Looking for Work? See These Steps and Sites

Getting Started

Finding employment is often a turning point in your life.  This may require you to make some hard decisions about yourself and what you want to do.This is not easy and often job seekers need some help with the process. The most important factor in securing your next job is to be sure of your capabilities and what you want. To help you find the job you are looking for, follow the three steps listed below.

Step 1: Choosing a Career Path

One of the best ways to get a job is to know exactly what you are interested in doing.  You need to ask yourself the following questions: What is my ideal job? What skills do I have? What would I like to be doing in 5 years?   This website can help you to work out a career direction through a series of articles and activities that guide you through career exploration and the planning processes.         This website is an information interview tutorial.  It provides a list of the various questions you can ask when researching a career you are interested in.         This website helps you find the latest jobs across all industries. Browse by location, sector or company to find current job vacancies.                This is a Government funded website that helps people explore career options.          The largest UK jobsite, with plenty of IT jobs and subsites for other sectors. A large variety of agencies use this service. Includes a large list of UK IT recruitment agencies. Search URLs can be bookmarked, and it also offers a jobs by email service and CV posting service.    I am a big fan of this site, though it doesn’t list as many technical jobs as I would like. Lists many jobs in temporary positions. Offers CV posting.    Good number of listings from The Guardian  fairly media/public services oriented.             ——————————————————————————————————————— The UK arm of the large US jobsite. ——————————————————————————————————————— Bookmarkable job sites Sites that I haven’t signed up for email from, but have bookmarked.  Bookmarkable search results are very useful, instead of receiving a mail full of yesterday’s jobs, you can search as frequently or infrequently as you wish: Totaljobs.com – Covers a number of job sectors. Searches can be bookmarked (results.asp) and they offer a jobs-by-email service. Monster.co.uk – The UK arm of the large US jobsite. Topjobs.co.uk – Medium sized job listings, URLs were bookmarkable, but I don’t have a current example, features a jobs by email service that unfortunately ignores keywords in the saved search. Other search sites Some sites I haven’t signed up to anything from and don’t visit regularly: Fish4jobs.co.uk – Features a large number of jobs and a jobs by email service. Their search engine seems to become less specific (rather than more specific) when searching for multiple keywords, which isn’t very useful. The search page does not include posting dates or salary. In the past I managed to bookmark their search by decoding their search form. Silicon.com – IT news and job listings. Includes a listing of IT recruitment companies (in the search section) and a jobs by email service. A senior programmer friend of mine subscribes to this. Jobsearch.co.uk – Smallish number of jobs and a CV posting service. Gumtree.com – Now owned by eBay. CV posting sites I have had recent success with calls from agencies that have found my CV on a CV posting website. All the sites below allow you to upload your CV in Word format (possibly RTF). As time goes by, I should be able to add to comments about how successful the CV sites have been for me.  CVs may need to be refreshed regularly to attract a recruiter’s interest. Most of the sites listed below also appear elsewhere on this page. Planetrecruit.com – Popular CV posting site.  Part of the hotonline group that power jobsearch.co.uk, workthing and other sites. Jobserve.com – includes a CV distribution feature. Reed.co.uk – Includes a configurable CV posting service. Totaljobs.com – Largish jobs site, (same database as Gojobsite). Workthing.com – Part of the Guardian media group. Jobs.guardian.co.uk – The Guardian newspaper’s jobs section, powered by Workthing.com. CVposter.com – Posts your CV to a number of job agencies (I have not tried this site). Recruitment agencies Jobserve’s large list of UK IT recruitment agencies. Silicon.com also features a listing when searching for jobs. Some largish IT agencies: Compfutures.co.uk, Computerpeople.co.uk and Huxley.co.uk. Also see the employment directories at the top of this page for categorised agencies, especially Google.com’s listing, which lists the sites by popularity. Advice on company targeting Asktheheadhunter.com  features advice on applying direct, making your the most of your CV and interview techniques. All in an slightly over-the-top American stylee, ideal for those a bit shy in coming forward.  The best section by far is the Articles section, which includes insights from both the job-seekers and the employees sides. ———————————————————————————————————————- Click on the links below for more tips on the job search process. Research a career Find a job Internet techniques

Step 2: Securing Employment

Finding the right job may take some time, for a full list of job search websites, see our links page.   While you are looking for work why not register on Workstory, the social network where you can tell your work story and let employers know you are looking for work.       Click on the links below for tips on how to create a great resume, cover letter and lasting impression at a job interview. Write a cover letter Write a resume Interviews

Step 3: Keeping the Job

This website uses interactive examples to show you the correct way to respond in a workplace environment. Source for part of these materials:

Quotes

“What is the recipe for successful achievement? To my mind there are just four essential ingredients: Choose a career you love, give it the best there is in you, seize your opportunities, and be a member of the team.” – Benjamin F. Fairless quotes

“A good manager is a man who isn’t worried about his own career but rather the careers of those who work for him.” – H. S. M. Burns quotes

“Analyzing what you haven’t got as well as what you have is a necessary ingredient of a career.” – Orison Swett Marden quotes

“If you wish to achieve worthwhile things in your personal and career life, you must become a worthwhile person in your own self-development.” – Brian Tracy quotes

“Climbing to the top demands strength, whether it is to the top of Mount Everest or to the top of your career.” – Abdul Kalam quotes

“Don’t confuse having a career with having a life” - Hillary Clinton quotes

“I think everyone should experience defeat at least once during their career. You learn a lot from it.” -Lou Holtz quotes

“Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual.” – Homa Bahrami quotes

“Desire! That’s the one secret of every man’s career. Not education. Not being born with hidden talents. Desire.” - Bobby Unser quotes

“If the career you have chosen has some unexpected inconvenience, console yourself by reflecting that no career is without them.” - Jane Fonda quotes

How To Showcase Your Transferable Skills Successfully

The concept of transferable skills is important for job seekers in today’s economy. In your resume, cover letter, and during the interview process, you need to prove that you have the experience, knowledge, passion, and drive to get the job done.

If you have been doing the same job for years, and plan to stay in a similar position, or identical industry, your present skills are what you showcase to employers. If you are looking to switch industries or take a different position than the one you have now, you will have to show potential employers why you are the best candidate and the best match for the position.

What are transferable skills? They are the skills you have acquired up to this point in your life that can help you do something else in your career.

So, How Do You Showcase Your Transferrable Skills Effectively? I Have 4 Ways For You.

I. Stop Telling Yourself That The Only Job You Can Get Is The Same Job You Have Now.

Many people tell me that a job in a different industry would not be available to them because they don’t have experience in that industry.

It is true that people do look to what you have done in the past as an indicator of what you can do in the future. And yes, people can write you off quickly if they scan your resume and see that you have not worked in their industry or held the same title before.

You can overcome screening techniques that might eliminate you. It’s your job to tell people why you are a match for a position. Use facts and examples that support your case. Show them that you not only understand the responsibilities of the position, but how your skills are transferrable. In addition, your background has given you insight that will help you perform that role exceptionally well. They may or may not accept your background, but at least you tried. But, the people you speak to won’t believe you if you don’t believe in you first.

Tell yourself that you won’t get a job for whatever reason, and you won’t. Tell yourself that you will and you just might surprise yourself.

II. Start To Research Where Your Present Skills Can Fit Somewhere Else.

Begin with job descriptions you believe you would be interested in. Go online and do a search on your present title. What jobs do you see?

As you search for jobs, it doesn’t matter where the jobs are located yet. You just want to get a sense of what the job market is asking for. Five to ten job descriptions is a good number to look at initially.

Then, take out a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle of a page. On the left hand side, make a list of the requirements for the jobs you want, and on the right hand side next to each item on the list, do the following:

1. If you have done the same tasks, but in a different industry, write down what you did.

2. If you have done something similar, write down how it was similar or close to what they are looking for.

3. If you have not done a task before, write down how in the past you did not know how to do something, and how you got up to speed quickly. Detail the process. This will be your plan for showing how you can acquire new skills.

Here are some examples:

1. You have done the same tasks, but in a different industry.

If you managed a project, created a business plan, or sold something, how you went about doing these tasks are the same regardless of the industry you were in. The terminology may be different, but how you got from point A to Z is the same. Write down how it’s the same.

2. You have done something similar or close to what they are looking for.

If they want you to run reports using a software program that you had not used before, get online and see what type of reports that software produces. The software may be different than what you are used to, but the output of the report is probably the same. Write down how it’s the same.

3. You have not done the task before.

Let’s say you have to sell a product that you have not sold before. But, you believe that once you learn the product you could do a great job. In this instance, write down how you sold something in the past that you didn’t know how to initially. Detail how you got up to speed. Write down the classes you took, the people you spoke to, whatever you did to learn the product quickly. This will show your initiative, drive, and ability to master a new skill fast.

III. Realize That Experience Is Not ONLY Something You Get Paid For.

Experience comes from different places. Yes, work is one of them. So are hobbies and volunteer work.

I helped a woman who was in corporate communications get a job in the non-profit art world because her hobby and passion was art. Everything you have done up to this point in your life is relevant.

Take out that piece of paper again.

Write down all of your skills, talents, and abilities. Compare them to the job descriptions you have been looking at. Can something from your life outside of work help you get a job you want? Write down how.

There is a reason I want you to do all of this writing. When you can get your thoughts out of your head and down on paper, they become objective. You might not think a hobby has any relevance to your job search, but then you see it on paper, and you realize it does. In addition, a job search has its ups and downs and moments of doubt. These pieces of paper will remind you of your accomplishments, will help you feel better about yourself, and help you get back on track.

IV. Re-Write Your Resume.

If your resume is filled with words and initials that only the people in your industry understand, and you want a job outside of your industry, then this has to come off.

Create a new version of your resume that details what you did regardless of what industry you worked in.

For example.

- 16 years experience in marketing financial services becomes 16 years marketing experience.
- Worked closely in team approach with Department Heads in Programming, Research, Marketing, Business Development and Finance becomes worked closely in team approach with Department Heads.
- Conducted market/competitive analysis for the financial analysts and prepared business plans for venture capitalists become conducted market/competitive analysis and prepared business plans.
- Ran reports for the XYZ team becomes ran reports for the team.

I would rather have someone wonder what industry you worked for, and then have TO ASK YOU, rather than write you off because they believe that for the 3 seconds they spent reading your resume that you are not right for the job.

Posted By: Deborah Brown-Volkman In: Job Seeker – Resume

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Skills

If you are reading this, you probably know that having the right set of skills that employers are looking for is vital.

Even if the jobs of your choice require specific technical or scientific expertise, for you to be successful, you will need to document, demonstrate that you have the skills, show motivation for the job, have the personal and transferable skills needed to succeed.
You may have already gained many of the skills that employers are looking for through part time or voluntary work, projects at college or university, leisure interests and family responsibilities for example.

People who often overlook the skills they have developed through apparently unrelated or unpaid activities are missing out. For instance, have a look below at the conversation and think about your own experiences.

When James was asked about the skills gained in his last job, he answered,
“My last job was only a job in a small computer shop.”
“What did you do?”
“I was just a sales assistant.”
“For how long?”
“I was there for 3 years.”
“You must have gained a range of skills. Now tell us about the skills.”
James looked a bit lost.”

Now, if you were James, what skills would you have mentioned straightaway?
Well, James gained these skills and maybe more:
• sales ability
• persuasive skill
• communication
• numeracy
• patience & tact
• cash handling
• leadership
• interpersonal
After you know your skills, you still have to relate them to the role that you are applying for.

Relating skills to opportunities
How do you know the skills to highlight when compiling your CV, covering letter or application?

•Consider how your motivation, personal qualities and aspirations reflect the ethos of the company that you are applying to and the opportunity on offer.
•Understand the skills and competencies required for the role. This will be transparent where a job specification is made available. Take a highlighter and highlight the skills. Then, try and relate them to the skills gained from your previous role, experience, interests, hobbies etc.
•Decide on the best way to sell your skills. Which CV format will you use? What should you to put in your covering letter? See our CV and covering letter tips for advice on making effective applications.

Do you have employability appeal?

Employability appeal is a combination of educational achievement, personal attributes, generic skills and experience. It can’t be measured in real terms, but it’s about how attractive you are as a prospective employee.

What are Employers looking for in a potential employee?

A successful applicant must be aware of his/her transferable skills and, more importantly, is able to provide evidence of having used them. Spending time researching an organisation, identifying and understanding the skill set they require could well tip the balance in your favour!

What are Transferable Skills?

These are skills you develop in any working situation, be it a part-time job, casual work, voluntary work, vacation work or an internship.

Remember that working with customers and other employees will provide evidence of communication skills, problem solving and sometimes leadership.

You will have evidence of the ability to adhere to working practices such as time keeping, attendance and meeting deadlines. If your work experience has been in a commercial environment you will surely have developed commercial awareness, regardless of the capacity in which you worked.

Your self -reliance and self-awareness will have been enhanced as you are more aware of the tasks you like to do and are good at.

Transferable skills can be identified in many situations, but ‘real’ work experience is probably the most fruitful area in which to find evidence.
Popular Transferable Skills that Employers seek

The 10 transferable skills that are particularly popular with most employers are:
1. Communication - ability to communicate orally, in writing, or via e-mail or any electronic means, in a manner appropriate to the audience
2. Teamwork – being a constructive team member, contributing practically to the success of the team and following the team’s common goal.
3. Leadership – being able to motivate and encourage others, whilst taking the lead;
4. Initiative – ability to use your own sense of reasoning/idea, see opportunities and to set and achieve goals;
5. Problem solving – thinking things through in a logical way in order to determine key issues, often also including creative thinking;
6. Flexibility/adaptability – ability to handle change and adapt to new situations;
7. Organisation/Planning - Deals with your ability to design, plan, organise, and implement projects and tasks within an allotted timeframe. Also involves goal setting.
8. Commitment/motivation – having the energy, the follow through and enthusiasm in pursuing projects;
9. Interpersonal skills – ability to relate well to others and to establish good working relationships;
10. IT skills - Almost all jobs now require some basic understanding of computer hardware and software, especially word processing, spreadsheets, and email.

Additionally, depending on the role that you are applying for, some companies or employers like to see that applicants have some commercial awareness.

Once you have thought about your skills and how they will demonstrate your abilities to potential employers, you will need to work out how to market yourself effectively.

