Interview Boss

Am I being automatically rejected from a job for not meeting the exact screening questions?

That is the question we answered in this week's episode, after Elizabeth, who has 3 years' experience and was applying for a role asking for 4, sent us her conundrum!

The short answer? It's very unlikely - so keep shooting your shot!

Screening questions are used to save recruiters time, and, in most cases, a recruiter is still looking at your application. The questions have just made it easier for them to filter through the candidates.

Give this episode a listen to hear what advice Sarah and Emma have for Elizabeth.

🏀 Shoot Your Shot - Shoutout to Jess who bought us 5 coffees!

"Emma + Sarah, eternal thanks for the absolutely thoughtful, empathetic, actionable and just generally rad podcast! I found your podcast after my initial phone screen, and I listened to episodes in between every following round until I was finally offered the job!!! This 100% includes the listen to this before/after episodes. The sniffing on time disagreement during deep breaths made me chuckle every time I heard it and made my anxiety melt away. I would buy the coffees just for that magic alone, but I must also credit you both for a great perspective on the job hunt and interviewing...I think I probably could have gotten this job without listening to this podcast, but I don't think I would have felt so confident, engaged, and powerful in the process. I left every interview feeling like I had shown up in a great way, but also that I had gotten useful information about the company that would ultimately help me make my decision. Big thanks all the way from Missouri USA for cheering us all on to become interview bosses!"

📄 To get step by step help with your interview prep on demand check out our Interview Academy https://www.interviewboss.com.au/interview-academy

☕ Did our podcast help you out? Want to say thank you in coffee form? Shout us a virtual coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/interviewboss

📄 To book an interview coaching session with Sarah, go to www.interviewboss.com.au/coaching

💌 Follow us on Instagram

💻 Check out our website for free jobseeker resources

www.interviewboss.com.au

We’re tackling a listener's question about how to handle bad company reviews when you have an interview lined up. We get it - even if you’re desperate for a job, you don’t want to end up somewhere toxic. But don't worry, we've got you covered.

In this week’s episode, Sarah and Emma talk about what really makes those reviews a red flag and how to tell if they're something you should be concerned about. We're also here to give you the confidence to bring up these reviews during your interview. Yes, you can totally ask about them, and we'll show you how to do it without sounding negative or worried. We'll share tips on how to phrase your question just right, so you can get the answers you need

Red flags episode

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/fbec4eda-a4b5-4ac8-898b-23af4d7d67ed

🏀 Shoot Your Shot - Shoutout to Ella “Hi Emma and Sarah! I want to extend my deepest gratitude to both of you for producing amazing content. Recently I graduated from university and I felt anxious about landing a job. I thought I was going to land a job offer from a company I loved and envisioned myself in after two interviews. However things happen for a reason and I kept on applying. Eventually a company (which I totally forgot about) that I applied to reached out for an interview. Upon the days leading up to it, I found your podcast and felt so at peace and relaxed. Right before I walked in, I listened to the “Listen to this before an interview” episode and felt extra confident. My buttcheeks were clenched the entire time!

After meeting, I felt connected with the staff and the work environment at this company. Naturally I listened to the episode “Listen to this while you’re waiting to hear back” and quite literally trained my mind to forget about this company…

Just a few moments ago I received an offer letter.”

📄 To get step by step help with your interview prep on demand check out our Interview Academy https://www.interviewboss.com.au/interview-academy

☕ Did our podcast help you out? Want to say thank you in coffee form? Shout us a virtual coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/interviewboss

📄 To book an interview coaching session with Sarah, go to www.interviewboss.com.au/coaching

💌 Follow us on Instagram

💻 Check out our website for free jobseeker resources

www.interviewboss.com.au

Mentioned in this episode:

Want to support the show? Buy us a coffee

Buy Us a Coffee

Have you ever had bad day at work and retaliated by going home and firing off multiple applications to new jobs in a fit of rage? You're not alone!

A recent study by recruitment specialists Robert Walters found 65% of surveyed Australian professionals admitted to taking part in the trend, with toxic workplace culture, poor work life balance and an unmanageable workload to blame! In the U.S, 67% of professionals admitted to having been a rage applier in the past 6 months.

In this week's episode, Sarah and Emma discuss the pro's and con's of rage applying (hint: sometimes it can be the catalyst you need to improve your situation!)

