be sitting here thinking that a phone interview is nothing … it’s not even with the hiring manager … just some person that asked me a few basic questions, but my resume speaks more about me than that measly 10 minute conversation. WRONG!

That person is a recruiter and they are hired to see if you match up to your resume and if you are somebody they want to invest more time into. So, now you are asking yourself what can I do to ace my phone interview. Well, lucky for you I’m here to help!

It will start off with a recruiter reaching out to you so your first rule is – make sure your voice mail is professional; include your full name along with a nice message that you are unavailable, but to please leave a message. DO NOT have a song waiting to greet me or you telling me to just “leave a message. “ This is a huge turn off; if you are seriously in the job market and your voice mail is not professional recruiters will feel that you are not that serious about your next career move.

Second rule of thumb; if you do happen to pick up the phone and it is a recruiter requesting to conduct a quick 15 minute phone interview with you and they ask you if this is a good time to talk … think about it. Are you in the car? Are you out shopping with your friends? Are you at your current job? If you are distracted in any way – just let us know that you would prefer to schedule an appointment for a different time. THIS IS NOT A TURNOFF! I would prefer you be prepared and able to concentrate on the questions I am about to ask you. So schedule a time that is good for both of us!

Rule number 3 – have the necessary items ready to go 1) your resume, you will spend the first few minutes telling me about yourself so make sure you are accurate 2) pen and paper, you are going to want to take some notes about what I’m going to tell you 3) information regarding my company, if you applied to my company you should know something about it and have questions for me, even if it is only a couple. But make them smart questions, do not ask me about pay / compensation – these are questions you ask if you are going further in the interview process.


Now the next rule is going to seem a little crazy, but I promise it works when you are talking to the recruiter and answering questions … STAND UP … that’s right, I said get out of that chair and stand up. Standing up gets your energy flowing and allows your true personality to come out. Lastly, get a mirror, yep, and look at it when you talk all the while remembering to SMILE, smiling also helps increase your energy and it allows you to come across friendly over the phone.


There are a lot of sample interview questions on line and if you want to really prepare yourself you should take a look at those, even print them out and have some already answered. You may be thinking, this sound like cheating, well if studying for a test is not cheating then why would studying for an interview be considered cheating. So prepare yourself and you will soon find yourself with the dream job you have been waiting for!


Good Luck!

First Impressions Are Everything: Make it an Ice Breaker

Recently, I was asked to help out a student sales organization with mock interviews. Eager to offer advice to these hopeful college students, I quickly accepted the job. I was set up with a total of 12 mock interviews all back to back. Each student was nervous but very well prepared by this elite sales organization. After each mock interview, the students asked for feedback. They were very receptive to all the advice that I had given them.

However, I had one student enter the room. You could tell that he was nervous as he perspired profusely. He apprehensively clutched his resume that was neatly placed between a manila folder. Not sure what to do next, he shook my hand asked me if he could have a seat then placed his resume and manila folder on the desk. He began telling me about himself without ever handing me the folder. You could see the fear in his eyes. I asked him his first question. He then apologized and asked for a moment to think. After 3 seconds, which to me felt like 30, he then answered my question I almost forgot how nervous I once was when I was on the other side of the table many moons ago. Already anticipating the feedback that he would ask for, I started to envision the advice I would give him to be more relaxed and expressive of his talents.

And then it came to me. I explained that he should think of an ice breaker before entering the room. Not only is the interviewee nervous, but sometimes the interviewer is nervous too. You want to separate yourself from the myriad of potential candidates in the room, but not by being known as the guy who sweats profusely. Everyone knows that the first impression is made in the first ten seconds. So think of something that is interesting. (Stay clear of religion or politics.) It could be something like, “Wow, it’s raining outside, but we sure need that rain.” Or you could say something about sports like, “What did you think about that Cowboy’s game?” (You might not want to admit if you’re a fan of that team until you find out who the interviewer is rooting for.) You want to remain natural and only talk about true events. This could possibly change the entire mood of the interview, allowing you to be yourself and make you and the interviewer more relaxed.