Presenting the evidence of your skills

Your principal concern should be to present proof of the skills and qualities that the employer is seeking. This could be in the form of achievements, responsibilities during work experience or voluntary activities, involvement in societies, or management of any activities.

The key is to equal the evidence in your application with what the employer wants. Recruiters want to read about the skills and qualities that are of interest to them and their selection criteria.

When examining your past involvements more closely, perhaps consider these questions:

•What exactly have I done in the past?
•What was I responsible for achieving?
•What were the outcomes of my actions?
•How did I achieve success?
•Is there evidence of ‘how’ I have demonstrated the relevant skills this role require?

Although it’s important to be concise on your CV, simply listing your skills is not enough. Prepare evidences because employers can’t simply take your word for it. To help you to do this, think STAR –

S – Situation
T – Task
A – Action
R – Result

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I have all the skills, so why don’t you want me?

What Says to Employers, “Hire Me!”

Thanks,
Catherine

Focus on Your Strengths

What do you have to offer an employer? Why should that employer choose you over someone else? What will make interviewers remember you after they’re done with their first round of meeting potential candidates?

It’s about matching their problems and needs with your qualifications, skills and traits. Your mission is to convince interviewers that you are the solution they’ve been seeking.

Make Your Case

Concentrating on your five best strengths will help you focus during the interview and will make it easier for them to remember you. You can begin before the interview by identifying your five key strengths and matching them up with the job requirements. Once you’ve done that, determine ways to bring up these matches during the interview.

Susan Croce Kelly of Kirkpatrick International Inc. in Houston is a communication specialist who writes speeches for executives. She advises telling your audience what you are going to say early in your presentation and then repeating your points throughout. “It is not unusual for people to say ‘What a wonderful speech,’ and then five minutes later can’t remember what it was about,” says Kelly. “If they remember two ideas from a speech, that is scoring high. Repetition is really important, because they might miss it the first time. Keep going back to the main point.”

You can actually use the speech model to prepare your presentation. Think of ways to present your key qualities throughout the interview. For example, let’s say you’re interviewing for a position that requires strong organizational skills.

The interview begins: ““Tell me about yourself,” says the interviewer. Part of your answer should include a statement about your organizational skills. “One of my key strengths is being organized. If you were to ask my coworkers, they would tell you I am the ultimate planner.”

Later in the interview, you could repeat your strength in a story format: “One project I worked on was very complex and detailed. It required a lot of forethought and planning on my part. I was able to do this using Microsoft Project software for tracking and scheduling.”

The interviewer asks, ““Why should we hire you?” Your answer should repeat information about being organized. “From what I have heard throughout the interview, it sounds like you’re looking for someone to come in and bring order to projects here. Since I am known for my organizational skills, I know I would be a real asset.”

By the time you leave the interview, the interviewer should have a strong sense that you’re a very organized person. Since this is important for the job, you will probably receive serious consideration as the solution to the company’s problem.

What Are Your Strong Points?

Identifying your five strengths and matching them to the job is an important step in preparing for your interview. Read through the description and identify the key factors needed to do the job. Be sure to read between the lines. For example:

• Will interact with accounting, engineering and manufacturing departments.

What will it take to perform this task? What kind of person is this company looking for?

It will require good communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to interface with a diverse group of people and levels. If these are your areas of strength, focus on letting the interviewer know that you have the ability and experience to interface well with many different groups.

Like the speechwriter, you want your audience to remember the important points you have made. By concentrating on a handful of strengths, you will find that you are more focused and succinct about telling what you have to offer. More importantly, the folks you meet are more likely to remember you for your strengths.

By Carole Martin, Monster Contributing Writer

10 Easy Tips to Help You Get the Job Offer

There are many methods that can be used to help make sure you have the best chance possible to get the job you want.

1. Redesign your resume to focus on the qualities needed for each position.

If you are an accounting major applying for an auditing position, be sure to focus on that experience and education in your resume. If you are applying for a customer service position and you have both technical and customer service experience, make sure to highlight the latter. Although

doing this takes time, it’s worth it if you really want the position you are applying for. Proofread your resume forspelling and grammatical errors as well as any address, name, or phone number errors that may exist.

2. Write a Unique Cover Letter

The keyword here is unique. It does help to submit a general cover letter over none at all however, by submitting acover letter that is unique to the position you will put your best foot forward. Make sure to focus on the specifics of the position you are applying for and highlight the areas of your experience and education that will be applicable to it. As with all professional correspondence, proofread the cover letter carefully!

3. Apply Using Their Preferred Method

Many times companies will list their fax number, mailing address, and email address. Make sure to try to apply the way they indicate they prefer (if they say). It may seem easier to email your resume if you don’t have a fax machine at home even when they mention they prefer faxed resumes but it will be worth your time to find a place to fax it.

5. Research the Company before your Interview

A few minutes on the internet either before your interview or even before you send out your resume will help you to feel more comfortable and speak more intelligently to the interviewer. By demonstrating this type of initiative you will improve your chances for a job offer. It will also give you a better idea about the company and if they are a good fit for you.

6. Notify your References

A quick phone call or email to your references to let them know they may be called regarding your resume is both polite and prudent. This also gives you a chance to remind them of why they would recommend you for a job. By jogging their memories they will be

more able to speak eloquently and specifically on your behalf.

7. Prepare for the Interview

Prepare for your interview by looking online at common interview questions and practicing them, preferably in front of a mirror. You may feel a bit silly doing this, but it will help you to more confidently answer questions.

8. Dress Appropriately

Although the business world is becoming more casual every year, the interview is not the place to test how casual your potential employer is. With few exceptions the appropriate attire is a black or dark blue suit for men and women. Women may choose to wear a skirt suit, but make sure the skirt falls below the knee. When in doubt remember that conservative attire at the interview will be more likely to net you a job offer.

9. Sell Yourself in the Interview

By the time you get to the interview it is likely that your resume has been reviewed and has passed a cursory exam that has shown you have the experience and education necessary to do the job. The interview is about selling yourself to your potential employer. Make sure to appear confident (although not arrogant) and enthusiastic. Focus on the good points you bring to the company and do not spend time over-explaining any deficiencies you may have. Let those go by with simple, honest explanations. Emphasize why you are the best person for the job.

10. Follow-up with a Thank-You Letter

Keep your name in front of the interviewer by sending a thank-you letter immediately after the interview. This can be emailed or mailed, although email will get your name and message to them faster. Make the letter simple; thank them for the time they spent, reiterate that you are very interested in the position, and let them know you are available for a follow-up interview. As with anything you send out, make sure you have no spelling or grammatical errors in the letter.
Article written by Tiffany Bradford

Want more articles like this? Then, see AC Associated Content

10 Ways to Enjoy Your Work

We’ve all read about the importance of achieving a good work/life balance. However in reality, the pressures of a growing organisation can make it difficult for everyone in the organisation, not just those at the top. Here are ten ways to make sure everyone enjoys their work:

1. Be comfortable – you spend a lot of time at work so why not create a comfortable environment? This is particularly important if you spend a lot of time at a desk.

2. Be confident – take a pride in what your organisation does and be sure that your efforts are for a worthwhile cause. You won’t be happy unless you’re confident in your mission.

3. Be sociable – however busy you are, spare time to talk to others. Networking with others keeps your life in perspective. It also allows you to bump into new opportunities.

4. Be ethical – you have to live with yourself. Don’t deviate from your personal values.

5. Be helpful – try to surprise one person a day by doing something unexpectedly helpful. This could be a colleague, a customer or supplier. Build respect.

6. Be healthy – consider private medical insurance so you can get those niggling health problems sorted out quickly. Don’t let bad health pull you down.

7. Be adventurous – try new things, although not too many at once! Don’t get stuck in a rut where work becomes tedious and you find yourself yearning for the weekend.

8. Be mobile – you can change the scenery by moving your office or workshop round from time to time. This both avoids the build up of clutter and also stops you getting bored with the view.

9. Be green fingered – don’t just put flowers in the office, make a garden outside if there’s room. Could you hold meetings outside on nice days? Everyone would enjoy that!

10. Be there – sometimes things can seem too much and even the strongest willed of us feel like staying in bed. You can only improve work if you’re where the action is. Be there!

Article written by Robert Ashton. See Robert’s website for more

6 YouTube Videos of Interest

Common Craft “Plain English” Series

Rather than point to a list of suppliers on a certain topic, this month LC is recommending that readers download Common Craft’s educational videos on YouTube. Common Craft produces a series of short online videos (average length is 3 minutes) to explain current technology in an accessible and entertaining way. Their “Plain English” videos are an excellent way to easily point colleagues, family, and friends at concise descriptions of technical advances, such as social networking tools, blogs, and RSS. And because they’re on YouTube, they’re free.

Here are a number of videos that are likely to be of interest:

1. Video: Twitter in Plain English
2. Video: Blogs in Plain English
3. Video: Social Bookmarking in Plain English
4. Video: Social Networking in Plain English
5. Video: Wikis in Plain English
6. Video: RSS in Plain English

How to Make a Potential Employer Fall in Love With Job Searchers

Looking for ways to impress a potential employer? Want to make your resume or job application stand out from the pack? During one two week time period, I reviewed 485 resumes and applications for 18 different positions. I interviewed 23 candidates and brought six back for a second, more intense round of interviews.

Believe me, I can tell you what rang my chimes. Some of this advice may surprise you. Some may even make you angry because it doesn’t seem fair or right to you. I can’t guarantee that all employers will agree with me, but why take a chance in this employers’ market?

• Apply for jobs for which you qualify. My “no” pile of applications is increasingly made up of people who don’t even remotely qualify for the advertised position. These job applications frequently consist of a resume in an envelope. Why waste the paper, the stamp and the time? If you find yourself applying because it’s an area of work you might want to get into, or think you’d like, don’t bother.

  Unless you can make the stretch and fit between your qualifications and background and the described opening, you are wasting your time. Each application or resume gets less than five minutes of my time. You need to quickly qualify yourself as a potential candidate because the employer doesn’t have or take the time to do it for you.

• Write a targeted cover letter that introduces your key qualifications and highlights your “fit” with the position for which you are applying. Address the letter to the person conducting the candidate search, when known. And, no, don’t presume familiarity and write, “Dear Susan.” Until I know you, my name is “Ms. Heathfield.” Additionally, the cover letter needs to specifically address the available position. Spelling and correct grammar do count. So does the spacing of words on the page, an attractive overall appearance, and the “feel” of the paper. Online applications, which are the norm these days, must be targeted and formatted appropriately. Pay just as much attention to spelling, grammar, and appearance.
• Target the resume to the job. Would you like to know how many people are looking for a “challenging opportunity to utilize my skills with a progressive employer who will provide opportunities for growth?” Don’t even ask; the answer will break your heart if this is how you routinely describe the position you seek in your resume. Even more importantly, in this day of instantaneous electronic publishing, no one needs to photocopy 100 resumes at an instant print store. Customization counts. Customization is everything when you are looking at substantially different opportunities, too. Say, you are looking for a training position or a marketing position. The identical resume won’t sell your skills for either field.
• Lead with your strengths. What makes you different from 40 other applicants? On your customized resume, start out with the background and experience most important for the position you seek. The stage of your career is also highly relevant to the placement of information on your resume. If you are just graduating from college, lead off the first portion of the resume with your education and degree.

  A seasoned veteran will start with an accomplishment summary and then list jobs, titles, companies and responsibilities chronologically. A network administration applicant should lead with his or her certifications (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and list software and hardware experience (Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server) before listing jobs and education. The key is to make it easy for the resume reviewer to see that you are qualified for the position. You want your resume in the coveted “yes” pile awaiting an interview or phone screening.

Looking for more ideas about getting your foot in the door for the face-to-face interview? You’re unlikely to obtain a job offer without a highly effective interview. You have a couple more hurdles to cross, however, before you get that coveted opportunity to impress a potential employer.

• Not all employers may feel this way, but I hate fishing phone calls that have absolutely no purpose other than to make you notice an applicant. Wonder how many people call me each week to see if I have received their resume? Lots – and only the people I rarely call back. It’s a wonderful opportunity for you to make a lasting bad impression. I said to a recent caller, “You are calling to ask me to look through this pile of 200 resumes to see if I have received yours? If you are that uncertain, why don’t you just send it again?” Fishing-for-attention phone calls rarely help and usually brand you as a pain. They steal the company’s time, irritate the resume screener and generally, accomplish nothing in your favor. In one of my client companies, callers, and especially repeat callers, are known as “stalkers.”
• If you want a call from a recruiter or potential employer, give them a number at which you can be reached. The majority of resumes I receive list only a home phone. Big mistake. I gave up on ten candidates with whom I played phone tag for days. No, I’m not advocating you give a potential employer your number at your current job. But, in this day of inexpensive cell phones, you really need to honor the potential employer’s time by giving them your cell phone number. I need to reach you to set up a time and date for the phone screening.
• Yes, I said, “phone screening.” Forward thinking employers don’t waste their time or yours these days without an initial telephone interview. Be prepared to schedule a date and time, usually during the 8-5 p.m. work day. (Your potential employer is already working ten hour days.) The phone interview eliminates most of the “yes” resumes from contention.

  Be prepared for a mini-interview and to give the interviewer your salary expectations. People who play coy when I ask about salary are not invited to visit in person. Why would I waste our time interviewing an applicant who is making $70,000 or more, currently, for a $50,000 job? And no, you are not going to be such a wonderful candidate that I blow away the salary range. In nine out of ten situations, the salary range is set with a large number of variables in mind including the local job market and the salaries of coworkers.

• Preparation counts for both the phone screening and the potential face-to-face interview. If I have set a time with you for a phone screening, research the company in advance. Visit the website to see what the employer does. Many organizations even describe their company culture on their websites these days. If you take just a few minutes to do your homework, the quality of the interview goes up exponentially.

  Think about my time, too, as your potential employer. Imagine the decisions I make about you when you ask me for directions to the company, while driving your car and talking on the cell phone. “Wait a couple of minutes,” one candidate said, “while I get somewhere so that I can write this all down.” Research the company location online first; call the company for directions as a last resort.

You’ve done the right things right. Your materials and credentials made a good impression. You passed the interview phone screening and you’ve been invited to the company for that all important interview. How do you continue to build the relationship with the potential employer that will lead to an eventual job offer?

