Category: Changing Jobs

Applying for a new role and going through an interview can be a daunting task. For even the most experienced ServiceNow professional.

Interview nerves affect most people. They can make the recruitment process more stressful than it needs to be for you, the candidate.

Your next job might be the start of something amazing – so naturally, you will want to impress the hiring manager.

If you are preparing for an upcoming ServiceNow interview, we have created this guide to help you boost your confidence to help land you your next role. For extra help, you can read our other blog on mastering video interviews. 

1. Role Play Interview Practice

We all know that preparation is the key to success. Anyone who has ever had a job interview will have been told to practice their answers beforehand.

But very few candidates ever actually go to the lengths of practising a role-play style interview with someone. Doing this can help you significantly.

Practising your answers while you are alone, or even writing down specific answers or themes are great ways to prepare. However, nothing beats a real-life run-through beforehand.

So, get someone, a friend or a family member, to act as the interviewer and get them to ask role-specific or general interview questions. You should be prepared for both – and practice giving your answers.

You will not know until you rehearse in this way that you might want to add something into one of your answers, or that you need some extra practice when talking about a specific subject.

2. Boosting your confidence before the interview

Immediately before the interview is when candidates are at their most nervous. 93% of candidates admit to experiencing job interview anxiety.

So it is during this time that the most crucial confidence-boosting techniques are needed.

The following are great simple tips to help you in the hour up to the interview. Find somewhere private, either in your car or a private hallway to take a few minutes to practice the following:

• Picture yourself succeeding – visualisation techniques are shown to be effective at helping reduce nerves and focus the mind.
• Breathing techniques – take slow, deep breaths to help calm any nervous jitters you may be having.
• Say some positive affirmations to yourself – saying ‘I will succeed’, ‘I deserve this job’ and ‘I am going to be successful in this interview’ will help you foster a positive mindset, which can significantly improve your confidence.

Once you are in the interview, let’s look at how some simple body language techniques can help you relax and be your most confident self.

3. Body Language During the Interview

The way you hold yourself will make you feel more confident so that you are able to give a better interview, plus it will also signal to the interviewer that you are relaxed and professional.

First impressions count, so smile when you say hello.

Try not to perch nervously on the edge of your seat – sit all the way back in your chair, with a straight back, not slouching.

When you give your answers, talk with your hands as this will allow you to communicate your ideas more effectively. But also be careful with the way you use your hands – don’t gesticulate too wildly, and when you are listening rather than talking, try not to fidget or keep touching your hair or your face, which people tend to do when they are nervous.

Remember to carry on breathing deeply, and always say yes to a glass of water – you can take a sip to compose yourself before you give your answers, or if you need a moment to pause.

Make eye contact with the interviewer, but not too much. And finally – smile during the interview – you want to look like you are happy to be there!

4. Be a Great Listener

There will be time during the interview when the interviewer is asking the questions or explaining about the company. During these times, remember to employ excellent listening skills.

A ServiceNow interview is about listening as much as it is about talking.

Nod when the interviewer is speaking and always make sure they have finished before you give your answer.

The interviewer will be looking for someone they can guarantee will get on with the rest of the team – so an overconfident candidate who spends the entire interview singing their own praises can be a turn-off.

Remember that not every answer you give has to be perfect – but listen to what the interviewer is asking, and you can always ask them to repeat themselves or clarify if you aren’t sure what they meant.

Interviewers are human, and they don’t always give perfect interview questions.

5. Look to Connect, Not Impress

And finally, a great tip to boost your confidence is to not think about the ServiceNow interview as an interview – but a conversation.

Aim to connect with the interview, not to flat-out impress them with everything you say.

Building rapport with an interviewer is a great way to be a memorable candidate, and striking a meaningful conversation rather than stressing while trying to appear superhuman will allow you to naturally ease into the interview and will make the whole experience much more enjoyable.

Confidence is about being honest and transparent; it is obvious when someone is trying to be somebody they’re not.

Finally

Are you preparing for an upcoming interview? Or maybe you’re not quite there yet, and you’re still looking for a new ServiceNow role.

If so, we can help.

We’re specialist ServiceNow recruiters, and we can help you will all aspects of your new job search, from CV help to arranging interviews, and of course – helping you prepare for your all-important interview.

To find out how we can help you in your new ServiceNow job search – get in touch with us 02381 542542.

‘Do you have any questions for me?’

We all have heard those words coming from a hiring managers mouth. If you are prepared, you already have some good questions you searched up. If not, you are left scrambling.

In our experience, people don’t have great questions prepared because they stress and focus on acing the interview. After you have carried your interview preparation and even have a string of examples to share, you should focus on the questions you will ask the hiring manager.

