Tag: postgrad

How to Set Great Internship or Job Goals

Goals are critical to succeeding at your internship or entry-level job for several reasons.

  1. They help you focus on what matters and avoid spending time on fruitless endeavors.
  2. They enable you to track your progress and ensure you’re having the impact you want to have.
  3. They help you align expectations with your manager and stay on the same page.
  4. They allow you to document and demonstrate your effort and impact at the company, which can help you get a raise, promotion, or recommendation.

What Makes a Good Internship or Entry-Level Goal?

First, all goals should be several things:

  1. In your direct control.
    There’s no point in holding yourself accountable for things you can’t control. For example, if you’re in a social media marketing role, you should create a goal around growing the number of engaged followers by 50% instead of a goal to increase the revenue you get from each social media follower.
  2. Measurable.
    Avoid vague goals like “Grow our brand awareness.”. You’ll never know when you achieve vague goals. The easiest way to make goals measurable is to ensure there are numbers attached to them.
  3. Ambitious.
    Your goals should push you. They shouldn’t be easily accomplished. Goals don’t exist to make you feel accomplished. They exist to help you accomplish great things.

In addition, internship goals should have a specific focus on learning. That learning focus can be on you learning whether you want to pursue a career similar to the internship, learning a specific skill, or learning to succeed in a particular professional environment.

Good entry-level job goals aren’t so different in that there should be an emphasis on learning. However, learning cannot be the only goal as your impact is critical to your ability to maintain your career.

How to Choose Your Goals

Setting the best, achievable goals for your internship or entry-level job largely depends on knowing what you want, what you’re capable of, what your role will enable you to reasonably do, and what the company is trying to do. When setting your goals, it’s important to ask yourself a few key questions.

First, ask yourself why you accepted this internship or job. This should help you figure out what you should try and learn from it. Understanding your own personal motivation for taking the job should help you set a good personal learning goal.

Second, consider what the company is trying to do. Your goals should benefit you and the company. If your goals don’t align with the company’s goals, then your efforts likely won’t have any impact on the company’s success and you won’t be able to demonstrate your value to the company.

Third, ask yourself what type of impact you’d like to have on the company. What would you be most proud of achieving?

Fourth, examine the responsibilities of the role you have at the company and determine what your role will enable you to achieve. If you’re a sales intern, you probably won’t be super successful at helping the company achieve their engineering-related goals.

Setting the Scope of Your Goals

If you’re a summer intern, you probably shouldn’t have a yearly goal. Instead, you should set a goal for your summer internship.

Entry-level employees should start by trying to set 5 year goals. If you have absolutely no idea where you’d like to be in 5 years and what you’d like to be doing, that’s totally fine; start with 1 year goals instead. From those 1 year goals work backwards into quarterly and monthly goals. Some companies set quarterly goals and some set monthly goals. The scope of your goals should match with your company’s scope.

Internship Goal Examples

  1. Grow Twitter followers by 25% by the end of summer.

    Social Media Marketing Intern

  2. Demo 5 new accounts each week.

    Sales Intern

  3. Write 10 new articles each month.

    Content Marketing Intern

  4. Learn Ruby on Rails and deploy 1 new feature by the end of summer.

    Software Engineering Intern

  5. Have coffee with 1 full-time employee each week.

    Anyone

Entry-Level Job Goal Examples

  1. Create 2 new icons and add them to the icon font each month.

    Visual Designer

  2. Reduce expenses each quarter by 5%.

    Financial Analyst

  3. Retain 80% of part-time volunteers each quarter.

    Non-Profit Volunteer Coordinator

  4. Shadow a different person in their role at the company each month.

    Anyone

Tracking Your Progress

Once you have your goals set, you’ll need to be diligent about tracking your progress. A good rule of thumb is to check in on your status one time dimension below the scope of your goals. For example, you should check on your progress towards any yearly goals every quarter. You should check on any quarterly goals every month. You should check on any monthly goals every week.

Keep track of your progress somewhere digital (a spreadsheet or Google doc are good options). It’s not only important to know whether or not you’re making good progress, but at what rate you’re making progress. This can help you tie the progress to specific actions you took.