• Take time off work for the interview; don’t expect the potential employer to extend their day by several hours to accommodate your schedule. If you’re currently working and looking for a new position, hopefully, you’ve chosen the most ethical path and your employer knows. If you are unable to inform your employer, for any reason, I hope you’ve saved up your vacation time. A recruiting employer is often willing to interview a good candidate late in the afternoon, but rarely will the interview extend past 6 p.m. (Remember, most potential employers started work by 8 a.m.) You don’t want your potential to contribute as an employee assessed at the end of a ten hour day either.
• Make the right, positive impression at both the interview and with the company staff. Need I tell you to arrive early, dress up for the position for which you are applying and bring an additional resume with references? Remember to treat every person you encounter with dignity and respect. The receptionist is reporting his impressions of you to the HR Director. Count on it, especially in small- to mid-sized organizations. Be unfailingly polite throughout every interaction you have with the company. Each person is assessing your potential “fit” within their organization. Don’t blow your chances by behaving boorishly.
• You will be asked to fill out an application, so bring your resume and other needed information to complete the document. And, no, “See attached resume,” doesn’t cut it. It is likely your application information is entered into an employment database and used for company records, government reporting, and more. The filled out application makes the data entry easier. It also allows the company to obtain your written permission to check your references, employment history, do criminal background checks if you are hired, and more.
• The actual interview is the subject of additional articles. For purposes of this one, remember that the purpose of the interview is to determine if you and the organization are a good fit. The real purpose of an interview, sorry to tell you, is not to gain you a job offer. Do you feel confident that you can do the job and grow with the company? Have you conveyed this to the potential employer? If so, you’ll be asked back for a more-intensive second round of interviews at most companies.
• Follow up after the interview with a thank you letter, and perhaps a phone call. Good manners always count. I received three thank you letters and a couple of phone calls from the 23 people who participated in a first interview with us. Are thank you letters going the way of the dinosaurs? Not from candidates who count with me.

Doing the right things right will result in more interviews, better job offers and a more successful career. Take a little more time at each step and your application will rise above the pack. I promise.

By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com

7 Things to Leave Off Your Resume

What you omit from your resume can be just as important as what you include. Here are seven things to leave off:

• Your photo. Seriously. Stop. It’s unprofessional and makes you look naive. Interestingly, more men do this than women. What is this about? (If anyone knows, please tell me. It freaks me out.)

• Subjective descriptions. Your resume is for experience and accomplishments only. It’s not the place for subjective traits, like “great leadership skills” or “creative innovator.” I ignore anything subjective that an applicant writes about herself, because so many people’s self-assessments are wildly inaccurate and I don’t yet know enough about the candidate to have any idea if hers is reliable or not.

• The objective statement you clearly wrote for a different company. In fact, leave an objective off altogether. I’ve never seen one that made a candidate more appealing, and often they’re so unrelated to the job being applied for that they cause harm.

• A third page. If you’re in your twenties, your resume should only be one page–there’s not enough experience to justify a second one. If you’re older, two pages are fine, but you go over that limit at your own peril. Hiring managers may be spending only 20 or 30 seconds on your application initially, so extra pages are either ignored or they dilute the impact of the others. Yes, you have much impressive experience, but the resume is for highlights. Cut that thing in half. Speaking of which …

• Two versions of your resume. You have to pick just one. I understand that you’re torn between the chronological version and the functional version (hint: pick the chronological), but (a) I’m not reading both, and (b) this is a time when you want to demonstrate the ability to make decisions.

• Your abilities to type and to use Word. It’s assumed you can do both of these things.

• Extra documentation. Unless the company has specifically asked for something other than a cover letter and resume, don’t send it. Sometimes candidates include unsolicited writing samples, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and so forth. In most cases, sending these extras without being asked won’t help you, and in some cases it can actually hurt. For instance, when a candidate attaches an unsolicited 20-page writing sample, it looks naive and makes me think she doesn’t understand the hiring process.

Alison Green is chief of staff for a medium-sized nonprofit where she oversees day-to-day management of the staff as well as hiring, firing, and staff development. She is working with the Management Center to coauthor a book on nonprofit management. Her writings have been published in the Washington Post, the New York Times, Maxim, and dozens of other newspapers. She blogs at Ask a Manager.

The 3 Things That Will Get You Hired

It is simple – the way to stand out and get hired is to understand what a hiring manager goes through. Today, two or three times as many applications and resumes are received for virtually every open job; hiring managers are buried under reams of paper or thousands of e-mails. So, what would make his job easier? What would get his attention? What would make you stand out?

It won’t be resumes submitted on colored paper or including movie tickets with your application. It will be by ensuring that the hiring manager quickly, easily and accurately knows these three important things about you: how you perform, how you fit and what value you will provide.

Step back for a minute and borrow a little wisdom from Stephen Covey, author the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: “start with the end in mind.” What is your real goal of submitting an application or resume? It is to convince the hiring manager that you are the right person for the job because your performance will drive the greatest value for the company. This requires that you know what you are good at (your talents), what jobs need your talents (to see whether you fit) and how your performance can impact company value. Knowing this helps you to apply for the right jobs – jobs that allow you to maximize your performance and value. When you clearly present this information, you make the hiring manager’s review process easier, more effective and more conclusive. You get his attention. You stand out. This is how to get hired.

Performance
Critical to understanding and maximizing your performance is knowing what you are good at and what you love to do. These are reflected in your talents – your natural abilities, interests, strengths and aptitudes. Most people spend very little time assessing and understanding their talents and strengths. Without this meaningful information, we unknowingly apply for and work in jobs that do not use what we are good at; we become disinterested, disconnected and bored. When performance suffers, value suffers.

Most of today’s average and poor performance is due to employees hired into the wrong jobs. They are neither good at what the do or love doing it – both required to excel and to provide the greatest value.

To determine what you are good at, take a talent assessment. A talent assessment tool provides survey questions to help identify your thinking style and your natural strengths. Additionally, a talent assessment helps you learn the language of talents – terminology that will be important to include on your resume or application, and to discuss in your interview.

How to get it right for the hiring manager:
Create a talent-based resume. Present your primary talents on the resume. Explain what you are good at and how you have used these talents in other jobs. This shows the hiring manager that you understand what activates your performance, you know how to play to your strengths and can see your impact in the workplace.

Fit
Once you have defined your talents (what you are good at), determine which jobs, roles or responsibilities need your specific talents and strengths. These jobs will provide an engaging environment where you get to do what you are naturally good at and what you love. These environments activate and inspire your greatest performance. Fit is critical for both performance and value.

As you can see not only will you need to know your talents, but you will also need to assess the critical talents required for success in the job for which you are applying Fit relates to the matching of your talents to the talents needed in the job. Good fit – great potential performance. Bad fit – guaranteed average or poor performance.

Let’s say your talents (natural thinking and strengths) are more social and relationship-based. Roles in sales, service, healthcare and the arts are therefore a better fit than roles that require more linear, analytical and detailed thinking such as accounting, auditing, engineering and IT. Not only will you be better at relationship-building and social contact, but these jobs will also appeal more. Consider what a salesman thinks of an accounting job, or what an accountant thinks of a sales job. Neither would be inspired to their greatest performance by the other’s work responsibilities. Hiring managers know this. Fit matters. The more closely the job fits your talents and strengths, the greater you perform.

How to get it right for the hiring manager:
Most of today’s current resumes don’t address the “fit” component. The way to stand out and get hired is to assess the talents needed to be successful in the job, and then to openly compare them to your talents. Show this comparison. This makes the review process more effective and more accurate. This is significant part of the critical information the hiring manager needs.

Value
Face it, few people do something for nothing. In exchange for your pay, the company expects a return. The greater the return, the more value they see in you. This is the focus of the hiring manager – to attract, hire and retain those employees who maximize value. Start with the end in mind – how much value can you provide?

How to get it right for the hiring manager:
On the talent-based resume, summarize how your talents have increased the value in your previous jobs. Provide specifics. Comment on how your ideas, performance and influence have positively affected customer loyalty, efficiency, profitability and results. Provide numbers, percentages or ratios. Highlight your impact and how your talents and thinking have contributed to your performance. Help the hiring manager see your ability to create similar or greater value for his company. This is the specific goal of the resume and application process. Value. Sustained value. Maximized value. This is what makes you stand out and get hired.

To get hired, you need to make the hiring process simple, obvious and conclusive. Know your talents and what you are good at. Share this information. Know what jobs use your talents to maximize your performance. Share this information. Know the impact of your performance on the company – how you add value. Share this information. Performance, fit and value – the three things that will get you hired.

Article by Jay Forte, a former financial executive and corporate educator, now performance consultant, speaker and author, is a nationally ranked Thought Leader and President of Humanetrics.

His new interactive book, Fire Up! Your Employees and Smoke Your Competition, presents a step-by-step process to help today’s managers attract, hire and retain the best intellectual-age talent. His new resource, “Stand Out and Get Hired,” helps employees assess their talents, identify roles that match their talents and stand out by learning how to create the new talent-based resume.

Jay is a member of the ASTD (American Society of Training and Development) Find his resources on his new website, http://www.FireUpYourEmployees.com See his daily blog, called “BLOGucation” (daily power learning), at http://www.HumanetricsLLC.com

10 Dos and 10 Don’ts of Writing an Effective CV

Should you list your work experience or achievements first? Do you include a photo or not? Will coloured paper make you stand out from the crowd? Writing your CV can be a minefield but there are certain simple rules you can follow. Discover the dos and don’ts of CV writing with our guide from Jobsite’s expert CV Partner, CV Checker.

Top 10 CV dos

1. Use a confident tone and positive language Use positive words to start each sentence, such as initiated, improved, introduced, developed, negotiated, established, created, pioneered, delivered, increased, reduced, saved etc. This also helps to ensure that you’re substantiating your skills with hard evidence

2. Concentrate on your achievements not your responsibilities This means listing things you have done – such as products launched, sales increase, awards won – not rewriting your job description. Quote figures whenever possible.

3. Encourage the employer to read on Ensure that you put your most salient points on the first page of the CV to include your greatest successes and achievements and proven examples of how you have used your skills to benefit the companies you have worked for.

4. Concentrate on the quality not quantity of your achievements Don’t hold anything back but make sure that your achievements are fantastic and not just that you are a fantastic communicator! Typically a CV should have 10 achievements on it that cover the main successes in your career to get the reader’s attention.

5. Rise above the competition Make sure you include other skills that could set you apart from other candidates, such as languages and IT skills.

6. Keep to the point Be ruthless with yourself and keep your CV to a maximum of two pages. Only very senior, experienced executives have more to say.

7. Check, check and check again Check thoroughly for correct spelling and grammar – spotting errors is a quick and easy way of weeding out weaker candidates when faced with a mountain of CVs to read. Don’t just rely on your computers spellchecker but get someone else to proof it – you may have spelt a word correctly but used it in the wrong place.

8. Use relevant keywords With posts advertised through job boards and online recruiters, keywords are entered into databases to find the most relevant jobseekers without having to trawl through 1000s of candidates. These keywords will include specific technical skills like SAP or qualifications like ACCA or specific job titles like ‘Customer services advisor’. Make sure your CV mirrors the language used in the advert.

9. Capture immediate attention Prioritise the content of your CV and detail the most relevant information first. Start with a hard-hitting personal profile that avoids clichés such as ‘hard-working, team player with excellent communication skills’. Make sure that all your career history is punchy and to the point with qualified and quantified successes.

10. Graduates should expand Tell your reader more about your degree other than just the modules you have taken. Show successes you have had in your project work and dissertations and other extracurricular activities you have undertaken. More experienced jobhunters should just put their degree details on page two with the university they attended, the degree that they took and the grade gained.

Top 10 CV don’ts

1. Expand the truth It is simply not true that the bigger the lies you put on your CV then the better the job you will get. Most employers are not fooled by creative embellishments and if you do manage to get a job based on this you could be let go of pretty quickly which won’t look good on your CV.

2. List everything An employer really doesn’t need or want to know all the one-day training courses you have ever been on. Keep information relevant and to the point.

3. Include a photo No matter how attractive you make yourself look, it will not improve your chances. This tends to be popular in other European countries but isn’t favoured by the majority of UK businesses.

4. Get creative Don’t use elaborate fonts and colours to make your CV stand out. The more gimmicky you make your CV using different shapes and pictures, the more off-putting it will be to an employer. It will also make it more difficult to upload to Jobsite.

5. Divulge sensitive information Never include your NI or passport number or any other sensitive personal information on your CV.

6. Tailor your CV Your CV should be strong enough to be used for different positions that you are applying for. It is your covering letter that you should tailor carefully for each position, making sure it answers all of the employer’s questions about your suitability for the role. However, if you have a really wide skill set then you may have more than one CV depending on which role you’re going for. See this month’s Expert Top Tips for more on how to write an exceptional covering letter

7. Talk about me, me, me Don’t start each sentence in the first person. Instead use phrasing such as ‘Selected to manage the companies online marketing spend of £100,000 which resulted in position 1 being achieved across all search engines within 6 months’.

8. Talk in clichés Phrases such as ‘I am a highly motivated individual who works well on my own or in a team, with exceptional communication skills and the ability to work under pressure to produce results under tight deadlines’ are dull and the employer has heard them all before. Make yourself stand out with carefully worded phrasing that is factual and captures the employer’s attention.

9. Duplicate applications Some recruiters have systems that handle multiple applications from the same person, but for those that don’t, remember it is most off-putting to receive five CVs from the same person and for the same job application.

10. Make the recruiter jump through hoops If you are able to perform in the job, explain how in your CV. Don’t expect the employer to read between the lines to work out whether you will be worth the £40k salary per annum. Sadly, that’s what lots of candidates think it’s the recruiter’s job to do.

For more advice on CV Writing, or to have your CV written professionally, see Jobsite’s expert CV Partner, CV Checker

Source:

10 Tips That Will Help You Keep Your Job

If you find yourself cleaning out your desk and starting a new job every nine months to a year, the problem is you — not your boss or colleagues.

It’s important to understand your company’s corporate culture and to match it in words and actions. For starters, if you work in a prim-and-proper button-down office, don’t show up in jeans and a T-shirt boasting about wild times in Tijuana.

“Size up the culture and show a strong work ethic,” says Andrew J. DuBrin, a professor of management at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y. “Don’t walk around saying, ‘It’s Wednesday — hump day — and Friday will be here soon.’ “

Here’s betting that Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Intel, Exxon Mobil and McClatchy Newspapers have distinct corporate cultures. The smart employee scopes out the territory ahead.

