“Fake it till you make it”

I want to take a step back and talk about about something which, I believe, underpins everything about graduate recruitment – selling yourself. 

 

You may have failed a subject in first year of uni or you may not have any directly relevant work experience, but whether you are interviewing for a position at a University Club or interviewing at a bank, you need to put these behind you and persuade the interviewer that you are worthy of the role you are applying for.

Remember, it’s not about scoring. It’s about believing you can do it, even though you probably can’t.

 – Barney Stinson

So how do you "fake it" when you feel that you lack all the necessary qualifications for the graduate role you are interviewing for? Spend the next twenty of minutes of your life watching this TED talk. 

 

If you don't have time, below are what I think are key learnings:

• We all know that our own body language influences how people feel and think about us. However, our body-language also governs how we think and feel about ourselves.
• Powerful people tend to be more assertive, optimistic and more likely to take risks. Physiologically, powerful people have higher testosterone and lower cortisol (stress hormone).
• In a experiment by the speaker, subjects adopted high-power/low-power poses for two minutes. For those subjects who adopted high-power poses – risk tolerance increased, testosterone increased and cortisol decreased.
• In another experiment, subjects who power posed prior to an interview appeared more confident, passionate, enthusiastic, authentic and comfortable.
• Fake it till you make it.

How to renege an offer of employment

Let me start off by saying you that it is not illegal to renege on an offer of employment after acceptance. In fact, your contract will have a clause stipulating that your employment agreement can be terminated given ‘x’ weeks of notice regardless of whether or not you have actually commenced employment.

That being said, reneging on a contract of employment is a serious issue. If you receive an offer for a job that you are not geniunely interested in, it means another candidate losses out. However, if you have a legitimate reason to renege on your contract, there are few simple steps you can take to avoid 'burning your bridges'. All it takes is a bit of decorum:

• Man up and use the phone – Speak confidently and with conviction. If you think you will be nervous, write down what you plan to say first. Don’t let your employer twist your words and convince you otherwise. As the conversation comes to a close, you will be asked to send a written confirmation of your termination. If you email first, they will call and hunt you down.
• Honesty is best – Let your employer know exactly why you are leaving, they may be willing to accomodate your needs. For example, if you have been offered more money elsewhere – tell them, you may be able to negotiate a starting salary. If you decided to travel, they may offer you a later starting date. If you are worried that your specific role isn't what your exactly after, they may offer you a role in another area.
• Hiring manager first, then HR – Break the news to your hiring manager/partner before you let HR know. Your hiring manager will hold you in higher regard as it demonstrates confidence. It will also mean less explaining to do to HR.
• Do it ASAP – Don’t be a dick and sit on two offers unnecessarily.

Apple Store Leader Graduate Program

I wouldn’t normally do this – but this looks like quite an interesting role. The ‘global start date’ implies training overseas. Can anyone confirm?

Psychometric Testing

A significant, yet overlooked hurdle in the application process for graduate jobs is psychometric testing. Many students struggle with psychometric testing (SHL and OneTest being the most common) simply because of lack of exposure to the types of questions asked. The major test providers keep the content of the tests heavily guarded and practice material from them are scarce.

There are three types of psychometric tests that you are very likely to encounter:

• Numerical reasoning – High school maths is all you need here. Common questions involve interpreting graphs and tables as well as working with rates, percentages, and ratios. If you don’t remember anything from high school, this book is handy. If your not willing to fork out the money, there are plenty of torrents and e-books available on the net.
• Verbal reasoning (also known as deductive reasoning) – This is similar to comprehension. In answering these questions, use only the information given in the passage and do not try to use your own knowledge (even if it contradicts to the facts in the question).
• Problem solving – Most likely form of testing will be shapes/pattern recognition. An example:

This shouldn't take more than one minute to solve

  A couple of things to remember:

• Practice makes perfect – Do as many practice tests and repeat them. Thankfully this bloke and this Uni have put together a handy bank of questions to practice.
• Record your tests using CamStudio: Assuming you apply for multiple organisations, use simple software such as CamStudio to record screen activity while doing a test. Then playback using a video player such as VLC and practice.
• Psychometric testing is part of the overall assessment procedure – Don’t forget that testing is used by employers as part of the overall assessment alongside written application questions, interviews, references, academic results and other selection methods. If you fail to get an interview after testing, it's not necessarily your test results which is holding you back.

What to wear to your interview: Part 1 - Men

Let’s keep this simple:

The Suit 

• Brand - Not important. You don't need to spend big money on a tailored suit to look good. If you’re still in uni and short on cash, head to a department store and buy off the rack. Just make sure it fits.
• Fit - A couple of pointers on fit from Primer and the friendly people of Reddit. Remember - fit is everything. Let me demonstrate:

 Dapper Asian Guy

• Colour - Opt for a conservative colour. Avoid black (for funerals) and opt for a dark grey, navy or pinstripe.
 

Shirt 

• Fit: Again, fit is everything. Make sure the sides and back of shirt don't puff out too much.
• Colour: A pale blue/white shirt is best, avoid dark shirts/dark stripes. A pale shirt is also a better investment as you can mix it up with different ties.

Tie

• Length: Make sure the tie ends at your belt.
• Colour: Play it conservative. Opt for solids, stripes or small patterns. Remember - if you are wearing a striped shirt, never wear a striped tie. 

Bag

Avoid backpacks if you don't want to look like you're still in high school. Get yourself a leather side bag/briefcase/compendium. 

The one exception to the above rule

Shoes

Again, don’t worry about brand. Keep it black and polished. Go for round-cap oxfords and avoid square clunky or overly pointy shoes. Make sure the upper is genuine leather and not synthetic (your feet will sweat less).

 Allan-Edmond Park Avenues

Don't forget your socks should match your suit colour and be long enough so no skin is visible when seated.

Recruitment season is upon us...