There are several days each year when people typically look back and assess their lives. This could be the anniversary of a death, a holiday full of memories, or your birthday. For me, the day I reflect is Groundhog Day.

That weekend, I was on a road trip to visit some of my high school friends for a fun weekend of reminiscing and going to the Snowflake Ski Jump. On my way there, a local cop pulled me over for speeding. As I sat there, I glanced at the notification I’d just received from unemployment sitting in my passenger seat—the one that said I’d receive less money than the last time I’d been laid off—meaning I wouldn’t be bringing enough money in to cover my half of the mortgage. As the officer approached my window, I could feel the tears well up. I could not get a ticket, too. I would cry (as I often heard people threaten to do), but this was no empty threat that would come to bear only through theatrics. I was legit going to fall apart if this happened.
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This moment—sitting in the car with indications of my life failures greatest hits smacking me in the face was a low point in my life—rivaled only by my dad’s unexpected death when I was still in high school.​

Fortunately, I think because of my street cred, which included being a native of a town nearby, I drove away ticket free. One thing had gone okay. Then I saw friends, connected with new people, and spent more time with my daughter. I also had the time and space to figure out what to do with myself now.

In October, on the same day, I was approved for a car loan and found out that my house in Madison had new owners. Over time, I made two great friends from my job and got comfortable in a new city. I started dating someone who was great, then bought a house with and married that guy--who is an awesome stepdad and cat dad.

I got laid off again and got another good job, then got laid off again and got an even better job. Things have gone pretty well through layoffs, reemployments, trials and tribulations​. Through it all, my husband is awesome, my now-adult daughter is amazing, and the cats mostly tolerate my presence. 

It’s amazing how much of the job search process involves waiting to hear back and trying to communicate with the hiring team in a way that adds value. One easy way to strengthen your relationship with the hiring team is by sending a thank you note.  While you could send a paper thank you note, I usually opt for a thank you email message given the prevalence of virtual interactions. 

During the interview process, your main goal is to position yourself as someone who would be an excellent direct report to the hiring manager and an awesome team member for your future coworkers. One easy way to be more likable is to be grateful and appreciative of people and their time. Sending a thank you email is a great way to do just that.

Sending a thank you message is another chance for your interviewers to see your name and have a positive experience with you. Who doesn’t like to be thanked for doing a thing? 

Here are key details to include in your post-interview thank you message:

• Their first name
• Names of other people in your interview
• That you are still interested in the role
• The position for which you applied and when you interviewed
• Your contact information

Here’s the core content to include in a thank you message:

In addition to the basic message, without writing a full-on manifesto, take the time to add a little more relevant information. This is an excellent opportunity to add more details and value to the interaction. This will also help make you more memorable. Here are a few suggested points to cover:

• Include something you discussed during the conversation or detail they mentioned about themselves or the role.
• Send a separate thank you email to each of your interviewers. Add details specific to each person.
• Include a list of skills you bring to the table.
• Include work samples or follow up on any questions they had during your interview.
• Share a resource to follow up on a topic you discussed.

Here's what the message to the hiring manager might look like:

Hi, Peter.

Thanks so much for meeting with me earlier this week to discuss the Super Cool Support Manager position with Best Company Ever. It was great talking with you, Paul, and Mary about the support team and this opportunity. Learning about your new knowledge base and help desk ticket prioritization model was great. I’m excited to join an organization committed to documentation and continuous process improvement.

As we discussed, here are a few relevant skills I bring to the table:

• Technical writing and setting up knowledge base categories and hierarchies
• Implementing informal mentoring programs 
• Leveraging projects as developmental opportunities for call center staff
• A methodology for keeping KB articles current

In addition, here is the link to the article I mentioned entitled “18 Knowledge Base Examples That Get It Right." ​Chapter 9 in this article covers some of the metrics we were discussing:

https://www.helpscout.com/helpu/knowledge-base-examples/

If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me via email at myemail@gmail.com or by text/phone at 555-555-5555.

