How to Ace Your Interview and Land the Job

How to Ace Your Interview and Land the Job The interview is your opportunity to make an unforgettable impression on the company you want to work for and get the job you want.  Here are some hints and pointers that will help you make that positive impression: Preparation: Always be fully prepared often it is the one thing that an otherwise very competent candidate is lacking.  DO YOUR HOMEWORK!  Some of you are wondering what does that mean? Some tips for that include: Drive to the location before the interview so that you know how to get there, where there is parking etc. Know the full name and title of the individual you are to meet with. Learn as much as you can about the company. Find out as much as you can about the interviewer and what they look for in a good candidate. Know what your goals and objectives are for the future so that you can measure these against what is being offered. Prepare questions that are specific to that position and that company. Always be professionally dressed. Even in business casual environments a business suit is required for the interview process. Arrive on time. Bring hard copies of your resume. Often the interviewer will have printed it for themselves but it is always good practice to have it on hand just in case. Bring a pen and a note pad in case you want to or need to make any notes. The Interview: Remember this is your opportunity to shine. When greeting the interviewer make eye contact, extend a firm handshake and address your interviewer by last name. The interview is your chance to bring forth your strengths and to point out areas of your expertise that are applicable to this position. If you think you might forget some of these at the time, because of nerves, then be sure to list them on your note pad and, with your interviewers permission, refer to them. It would be best if you could remember them in case you do not get the opportunity to refer to your notes. Practice your answers; it will help in your memory. If you are interested in the opportunity, indicate that to the prospective employer. Dos and Donts: Be on time or a few minutes ahead of the scheduled time. If an application is necessary; fill it out in its entirety. Nothing is more annoying to an interviewer than looking at a blank application if it is part of their process. This, ladies and gentlemen, applies equally to interviews with companies and recruitment firms. Remember to smile and present yourself in an energetic and professional manner at all times. Never speak negatively about past employers or peers. Always maintain eye contact. Ask questions that are pertinent to the position and company. Point out areas that are a match between your skills and the requirements of the position. Be prepared to discuss ways in which you have excelled or situations where you have demonstrated your initiative and ability to be proactive. Be enthusiastic and positive. Bring an original copy of your resume. Always answer with a complete sentence. No yes or no answers. Never smoke or chew gum in an interview. Questions: Arrive prepared to answer questions about: Your strengths and weaknesses. Why you are interested in that company. What you know about the company. Why they should hire you. Arrive prepared to ask questions, such as: What would be my day to day responsibilities? What is the career path from this position? What is the company policy on promoting from within? How do I fit this role? Do not ask questions like: How much vacation do you offer? Never initiate the salary question. Let your interviewer bring it up at the appropriate time. How many sick days are offered? Questions such as these only leave the impression that you are only interested in how this role and company will serve your needs rather than a give and take of rights, expectations and responsibilities. When Interviewing with a Recruiting Firm: This step in the process is often underestimated and mistreated. In the current market more than 70% of available opportunities are handled by recruitment firms. This includes permanent, contract, temporary and project. Please remember when you have a meeting with a recruiter whatever side of your personality you choose to display is the side your recruiter will tell their client about. If you mistreat your recruiter by being late, not completing their internal forms, being surly and uncooperative in the interview with them or in the time you spend in their reception area they WILL NOT REFER YOUR RESUME to their client. This is not because they want to be mean to you but because you are their reputation. Give this some thought…recruiters do not manufacture anything, Their product is their customer service and YOU. If you, the candidate, mistreat the recruiter they can only assume you will also mistreat their client. They have worked long and hard to get that client and they will not risk sending someone in who will potentially damage that relationship. Author:  Zag Dutton is  President at careerconnectionsonline.com.

Make It Happen!