🏀 Shoot Your Shot - Shoutout to Carolyn who bought us 5 coffees!

"Hey Emma and Sarah. A fellow ‘Bosser’ got me onto your wonderful podcast after I admitted I was terrified of entering back into the domain of job interviews after 12 years at my job. To me, it was like getting back into dating scene…all sweaty palms and nerves. The company I worked at for 12 wonderful years was purchased and they slowly made everyone redundant, so I was a little bit flat. I took a good six months off to be with my family as my dad had passed away the year before and just did life admin and enjoyed my young family. I have been religiously devouring your episodes since the start of the year. It’s not just your no BS advice that I love and the little pep talks, sometimes I think I just found your dulcet voices relaxing. I have a bit of a niche job and I found the perfect job advertised and went hard, practiced all my best stories, weaved in the ‘so what’ and the backgrounds and it helped so much. I even used your cover letter and I was so honest about who I am. It all helped. However, I did bugger up one of my email addresses (even though you have warned of this exact thing!!!) and so missed my first interview. I managed to salvage it and carry on (minus a few grey hairs). I have just been offered the role and I’m thrilled. Then I went to negotiate on flexibility. They had sent me a 22 page doc on how flexible they were with work options prior to my first interview (the one I didn’t miss) and one of my interviewers talked about how a couple of people in her team are 4 days. So I thought no problem…I’ll ask for 4 instead of 5. They said ‘no’. I was a bit surprised and on the back foot and suddenly my dream job is looking like it might blow up with 3 small kids at home. I felt like if I pushed it they would simply offer it to the next person. So I accepted, but feeling a bit uneasy about it all. I trawled your episodes for one about discussing flexibility if you have family, carer or other commitments but I couldn’t see it. So I’m sending out a huge thank you for being such lovely legends in my ears and getting me through…but also a little SOS on what to do? I’m getting mixed advice…so would love to hear yours. Thanks again Boss ladies.”

☕ Did our podcast help you out? Want to say thank you in coffee form? Shout us a virtual coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/interviewboss

📄 To get step by step help with your interview prep on demand check out our Interview Academy https://www.interviewboss.com.au/interview-academy

💌  Follow us on Instagram

💻  Check out our website for free jobseeker resources

www.interviewboss.com.au

Here at Interview Boss, we believe preparation goes a long way in helping to combat nerves - and yes, you can even prep your small talk!

We can almost guarantee you'll need to engage in some surface level conversation before your interview, whether it's when you're being walked through the building to the meeting room or while you're waiting for someone else to join a zoom call. It might sound lame, but knowing what you're going to say ahead of time, can free up your mental load. Plus, interviews can already feel awkward enough without having to come up with small talk on the spot!

In this week's episode, Sarah and Emma share their favourite go-to small talk topics to inspire you to come up with your own!

🏀 Shoot Your Shot - Shoutout to Megan who bought us a coffee!

"I can't tell you how much this podcast has shaped my career. I started listening to the pod while working as a receptionist at a job I hated. Your podcast helped me move from that dead-end job to a legal position, inspiring me to attend law school. I am happy to announce that using my "best bits" I just landed my first job as a law clerk at an immigration firm! I never thought I would be in this position. I am the first in my family to attend grad school and am now involved in work I am passionate about. Your words of encouragement allowed me to dream bigger and present my best self. THANK YOU! Megan Oregon USA."

☕ Did our podcast help you out? Want to say thank you in coffee form? Shout us a virtual coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/interviewboss

📄 To get step by step help with your interview prep on demand check out our Interview Academy https://www.interviewboss.com.au/interview-academy

💌  Follow us on Instagram

💻  Check out our website for free jobseeker resources

www.interviewboss.com.au

We know many of our listeners find us because they're desperate to get out of a job that's making them miserable!

If you've already decided that you need OUT ASAP, then this episode is for you! Sarah and Emma share their own toxic job horror stories, and give practical tips to help you tread water and survive the last couple of weeks/months until you're out of there.

🏀 Shoot Your Shot - Shoutout to Deborah who is an Interview Academy Alumna!