It was great getting a chance to talk with you—and I hope you have a great time on your fly-fishing trip this weekend!
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--Brenda

Here's what a message to one of your future coworkers, Mary, might look like:

Hi, Mary.

It was great meeting you earlier this week to discuss the Super Cool Support Manager position with Best Company Ever. I enjoyed talking with you, Paul, and Peter about the support team and this opportunity. My experience working at Not Quite As Cool Company will help me add value to the team.
 
I also hope you have fun on your upcoming trip to Minneapolis. As a fellow coffee lover, I suggest you stop at Dogwood Coffee Company. It’s honestly the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had and well worth the trip. It sounds like you’ll be staying not too far from their Northeast location. Here is the address:

https://www.dogwoodcoffee.com/pages/locations
 
If you have additional questions for me (professional or coffee related), feel free to contact me via email at myemail@gmail.com or via text/phone at 555-555-5555.
 
Thanks again!

--Brenda

I used to quickly send thank you messages right after I completed an interview. That way, the message would arrive in each person's inbox within a half hour after our conversation.

​Now, I wait until the next day, or even two days, to send the thank you. This puts time between our initial conversation and when they get this "remember me--I exist, and I'm awesome" message. Much like commercials, ads, or billboards remind you of the existence of a product or service you might want, I used my thank you messages as a second touchpoint with that person. 

After goodness knows how many applications, FINALLY, you have heard back from a company who wants to talk with you! There is hope after all! Welcome to what is often step one of the interview process: the phone screen.

Remember, each company may handle their interview process just a little differently. Regardless, some version of a phone screen is the starting point. A phone screen can be anywhere from the basic 30-minute voice-only call where they make sure you can speak coherently and understand what you applied for all the way up to a full-blown deep dive into your resume. Typically, you'll be speaking with a recruiter, not the hiring manager, at this point in the process.

​In this article, we'll talk about the more basic initial phone screen, how to prepare, and typical questions asked.

In many cases, a recruiter will reach out to you directly to schedule a phone screen through email. Many companies are using a scheduling program (like Calendly) so you can select a time that works for you. If this is the case, I would suggest taking a slot as soon as you can get in and comfortably complete the interview. For me, that would be the next day if possible. 

In other cases, you may receive a phone call from a recruiter that invites a callback. In these cases, they may be asking to schedule a phone interview with you, or they may just launch right into the phone screen while they have you on a call. Personally, I'll usually do my interview preparation before making that initial phone call back to the recruiter just in case they want to do it right then and there. 

Don't let the supposed informality of a phone call fool you. This is for reals an interview. You need to be ready to make a good impression and answer key questions. Here are the phone screen interview questions that you for sure need to be prepared to answer. Keep these in mind as you research the role, the company, and your interviewer. (We'll talk more about answering these questions well in a bit.)

​Here are the most common questions I have experienced on a phone screen:
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• Is this still a good time for us to talk?
• Tell me about yourself.
• Why are you looking for a new job?
• Why are you interested in this role?
• What do you know about our company?
• ​What is your desired salary?
• What questions do you have for me?

Given that you may have applied for many, many jobs since the one for which you are interviewing, it's important to refamiliarize yourself with this role. Make sure that when you speak to your interviewer, you are positioning yourself as a strong candidate who is able to do (and wants to do) this specific job.

• Review the job description. Remind yourself of what you applied for, the title, and what they indicated were the desired qualifications.
• Get out your Googles: Look up any acronyms you aren't sure of, and make sure you can speak to the skills they say they need. Be ready to speak in the terms they use in the job description and relate your experience to that particular job.
• Skim your resume. If you customize your resume for each role, it's good to reacquaint yourself with how you described your skills in this specific resume. This review will also help you use the points you included in your resume as a basis for the stories you'll tell to illustrate your skills. 

