Simply Hired Blog

5 Tips to a Great Skype Interview

By Laura Backes

It is becoming common for companies to conduct job interviews via Skype. Skype interviews are fast, easy and very inexpensive. Because you are online using your computer and a camera it can be a tad uncomfortable the first time. Here are 5 tips to help you excel at your Skype interview:

1. Background: Believe it or not the background of your Skype interview is more important than you think. The idea is to face your computer toward a simple but not boring background. Try framing a bookshelf or desk behind you. You want to give yourself a little depth in the image. Avoid stark white walls or brightly colored and too busy backgrounds. Computers distort colors and can make it difficultly for the interviewer to focus.

2. Lighting: Having the correct lighting will help your interviewer see you at your best and make it easy on their eyes. Overhead lights that are very bright or florescent tend to wash your face out or even darken your face. The best lighting is natural sunlight from a nearby window. Look toward the natural sunlight and/or a table lamp so that it illuminates your face.

3. What to Wear: Just because you are having an interview in a less conventional way doesn’t mean the same business interview attire does not apply. Wear what you normally would for an interview. A nice blouse with a jacket for women or a nice shirt with a suit jacket and tie for men is appropriate. A tip for women: Log onto Skype beforehand to determine how much makeup you may need. Sometimes computer cameras can create the appearance of being tired.

4. Where to look: Your natural reaction is to look directly at the screen as the interviewer speaks, try to look up into the computer camera. You and the interviewer should make the interview as close as an in person interview as possible. Looking into the camera will give the effect that you are speaking eye to eye.

5. Practice: Practice with a friend or family member on Skype. Practice speaking up and looking right into the camera. Test out your interview outfit and background. Make sure your posture is strong and that you keep it throughout the interview. Practice makes perfect!

Remember these tips for your next Skype interview and you will succeed! A Skype interview is just like an in person interview but in the comfort of your own home. Have fun and remember to speak up and smile, good luck!

Laura Backes enjoys writing about all kinds of subjects. She primarily writes for http://www.dslserviceproviders.org.  

Carving Out a Career in Big Data

By Sharon Florentine

You have probably seen it starting to crop up in job titles on job boards. It has become a very hot topic both in the business as well as the IT press. Big data is hot. Want proof?  Consider this: IBM has created an entire new product division around this phenomenon called Big Data Products.

What is Big Data?

At its most basic, “big data” is extremely large amounts of structured and/or unstructured data too big for analysis in traditional databases and database management tools. This data can come from sensors, click streams, posts to social media sites, multimedia data (images, video), transactions, log files, real-time GPS data and more.

This means enormous amounts of data. Terms such as exabytes (20 zeros) and quintillion (18 zeros) are used. At this point we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data a day which means that 90 percent of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years (Source: IBM).

What Types of Jobs Are There In Big Data?

The need to “do something” with all of this data is creating a significant number of big data related jobs. What should you look for when looking for a big data job? In a quick scan of job boards you will find job titles such as: Big Data Engineer, Data Mining Engineer or Data Mining (Big Data) Engineer. The title that has really come into vogue in the last 18 months is Data Scientist, but big data jobs can come with more mundane titles such as Business Analyst, Business Intelligence Analyst, Data Analytics Engineer, or Data Architect.

What these jobs all have in common is the need to “make sense” of all of this information – to turn it into something that can drive insight and action.

What Skills Are Needed?

So we know that big data is big, no pun intended. We know that it is driving job growth. How do you jump on this bandwagon? What do you need to know and what skills should you have if you want to pursue a big data career?

Big data jobs typically require a broad range of skills. The good news for tech-savvy power-users and business-users is that many of the jobs do not require hard-core programming skills but rather require business or other job-specific knowledge, strong analytical skills, and knowledge of analytical tools.

What are some specific skills that can help? Knowledge of:

• Data mining and machine learning techniques
• Data visualization tools
• Data warehousing
• ETL (extract, translate, load)
• Hadoop (Hadoop is an Apache project to provide an open-source implementation of frameworks for reliable, scalable, distributed computing and data storage.)
• Predictive modeling
• Statistical modeling with tools such as R, SAS, or SPSS
• Structured and unstructured databases

Where to Acquire These Skills

In addition to what you have or may be able to learn on-the-job, Big Data University is a great place to learn more about big data and to start to acquire some of the necessary skills. The good news is that many of the courses are free.

