Key Takeaways:

• Job offers are invitations of employment that can be formalized in a letter or email.

• When offered a job, make sure to get it in writing so that the terms and conditions are understood by everyone involved.

• You do not need to accept a job offer. You can also ask for some time to consider the offer.

• Job offers are the first steps to being officially employed at an organization.

What Is a Job Offer?

• Job title and position

• Start date of employment

• Salary

• Benefits

• Reporting structure

• Location of employment

• Other terms and conditions

How a Job Offer Works

What’s Included in a Job Offer Letter

Job Offer Letter Templates

How to Accept a Job Offer

How to Decline a Job Offer

• Acts of favoritism are considered illegal if the treatment is for a specific and protected characteristic, such as gender, age, race or religion.

• People tend to be subconsciously attracted to particular personality types, which can lead to favoritism.

• Favoritism is bad for a work environment because it builds animosity in other employees, creates an environment without room to grow, and decreases employee moral and creates a high turnover.

• When handing favoritism in your work environment you should examine the situation, work on your performance, speak with your boss or HR department, or seek a new position.

What Is Favoritism in the Workplace?

Reasons Favoritism Is Bad for a Professional Environment

1. Builds animosity in other employees. Watching a single employee with an average skill level receive extra benefits and promotions while their co-workers get nothing isn’t the type of environment that builds a passionate staff.

   Employees pick up on favoritism quickly, whether it’s in the form of simple remarks or more drastic actions. A team that’s filled with people who feel frustrated or cheated isn’t going to be productive.

2. Creates an environment without room to grow. When a person commits to a job, they’re often viewing it as a stepping stone towards career advancements down the line.

   When managers provide promotions to their favorite employees only, it limits the capacity of others. Employees who feel that their employer isn’t taking care of them or their career interests look to alternative options.

3. Decreases morale. Nobody wants to put in their hard work and effort for a job that doesn’t recognize them because of favoritism. It decreases motivation and morale quickly because it makes employees feel like they’re not working towards anything.

4. Increases employee turnover rates. After a while of being dissatisfied with their work environment, employees naturally seek new opportunities elsewhere. High turnover rates negatively impact a business because it takes a lot of money and time to keep filling open positions.

Examples of Favoritism in the Workplace

1. Receiving extra attention. While receiving the majority of a manager’s attention might not seem serious, it can limit other employees’ chances to improve. A company supervisor only has so much time on their hands.

   If they’re giving it all to one person on the team, it means a lot of other employees are being neglected.

2. Regular praising. Offering praise to an employee for a job well done is recommended to boost motivation and confidence. However, when this praise is only given to a single person on the team, it implies favoritism.

   Constructive feedback is given to every employee proportionate to their performance in a well-functioning work environment.

3. Being given extra privileges. Employee privileges, such as a flexible schedule or personal days off, are benefits that are outlined during an employee’s onboarding process.

   When certain employees are given more privileges than others with the same responsibilities, it’s interpreted as favoritism.

4. Excusing an employee’s poor performance. In addition to providing favorited employees with more opportunities, professional favoritism also comes in the form of pardoning poor performance due to bias.

   When a manager excuses a team member’s shoddy work, it puts the entire company in jeopardy of falling behind. Additionally, employees who meet their job responsibilities quickly get annoyed when they’re making up for a favorite’s lacking performance.

5. Unearned promotions. Promotions are hugely significant because they recognize employees for their achievements and contributions.

   When promotions are awarded to people based on favoritism instead of performance, it negatively impacts a business over time by decreasing overall employee motivation.

How to Handle Favoritism in the Workplace

1. Examine the situation. While it’s easy to jump to assumptions about a situation that you feel slighted in, take a moment to examine the circumstance at hand.

   It’s crucial to evaluate fully before taking action because it reflects negatively on an employee if they make a huff about their boss displaying favoritism, and it ends up being unfounded. Do some research into what constitutes favoritism, and decide if your experience matches these examples. Even if you find the favoritism you’re coming across is legal, your company can still handle it and improve the circumstance.

2. Work on your performance. It may seem ridiculous to respond to favoritism by working even harder on your work performance.

   However, being the best employee possible provides the evidence needed to strengthen a case for favoritism because it shows you’re doing everything right in your role without receiving the same opportunities for growth in return.

3. Speak to your boss. Once the problem has persisted past the point that you’re able to ignore it, it’s time to set up a meeting with the manager whose committing the offense.

   • Don’t use this discussion as a chance to attack your supervisor for displaying favoritism; instead, take the chance to gain clarity. Ask them why you didn’t receive a recent opportunity and how you can improve your performance to be considered in the future.

   • Once your manager has outlined the direction for how you can receive more opportunities for advancement in the future, it provides the information needed to improve in these areas.

   • Oftentimes, bringing their attention to your eagerness to take on new challenges inspires a manager enough to give you a chance. If they still display favoritism and ignore you for projects, you need to discuss the situation with a higher-up in the company.

4. Speak with your company’s Human Resources department. When you’ve tried to work with your boss to reach a conclusion that satisfies you both, but they’re still demonstrating favoritism towards other co-workers, consider speaking to your company’s Human Resources department.

   • An HR branch is responsible for handling employee affairs and acting as a neutral bridge between a company and its team.

   • Speaking with a member of the HR department helps diminish a favoritism situation by speaking further with the manager in question or even transferring you to be supervised by someone else.

   • An objective party, like a Human Resources representative, often has better luck with getting through to an unruly manager than an individual who works under them.

5. Seek a new position. While heading off in search of a new job is a last resort for frustrated employees, it is an option to consider.

   It’s a short-term headache to quit your role and begin the process of finding a new job, but it might be the best alternative if you’re uncomfortable at your current company because of favoritism. Finding a fair supervisor at a new job is often easier than trying to change a horrible boss.

When Does Favoritism Become Illegal?

• Gender

• Age

• Race

• Religion

Tips for Preventing Favoritism in the Workplace

1. Build a professional relationship with all employees. One of the reasons that favoritism occurs in the workplace is that managers only build a working relationship with one or a few team members.

   To steer clear of favoritism while managing a team, put in the effort to build a professional relationship with every employee. Speaking with someone for a few extra minutes might give you insight into common ground you share and the unique skills they possess.

2. Establish a system to evaluate employee success. Creating a system to evaluate every employee’s performance is an excellent way to manage favoritism in the workplace.

   Having a set rubric for the success milestones that an employee needs to meet eliminates the possibility that people are being rewarded unfairly.

3. Take employee feedback seriously. Employers collect constructive feedback from their employees because it shows them a different perspective. As a supervisor, your team might pick up on things you’re unaware of from your position.

   Consider employee feedback carefully and take action to remedy situations that people are uncomfortable with, like favoritism.

4. Speak out about favoritism if it’s witnessed. Sometimes it’s another co-worker who’s the culprit of the favoritism in your business.

   When you’re positive that you’re witnessing a co-worker demonstrate favoritism towards their team, it’s best to speak to them about it. This doesn’t have to be an accusatory meeting, but just let them know what you’ve been seeing. In situations where a manager isn’t conscious of their favoritism, bringing it to their awareness might solve a lot of difficulties.

Key Takeaways:

• Presentation skills are important in the workplace because they can be used for meetings, interviews, and conferences.

• Presentation skills include research, organization, and adaptability

• Practice as much as possible before a presentation so that it becomes muscle memory, however, to engage the audience, be flexible with your presentation’s performance.

• Good presentations are informative, engaging, and precise.

Types of Presentation Skills

1. Research. The first step of any successful presentation is the research and preparation phase. First and foremost, you have to become an expert on the content you hope to deliver. It’s also essential to research your audience to know which information is most pertinent for them.

2. Planning. Once you’ve completed your research, it’s time to develop a plan. During this phase, you’ll prioritize which information gets put front-and-center, and which is less vital for your ultimate goal.

   Before you start drafting your presentation, it’s crucial to keep your goal at the forefront: what do you want the audience to do after listening to your presentation? Whether it’s convincing a client to purchase a service, landing your dream job, or getting a few laughs at a wedding, your presentation’s goal should always be central in your plan.