Now that you remember what the role is about, take time to learn more about the company. Remember, you're learning information to help you present yourself well, answer questions about the company and what they do, and even know about current initiatives and news about the organization. 
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• Check out the company on LinkedIn. Note the industry they are in, what their products and services are, their size, headquarters location, and their recent posts. If you haven't done so already, follow their company page.
• Visit the company’s website. Take a look at their mission, vision, and values. See what press releases are on their site and any awards they may have received. Look at their marketing materials. Review information on their leaders. Consider signing up for their newsletter. 
• View your interviewer's LinkedIn profile. Do this the day before or the day of your interview. Note the schools they attended, where they currently live, their work history, and any posts they may have made. This is a great way to find out what you and your interviewer might have in common so you can have a more robust conversation. Note any LinkedIn connections you have in common. Consider following your interviewer on LinkedIn. 
• Reach out to connections. If you know anyone who is a current or recent employee, ask them and ask about their first-hand experience.  

Now, back to those questions and strategies for answering each one.

Is this still a good time for us to talk?
         
          Ideally, the answer is yes. This is a courtesy question recruiters often ask. 

Tell me about yourself.

This is your opportunity to tell the recruiter a quick summary of your professional history and the unique knowledge, skills, and attitudes you bring to this role.

• Bad answer: Not much to tell.
• Another bad answer: My name is Julie. I'm 42 years old, happily married, have 4-year-old twins, love riding horses, and volunteer weekly at my synagogue.
  (Note: Julie's life is in no way bad. Julie's answer is bad because it does not focus on professional skills, the ability to do the job, and why the employer should hire her. Taking this approach misses a HUGE opportunity to set the tone for the interview and put your best foot forward. Instead, Julie shares a whole bunch of information that is not directly applicable to her ability to do the job--much of which an employer cannot legally ask her about due to laws regarding possible discrimination.)
• Good answer: I'm Julie, and I have ten years of experience in social media specialist roles with small community organizations. I'm excited about this role because I can use my knowledge of content marketing and event promotion with a larger company that does larger conferences and road shows. I'm looking forward to finding out how my skill set could help me make a strong contribution in this senior media specialist role.

Why are you looking for a new job?

Companies are interested in why you want to make a change. They may also be leery if they perceive that you have made many changes within a short time. They may be wondering if how they are promoting the position is working. They may just want to see if you trash your previous/current employer or are respectful. Again, be truthful, stay positive, and keep it short.

• Bad answer: My last company was a financial nightmare and I got fired.
• Another bad answer: My current job is stupid and I hate my boss. ​
• Good answer: I'm looking for a role with additional growth opportunities.
• Another good answer: My position was eliminated due to a company-wide reduction in force.
• Yet another good answer: My previous position ended, so I'm looking for a new challenge.

Why are you interested in this role?

Companies often want to make sure you actually want the available position, not just any old job. Speaking about why you want to work in this particular role is a way to show you are being intentional about your next career move. This question also allows you to talk about who you are, what you know about the role, and the skills you bring.

• Bad answer: Which job is this again?
• Another bad answer: I need a job. You have an opening. Isn't that enough?
• Yet another bad answer: My current job is stupid and I hate my boss. ​
• Good answer: My recent work experience is as a marketing coordinator with a large pharmaceutical company. I have extensive experience creating and executing marketing campaigns aligned with product launches. I'm interested in this role because it involves those duties and additional areas where I have expertise. I am excited to grow in this new role. 
• Another good answer: My work experience is as a technical project manager. Enrique Ortiz is a former coworker of mine, and he suggested I apply because it aligns with the work I enjoy. Enrique also can't say enough good things about your company.  

What do you know about our company?

Each company has its own personality. This question shows that you, as a job candidate, are a good fit for the organization and that you've taken the time to learn a little more. 

• Bad answer: Which job is this again?
• Another bad answer: Not a thing.
• Good answer: XYZ Loans is a mortgage company focusing on VA and FHA loans. I see you recently rolled out a new veteran appreciation program and hired a new VP of Veteran Relations and that you just received an award for your charity work with DAV.
• Another good answer: I know ABC Manufacturing just acquired CBA Manufacturing. This makes you the second-largest company making and selling plastic cups in the Midwest. I also know that my friend and former coworker, Alice Johnson, really enjoys being a part of the Women in Manufacturing group you started three years ago.