“Hi! I found out about Interview Academy through the podcast about a week before an interview at a really great organisation. I'm so glad because I'm not the best at prepping for Interviews and I get very nervous during them. This was also going to be my first job interview related to my recent bachelors degree that I went back to University for. With the course and lots of practicing of my best bits, I think I did quite well! It was probably my best interview ever and the interviews were even nodding their heads and smiling at some points. There were 1 or 2 unexpected questions that threw me off but I think I did ok with them. I listened to your pre and post interview podcast episodes and they helped so much too! No matter what happens, this was great interview practice for me and it increased my confidence! I also developed awesome best bits that will be invaluable as I interview for similar positions to break into a new industry!"

☕ Did our podcast help you out? Want to say thank you in coffee form? Shout us a virtual coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/interviewboss

📄 To get step by step help with your interview prep on demand check out our Interview Academy https://www.interviewboss.com.au/interview-academy

💌  Follow us on Instagram

💻  Check out our website for free jobseeker resources

www.interviewboss.com.au

Sometimes, starting your interview answers can be the hardest part. If you find yourself going blank or waffling too much before getting into your example then this episode is for you!

Sarah and Emma share 2 fool proof ways you can start off your answers, with examples. Knowing you have this structure to fall back on can put your mind at ease and help you deliver your answer concisely!

🏀 Shoot Your Shot - Shoutout to Seth who bought us a coffee!

"Hey Emma and Sarah! I am so grateful for your podcast, listening to you two really helped me out when I needed it most! I was let go from my job just a month before my first child was born, and I was absolutely distraught. I was able to receive unemployment checks for a few months, but things weren't going well in my job search. Then, after 3 months of applying, I finally landed an interview, but I had never worked in that field and had no idea how to prepare. I looked up interview tips on Spotify, and found your podcast! It really boosted my confidence and I gave a great interview! Unfortunately, I was not selected for that job but I didn't let that get me down. I redoubled my efforts and kept to it. After a few more interviews, and a few more weeks ticking down to the end of my unemployment checks, I finally landed a job that paid well enough for my family's needs. The problem was that I had no interest in that field and they wanted me to live, breathe, and dream about the job. After the first week, I knew that I wasn't cut out for the job. It was very disheartening but I went back to the job search. I found a job that had just been posted by a company I had been interested in for years but had never found an opportunity to apply. I applied for the job on a Friday and checked back on the online application Monday morning. My heart dropped when it said "Not Selected by Employer" but I couldn't stop thinking about it all day. This next part felt pretty ballsy, but listening to your podcast gave me the confidence to believe in myself. After work, I drove down to the office of the place I applied and talked to the person at the front desk about how I had just applied and how interested I was in the work they do. The person at the desk had me wait a moment while they got someone for me to talk to and came back with the OWNER OF THE COMPANY! He did an impromptu first interview right there and scheduled me for a follow-up interview later that week. I nailed the follow-up and got a job offer the next day! I offered a two-week notice at the job I had just started, but since I was so new they let me decide if I wanted to stay the two weeks or not. I decided not to and started my new job the next day! I love my new job, and am so happy and proud of myself for having the confidence to go out and get what I want! Thank you SO MUCH for helping me get here! I wouldn't have done it without you!"

☕ Did our podcast help you out? Want to say thank you in coffee form? Shout us a virtual coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/interviewboss

📄 To get step by step help with your interview prep on demand check out our Interview Academy https://www.interviewboss.com.au/interview-academy

💌  Follow us on Instagram

💻  Check out our website for free jobseeker resources

www.interviewboss.com.au

The job search process can be brutal and getting knocked back repeatedly can really affect your self esteem. But what if the language you're using is only making things worse and fueling a confidence spiral? Our words are SO powerful!

In this week’s episode, Emma and Sarah delve into the true definition of the word 'rejected' and why we are officially banning our listeners from using it. It's time to ditch the negative self talk and reframe your mindset.

🏀 Shoot Your Shot - Shoutout to B who bought us 7 coffees!