Why Is It Important to Prepare Questions?

When you ask a ServiceNow manager insightful and great questions, it is an amazing way to show off your commitment, your ServiceNow knowledge, and your professionalism. Asking a few questions at the end of your interview also demonstrate your interest and your involvement in the interview. These questions can give the hiring team a good impression of you.

Another benefit is that it also can make you stand out. It is also a great opportunity to get the answers to your questions.

Preparing to Ask Questions

It’s time to prepare for an important part of the interview process that many ServiceNow candidates forget.

It starts with that moment when the interviewer says something like, “Well, we have asked you a lot of questions, now it’s your turn; do you have any questions for us?”

At Linking Humans, the team have interviewed thousands of candidates over the years, and a typical pattern at the end of the meeting is… silence… no questions, rather a statement along the lines of, “No, I think you have covered everything.”

In today’s business economy, there is absolutely no reason why you can’t prepare multiple questions to ask your potential future employer.

Imagine the positive impression you will leave at the end of the interview by asking a few well thought through questions, particularly since many candidates either don’t ask anything or only make a comment about when the start date is.

An interview is a structured process of two parts. Your potential employer is asking you questions to learn about you, your skill and capability to perform in the role in question and fit into the company culture and ethos.

In return, you need to prepare questions to ask about the position, your department and your future development path.

The questions you ask can make a huge impact on the whole process. The questions you ask the ServiceNow hiring manager can inform them of your priorities and work ethic.  Questions about how well you have performed, or the salary range are tempting to ask, but don’t always profile you in the best light.

We have a list of amazing questions you can ask the hiring manager after your ServiceNow interview.

What Do You See as The Major Growth Opportunities for…….?

This is a great warm-up question that demonstrates your enthusiasm and strategic thinking. Also, it allows you to find out if the company invests in educational or professional training to develop your career. ServiceNow companies want to hire people who are enthusiastic to professional growth. Show the hiring manager that one of your priorities is continued growth in your career.

Our advice would be to ideally, do some homework on this aspect, too, so you can ask clarifying questions.

What Employees Do Well Here?

A subtle yet important question. Your hiring managers answer will hopefully reveal an enormous amount about the organisational culture and its values. Knowing the culture of a company is incredibly important. It reveals to you if people enjoy their work life and the company. A positive organisational culture improves employee morale, and this makes your job enjoyable.

Do you like what you hear? Are they unconsciously describing you? Fingers crossed they are.

What Additional Skills Do You Think Would Be Good to Develop in This Role?

Through the interview, I am sure you will have been asked various questions about your functional capabilities. However, additional skills and capabilities will be needed to excel and be considered for the next step-up. This question will give you an idea of what is possible and signal your enthusiasm to develop and add value.

This questions also tells which skills you can highlight in your background. By letting the hiring manager know about your additional skills, you can make yourself stand out!

What is The Career Path for Someone Like me?

Every ServiceNow hiring manager hopes that their recruit is keen to progress and do well. This question will demonstrate that you are thinking about a long-term career rather than the role being a stopgap till something else appears. It will also help you work out if the organisation has a development culture, where promotion from within is a goal. Also, you can find out the timeframe this advancement normally happens, so you know the how and when.

It is a great idea to find out how the company celebrates your accomplishments and what to expect when you have done well.

These simple four questions will help you gain valuable information about the company while also demonstrating how serious you are about the role too. We hope this helps with your interview preparation.
If you are looking for a ServiceNow role, please email your CV to thmida.miah@linkinghumans.com and we will get back to you with any relevant positions. Or you can contact us here: https://linkinghumans.com/contact-2/

Video interviews are here to stay. Convenient, easily accessible, and cost-effective, a video interview can be an ideal alternative to a face-to-face conversation. Currently, around 84% of recruiters say they’ve begun including virtual hiring tools like video interviews in their processes.

The question for ServiceNow candidates is, how do you make sure you’re making the right impression when you can’t rely on face-to-face chemistry?

Learning how to pivot your interview tactics so you’re ready to wow a hiring manager just as easily over webcam as you would in person is crucial for today’s landscape. Here’s your guide to making the most of your ServiceNow video interviews.

Prepare Properly

Preparation is key whether you’re meeting your interviewer in person or not.

In a similar way to a face-to-face interview, you should start by researching. Learn as much as you can about the company in question. You’re still expected to demonstrate a knowledge of the company and the position you’re applying for. So, don’t skimp on research because the conversation is happening over video.

Once you’ve collected as much information as possible about your would-be ServiceNow employer, the next step is preparing your tech. Find out what kind of video conferencing technology your hiring manager will be using. Then test out the functionality in advance; your recruitment consultant will have the details related to this.