3. Organization. Audiences prefer presentations that are well-thought-out and delivered in a logical order. Before you even step foot in the room, you should know what you need to do to set up, have all your notes in order, and be aware of your allotted time.

   You should also always arrive early for a presentation, so you can organize anything that needs organizing before you start. That way, you won’t kick off your presentation futzing with wires while your audience starts drifting to their phones.

4. Verbal communication. No surprises here, verbal communication skills are downright essential for an effective presentation. Even if you have very rigid notes to follow, being quick on your feet to answer questions or alter your content for the audience’s benefit will serve you well during presentations.

5. Nonverbal communication. Good body language means standing up straight, not fidgeting too much, and maintaining eye contact with your audience members.

   Additionally, your inflection, pace, and energy are all elements of nonverbal communication. Adjust these according to your audience (through research or in real-time), and you’ll be a more effective presenter.

6. Public speaking. Some people get nervous just thinking about speaking publicly. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it is crucial to keep your nerves under wraps for delivering the most effective presentation possible. Audiences are less likely to trust presenters who don’t appear confident.

7. Memorization. We’ve all seen presentations where the presenter is just reading directly off his Powerpoint slides – we don’t need to tell you that those presentations are unequivocally bad. It’s fine to have notes as a reference, but the more time you can spend looking at your audience rather than the sheet in front of you, the better.

8. Writing. Being a good writer will help keep your presentation organized and give a boost to your credibility. Before you can commit your content to memory, you need to develop that content.

9. Story-telling. Not all presentations require story-telling, but it can be a very effective method of grabbing your listeners’ attention. It can be a hypothetical story that presents a question or problem, a real story that leads into your main argument, or a story that continues throughout to illustrate the duller facts your presentation covers.

   While we tend to associate story-telling with more informal presentations (like a maid of honor’s toast), it can be equally effective in a professional setting.

10. Rhetorical skills. Rhetoric is all about persuasion: how are your words going to induce action from the listener(s)? Rhetorical appeals are classified under three headings: ethos, logos, and pathos.

    Ethos establishes credibility in the speaker and trust in the listeners through confident delivery and expert testimony. Logos covers your presentation’s logical thrust through statistics, models, comparisons, analogies, etc. Pathos is your presentation’s emotional appeal, supported by vivid language and stories that promote certain values. Every presentation will contain some element(s) of these rhetorical appeals, but the weight each gets depends on the situation.

11. Active listening. Pay attention to which parts of your presentation are grabbing listeners and which are falling flat. If your audience’s eyes start glazing over or phones start coming out, you know you’re losing them.

    Additionally, some presentations have a Q+A segment, so be ready to shut up for a second and give your full attention to each question.

12. Adaptability. Like the above point, being able to adapt on the fly sets top-tier presenters apart from merely good ones. For instance, if you can tell your presentation isn’t working, you can open up the floor and ask for questions as a way of determining your audience’s priorities.

    Using the ample research you conducted, you can start steering the presentation towards areas of genuine interest.

13. Delivery. We bet you’ve heard some of the same Dad jokes multiple times in your life. Sometimes they’re hilarious, and sometimes they induce an eye-roll. The difference? Delivery. Pace, timing, tone, and enunciation/inflection are all important elements of good delivery.

    It’s a tough thing to practice, but if you’ve got an anecdote to share in your presentation, maybe try it out on a few people beforehand using different delivery methods and see which works best.

14. Technical skills. All right, you’re all set with the perfect presentation, you walk into the room, and the A/V set up isn’t what you were expecting. Well, if you followed our advice above, you showed up a bit early and had time to fix it.

    Either way, being handy with different presentation software and just generally technologically-literate will lessen the stress associated with technical difficulties.

15. Analysis. Phew, your presentation is done. Time to forget about presenting until the next one comes up, right? No siree – now is the time for you to take a step back and evaluate your performance.

    What went well, where could you improve, and how did the audience respond? If you want to improve as a presenter, you must be continually tracking your strengths and weaknesses.

How to Improve Your Presentation Skills

• Watch and learn. You’ve seen presentations before, but to prepare for your own, try watching presentations to learn what works and what doesn’t. If you’re presenting at a conference, attend other presentations and pay attention to how the audience responds. Your audience probably won’t be much different.

  Alternatively, you could watch TED presentations and pick up tricks from the best in the business.

• Practice. Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes. Rehearse what you want to say, either on your own or with an audience of friends. You can even record yourself speaking and pinpoint weak areas and strengths. The more you perform your presentation, the more comfortable you’ll be delivering the real thing.

• Visualize success. What speakers often forget is that audiences want you to do well. They’re there (more or less) of their own volition, and they want to hear what you have to say. Take that nervousness you’re feeling and transform it into excitement.

  Athletes don’t visualize themselves missing shots or losing games, so why should you picture your presentation bombing? Think about how awesome you’re going to do, and you’ll do better.

• Exercise/drink water beforehand. The human body responds to stressful situations with a whole host of unwelcome physical side effects. If you stay hydrated and get some light exercise in beforehand, you’ll flush the adrenaline and cortisol (stress hormones) right out of your body.

• Adopt a power stance and smile. Just as exercise and hydration help keep your body regulated, so does powerful body language. Standing straight with shoulders squared and a smile on your face, and your body will be tricked into thinking you’re in a confident and commanding position.

• Engage your audience. The best presenters are also first-class entertainers. Don’t go overboard and start practicing your comedy routine, but lightening the mood with a joke or two can go a long way. Be sure to greet your audience enthusiastically.

  Additionally, you can get the audience involved with call-and-responds by asking for questions and posing your questions.

• Don’t get defensive if you’re stumped. There might be moments when an audience member asks a question, and you don’t have an answer. Don’t try to equivocate or dodge the question because people will see what you’re doing. It’s okay not to know everything, but pretending you do will only deteriorate your listeners’ faith in you.

• Keep it concise. People won’t be upset if you wrap up earlier than expected, but they might be a little peeved if you start running over your allotted time. Cut irrelevant information, and your audience will thank you.

• Take your time. All right, so we just suggested keeping things short, and now we’re telling you to take your time. What gives? Well, you should always include a bit of padding into your presentation. For example, if your presentation is meant to be a half-hour, try to get it down to 25 minutes, so you have some wiggle room.

  That way, you won’t feel rushed to get through your material. You can take pauses, slow down your speech, and add emphasis when appropriate.

Types of Presentations

• Delivering a presentation to colleagues, employees, or subordinates about new technology, processes, goals, etc.

• Drumming up investor interest, either for a new business or for your current business’s expansion.

• Teaching your team a new skill.

• Deciding between two or more alternative options or solving a problem with a current system.

• Progress reports.

• Selling a product or service to a client.

• Motivational speech

• Interviewing for a new job or promotion

• Saying goodbye to a colleague (or introducing a new one)

• Giving a speech at a family function, like a wedding.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the four types of presentation?

The four types of presentation are: informative, instructional, arousing, and persuasive. Informative presentations briefly educate your audience on a specific topic. Instructional presentations teach your audience more thoroughly and generally come with more details and/or directions.

Arousing presentations are meant to evoke some kind of emotion in the audience. Persuasive presentations are designed to convince the audience on a particular viewpoint.

2. What are the four P’s of presentation?

The four P’s of presentation are: planning, preparation, practice, and performance. As the four P’s imply, you need to plan and prepare your presentation, as well as practice. Finally, you need to be aware of your performance during your presentation to make sure you use your skills in an engaging manner.

3. What is the 10-20-30 rule of presentation?

The 10-20-30 rule is for a slide presentation and means you should use no more than 10 slides, present no longer than 20 minutes, and use no less than 30 point font. Considering these factors helps make a presentation efficient with its time. Remember you want to take your time and be direct with your information. Using the 10-20-30 rule helps you find a balance between these needs.