What is your desired salary?

While having salary ranges in job descriptions is becoming more common, it is not included in all job descriptions. Often, this question comes up very early in the process. You need to have a sense of your desired range and what is a typical range for the type of role for which you are interviewing. 

• Bad answer: I have no idea.
• Good answer: What is the salary range for this position? (and following that up with a conversation about where your desired range fits in with that range.)
• Another good answer: My general salary range is [low end of your range] to [high end of your range]. I'd like to revisit this topic as I learn more about the position, including bonus and benefits. 

What questions do you have for me?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. Given that you have a job description and not much else about this role at this point, take time to think about questions to ask. There are also countless lists online of possible questions to ask. Google them and see which ones seem right for you. Remember, too, that some of these questions might be more appropriate for the hiring manager than the recruiter. (If you continue in the hiring process, you'll meet with the hiring manager soon.)

• Bad answer: Nope.
• Good answers: 
  • ​Is this a new position? Or a replacement role?
  • What does success look like for this role?
  • What are the first projects this role would tackle?
  • What are the next steps in the hiring process?
  • When can I expect to hear back from you?
  • What is your performance review process like? 

The first step of job searching is figuring out what kind of a role you even want. Instead of jumping right into the job you did before, taking a little time for introspection is wise. One good step in this process is finding out more about your strengths. Learning about what you are good at--and how to tell the story of your talents and successes--can help you position yourself well as you apply and interview for a new role. 

If you ask many people what they are good at, they would need help putting their natural abilities into words. Taking the StrengthsFinder assessment was a great starting point for me to better understand what I do well.

Often, individuals are blind to their own unique talents. In the past, I have wrongly assumed that EVERYONE does the things I do. Like (of course) everyone takes notes regularly in everyday conversations when they learn something--and (of course) everyone makes a seating chart whenever they are in a group of new people to remember names. 

​Turns out--NOPE! These are things I did that not everyone does. This was a huge breakthrough for me. So how do you figure out what you do that not everyone does? 

The CliftonStrengths Assessment (previously known as Clifton StrengthsFinder) is a wonderful tool for identifying what you are good at, how that manifests, and how your version of each strength shows up. 

The 30-minute online assessment includes 177 questions, including paired statements. Then, on a scale, you select which of the statements is more like you. From there, you'll receive a report identifying your top five strengths along with a more detailed description of how those strengths are exhibited in how you interact with the world. Reading a report about yourself (one that is freakishly accurate, by the way) is downright life-changing.

After taking the assessment, you'll be able to see your unique talents and have language to explain how what you do sets you apart from others. Having a way to put your abilities into words can translate directly into your resume and how you talk about who you are and what you bring to the table.

My identified strengths, in order, are Strategic, Learner, Arranger, Achiever, and Individualization. Here are a few details I learned from my report and reflecting on those results:

• As someone who is Strategic, I tend to quickly find the path through the wilderness. Then, I see how the pieces fit together and what action might make sense. 
  
• As a Learner, I have taken roles in multiple industries, knowing that I'd learn the business along the way. Through different jobs, I now know how travel agents upsell excursions to cruise customers, the value of the windshield to the structural integrity of a vehicle, the strategic value of the clergy housing allowance exclusion for pastors, and best practices for mortgage underwriting. 
• As an Arranger, I look at factors in play and determine how to optimize efficiency. For example, when creating a class, I choose the best way to organize course content to ensure each activity introduces the next. Next, I figure out how to adjust my content in the moment so the audience can get the most relevant information. Finally, I make sure that I make the most of the time I have to get the optimal amount of content covered effectively for the audience.   
• As an Achiever, I thrive when making a to-do list (aligned with my higher-level goals) and checking off items to know I've accomplished something useful in a given day. I also achieve by meeting deadlines and being able to note each goal met. Winning!
  
• Individualization helps me to be a good people manager. For example, I know that one employee would love to be given an award in front of his coworkers, while another would prefer to have his work affirmed privately. It also helps me know that one person needs ongoing feedback and another needs just a broad suggestion of the work to be done, and both will be successful.  