Assessing Your Impact

The final, and perhaps the most critical part, of effectively using goals in your internship or entry-level job is to ensure that you take time to reflect on the goals you set. You may have achieved them, or you may not have. Regardless, you should take time to think about:

  1. Did this goal actually measure the impact that you had? Was it a good goal?
  2. Why did you or did you not meet your goal?
  3. Was this goal effective in motivating you?
  4. Should you use this goal again?

Now that you know why goals are a critical part of any internship or entry-level job and how to set good ones, go use your new knowledge! Your manager will be impressed. We promise.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as What is an Internship? and find answers to common interview questions such as What’s Your Dream Job?

Here’s How You Should Answer Common Recruiter Interview Questions

The core skills you need to succeed in recruiting—leadership, self-management, resiliency, and being detail-oriented and quick-thinking, among others—have remained consistent over the past few decades. But how you use them has changed markedly thanks to technology.

So, where does that leave you when you’re interviewing for a Staffing Recruiter firm as a job?

It depends on a number of different factors, including your work experience and familiarity with the industry. That said, most early-career candidates will not have recruiting experience going into the interview.

And that’s fine!

Just remember that the questions will be broad enough to allow you to demonstrate these fundamental skills in a way that wows your interviewer and leaves a lasting impression.

Recruiting expert Casey Weickgenannt from Apex—one of the premier staffing and recruiting agencies in the country—opened up about her experience hiring for these roles. What are the most common interview questions she asks? How should you answer them? How do you follow up appropriately?

Check out her answers to these and other pressing questions below.

What are your strengths?

This question, while standard to most every interview, actually has a few specific right answers when it comes to recruiting.

According to Weickgenannt, there are many questions hiring managers are looking to answer. “Are you money-motivated? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment? Can you multitask?” This question gives you an opportunity to show that you are all of those things—and more, she says.

Emphasize your ability to multitask even in a hectic setting. Talk about how you build relationships and are a quick learner. And don’t just say what you are, show them. Speak eloquently and confidently to prove to the recruiter that these are among your many, many strengths.

Do you have leadership skills/experience?

This is one of the more concrete questions in a recruiting interview, which means answering it should be a little more straightforward. This is the time to talk about any clubs or teams you’ve started or belonged to. Specific experience works, too.

Talk about a time when you took the reins on a group project or organized others to accomplish something. Leadership means different things in different settings, so think about your own experiences and how it applies.

Do you like working with people?

This question is key when it comes to recruiting. “Our product is people, and people are very unpredictable,” Weickgenannt says.

That means you need to understand how to work with all kinds of people. So, to ace this question, communicate that you not only enjoy being a service-oriented team player, but also are skilled at handling the twists and turns of working with a range of personalities.

At the end of the day, Weickgenannt stresses, the most important qualification for a Staffing Recruiter boils down to essentially one quality. “We’re looking for somebody who has very strong interpersonal skills,” she says. “That’s definitely the most important qualification for us. Someone who’s able to connect with others and have strong communication.”

What would you do if…?

These types of behavioral questions—during which your interviewer will present a scenario and ask how you’d handle it—are very common for Staffing Recruiter interviews.

First, don’t panic.

The important thing to remember is that you will receive a lot of training once the job begins, so it’s more important to show that you’re resourceful, clever, and smart. Don’t perseverate on the fact that you’re unfamiliar with the specifics or tactics you’re presented with.

Weickgenannt also recommends researching common behavioral questions. “There are plenty available online,” she says. Yet no matter what, always make sure you:

Practice beforehand.

Polished answers will demonstrate your public speaking skills and sales skills.

Engage with the interviewer.

Make sure you’re actually engaging with what the interviewer is asking. This way you can learn about the position and better prepare for later in the interview process.

Ask thoughtful questions.

Do your research beforehand so that you can ask an informed question when the interviewer turns the tables. Additionally, you should think of a question based on something the interviewer either said or asked. And avoid topics like benefits, vacation time, or salary. Those can be ironed out later.

Follow up!

“A candidate who can stand out in the application process is someone who’s being responsive,” Weickgenannt says. “Following up, keeping open the line of communications—that’s really memorable.”

These interviewers are handling a ton of applications for a variety of jobs. Following up by thanking them for their time and reminding them of your strengths is a great way to ensure you’re going to be top of mind when decision time comes around.

Interested in a career in recruiting? Apex is hiring on WayUp now, so check out their open roles and apply!