"Emma and Sarah, I cannot thank you enough for all the ways that you’ve helped me throughout one of the most challenging seasons of my life! I struggle with perfectionism—anxiously trying to avoid (what I perceive as) failure. Because you gals are honest, experienced, humble, fun-loving, and just flat out in touch with reality, you helped me stop disqualifying myself, start affirming my skills and experience, start internalising that I could learn new things, and stop trying to have absolutely everything figured out. Each job search has been pretty stressful for me, but my most recent one was especially overwhelming. I had just graduated from seminary; I didn’t know what kinds of jobs would be a viable fit for me (financially and otherwise); my wife and I were new home-owners and pregnant with our first child; AND my wife felt called to be a stay-at-home mom. About three months into my job search, a really exciting job popped up that my wife told me I’d be perfect at. I had seen the same job posting, but had written it off because I was fixating on the few qualifications that I didn’t have (maybe 10-20% of them) and ignoring the qualifications I did have (definitely 80%, no exaggeration). At this point in my job search I was convinced I’d have to take a job I hated in order to provide for my family, so I stubbornly focused on preparing for other jobs that were already on my radar instead of letting myself hope about this exciting one. But throughout pursuing those other jobs, I listened to more and more of your episodes, and they really started to help me see my patterns and name them for what they were: unhealthy, lacking compassion, ignoring my story, and out-of-touch with reality. Moreover, your wisdom helped me make the most out of a ridiculous interview process (at least 6 hours total!) with an organisation I came to observe as toxic; and your realistic optimism helped me be bounce back from that and be confident, honest, and prepared while applying for the exciting job my wife mentioned! Your generous breadth of content not only helped me nail the application and interview, AND GET THE JOB(!!), it also helped me transition into this new role with confidence and direction during the onboarding period! I’ve implemented many of your tips for after you get the job and my supervisors are quite impressed—if my supervisors were Australian, they’d describe me as “keen” (one of my fav words that you guys use). I feel like I owe you guys the whole first year of my salary lol, but my wife said we can’t afford that, so we’ll just stick with some coffees for now. Thanks again for being such a fun and faithful blessing to me and so many others. Blessings to you both on your journeys! 💛"

☕ Did our podcast help you out? Want to say thank you in coffee form? Shout us a virtual coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/interviewboss

📄 To get step by step help with your interview prep on demand check out our Interview Academy https://www.interviewboss.com.au/interview-academy

💌  Follow us on Instagram

💻  Check out our website for free jobseeker resources

www.interviewboss.com.au

Mentioned in this episode:

New To the Podcast? Start Here!

Episodes For Your Situation

We don't endorse ghosting, butttttt we're not going to pretend it doesn't happen in the real world. 👻

It’s the most frustrating and heartbreaking part of a job search. You don’t know whether you’re still in the running, or whether you weren’t the right fit.

In this episode, Sarah and Emma discuss what might be going on behind the scenes and what to do about it. Hint: (nothing).

🏀 Shoot Your Shot - Shoutout to Ione who bought us 5 coffees

"Hello you wonderful, talented humans! Where do I even start Sarah and Emma? I stumbled (literally, I was out running in the dark...) across your podcast while in a blind panic after being invited for a second interview. I had really lost my confidence after the previous job I applied for invited me for SIX, yes SIX interviews, only to let me down in the last round. I was gutted and really disheartened, so when this interview rolled around, I was determined to make this job mine, I just didn't know how! After absolutely BINGEING, your podcast I felt my confidence growing. The storytelling technique was incredible and I found myself remembering all of my blindingly good best bits! Skip forward to interview day, I listened to the 'hype up' episode in the car on the way, I accepted the water, I sat up straight and yes, my notebook was front and centre... As the interview started, I instantly felt relaxed and that I had everything I needed to weave my stories into my answers. When it came to questions at the end, I remembered to ask one to each member of the panel, including the HR Manager (thanks for THAT episode ladies) and 1.5 hrs later they proceeded to tour me around the building and offer me the job ON THE SPOT! I am a sports marketer living in rural Switzerland so jobs like this don't come around too often. I honestly COULD NOT have done it without you Sarah and Emma. The confidence you gave was incredible but above all, you helped me feel less alone. Being on the job search is such a lonely and isolating process but you helped to normalise it and above all, you made me laugh. I can't thank you enough and have already passed you on to a couple of friends who are already hooked! "

☕ Did our podcast help you out? Want to say thank you in coffee form? Shout us a virtual coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/interviewboss

📄 To get step by step help with your interview prep on demand check out our Interview Academy https://www.interviewboss.com.au/interview-academy

💌  Follow us on Instagram

💻  Check out our website for free jobseeker resources

www.interviewboss.com.au

Here at Interview Boss, we believe it's important to own your own career story - even the not so great parts! But we've noticed people are SO worried about doing this, out of a fear of highlighting any potential pitfalls.