Make It Happen! These days job seekers are commonly encouraged to approach their job search like an entrepreneur; to think of themselves as a company (ME Inc.).   But what does this really mean and how can you best apply this idea to be successful? Compare your job search to growing a business.   The strategies for both are the same and the results can be similar, but there is one vital element that most job seekers are lacking in this thought process.   Investment.  No company ever came to fruition without some sort of investment, so if you need or want a new job you must think of yourself as a business owner and know that you have to invest. A step-by-step breakdown of approaching a job search like an entrepreneur: Create a job search action plan.   If you were a business looking to grow and attract individuals (employers) you would need to start by building a business plan and then implementing it step-by-step.   Your job search is no different. Understand your clients’ needs.     Every business has a target audience. Your clients are employers.   Conduct your market research, locate employers that need people like you, and pinpoint their requirements.   Establish your brand.   Every great company has a recognizable brand. What is yours?   Position yourself strongly in all communications to capture attention and convince people of your value.  Compile your resources.   Businesses need marketing materials to promote offerings and garner sales (job offers).   Get a resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile ready. Advertise.   Companies don’t rely on just one source to get their name out there; neither should you, but word of mouth carries a lot of weight so you should leverage your network to spread the word for you. People buy what other people recommend.    Finally, make it happen!  Every great company invests time, energy, and resources into growth and development.   They don’t sit around and wait for things to happen.   You can not afford to be passive with your job search; you must invest.   Michael Jordan said it best: “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” Be the latter. It is amazing how many people sit around waiting for things to happen when it comes to a job search. To avoid this pitfall, stop thinking of yourself as just a job applicant and start thinking of yourself as a commodity that has a lot to offer.     Your company (ME Inc.) is spearheaded solely by you; in order for it to be successful, you must be invested and confident in taking it to the next level. Make great things happen for you.

Why Great Leaders Attract Talent Like Flies on Sherbert

Why Great Leaders Attract Talent Like Flies on Sherbert Great leadership is an under-appreciated variable in career trajectory.    Finding a leader rather than a run-of-the-mill manager can jumpstart success, and stagnating under poor or nonexistent leadership can create unnecessary barriers to long-term goals.    Thus, during a job search, you should be cognizant of and closely scrutinize the perceived effectiveness of your potential future manager. While anyone can recognize short-term success under average management, you ought to strive to work under people with insight, experience and rigor.    Unfortunately, job seekers often navigate interviewing like a one-way street: an employer judges skills and that individual fails to assess their potential future manager’s leadership acumen. Before you can determine the effectiveness of a future manager, it is imperative that you understand what to look for.    Here are key leadership traits your next manager ought to possess: 1) Consistent employee evaluations: Too often, managers are not hands-on with their employees and are aloof when it comes to communicating their expectations for you. Great leadership consists of guiding, critiquing and helping subordinates improve their performance in every way. Instead of once a year employee evaluations, ask your potential manager how they will gauge your progress and performance and how often they will do so. RELATED:  Are  Employee Evaluations  Really Necessary? 2) Ability to boost self-confidence: Building the self-confidence of those under them is probably the most crucial thing a leader can do.    They use ample praise to motivate and enjoy the positive energy that comes from close interaction with their subordinates.    They know that growing people is part of their job and they take this aspect highly seriously. 3) Leaders have a clear-cut vision for the company: As a job seeker, it is recommended that you ask your future manager what their vision is for the company and for your position.    If the individual possesses sincere leadership skills, they will have a specific answer regarding the direction of the organization as well as for the job in which you’re applying. One of the problems in organizations is that management never communicates their vision directly to the employees.    Often, this creates confusion and hinders the ability for a job seeker to effectively contribute to the bottom-line of their employer.    The goals should be both quantitative and qualitative and ought to sound logical, realistic and intriguing to you. RELATED:  The Anatomy of an Engaged  Employee 4) Optimistic attitude: Negative outlooks in an organization will filter down and hinder every employee from reaching their true potential.    Choose to work for a company whose management has a bad attitude and you will quickly be infected with a less than optimistic view regarding the job. When assessing whether your future manager truly has leadership skills, ask yourself whether you find their attitude catching, dynamic and upbeat.    An upbeat manager who goes through the day with a positive outlook ends up running a team or organization filled with…upbeat individuals with similar forecasting.    These optimistic views will result in personal growth, heightened performance and admiration for the job. 5) Leaders gain trust amongst their employees: Leaders establish trust by giving credit where credit is due. They take responsibility for the performance of their subordinates and never steal ideas from team members. True leaders don’t need to be loved by everyone and view employee success based on output rather than popularity. Because of this, their    workers trust them partly because they are fair and make the right calls even during difficult times. 6) Great leaders have all the questions rather than claim to know every answer: Strive to gain a job where your manager is comfortable not being the smartest person in the room.    Great managers understand that their employees have key insight into making the firm’s products and / or services more viable to the public.    Thus, they probe for interesting ideas via asking the right questions.Work for a manager who knows everything and you will be limited in your ability to find creative solutions to the everyday issues you will inevitably face.    True leadership knows that questions, healthy debate, decisions and action will better everyone’s performance. In the end: Strive to work for leaders who set the right example.    Always associate yourself with people who try new things, inspire risk-taking and provide you with opportunities to further your career instead of limit your options.