5 Signs You’re Perfect For A Job In Recruiting

Recruiters are an essential part of the business world. But what skills make an ideal candidate? According to recruiting expert Casey Weickgenannt of Apex—one of the country’s premier staffing and recruiting firms—recruiting is all about people.




Strong Social Skills

Here’s something that all successful recruiters know: Recruiting is a lot like matchmaking.

You have to pair the person with the position in a way that makes both your client and your candidate happy. Otherwise you’re not getting the job done.

This means you’re basically making two sales at the same time. To pull that off, you need equal parts intelligence and social grace. That’s why social butterflies with a knack for making compelling arguments will find themselves uniquely prepared for this role.

Weickgenannt agrees. “The best candidates are well-rounded and have very strong interpersonal skills,” she says.

Multitasking And Quick Thinking

Recruiting is incredibly multifaceted, which means you need to be, too.

“There really is no average day,” Weickgenannt says. “There’s a lot of variety.”

That variety includes anything from meeting with candidates and following up on references to strategizing with your team and extending offers. Sometimes it can even mean helping with on-boarding for the candidates who accept the job.

And all the while, you’ve got more positions to fill. If you’re someone who looks at a mountain of tasks and thinks, “I’ve got time for that and maybe a couple of other things, too,” chances are you would thrive as a recruiter.

Leadership Skills

“Leadership” is one of those vague terms that seems like it simultaneously applies everywhere and nowhere—usually, that is.

But when it comes to recruiting, you actually need to lead people. It’s like being the president of a club, except your goal is to get everybody in the club the perfect job. That means helping people put forward the best version of themselves and their skill sets—and matching them to positions that you’re tasked with filling. (And then trying do that again and again and again.)

That can be challenging at times. “Our product is people, and people are very unpredictable,” Weickgenannt says.

That’s when the whole leadership thing comes into play. Gifted leaders are inherently more capable of driving people toward a common goal.

Think of it this way. If your candidate or your client can’t get behind your plan, then you’re not effectively doing your job. But if you’re someone people turn to for advice, then you’re probably the kind of person they would trust to get them the right job.

Money Motivation

What’s the most rewarding part about recruiting (beyond the satisfaction of helping people better their lives and advance their careers)?

“Compensation,” says Weickgenannt. “It’s a very lucrative career.”

Recruiters are incentivized based on job performance. That means the more successful you are, the more money you can make—and the higher you can climb up the corporate ladder.

If this kind of success lights a fire under you, then you’re sure to be excited by a competitive recruiting career.

Flexible Backgrounds

If you’ve made it this far and you’re thinking, “Well, I’ve got these other skills, but I’m not a business major,” then you’re in luck.

The range of successful recruiters includes people with a ton of different educational backgrounds. “There’s not one major that we look for,” Weickgenannt says. She adds that some of the more common ones include communications, advertising, marketing, public relations, and psychology.

So, long story short: If you’re an entrepreneurial, charismatic leader, there’s a great chance that you can find your place in recruiting.

Interested in a career in recruiting? Apex is hiring on WayUp now, so check out their open roles and apply!

What Does A Staffing Recruiter Do?

First, let’s talk about recruiting.

So, you want to know what a Staffing Recruiter is? Well, before we dive in, let’s make sure we’re covering our bases and addressing what a Recruiter does.

There are many different types of Recruiters, but they all perform essentially the same function: They help companies find and hire qualified candidates for open positions.

Recruiters typically work either in-house for specific companies or at staffing firms like Apex, which recruits for a range of businesses and clients.

What unites all Recruiters? They have to be willing to work hard, learn a lot, and project a confident, level-headed image to both clients (businesses) and candidates.

To dive into the topic, we talked to Casey Weickgenannt, a Corporate Recruiter at Apex, one of the country’s premier recruiting firms. She sat down with WayUp to nail down what it means to be a Staffing Recruiter.

What do Staffing Recruiters do?

Staffing Recruiters work at staffing agencies. They match qualified candidates with the right position that aligns with their background. They work across multiple verticals and are great problem solvers. The ideal Staffing Recruiter is able to assess a situation and make a decisive decision.

What are the challenges?

As a Staffing Recruiter, you need to be able to build relationships with candidates in order to best understand where they’ll make the biggest impact.

