Mark Anthony Dyson, Author at The Voice of Job Seekers

Time for the Job Interview! Are Your Quirks Ready?

Quirks are distractions.

Unfair as it is, for job interviews, this is categorized as “fit” for the employer. Snorts, squeaky chuckles, and unusual sneezes can be scrutinized just as misspelled words on a resume, or inappropriate attire for a job interview.

There are quite a few quirks that friends and family tolerate, but employers are not having it. Dealing with these distractions can provide a clear marketing message to an employer that you’re ready to take on responsibilities with focus and determination to succeed.

I worked with someone who did not like the smell of perfume (it was a woman) and was visually upset when someone on her team wore it. During interviews, she would ask if they would mind NOT wearing perfume. This annoyed all of the managers, but it was her team. Not right, not wrong, it was a quirk.

Quirks are personal but could say several things about you:

You lack the discipline to squash it for an hour of interview time
Other personal assumptions are scrutinized
Visible quirks can distract from what matters—best attributes

1. Emotional baggage

People like to laugh and cry, but no one wants to witness this uncomfortable behavior. Telling sad stories and jokes constantly wears thin on everyone including loved ones, but particularly employers. Yes, I have seen someone come to tears in an interview.

2. Halitosis, Hygiene

Ask for a second opinion if you are constantly told, “Your breath stinks!” Or if everyone wants to say when a lack of soap manipulation is evident. This also applies to the girl or guy with too much cologne or perfume on his or her person.

3. Communication

What you do, not the words, could be the reason for a lack of success:

Speaking too fast or slow is a communication problem. Practice! Practice! Practice!
Is that rain coming from your mouth?
Saying “huh?” “What?” “Eh?” is a sign of hearing loss or the inability to listen.
Too loud or too soft-spoken? Either extreme is a problem.
Do you burp a lot? Yes, that’s a problem too.

4. Anxiety

Do you test well? Do you get nervous waiting or being questioned? Do you tap on the desk, shake your legs, or suck your teeth. There are 10 others waiting to be interviewed, let them be anxious.

5. Too friendly or unfriendly

No one likes someone who carries a conversation with themselves and often offer too much information. Conversely, your potential coworkers dismiss anyone who does not say “Hi” or “Hello” either.

6. Lack of eye contact, or too much

There is staring that comes across very strange. Then there is no eye contact that makes anyone…uh…suspect.

7. You have to sit where?

The coaching I received at the time when I was learning how to interview was to allow the job candidate sit near the door. That is what we practiced as much as we could until you get the person that needs to sit facing west. Strange? Yes. You guessed it. Not a fit.

8. I must sing your name, laugh when I’m nervous, and have the last say on every point

You have to be there to understand it but all of these compensate (totally unscientific proof) for being nervous. This behavior doesn’t take long to overcome all of the good things you bring. Somebody in your life has told you that you get on their nerves. The interviewer just won’t call you back.

Many find critique the hardest part of the job search and perfecting interviewing skills, but an effective network brings the best out of you. You know why? Because they are honest in their critique and they care. Use your network to practice interviewing, greeting, and meeting people to sharpen your presentation skills.

Have someone be nitpicky down to the buttons on your blouse or shirt and even your personal quirks. Everything leaves an impression on a potential employer.

Did I miss some other quirks that are distracting? Please share below in the comments section.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

5 Mobile Job Search Apps to Use in the Digital Age

These days you can find mobile apps for everything from mapping your run to playing Candy Crush (which is awesome), so it’s no surprise that there are also plenty of apps out there designed to help you find a job.

With such an abundance, though, it can get kind of difficult to sift through them all and find the apps that are actually worth your time as a jobseeker. To save you the trouble of mining through every job search-related app, I’ve compiled a list of 5 (in no particular order) that I think are particularly useful.

TweetMyJobs
When it comes to the actual job hunt, you can’t beat TweetMyJobs. This app uses GPS technology to locate job openings in your area and sends potential matches to you through your chosen media channel—social media, email, or text. You can also control how often job matches are delivered to you, so if you don’t want to be bombarded by job posts every day, you can set it to every week or two. In an age of instantaneous communication, TweetMyJobs lets jobseekers keep up with jobs in their area as they become available.

Job Search by Indeed.com
Indeed is one of the most popular job search engines out there, likely because of its vast job database and easy-to-follow format. Their mobile app doesn’t just allow you to search for jobs in your field and geographic area on the go (although that in itself is quite useful), it also lets you save and email the jobs you’re most interested in. Being able to use Indeed’s mobile app is particularly useful because the site is constantly being updated with new jobs, and you don’t want to miss out on seeing that perfect position just because you’re away from your computer.

