Searching for a new job

Hey Guys!

So since moving to North Dakota, I had to give up my old job that I had working for our local County back home because they would not let me go remote unfortunately and it was also just becoming a toxic work environment for me and I needed to say goodbye anyways. But it has been about 3 months now and I still haven't really gotten many hits. I haven't had a single interview either. I have had a couple companies reach out to schedule one and after reviewing the job posting, the company on Glassdoor or just emailing with person who reached out to me I didn't end up taking the interview for various reasons.

Job Hunting 2018

Hey guys,

So I'm currently in New York right now, I flew in last night after my mom and sister got off from work! We are here until Monday August 6th and we fly back that afternoon! I absolutely love this city and I am so glad that for the last 4 years or so we have been able to take a girls trip up to the city to visit, check out new things and of course, shop! This is one of my favorite places to be! I plan to do a whole travel diary about the trip for each day that we are here so keep an eye out for that, granted I'm not entirely sure when it will be up! Anyways today's post is kind of a rant but hopefully like an inspirational one! I'm going be talking all about job hunting and finding a new job! 

I originally wanted to start off this series with this post but the other two were just so much easier to write that I was able to finish them first! I kind of have a lot to say about this topic since I've been job hunting for about 3 months now and the last time I job hunted, it took me about 3 months or so before I found a job as well. I also plan on giving you guys some more details about my back story and why job hunting can be a little challenging for me!

Honestly, finding a new job is very challenging and can be very discouraging! My number one tip is that you don't give up because it will happen, eventually! Two quotes that I would constantly tell myself were good things come to those who wait and everything happens for a reason! I honestly, am not looking forward to the next time I have to search for a new job but hopefully it won't be for the next couple years or hopefully I will be able to just get promoted from within if I really like my job.

To start off with, I'm going to say that everyone is different. You might find a job in a week or it might take you like 3+ months. I've been hunting since about May and I have applied to probably almost 50+ jobs in the 3 month period and I have gotten a lot of interview requests but after some more thought and consideration I choose not to go to a lot of them. I mostly applied to just get my name out there because you never know, you might apply for one job and then the company has a different spot that might work better for you. Honestly, when it comes to job hunting you really don't know what's going to happen. You might start the process thinking that you want to work in one field but once you start applying and interviewing you might end up in a completely different field.

Also, some of them I applied to thinking I might work a second job until I was able to find a full time position. Granted once I actually thought that through, I thought it was a bad idea because then I wouldn't really have that much time to actually find a job because I would probably be working almost 40 hours a week between the two jobs with completely random hours and a different schedule every week making it hard to schedule interviews. So I decided to keep my one job and switch my hours to closing shifts only so that way I would be able to scheduled as many interviews as necessary.

When I started this process back in 2016 when I first graduated college I knew that it would be hard. I like to try and prove people wrong and I like to try and overcome challenges, it's how I've always been. If someone tells me I can't do something then guess what I try and do it, and most of the time I can. I knew that when I chose not to work in college, I knew that I would have a really hard time finding a job when I graduated and people told me all the time that I should get a job because I needed the experience but apart of me didn't really want to because I had more than enough money to survive thanks to the my dad and the GI Bill and I wanted to be able to spend the rest of my youth not working because I knew that when I graduated college I would have to spend the next 30+ years of my life working hard to create a future for my family and for myself when I do finally decide to retire. I always hear people complaining about their jobs and how much they wish they could retire already and I really didn't want to start living my life like that until I had finished college.

Do I regret not working in college? Sometimes but most of the time no because I was able to go on family vacations and I had the freedom to pretty much go wherever I wanted whenever I wanted! I didn't have to request time off from work and I was able to spend more time with my family and focus on school. I graduated with two Bachelor's Degree's in four years and aside from my sister, I don't really know anyone else that completed two Bachelor's Degrees in four years. Every time I tell people that they are so impressed and honestly, so am I. It wasn't easy, I had to take extra classes and work a little harder and I pretty much worked through every summer except my very first.

I have two bachelor's degrees that I worked really hard to earn and I am very proud to see how far I've come! Yes, I have friends that have already started their careers and are making so much more money than I am but I honestly, don't really care about that! I know that in time I will make more than enough money to support myself and my family! I also do kind of want to be a stay at home for a few years anyways soooo I'm really banking on my husband to make enough money to support our family, at least for a few years until our youngest is in either preschool or VPK!

I think that's pretty much all I have to say for right now and I hope that this inspires and educates some people! Thankfully in life, everyone gets to make their own decisions so what you want to do with your life is up to you! Do what makes you happy but make sure you're smart about it at least! 

So I just wanted to end this weeks series of finding a new job by saying that I found a full time job! It took some time but I am very excited about this new opportunity and I can't wait to learn new things with this position! The location and the hours are wonderful! I will be working about 10 minutes away from my house and working 7:30 am - 4:30 in the afternoon which will give me plenty of time to still get so much done throughout the day. I will get an hour lunch which I am so excited about because 30 minutes just isn't enough time! I will definitely have to get on a better sleep scheduled but I couldn't be more excited to finally have a routine in my life again. I also handed in my two weeks on Wednesday at DSW and my last day will be the 16th of August and I start my new job on the 30th of August! Once I actually start my new job I will probably do a full post on it giving you guys more details!