Check your webcam, microphone and headphones work perfectly before the interview. You should also make sure the location you’re using for your desk has a strong internet connection. This will help to reduce the risk of lag in your call. Other points to consider as you prepare include:

• Learn how to use important features on video conferencing, like mute or virtual background
• Find out whether you need to have documents ready for a presentation during the meeting
• Ask whether you’ll need to use additional tools during the interview, like screen sharing

Set up Your Shot

One of the best things about ServiceNow video interviews is they allow you to interact with a hiring manager from the comfort of your own home. This can be helpful if you’re nervous about an interview. However, it also means you will be in complete control of your interview environment and what the interviewer sees from your camera.

Start by choosing the right environment; a space out of the way of family, pets, and other distractions is usually a good idea. Choose somewhere well-lit but avoid sitting with a light source directly behind you, as this can cause a shadow.

Set up your webcam so the other person can see your upper body and face, rather than just one portion of your head. It’s also worth thinking about your background. A neutral space, like a blank wall or a room without a lot of background clutter or decoration, is usually a good bet.

If you’re worried about not finding the perfect space, you can consider experimenting with a virtual background or background blurring before the interview.

Know How to Present Yourself

Video interviews still require appropriate business dress. Your ServiceNow hiring manager will expect to see evidence of your professionalism in the way you present yourself.

Always choose professional attire, just like you would for a formal in-person interview. You should also think about how certain clothing and accessories will show up on camera. Distracting patterns can be headache-inducing on camera, while pale colours can make you look drained.

Make sure you’re fully dressed (from head to toe). Also, think about the little details you can implement to boost your confidence. Try to avoid any large pieces of jewellery or accessories, as these can capture light from the computer screen and cause glare.

Practice Body Language

Body language is crucial in any ServiceNow interview. Everything from whether you’re sitting up straight or slumping in your seat to how much eye contact you’re making will be under assessment. Practice interviewing with friends and family members over video to get feedback on whether you’re looking away from the screen too often or forgetting to smile.

Try to avoid constantly watching yourself on screen, rather than paying attention to the person you’re speaking to, as this can make you seem distracted. It’s also important to shut down any other distractions which might draw your attention, like email notifications or separate tabs.

Centring your camera and looking directly into it will help you create the illusion of eye contact. Remember to:

• Smile regularly to create a friendly atmosphere
• Keep your arms and legs uncrossed to avoid looking unwelcoming
• Avoid looking down at your lap or your notes too frequently

Master the Little Details

Small things can make a big difference in a ServiceNow interview.

When you’re interviewing over video, making sure everything looks and sounds perfect is the best way to make a lasting, professional impression. Getting to the interview a few minutes early so you can set up your camera and audio and check everything is working is often a good idea.

Take steps to minimise the risk of any interruptions by locking the office door or letting your family know you can’t be disturbed. If you are disturbed, remember to preserve your professional appearance by apologising and responding calmly, this will make you look more adaptable.

While mastering video interviews can seem a little challenging at first, you will soon master the art of video interview if you follow our straightforward process.

For more tips, read our adjust to working from home and preparing for an interview blog.

Here at Linking Humans, we have been helping candidates with finding their dream ServiceNow role! Visit our job listings page or you can call us on 02381 542 542. You can also upload your CV and we will get back to you with any relevant ServiceNow positions.

After writing your CV, the next step is to do a cover letter. We have created this blog to be your helpful guide to creating a great cover letter. 

What is a cover letter?

A cover letter is a document sent to hiring managers describing why you are the right candidate for the job. It also complements your CV as you are able to expand on your skills and experience.  In addition to this, you are able to demonstrate your writing skills and show off your personality.

An engaging cover letter is your opportunity to introduce yourself and highlight your most desirable skills and traits, and it can create a great first impression in the hiring manager’s eye.

Some ServiceNow jobs will state a covering letter as a requirement for application; others won’t. It’s always a good idea to include one even if it’s not specifically requested, as it allows you to expand on your skills and attributes and sets you above the competition.

Think of it like this – your CV lists your skills and experience. Your cover letter is there to expand on how you fulfil the job spec and create interest in order to make the employer even more interested in you as a potential employee.

A good cover letter should include in-depth information about your skills and why that will make you the right person for the job. You must convince the hiring managers to hire you in your cover letter as well as including what value you will add to the company.

Is your cover letter enhancing your application – or letting it down? Here’s how to ensure you’re making your cover letter work hard for you.

How to write a cover letter?

1. Contact information

Firstly, at the top of your cover letter, include your contact information. This is so recruiters can easily find your name and information to contact you. 

2. Address the letter to the hiring manager

The next step you should take is addressing your letter to a specific person. This usually will be the hiring manager or department. If you are unable to find the hiring manager’s name, look on LinkedIn. If you type in the company and then hiring manager, you may be able to find a name.