Also, many vendors provide big data training. For example, EMC offers data science and big data analytics training and IBM offers big data courses.

Don’t forget higher education. Colleges and universities offer degree programs in analytics, predictive analytics, business analytics, business intelligence, and data mining, all of which provide a great foundation for launching a big data career. If you do not want to dive into a full-fledged degree program, certificate programs are also available in these topic areas.

Mold an Existing Analytics Job into a Big Data Analytics Job

If you are already involved with analyzing data in your current job, try to take it to the next level. Take some of the free courses and see if your company will pay for other courses that provide you with the necessary skills to analyze larger and more complex data sets. It is always best to learn new and very marketable skills in an existing job.

Don’t Forget the Marketing and Sales Side of This!

In addition to the jobs that require technical and analytic skills, don’t forget that there is also a need for people with a strong “conversational” knowledge of big data to market and sell big data products and services. So don’t forget those Big Data and Hadoop Product Manager, and Big Data Sales Representative jobs.

Sharon Florentine is a Rackspace blogger. Rackspace Hosting is the service leader in cloud computing, and a founder of OpenStack, an open source cloud operating system. The San Antonio-based company provides Fanatical Support to its customers and partners, across a portfolio of IT services, including Managed Hosting and Cloud Computing.

Preparing for a Phone Interview

By Melissa Crossman

Often, a phone interview stands between you and the person in the position to offer you a job. Ace the phone interview, and you win that golden ticket to the next round of interviews. Make a phone interview faux pas and you're off the list, often in less than five minutes. Stay smart when prepping for that phone interview by keeping foremost in your mind what employers have on theirs, and giving concise and targeted information.

Questions to Expect

Be prepared to answer these five questions and you're more than halfway there. The classic opener, "tell me about yourself," wants practical information, not a life story. Craft a 60 or 90 second elevator pitch that covers your employment history, career aspirations and reason for applying to the position in question. Strengths and weaknesses are another favorite weed 'em out question, so think about how you could answer this honestly (and please, don't say you're too detail oriented as your weakness). Don't talk about money. If the interviewer asks you, give a general salary range that meshes with the job you are applying for and the baseline salary in your location.

How to Convince Them

Once you schedule a phone interview, you've got a limited amount of time to bone up on the employer, the position and your interviewing skills. Use it wisely. Research the position on the company website, through word-of-mouth reputation, and by comparing the job description and salary with similar positions at other companies. Prepare a list of thoughtful and intelligent questions you have about the position, employer or supervisor with whom you'll be working.

Right Before Your Call

Give yourself at least 15 minutes prep time before you expect that phone call. If you happen to be at home during the interview time, don't wait for it in bed in your PJ's. Put on a professional shirt, at the very least. Sit upright in a comfortable chair or stand up; this helps your voice project. Have a glass of water on hand, in case you get parched. If you have pets, lock them out of the room so you won’t be disturbed; if you have roommates, put them on notice to not come into the room.

Print out or have on a computer all of the relevant application materials for the position, so you can refer to them if you need to. Being able to discuss your skills, qualifications and experience in the same language as the employer uses in the job description sends the message that you are authoritative and knowledgeable. You may also want to have a cheat sheet of talking points for questions that you're expecting. These visual cues may help you answer questions without awkward fumbling.

After your phone interview, take the time that same day to say thank you in an email. If you feel the job is a match, indicate your interest in an in-person interview. Every now and then, you realize during a phone interview that a position is not a good match for you. If this happens, thank the interviewer for her time nonetheless. After a phone interview, treat yourself to a work break, favorite snack, movie or other reward. Interviewing is difficult work, but know that your practice will pay off.

Melissa Crossman is an avid reader and writer who loves dispensing practical advice, ranging from how to interact with others during a teleconference to dressing for your final interview. 