Thanks for stopping by!

XO, Steph

Interview Advice

Hey guys,

Happy August 1st! I can't believe how fast this year has just flown by! It's absolutely crazy! To be honest, the last 3 months have kind of just dragged on but gone by really quickly at the same time, it's so weird! Anyways, the reason I wanted to write this post was because I have been interviewing a lot lately and I just kind of wanted to sum up some of the things I've learned and some advice I want to share with you.

Tip #1

Always dress professional! I don't care where you are going to work or what anyone else has ever told you but don't show up to an interview in anything other than dress pants, closed toe shoes, and a blouse or button downs. You can also wear a dress or skirt to an interview just please make sure that it hits at or below the knees and that it looks professional. Basically my advice is to dress like you are going to court! You want to make sure you look nice, clean and presentable. First impressions are everything and if you aren't willing to dress nice for the position then I can guarantee the company is going to think that you aren't willing to do most of the work they plan to ask you to do!

Tip #2

It's completely okay to be nervous! These people are only human and they are not going to hurt you. Yes they have the power to give you a job or not but in the end just remember to breathe and be yourself. If you aren't being yourself they might be able to tell and they might not like that. They might also be able to tell that you're nervous and that's okay too. I promise you that most of them don't care and to honest, some of them might be nervous as well. They might hate conducting interviews as much as you hate going to them. But it's apart of life and we all need to just relax and everything will be okay! The main reason I'm bringing up this topic is because this is something that I really struggle with. My last interview I almost ran out of the building and said I couldn't do it! But thankfully I didn't! I survived and in the end I think the interview went really well. 

Tip #3

Make sure to always prepare for an interview! I don't care who you think you are, it's always best to show up prepared. They might ask you a question that you don't know the answer to but if you come up with questions and answers then you might be able to create an answer really quickly based off the questions and answers you practiced. There is nothing wrong in being prepared and I don't believe there is such a thing as being too prepared. However, I do believe in overthinking things because that's what I tend to do!

Tip #4 

Always ask questions. Honestly, I hate this part of interviews they always ask me if I have any questions and then I freeze and I'm like "ummm?? no?". But you need to ask at least 1 to 2 questions. Asking questions is a way for you to get more info out of them and it also shows them that you are actually interested in the position. If you don't want to know more about the job then to them you aren't actually interested in the job and you probably will never hear back from them. However, if this is the case and you are just using them as interview practice then I probably would not bother asking any questions if you don't really want to hear back from the company.

Tip #5
For my final tip, if you really want the job, don't forget to send out your thank you emails within 24-48 hours of the interview. I had my last interview on a Friday and so I sent them out Sunday night so they would have them in their inboxes by Monday morning. I feel like a lot of people forget this step but honestly, I think it really helps! It's very important to thank the person for taking the time to consider interviewing you and actually interviewing you. Make sure that if you are interview by more than 1 person that you send out an email to everyone person that interviewed you and that you make each one a little different. Also just write a few sentences thanking them and basically telling them why you are perfect for the job! Don't make it too long but don't just say thanks.

I hope this post helps anyone looking for a new job! I think that all of these tips have really helped me and just remember that everything happens for a reason so if there is a job you really wanted but didn't get, it's probably because there is an even better one waiting for you around the corner!

Thanks for stopping by!

XO, Steph

Top 10 Interviews Questions

Hey guys,

 So since I've been doing a lot of interviews lately I thought it would be a fun idea to write up 10 popular interview questions that I tend to focus on. One thing I've learned lately, is that when it comes to interviews and interviewing for different companies and hiring managers, you might not always get your typical interview questions. The last two interviews I went to, they didn't ask me a single question from top 20 questions that I have written down. But they asked me questions that were kind of similar.

What I like to do is make up a list of questions that people ask in interviews a lot and I type up my answers and then I review them before I have an interview. I make them pretty general that way you can mold them to fit to the specific job you are applying for. To make this list I just googled top interview questions or most popular interview questions and then a bunch of websites pull up. A lot of them will have repeat questions so once you get your list going I just go to random sites and find ones that I don't already have on my list. I am an extremely organized and detail oriented person so I like to make sure that I am very prepared for anything and everything. If I'm not then I have the tendency to get really bad anxiety. 

So below I have listed out my top 10 questions that I tend to study the most and have probably been asked the most. I also chose these 10 questions because my mom and sister conduct interviews for new hires at their work and so they have a list of popular questions that they tend to ask the people they are interviewing and these are some of the questions that they ask. 

1) Tell me about yourself.

2) What are your 5 greatest strengths?

3) What are your 5 greatest weaknesses?

4) Why should we hire you?

5) Why do you want this job?

6) How well do handle stress?

7) How well do you work with others?

8) How do you handle a difficult situation/customer at work?

9) What traits do you think (insert job title) should have?

10) Why are you looking to leave your current job?

So these are the 10 questions that I stick to and they pretty much help me answer whatever question comes my way. Most interviewers will be using questions that are based off of these questions they just change the wording some to fit the job description a little better. 