Final Thoughts

Recruiters see so many resumes every day that eventually, they all start to blur together. If you want yours to stand out so you can land an interview, you’re going to have to customize your resume so that it addresses everything the employer is looking for in an ideal candidate.

We’ll cover what tailoring a resume is, highlight the major advantages of customizing your resume, and show you how to easily adapt your resume for any job description.

• It takes six to seven seconds for an employer to look at your resume and decide to keep it or not.

• When tailoring your resume, you are focusing on what the employer needs, it demonstrates your interest in the job, and it shows your qualifications.

• Make sure to read the job description, use keywords, and put your most relevant experience experiences first to make your resume stand out.

What Does Tailoring Your Resume Mean?

How to Tailor Your Resume for a Specific Job

1. Read job description for requirements. Read over the job description and make note of any qualities or skills that are important for the job, then scan your resume to see if these words are reflected in your own experiences.

   • If they aren’t — revamp your resume using the buzzwords and traits you found in the job description. If you’re not sure of what words to use to show how your experience is perfect for the position, do a quick Google search of the job title to pick up some lingo you can use to describe yourself.

   • Our pro tip is to review the job description with three highlighters in hand. First, highlight all of the action verbs. Then, highlight all of the adjectives in a different color. Finally, highlight the skills in a third color.

   • Now look for words in your current resume that can easily be swapped for the words that the job description uses. Voila — with fairly low effort, you’ve got all the natural-sounding keywords you need to pass the applicant tracking system and impress the hiring manager or recruiter.

   For example, if you’re applying for a job as a Content Creator, you’re going to want to use words like “copyedit,” “proofread,” and “deadlines,” throughout your resume. It might seem simple, but these words will determine whether your resume gets you an interview, or gets thrown in the trash.

2. Put your most relevant experiences right at the top. It might make sense to list your work experience in sequential order, but in the world of job hunting, you want your most valuable and relevant experience right there at the top.

   • Employers only spend about six or seven seconds looking at a resume before they decide if it’s a keeper, so you’ll want to make sure that they can see your value quickly and clearly — without having to search the page for something mildly interesting.

   • Find your work or volunteer experiences that are the most closely related to the job you’re applying for, and rearrange your resume so that they stand out — and while you’re at it, make sure to use keywords we’ve been talking about.

   • Also, since your resume summary statement is the first section after your contact info, make sure to spend a lot of time writing the perfect one for each job you apply for. In two to three sentences, describe your most relevant and impressive accomplishments and skills as a way of grabbing the reader’s attention for more than six seconds.

3. Research company values and align them with yours. Another great way to stand out from other candidates? Show employers that your values align with theirs. This will show them that you have a good sense of character, which is a quick and easy way to make a good impression.

   • So, how do you do this, you may ask? Easy, just check the company website for an “About Us” section, and you’re likely to find a paragraph or two detailing their core values. You might even find these traits in the job description, with phrases like “clear communicator,” “works well with others,” and so on.

   • If, however, the company has values that don’t align with yours, you might want to reconsider applying for the job. For example, if the company has a high respect for Doritos, but you have an unwavering devotion to Cheetos, you might consider applying for a job somewhere that values the same snacks as you.

   • Embodying a company’s ideal candidate goes beyond having a lot of experience. If you can show you’re a perfect fit for the company culture, you’re sure to stand out from other candidates.

4. Modify your bullet points for less relevant experiences. Now that your most relevant experience is at the top of your resume, it’s time to edit your remaining experiences to show that you gained valuable qualifications from them, too.

   Your first step in doing this is to look over those valuable skills we found earlier. Think back to your less-relevant work experiences and try to match those skills to the responsibilities and duties of those jobs.

   Even though your experience tutoring math isn’t directly related to the solar technician role you’re applying for, you can still include those soft skills required in both positions — like structure, time management, training, analytical thinking — whatever is important for the job at hand.

5. Have someone review it. Your final step in making sure that your resume is tailored perfectly for the job is to ask someone else to look over it.

   Ask a friend or a relative to read over your resume, and ask if they can tell what kind of role you’re applying for and if you come off as a good fit. Follow up these initial questions by asking your friend what experiences and skills really stood out to them, and if you sound genuinely interested in the position.

   If you miss the mark and your friend thinks you’re applying for a fast-food position, when in reality you’re going for a marketing role, you might want to reorganize your experience and rethink your emphasized skills.

   Your resume should make it painfully obvious exactly what role you’re applying for, and why you’re the perfect candidate for that role. If this isn’t clear, keep reworking it until it is.

Resume Sections to Tailor

• Make your resume summary statement count. If you’re only going to customize one thing on your resume, make it the resume summary statement. In two to three sentences, describe your job title, most impressive accomplishments, and most relevant skills/qualifications.

  Pick out those keywords that the job description repeated most frequently and make sure to include a couple in this section.

• Tweak your skills section. Since this section is usually just a handful of bullet points, it’s a fairly simple one to customize. It may even be as simple as moving an important skill from the bottom to the top, or cutting out a skill that the job description doesn’t mention.

• Change work experience bullet points. This is where it gets more time-consuming, but it’s still not too bad. You can keep the same bullet points and adjust some of the action verbs you use (change “supervise” to “manage,” for example, if that’s the word the job description uses).

  Or you can completely cut and rewrite bullet points to more accurately address the key responsibilities listed in the job description.

Benefits of Tailoring Your Resume

• It Emphasizes employer needs. Employers are most interested in what you can do for them, based on your track record. With that in mind, tailoring your resume to show you the value you added in your former roles translates perfectly to this new role makes it easier for them to see you succeeding in the new job.

• It helps get past applicant tracking systems. ATS are a necessary evil for large companies that have to contend with hundreds of applicants for any given job listing. This software is designed to parse your document for relevant information and assign you a score based on keywords and experience levels, among other things.

  Adjusting your keywords for a specific job description will basically guarantee you pass through the software and reach a human reader.

• It demonstrates genuine interest. Recruiters and hiring managers know a generic resume and cover letter when they see one. While the spray-and-pray method may work okay for some entry-level positions, anything above the bottom-tier of the corporate hierarchy is going to want more specialization.

  When you spend time matching your resume up with the job description, employers notice and appreciate this fact. It shows you’re more motivated to get this particular job, and that’s half the battle.

• It shows you’re perfect for the job. Ultimately, this is what writing a good resume is all about. When you can naturally and honestly confirm that you have the necessary qualifications listed in the job description, and make that clear on your resume, hiring managers really have no choice but to call you in for an interview.

Final Thoughts

As if writing a resume wasn’t enough of a challenge, now you’ve got to switch it up for every job you apply for. It’s time-consuming and a bit of a drag, but customizing your resume for each and every job increases your chances of getting an interview and landing that sweet gig.

Your resume is what’s going to get your foot in the door, and it’s your first chance to make a good impression on an employer. So, if you want to stand out from everyone else, your resume needs to show that you’re the perfect candidate.

Now that you know what to do, it’s time to get to work and edit that resume — once you do, you’re sure to land an interview and get the job.

Key Takeaways:

• Ask questions that give you a more detailed understanding of the opportunity.

• Learn from the recruiter why the position is available, what the turnover at the position is like, and if there are other recruiters trying to fill the position.

• Ask about the role and responsibility of the position.

• Recruiters are paid to place people, so they should be willing to help you out as much as possible.

• Make sure to clarify the next steps with the recruiter after speaking with them.

15 Questions to Ask a Recruiter

1. Why does the company need this position filled?

   Your average job listing won’t give you information about why a company needs to hire someone for a particular position. Therefore, you can get inside information by asking a recruiter. You may learn whether the position is newly created or if it needs to be filled because a previous employee left. In the case of the latter, you can inquire further and gain more information about how long the previous employee worked there, and if they left on good terms. Knowing this will help you understand the quality of the position. For example, if the last employee who worked that position was promoted, that could be a sign of high upward mobility. On the other hand, if the previous employee/s only worked the position for a short period or quit to work somewhere else, those might be red flags.

