If you’re looking for a job within the sales or the marketing field, chances are you’ve probably encountered a mock sales call during the interview process. While intimidating, these mock calls offer you the opportunity to showcase your selling skills and secure the job or move onto the next round of interviews. These calls allow the employer to learn your selling techniques, personality and fit within the role. The following techniques will help prepare you for a mock sales call so you get one step closer to a career in sales.

It is inevitable that some of your employees will leave and pursue new opportunities no matter how much time and money you invest in retention strategies. When this happens, it is beneficial to conduct an exit interview as a way to receive honest feedback so you can continue to improve the position and your organization. By using this data and implementing these suggested changes, your organization will reduce turnover and progress as a whole.

Similar to personality types, each individual has a different style of communication. This can affect the ways in which you interact with others and influence your strengths and weaknesses. In the workplace, this has a large impact on your relationships with your coworkers and general productivity. Simply put, clear and effective communication is one of the simplest ways to minimize workplace stress, increase productivity and build strong relationships with your coworkers. In fact, productivity improves by 20-25% in organizations with connected employees. The four main communication styles that individuals fall into are Analytical, Intuitive, Functional and Personal. Understanding which style you resonate with can help you better communicate within the workplace and your daily life.

Passive job seekers are those who are not actively looking for a job but may be interested in a new opportunity if it were to present itself. As a result of the lack of qualified candidates for open positions, employers have started to target passive job seekers in order to fill critical jobs. A report from Indeed stated, 70% of workers are not actively looking for a new job but would be willing to discuss the possibility if an opportunity emerged. Although the number of passive job seekers is astonishingly high, typically organization’s hire from the active candidate pool, as the recruitment process is geared towards those actively seeking employment.

Typically the job search involves reaching out to hiring managers via email which can often leave candidates waiting for a response and discouraged. Frequently, organizations fail to reply and inform candidates of their rejection or application status which is understandably frustrating and confusing. With an estimated 280 billion business emails sent every day, it has become harder than ever to get noticed by hiring managers and receive a reply. If you are trying to reach a busy decision-maker or follow up after an interview, follow this advice to increase your response rates in order to advance your job search.

In recent years, organizations have been utilizing and taking advantage of artificial intelligence to alter their hiring process. This has resulted in changes as to how candidates are discovered, reviewed and even interviewed. As a job seeker, it is important to understand how these technological changes can affect the hiring process to ensure that you are prepared and well-adapted so you land your dream job.

With the booming job market, employees have been increasingly hopping from job to job, searching for organizations that truly appreciate them. In fact, 3.6% of workers leave their job each month.  It is imperative that employers value their employees as an important asset, in order to avoid high turnover rates. To ensure your organization doesn’t lose millions of dollars each year, keep reading to learn six steps on how to increase employee retention and maintain your top talent.

Many wait for the New Year to begin their job search or to change career paths, forgetting that December is a valuable time for job seekers to get their foot in the door and to keep the job search pushing. Besides spending your time this month holiday shopping and traveling, use it to set up the New Year with a new opportunity. The most wonderful time of the year can be said about this magical month and your job search! In fact, a survey reported, 94% of employers believe that candidates should continue or begin their job hunt during the holidays. Here are just a couple of reasons why the twelfth month is the best time of the year to look for a job.

A common part of the job search and hiring process often involves the use of references. References can provide valuable outside information that gives employers a deeper look into the prospective employee’s past experiences, personality, and also verification of other important information.

It’s common for introverts to feel overwhelmed and misunderstood in the workplace. With a strong emphasis to network, voice your own opinion and speak up, introverts may be left feeling out of place and overlooked by co-workers. The main distinction between introverts and extroverts boils down to how you are energized. Introverts recharge by spending time alone and often lose energy from being around large groups of people for extended periods of time, opposed to extroverts who gain energy from being around others.