When it comes to the greatest strengths and weaknesses, they might not always ask for a certain number but it's good to have at least 5 prepared just incase! I know that 5 seems like a large of things to come up with but I promise you there are 5 things that you are great at and 5 things that you stink at that you can figure out how to turn into a positive thing! There's not such thing as perfection which is my number 1 biggest weakness! 

Also, I know that "why should we hire you" and "why do you want this job" seem like very similar questions but they aren't! The "why do you want this job" question is basically asking you why you really want this job or are you just applying to apply. The why should we hire you is your chance to tell them how you are so much better than the other people that have applied for the job.

Remember to always be honest, don't lie in an interview because if you do it will come out someday that you did and then it won't make you look very good. You also could potentially be fired for lying, it all just depends on the company and how they want to handle the situation.

I hope this helps everyone! I know that finding a new job can be stressful which is why I decided to write up these posts! I thoroughly enjoy helping people so I really hope that this helps at least one person! 

Thanks for stopping by!

XO, Steph

What to Wear Wednesday: Job Interview

Hey guys,

So since I am currently looking for a job, I thought it was only appropriate to make my very first What to Wear Wednesday be about what to wear to a job interview. 

I suggest having about 2-4 interview outfits that fit you really well and make you feel confident. Going in for a job interview can be quite nerve wrecking and having outfits that make you feel strong  and prepared can really help. But at the very least make sure that you have 2 outfits to wear to interviews. Depending on the job you are going for you may be able to wear the outfits to work later on anyways. 

Outfit #1

Sweater: White House Black Market (old) similar here and here | Top: Ann Taylor (old) similar here and here | Pants: Banana Republic Factory (on sale) similar here and here | Shoes: Tory Burch (older version) new version, similar here and here

This outfit is probably my favorite! Mostly because of the pop of blue. I highly recommend stick with  you basic colors of black and white and then adding a pop of color in your shirt, sweater, or maybe your handbag. 

Outfit #2

Dress: Forever21 (old) similar here and here | Shoes: Christian Louboutin similar here and here

I absolutely love this dress and I rarely wear it. Mostly because I have never had a job and I feel like it is such a work appropriate dress that I feel weird wearing it anywhere else. But I was so shocked when I found it online at Forever21. I bought it thinking I could save it for the day whenever I do get a job and can look super cute and feminine at the office (or wherever I work).

I also think it would look great with a statement necklace but I don't really think I would recommend wearing one to an interview. You should stick with something subtle because you don't really want to wear anything that might be too bold and distract your interviewer.

Outfit #3

 

Top: Ann Taylor (old) similar here and here | Pants: XOXO at Macy's similar here and here | Shoes: Kate Spade New York (old) similar here and here

This outfit consists of trouser pants which have a flare to them rather than the first ones. Also, since I am only 5' 2" I had an extremely hard time finding pants that fit which is why I am wearing a little bit of a heel. If I don't then these pants drag on the ground and I personally hate hemming pants or having them hemmed for me. They just never seem to wear the same, I don't know, it's weird but I prefer to just keep shopping until I find the perfect length or I will just pants that I can specifically wear with heels like these ones.

Of course you can always pair a blazer, some type of sweater, or other professional type jacket with any of these outfits. I personally don't own a blazer so I went with a sweater instead. Plus, I'm more of a sweater kind of girl anyway, I probably own about 25 sweaters in all different styles and colors.

One thing I don't think I would recommend to wear to an interview would be a pencil skirt or any type of skirt really. I don't know why exactly but there's something about skirts and I feel like you should only wear them after you've already been offered the job and have accepted. I personally don't feel as comfortable in skirts. I'm always worried that something will be wrong with it or it will be too tight or short. But if you normally wear skirts all the time then you wear whatever makes you feel comfortable because the more comfortable you feel then the more confident you will be.

Some of you may have noticed that I didn't pair a handbag with any of these outfits and that mostly because I wanted to mostly focus on the outfits and then discuss the handbag later one. I think your handbag should match your outfit, maybe not perfectly but at least close enough. I also think that it should be one that is not a crossbody or an oversized tote. I think it should be one that can fit a folder if you decided to or are required to bring a folder with your resume or other important documents. I think it is okay to use a bag that is colorful as long as if it's not too colorful or doesn't clash with your outfit.

The more put-together you look, the more confident you will feel so you need to make sure that you take the time the night before and put together your outfit and everything you need for the interview as well as review some popular interview questions that they might ask you and review your resume to make sure you know everything that is on there. Also, just remember that the people you are interviewing with are human too no matter how much they may not seem like it. Also, you are going to survive! Just make sure to breath and focus on remaining positive and getting through it, everything will be okay!

One of the duties of my mom's job is to interview people and one of her biggest tips is to make sure that you are wearing closed-toe shoes. She believes that it is not very professional to have your toes exposed because it's not like you are going to a wedding or to the beach. You need to make sure that your toes are covered.

If you are looking for a job, I hope that these outfits and tips helped you! Good luck on your job search and I hope you get the job you want!

Thanks for stopping by!

Feel free to leave a comment or share this with your friends!

XO, Steph

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