Once I gave him examples of breaking the ice and using the Cowboy’s example, his face quickly brighten and revealed an amazing smile that he hadn’t shown the entire interview. He then began to tell me about this Cowboy’s game with so much passion in his voice. Without hesitating, I yelled out, “See, that’s what I’m talking about! By talking about something you enjoy, you now are comfortable with me and have shown me a side that has set you apart from the rest.” The student soon realized this and looked at me with that same amazing smile, and said, “Thank you.”

Although it was a mock interview, this was the first time he ever had to interview for a professional job. He knew what he was supposed to do, but was so nervous, that he never thought about ways to get comfortable. At this time I realized that I had provided the most effective advice all day. Whether you are a recent college graduate, someone recently laid off after many years in your position or someone who hasn’t interviewed in along time, we all get nervous and forget how to separate ourselves from the others.

Just remember that first impressions are everything, they have to be good and memorable!

Phone Interviews: How to "WOW" Employers

In todays job market many companies are resorting to the phone to help with the initial steps in the interview process. Hundreds of resumes reach a recruiters desk and it is impossible to interview everyone face to face. A phone interview is the first step for a job seeker to sell their self to a company, and a company’s first chance to screen the candidate.

As a recruiter it is amazing, and sometimes humorous, to hear some of the phone conversations I have on a daily basis. Many applicants need tips on how to sell themselves and prepare for a phone interview. This had me thinking about what I can do to help a potential job seeker pass the first step in the interview process! I have 6 simple and easy tips to help any job seeker land a face to face interview and increase their chances or getting that dream job. In this Blog I have the first three tips:

1. Preparation before the call begins


Before you begin applying to positions, make sure to clean up your voicemail. Many times a recruiter will not even make it to a conversation with the applicant because they have already formed an opinion based on the voicemail. Having a professional voicemail, which clearly states your name, one that is to the point and energetic will make the right impression. Think about your ring tone, as much as we like to personalize everything, do you really think a professional recruiter wants to hear Marvin Gaye “Lets Get It On” or “Baby got Back” as a ring tone? With hundreds of candidates’ to contact, it is essential that you make a positive impression with your voicemail. Recruiters will make note- Awesome voicemail, or horrible voicemail, not professional. Don’t sell yourself short before you even get a chance to talk with the recruiter. Make these simple changes and give yourself the opportunity you deserve.


Another important tip before the phone interview is to remember what positions you have applied for. Many times applicants will send their resume to hundreds of companies, not even realizing what qualifications are needed or knowing anything about the company. It is important to have conducted research and know why you applied for the position. It is never good when a candidate tells a company, “what was this position for again, I applied to lots.” So in short, do your research and remember who you are applying to. It is hard to get excited about a phone call from a company as a job seeker, if you are not excited about the position.

2. Timing is everything

When a company does call you, make sure you are not busy. If you are on break from work, inquire about how long the call will last. If it isn’t a good time to talk, let the recruiter know you are preoccupied and see if there is a better time to call back. A phone interview to some people may seem like a simple task, however, getting into a conversation that can affect whether or not you move on the interview process, requires your undivided attention. You want to allow yourself the opportunity to think and speak clearly without being distracted. Have you ever tried to talk to someone while watching your favorite TV show? I bet the conversation didn’t go very well. Imagine trying to give your best effort to impress someone while you are doing something else… probably not the best you can do. So when a recruiter calls make sure you are in a place where you can give your full attention and that you have a reliable phone with a good signal.

3. Be prepared to talk about yourself


This may seem like a no-brainier, but this is something many people struggle with. Many candidates ask me, “What do you want to know, everything should be on my resume.” This may sound silly, but this mistake happens often and usually isn’t something that impresses the recruiter. By knowing what the position entails, you are able to point out previous work history that would relate to the current position, for example: “ I noticed this position was seeking sales managers in training and I have had some experience that allowed me to utilize my sales ability. While with the GAP, I had the highest percentages of credit card sales for four months.” Knowing what experiences to focus your attention on will help with effectiveness in telling your background. It is also good at this point to tell the recruiter up front why you left each position.

Stay tuned for the last three tips to ensuring a face to face interview.