This adds a nice personal touch to the cover letter and it demonstrates you have researched for their name. As a result, you will impress the hiring manager.

3. Introduction

Once you have addressed the hiring manager, the next section will be the introduction paragraph. You should state the purpose of your cover letter in this section. Keep it straightforward.  

This section should only be a few sentences. You should describe the role you are applying for, why you are interested in the job and the company. As well as what makes you the perfect candidate for the role. 

4. Main paragraphs

After the introduction, will be your main paragraphs. This should be no more than two paragraphs. Highlight the value you will add to the company. As well as the responsibilities of your position, projects you undertook, and skills you gained. These must be relevant to the role. You should emphasise you role in these experiences. For instance, if you are applying to one of our ServiceNow jobs, you should highlight your experience or qualifications in ServiceNow.

You must not summarise your CV in this section. Explain why your skills and experiences make you the right person for the job. Our tip is to incorporate keywords from the job description into this section.

Moreover, in these paragraphs, you should use action words. For example, addressed, accomplished, directed, integrated, redesigned, investigated, or negotiated. This avoids overusing the word ‘I’. By using action words, you are showing what the company can gain from hiring you. 

5. Closing paragraph

Once again state your interest in the position, the company, and why you are a good fit for the role. 

You should also include a call to action in the closing paragraph. Invite the hiring manager to follow up with you. 

Additionally, thank the reader for their consideration, state you look forward to hearing back from them, and include your signature at the very bottom. 

Formatting

Finally, visual consistency makes a big difference, and it is a nice professional touch. Keep your cover letter to one side of A4 and use the same font and size as your CV. 

Do a thorough proof to ensure what you have included makes sense. Then let your recruiter read it through before they send it for you.

We hope this helped you in writing your cover letter! If you are looking for tips on how to ace an interview, check out our blog!

At Linking Humans, we pride ourselves on helping you to prepare for your interview to give you best possible chance of securing your dream role!

This blog will focus on preparing you for competency-based interviews. As these are becoming increasingly popular. To break this down, this interview is a series of behavioural questions.

What is a competency-based interview?

Depending on the size of the company or organisation, your interview can take many forms.

Firstly, a general conversation, with the interviewer asking questions related to the job and trying to get an overall picture of you, including your strengths and development areas.

By contrast, a competency-based interview is based on a series of questions related to the various behaviours and competencies listed on the job specification.

This type of interview uses questions that aim to confirm if you have the specific skills relevant to the ServiceNow job and sets out to see how you approach tasks, problem-solving and challenges.

The interviewer will ask you to describe a situation which demonstrates your abilities that will be integral to the role you’re interviewing for. The best way to answer a competency-based question is to try and think of examples. Such as, a situation where you have been in that answers the question is a positive light.

At Linking Humans, we have a team of consultants who are specially trained in running and conducting interviews. We will be able to offer the best advice possible to give you the best possible chance at succeeding.

Below is a list of core-competencies that employers tend to look for in candidates and example question they may use:

Adaptability and Innovation

Tell us about the biggest obstacle you had to overcome to get where you are today. What different approaches did you use to deal with it?

Attention to detail

Tell us about a project that you have worked on, what checks did you put in to ensure that you met the deadlines?

Business Awareness

Tell us an idea you have put to your manager on how your department could cut costs.

Continuous Learning

Tell us what steps you have taken to develop your work skills.

Customer Service

Give us an example of a difficult situation with a customer and how you overcame it.

Effective Communication

Talk us through a situation when you felt that communication broke down, what did you do? What was the end result?

Influence and Negotiation

Tell us about a time when you have had to deal with a conflict within your department, what happened?

Initiative and Commitment to Achieve

Tell us about a contribution or idea you have had in the workplace.

Interpersonal Ability

Tell us about a time when you have had to discipline a colleague.

Leadership

Tell us about a member of your team you have coached or developed.

Organising for Results

What are some of the recurring problems you encounter at work? What do you do about them? Or tell me of a time when you had multiple tasks with competing deadlines and how you handled them.

Problem Solving and Decision Making

Tell us a time when you have had to make a difficult decision and what steps were involved in this?

Professionalism

Tell us an area within your professional development that you have worked hard on to improve.

Motivation

What was your greatest achievement in your last role, and how did you get there? This provides a check on your levels of enthusiasm and drive.

Strategic Thinking

From your knowledge of the job in question, what do you see as being the main challenges?

Teamwork

Tell us about a time when you had to engage the help of others to succeed in a job.

We hope this helps you with preparing for your interview! Check out our blog page for other helpful tips in your job search!