You got hired because the boss thought you could do the job. But competence alone isn’t enough to succeed. Be passionate about your work and take pride in it. Tossing things together at the last minute won’t cut it.

If you’re smart and a little lucky, you’ll find your work challenging and your co-workers engaging.

Many young employees talk about having “fun” at work. It’s a mistake. There’s always an element of levity in a good office — clever quips and groaner puns from the office wag, for example — but remember that you work to make money for the company, not to have fun on the days between weekends.

“When in doubt, behave traditionally,” DuBrin says. “Be on time, be a good corporate citizen and go out of your way to help people. Traditional values are still held in high esteem by most employers.”

Catch the rhythm of the staff meetings. Are they formal or informal? Is it acceptable to do other work on a laptop and occasionally check your cell phone for text messages, or would that drive the boss nuts? When in doubt, leave the laptop and phone behind.

No one’s perfect, and if you make a mistake, immediately take full responsibility for it. Don’t blame others, and certainly don’t try to slough it off on your immediate boss. Saying, “I’m sorry, my mistake. It won’t happen again” will help you put all but hanging offenses behind you.

Much like there’s a division between church and state, draw a line between your personal life and work. Don’t talk incessantly about your life outside work. If you’re having trouble in your personal life, keep it to one or two confidants. No one else at work needs to know — or more to the point, wants to know — about your travails at home. Remember: There is no way that broadcasting your personal difficulties will improve your standing with the boss.

Little things can become a big deal at work. Here’s how: Your dentist will love you for flossing, but your co-workers won’t if you do it at your desk. Perform personal hygiene duties at home.

Here are ten things you must get right to avoid killing your career. In most cases, no single faux pas is serious enough to get you a pink slip on the spot, but the steady drip-drip-drip of inattention to one or more of these basic points will seriously erode your position, and before you know it, you’ll be cleaning out your desk … again.

1. Know what’s expected. No one wants a drone or a yes-man, but if you don’t understand the corporate culture and if you don’t know what’s expected of you, you’re gone. It’s possible to fit in without squashing your creativity. Remember whom you work for and why.
2. Money isn’t everything. Don’t create the impression that you’re working just for a paycheck. That’s the hallmark of a clock-puncher and will kill all chances for advancement. If you’re so unhappy with your job that you live for the 15th and 30th of each month, it’s time to start sending out résumés.
3. Leave the gossip to the supermarket tabloids. Idle chit-chat at the water cooler is a fact of life and acceptable, and is even expected in small doses. But don’t chatter endlessly about who’s in and who’s out. To do so reflects badly on you and takes time away from turning the wheels. Your boss will notice if you spend more time yapping than working.
4. Flubbing deadlines. Deadlines are real and must be met because, believe it or not, the world doesn’t move to your beat. Missing deadlines will back up the whole show and make your boss look bad. A bad hair day is no excuse for missing a deadline. Work late to get the job done if you have to.
5. Cubicle etiquette counts. Leave it to future historians to determine how cubicle culture changed America. All you have to do is live with it. Remember: Privacy’s nonexistent in a cubicle, so don’t have phone conversations that you don’t want others to hear. Personal decorative touches should be tasteful.
6. Personal e-mails are death. Here’s a basic truth many employees miss: The company e-mail system is for company business. Don’t use it to gossip, and don’t write anything that you don’t want read by the boss, because many systems save deleted messages to a master file. Horror tales of someone hitting “Reply to All” and mistakenly sending a juicy note about the boss to everyone, including the chief, are common. Call up your personal e-mail account to send personal notes, and keep it short; you’re at work.
7. Isolation leaves you vulnerable. You don’t have to constantly hang out with co-workers after hours, but don’t isolate yourself with standoffish behavior. You don’t want to be seen as someone who thinks you’re too good for the proletariat. Extend the simple courtesies to your co-workers: good morning, good night, please, thanks. Your mother was right: Manners count.
8. Don’t climb ego mountain. No one likes an egomaniac, and for good reason: They’re boring, obnoxious, trivial people. Listen to what your co-workers tell you. Ask questions. Learn from the experienced hands. Improve your skills and boost your productivity.
9. Don’t take credit for others’ work. It’s a familiar tale: The office go-getter takes credit for other people’s work. Such people overlook a basic point: It’s dishonest. If you do this, word will eventually reach the boss, and your standing will crumble instantly. Along the way, the long knives will be out, and your co-workers will root for, and cheer, your demise. Some may even knife your aspirations.
10. Office romance invites catastrophe. We all work long hours, and sometimes work becomes our social life, leading to romantic entanglements. This is fine if you get married and live happily ever after. What are the chances of that? Think: What will you do if the relationship ends badly? Never become involved with your boss. Your accomplishments and promotions will become suspect, and one of you will have to move to another department, and perhaps another job, when the romance becomes known. Helpful hint: Look outside the office for the sweetie of your dreams.

Article by Scott Reeves

• Know what’s expected

• Money isn’t everything

• Leave the gossip to the tabloids

• Flubbing deadlines

• Cubicle etiquette counts

• Personal e-mails are death

• Isolation leaves you vulnerable

• Don’t climb ego mountain

• Don’t take credit for others’ work

• Office romance invites catastrophe

Source: Forbes.com

Workplace Do’s and Don’ts

Workplaces can differ in every sense. From dress codes to the informalities of how people interact with each other, the protocol of the accepted etiquette will vary both from industry to industry and also between companies involved in the same industry themselves.

For example, a factory environment may adopt a far less formal approach than, say, a law firm but probably the most important aspect to remember is that just because you work within a particular industry, you shouldn’t assume that what was acceptable within one company you’ve worked for previously will be just the same if you move to a similar role within another similar type of company.

Therefore, when you move to a new workplace, always err on the side of caution and use those first few days to casually observe your fellow colleagues and to try to establish what’s considered ‘reasonable’ behaviour and what isn’t. If you’re unsure about certain things such as if it’s acceptable to have your mobile phone on, for example, or the specifics of the dress code, ask a colleague. However, there are a number of workplace ‘dos and don’ts’ that are commonly accepted by most companies.

Workplace Don’ts

Often, it’s a simple matter of using your common sense and behaving in a manner that shows courtesy and respect for others but there are numerous things that you should obviously not get involved with or encourage. Here’s a list of some of the most commonly cited examples of behaviour that is often frowned upon and even not tolerated by most companies, regardless of type. Disregarding these, it can often, at best, make you unpopular or, at worst, might even get you the sack. Things you shouldn’t do at work include:

• Engage in idle gossip about other colleagues or your boss or ‘bad mouth’ them
• Don’t get involved in any banter which might have sexual or racial overtones
• Be modest and don’t harp on about any of your previous achievements or be an attention seeker
• Don’t try to court favour with your boss or immediate supervisors. Just doing your job in the best way you can is the most productive way of impressing those higher up the ladder than you
• Don’t assume something is acceptable practice in either conversations you might have or actions you might consider taking. A good example of this is assuming that it’s OK to leave your mobile phone on silent or vibrate, yet still respond to text messages, for example. Establish the position on that and other things you’re not sure about first such as eating at your desk or work station, which is another good example where people often do the wrong thing.

Workplace Dos

There are a number of things that you should do if you want to be seen as a valuable member of the team and to be considered a valued colleague. These can include:

• Being respectful and courteous towards others – even if you don’t necessarily like a particular person
• Keep your voice at an acceptable level. A loud voice which is noticeable in a particular work environment can not only be counterproductive for others who are trying to get on with their work but can be extremely annoying too
• Offer to help others if there’s anything you might be able to do to assist them and make their job easier if you’ve time to do so
• Dress appropriately and adopt a similar degree of formality/informality once you’ve established the acceptable ‘code of conduct’
• Make sure you understand the rules surrounding e-mail etiquette and the use of your mobile phone
• Remember you’re being paid to work so keep idle chit-chat and other things that may take your attention away from what you’ve been employed to do to a minimum.
• Stay positive and upbeat and…smile!

These are just simple dos and don’ts which reflect general workplace etiquette in most workplaces and are often as much about using your own common sense as anything else. However, this entire website contains more specific articles which may be of more relevance to a particular situation you’re faced with at work in terms of what you should and shouldn’t be doing or saying.

For more articles like this, see WORK ETIQUETTE

Interview DOs and DON’Ts

Interview DOs
	Dress appropriately for the industry; err on the side of being conservative to show you take the interview seriously. Your personal grooming and cleanliness should be impeccable.
	Know the exact time and location of your interview; know how long it takes to get there, park, find a rest room to freshen up, etc.
	Arrive early; 10 minutes prior to the interview start time.
	Treat other people you encounter with courtesy and respect. Their opinions of you might be solicited during hiring decisions.
	Offer a firm handshake, make eye contact, and have a friendly expression when you are greeted by your interviewer.
	Listen to be sure you understand your interviewer’s name and the correct pronunciation.
	Even when your interviewer gives you a first and last name, address your interviewer by title (Ms., Mr., Dr.) and last name, until invited to do otherwise.
	Maintain good eye contact during the interview.
	Sit still in your seat; avoid fidgeting and slouching.
	Respond to questions and back up your statements about yourself with specific examples whenever possible.
	Ask for clarification if you don’t understand a question.
	Be thorough in your responses, while being concise in your wording.
	Be honest and be yourself.  Dishonesty gets discovered and is grounds for withdrawing job offers and for firing. You want a good match between yourself and your employer. If you get hired by acting like someone other than yourself, you and your employer will both be unhappy.
	Treat the interview seriously and as though you are truly interested in the employer and the opportunity presented.
	Exhibit a positive attitude. The interviewer is evaluating you as a potential co-worker. Behave like someone you would want to work with.
	Have intelligent questions prepared to ask the interviewer. Having done your research about the employer in advance, ask questions which you did not find answered in your research.
	Evaluate the interviewer and the organization s/he represents. An interview is a two-way street. Conduct yourself cordially and respectfully, while thinking critically about the way you are treated and the values and priorities of the organization.
	Do expect to be treated appropriately. If you believe you were treated inappropriately or asked questions that were inappropriate or made you uncomfortable, discuss this with a Career Services advisor or the director.
	Make sure you understand the employer’s next step in the hiring process; know when and from whom you should expect to hear next. Know what action you are expected to take next, if any.
	When the interviewer concludes the interview, offer a firm handshake and make eye contact. Depart gracefully.
	After the interview, make notes right away so you don’t forget critical details.
	Write a thank-you letter to your interviewer promptly.
Interview DON’Ts
	Don’t make excuses. Take responsibility for your decisions and your actions.
	Don’t make negative comments about previous employers or professors (or others).
	Don’t falsify application materials or answers to interview questions.
	Don’t treat the interview casually, as if you are just shopping around or doing the interview for practice. This is an insult to the interviewer and to the organization.
	Don’t give the impression that you are only interested in an organization because of its geographic location.
	Don’t give the impression you are only interested in salary; don’t ask about salary and benefits issues until the subject is brought up by your interviewer.
	Don’t act as though you would take any job or are desperate for employment.
	Don’t make the interviewer guess what type of work you are interested in; it is not the interviewer’s job to act as a career advisor to you.
	Don’t be unprepared for typical interview questions. You may not be asked all of them in every interview, but being unprepared looks foolish.
	A job search can be hard work and involve frustrations; don’t exhibit frustrations or a negative attitude in an interview.
	Don’t go to extremes with your posture; don’t slouch, and don’t sit rigidly on the edge of your chair.
	Don’t assume that a female interviewer is “Mrs.” or “Miss.” Address her as “Ms.” unless told otherwise. Her marital status is irrelevant to the purpose of the interview.
	Don’t chew gum or smell like smoke.
	Don’t allow your cell phone to sound during the interview. (If it does, apologize quickly and ignore it.) Don’t take a cell phone call.
	Don’t take your parents, your pet (an assistance animal is not a pet in this circumstance), spouse, fiance, friends or enemies to an interview. If you are not grown up and independent enough to attend an interview alone, you’re insufficiently grown up and independent for a job. (They can certainly visit your new city, at their own expense, but cannot attend your interview.)
Also see:
	Typical interview format Interview attire Sample questions Sample questions for teaching candidates Behavioral interviewing Researching employers — why and how Questions to ask the employer Responding to salary questions On-site interviews Dining Etiquette Interview expenses After your interviews / follow up / thank-you letters The Mock Interview ProgramSee SOURCE for urther career information

25 ways to Find Your Dream Job

Finding the perfect job doesn’t have to be difficult. We’ve got all the help, advice and tools you need right here.

research, research, research

• Find the right career for you
  
• Learn how to do your research
  
• First job? Read our expert advice
  
• Help on going back to work
  
• Visit our Career Shift starter page
  
• Read your astrological career profile

CVs and cover letters

• Find the right career for you
  
• Learn how to do your research
  
• First job? Read our expert advice
  
• Help on going back to work
  
• Visit our Career Shift starter page
  
• Read your astrological career profile

interview advice

• 45 ways to ace your interview
  
• 10 key interview tips
  
• What interviewers look for
  
• Can they ask if I’m married?
  
• Do I have to admit I’m pregnant?
  
• How to talk cash

post-interview follow-up

• The etiquette of thank you notes
  
• Learning from the nightmare interview
  
• Get the facts before you commit

Like this post? Why not check for more?

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12 Job Interview Tips You Should Know to Nail that Job

So you want to further your career and go for a manager job or something of the same level. That’s great – ambition is always good. 

First, make sure your job resume is in good order. You can hire a professional resume writer if you want a great presentation or study some online resume writing tips if you want to have full control over your CV.

Once your resume is out there, the next thing you should do is prepare for possible interviews. Here’s where a little career planning is in order and so here we present not just a few but TWELVE job tips you should know before you face your interviewer for that manager job. 

Job Interview Tip #1 – Know the Company.
It is good business etiquette to know as much as you can about the organization to which you’re applying. If you are quizzed about the company’s history it’s paramount you know something about them to prove you’re serious about work for them. Your manager job description will be tough to live up to if you know nothing about the people with which you want to work. 

Job Interview Tip #2 – Prepare for Questions.
Our second interview tip is crucial. Be prepared to answer questions about the company and about yourself. There’s nothing more awkward than being stumped, flustered, and speechless. Avoid saying “Uhh” or “Ahhh” too much. Answer confidently by being knowledgeable about yourself, your goals, your skills, your achievements and what you can bring to the table.