Monster.com Interviews
Landing a job interview can feel like a huge triumph, but for a lot of people it’s accompanied by nervousness about fumbling or blanking during the interview itself. It pays to prep yourself for any job interview, and Monster’s Interviews does that and more. The app gives you tips for every aspect of the interview, offers advice for difficult questions, organize interview notes, and schedules reminders about upcoming interviews. After the interview, the app will give you tips on writing a thank-you note, allow you the opportunity to make post-interview notes, and set follow-up reminders.

Resume Bear
Sending out resumes is a key (and for many people, dreaded) component of the job hunt. Keeping track of where you’ve sent all those resumes—and which companies have actually acknowledged those resumes—has always presented a frustrating challenge. Luckily, Resume Bear cuts down on a lot of that frustration by tracking your resume so that you can see who has actually opened the file. This app also lets you access your formatted resume and email it to potential employers straight from your phone, because you never know when you’re going to hear about a great job opportunity.

Linkedin Mobile
Just about any social media platform you could think of is available as a mobile app, including the popular career networking site Linkedin. The Linkedin app allows you to do all the same things you can do from the site—update your profile, add and stay up to date with people in your network, learn about companies you’re interested in. This app is particularly useful if you attend a networking event or meet someone who might be able to recommend you for a position, because you can add them to your LinkedIn network immediately rather than having to remember to do it when you get home.

There’s no denying that there are challenges to finding a job in the digital age. Internet job boards make job openings extremely easy to find, which increases the competition for any given position. However, if you use mobile apps intelligently, you can give yourself an edge over the competition and make sure that you never miss hearing about a job opportunity.

Josh Weiss-Roessler is a freelance writer and professional resume writer who loves sharing job search advice and helping people find the career they really want. You can learn more about the company that he co-owns, Weiss-Roessler Writing, and their resume writing services on his website. When he’s not glued to his keyboard, you’re likely to find him hanging out with his wife, being run ragged by his rambunctious and loquacious 14-month-old, or walking his dogs around their Austin, TX neighborhood.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Seeking Diversity Workplace with Susan Reed

Susan E. Reed wrote The Diversity Index in 2011, which I find relevant as companies resist and other companies forge a diverse workforce. Reed’s in depth look at diversity unearth dialogue and initiatives that reaches back prior to the Civil Rights act of 1964. Reed is a for CBS News producer who has won two Emmys as a reporter and her work has appeared in the New York Times and the Washington Post among others. She offered some reflection and insight on diversity in the workplace in the last two years.

I like sharing these types of conversations because the universal workplace has become a very complex environment to people of color and to women. It helps to have varying perspectives to make informed decisions who want to work for companies that promote diversity and inclusion, but also who will be fair to all.

Mark: Since you’ve written the book two years ago are more companies proactively transforming their culture to a more diverse one?

Susan Reed: I have been pleasantly surprised to find companies that are actively trying to make their organizations more diverse. I know that because I meet diversity directors at forums where specialists are sharing best practices.

Mark: Are there recruiting efforts that matches the intent of companies that wish to change?

SR: Yes. I see recruiters looking for people everywhere: on LinkedIn, on Facebook, college campuses, and at inner city job fairs.

Mark: What are common mistakes companies make in hiring a diverse workforce?

SR: If you put one individual with very different characteristics into a homogeneous pool of workers, they will experience greater stress in trying to fit in, get along and be accepted than if you hired two or three very diverse people at once.

Mark: There is a study that came out last year that said that CEOs desired for employees to have more of a global perspective, yet many companies still are lacking in diversity. There seems to be an anomaly somewhere. Any ideas why executives fail to see the discrepancy?

SR: Everybody has a different definition of diversity. Some think only of gender diversity, others think only of racial diversity. Folks who have international experience tend to think in terms of international diversity. One can have international diversity without racial or gender diversity. For instance, nearly 10 percent of executive officers of the Fortune 100 are white men who were born outside of the U.S., exemplifying how international diversity can exist without racial or gender diversity. All of us need to think more expansively about the many aspects diversity, including ability and sexual diversity.

Mark: Companies that are diverse and make efforts to maintain a longitudinal outlook seem to also share lots of transparency. Is this an accurate assessment?

SR: Yes, I think you’re right. Many companies with a deep history in diversity will sponsor employee resource groups, and publish a general census of the diversity of their workers. They often post the information on their websites.

Mark: Should job seekers that desire to work for diverse and inclusive companies expect work related transparency as well? Are there companies that already employ this thought that you know of?

SR: In my study, I found that the government contractors who had deep history with diversity–going back to affirmative action in the 1960s– were the most experienced at creating a diverse workforce.

Mark: So a job seeker is hired by an ideal company must experience a special type of empowerment. As that a safe assessment or is that assuming too much?

SR: The new hire should assume he or she is wanted to perform the job, but I’m not sure it is reasonable to assume any special empowerment because companies are very complex organizations.