Hundreds of people have DM'd us over the years asking how they can explain their specific, sometimes 'tricky' situation when applying for jobs.

In this week's episode, we give REAL examples of how to address common job-seeker conundrums including taking time off due to a health condition, moving around a lot as a military partner, marriage breakdown, being fired from your last job and having dabbled in many different industries.

We explain how you CAN share these seemingly challenging details, while crafting a narrative that showcases your strengths. Even if we don't cover your exact scenario in this episode, after listening, you'll understand how to address the situation authentically!

🏀 Shoot Your Shot - Shoutout to Martina who bought us 5 coffees!

"Greetings from Germany! I quit my PhD in economics a couple months ago after two years of feeling anxious, stuck and just absolutely miserable. Having only one year of work experience prior to starting the PhD, the relief of leaving academia was quickly replaced by absolute panic about my career prospects. I felt like I wasted the previous years and regressed both in terms of motivation and abilities. After a few meltdowns on my friend Rachel's couch, she recommended I listen to your podcast. She thought it would help me structure my job search and give me ideas how to change the narrative around my experience to become an attractive candidate on the job market. Just a few episodes in, my confidence soared! Working on my best bits, I realised I grew and learned so much in the years I spent in research! Using your guidance, I found a way to showcase both my technical and soft skills, and talk about my prior experience in a way that is appreciated in the private sector. Even more helpful were your tips on how to communicate honestly and convincingly about the desire to switch careers. Now, four months after leaving my previous position, I got the perfect job in an energy consultancy, where I will be working on energy transformation and decarbonisation in Eastern Europe! I am so happy my friend pointed me out to your podcast! I wouldn’t have managed without your wisdom and support. I am so thankful to you and will not stop promoting the podcast to literally every person who as much as thinks about switching jobs. You are doing such an awesome job!! Cheers and sooooo many thanks. PS: I also listened to your podcast so much, that my accent apparently changed and I now get regularly asked if I used to live in Australia."

☕ Did our podcast help you out? Want to say thank you in coffee form? Shout us a virtual coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/interviewboss

📄 To get step by step help with your interview prep on demand check out our Interview Academy https://www.interviewboss.com.au/interview-academy

💌  Follow us on Instagram

💻  Check out our website for free jobseeker resources

www.interviewboss.com.au

We all know it's important to keep your referees in the loop when you're progressing through interviews so they aren't caught off guard when the phone rings. But what if there's MORE you could do to set them up for success and ensure they give you a GLOWING, detailed review?

Our Aunty Sue shared this tried and tested hack with us, and we thought it was WAY too good to gatekeep.

In this week's episode, we talk about how you can use the last step in the recruitment process to really STAND out and land that offer.

🏀 Shoot Your Shot - Shoutout to Kirsty who bought us a coffee! Here's a snippet of what she had to say:

"Hi Emma and Sarah, firstly thank you so much for your podcast and what you do! I believe I am a living, breathing, and walking existence of your podcast advice. I found you in December 2023. I was receiving multiple job interviews but I could never nail an interview and would always finish them feeling sad and disappointed that I wasn’t able to articulate myself. I searched up 'interview' in Spotify on my daily walk and lo and behold, there you guys were. At this point, I did not realise my whole life was about to change. I became obsessed with listening to you guys because I felt such a change in my confidence. Fast forward to the end of Feb 2024 and I FINALLY landed myself a job at NSW Health as a health promotion officer, in an area I am so passionate about and where there is so much career progression/security in the company. Although the job I got isn’t end game and wasn’t my “dream job”, I realised it’s a stepping stone and there is no rush. I have my whole life to get to where I want to be and just to enjoy the process. My advice for others is to drop the 'dream job' mentality, it isn’t helpful. Last thing, KEEP ON BELIEVING IN YOURSELF and work on those areas where you think you’re failing and I promise you will get there. "

☕ Did our podcast help you out? Want to say thank you in coffee form? Shout us a virtual coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/interviewboss

📄 To get step by step help with your interview prep on demand check out our Interview Academy https://www.interviewboss.com.au/interview-academy

💌  Follow us on Instagram

💻  Check out our website for free jobseeker resources

www.interviewboss.com.au