2. What is the timeline for filling this position?

   This question will give you an idea of the steps in the hiring process and how quickly the employer is looking to fill the position. When you understand the pace of the hiring process, you can be ready for additional interviews, tests, or wait times. One of the main benefits of understanding the company’s timeline will be knowing when you’re wasting your time. For instance, if you know the position needs to be filled as quickly as possible, you’ll be able to move on to a new opportunity if the company hasn’t gotten back to you in a week. By contrast, if you have the steps explained to you, you’ll be able to evaluate the timespan of the process, and if that timespan suits your needs.

3. Why weren’t other candidates chosen?

   While some recruiters may not answer this question, you can gain worthwhile insight if you’re able to receive an answer. For example, if you understand what the employer views as red flags, you can avoid those actions, traits, answers, etc., in an interview. Instead of learning from your own mistakes, you can avoid making any by learning from the mistakes of previous candidates who weren’t chosen.

4. How did you find me?

   Knowing how a recruiter found you can tell you which people, social media sites, websites, or any other professional platforms are giving you useful exposure. For example, if you know that a recruiter found you on LinkedIn, you can prioritize the appeal of your profile on that site.

5. Are there any changes I should make to my resume or cover letters?

   Your resume and cover letters are your initial gateway into a position. With that in mind, gaining inside information on how to improve those documents from a recruiter can help you improve. Many recruiters have seen hundreds of resumes and cover letters, so their professional experience with the best of the best and worst of the worst is valuable. After looking at your resume or cover letters, they may give you formatting, grammar, or content related tips. Overall, when a recruiter offers you specific suggestions about improving your resume or cover letters, implementing them will be of great benefit to you.

6. What kinds of questions could I expect in an interview?

   Knowing what kind of questions to expect in an interview can not only help you practice, but also give you an edge over other candidates. Luckily, recruiters will often have an idea of what kinds of questions you’ll be asked. For instance, if your recruiter tells you that the hiring manager will likely ask about a time you had to show workplace prioritization skills, you can think of examples before you even go into the interview. Overall, answering any tough questions will be far easier when you’re able to prepare. In some cases, a recruiter may even help you practice interviews by playing the role of a hiring manager. This opportunity allows you to further hone your interview skills and be one of the most beneficial aspects of working with a recruiter.

7. What do you know about the hiring manager?

   Asking this question can give you an idea of what your interview will be like. If the recruiter knows the hiring manager, they can tell you about the hiring manager’s interview style, reputation, experience, pet peeves, etc. Knowing this information will allow you to go into your interview fully prepared to deal with whoever’s on the other side of the desk. Additionally, you can create a more personalized cover letter when you know information about the hiring manager. Doing so could be the edge you need to land an interview in the first place.

8. What can you tell me about the company culture?

   Knowing whether or not you’ll fit in with your new company and co-workers is an important part of any job. Fortunately, many recruiters can tell you about a company’s culture. By asking this question, you can understand if the company is team-oriented or more individualistic, formal or casual, and fasted-paced or low-pressure, among other things. These details can help you gauge how your personal culture will blend with the company’s culture.

9. What do you know about the salary for this position?

   Receiving fair and worthwhile compensation is one of the most important aspects of any job. Keeping that in mind, attempting to gain insight about a job’s salary from a recruiter can inform you on whether or not you should pursue the position. If you’re aware of a specific salary, you can analyze the numbers and compare them to your current work-life balance. Additionally, when you understand a company’s average salary, as well as what you’re worth, you can negotiate with confidence.

10. Are you the only recruiter working for this company, or are there others?

    Asking this question can give you a better idea of how competitive the position is. After all, if there’s only one recruiter and they’re looking at you, your odds of being chosen for the position are much higher. On the other hand, if the recruiter tells you that they’re not the only one working for the company, you’ll know that it’s even more important to hone your application. When you have to compete with multiple highly qualified candidates, it’s vital that you set yourself apart. Luckily, a recruiter will be invested in helping you with this.

11. How often do you communicate with the employer?

    When you work with a recruiter, you’ll stand a better chance of gaining information and being chosen for the job when there are regular, open lines of communication between the employer and the recruiter. With that in mind, you should only work with recruiters who regularly communicate with the employer, so their assistance is as helpful and accurate as possible.

12. What are the top 3 skills and qualifications the hiring manager is looking for?

    Receiving an answer to this question will allow you to improve your resume and interview presence. For instance, if a recruiter tells you that the company’s hiring manager is looking for someone who is team-oriented, has a bachelor’s degree, and at least five years of experience working with Photoshop, you’ll be able to highlight those skills and qualifications.

13. Does this company/position have a noticeable turnover rate?

    Generally speaking, getting involved in a position that has a high turnover rate can be a major mistake. Typically, jobs with higher turnover can be a sign of overworking, lack of pay, and underappreciation from the company. When you inquire about the turnover rates before your interview, you can evaluate the challenges that come with the position and then decide if it’s worth accepting the job offer.

14. Can you give me a more detailed job description?

    Job descriptions are pretty cut-and-dry, but in some cases, a recruiter can give you more insight into a certain position’s details. After all, job descriptions posted on a website rarely give you an idea of what your day-to-day tasks will look like. Luckily, a recruiter might be able to tell you about specific responsibilities you’ll have and give you information about what you’ll be doing on the job.

15. Do you have any concerns about me or my qualifications?

    Constructive criticism can be extremely useful, especially when you’re going to be evaluated by a hiring manager. When you consider that most recruiters work closely with employers, knowing the recruiter’s concerns about you will give you insight into the employer’s preferences. Once you know your weaknesses, you can work on presenting the best version of yourself to the employer.

What Role Does a Recruiter Play in the Job Hiring Process?

What To Do After Speaking With A Recruiter

• If you are worried you may be fired, talk with your supervisor and show that you are trying to improve your work.

• Maintaining a positive attitude and a good relationship with your supervisor and coworker can help you from getting into a conflict and possibly fired.

• Changing your personal and career goals could help prevent you from getting fired.

How to Protect Your Job When in Danger of Being Fired

1. Talk to your supervisor. Communication is critical in all aspects of business, especially here. If you already got a bad performance review or are on a performance improvement plan, then you have a foundation for what’s expected of you moving forward.

   If you don’t have that, then schedule a meeting with your supervisor and find out what you’re doing wrong (and right). Ask for specifics and schedule a follow-up meeting then and there. If you show that you’re proactively trying to improve and follow your boss’s guidelines (even if you disagree with them), you’ll be much harder to let go.

2. Align your priorities with your employer’s. Now that you’ve had a conversation with your supervisor, you know your priorities. Before spending time on anything, ask yourself: is this the best use of my time, given the guidelines my supervisor laid out for me?

3. Work hard. Pretty obvious, right? Even if you’re known as a slacker, you can redefine your image through consistent hard work. Get rid of distractions and commit yourself to achieving better, more consistent results.

4. Create a performance improvement plan. We know this is one of those “signs you’re about to get fired” we mentioned above, so why should you go out of your way to make a performance improvement plan?

   Well, if you know you’re not viewed in the best light to begin with, then actively seeking remedial measures at least shows you care about keeping the job.

5. Maintain a positive attitude. It’s easy to become frustrated when you start seeing the warning signs. Why not just give up, coast along as long as you can, and accept the inevitable termination that’s coming? Well, if you care about your professional reputation and growing as an individual, that’s not exactly the healthiest route to take.

   Instead, put on a smile, help your coworkers, and anticipate your boss’s wishes. This isn’t just to save your job – it’s to make you a better employee in the long haul.

6. Be accountable. It’s easy to become defensive when people start questioning your professional abilities. Resist the urge to lash out or throw other people under the bus.

   Being bad at your job is one thing, but also being a pain in the ass about it is quite another. If you make a mistake, take responsibility for it, fix it, figure out how to avoid repeating it, and move on.

7. Switch jobs internally. If your department or team’s prospects are looking bleak, or you and your supervisor just don’t get along, think about landing a position elsewhere in the company. It’s a much easier transition than finding a new employer, and it might be just what you need to reinvigorate your passion for the job.