How to Get a Graduate Job with No Experience

How to Get a Graduate Job with No Experience The age-old saying goes “you can’t get a job without experience… and you can’t get experience without a job”, and as a fresh graduate out of university this is one of the toughest barriers to face when trying to launch a career. There is hope however, as there are some quick and simple things that a Graduate can do to help them successfully land their first job and set themselves up for a solid career. Below are 5 tips for graduates to help them land their first job when they have no experience: 1) Volunteer or internship: Volunteering is one of the quickest and easiest ways to build up experience. Sure, you don’t get paid for it but remember you’re trying to build your experience. Try calling a few organisations that you would be interested in working for to see if they have any opportunity for you to help out. If you can, try get onto some projects or do some work that is closely aligned to what you want to be doing with a paid job. If it’s available, a better option is to do an internship. An internship will provide you with a more structured approach to getting the experience you need… plus you have the possibility of getting paid. Check out your local job boards or employer websites to see if they offer an internship. On top of the experience you receive, another benefit of doing volunteer work or an internship is the connections you make. Most likely, the people that you are working with will have a broader network and could potentially help you find employment elsewhere or put in a good reference for you. Another huge benefit of volunteering or doing an internship (and also why many people do it and rave about it) is that if you perform well there is a good chance that the Company you are working for will hire you. 2) Extracurricular activities: As a graduate, employers understand that you will be lacking experience. Although work experience is more often preferred, another great way of demonstrating that you have the skills necessary to perform successfully in the role is to do some extracurricular activities. For instance, playing in a sports team can help you learn about teamwork and leadership, and getting involved in a society at University can help you learn about planning, project management and marketing. Make sure that you clearly demonstrate to your hiring manager how what you have learned in your extracurricular activity can translate back to the role you are applying for. 3) Identify accomplishments: Think about what you have accomplished over the past 5 years. When hiring graduates, it’s not just all about relevant work experience. Employers look for well-rounded individuals with the ability to perform and perform well. If you can demonstrate this by showing where you have been successful and accomplished something in other areas of your life, make the hiring manager aware of this. If your grades at University were good, make sure you play to this. If you received an award for being the most-improved or the best in class, make sure you point this out. By demonstrating your accomplishments from other areas of your life, employers will see that you display discipline, commitment and that you’re an agile learner. These are all traits that employers are looking for in a new graduate. 4) Structure the resume: A quick and simple way of tailoring your application to your strengths is to use an appropriate structure for your resume. If you’re lacking the relevant work experience then perhaps a typical chronological resume is not the way to present yourself. Trying opting for a functional style resume where you can clearly and easily demonstrate your skills. 5) Networking: With advancements in technology and social media, networking has never been easier. All it takes now is a simple mention such as @UndercoverRec  and you can instantly be connected with someone over twitter. You can use this to your advantage. By engaging with people over social media it can build your presence and lead to referrals and potentially a job offer! However, don’t forget traditional networking. There is still no substitute for face-to-face communication and it will leave a much stronger impression on the people you are connecting with. Wrapping Up: As a graduate, it’s about playing to your strengths and ensuring you can demonstrate how all of your experiences, be it work, university, extracurricular or your general life can relate back to the job you’re applying for. The key is to get out there, be proactive and have some fun. That’s what it’s all about! Author: Brendan Baker is the Founder of Gradrecruit, a graduate careers portal that provides expert career advice and the ability for graduates to search and apply for roles. Gradrecruit is also a consulting and outsourcing firm for graduate recruitment strategy and delivery.