This can be incredibly rewarding—you’re helping people start or further their careers—but it’s not just the candidates you’re trying to assist. At the end of the day, you need to make sure your firm’s clients—the businesses who have hired you to fill positions—are getting the types and quality of candidates they’re looking for.

According to Weickgenannt, that means on any given day you can be “at meetings keeping each other accountable, generating leads, cold calling, following up with candidates, checking references, and seeing who’s the best match.”

What are the rewards?

Apart from the satisfaction of helping people advance their careers and better their lives, Staffing Recruiters enjoy many other perks. Chief among them, Weickgenannt says, is competitive compensation. “It’s a very lucrative career,” she stresses.

Additionally, being part of a team that comprises charismatic salespeople has its social rewards. “It’s a work hard, play hard environment,” Weickgenannt adds.

There’s also the satisfaction that comes from a job well-done. Recruiters often get to extend employment offers themselves. That means you’re going to have a lot of people who are very grateful and excited to be speaking with you.

Interested in a career in recruiting? Apex is hiring on WayUp now, so check out their open roles and apply!

What’s A Day In The Life Of A Recruiter Like?

Wondering what the day-to-day work of a Staffing Recruiter looks like? The truth is, no two days are exactly the same.

Staffing Recruiters have the challenging and rewarding job of recruiting amazing candidates to work for their clients. They’re involved in the entire candidate recruitment process from start to finish. They make sure everyone they work with has a great experience—whether or not they get the job.

To get a better sense of what a Staffing Recruiter does throughout the day, we talked to top staffing services firm Apex.

Morning Team Meeting

Staffing Recruiters at Apex kick off each day with a team meeting where everyone shares their daily goals. The purpose? To hold everyone accountable for their work (and provide support if needed).

Time For Calls and Emails

After their morning meeting, Staffing Recruiters at Apex get to work. This includes cold-calling potential candidates and following up with existing candidates by email or phone. They’ll also check professional references for candidates in the final stages of interviewing.

Meeting With Account Managers

Account Managers learn their clients inside and out and work together for a team with Recruiters, though they have individual goals. The more Account Managers know, the more effective they are at exceeding their customers’ business needs. That, in turn, enables them to better inform their Recruiters on what kinds of candidates would be the ideal fit for those businesses.

Onboarding Activities

Discovering that a candidate you’re working with got the job is one of the most exciting parts of being a Staffing Recruiter. When that does happen, you’ll get to help prepare the offer letter and oversee any additional paperwork—and of course celebrate your success!

Connecting with Past Placements

Relationship-building is at the heart of being a Staffing Recruiter. Because of this, your job doesn’t end once you place someone in a role. To make sure their clients are happy and thriving, Staffing Recruiters might check in via phone or schedule lunches and/or coffee dates to stay in touch.

This is just a sample of the day-to-day experiences you’ll have as a Staffing Recruiter. Depending on where you work, you might also spend some time in trainings to improve your soft skills and learn more about the industries you’re recruiting for. Recruiting may be a competitive field, but it also offers room for personal and professional development.

Does this sound like a job you’d be excited to do every day? Well, you’re in luck: Apex is hiring on WayUp now!

Here Are All The Recruiting Terms And Titles You Need To Know

So, here’s the deal: Recruiting is a great field that offers awesome pay and advancement opportunities. But it’s not exactly the best-known industry among college students and recent grads.

The great news? There are many majors that prep you for this type of work. These include communications, business administration, public relations, advertising, marketing, psychology, and finance.

And that’s just the start of it.

If you’re interested in recruiting, you’re in luck. We talked to top staffing services firm Apex to get their insider knowledge on some of the important terms and job titles you need to know.

Staffing Recruiter

Let’s tackle this one first. You might hear the word “recruiter” and think that this role falls within Human Resources. But it’s more related to sales than HR.

That’s because Staffing Recruiters “sell” amazing candidates on a specific company and role. To help their clients fill specific high-priority positions, staffing recruiters post job listings, find and reach out to qualified candidates, and manage the candidate experience throughout the recruitment process.

That’s why thriving in this role requires, among other qualities, strong relationship-building skills.

Account Manager

While Staffing Recruiters focus on building relationships with candidates, Account Managers build relationships with clients. These clients turn to companies like Apex to help fill open roles. It’s the Account Manager’s job to ensure all clients are getting the candidate results they’re looking for.

