How to Prepare for an interview...
Preparing for an Interview
Interviews take courage. You are putting yourself out there and being vulnerable when you interview. Always remember the point of an interview is to see if you are a right fit for a company and to see if a company is the right fit for you. They should be conversations not interrogations, though it’s normal for the company to guide the conversation.
Interviews can be nerve racking. If you adequately prepare for an interview it can help you ease nerves and gain more insight into if you are and the company are a good fit for each other.
The key to an interview is honesty and transparency. If you need to think about a question before you answer it or are not sure, tell the interviewer.
Interviewers want to get to know you. A good general interview posture: is to remember to breathe and be honest.
Research…
Research is the best way to prepare for an interview.
The first place to go to research a company is their website. This gives you an idea of who they are, what they value, how and where they operate, and how they want to be perceived.
Another good place to find out information about a company is through its current or former employees. This can be a good way to find out about the inner workings of a company, what is expected of its employees, and what the staff culture is like.
Speak to more than one employee or former employee if you can. This can give you a more holistic perspective on what it’s like to work there because different people have different experiences working for the same place.
Basic research can turn up a lot of foundational information like organizational values, goals and objectives or the service area of a company. But often times basic research doesn’t paint a holistic picture of what it’s like to work for the company.
As you are doing your research, it is good to be mindful of questions to ask in your interview. If there is something you want to know that is not on the website or is not readily available you should ask it in the interview.
What you should ask an in interview:
A good time to learn about a company you’re working for is in the interview. You have a captive audience who can answer questions about the in’s and out’s of a place you may be investing a lot of your time into. These type of questions show genuine interest or passion about working for a company.
A goal for any job candidate should be to walk out of the interview having a good indication of whether the job is a good fit for you. And if you are a good fit for the job. These may be some questions you want some perspective on in an interview.
What do the day to day responsibilities look like for a MC/Manager/Director?
What is your favorite part of working at Mountain TOP?
What does success look like in this position?
What does staff training look like?
Is there anything in my background or resume that makes you question if I’m a good fit for working at Mountain T.O.P.?
How does the time between being hired and the summer look?
What are partnerships, what is the best way to find them? When can I start raising?
Asking follow-up or clarifying questions if things aren’t clear is a good practice as well.
Feel free to use these questions or make your own!
Discernment: How Do I Know If I Should I Apply?
Mountain TOP is a faith based ministry. We are rooted in the call Jesus gave to his disciples to learn how to be fishers of people and to meet the needs of those we encounter (Matthew 4:18-20; Matthew 25:34-40;44).
At Mountain TOP, we believe we are all called to participate in these foundational objectives of our faith. We also know learning how and where we fulfill these calls can be full of uncertainty and confusion. We are pulled in many directions to do lots of different jobs or activities and to get involved here or there.
Mountain TOP is a faith based ministry. We are rooted in the call Jesus gave to his disciples to learn how to be fishers of people and to meet the needs of those we encounter (Matthew 4:18-20; Matthew 25:34-40;44).
At Mountain TOP, we believe we are all called to participate in these foundational objectives of our faith. We also know learning how and where we fulfill these calls can be full of uncertainty and confusion. We are pulled in many directions to do lots of different jobs or activities and to get involved here or there.
If you’re reading this post, it’s likely at some point you’ve been interested in working at Mountain TOP.
Generally folks fall into 3 camps when it comes to working at Mountain TOP.
You know Mountain T.O.P. is the place for you to be and feel a strong draw to a ministry here serving Jesus. You know you want to work at Mountain TOP.
You know Mountain TOP is not the best place for you to serve Jesus and have other plans. You know you don’t want to work at Mountain TOP.
You aren’t sure where you’re wanting to be or you may feel strong draws in many different directions! You’re not sure where the best place is for you to serve Jesus.
Regardless of which camp you fall in, discernment is a good way to understand where God wants you to be.
Prayer is the fist step and should be used throughout the process.
Because we want our staff to make decisions rooted in faith. We expect those who apply to Mountain TOP to offer this decision to God. Sometimes God gives strong direction for people to be on our summer staff. Other times directions seem hazy. Regardless of the response, Prayer is still an expectation we have for our staff in their decision making process.
An important prayer to pray when making decisions rooted in the practice of discernment is a prayer of indifference. Not indifference as unpassionate, This is a prayer modeled after Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke 22:42 He said, “Father, if it’s your will, take this cup away from me. However, not my will but your will must be done.”
Offer your troubles up to the LORD.
No matter what doubts you or others have about you working somewhere. If you feel a strong call from God, you shouldn’t ignore it.