Job Interview Tip #3 – Prepare Your own Questions.
Employers are impressed if you ask good, intelligent questions. Ask about work processes, quality control, common challenges within the company, and others. Demonstrate that you really want to understand the nature of your work so that you can function better in the organization.

Job Interview Tip #4 – Look Good.
You must be well groomed when showing up for an interview. Get a haircut if you need one; buy a new suit if your old one looks too tatty. Take a bath (heaven forbid you don’t!) and iron your clothes. If you’re a woman, wear moderate make-up, make sure your nails are manicured, and tone down the perfume. You don’t want to make the interviewer choke as he/she takes a whiff of your scent!

Job Interview Tip #5 – Be Punctual.
Tardiness is bad and will immediately put a damper on things. Leave early so you will get to the office early. Don’t waste your interviewer’s time by showing up late. If you really want that manager job, you must demonstrate responsibility and be determined to keep appointments.

Job Interview Tip #6 – Shake Hands Firmly.
A good handshake shows you are confident and willing to engage. Always make eye contact when shaking hands; this coordination can accomplish much in establishing positive vibes.

Job Interview Tip #7 – Don’t Overdo It.
Avoid unnecessary body movement; don’t fidget. Keep still and punctuate your points with limited hand gestures. Don’t ever point your fingers, especially at the person talking to you.

Job Interview Tip #8 – RELAX!
Many people panic at interviews and start biting their nails, toying endlessly with their wedding ring, drumming their fingers, or jiggling their legs. Stay calm, breathe deeply, and think of happy memories. Don’t worry yourself sick about something that can be dealt with positively if you just take time to relax.

Job Interview Tip #9 – Listen Closely.
Pay attention to what is being said. Maintain eye contact, especially when it’s obvious your interviewer is making an important point. Focus on the discussion at hand and keep your ears peeled for important details. If you mishear a word, don’t be afraid to clarify rather than pretend you understood what was said.

Job Interview Tip #10 – Communicate Clearly.
Speak clearly and choose your words carefully. You may want to make a humorous comment but what if it backfires? Also, don’t be obscure – use words and ideas that make sense and can be easily understood. Avoid being superfluous.

Job Interview Tip #11 – Don’t Ever Talk Negatively. About Your Current/Previous Employer.
This is very important – don’t be negative, especially when it comes to your previous employers or colleagues. It will only show that you have a tendency to bad-mouth other people and that’s not something to advertise when gunning for a manager job. Always be positive and enthusiastic.

Job Interview Tip #12 – SMILE!
Smiling is important so pay a tremendous amount of attention to your teeth. Make sure they’re immaculate and presentable.

Article by Ashley Truitt

10 Things Recruiters Won’t Tell You (But I Will)

By J.T. O’Donnell

Recruiters have one job: Find the right person for the position. Their performance is evaluated on how efficiently and effectively they match top talent to job requirements. Ironically, in the current economy,recruiters are finding their jobs harder than ever. I’m serious. There’s too much talent for them to weed through. What used to be ‘finding a needle in a haystack’ has now become ‘finding a needle in tenhaystacks.’

As a result, recruiters have to determine a candidate’s marketability much quicker. Translation: candidates must pay even more attention to the power of the first impression factor. People skills, attire, etc. all become more important when competition amongst talent is this fierce. Reality check: Those who are failing to make a good first impression get put in the ‘no’ pile and are never contacted again. So, if you aren’t getting called back by a recruiter after either an in-person meeting or talking by phone, there’s a good chance that, in addition to the fact you didn’t have the right skills, you also might have displayed one or more traits on the ‘I can’t market them’ list. Now, most recruiters won’t tell you what you did wrong. Why? For one reason, they aren’t paid to give you the bad news. Second, they don’t want to burn a bridge. And third, as I mentioned, they just don’t have the time.

And yet, how are you going to fix the problem if you don’t know it exists?

I’ve put together the most common reasons why a recruiter writes a candidate off. You may not like what you read, but the good news is with a little attention and practice, all of them can be improved upon. So, ask yourself, “Am I guilty of the following?”

Top 10 Things A Recruiter Won’t Tell You

1. Your interview attire is outdated/messy/too tight/too revealing/too flashy.
2. Your physical appearance is disheveled/outdated/sloppy/smelly/overpowering (i.e. too much perfume).
3. Your eye contact is weak/shifty/intense.
4. Your handshake is limp/too forceful/clammy.
5. You say ah/um/like too much.
6. You talk too much/use poor grammar/say inappropriate things (i.e. swearing) when you answer interview questions.
7. You appear overconfident/pushy/self-centered/insecure/aloof/ditzy/scatter-brained/desperate.
8. You talk too fast/too slow/too loud/too soft.
9. You giggle/fidget/act awkward/have facial tics/lack expression.
10. You lack sincerity/self-confidence/clarity/conviction.

So, how do you fix these?

Well, given 93% of communication is non-verbal, I can tell you that many of the negatives above can be improved by focusing on one thing: attitude. If you are angry, fearful, or confused, it’s going to show. You must find a way to feel good about yourself and your ability to contribute. This comes from knowing your strengths and embracing them. It also comes from doing your homework on a company so you can articulate clearly and with enthusiasm why you would be a great fit for the job. I realize this is easier said than done, but it can be done.  Here are a few things I suggest:

• Get inspired from this page.
• Improve your self-knowledge with these free online tools.
• Get answers to your job search and career questions from 15 experts on this feed.

I hope I’ve convinced you to take a hard look at the 10 reasons above and to commit to finding a way to improve your first impression factor. It’s your career. Own your actions and take control of your professional development. I promise, recruiters will take notice.

Feel free to share any reasons I missed below. Better still, if you’ve got a resource you’ve used that has helped you get over one or more of  these first impression-busters, please share it below so fellow readers can use it as well.

For more articles of this type from J.T. O’Donnell, see :

8 Toxic Personalities to Avoid

 Although we like to think that the people in our lives are well-adjusted, happy, healthy minded individuals, we sometimes realize that it just isn’t so.  Personally, I’ve had moments where I’ll be skipping through my day, happy as can be, thinking life is grand and BAM, I’ll be blindsided by someone who manages to knock the happy wind out of my sails.  Sometimes it is easy to write it off and other times, not so much

 

 Maybe you are a positive person, but when you are around a certain individual, you feel negative.  Or, maybe you have an idealistic view of the world and when you are with certain people, you are made to feel silly, unrealistic or delusional.  Or, maybe you pride yourself in being completely independent and in control of your life, but when you are around a certain family member, you regress into a state of childhood.

1. Manipulative Mary: These individuals are experts at manipulation tactics.  Is a matter of fact, you may not even realize you have been manipulated until it is too late.  These individuals figure out what your ‘buttons’ are, and push them to get what they want.

Some of these situations, and yes, these people, can have a tremendously negative impact on our lives.  And, although we are all human and have our ‘issues,’ some ‘issues’ are quite frankly, toxic.  They are toxic to our happiness.  They are toxic to our mental outlook.  They are toxic to our self-esteem.  And they are toxic to our lives.  They can suck the life out of us and even shorten our lifespan.

Here are the worst of the toxic personalities out there and how to spot them:

W hy they are toxic: These people have a way of eating away at your belief system and self-esteem.  They find ways to make you do things that you don’t necessarily want to do and before you know it, you lose your sense of identity, your personal priorities and your ability to see the reality of the situation.  The world all of a sudden becomes centered around their needs and their priorities.

2. Narcissistic Nancy: These people have an extreme sense of self-importance and believe that the world revolves around them.  They are often not as sly as the Manipulative Marys of the world, but instead, tend to be a bit overt about getting their needs met.  You often want to say to them “It isn’t always about you.”

• Why they are toxic: They are solely focused on their needs, leaving your needs in the dust.  You are left disappointed and unfulfilled.  Further, they zap your energy by getting you to focus so much on them, that you have nothing left for yourself.

3. Debbie Downers: These people can’t appreciate the positive in life.  If you tell them that it is a beautiful day, they will tell you about the impending dreary forecast.  If you tell them you aced a mid-term, they’ll tell you about how difficult the final is going to be.

• Why they are toxic: They take the joy out of everything.  Your rosy outlook on life continues to get squashed with negativity.  Before you know it, their negativity consumes you and you start looking at things with gray colored glasses yourself.
   

4. Judgmental Jims: When you see things as cute and quirky, they see things as strange and unattractive.  If you find people’s unique perspectives refreshing, they find them ‘wrong’.  If you like someone’s eclectic taste, they find it ‘disturbing’ or ‘bad’.

• Why they are toxic: Judgmental people are much like Debbie Downers.  In a world where freedom rings, judgment is sooo over.  If the world was a homogeneous place, life would be pretty boring.  Spending a lot of time with these types can inadvertently convert you into a judgmental person as well.
• 5. Dream Killing Keiths: Every time you have an idea, these people tell you why you can’t do it.  As you achieve, they try to pull you down.  As you dream, they are the first to tell you it is impossible.

• Why they are toxic: These people are stuck in what is instead of what could be.  Further, these individuals eat away at your self-esteem and your belief in yourself.  Progress and change can only occur from doing new things and innovating, dreaming the impossible and reaching for the stars.

6. Insincere Illissas: You never quite feel that these people are being sincere.  You tell a funny story, they give you a polite laugh.  You feel depressed and sad and they give you a ‘there, there’ type response.  You tell them you are excited about something and you get a very ho-hum response.

Why they are toxic: People who aren’t sincere or genuine build relationships on superficial criteria.  This breeds shallow, meaningless relationships.  When you are really in need of a friend, they won’t be there.  When you really need constructive criticism, they would rather tell you that you are great the way you are.  When you need support, they would rather see you fail or make a fool of yourself.

7. Disrespectful Dannys: These people will say or do things at the most inappropriate times and in the most inappropriate ways.  In essence, they are more subtle, grown up bullies.  Maybe this person is a friend who you confided in and uses your secret against you.  Maybe it is a family memberwho puts their busy-body nose into your affairs when it is none of their business.  Or maybe, it is a colleague who says demeaning things to you.

• Why they are toxic: These people have no sense of boundaries and don’t respect your feelings or, for that matter, your privacy.  These people will cause you to feel frustrated and disrespected.

8. Never Enough Nellies: You can never give enough to these people to make them happy.  They take you for granted and have unrealistic expectations of you.  They find ways to continually fault you and never take responsibility for anything themselves.

Why they are toxic: You will spend so much time trying to please them, that you will end up losing yourself in the process.  They will require all of your time and energy, leaving you worn out and your own needs sacrificed.

All of these personalities have several things in common.  1) the more these people get away with their behavior, the more they will continue.  2) Unfortunately, most of these people don’t see that what they do is wrong and as a result, talking to them about it will fall on deaf ears, leaving you wondering if you are the crazy one.  3) Most of these people get worse with age, making their impact on you stronger with time.

Frankly, life is too short to spend your time dealing with toxicity.  If you can, avoid spending mucho time with people who are indicative of these behaviors and you’ll feel a lot happier. Have you encountered these personalities?  What have you done?  Any personalities you would add?

• by Brett Blumenthal – Sheer Balance,

• Read More from This Author »

 

Related Topics:

• Join the Sheer Balance Community
• Rumble in the Cubicle Jungle: Dealing with Workplace Conflict
• When Work Isn’t Working
• Dealing with Bullies
• 6 Steps to Stop Being Manipulated
• The Price of Not Saying No

For more articles like this, see :

Top 50 Companies to Work for are:

Rank	Company	Job growth	U.S. employees
1	NetApp	12%	5,014
2	Edward Jones	9%	34,496
3	Boston Consulting Group	10%	1,680
4	Google	40%	12,580
5	Wegmans Food Markets	6%	37,195
6	Cisco Systems	7%	37,123
7	Genentech	5%	10,969
8	Methodist Hospital System	1%	10,535
9	Goldman Sachs	2%	14,088
10	Nugget Market	22%	1,536
11	Adobe Systems	9%	4,255
12	Recreational Equipment (REI)	11%	9,780
13	Devon Energy	11%	3,752
14	Robert W. Baird	4%	2,184
15	W. L. Gore & Associates	5%	5,481
16	Qualcomm	19%	11,932
17	Principal Financial Group	-1%	13,343
18	Shared Technologies	12%	1,568
19	OhioHealth	7%	11,858
20	SAS	5%	5,381
21	Arnold & Porter	3%	1,296
22	Whole Foods Market	22%	51,967
23	Zappos.com	39%	1,655
24	Starbucks	-6%	146,700
25	Johnson Financial Group	4%	1,300
26	Aflac	1%	4,493
27	QuikTrip	33%	10,159
28	PCL Construction Enterprises	24%	4,420
29	Quicken Loans	-41%	2,890
30	Bingham McCutchen	-2%	1,605
31	CarMax	14%	16,107
32	Container Store	4%	3,286
33	JM Family Enterprises	-1%	4,577
34	Umpqua Bank	-4%	1,707
35	Kimley-Horn & Associates	-8%	2,190
36	Alston & Bird	7%	1,718
37	TDIndustries	7%	1,713
38	Microsoft	15%	55,237
39	Paychex	5%	12,207
40	EOG Resources	30%	1,803
41	Camden Property Trust	-1%	1,849
42	Plante & Moran	4%	1,558
43	Rackspace Hosting	59%	1,992
44	NuStar Energy	23%	1,319
45	King’s Daughters Medical Cntr.	4%	3,041
46	American Fidelity Assurance	10%	1,509
47	DreamWorks Animation SKG	18%	1,614
48	Mattel	N.A.%	5,552
49	Intuit	0%	7,637
50	Burns & McDonnell	16%	2,840

Want to see the others? Visit FORTUNE

9 Secrets to Getting the Job You Really Want

Interviewing for a job is a very stressful and difficult process — made more intense today because so many companies are reducing their workforce, thus increasing the number of applicants for a shrinking number of jobs. The competition for available jobs is fierce. Yet, you can beat the competition and actually get hired in the job you really want. Here are nine secrets to consider.

1. Discover what you really want out of your work and life. Discover your true passions, desires, beliefs, and talents so that you can paint a picture of your true work and life goals, from your own perspective.

2. Develop and define the job you really want.That’s right! Design and define the job that will allow you to fulfill your passions, desires, and beliefs and maximize your talents. What you are doing is building your ideal job around what you want as opposed to looking at job opportunities that come along to evaluate. Believe it or not, your ideal job actually exits in more than one way and within the personal parameters you set.