​Here are a few other strategies for identifying what you're good at and how you show up in the world:
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• Talk with a trusted colleague or former coworker. As for their feedback on what they think you do well, where they have seen you excel, and times when they have seen you struggle at work. As them what your superpower is. You'll learn lessons about your unique skill set from someone who has had several opportunities to observe you in action.
• Review job descriptions for your desired job title. See how they describe the skills needed to be successful and match your previous work experience to those outlined skills. Think about times when you've exhibited those skills and how you have solved problems using your expertise.
• Think of past work projects. Identify projects and work you enjoyed and times when time seemed to fly because you were "in the zone" and making progress. 

Job searching is hard. One of the things that makes it particularly challenging is that you can't actually control when you will get a new job. The whole process takes as long as it takes. To make all of that waiting bearable, it's helpful to focus on the aspects of your job search you can control. 

My "day job" is working in the field of learning and development. One of my goals is to make sure that the performance support initiatives I'm designing (a class, a handout, a video) actually help solve a problem in a way that can be quantified. There are two kinds of indicators to help measure success: leading indicators and lagging indicators. 

Lagging indicators are what we all typically want to focus on. If I'm delivering a training session for salespeople on how they can sell a given product, the lagging indicator after training would be that they sold more of the product than they did before training and that more people spent more money on that given product--ideally being able to state who did what using dollar amount or percentage of improvement. One trick is that I can’t control how salespeople use the information presented in training or that individuals want or need to purchase the product. They are also lagging indicators because those results take a bit to show up. However, this is what success is supposed to look like. 

Leading indicators are where it's more helpful to focus. These are the easily measurable, countable, check-off-able items that are predominantly within your control. For this example, my leading indicators of success would be that we held a training session, having a list of who attended the training session, how they performed on an assessment based on the content covered, and that they received a job aid that contained talking points on the content covered. I can control all of these things. Of course, these leading indicators don't necessarily guarantee I'll achieve my lagging indicators. Still, they show that I'm going in the right direction and help position those salespeople to achieve the sales numbers we hope to see.

Within the context of my job search, here are the tangible markers of success that I want to see:

• Getting a current employee to refer me for a specific job at their company.
• Getting someone to put in a good word for me with a potential employer.
• Getting an initial interview.
• Getting follow-up or final interviews.
• Getting a job offer.

All of these are lagging indicators. They are awesome because when they happen, they are definitive, and you know you have made legitimate progress toward getting a job. The trick is that many of these things happening at all--and what the timing might look like--is out of your control. 

While I can't directly make those lagging indicators happen, I can focus on strategies to position myself for more success in those areas, including the following:
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• Build or strengthen networking connections with people who work in my industry or for a possible employer.
• Position myself well through my LinkedIn profile and resume.
• Apply for jobs that are a good fit for me.
• Improve my skill set so I am a more logical candidate for a job.
• Present myself well in writing, over the phone, and face-to-face.

Now, to turn those squishier ideas into leading indicators (which are specific, countable, check-off-able things I can put on a to-do list), here are items I can actually do in a given week:

• On LinkedIn, spend 30 minutes each weekday engaging with posts.
• On LinkedIn, post two to five times to showcase my expertise. 
• On LinkedIn, send five requests to connect with new people. 
• Identify at least five jobs that meet my job search criteria.
• Apply for at least three jobs. 
• On LinkedIn, follow pages for each company where I apply.
• Take part in at least one professional development activity per week. 

Having this list of tangible actions to take keeps me on track to achieve my goal of starting a new job.

Some weeks, you do a lot of waiting, which makes you feel like you are terrible at everything and will never work again. Other weeks, people seem to be falling all over themselves to talk with you about yet another amazing job opportunity. During those weeks, you feel like this is all easy and you can do no wrong. 

During those slow weeks, it's helpful to remember to keep on doing those right things. Fine-tune as needed and know that your best strategy is to keep on keeping on. Put in the work, then trust the process.