Lay your burdens upon each other,
In Galatians 6:2 Paul writes, “Carry Each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the Law of Christ.” Nothing should happen in a vacuum. An important thing to do before you apply to any job is to ask others what they think. A lot of times other people can see things in you that you can’t see in yourself. Asking Friends, Family, or mentors can be a good way to find affirmation in decisions.
Self-evaluation
What you think about yourself is a good indicator of whether you should apply for a job or not. Here are some questions to ask yourself that can help you figure out if you should apply for a job:
Does working here help me answer a call Jesus places on my heart?
Do I want to work for this company?
Does this company have similar values as me?
Do my gifts and talents support this job?
Am I qualified for the position?
Am I passionate about the work I’ll be doing for this company?
What do my finances look like?
Will this job help me grow professionally and as a person?
Is this company committed to its employees success?
Don’t be afraid if you don’t know the answer to all of these questions, but they are important questions to ask! At Mountain TOP we want our applicants to be in the place God calls them to be.
If you have any questions or would like to reach out about applying to be on our summer staff email chad@mountain-top.org.
What should a resumé have?
Part of Mountain TOP’s goal for our summer staff is professional development. And part of that is being able to craft an effective resume. We want our staff to be successful beyond their time here at Mountain TOP.
A Resumé or resume is a summary of your experiences and skills. They help an employer see if you are qualified for a job. Resumes should be 1 page in length and commonly contain the following:
Part of Mountain TOP’s goal for our summer staff is professional development. And part of that is being able to craft an effective resume. We want our staff to be successful beyond their time here at Mountain TOP.
A Resumé or resume is a summary of your experiences and skills. They help an employer see if you are qualified for a job. Resumes should be 1 page in length and commonly contain the following:
Contact information (Email, Phone, Mailing address)
Objective
Education history
Work experience/Volunteer experience
Commendations or awards
Hobbies/interests/Activities (Not as critical, but can be helpful to give a more robust picture of who you are)
A few things to be mindful of with resumes are design, grammar and spelling.
Design - It is important to design your resume in a way which is easy to read. People who read resumes want to be able to read yours quickly. If things are scattered or disorganized it may be hard to read. Resumes are like a sample of who you are and what you can do.
Because resumes are so word heavy, It’s easy to have grammatical or spelling errors. Good ways to avoid these kinds of mistakes are through the spell check function and to read through each line out loud. A good way to catch grammar mistakes is by hearing the mistake. If it doesn’t sound right, it may not be.
Most colleges or universities have a student career service center or a writing center. It may be a good idea to have someone in these centers read through your resume and offer any feedback or criticism.
Regardless of if you use these centers, it’s good to have someone else read through your resume.
It is tempting to try and put everything you’ve done under the sun in a resume. but an underlying theme of resumes is a test of communication skills. Remember communicating briefly and effectively is the whole point of the resume. A Resume is a summary.
Here are some links to check out about Resume templates
How to use Google Docs Resume templates.
Microsoft Office Resume Templates
If you have any questions email chad@mountain-top.org
Spiritual Maturity: What’s that all about?
It is with the same spirit and desire that Paul wrote these words to the Ephesians that we want our summer staff to grow into a new spiritual maturity while they are working at Mountain TOP and beyond. If you’re interested in developing spiritually then Mountain T.O.P. is the place for you!
A common reason our summer staff want to work at Mountain TOP doesn’t stem from a passion for building sciences or wanting to put “worked at a non-profit” on their resume. Most summer staff or applicants say they want to work at Mountain TOP because this is a place where they have experienced spiritual growth or have encountered God in some way and they want more.
Let’s talk about Spiritual Maturity!
Ephesians 4:13-16
God’s goal is for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ. As a result, we aren’t supposed to be infants any longer who can be tossed and blown around by every wind that comes from teaching with deceitful scheming and the tricks people play to deliberately mislead others. Instead, by speaking the truth with love, let’s grow in every way into Christ, who is the head. The whole body grows from him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does its part.
It is with the same spirit and desire that Paul wrote these words to the Ephesians that we want our summer staff to grow into a new spiritual maturity while they are working at Mountain TOP and beyond. If you’re interested in developing spiritually then Mountain T.O.P. is the place for you!
A common reason our summer staff want to work at Mountain TOP doesn’t stem from a passion for building sciences or wanting to put “worked at a non-profit” on their resume. Most summer staff or applicants say they want to work at Mountain TOP because this is a place where they have experienced spiritual growth or have encountered God in some way and they want more.
We are with you! There are all kinds opportunities structured into the jobs at Mountain TOP to grow and mature. From leading devotions and giving messages to just being immersed in a ministry with a purpose that is greater than ourselves. It is the cycle of Rest, Work and Worship in a day at Mountain TOP that really fuels the kind of transformation and spiritual growth people come to expect while being here.