3. Find out what companies have positions that meet your ideal position requirements. Look at and research all of the possible companies within the geographical area you designated to discover what positions within these companies you would want. Do not worry about whether they have job vacancies or are in a hiring mode.

4. Evaluate the companies that have your desired jobs. Make sure you would want to work for the companies that have your ideal jobs. They need to have integrity and treat their employees and customers in the manner you would want to be treated. Determine whether they operate in an industry that you want to work in.

5. Research the companies you selected. Once again, do not be put off or discouraged if the companies are not hiring. Why? Because companies are always looking for the right employees and will have to eventually hire new employees to survive. Determine who actually makes hiring decisions, and what is important to them. Many companies disguise this information through HR departments or hiring committees. If possible, try to find out how you can contact hiring decision-makers directly. Get their e-mail addresses, direct telephone numbers, or find someone in the company who can be a liaison for you.

6. Contact the decision-makers and tell them you want to work for them in the specific jobs you chose. Express your enthusiasm for that specific job or jobs. The fewer jobs you designate the better. You want them to know you can be trusted by truthfully exposing your commitment to seeking your dream job, even though they may not have an opening. You are, in essence, recruiting them to work in your dream job. Let them know that you will be very productive because you will excel at the job, and also that you will be a very grateful and energetic employee because you are doing what you love. You are not just asking for a job so they will pay you, but you have targeted a specific job at that company, and you are committed to contributing in that position.

7. Ask them if there are any special skills or qualifications you will need to be accepted in the position. If you do not have the sought-after skills and qualifications for the job, either find a way to get them beforehand or see if you can attain them within the company as an employee. This approach directs attention to what the employer wants and away from your resume compared to others’ resumes. It will also show them your commitment to attaining that job. Stay in contact to alert employers of your new skills, qualifications, and continued interest.

8. If necessary, be willing to take an interim job. This way you can work on the required skills and qualifications, and you can obtain an income while you prepare for the job. You will also be in a better position to take your dream job when it becomes available.

9. Get support from somebody during the process. Some of the secret steps discussed above will probably appear to be daunting to you, which is to be expected. Enlist the help of another person to discuss all of the above steps and to map out the best strategy to get your ideal job. This person should be a trusted and strong supporter of your goal, as well as someone who will offer you another perspective to assist in the execution of your plan. Getting your ideal job is an extremely important objective, and it is worth enlisting the help of someone to actually get it.

Final Thoughts
Employers constantly face the problem of finding and surrounding themselves with the right employees who want to work for them, whom they can trust, and who will be very productive with the least amount of supervision. You will definitely get their attention, when you recruit employers for the specific job you chose, because of your honesty, your commitment, your enthusiasm, and your desire to produce for them. In fact, you may even appear to be too good to be true. Many times the people who are filling the jobs that you want are not happy in the position. They are not producing or are causing other problems for the employers. Your request for employment for these specific jobs will give employers an option that they only dream about.

Source:

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker’s Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.

Bill Dueease is a business coach who is the president The Coach Connection (TCC), which he co-founded in May 2001, to assist people to achieve their greatest results from life and careercoaching.  Bill’s educational articles on career and business coaching solutions have been published more than 97 times throughout the US and Canada, by 71+ magazines and periodicals. Bill can be reached at The Coach Connection or via e-mail at bill@findyourcoach.com.

Tips on How to Write an Effective Cover Letter for a Job Application

Here’s How:

1. Take the time to write a targeted cover letter for each employer. This means customizing each cover letter you write, so it specifically relates your skills to the job you are applying for:
   how to write targeted cover letters
2. State why you are writing, indicating your interest in the job:
   what to include in your cover letter
3. State where you learned of the position and the title of the position you are applying for. This way the person reading your cover letter will know which job you are interested in.
4. Explain the reasons for your interest in the organization. Let the cover letter reviewer know why you are interested in the company.
5. Express your enthusiasm for the job.
6. Identify your most relevant skills and experiences. Don’t just duplicate your resume. Rather, include the skills that most match the job.
7. Refer to the qualifications for the position and illustrate how your abilities relate.
8. Communicate your interest, motivation, and strengths.
9. Emphasize your achievements.
10. Indicate how you will follow-up, typically with a phone call or an email. Thank the company for their consideration.
11. Review sample cover letters: cover letter samples

Tips:

1. Avoid cliches and meaningless or wordy expressions.
2. Your cover letter should complement, not duplicate your resume.
3. Your cover letter is often the first contact with an employer, make sure it creates a good impression.
4. Take the time to target your cover letter to the job you are applying for.

What You Need:

• Word processing software
• Spell checker and grammar checker
• Cover letter samples to review

More Job Searching How To’s

Suggested Reading

Writing Effective Cover LettersCover Letters SamplesResumes and Cover Letters

Related Articles

• Sample Targeted Resume Cover Letter
• Write a Resume Cover Letter
• Targeted Cover Letters – Writing Targeted Cover Letters
• Cover Letters – How to Write a Cover Letter
• 5 Tips for Writing an Effective Cover Letter

Tips by: 

Alison Doyle

• Sign up for her Newsletter

• Her Blog

10 Things That You Should Never Ever Say During a Job Interview

Job interviews can be tough. You spend hours getting ready, make sure to look your best, and feel like you’re ready to take on any question. Unfortunately, with one little slip of the tongue, all your hard work can be undone. If you say any of these 10 things in a job interview, you’re guaranteed to NOT get the job – so don’t even let them cross your mind.

In a job interview, never say…

1. “Your wife/husband/daughter/dog is smokin’ hot!”
   It doesn’t matter if the person has a photo on their desk of the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen. Comments about appearance during a job interview are a no-no. Just imagine if someone said that about your significant other – or worse still, your mom. Avoid this at all costs.
2. “Dude” or “bro.”
   The person interviewing you is not your friend, no matter how friendly they seem. Using slang during an interview not only shows that you’re not taking the interview seriously but can also give the impression that you’re not intelligent enough to use real words. The only exception might be if you interview with MTV for a VJ job. Other than that, lose the slang and address people by their names.
3. “I was fired because management was intimidated by how good I am. They’re really stupid there.”
   This is a huge red flag to interviewers. Who would want to hire someone who’s only going to badmouth the company and management later? It’s a defensive statement, even if it is true. Never, ever talk poorly about someone you worked for. Instead, just say “It didn’t work out at that company, but I learned some valuable lessons that will help me in my next job.”
4.  “Excuse me; I have to take this phone call.” 
   No you don’t. As a matter of fact, you shouldn’t even have your cell phone with you in an interview – you’re here to get a job, not hang out and talk on the phone. Leave it in the car or at home. If you really feel like you might die without it, at least silence, hide and ignore it.

5. “I didn’t know you sold clothes.” 
Then why did you apply? If you have no idea what a company does, then you shouldn’t be working there. Do your research before the job interview – find out a bit about the history of the company, what their mission is and who their competitors are. A simple Google search should bring all of this up for you fairly quickly.

6. “Did you hear the one about the rabbi, the priest and the exotic dancer?”
Yowza. Not only is it strange to tell jokes in an interview, it’s even worse to tell inappropriate jokes in an interview. Stay away from topics like religion and sex, and try not to tell jokes that aren’t relevant to the interview. This is not to say you can’t be funny – your personality should shine through. Just remember you’re here to get a job, not practice your stand-up routine.

7. “Whatever. It’s not like you’re going to hire me.”
If you wouldn’t hire yourself, why would anyone else? Even if you don’t think you have a shot at this job, give the interview all you’ve got. A little personality can go a long way and you might just surprise yourself. More than one job has been won because of a person’s upbeat attitude.

8. “4.20 is a holiday here, right?”
You know why this is wrong, right? Don’t discuss illegal activities during a job interview – even if you are just joking. This can land you in a ton of trouble.

9. “I’m living with my mom right now because I’m going through a messy divorce.” 
Personal information is just that – personal. If you need to explain gaps in employment history or any other touchy topic that could affect your employment, keep it simple. “I was out of work for a while because I had some personal issues I was dealing with.” An interviewer doesn’t need to know your life story.

10. “Sorry I’m late. I just hate getting up before noon.”
Don’t be late. Short of an accident, there is no excuse for being late to a job interview – especially oversleeping. Interviewers will notice, will be annoyed, and will assume that since you can’t even make it to an interview on time, you definitely won’t be making it to work on time.

Do you have a list of other things not to say? Please share it with us.

Source:

Get the Interview

Be Proactive Before and After You Send Your CV

You find a promising job listing online. Excited, you send a well-crafted cover letter and CV and wait for a response. Six weeks later, you’re still waiting, your enthusiasm has waned, and you’ve concluded your CV has fallen into a black hole.

A proactive approach to your job search can improve your chances of landing interviews. These six tips will help maximize your success.

Make Contact Before Sending Your CV
Unless you’re responding to an ad that requests “no phone calls,” try to contact the hiring manager before you send your CV. Even if you don’t know the name of the person handling the search, you can do a bit of investigation to locate the correct person, if you know the employer.

Once you get the person on the phone, be brief. The purpose of your call is to express enthusiasm about the opportunity, and that you can positively contribute to the team. Be prepared with a short pitch about your qualifications and the ways you could benefit the employer. Keep the focus on the employer, not you.

If you don’t get to speak with the hiring manager, find out who the recruiter is in charge of hiring for the position as well as the correct spelling of his name.

End Your Cover Letter with a Promise of Action
Conclude your letter with something like, “I will follow up with you in a few days to discuss the possibility of an interview. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me at ______.” If you say you will follow up, make sure you do.

Follow Up Quickly on All CVs You Send
Follow up within three to five business days. You can follow up by phone, or by email if replying to a blind ad or the ad specifies no calls.

When following up by phone, try saying something like, “Hi, my name is ______ and I submitted my CV for your ______ opening. I’m extremely interested in this opportunity, and I just wanted to touch base with you on how I can benefit your operation…”

If you are following up by email, your message should be brief. Here’s an example:

Dear Name (or “Hiring Manager” if name is unknown):
I recently applied for your ______ opening, and I just wanted to follow up to make sure my CV was received. My strong background in ______, ______ and ______ appears to be an excellent match to the qualifications you are seeking, and I am very interested in your opportunity. I realise you may not yet be at the interview stage, but I am more than happy to answer any preliminary questions you may have, and I can be reached at ______. Thank you for your time and kind consideration.
Sincerely,
_______

Be Purposeful in Your Subsequent Follow-Up Contacts
If several weeks pass after your initial follow-up without word from the employer, initiate another call or email. Your purpose for following up could be to find out if a timeline has been established for interviews or to leave an alternate contact number if you will be travelling. As always, be polite, professional and respectful.

Keep a Contact Log
Your follow-up attempts will be much easier if you keep a contact log of all positions to which you apply. Your log should include a copy of the ad for the position (don’t rely on a job posting URL, as jobs can be removed from the Web), the file name of the CV and cover letter you sent, contact dates, names of hiring managers and a summary of information you gleaned during your contact with them.

Don’t Be a Pest
Repeated follow-ups are tricky. Unless you are confident that you can walk the fine line between being persistent and becoming a pest, exercise restraint after your third or fourth follow-up contact. Don’t give up hope if your follow-up efforts don’t yield immediate results. Depending on the employer, industry, specific job and number of responses, the time between the application closing date and the day interview invitations are issued can be as long as several months.

by Kim Isaacs

How to Prepare for an Interview and Succeed: 8 Steps

Having a great interview is often to crucial to getting into a school or getting a job or internship. Be prepared for anything!

1. Step 1

   Look the part. If you are applying for a desk job, wear what you would wear to work. For a more casual position, it’s ok to look more casual, but generally it’s better to look overdressed than underdressed. Short skirts, overly high heels, flashy makeup, pale jeans, and anything really tacky or dated is generally a no.

2. Step 2

   Be over-prepared rather than under-prepared. Bring not only a resume, but recommendation letters if you have them and writing samples.

3. Step 3

   Make sure you have considered you answers to popular interview questions like why are you good for this job? Why do you want this position? Why did you quit your last job? Describe yourself in 3 words, what is the last book you read? etc.

4. Step 4

   Interviewers like to ask if you have a question for them. Be careful with this, especially if it is your prospective boss, but be a little more inventive or up-front if it is only a college alumni. Don’t ever say no.

5. Step 5

   Don’t commit major faux-pas like asking how long lunch break is or when you can start taking vacations. Additionally, don’t insult former bosses or coworkers, as this will give you a bad image right off the bat.

6. Step 6

   Shake hands and always be polite and professional. And don’t shake like a limp fish. Be firm but not like you are having a strength contest. Avoid “like” and “um.” Look your interviewer in the eye and don’t be afraid to smile.

7. Step 7

   Don’t fidget, be sarcastic or self-deprecating. The interviewer is not your friend, so don’t slouch. In addition, no lying. Say you don’t know if you don’t know, don’t make something up!

8. Step 8

   Bring up experiences or stories that show why you would be good for the job or how you represent the values of the company.                       By Shamrockcon, eHow Member

10 Dumbest Resume and Interview Blunders

Having trouble finding a new job? Cheer up. When it comes to resumes, a new survey reveals just how clueless some of your competition is.

You’ve worked hard on your resume, trying to squeeze all your experience in and make yourself stand out from the crowd, and chances are you’ve done a pretty good job. But even if your resume isn’t perfect, it’s unlikely to include any real howlers.

Not everybody can say that. Job site CareerBuilders.com recently asked pollsters Harris Interactive to survey hiring managers and find out the wackiest resume items they’ve seen lately. Out of 2,627 responses, here are the top ten:

 job candidate…

1. … attached a letter from her mother.

2. … used pale blue paper with teddy bears printed around the border.

3. … explained a three-month gap in employment by saying that he was getting over the death of his cat.

4. … specified that his availability to work Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays is limited because the weekends are “drinking time.”

5. … included a picture of herself in a cheerleading uniform.

6. … drew a picture of a car on the outside of the envelope and said the car would be a gift to the hiring manager.

7. … listed hobbies that included sitting on a levee at night watching alligators.

8. … mentioned the fact that her sister had once won a strawberry-eating contest.

9. … stated that he works well in the nude.

10. … explained an arrest record by stating, “We stole a pig, but it was a really small pig.”