Resume Writing Service - How To Find Professional Technical Writers

Resume Writing Service - How To Find Professional Technical WritersResume writing service can be used for a variety of reasons. Some people use resume writing service to improve their skills. Others want to learn more about what kind of skills a prospective employer may be looking for in their next employee.Being able to write and speak effectively is always a plus but not all of us have this or any technical knowledge. This is especially true if we have worked and/or lived away from home for many years. This does not mean that we need to have to speak English as our first language. It simply means that we must still have our technical skills to communicate effectively and accurately in order to be successful in this field.If you are going to hire a professional resume writing service then you will be in a better position to find out how technical the job of potential employers is. You will be able to tell them if your writing skills are sufficient to be hired. So this means that the resume writing service will know whether you would be able to complete the required tasks for an interviewer.Although this doesn't mean that you have to be as technical as you can possibly be it will help the writing service tell you if your ability is suitable. You don't have to be a computer wizard to do the job but you should be aware of the technicalities and be able to communicate effectively and accurately. In order to tell if you can communicate well in English, it is important that you watch the movies in English.The objective is to try and communicate in as many foreign languages as possible. You will get to know which areas of the job you need to improve upon. The resume writing service will usually keep track of the areas in which you need to improve and will make these areas clearer to you as you work. The common areas of writing improvement that the majority of writing service's will focus on include:Communication. Make sure that you understand how to communicate in a technical manner using technical terms.Technical writing. The people writing the resume are looking for a great technical writer and they can give you pointers on how to write an effective technical resume.Resume writing service is always looking for qualified technical writers. It is important that you are ready to accept what they send to you. That way you can have a reference for technical writers in the UK who can write resumes and cover letters for you that are both effective and professional.

Motivation Monday Tis the Season to be Happy, Healthy, and Wise

Motivation Monday Tis the Season to be Happy, Healthy, and Wise It is officially December and as we head into the hectic holidays, it is time to make sure all the stress doesnt take its toll. Here are three tips for staying happy, healthy and wise! #1 Be Happy Whatever it is you love doingdo it! Do it today. Make time to do it as often as you can! Plain and simple! #2 Get Fit! My friend Anne Osovski has just the thing for you if you want to get a jump start on your resolution to work out more! Workout In a Bag is your own personal trainer. For only $0.99, Workout in a Bag is a simple to follow and fun app sure to get your heart pumping and muscles moving! It offers these great features: Complete with moving photos, audio, iTunes Link and iTunes Calendar. Goal Driven Work at finishing all of the exercises in the bag within the time you pick. Over 80 exercises that the bag randomly chooses from! Every bag is different which makes each workout exciting and new! Tracks and stores your favorite workout bags. Try to beat your favorite bag for time! Tracks each completed bag and indicates estimated calories burned. No need for expensive equipment! #3 Be smart! Learn something new every day! It may not be as hard as you think. More and more large universities are making their courses available online for free (or nearly free)! Formal learning isnt always the answer. We learn by doing. Take on a project that will develop hands-on skills. Read a lot! Attend seminars, conferences, and programs! I love writing about ways to be a life-long-learner. Smile, be grateful for all you have and do nice things for others! How simple is that!?

The next time someone asks How are you - try this ) - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

The next time someone asks How are you - try this ) - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog From the video description on youtube: This is how this Subway employee greeted every single customer who said How are you? Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related