Delivery Manager

One thing Account Managers do not do is manage and support Staffing Recruiters. That is the responsibility of the Delivery Manager. This role is tasked with equipping Staffing Recruiters with the tools they need to be successful with clients. That can include things like training, helping allocate which positions they work on each day, and facilitating team and one-on-one meetings.

Corporate Recruiter

At Apex, Corporate Recruiters connect with hiring managers across the country to hire Staffing Recruiters—for Apex’s own team.

So, remember this: Staffing Recruiter = recruiting talent for Apex clients. Corporate Recruiter = recruiting team members for roles at Apex.

Headhunter vs. Staffing Recruiter

In the past, the term “headhunter” had a far more negative connotation. Today, you’ll hear these two terms used interchangeably in many places. That said, they’re aren’t necessarily the same thing. A headhunter could refer to someone who identifies candidates before finding positions that perfectly match them. That distinguishes them from Recruiters, who know the position before they find the ideal candidate.

Employment Agency vs. Staffing Agency

Many people think these are the same thing, but they’re actually pretty different.

Employment agencies typically focus on temporary employee placements with faster turnaround times. For example, if a company needs someone to fill in for six months while the full-time employee is on leave, it would likely use an employment agency.

Staffing agencies, on the other hand, place employees in long-term, (often) full-time assignments. Because of this, the process is a bit more consultative and strategic.

Feeling better equipped to navigate the world of staffing and recruiting? Great! Apex is hiring on WayUp now.

What Is Supply Chain Management?

If you’ve ever heard of supply chain management, you might be wondering exactly what it is and how it fits into other areas of business. To find out the answer, we recently sat down with Dr. Cynthia Kalina-Kaminsky. She’s the president of Process & Strategy Solutions, and she gave us some great insights into supply chains and how they impact the economy.

Here’s what she had to say about working in supply chain management.

What exactly is supply chain management?

Supply chain management is not a new concept. But it’s definitely a concept that has changed in recent years. At its core, it boils down to satisfying customer demands and finding the most efficient ways to get a product from the manufacturer to the consumer. For example, when you buy a phone, a supply chain is responsible for manufacturing that phone and for all of the steps involved in getting it delivered to you.

In recent years, supply chains have become more complex, and this has led to new challenges. “Companies used to think they had basically one supply chain,” Dr. Kalina-Kaminsky explains. “Now, because there is such an abundance of supply, we create supply chains to satisfy what customers value.”

What this means is that companies require more processes in order to serve their customers better. The good news? With increased demands come increased opportunities for employment and career development.

What types of jobs are involved in supply chain management?

Supply chain management includes everything from data analysis to transportation management. The key to finding a role that’s a good fit is knowing where your interests lie. You then have to develop skill sets to match them.

Dr. Kalina-Kaminsky recommends doing this by identifying what you’re passionate about. “What do you find yourself coming back to?” she asks. Whether that’s working with data, developing processes, or working closely with other people, supply chain management involves all sorts of career options that could work for you.

Is supply chain management a cross-functional industry?

Because a supply chain has so many moving pieces, working in supply chain management absolutely involves some degree of cross-functionality. Although there is some variation depending on the role you pick — for example, a data analyst will likely have a less cross-functional position than a transportation manager — most roles in the industry do rely on team-oriented processes to deliver results.

Is supply chain management a good field for recent grads?

“Globalization has opened up more competition, leading to increased supply chain requirements,” Dr. Kalina-Kaminsky explains. As a result, there are now increased demands that can’t be met by the existing older workforce. “Baby boomers are leaving the workforce and few are being trained to take their places. On top of that, many were or are in legacy jobs that need to be updated for today’s realities,” she emphasizes. Because of these gaps, there is an immediate need for fresh talent to enter the field, not only to fill existing positions but also to help create new ones.

Working in supply chain management is an exciting chance to learn about the processes that power a consumer-driven economy. It’s also a great opportunity to participate in a field that is rapidly changing and evolving to serve a new generation of consumers. If turning that opportunity into action sounds like an exciting prospect, then supply chain management might just be for you.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as Top 10 Things You Should Look for In a Company and find answers to common interview questions such as Are You Willing to Travel?

Top 10 Things You Should Look For In a Company

Whether you’re looking for a paid or unpaid internship or an entry-level job, finding a great position goes way beyond the job description. From company culture to opportunities for growth, there are several things you should keep in mind when deciding between potential employers.