   This is a sneaky tip: check out which teams/departments are growing (and have been, consistently). If you move into one of those, you’re likely safer from termination.

8. Advocate for yourself. Nobody else is going to do it. The problem might not be your performance at all, but rather how you’re perceived. There are ways to discuss your strengths and achievements without being annoying.

   Always aim to take initiative and stay visible, even if you’re an introvert. If you’re making improvements, be proud, and discuss them with your supervisor as regularly as they wish.

9. Improve your skills. Set personal and professional goals for yourself (and meet them). If you’re continually updating and enhancing your skill set (in ways relevant to the position), then you’ll be that much more irreplaceable.

   Just be sure to communicate these goals/milestones with your supervisor, so they can see how hard you’re working to add value to the company.

10. Get laid off instead of fired. Sometimes, saving your job just isn’t in the cards. But you can mitigate the worst of it by asking to be laid off instead of fired.

    Being laid off looks better professionally (because, by definition, it wasn’t strictly your fault), and you’ll likely be eligible for unemployment benefits. Your employer might be happy to oblige since it prevents a potential wrongful termination lawsuit.

10 Common Reasons People Get Fired

1. Consistent tardiness or unexcused absences. You should always turn up to work when your employer expects you to. Continually showing up late or missing work without following protocol is a surefire way to get terminated from your position.

2. Drug or alcohol possession. Kind of a no-brainer here: don’t bring illicit substances to work and don’t show up to work intoxicated.

3. Damaging company property. Okay, you can accidentally break a stapler, and you’re probably fine, but if you’re downloading movies and riddling your company computer with viruses, that’s a big no-no.

4. Using company property for personal reasons. Again, no big deal if you’re sending a couple of personal emails on your work computer. But if you’re on Facebook half the day or using your office’s copier to get your side gig going, your employer won’t take it very well.

5. Bad social media practice. Back in the day, people complained about their boss’s all the time – in person, with no record of the badmouthing.

   We advise you to do your bitching the old fashioned way, rather than post it online, where it serves as a permanent record of your grievances.

6. Falsifying documents. Sometimes you make a mistake on a report, but that in itself isn’t a fireable offense. However, if you knowingly falsify any work-related documents, that’s grounds for termination (and possible legal action).

7. Being insubordinate. You can just say “no” sometimes, but if you always follow Nancy Reagan’s advice 100% of the time at work, you’re a horrible employee.

   If you have a problem with the way things are being done and the tasks you’re being assigned, express that through the proper channels. In the meantime, do what you’re told.

8. Poor performance. Companies want competent employees that can handle all the duties listed in the job description. If you constantly require oversight or re-dos on your assignments, and they’re still not up to snuff, the company will see you as a bad investment they can’t wait to be done with.

9. Unethical behavior. Stealing, lying, fraud, bullying, and sexual harassment all fall into this category. You’d be amazed how many employees try to get away with padding their income by exaggerating expense reports – this is stealing. Basically, don’t be a jerk.

10. Breaking company policy. Whether it’s failing to follow protocol for taking time off or dating within the office when it’s expressly forbidden, your company has guidelines for a reason.

    You can certainly ask human resources when you’re unsure about a policy, but don’t continually break it and assume “no harm, no foul.”

Warning Signs You May Be Fired

• Bad performance review. This is a flashing neon sign that you’re in danger of being fired. It’s especially bad if this review isn’t part of a regularly-scheduled, department/company-wide performance assessment. It’s also extra-bad if this isn’t your first poor performance review.

  In some cases, you might be put on a performance improvement plan (PIP). While this could be an opportunity to prove your value, it’s also a big red flag that your job is in danger.

• You’re left out of projects. Think of it as the cold shoulder of the business world. If your workload starts becoming suspiciously light, people don’t come to you for input anymore, subordinates start going over your head, or superiors start going directly to your team, start worrying.

  On the flip-side, if your boss starts altering your responsibilities, it could just be a sign you’re changing positions soon instead of being terminated.

• Your relationship with your boss has soured. There may be a notable event, like a joke that didn’t go over well or a “he said, she said” scenario with a poorly performed project that tells you your boss doesn’t like you as much anymore.

  Or it could just be a general tense feeling and deteriorating communication. Whatever it is, be mindful of your relationship with your boss. You don’t have to be best buddies, but keep in contact and nip any conflicts in the bud ASAP.

• Increased or decreased oversight. If your boss starts micromanaging everything you do (and that’s out of character for them), that could point to some behind-the-scenes talks about your poor performance lately.

  Additionally, your boss may stop caring about what you do altogether. It might be nice at first, but the chances are that they don’t care what you do because you’ll be gone soon anyway.

• More gets put in writing than it used to. This is a big one: companies will always try to protect themselves from wrongful termination lawsuits by clearly documenting all interactions with you. Written warnings about your performance are especially damning evidence of your imminent termination.

  If you start seeing loads of people cc’d on messages (especially HR personnel), that could be a significant sign that your company is getting ready to terminate you.

• A general shift in work relationships. Ultimately, you have to read the room to sense signs of your imminent termination. While higher-ups will try to keep personnel decisions quiet, people inevitably gossip.

  If your coworkers (or clients) start acting strange around you, either by being more reserved or avoiding you altogether, that could indicate that others are in-the-know, or at least have grounds for informed speculation.

• You’re asked to take a leave of absence. This is a giant warning sign. Your boss might want to see how things function without you in the picture. The obvious next step is that they find you aren’t necessary for business to run smoothly.

  Additionally, your employer might cut your hours or demote you.

• A merger is in the works. This one’s not exactly down to you and your performance, but it’s something to look out for all the same. When two companies merge, there will always be some overlap between job positions and duties.

  If you don’t feel confident that management views you in a positive light, you might be deemed expendable.

How to Not Get Fired FAQ

• Why am I always getting fired?

  One of the most common reasons some people are always getting fired has to do with personality, frequent absences, and slacking off. If you don’t have a personality that works well with others, or you are always negative, you may not be someone a manager wants on their team. They may look for any reason to fire you.

  If you believe your personality is the reason you keep getting fired, take some time to evaluate how you interact with those at your work, and speak with your boss. Your boss may give you ideas of how to work better with those around you.

• Is it normal to get fired?

  Almost everyone gets fired at some point in their life. This could come in the form of getting laid off, company closing down, or just flat out getting fired.

  If you get fired, take some time to decompress from your job and grieve the loss of your job. Once you are done with that, get back out there and find another job you love just as much.

• Is it better to quit or get fired?

  Quitting is usually better for your reputation. You want the decision to look like it was yours to leave a position and not the other way around. If you were fired, a potential employer might see that as a reason not to hire you. If you quit a job, you are able to explain why you left the previous role.

Final Thoughts

• Interviewers ask about why you left your last job to find out if you quit voluntarily or were terminated by your previous employer.

• It’s important to be honest about why you left your last job, because the interviewer will find out if you lie.

• Be positive about why you left your last job and don’t talk negatively about your last boss or the position.

How to Answer “Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?”

1. Start with a main point that connects to the new job. Whether it had to do with personal or professional reasons, you want to have a clear and coherent answer.

   Just as important is giving an answer that can easily segue into why this job you’re applying for is perfect in contrast to the less-than-perfect fit with your former employer.

2. Limit the details. You don’t need to overshare, and you certainly don’t need to volunteer information that makes you look bad. Of course, if you were fired, that automatically looks kind of bad, but the goal is still to minimize the negativity. Be accountable for your mistakes and talk about what you learned from the experience.

   If your reasoning was personal and you left voluntarily, consider how you’ll phrase your answer and do your best to limit it to facts that would interest the interviewer. If you were laid off, think about an intelligent way to describe what was going on with the company at a macro-level that led to lay-offs.

   Whatever your answer, fix the important details in your mind and stick to them. Going off-script might result in you accidentally bad-mouthing someone, which we want to avoid at all costs.

3. Be positive. Hiring managers and recruiters will see negative talk about your former workplace as a red flag — whether that’s fair or not. Instead, frame the experience positively, regardless of the reasons for your departure.

