Big Interview

One thing to remove from your resume ASAP: “References available upon request.” We promise that if they want references, they will ask for them! It takes up precious real estate where you could expand on recent accomplishments or add quantifiable results. It doesn’t do you any favors, and it’s overused. Drop it. #resume #references

Today marks the start of our partnership with Verizon through the Skill Forward initiative. Verizon’s goal is to train 50,000 underserved individuals in advancing their careers by 2030. And we’re excited to support their mission by providing Verizon customers and Skill Forward participants with free access to Big interview, Big Resume, and our Spanish-language platform. This partnership also helps us keep our promise of leveling the playing field for job seekers from all backgrounds. Win, win, win. 💙 Read more here: https://shorturl.at/NFgOS

We’re heading back to the Geographic Solutions, Inc. conference next week! This year, we’re bringing real-world strategies to increase job placements, backed by case studies from two of our partners. Our in-person session will cover: → How one of our partners achieved lower unemployment by integrating Big Interview into their RESEA program, speeding job placements and automating compliance tracking. → The approach used to cut unemployment durations by 4–5 weeks, resulting in better outcomes and significant savings on UI benefits. → Effective statewide training solutions Attend this session for actionable steps to improve job placements and results. We'll speak on 6/25 at 10:15 AM, in the Heron room. #GSIWTC2025

We’re getting ready for the GeoSol Conference in Clearwater Beach, FL 🇺🇸 Starting on June 23rd, Geographic Solutions, Inc. will hold an event dedicated to workforce development. This year’s topic - Intricacies of Employment. We’re looking forward to connecting with workforce leaders, career advisors, reentry specialists, and program managers to dig into what’s working—and what still needs fixing—in the systems that support job seekers. If you’re going to be there, we’d love to connect with you and learn more about the challenges you’re seeing on the ground and explore how we might help.

Our Chief Coach, Pamela Skillings, was recently featured on The Office Latte podcast hosted by Erin. This episode focuses on how to handle tough interview questions, how to adapt to new hiring trends, and why prep is important at ANY level. Tune in to hear practical advice you can apply immediately and improve your interview performance (and of course, job search results). Listen: https://lnkd.in/egXDBPzp Watch: https://lnkd.in/evzYPbKe

We’re happy to introduce 🎉 Big Resume 🎉 After gathering tons of thoughtful feedback from our amazing partners, we’ve gone back to the drawing board and completely overhauled our resume tools. This includes changing the name, from Resume AI to Big Resume, and new AI-powered features such as: >The Resume Builder >The Resume Scanner >The new Cover Letter AI To take this for a spin, all you have to do is log into your Big Interview account and select “Big Resume” from the sidebar. Hope you enjoy the new updates and, as always, we'd love to hear your feedback ✨

Panel interview coming up? 3 tips you should read to ace it 👇 1. Research who’s going to be on the panel before you go in Knowledge is power. When you know who will be interviewing you, it’s easier to find common ground and build rapport. Usually, the name of each panelist is included in the interview confirmation. Once you’ve checked that, you can start gathering info via LinkedIn or on the company’s website. 2. Balance your eye contact and try to make sure you engage with everyone Try to distribute your eye contact evenly because it will help with building connections. If one or more members of the panel feel ignored, it will reflect in your overall performance. If it’s a virtual panel interview, practice looking directly at the camera. It’s uncomfortable at first, but doable after you’ve had a few practice runs. 3. Follow up with each panelist after the interview Personalized thank-you notes go a long way. Instead of sending one generic email to the group, take the time to write individual messages. It shows genuine appreciation and helps you stand out from other candidates.

“Tell me about a time you failed.” That’s a commonly asked interview question that most people get wrong. Let’s analyze a bad and a good answer 👇 Bad answer ❌ “Honestly, I can’t think of a time I really failed at work. I always double-check everything I do, and if something seems off, I fix it right away. I guess the closest thing would be sending an internal email with a small typo once, but no one noticed.” Good answer ✅ “I was working at a café, and we had a big catering order. I didn’t check the tasks, and two of us ended up making the same sandwiches while other items got ignored. When I realized the mistake, we were behind schedule, and my manager wasn’t happy. I took responsibility, apologized to my team and the customers, and we split up the remaining work. After that, I made sure to always double-check roles and communicate better.” What’s the difference between these? The good answer shows: >accountability >transparency >progress While the bad answer shows: >a lack of self-awareness >an unwillingness to admit mistakes >no growth or conclusion So, when you’re going to get this question in an interview, please focus on picking a real failure, why it happened, and what you did to make things right. That’s all you need to pass with flying colors.

Need more space on your resume? Here are 5 things you can safely skip and why: 1. Microsoft or Google Suite By now, you’re expected to know at least one of these since most white collar jobs (and not only) use them. 2. Redundant skills (e.g., Landline setup) These skills can make some cool STAR stories about your growth in your industry, but they shouldn’t occupy a spot on your resume because, most likely, no recruiter is actively looking for these skills. 3. Full address Include your city, state, and ZIP code if you’re from the US. Include your city and country if you’re from outside the US. Recruiters need a general idea of your whereabouts, not your exact location. Plus, if the company is ever hacked, it can become a safety risk. Safe > sorry. 4. Every job you’ve ever had Only include relevant roles to the position you’re applying for NOW. Sample scenario 👇 >You’re applying for a Data Analytics role >You’ve had two similar roles in the last 5 years, but you were also a barista >Take off the barista role, as it’s irrelevant to data analytics People who include all of their jobs don’t want their resumes to look “empty”, but we promise you, that’s OK. It makes it easier to skim and more targeted, so a win for you. 5. “References available upon request.” If they need references, they will surely ask for them before they invite you to interview or post your first interview. That line occupies space that you could use for an extra skill or to describe a cool project you’ve done in the past. If you’d like to learn what to put on your resume (of course, and why), check out this article written by our Chief Coach: https://lnkd.in/eGdFS8hr

Everyone uses AI for their job search nowadays, but only some use it the right way. That’s exactly what our Chief Coach, Pamela Skillings, will be diving into at the New England Chief Career Officer Symposium tomorrow at Babson College. She will cover: ✅ How students can use AI to boost their careers ✅ How to use AI ethically ✅ How to stay ahead of the tech curve This session is faculty only, so if you work in career services and happen to be near Boston tomorrow, we’d love to meet you! 📅 29 May 2025 📍1 Snyder Drive, Wellesley, Massachusetts