Express London Job Seekers Blog

Whether it’s listing your strengths and weaknesses, identifying your most impressive accomplishment, or telling your interviewer why you’re the best fit for the job, we’ve got an answer or three. Find the answers when you download the Answering the Interview Question eBook later  in April. You’ll learn how to answer some of the most difficult interview questions job candidates face. Here’s a short preview. Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years? Most employers want someone who is in it for the ‘long haul,’ and ultimately worthy of investment. Show you have a passion for learning and want to work at the company long-term. Why Are You Leaving Your Current Job/Company? Try not to speak badly of a previous company. Keep your answer short and simple and focus on the company you’re interviewing with. Something along the lines of “I loved my old company, but I’m truly excited about expanding my horizons with your company in this new role.” What’s Your Most Impressive Accomplishment? Regardless of where you are in …

With the recent COVID-19 outbreak, we’re living in a whole new world. While some folks are still coming into the workplace, many of us are now working from home. Working remotely is an adjustment. It might sound great, but it’s not all Netflix  and PJs. Here are a few ways to stay on track. Maintain Your Routine If you start a normal workday with taking a shower, putting on fresh clothes, and brewing a pot of coffee, keep doing those things while you’re working remotely. Although it’s totally fine to work in your pajamas a few times, maintaining your routine will keep you focused and on-task. It’s easier to be in “work mode” when you treat an at-home workday just like any other. Keep Work to Work Hours Since you’re working from home, it can be tempting to watch a bit of Netflix and promise yourself you’ll just work a few minutes past 5:00 to get that project finished. However, that little bit of procrastination can turn into hours, and …

If you don’t see this question on a job application and make it to the interview, expect it to come up. Employers want to fact-check resumes and ensure job seekers are truthful with their job experience. But what do you do if you had a particularly bad manager and you don’t want your potential employer to get in touch with them? Or perhaps nobody you worked with is still at the company, so you wouldn’t get a good reference. We’ve got you covered with these handy tips. Say Yes, If You Can Okay, there’s really only one answer to this question in most situations. If you say no, your interviewer might think you’re hiding something, or worse, that you lied on your resume. On the bright side, employers really only ask this to make sure you’re being truthful. Many don’t even contact your previous employer (your saying yes makes that unnecessary), and if they do, they’ll probably speak to Human Resources rather than your manager. However, if you absolutely must …

This isn’t big news or anything, but the job search isn’t fun. It’s a slog of endless applications, cover letters, and interviews that might end up going nowhere. When you’re feeling down it can be super tempting to log into Netflix and stream something mindless. Which is totally okay! Yup, you heard it here first: the Job Journey job experts are okay with the occasional Netflix binge. Think of it like this: the more you search for a job, the more tired you get right? You might start out bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but your energy fades over time. So, your 50th job application probably won’t be as stellar as your first. Taking a well-deserved break can lift your spirits and ensure you go back to the job search refreshed. Here are a few ways to avoid that pesky job search burnout. Use Your Skills in Other Ways If you’re looking for a job but don’t have a ton of experience in that area, take a break from applying online to …

Maybe you got a job offer, have to move cross-country to be with your spouse, or just really want out of your job. Whatever the reason, you want to call it quits. That means it’s time to give a two-week notice. Employers don’t give two-weeks notice when they fire employees, so having to do the same on your end might not seem fair. However, if you want to leave on good terms, it’s more or less a required action on your part. But how exactly do you give your two-week notice? Find a New Job First Before you start drafting that letter of resignation, make sure you have another job lined up. It’s much easier to get a job offer when you’re already working. Only put in your two-week notice when you know your next job is coming up—some employers might ask you to leave the day you quit. Draft a Letter of Resignation Before setting a meeting with your manager, you’ll need to write out your letter of resignation. …

You’re proud of the work you put in while on the job. But one day you walk by the breakroom and hear a co-worker say you frequently miss deadlines, come into work late, or steal their ideas for presentations. Office gossip can be incredibly demoralizing, especially if you’re new on the job. Someone is spreading lies about you, but it’s their word against yours; is there really anything you can do about it? Luckily, there are multiple things you can do to escape the poisonous clutches of office gossip. Consider the Source True, negative gossip can ruin a career. Before you really start to stress yourself out, think about who started the rumor. Are they credible? Or are they generally known for stretching the truth? If they’re the sort to gossip about everyone to draw attention away from their own less-than-stellar work, you don’t need to be concerned. It might be best to ignore the gossip since nobody else is going to believe it anyway. Confront the Gossiper You don’t …

Let’s cut to the chase and discuss hair stylists! Despite already having experience with several jobs, many working adults are unable to answer the age-old question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Our Job Spotlight monthly blog series is designed to help answer that question. In this series, we review all the basics of specific jobs, from pay and duties, to why people do the jobs they do. Hair Stylist In this month’s Job Spotlight, we’re clipping through what it means to be a hair stylist. Required Education: Typically Postsecondary Nondegree Award Pay Although pay varies depending on a variety of factors (e.g. experience, industry, geographic area, etc.), hair stylists can make $24,830 per year or more.   What Hair Stylists Do Hair Stylists deal with a variety of responsibilities, including: Cutting, styling, and coloring hair Cleaning and maintaining haircutting implements Engaging and interacting with clients   What Companies Look for in Hair Stylists Every position is different, but many companies need the following skills and …

No matter what job you have, meetings are inevitable. Your boss wants to make sure the entire team is on the same page. But that doesn’t mean that all meetings are productive. According to the State of Meetings Report put out by Doodle, poorly organized meetings can cost businesses as much as $399 billion in a given year. We want to know how you feel about meetings at your job ,and if they could have been more accomplished through an email instead. Let us know by voting in our poll!

Are you keeping up with your job search goals? February is nearly over, which means March will be here before we know it. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating New Years and planning our job search resolutions for 2020. If you’re up-to-date with your resolutions, you’re ahead of the pack. According to research conducted by Strava, a social network for athletes, Jan. 12 is the day most folks give up on their resolutions. That’s less than two weeks of trying. If this sounds like you, don’t worry; there’s a whole year to achieve your goals! If you aren’t quite caught up with your job search goals, that’s understandable. New Year’s resolutions can be hard to keep up with when you don’t have a plan. Here are our tips for keeping your job search resolutions going this year! Write Things Down The easiest way to hold yourself accountable for your job search goals is to write those goals down. Your goals should be as specific and simple as possible. …

  According to a recent study by GoDaddy, one in four seniors graduating college doesn’t feel ready to enter the job market, with 30% of seniors having the opinion that there aren’t any jobs available at all. Along with the trepidation many seniors have about the job market overall, interviews can seem stressful due to unknowns: how will they get to the interview? What will their interviewer be like? And the scariest unknown: what questions will be asked? A recent poll on Job Journey, Express Employment Professionals’ blog for job seekers, asked readers which interview questions they needed help with most. Below are the top three questions job seekers want help with, as well as guidelines for answering them. What Are Your Top Three Strengths and Weaknesses? When listing weaknesses, applicants should avoid saying they’re a perfectionist or they work too hard, as these may come across as cliché and inauthentic. Tell the truth. However, applicants should demonstrate they are successfully working on overcoming these weaknesses. Focus on your strengths …