   Companies aren’t hiring for hard skills and qualifications alone; soft skills matter, and your capacity for diplomacy, tact, and careful communication may be just as important for your job as your technical abilities.

4. Be forward-thinking. Always bring your answer back around to your enthusiasm for the job and company you’re currently interviewing with. Some answers are easier to segue into this sort of thing than others, but the opportunity is always there.

   If you were fired, you can talk about how you want to put the lessons you learned into practice. If you were laid off, you can discuss how you’re excited to move into an industry that’s growing so rapidly.

   If you quit because of collaborative issues, highlight how great it is that teamwork is one of the company’s core values. If you quit for a better work-life balance, mention how the flexible schedules are really attractive for you.

   Whatever the reason, an answer that emphasizes your excitement for the future rather than dwells on the past will impress interviewrs.

Example Answers to “Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?”

1. Example Answer 1: The Last Job Wasn’t Challenging

   “I quit because I was bored,”

   Or alternatively;

   “I just wasn’t being challenged enough.”

   What the interviewer hears: “I’m a fickle person subject to naught but my own whims, and I could quit at literally any time. I might quit on day one if the office coffee is cold. In my mind, I’m already quitting the job that you haven’t even offered me yet.” What to say instead: The problem here is that telling a hiring manager that you weren’t being challenged enough might make him or her concerned about your attention span. They’re looking for someone who’s more than just capable of doing the work, but who’s also interested enough in the work that they won’t be back on the job hunt as soon they get hired. Emphasize that what you’re looking for is a new experience, but that you’re still capable of making a commitment to a new organization. Talk about why you’ve chosen to apply to this company in particular. What interests you about them specifically? At the end of the day, it’s fine if you were bored and wanted to shake up your life a bit. You just want to be a little diplomatic about how you frame this to a hiring manager. Try something like,

   “I worked for [X] company for [X] number of years, and it was time for me to make a change.”

2. Example Answer 2: You Want to Work With Better People

   “I quit because my boss was a (and/or coworkers were) moron(s).”

   What the interviewer hears: “My boss was a jerk and I’m not intelligent or articulate enough to be nice about it. Also, I may or may not be a rude, boorish fool myself. I probably am.

   You have no way to know for sure, as you and I are strangers. My inability to think of anything nice to say about my previous employer is, in any case, a serious red flag that you should definitely hold against me as an interviewee and potential co-worker.” What to say instead: Again, there’s no way for any hiring manager to be sure you aren’t the one who’s the jerk. First impressions can be deceiving, after all. In fact, if you didn’t like them, try not to mention your boss or coworkers at all. Instead, focus on the company at large; you can disagree with the general direction of the company without sounding mean. It can be a really great jumping-off point for talking about reasons you’re excited to join this new company specifically. If it’s specifically a newer boss that you disliked at a company you’d already been working for a while, a good option here is to talk about your old boss. Discuss how it didn’t make sense for you to continue working at the company after she or he left, or how their leaving helped you realize that it was time for you to move on as well. This is a reasonable answer to a common enough situation, and perfectly sidesteps the issue of talking about your newer (idiot) boss.

   “I had a great relationship with my former boss, and when she left to work for XYZ Inc., she motivated me to also seek a role that better suits my skill set and values.”

3. Example Answer 3: Your Last Company Downsized

   “I was laid off suddenly,”

   or,

   “I was laid off for no good reason.”

   What the interviewer hears: “I didn’t think I would get laid off and wasn’t really prepared for it to happen, financially or otherwise, which is actually fine and doesn’t make me a bad person or anything, but it’s probably not something I should be telling you as a potential employer.” What to say instead: Not an example where lying is required, but specificity is. You want to talk about precisely what happened. Was your company relocating, or merging with another? Were you overstaffed, or was your company cutting costs? Be as specific as you can be about this. It’ll show any potential hirers that you understand the complex reasons why a company may conduct layoffs. Showing that you have no hard feelings about this will demonstrate your ability to remain civil when this kind of unavoidable evils of the business world ends up affecting your livelihood.

   “My last company was facing stiff competition from newer and more agile companies in the area, and they were forced to downsize certain departments. Marketing was especially hard hit, and the company laid off around 50% of the staff working there, myself included.”

4. Example Answer 4: You Were Fired

   “I was fired.”

   What the interviewer hears: Actually, probably just what it sounds like. Sorry. What to say instead: It’s tough to get around this one. Obviously, it’s not ideal to tell a hiring manager that you were fired, as this is perhaps the reddest of all red flags. However, lying about this is a terrible idea; it will almost certainly come up at one point or another. Any hiring manager can discover this about you with a minimal amount of digging. All that they have to do is call your previous employer, and suddenly your secret is out. So, you have one shot here to convince your interviewer that despite being fired, you still deserve a shot. Your instinct here may be to trash talk your previous employer, which may make sense — if the reason you were fired because your last boss was terrible, this will clear up the issue right away. But if you do this, no matter how justified you are, you’ll end up running into the same problem of the hiring manager not knowing who to believe in this scenario. Even if you’re right, it’s tough to look good to a stranger while trashing your old boss (even if they were bad); you’ll come off looking righteously angry at best, but cynical and mean-spirited at worst. Part of this depends on how you left things with your last place of employment. If you can cite your last boss as a reference, that’s the best of all possible worlds. She or he can go to bat for you at your new place and tell them all about how wonderful you are, and any fears a hiring manager might still have can be squashed right away. Of course, there are some of us who live in our own darkest timelines, and we don’t all have the luxury of being on perfect terms with our previous employers. Sometimes in life, we’re forced to leave quickly instead of giving a more traditional two weeks’ notice. In cases like these where the only person in your corner is yourself, it’s all on you to think of some method of framing the experience in such a way that a hiring manager would be willing to give you a shot. First of all, tell them that you were “let go”; then follow this up by talking about what you learned as a result of the experience, rather than spending your time focused on the firing itself.

   “I had trouble keeping up with deadlines at my last editing job, and I was let go as a result. Since then, I’ve been freelancing a bit, and it’s really helped me stay organized and on top of everything. I now keep a spreadsheet of all my tasks with urgency and importance levels assigned to each, and it’s made a big difference in my time management and planning.”

Tips for Answering “Why Did You Leave Your Last Job”

1. Don’t hate on your old boss. The trick is to be honest without being a huge downer about your last boss.

   • After all, what the person interviewing is looking for is just a good reason why you’re no longer working for your previous employer, not a Russian novel detailing your every grievance.

   • Even if your boss was a grade-A jerk, it’s difficult for the interviewer to take you at your word. They don’t know you, and it’s just as likely that you were the difficult one to work with, not your boss.

   • Additionally, they’ll be thinking about the kind of things you might say about the company you’re applying to, should you manage to get the position.

   • Will you still be tactful about your new position if things don’t pan out? Or will you just be saying the same sort of unpleasant things in your next interview, somewhere down the line?

2. Be creative when discussing negative experiences. There are a lot of very good reasons for you to have left your previous position, and almost all are good to share with your new boss and work friends. Just, perhaps not immediately.

   • You want to keep in mind that this person who’s interviewing you is meeting you for the first time as well. Even if they seem polite and understanding in person, once it comes time for them to make hiring decisions they may not feel able to take a risk on someone whose background sends up too many red flags for them.

   • If they know that someone they’re looking to hire had a terrible relationship with their last employer, then the immediate concern for them is not a potential hire’s boss, but their potential new employee (aka you).

   • Think about how you can frame your more honest answers about why you left your previous position into something that employers are looking for.

     This is one situation where, because of the stigma associated with bad-mouthing any previous employer (no matter how bad), you may want to lie if your answer is anything less than flattering to your last boss.

   • However, you also don’t want to inadvertently bad-mouth yourself, either. If your last employer was perfect (or if you at least make them sound like they were), then the fact that you are no longer working there could be a red flag if you don’t have a good reason prepared for why you left.