When we don’t have intentional times of devotion or the community of people to ask hard questions that stimulate growth, we start to stagnate. Structure doesn’t sound fun, but it is amazing and important. Imagine living life without a skeleton. Not a pleasant image, but you get my point.
Working at Mountain TOP offers soil for the seeds of the gospel. But it is not the only place we should expect to grow. We can make structures ourselves and direct our hearts and hands to be thirsty for God anywhere we are!
Here are some things to try to help continue your spiritual growth and maturation as you finish your semesters!
Spiritual Maturity is characterized by seeking first the kingdom of God; a search for wholeness in your life; and awareness of your own needs and the needs of others around you and the humbleness of walking with others rather than by yourself.
Spiritual Maturity isn’t something you stumble upon, it requires training and sometimes reprioritization. People don’t just become more mature, it comes from speaking truth with love to yourself, others and God.
Here are some practices that can help develop and indicate spiritual maturity. These are things we encourage our summer staff to do and you can do them almost anywhere and anytime. If you don’t do all of these things that’s ok. There is always time to start. There are 168 hours in a week. If you want to, you can create time to do something new. So we challenge you to do one of these practices for a week in a way that is intentional and searching.
An active prayer life: Paul tells us many times to pray constantly and to offer up thanks and praise.. Peter tells us to offer up our cares to God. and Jesus says for us to lay our burdens upon him. The honesty of prayer is vulnerable and shapes how we act and our hearts.
Active scripture reading: Scripture is the foundation for our relationship with Jesus. It’s how we know what Jesus is all about. Scriptures are challenging, stretch us, and make us think about how we live and what we truly believe. Scriptures help us stay grounded and help us ask questions to learn who God really is. Psalm 1; Proverbs 3:3; Ephesians 6:10-18
Being active in church community and the body of Christ: We are not meant to follow Jesus in a vacuum. When Jesus sent his disciples out he sent them in pairs. Just Like Paul says in Ephesians: The whole body grows from him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does its part. We must be united to grow.
Acts of Kindness and Service: James 1:22 says we should be doers of the word. Jesus says for us to Love each other just as he loved us (John 13). It is important that we respond to the truth with action and do things that truly help our neighbors. The fruits of the spirit are manifested in our actions.
Sabbath: Intentional time of rest and settling in. This can be a whole day or a 15 minute time to just stop and turn to God. Even the LORD rested on the seventh day. Sabbath taking is harder than it sounds and can be humbling. Sabbath taking is a spiritual discipline.
Spiritual Maturity is not a destination. It is a heart posture that is learned. And Mountain TOP is a good place to learn it. This post is not a magic article that will make you super wise and thoughtful and your best you. No, this post is just to help give context for what we mean when we talk about spiritual maturity.
How to Ask For a Reference
References can speak to your character as a person or employee. When you ask for a reference, you are asking for someone to stake their reputation on your future performance.
You are asking them to offer insight into your character. A reference should be someone you have a working relationship with or someone who has seen your performance, work ethic and character.
References can speak to your character as a person or employee. When you ask for a reference, you are asking for someone to stake their reputation on your future performance.
You are asking them to offer insight into your character. A reference should be someone you have a working relationship with or someone who has seen your performance, work ethic and character.
People you may want to reach out to as a reference can be your coaches, teachers, mentors, bosses, or employers, ministers, volunteer coordinators, supervisors or someone in a management role to you.
Generally, It is not appropriate to ask for a family member to act as a reference for you. Most of the time employers see family members as having a bias toward you. It also gives the impression that you can’t find someone else to vouch for you.
A good way to ask for a reference is to explain the job and why you think this person can vouch for you. It is best to ask for someone to be a reference in person, but email or by phone is appropriate as well. The ask might go something like this:
Hey ____________ I’m applying for a job at Mountain TOP this summer and wanted to see if you could fill out this reference form for me. I thought you would be a good person to speak to my character, especially since we’ve been working together for so long. If I get the job I’ll be working in Tennessee for the summer at a non-profit that does home repair and provides day camp programs for local Kids. I really feel like this is the place I’m supposed to be this summer and your reference can really help shape whether I can be there. Do you have any questions about the job I can answer?
Of course this is a little formal and generic, but feel free to use this as a guide when asking for a reference.
Sometimes employers ask for references for them to call and other times they would like letters of recommendation. Another place references can be listed is on a resume or your website.
Mountain TOP asks for Summer staff applicants to share this link with references to complete. Regardless of what kind of reference is asked for, you should always expect the employer to reach out to your references.
If you have questions about reaching out to a reference or about working on Mountain TOP summer staff, please reach out to Chad at chad@mountain-top.org or call us in the office at 931-692-3999
Apply to Mountain TOP’s summer staff here.
Then send this link to your references!