Feel better now?

What’s the dumbest resume mistake you’ve seen? Or, eek, committed? Post your thoughts here or on the Ask Annie blog. 

Annie

By Anne Fisher, Fortune senior writer

Sign up for the Ask Annie e-mail newsletter

—————————————-

10 dumbest job-interview moves

Don’t bring mom to the job interview, warns Fortune’s Anne Fisher. Here are some of the goofiest things job seekers have done when meeting hiring managers.

Even in a relatively strong job market, it can be tough to make yourself stand out from the competition. So it seems some job hunters these days are resorting to, um, innovative (or is that desperate?) ways of making sure their interviews are unique and memorable.

In a poll of hiring managers a few weeks ago, Accountemps (www.accountemps.com), a worldwide accounting-and-finance staffing firm based in Menlo Park, Calif., asked them, “What is the wackiest or most unusual pitch you’ve heard from a job seeker about why he or she should get the job?”

Here are the top ten:

The job hunter…

1. “…told me to hire him because he was allergic to unemployment.”

2. “… said that we should hire him because he would make a great addition to our softball team.”

Job Interview

3. “…said he should get the job because he had already applied three times and he felt that it was now his turn to be hired.”

4. “…said we had nice benefits, which was good because he was going to have to take a lot of leave in the coming year.”

5. “… drafted a press release announcing that we had hired him.”

6. “… explained that he had no relevant experience for the job he was interviewing for, but his friend did.”

7. “… delivered his entire cover letter in the form of a rap song.”

8. “…told me she wanted the position because she wanted to get away from working with people.”

9. “…brought his mother to the interview and let her do all the talking.”

10. “…when our company moved to Texas, gave us his resume in a ten-gallon hat.”

What’s the biggest mistake you ever seen someone make – or (gulp) maybe even made yourself – in a job interview? Post your thoughts here or on the Ask Annie blog! 

By Anne Fisher, Fortune senior writer

Sign up for the Ask Annie e-mail newsletter

How to get the Interview: Unconventional Getting the Interview Techniques

Most job hunters use conventional methods for obtaining interviews. Unless you use unconventional getting the interview techniques, you will have to stand in line for a chance to meet the hiring manager. You can distinguish your CV and application from other candidates by following these unconventional getting the interview techniques.

• Expressive method

This is a targeted method and not meant for those who are shy. You contact the hiring manager and ask whether he would rather meet on Wednesday or earlier in the week for an interview. Another method to follow is to give a time frame, for instance, telling the interviewer that you will be in the vicinity during the next week and would like to make use of the opportunity to hand deliver your CV.

If you indicate how you can benefit the company and that a trusted source referred you, you stand an even better chance for getting the interview. If you fail to impress the person, you may fall back on enquiring if he knows about another department in the enterprise that may have a need for an employee with your qualifications, experience and skills.

• Less expressive method

If you feel direct unconventional getting the interview techniques are a bit too aggressive, you may consider a similar but more subtle approach. With this technique you still enquire about possible openings without directly asking for an interview.

You contact the recruiting manager and ask whether he be may interested in a discussion on how you can benefit his department or perhaps have knowledge of another manager at the company who has a need for an employee with your skills. If the person shows interest, you casually state that it is a coincidence. The odds are now in your favor. Instead of you being on the requesting side, you now find that you are in demand.

Now is the time to state your main skills and benefits to the employer. Your skills, experience and qualifications must match the company’s particular needs. The drawback with this method is that the manager can get of the hook fairly easily. If there is no person within his company who may need your skills, ask if he perhaps knows about other companies that can benefit from your services. Don’t hang up without offering to deliver or fax your CV. Once you have done that, you can call to follow up.

• Take the lead

Don’t give the person the opportunity to say no. Once you have stated your background and purpose in short with a clear indication of how you can benefit the company, move on to the next step of getting a set date for an interview. If you ask if you can perhaps meet for an interview, you may get a no, but if you ask when would suit you best for an interview and give the person a choice of for instance Monday or Thursday morning, the person is more likely to respond with a positive answer.

If the person still refuses, you can indicate that you know that his time is valuable, but you will only take up ten minutes and show how it will be benefit the company. Indicate that you are willing to compromise on time and a place to fit in with the person’s schedule. End your request with a statement such as ‘Reasonable for you?’ or ‘That is reasonable, do you agree?’ Since nobody likes to be called unreasonable or sound unreasonable, you are likely to get the interview.

• Show respect for the manager’s time

Most managers are busy, but if you state that you will not even take more than fifteen minutes of the hiring manager’s time, it shows that you care about his work schedule. Mention that you will explain how you will be able to increase the sales, production, or motivate his staff, within ten minutes. When an interview is granted, show that you regard his time as valuable by staying within the time frame that you promised. Focus on the specific issues and outcomes. By doing this, you prove that you keep your word, are able to get straight to the point and make a good impression in a short time span.

Hand your CV and contact card to the person, should he want more information. You should make use of the opportunity to expand on your ideas and possible benefits to the company if he asks you for more information during your visit. Make the most of it by following up within two days.

Should the manager still be too busy to grant an interview, you can suggest a discussion over lunch or breakfast, as a token of your appreciation for his busy schedule. He will listen to you during lunch since you are paying.

• Use knowledge about the company

One of the best unconventional getting the interview techniques is to use suggestions for improvement to get a meeting. Do your research. Find a list of the company’s products and services from their website, annual report and marketing materials. The annual report is the ideal source for finding information of their short and long term plans. Use the knowledge to come up with a solution to their problems or to show how you can help them reach their goals. You don’t have to call the hiring manager for this. You can pass your suggestion on to one of their key employees and call to set up a meeting for the discussion of the solution or suggestion. Once you get the meeting, you can indicate your availability for employment or mention that you would love to participate in the project or process for improvement.

Areas that you can target for improvement include suggestions on how to improve the advertising, sales, increase customer satisfaction or enhance their image, product changes, and suggestions for a new product or service line etc. This approach not only demonstrates that you have initiative and that you care about the specific company, but also gets in you in a position for an informal interview.

Even though these unconventional getting the interview techniques may sound aggressive, they are sure fire methods for getting the hiring manager’s positive attention.

When you find it difficult to get the interview, you can revert to one of the following unconventional methods:

• Limit the offer period

Call the hiring manager and state that you will be in town during the next week and would like to schedule a meeting. To make sure you get the interview, you can end your request with two alternative dates for the meeting

• Schedule several interviews

Schedule more than one interview in the same area over a certain period. If the hiring manager is still reluctant to schedule a meeting, you can mention that you have an interview with their competition on for example, Tuesday, and will have Wednesday open for an interview. Name the competition. Since the manager wouldn’t want to lose a potential beneficial employee to his competition, he may grant the meeting. Apart from this, employers want people who are in demand. It will sound like you are the flavour of the month and he wouldn’t let the opportunity pass to hire you.

• Combine time limit and demand

Once the manager knows that you will only be available for the next week and it is clear that you may get hired by the competition, you can mention that you would rather see him now, since your trip has already been paid. Companies try to keep their costs down and would prefer not to have to pay for another trip.

When you get the interview, you should also set up other interviews. This way you cut down on costs, time spent on interviewing, and at the same time broadens your job prospects.

• What happens when the manager says that you should just send your CV to him?

You can bypass this response by stating that since you will be in the area, you will gladly hand deliver the CV or even fax it. Point out that you appreciate his time and understand his tremendous workload. You are therefore willing to make it easier by making sure that he receives it in person. You have then changed an obstacle to an opportunity for a quick personal meeting with the hiring manager.

• When distance is an issue

You may not always be in a position to hand deliver your CV, but then you can make use of modern day technology such as fax and emailing. Most faxes are seen as priority mail and normally reach the right person. Call the hiring manager to say that you will be faxing your CV and will call to hear if he received it. He will keep it close by since he wouldn’t want to be caught off guard. Other applications may all still be in one pile, but yours will get priority. Do follow up and use the moment to provide your background and possible contribution to the company.

• Three more unconventional methods to help you get the interview

1. Since so many applicants make use of templates and general CV’s, your CV will stand out if you customize or write it specifically for a particular industry or company. With this method you focus on their requirements, style, and culture.
2. You can add the enterprise logo as a watermark to your CV. It will definitely impress them and show that you are willing to go the extra mile for their enterprise.
3. If you are particularly interested in working for a certain company, you can also indicate it by mentioning their name in the objective part of the CV, for example: ‘Marketing Manager Opening at Siemens’.

By using slightly unconventional methods to get the interview, you set your application apart from the hundreds of other more traditional methods to get the interview. You will be noticed and get the opportunity to meet with the relevant person.

Courtesy:

10 Easy Things to Do Now to Make More Money Later

You can’t get rich quick, but follow these ten proven steps to success today and you will find wealth sooner than you think. It’s working for me, and it can work for you.

1. Get Involved

The more things you do, the more people you know. The more people you know, the more opportunities you’ll get. Whether it’s volunteering on the weekends, joining a club, or going to church; make new connections everyday. Websites like Meetup and Craigslist make it easy to meet people online for offline activities.

2. Get Competitive

Competitive people earn more money. College athletes often attribute career success to sports. Not athletic? It’s being part of a team and chasing the win that counts. A pool or bowling league, competitive comedy troupe, or chess club are all options for the non-athlete.

3. Set Goals

Haven’t learned the power of goal setting yet? Take time to write down where you want to be in a month, one year, five years, and twenty years. Write financial goals, physical goals, career goals, and personal goals. Dream big and work backwards to determine what’s needed to accomplish your goals. Write goals down and review them often–every day if possible.

4. Learn Names, Give Compliments

Dale Carnegie’s primer on success, How to Win Friends and Influence People, has been a bestseller since the 1930s. Its premise? Learn everybody’s name, use it often, and give people praise; you will not only have boundless friendship, but enduring success. If you’re shy like me these simple habits take daily practice, but the benefits are immediate.

5. Rise Early

Ben Franklin summed it up: “Early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”. Not only will your body be at its biological best, extra hours in the morning give you time to accomplish more. If you’re like me and need help with this one, check out Steve Pavlina’s great article on becoming an early riser.

6. Hold Your Liquor

Not only does moderate alcohol consumption have health benefits, beer can better your career. Drinkers earn more because they’re more likely to make connections outside of work. But moderation matters; don’t get plastered in public. Limiting yourself is healthy and sophisticated.

7. Live Debt Free

If you can’t get ahead of your debt, you won’t get ahead in life. Make learning to live debt free your number one priority.

8. Think Positive

Attitude isn’t everything; the right attitude is everything. Don’t see obstacles, see challenges. Ignore the little worries and embrace the big ones. Do this everyday and not only will people notice; they’ll reward you.

9. Be Giving

Nobody is successful alone, but do not expect others to just give you what you need. Share your knowledge, your time, and your money with others and you’ll get the help you need. And just as you can’t be successful without giving; you can’t enjoy success without giving. Share your wealth everyday.

10. Don’t Be Good

Be great at everything you do. Whether you mop floors, stock shelves, or consult for Fortune 500 companies, do your job better than the day before and do it better than anybody else. But don’t let greatness stop at work. Let greatness into every minute of your day, whether you’re cooking dinner, visiting with family, or making your bed. It’s easy to do a good job; success finds those who do a great job.

Article by David Weliver.

For more articles like this, have a look here.

10 Things that Scream, “Don’t Hire Me!”

Not sure if you’re unknowingly blowing your chances at scoring your dream job? Here are 10 red flags to be wary of during your next job hunt.

• 1 No Contact Info
• 2 Job Gaps
• 3 Not Ready
• 4 References
• 5 Bad Talk
• 6 Different Jobs
• 7 Answers
• 8 Flexibility
• 9 Lazy
• 10 Ambition

———————

• 11 Other Links

Image 1 of 11

contact info

(Photos.com)

1. You don’t have any contact information on your résuméWhen you’re crafting your résumé, you should focus on highlighting relevant skills and accomplishments that are in line with the position for which you are applying. But what good is an impressive résumé if hiring managers have no way to get in touch with its owner? If they can’t find you, they can’t hire you. Always provide a home address, phone number or e-mail address so employers can get in touch with you easily.

Source:

Ace the Job Interview:Land the Job with these Interview Tips

In our competitive job market, job seekers need all the help they can get just to get their foot in the door. Stand out of the crowd with EasyJob Resume Builder and our interviewing tips. All job seekers should know what hiring managers want to hear during interviews.

1. Job Interview Tips

• Job interview tips for senior job-seekers.
• Interviewing tips: before going to a job interview.
• Interview tips: what to do during the job interview. Tips and guidance.
• Killer Interview Secrets: Remarkable Job Interview System that helps you get your Dream Job.
• Guide to Job Interview Answers: The Best Job Interview Guide on the Net.
• Interview Questions and Answers Titles for over 200 different jobs.

2. Job Search and Career Tips

• How much are you worth? Find out the top paying salaries!
• Being unemployed can be particularly stressful. Learn how to successfully deal with unemployment.
• If you are a job seeker, we have bad news, good news and… great news for YOU!
• Just fired? Learn how and when to start your job search.
• What are the most efficient job search strategies?
• Don’t be afraid of networking.
• Make out the most of online job banks, resume posting and online job fairs.
• Should I use the services of a headhunter?
• What is the hidden job market and how can it help me find a job?

3. Career Tests for Personal and Professional Development

Are you a student, recent graduate, Job seeker, employee / professional or you simply wish to have an assessment of your professional and personal orientation? Our suggested Career Tests help you to define the career path that best suits you. Know Thyself!

• Career Orientation Test – Discover the career that you are made for! This professional assessment tool helps you to define the career path that best suits you and is recommended for students, young graduates, job seekers, etc…, and every individual who wishes to define his professional and personal objectives.
• FREE IQ Test – Calculate your Intelligence Quotient for FREE!
• Are you a Leader? – Management Skills Test: Know your strengths, weaknesses and qualities as a Manager, entrepreneur or leader …
• Recruitment Personality Test - This psychometric test lets you simulate a real hiring situation.
• Professional Profile Test – A test crucial for improving your life’s situation and career.
  
  
• Evaluate your Emotional Intelligence - The EQ Test helps you understand yourself better and teaches how to work with your emotions…
  
  
• Are you a good marketer or a brilliant sales person? – Marketing Skills Test.
  
  
• General Knowledge Test - What distinguishes you from the pack is this additional dimension, i.e. your “General Knowledge”.