   • The point here is to show your ability to be tactful about your previous work relationships without sending up any red flags to a potential employer. You want to show that you’re aware of what a good, healthy employment experience consists of without giving hiring managers any reason to be concerned about your ability to play nice with others.

   • Depending on your reasons for leaving, this may require you to be a teensy, tiny bit dishonest. Or, at the very least, not perfectly frank.

Why Interviewers Ask “Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?”

• They’re looking for the truth, but you always want to give a story that makes you look like a solid and reliable employee who is seeking greater challenges and a better outlet for your skill set.

• Interviewers also hope for a bit of insight into your loyalty and professionalism. Ideally, you gave plenty of notice and helped with the transition. This will put the hiring manager’s mind at ease about how considerate and dependable you are.

• If you were fired or laid off, interviewers want to hear the truth of the matter (to a certain degree). They want to see that you understand the circumstances that led to your termination and that you don’t hold a grudge.

• If you were fired for something that was your fault, they also want to hear what you learned and how you’ve grown from the experience.

• Ultimately, they want to hire an employee who can remain diplomatic and has stayed on good terms with their former employer, regardless of the circumstances.

Common Reasons For Leaving a Job

• The company you worked for went out of business

• You feel undervalued in your current position

• You are overworked and underpaid

• The scheduled hours don’t fit your current needs

• You don’t fit in with the company culture

• You have a better job offer

• You wanted to work in a different industry

• You went back to school to get a degree in a different field

Final Thoughts

• When you are more confident at work you tend to feel better about yourself and the work you are doing.

• When trying to be more confident, focus on the positive and focus on the skills you have rather than the ones you don’t have.

• Asking questions about projects, and getting feedback from your boss or coworker is the best way to evaluate your work and gain confidence in what you’re doing.

The Importance of Being Confident at Work

• You’ll feel better about yourself. When you’re not confident in yourself or your abilities, your self-esteem takes a big hit. Self-doubt can lead to anxiety and depression, and a lack of confidence at work can seep into your other relationships in unhealthy ways.

• You’ll be taken more seriously. When a person speaks and acts with confidence, other people notice. If you want your colleagues to trust you enough to advance in your career, a shot of confidence will go a long way.

• You’ll take on and achieve more. Those who lack confidence worry whenever a particularly challenging project comes across their desk. They certainly won’t go out of their way to try anything difficult.

  While this may protect them from short-term failures, it has long-term negative consequences for their careers because they’ll have fewer accomplishments to show off for promotions or job changes. This creates a feedback loop: you never accomplish anything major, so you have no confidence, so you never take on anything major, etc.

• You’ll be seen as a leader. Managers and supervisors are always looking for leadership potential within their ranks. While several characteristics contribute to effective leadership, confidence is a foundational trait of any successful leader.

• You’ll be trusted more. If you’re always diffident at work, supervisors will pick up on it. You’ll get smaller jobs and more oversight. Basically, self-doubt leads to others doubting you too.

  Again, this creates a negative feedback loop, where you have fewer outlets to gain confidence.

• Your employer does better. Your employer benefits from higher levels of employee confidence. Business can proceed more efficiently and effectively if every worker, at every level of the company, has confidence in their ability to perform their tasks.

  It’s especially critical for those with client-facing roles to exude confidence; otherwise, customers will lose faith in the company as a whole.

How to be More Confident at Work

1. Focus on the positive. Cut out any self-deprecating remarks or negative self-talk. If you often tell yourself you’re no good and can’t hack it, then you’ll start to believe it.

   Instead, use self-affirming language and techniques; tell yourself how awesome you are and focus on all your successes. Take time to celebrate your achievements and consider keeping a folder or document loaded with professional kudos you’ve gotten throughout your career. It’s something you can turn to in moments of doubt to remind yourself how well you’ve done so far.

2. Up your skills. It’s easy to slide into feelings of incompetency when you feel your colleagues have more skills than you. Think about ways to develop your current skill set or add new, relevant skills to your arsena.

   When you can apply a newly-learned skill to your job or teach a coworker a new trick you learned, your confidence will get a big boost.

3. Ask questions. Being curious at work won’t just enhance your confidence – it’ll also help you stand out as an engaged employee. We often lack confidence when we feel there’s a knowledge gap, but the worst thing you can do is carry on with a task you’re not sure how to do.

   You’ll probably do a worse job, and that’s not doing your confidence any favors. Remember, nobody has all the answers (that’s why companies are made up of more than one person).

4. Body language tricks. Smile more, always make eye contact, and practice good posture, and you’ll be surprised how quickly you start to internalize those feelings of confidence.

   Practice power poses before a big meeting, like “The CEO” (feet on desk, leaning back, with your hands behind your head) or “The Wonderwoman” (hands on hips, legs slightly spread, back straight), and your body will react as though you’re the most confident person in the world. Also, pay attention to other nonverbal cues, like your tone of voice. Speak with strength and assertiveness (just don’t overcompensate and become obnoxious). Get rid of those “likes” and “ehms” from your speech ASAP.

5. Get feedback often. This one’s good practice regardless of your confidence levels because it shows you care about your performance and want to be the best dang employee you can be.

   If you sit around waiting for kudos and constructive criticism, you may never get it and be left wondering how you’re doing. That’s not a recipe for confidence. Dispel those anxious thoughts with cold hard facts, right from the horse’s (supervisor’s) mouth.

6. Be organized. Keeping your physical workspace tidy will inevitably make you feel more in control and better able to handle your tasks.

   Don’t stop with the physical space, though. Make to-do lists, organize your assignments in a way that makes sense for you, and track your successes (for that “kudos folder” we mentioned earlier). When you practice good organizational skills, you’ll feel a lot less frazzled at work, which is a good foundation for developing confidence.

7. Seek out challenges. If you want to make life-long improvements to your confidence, you’ll have to leave your comfort zone. If you’re uncomfortable speaking up during meetings, make it a point to speak at least once each time, for example.

   This applies to bigger situations as well. Find ways to challenge yourself at work; when you accomplish something new, you’ll get a rush of confidence that will translate into more new challenges, which will further your confidence, etc. It’s also important to set goals for yourself, both short-term and long-term. When you track self-imposed goals like this, you’ll always have something to feel good about. Pushing yourself will also put you in line for a promotion before you know it.

8. Take stock of your strengths and weaknesses. Sit down and think about all the things you’re good at and set you apart as an individual. They don’t even necessarily have to be work-related. It’s harder to get bogged down with negativity when you always have your strengths at the forefront.

   Still, don’t be unrealistic in your assessment. It’s okay to have weaknesses and make mistakes. In fact, there wouldn’t be an opportunity for growth if it weren’t for them (which would make life very boring indeed). Especially essential tip: don’t compare yourself to others. When we get caught up with keeping up with the Joneses instead of our own definition of success, we’re never satisfied (and therefore never fully confident).

9. Hang out with a supportive crowd. Some work environments are full of gossip, bullying, and all sorts of toxic behavior. Avoid these things like the plague – because, just like a plague, they’re contagious and harm the community.

   Instead, seek out colleagues with positive attitudes who will support your goals and not make you feel stupid when you need to ask questions or get some help. If you can’t find people like this in your workplace, you’ve got more significant problems than confidence.

10. Fake it ‘til you make it. Dress for success, act cool and collected, and project a confident attitude, and people will believe it. Tackling imposter syndrome requires that you act the part before you feel entirely comfortable – that’s the best way to start feeling comfortable, anyway.

    Whether it’s a new job or a new set of responsibilities, it’s natural to feel a little wary about your abilities. But when you take on the challenge head-on and do your best, you’ll start feeling more confident each day.

Examples of Self Confidence in the Work Place

• Identifying your weaknesses and finding ways to overcome them

• Accepting praise and compliments when completing a project

• Presenting your ideas and thoughts in meetings without fear of judgement

• Taking on new challenges and projects you wouldn’t otherwise do

• Accepting your strengths and weaknesses and working with them both

• Doing the right thing, even it its not what others are doing

• Working with coworkers you wouldn’t otherwise work with

Common Threats to Workplace Confidence

• Fear of failure. Confidence’s natural enemy is fear. People can be afraid of success as well, but it’s far more common for employees to worry that they’ll do such a bad job that it will be an embarrassment.