Top Tips for Summer Networking

By Annie Favreau 

Networking in the summertime can get a bad rap. With many people out of the office, the slower pace of business, and fewer professional development events on the calendar, it’s easy to skip out on networking efforts altogether. But don’t be tempted. The sunny season can be an ideal time to build up your contacts. Why? The long days of summer often equal more free time. Plus, sun-induced relaxation can put you in the perfect frame of mind to focus on what low-stress networking is truly about: making friendly and genuine connections.

Here are four easy tips to get the most out of your summertime networking.

1) Get Outdoors

There’s no rulebook that says networking has to take place indoors or at a formal business event. Developing contacts can be as simple as striking up a conversation with your tennis partner or meeting someone new at the neighborhood barbeque. Many of the best work connections are forged outside the office.

2) Be Prepared

Compiling lists of people to contact, reading up about a company’s culture, or planning in-depth interview questions are year-round activities. As such, summer’s a perfect moment to catch up on any research or preparation you’ve been putting off. That way, when you meet an important connection, you’ll have already done the legwork to make a great impression.

3) Take Care of Your Current Network

Just because you’re linking up with new people, don’t forget to take care of the friends, contacts, or co-workers you already have. You don’t want to get labeled as a “connect and dash” networker! So nurture your relationships by socializing, sharing useful information, and helping connect other people. By taking part in an active community, you can boost your reputation as a relevant, informed, and valuable contact.

4) Donate Your Time

Joining a committee or volunteering for an organization you love is a great way to branch out of your normal social setting and gain new experience. By coming together with people who share your interests, it will be easier to make genuine connections.

What’s your favorite way to network in the summer?

Annie Favreau works for InsideJobs.com, a site designed to help you discover the right career choices and build a strong, successful future.

5 Tips for Veterans Transitioning Back Into the Civilian Workforce

By Sean Weinberg

As you know, the U.S. is planning on withdrawing from Afghanistan and shrinking the amount of troops overseas, which means that thousands of young veterans will be returning to the civilian workforce in the coming years. Unfortunately, the unemployment rate for post-9/11 era veterans is more than 12 percent, 3 percent higher than the rate for the general population. The government has pledged to get more veterans back to work, but it will ultimately be up to the veteran’s own actions and determination to land a new job in today’s recovering job market.

Are you struggling with the transition from the military back into the general workforce? Here are five helpful tips for veterans searching for a new job:

1. Draft a strong resume. Your resume is often the only impression you’re able to make on a potential employer -- so make it clear the value you’ll bring to the table if hired. This means you need to figure out your transferable skills, focus on accomplishments, and put your resume into language that is easy to understand for someone not familiar with military terminology (basically, don’t use too much jargon). To fine-tune it, use free online scoring and tailoring tools to see how your resume measures up. If you’re really struggling, a professional resume writer can help you strengthen it.

2. Visit your local library. The resources available here extend beyond the obvious ability to check out books (although, there are a bunch of great career and job search books available today). Most libraries also have daily or weekly programs that you can attend for free—including classes where you can brush up on your skills. Your library may also offer free access to the Internet, along with other technology such as photocopiers, fax machines, and webcams, access to different databases, and local information on your community, among other things.

3. Focus on companies known for hiring and recruiting vets. Large organizations like Microsoft, Boeing, Wal-Mart and Amazon are known for hiring veterans, and recently Coca-Cola announced new job opportunities for military vets.

4. Seek out exclusive groups and meetups. Aside from using LinkedIn to list your qualifications and to connect with your professional network, check out the different LinkedIn Groups focused solely on veterans. There’s the US Military Veterans Network group (with more than 18,000 members), US Navy Veterans, Iraq War Veterans, Army Veterans, and even a group called Veterans Hired that helps you connect with employers who have programs for vets. Search Meetup.com or Twitter to find a meetup group for veterans in your area.

5. Check out paid job search products. Although there are plenty of great free resources available to fine-tune your resume or organize your job search, don’t hesitate to ask if there is a veteran discount available for job search products that cost money.

What other tips would you give veterans on the job search?

Sean Weinberg is the COO and co-founder of RezScore, a free web application that reads, analyzes, and grades resumes – instantly. Also the founder of Freedom Resumes, Sean has dedicated his career to helping job seekers write the best possible resumes.