You’ve applied for a job and were just called for an interview. You’re excited, but you can already feel the butterflies in your stomach. Do you believe in yourself and your abilities to succeed in this potential new job? Even if you are lacking in self-confidence, you can take action before an interview to give yourself a much-needed mental boost. Do a little research before you sit down for the interview. Prepping will help you go into the interview with increased confidence and poise.
1. Inform yourself about the potential employer. Google the organization to see if they’ve been in the news lately. Is the organization non-profit, privately owned or publicly traded? Check out their company website, examine their mission statement and goals. Look at their career section for information about benefits and company policies that might guide your answer to “Why do you want to work for our organization?” Make sure you understand what the business really does before you make your way to the interview.
2. Find out everything you can about the position, and this starts when you first apply. Keep track of positions you’ve applied for – you can do this simply thru AgCareers.com. Log into your free job seeker account and apply to positions; your applications will then be saved and viewable at any time under your “application history.”
Kristine Penning is AgCareers.com’s Creative Marketing Specialist. She will have been with the company for three years in January of 2017 and works from the Ames, Iowa office.
What do you do on a day-to-day basis?
I have a unique job where I get to do a lot of different things daily. Primarily, I do graphic design for AgCareers.com, so this includes handouts and flyers, brochures, mailers, e-blasts, reports, infographics, social media graphics, basically anything the team needs that involves anything graphical. I also handle a share of social media tasks like creating content and posting the jobs that you see on our social media. And I get to do some video production and a variety of writing on the blogs, the newsletter, through the Career Guide, and creating surveys.
What do you enjoy about working here?
I love my job. I appreciate that my job is not just one sector of agriculture, but is all-encompassing of the industry. I feel so fortunate to come to work every day and get to do what I love for the industry that I love. I also love creating. And I feel genuine doing so. I grew up on a farm, and my husband and I farm, so coming from this industry and getting to support it through my daily work is and has always been my dream. All my passions fit into one job, which I think is pretty rare to find in a career.
You’re running out the door for an interview, starting your first day at work, or getting ready for a big presentation on the job and notice a major wardrobe malfunction- ARGHHHH, what now?!? You aren’t a skilled seamstress and don’t have much time. NO FEAR! You can overcome many wardrobe emergencies with simple fixes, using things you have around home or the office.
Popped Button
Grab a twist tie from your bread bag to temporarily reattach a button. If the button is loose but still hanging on, dab on some clear nail polish.
Loose Hem
The stitching has come loose on your pant and your hem is hanging down- fix it with some double-stick tape…voila!
Stuck Zipper
Not the best timing for a stuck zipper! Rub some Vaseline, lip balm or even pencil on the zipper to work it loose.
I’m definitely not a social media expert. However, in working in the HR industry with AgCareers.com over the past five years, I’ve seen, heard about and experienced many social media mistakes that you won’t want to repeat. Think before you post!
“The hiring manager rambled on and on during my interview,” one applicant tweeted. “I totally aced my interview today; bet I get a job offer tomorrow,” gloated another on Facebook. Don’t think that employers aren’t looking, because they are! Before you share, take the time to ask yourself, “Could my comments be taken negatively?”
“Will I have access to Facebook at work?” asked one candidate in their first interview. Do you think they got a second interview? We’ve heard there is no such thing as a dumb question, but unless you are interviewing for a marketing or digital communications role, stay away from comments about social media during interviews.
I’ve been working in the “real-world” for over 15 years now. I remember the beginning at my first job out of college, thinking many things I hesitate to share. For example…”I’ll be going to work like this, every day, for the next 40 years?!”
For those of you starting your first job, or working with the same organization for a few years, here are a few things to think about:
Emma Lackey grew up in rural Ontario, Canada and soon discovered her deep passion for agriculture. In her early teens she started working part-time on a dairy farm; soon she was spending every weekend and summers on the farm.
“By the time I graduated from a prestigious Canadian university, I already knew I wanted a future in agriculture,” shared Lackey. She moved home and started working full-time on the farm, milking, feeding, cropping, fixing and loving every minute of it. Lackey wanted to stay involved in ag while also putting her degree to use.
She learned about AgCareers.com from many of the farm-related publications she regularly read. “The AgCareers.com site was easy to navigate and I checked often for job postings that interested me. I was excited to discover a site that could connect me with so many opportunities in the agricultural industry,” added Lackey.
The blogosphere is filled with blogs offering free advice on anything from extreme sports to origami. When it comes to your career, it is important to find the best advice out there. I wanted to share a few of my favorite job search blogs that offer crucial, yet entertaining and insightful advice for your career advancement:
Career Hub blog features free advice from career experts. The blog was founded to connect job seekers with the best minds in career counseling. Contributors are experts in resume writing, career transition, personal branding, executive career campaigns, search strategies and more. Career Hub also offers free eBook downloads with trips, tricks and strategies for your search.
The Weddle’s WorkStrong blog is from Peter Weddle, former HR Consulting CEO, now full time writer and commentator of the world of work. Peter’s blog is a candid, completely honest discussion of the work world. The blog is based on his book The Career Fitness Workbook: How to Find, Win & Hang Onto the Job of Your Dreams. Unlike many other career and job search books, it is designed specifically for the challenging workplace of the 21st Century.
AgCareers.com presented a free webinar for job seekers about Acing Today’s Interview. Sponsored by Ag 1 Source, presenter Mike Koenecke discussed how interviewing has changed over the years, the different types of interviews, key preparation, making a good first impression and following up.
Mike discussed first impressions making the difference in the actual interview. The interviewer will develop their impression of you within the first ten seconds of meeting. Before heading out for your interview, ask yourself the following question about your interview look, “What would my mother say?”
Today’s interviews have evolved into many different styles, which adds complexity to the job search process for candidates. You may be asked to interview face-to-face, with a group, participate in a series of interviews, login for a virtual interview or call for a phone interview.
Preparation is your key to acing an interview; if you are prepared, it will help increase your confidence and ease your tension during the live interview. How do you prepare for your chance to make a great first impression?
Victoria Price serves as the Marketing Intern, operating out of the Ames, Iowa office. Victoria is a rising junior from the University of Florida and joined AgCareers.com for this summer.
Originally from Florida, Victoria will return back the University of Florida and continue pursuing a degree in Public Relations after she finishes the internship program August 12th.
Q: What do you do on a day-to-day basis?
I work on many different marketing projects that have been assigned to me with different deadlines. I put together the Internship Benchmark Survey and wrote blogs, newsletters, and an employer guide article. I am working with Ashley Collins and Kristine Penning on social media development for AgCareers.com. One of my main responsibilities has been helping prepare material and corresponding with Ag and Food HR Roundtable attendees to promote the conference.
Q: What do you enjoy about working here?
I enjoy the people and variety of work experience I have encountered. AgCareers.com is a very team and family oriented business, where all the coworkers genuinely care about each other. I have really enjoyed getting to know the whole team and feeling so welcomed being a part of it. The variety of projects I have done, have really given me wonderful work experience that I will be able to take with me in the future.