  The funny thing is that the longer you run from challenges to avoid facing your fears, the more ingrained your lack of confidence will be.

• Imposter syndrome. When you feel like you’ve snuck into your job and are just waiting for everyone to discover that you’re a fraud, that’s imposter syndrome.

  Over 70% of people will experience this at some point in their career, so you certainly shouldn’t feel alone if you’re experiencing this.

• Perfectionism. Sometimes, it’s the best and the brightest who lack confidence the most. As Charles Bukowski put it, “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”

  Perfectionists are never satisfied with the work they turn in and gain workplace confidence at a slower pace.

• Bad relationship with the boss. The most common culprit is the micromanaging boss or supervisor who won’t trust you to do anything independently. It could also be that you feel like your boss doesn’t like you, so you’re more timid around her.

• Bad relationships with coworkers. If you have a condescending coworker or work with people who are otherwise unpleasant, that negativity will filter into your day-to-day life in no time.

  Try not to take these things personally and rise above your toxic workplace culture.

• Job doesn’t align with your skills. You’re not going to feel very engaged at work if you don’t feel like you’re leveraging your strengths as an employee. This is tough to tackle on your own and may require a change in position, department, or even company to remedy.

Final Thoughts

Key Takeaways:

• Frame challenges with a positive mindset. See challenges as opportunities for growth.

• Ways to challenge yourself include waking up early, getting regular exercise, and conquering your fears.

• Setting SMART goals as challenges is a great way to monitor your growth.

• Use the STAR method when answering interview questions about challenges you have faced in the workplace.

How to Challenge Yourself

10 Ways To Challenge Yourself

1. Wake up early. Believe it or not, waking up earlier has a positive impact on your everyday life. Waking up early gives your body the chance to wake up completely before you need to start your day.

   This ensures that you will not feel groggy and tired for the rest of the day. Understandably, this might be hard for those who consider themselves night owls. However, getting up early will help set your internal clock, eventually leading you to better sleep.

2. Set a reasonable bedtime. You know the old saying, “early to bed, early to rise.” This goes hand and hand with waking up early. This might be easier said than done. Most people have a hard time going to bed early.

   Going to sleep at a reasonable time can increase your overall health. After all, there is a reason people call it beauty sleep. Going to bed early can improve your skin condition, lowers your blood pressure, and help control your body weight. It also does wonders for your mental health. It reduces stress, improves your memory, and lifts your mood.

3. Unplug from social media for a day. Let’s face it – everyone has become a victim of social media one way or another. Try challenging yourself by unplugging from the digital platforms and enjoy the world around you. Many people find it very liberating.

   When you take the time to unplug from social media, you are opening the opportunity to connect with someone close to you. Take the time to talk to your loved ones, go on a walk, spend some time with your pets. By disconnecting from time to time, you allow yourself to live a life away from the screen.

4. Try a new hobby. Many people are afraid to try something new because of their fear of failure. Being able to push yourself to rise above the fear of the unknown will help broaden your mind. Try taking a painting class, dancing, or something that can help get those creative juices flowing.

5. Write everything down. Believe it or not, writing everything down will help you hold yourself accountable. Often, people have a hard time dealing with their emotions. Many experts recommend writing as a safe space to help you deal with any emotional turmoil you might have.

   Writing also allows you to express yourself and organize your thoughts. It promotes active thinking and problem-solving skills. The next time you feel overwhelmed, try putting your thoughts on paper.

6. Create a budget and cut back on the splurging. Keeping a budget can be challenging for some people. However, you must try to make an effort and organize your finances. Creating a budget helps prevent lousy spending habits and helps keep you from using the money you do not have.

7. Commit to exercising during the week. One thing to keep in mind is that exercising is not only about losing weight. Similar to the bedtime routine suggested earlier, exercising can help with brain and memory functions. Studies have shown that exercising helps reduce stress and increase endorphins, which trigger a positive feeling in your body and mind.

   The truth is that exercise is good for your overall health, improving your body and mind. This does not mean that you have to be in working out in a gym every single day. There are other alternatives to get your body moving: join a sports team, go dancing, do some yoga, do something that brings you joy.

8. Conquer your fears. Now, this is a big one that might be easier said than done. Conquering a fear will be incredibly challenging and might take you a significant amount of time. However, nothing can bring you more personal satisfaction than looking at the thing you once fear head-on.

9. Instead of becoming frustrated about a situation, learn to adapt. Sometimes people find it hard to let go of inevitable situations that are beyond their control. This can be increasingly frustrating. Though you might find it hard to do, the best thing for you and your state of mind is to let things go and learn to adapt to the situation.

10. Learn to be honest with yourself. A lot of times, it is hard to accept certain situations. Some people would rather live in a fantasy world instead of facing the hard truth. Being honest with yourself will grant you the opportunity to deal with whatever problem head-on.

    It’s the only way you will be able to know what it is you truly want out of life. By being true to yourself, you will see your goals more clearly and find new ways to tackle every one of them. It will allow you to find your flaws and develop the skills you need to rectify them.

Why You Should Challenge Yourself

How To Answer Interview Questions About Challenges

1. Connect your answer to the job description. Tie your answer back to the job description. You want to highlight relevant skills with your answer. For example, if the job description asks for public speaking skills, talk about a time you had to speak if front of a very large audience.

2. Be specific. Interview answers need to be specific. Give your interviewer context and results. Use specific information to focus your answer on your ability to handle challenges.

3. Show how you succeeded. Your answer should conclude definitively that you know how to handle challenges. Your answer will show that you have succeeded in the past and you will do so again.

Final Thoughts

• A job search spreadsheet will help you visually organize information about the positions you’re applying to and where you are in the application process with each one.

• You can use a variety of tools to create a job search spreadsheet, like Excel, Google Drive, job search apps, and even old-fashioned pen and paper.

• Researching companies before you apply to them and having a place to organize that research can make the job search process more efficient in the long run.

What Is A Job Search Spreadsheet?

Creating a Job Application Spreadsheet

• Company name

• Position title

• Recruiter or contact name and email at the company

• Job description

• Application date

• Interview date

• Reminder to send a follow-up email

• Status

Create a Job Application Table in Word

Use Google Drive and Calendar

Set Up Job Alerts

Use Other Tools

• Use a job search organizer website. If using a spreadsheet or table sounds too complicated for you or you want something you don’t have to modify, there’s plenty of online services to organize your job search.

  There are tons of websites, like Huntr or JibberJobber, that can help you keep all of the companies, contacts, and positions straight. With all of the options, you just have to browse your options and pick what works best for your needs.

• Use your favorite job search site. One way to keep everything organized is to apply to jobs through just one job search site. This way, all of your records and applications are in one place. It’s not the most thorough method, but you’ll be able to keep everything straight easily.

  You don’t have to do anything extra; just make sure the site you use can track which jobs you apply to. (Pro tip: you can with Zippia).

• Use an app. There are also apps and browser extensions that can help you out if none of the websites, spreadsheets, or job sites fit your needs. Take a look in an app store or Chrome extensions for organizational tools to see if anything there meets your needs.

  These online options are great as supplements to your custom job application spreadsheet or on their own, so use them however you need them.

• Use your smartphone. Everyone loves smartphones since they’re the tool that can do almost everything. That includes helping you track your job search progress. Smartphones are great tools to help you bring everything to one place, even if they’re hosted on different platforms.

  You can use Word, Excel, and Google apps on your phone, as well as have your calendar and any other apps you might use to track your job search. It’s always a good idea to have everything related to your search process on your phone, so you can consult it on the go.

• Use a notebook. If you’re someone who loves taking notes and having everything written down, you can use a notebook to keep everything straight. Create an ongoing list of applications, draw a chart, or do anything that will help you keep everything organized.

  You can also use your notebook to draft resumes, cover letters, and other professional materials on the go, so it’s a great tool to have around.

Simplify Your Search