SAVE THE DATE: July Speed Interview Day!

Mary Kraft Staffing and HR Solutions WANTS YOU!

Take advantage of your next career opportunity by joining us at our next Speed Interview Day on Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013!

Celebrate your independence by meeting with professional recruiters from the Health Care, Insurance, Commercial, and Convention desks! 

Come to Mary Kraft Staffing & HR Solutions, dressed to impress with your resume in hand, for the chance to prove your “hire” abilities!

Join us at 1447 York Road, Suite 601, Lutherville, MD 21093 between the hours of 9:00am – 11:00am.

For additional information regarding Speed Interview Day, contact Karrianne at Karrianne@marykraft.com or Daniel at Daniel@marykraft.com. You may also contact our office at 410-296-0655.

Keep in mind our referral bonuses of $100! So the more you refer, the more you get! 

What We Wish We Had Known BEFORE the Interview!

Here are a few tips* we all wish we had known before our last interview!

v  The average interview time is 40 minutes

v  Of 2,000 bosses surveyed, 33% said that they knew within the first 90 seconds whether they would hire someone or not

v  Common nonverbal mistakes:

§  Having little to no knowledge of the company

§  Playing with hair or touching your face

§  Failure to make eye contact

§  Poor posture

§  Not smiling

§  Crossing your arms

§  Talking with your hands too much

§  Weak handshake

§  Fidgeting

v  Statistics show that when meeting new people, the impact is made mostly by what we wear, how we act, and how we walk through the door and less by our voice and grammar or what we actually say

v  Five questions most likely to be asked:

   Ø  Tell me about yourself

   Ø  Why did you leave your last job?

   Ø  What do you know about our company?

   Ø  Why do you want to work for us?

   Ø  Tell me about your experience at ________.

*Full infographic can be seen here.

Finding the Perfect Interview Outfit....

Figuring out what to wear to an interview can be as difficult as actually getting the interview! Here are a few tips on how to look great while keeping it professional:

Work Style: Women’s Edition

The basics: Always have basic pieces – solid color blouse; grey, black, or navy pants or skirt; basic flats or heels – on hand for any interview. These pieces can be mixed and matched to make different outfits for any kind of interview! Make sure your pants and skirts are tailored, not too snug, and not too short!
Hair: It is usually best to keep your hair out of your face for an interview – it looks cleaner and will keep you from playing with your hair if you get nervous!
Nails: Neutral color nail polish or just a simple clear coat, bright colors are best kept for after you land the job and get a feel for the office culture.
Jewelry: Again, basic, smaller pieces are best until you start the job and get a feel for what is acceptable to wear in that specific office.

Work Style: Men’s Edition

The basics: Always have a suit on hand! Acceptable colors are navy, grey, or black for pants and a jacket; white or light blue shirts are best for interviews. It is typically best to steer clear of any shirts or ties with a crazy print on it. Make sure your pants are tailored short enough to not drag on the ground or get caught under your shoes.
Hair: Clean and kept out of your face.
Nails: Trimmed and clean!
Jewelry: Less is more – a simple watch works.
Shoes: It is always a good idea to invest in a good pair of dress shoes; can be with laces or slip on as long as they are dress shoes! Dark colors are best as well – black, navy, or brown.
Belt: Always match your belt to your shoes!

It is also really important to know what kind of position you are interviewing for. For higher level positions at a corporate company, stick to a more business formal outfit. If you are interviewing for a creative position or a position at a smaller, more boutique company, you tend to have a little more leeway to be a bit more creative with your outfits. For those interviews where you aren't sure what the company expects for their dress code, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and dress for business formal.

So you're getting ready to graduate, now what?

How can recent college grads stand out to employers in today’s market? CareerBuilder interviewed several business professionals to give a few tips on how recent college graduates can feel confident and stand out during the application and interview process. Watch the video here!

What are some things that you do to make your resume stand out? How do you make sure your interviewer remembers you? Let us know!

Five Best Questions that Candidates Ask During Interviews!

I know a lot of job seekers think that it’s just a formality when your interviewer asks you if you have any questions for them at the end of an interview, but a common mistake is not using this opportunity to learn more about the organization and exactly what they expect from their new hire.

Here are the top 5 questions that great candidates ask:

1. What do you expect of me within the first 60 to 90 days? This shows that you plan on hitting the ground running and want to start making a difference right away if you are offered the position.

2. What are the common attributes of your top performers? This question shows that you are not just looking for a job – but you want a career and you could possibly see yourself at this company long-term. Employers love this idea!

3. What really drive the company’s results? Each employee is an investment made by the company, so obviously every employee should be creating a return on that investment. This questions shows that you want to, and plan on being a top performer at this company.

4. What do your employees do in their spare time? Every person wants to fit in, and that sentiment is no different when it comes to the work place. This question shows the employer that you care about your work environment and you want to make sure it is going to be a good fit for both yourself and for the company’s current employees.

5. How do you plan to deal with...? All companies face obstacles at one point or another, this question shows employers that you care about the job, about the company, and about how you will fit into their plans.
Making sure to ask a few of these questions at the end of your interviews will help the employer leave with a positive impression of you, knowing that you will have all of the information you will need to help make the right decision for yourself and for their company.

This list was adapted from Jeff Haden for Inc.com. Published 2012.