Here are the top things to look for in a company.

1. Do the company’s values align with yours?

One of the most important things to consider when researching potential employers is how their values align with yours. This is because working for a company is about a lot more than just the hours you put in each day. It’s about knowing that the company values some of the same things you do (like honesty, integrity and hard work) and understanding how those values match up with your own. Whether it’s finding a company with a model you admire or one that takes environmental action seriously and donates money to prevent global warming, you should feel that you and your potential employer stand for the same things and that you can build a lasting relationship.

2. Does the company culture fit your personality?

Many employers list cultural fit as the most important thing they look for when interviewing candidates, and you should put this at the top of your list too. For example, if you’re more comfortable in a relaxed environment than a conservative one, then a company with a corporate culture might not be a great fit for you. Before you sign that offer letter, take the time to assess how you’d fit in at the company and how the company culture would fit you.

3. Are the team members people you’d love to work with?

Whether it’s an internship or a full-time job, you’re going to be spending a lot of time with your new co-workers so it’s important to make sure that they’re people you’d like to work with. This goes hand-in-hand with cultural fit and it’s something you should be aware of when considering a new opportunity. The average American spends around one-third of each weekday at work, so having co-workers you get along with is a key part of being happy at your job.

4. Will you be offered opportunities to learn?

Having the chance to learn new things is important in any position, but it’s especially important during the early stages of your career. For that reason, finding an internship or full-time job that allows you to learn as much as possible is key to the development of your career.

5. Is there room for growth within the company?

In addition to offering you opportunities to learn about the industry, a great company should also offer opportunities for advancement within the organization. This is even more important in the case of internships and entry-level jobs because the opportunity for a promotion (or a full-time job) is a great incentive to learn as much as possible and prove your commitment to the team. The exception to this is if you’re not looking for a long-term opportunity but are looking to gain experience for a year or two before going to grad school.

6. Will your managers make you feel appreciated?

Feeling appreciated is an important part of any life experience, but it’s especially important in your working life. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that there should be company-sponsored happy hours or free weekly lunches, it does mean that your employer should make you feel valued by offering positive feedback and supporting your efforts to learn and improve.

7. Does the company offer security and stability?

One of the most important things a company can offer its employees is a secure and stable environment. This doesn’t just mean a regular paycheck (although that’s part of it), but also a proven history of steady success and a sense of job security. Although it’s unrealistic to expect smooth sailing all the time, a solid track record is a great indication that the company can provide you with the type of environment you need to succeed.

8. Does the company set you up for success?

Although a lot of your professional success will depend on you, there are several things an employer can do to set you for a great outcome. This includes everything from in-depth training to goal setting and regular feedback, factors that are especially important as your begin your career.

9. Will your role teach your transferrable skills?

In addition to offering training for your current role, a great company will set you up for future success by teaching you transferrable skills that you can use in your next position. When applying for a job, ask yourself what you can learn from the role and don’t be afraid to discuss training opportunities and skill building during your interview.

10. Will you be challenged in a positive way?

Being challenged to learn and to grow is one of the key markers of a great company. In fact, getting out of your company zone is one of the best ways to learn new skills and to find out who you are as a professional. Look for companies that make you feel enthusiastic about taking on new challenges and offer the support you need to turn those challenges into wins.

Whether you’re embarking on your first job search or your fifth, finding a company that will provide you with great opportunities requires some research. By following these tips, you’ll be sure to find the right fit and to give yourself the best chance of success.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as How Much Should I be Paid at an Entry-Level Job? and find answers to common interview questions such as What’s Your Dream Job?

How to Answer: Tell Me About a Time You Made a Mistake

Although no one likes talking about their mistakes, being able to discuss your past mistakes in a job interview can actually be a great way of impressing the interviewer. So when you encounter a question like, “Tell me about a time you made a mistake,” during an interview for an internship or entry-level job, you should focus on how you dealt with the mistake and what you were able to learn from it. When the hiring manager asks this question, it’s not because they’re trying to trip you up; rather, it’s a chance for the interviewer to see that you are able to acknowledge your mistakes and learn from them, two very important qualities. An employer would rather hire candidates who admit and grow from their mistakes than those who think they never make any.

As with any frequently asked question, it’s important to make sure you have an answer prepared before you go in for the job interview. These tips will help you describe a time you made a mistake in a way that will make it clear you’re the right person for the job.

Be honest

It’s important to be able to admit that you’re capable of making mistakes (as we all are), and that you’re willing and able to admit it. Therefore, you should refer to an actual mistake you made instead of attempting to appear that you don’t make any.

Take responsibility

It’s tempting to catalog how other people’s actions led to your error. But if you spend time during your interview talking about all the ways in which others — or the company itself — failed, you’re not actually admitting you made a mistake. Instead of pointing the finger at others, acknowledge the role you played. Your answer should be related to work; the interviewer doesn’t want to hear about the argument you had with your parents. Nor do you want to reveal any mistakes that could indicate a lack of professionalism on your part. Stick with school or work-related issues that stemmed from a true oversight or misunderstanding:

Highlight the resolution

Make sure to spend time discussing how you addressed the problem and outline the concrete steps to took to rectify it. The interviewer will want to know how you handle complications.

Emphasize lessons learned

Demonstrate that the mistake you made was not in vain. The interviewer wants to know that you can learn from your mistakes and take action to make sure they don’t happen again. By concluding the story of your mistake with what you learned, you can frame the incident in a positive light and show that you’re able to grow from your mistakes.

Say something like: “At my previous internship, I underestimated the amount of time I would need to work on a presentation for a team meeting. I was still getting used to the workflow in a busy office so I didn’t realize that I would need an extra few hours to put a deck together. Luckily, I managed to catch the mistake before the presentation was due to take place and asked my manager for help to complete it in time. It was a valuable lesson in time management and I’ve become better at prioritization and mapping out my schedule as a result of that experience.”

While it can be awkward to discuss mistakes you’ve made, your ability to do so is an asset. Interviewers know it’s a difficult question, and that’s why the right response will signal that you’re the right candidate for the job.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as How to Dress for a Job Interview at a Nonprofit and find answers to common interview questions such as What Motivates You?

3 Ways To Be More Productive At Work

Whether you’re just starting your first internship or you’re already settled into a full-time job, being productive is something that should be at the top of your mind. Why? Because productivity not only makes you a better employee, it also ensures that you can be successful in your role and advance in your career.

Here are three things you can do to be more productive at work.

1. Have a consistent morning routine

If you’ve ever read about the daily routines of successful entrepreneurs, then you know that most of them have very specific things they do every morning, from answering their emails right when they wake up to making sure that they take the time to exercise. Although you might not consider yourself an entrepreneur like Michael Dell (yet) having a morning routine is important even when you’re just starting out. A good way to create your routine is by figuring out the things that are most important in your day and then prioritizing them accordingly. For example, if you know that creating a to-do list and answering emails first thing in the morning will make your more productive throughout the day, make these tasks part of your morning routine and tackle them before you move on to anything else.

2. Focus on one thing at a time

While multitasking might seem like a great thing in theory, studies have consistently shown that it doesn’t work. What does work is focusing your attention on specific tasks by dividing up up your day into blocks of time. For example, if you’re a social media manager whose day involves creating social media posts, analyzing campaign performance and attending meetings, blocking off time to work on each of those tasks will ensure that you’re able to focus on each one individually and accomplish them effectively. A quick way to do this is by closing out all the tabs and programs you have open on your computer, leaving open only the ones you need for the task at hand.

3. Take breaks and know when to unplug

Taking breaks might seem counterintuitive to productivity, especially during a busy day when you have a lot to do, but they’re actually a great way to recharge your body and reset your mind. A good rule of thumb is to take a 5-10 minute break every hour to stretch your legs and look away from your computer screen. Methods like the Pomodoro Technique can come in handy here, since they’ll help you stay mindful of the passing hours and remind you to take breaks when you need them. Even more important is the idea of totally unplugging once you leave for the day. Although it may be tempting to keep checking your email, doing so will only keep you in work mode longer, making it harder to relax and making you more tired in the meantime. To truly be productive, it’s important to have some time offline every night to focus on other things and recharge for the following day.

Being productive is a great way to be successful in your role and to show your manager that you’re enthusiastic about your job. By following these steps, you’ll be able to get all your work done and still find time to have fun.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as How to Negotiate a Job Offer and find answers to common interview questions such as What Motivates You?