• See ALL Tests

4. Career and Job Interviewing Related Links

• The Successful Job-Seeker: an exclusive eBook that covers all the aspects of job interviewing and job search.
• EasyJob creates the winning resume and attention getting cover letter that you will need to land a job interview.
• Anonymous Employee: Anonymous Employee provides you with the option of anonymous communication. For employees who require advanced features that go beyond communication, Anonymous Employee offers services such as mediation, legal advice, problem diagnosis.

5. Other Career Resources

• JobFish: Manages all aspects of your search for new employment. It’s like having your own personal secretary. Extract job postings from job boards with a single click.
• Accounting Jobs at CareerBank.com: Accounting Jobs at CareerBank.com is the leading online job resource for accounting, banking, and finance professionals.
• IceJobs: Recruitment and HR consultants based in Mumbai,India offering free career guidance advice, dream job opportunities and directory containing information of the best employers.
• AllStarJobs.com – Links to over 40,000 local employers, employment agencies, job banks & career resources in over 1200 cities across the USA.
• Bernard Haldane Associates:More than 50 years of experience helping clients re-evaluate, reshape and rejuvenate their careers.
• Dezignaré: The Worldwide Guide for Interior Design.
• Placement USA: Placement USA – Post resumes and search for jobs using the placementusa.com internet job board search engine.
• Now-Hiring.ca: Canadian Job Board.
• Jobs In Calgary:Jobs In Calgary and Alberta
• Employment for physicians: Find Physician employment at employmentforphysicians.com in various specialities including, cardiology jobs, anesthesiology jobs, internal medicine jobs, plastic surgery jobs.
• Your best career Get the job of your dreams by lerning how to writ an impressive and effective resume, how to find a satisfying job by Choosing your best career & Interview Tips,jobs,jobs search,career builder,career search,employment. Article and resources by:

7 Ways to Be Happier at Work

Why are we so unhappy? Let’s start by looking at the origin of the word. Happy is derived from the Icelandic word happ, meaning luck or chance. Is happiness then, by its very definition, elusive due its randomness? Nassim Taleb certainly thinks so, as he expressed in his bestselling book Fooled by Randomness. But this is clearly not the case for the top 10 happiest countries.

In his book, The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living, the Dalai Lama — arguably a very wise and happy man — suggests that true happiness can be attained only by training the mind. So much for Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert’s notion of Stumbling on Happiness (despite the title, he too argues that we can train our minds to be happier). With that in mind, here are a number of suggestions that I hope can turn our collective frowns upside-down:

1. Smile. Turns out, smiling is directly linked to happiness. It may have started as a correlation but, over time, the brain linked the two. Don’t believe me? Try this: smile (a nice big smile) and attempt to think of something negative. Either you will stop smiling or you won’t be able to hold the negative thought.

2. Stop worrying. Worrying happens to be one of humanity’s best traits. It is the underlying emotion behind foresight, planning, and forecasting. We worry because some future event is uncertain and that feeling is a cue for us to start thinking about how to address it. The problem is, we worry too much about things that are out of our control (like the economy, stupid). The US has one of the highest rates for mental disease and yes, worry is among the leading indicators. While it’s true that there are plenty of things to worry about these days, take a deep breath, America, and stop sweating the small stuff.

3. Take a break. The US is one of the most overworked industrialized nations. But this is counterproductive for a nation of “knowledge workers.” Overworking people to exhaustion is a horrible way to extract knowledge from people. Taking a break provides an opportunity to reflect and often it is during such times when the best ideas, our deepest insights, emerge. I insist on taking lunches out of the office; I insist that my colleagues do the same. Call it a siesta, naptime, or a mini-vacation. It works for many of the happier nations too.

4. Do things differently. Part of the problem at work for many people is boredom. We are stuck in a rut where we come in and do the same thing over and over and over again. Get your enthusiasm back by doing things differently. Make every effort to learn, to grow, and to challenge yourself. Take on more responsibility or attempt something you never thought you were capable of doing. Even if your responsibilities don’t allow for much flexibility, try a different approach to your existing responsibilities.

5. Stop managing and start leading. If you’re in management, you need to find ways to motivate and stimulate your employees. How? Stretch their minds. Empower your team by giving them more responsibility, more decision-making power, more autonomy. Equally important: be inclusive. Explain what is happening in the company as a whole and give your employees a broader perspective on how their jobs influence the overall business.

6. Delegate. One of the most destructive and counterproductive byproducts of the downsizing era is fear — many managers are scared to let go of control for fear that doing so will make them obsolete. I have news for you: if you feel that way, you already are obsolete. Being controlling is bad for business, not to mention bad for your physical and mental health. The best leaders always look for people better, smarter, and more capable than themselves.

7. Have fun. Here is some tough advice: If you don’t like what you are doing, stop doing it. Life is too short to not have fun. I love what I do and when I stop loving it, I do something else. Even in this economy, you will be in high demand if you are good at what you do — and can do it with a smile on your face.

What are your tips for being happier at work?

Article by Jeffrey M. Stibel. Jeff is an entrepreneur and brain scientist. He studied business and brain science at MIT Sloan and Brown University, where he was a brain and behavior fellow. Stibel has authored numerous academic and business articles on a variety of subjects and is the named inventor on the US patent for search engine interfaces. He is currently President of Web.com (NASDAQ: WWWW) and serves on academic Boards for Tufts and Brown University, as well as the Board of Directors for a number of public and private companies.

Source: Harvard Business Publishing

Want a Job? Stand Out – Create a Web CV

Let’s face it, there is the credit crunch, combine it with employers Googling potential candidates, the incursion of My Space, the invasion of Facebook by recruiters etc., so what’s a job seeker to do?

You have to ensure that you stay ahead of the game. To do this, you have to differentiate your self by having more than just a paper CV. In this day and age of Web 2.0, some employers want something techy. Getting a professional online identity or. your own online Career portfolio is a new path for students to market themselves, their skills and get hired. Your professional online identity includes your blog, articles, portfolio, online resume and even testimonials.

Believe it or not, about 80% of recruiters use search engines to check out prospective employees, and 40% eliminate candidates based on the results. Think about it, what are recruiters going to find when they Google you? So, Google yourself first and see what comes up. If it is not clean or good, then, clean up your online image first if you are seeking employment.

Here are the top 5 reasons you need a Web CV or an online portfolio:

1. It is easy to Google – Recruiters Google every day for an inside look at the next generation of eager potential employers, and they’re influenced by what they read or see. Let your professional CV be what recruiters see first.
2. Stand out from the crowd. Get noticed and build a professional online page with a portfolio and custom url in your web signature to boost your credibility when sending out your job application.
3. Networking on the web – Social networking may help you find friends, but it is your professional networking that’ll help you find your next gig. Marketing yourself as an employable, career-minded individual means maintaining professional visibility and transparency online to build those career-friendly relationships.
4. Recruiters are looking for you – The game of sending out dozens of CVs and watching paint dry as you wait by the phone has hit a new low level. Web 2.0-flashy recruiters are on the prowl to purge non-professionalism from their applicant pool, and transparency is key. If you’re not listed online you can’t be found. It’s that simple!
5. The current economy – The scare of a nationwide recession simply means you need to be more aggressive about marketing yourself. As an employer’s stack of CVs grows, you need a way to jump off the page in less than 15 seconds. A url on your CV automatically buys you more of a recruiter’s attention span

If you like this post, please don’t forget to share or save:

Thanks,

Catherine

Want a Job? See These 20 Tips

1. Whatever you do in looking for a job, always focus on securing an interview first and foremost. People hire people, almost always from one to one or face to face interviews. Nothing else matters nearly as much. Make this a number one priority.
2. You are probably asking how – Prepare a great cover letter that sells and a customized or targeted resume or CV for each position you apply for. Ensure that you make yourself that company’s missing puzzle piece and that you will fit right in at the interview.
3. Ask yourself these questions: “What can I contribute to the company and why should they hire me?” “How will I contribute my skills to get results for them?” Trust me, this is music to your employer’s ears and this involves more productivity, saving costs, retaining customers and increasing efficiency.
4. Always seek professional help on the documents that determine whether your career will stay afloat or get stuck below. Some skills are a niche market, be sure to investigate the most desired skills for the job of your dreams.
5. Always seize the opportunity to network. “It is not what you know but who you know.” In your circle of friends and associates who might know somebody who knows somebody else that owns a company or hiring? Imagine who you could rub elbows with at a party or any other event. These connections are the magic beans that great jobs sprout from. Sharing and caring about your neighbour is also what makes a community great. Get out there and be part of it. Join a group, association or join LinkedIn and other networking sites.
6. The competition is fierce out there now. Depending on the medium the average, job listing gets 70-120 CVs.  Guess what, it is actually twice as effective just going directly to the employer and getting the interview before they place an ad? Less competition of course. A compelling cover letter is exactly what opens doors.
7. Have your references updated and contact info verified. Also, it is vital to check and see what your past employers are saying about you.
8. Target high growth industries and careers where there are shortages of skilled workers. Your passions or desire for career stability may lead you in a new exciting direction. Look up Fastest Growing Careers on all search engines. By focusing on flourishing industries and careers you may be pleasantly surprised to find they value and appreciate your skills more.
9. Analyze why it is that you are still without a job is. Which area is your weak point? Getting interviews, sending out great cover letters and CVs, or is it the interview themselves – sit with a career counsellor to focus on your area of weakness with you.
10. Getting hired for a temporary job while you are looking often times may lead to a permanent position directly or indirectly via networking. This means it is a winner for both parties involved. Don’t overlook this avenue because good news sometimes comes in small packages.
11. Don’t use ‘one CV goes for all’ style. All the CVs and cover letters should be customized for each targeted position. Honestly you have 5 to 15 seconds to interest your potential employer.
12. Change your focus. Expand your job search if possible: Non-profit, State and Federal Government, Education, Law Enforcement, Self Employment, Relocation, Healthcare, Management, Tourismetc.
13. Research your targeted employer before the interview. Is profit trending up, remaining level or down? Are they hiring, maintaining, or reducing their workforce? Are they a leader or a laggard in their industry? Are they unionized? All this and more can be honed from search engines and media searches on the internet.
14. Learn, adapt and change. If you’ve been unemployed for more than 3 months a little change is called for. Try paddling down stream instead of upstream. Are you following your passion? Enthusiasm is hard to fake in interviews. Maybe you are bored stiff with your current profession and it shows. Are they doing you a favour by not hiring you?
15. Change your focus and change your life. Change happens at the speed of thought. Opportunity is everywhere! Maybe it is slightly disguised. Post signs to that effect where they will be seen repeatedly.
16. Live with an attitude of gratitude. Spend some thinking time everyday on counting all your blessings this is a great mental exercise in gaining perspective. As you distance yourself from your problems they shrink. If you give happiness a foothold as part of your everyday routine it might just gain a stronghold. The difference will certainly be noticed on your interviews. Body language, attitude, professionalism and mood are huge factors in performing well under pressure.
17. Follow up and send thank you letters after an interview. A lot of folks are good starters. By demonstrating you are a good finisher again you are setting yourself apart from the masses. Maybe one out of ten people take the time to write them. Do it, you will move ahead 5 spaces. Of course you will be remembered. Sometimes the first person hired doesn’t work out and two weeks later, you might get the first call. If you can’t be a starter, you can at least be a bench warmer – the goal is to get hired!
18. Think back on all the folks you helped. Perhaps they are in a position to help you and you do not even know it. Reach out and touch someone. Ask them if they know anyone who is in a position to help you get an interview. It is so simple and effective it is often overlooked.
19. Take advantage of your local Job Centres. They have career counselling, job placement assistance, job banks & even training programs to update your current skills. The talent these folks have is far greater than you might expect. Often times they are the first people to know of a new mass hiring campaign. Naturally they have connections with the right people too.
20. Whenever possible try to kill two birds with one stone. While you are out on one interview, on the way back stop by another business for a visit. Talk to the employees; casually mention the fact that you are just killing time between interviews. Many bright employees are aware of company bounties that are paid for referring new employees to their company. More realistically this is a great time to get inside info from the folks who really know. Make a new friend.

Above all though, be proactive and make job searching your full time job if you have no job. Remain positive and be enthusiastic.

Do you have any other tips to share with us, please let’s hear from you.

If you like this post, please don’t forget to share or save:

Thanks,

Catherine

6 Networking Mistakes And How to Avoid Them

If you’ve been laid off in recent months, you’re in excellent company. Plenty of qualified and experienced managers are now having to develop strategies to find their next job.

But where to start? If you were my coaching client, I would simply say: network, network, network.

And yet among my clients, networking is often an underdeveloped skill. Take Jerry, a 40-year-old business development manager in a financial services firm. His role is to build the business in Europe, so he has to make industry contacts, speak at conferences and look for new client relationships. He is now at a point in his career where he has to build internal networks, but instead of recognising that he is already a master networker, the very mention of the word makes him shudder. Why? Because in his mind, networking is associated with self-promotion, politics and inappropriate favours.

In truth, networking is a critical skill for managers and leaders: your network supports and sustains you in the good times, but is the key to your survival in the bad times.

And yet networking is difficult, even daunting, for managers who have no problem simply chatting to people. It doesn’t need to be so stressful. Here are some common mistakes people make when networking — and how to avoid them:

1. They think they don’t know anyone
We live in a networked age and most of us are connected to more people than we realise. Take 10 minutes to write a list of work colleagues (past and present), industry contacts, friends, family, college alumni and social acquaintances. You may surprise yourself — I recently coached a friend who claimed he had no contacts, but was still writing his list two hours after I prompted him!

Facebook and LinkedIn are online powerful gateways to contacts — see how far your network extends through your friends and colleagues. You may also have an online presence in the form of a blog or homepage — see who has been corresponding with you lately. Online networking sites such as freeagent (www.freeagentnet.com) and ecademy (www.ecademy.com) are easy ways to make quick connections. Twitter (www.twitter.com) is another useful social networking vehicle.

2. They don’t know how to introduce themselves
It can be hard to introduce yourself if you’ve just been laid off — after all, you’re probably used to saying, “I’m so-and-so and I work at such-and-such.” If you don’t currently have a job, be clear that you are in transition and looking for a new role. While you can refer back to what you did in your previous job, don’t dwell on that. Instead, draw attention to your interests and skills in order to take the conversation forward.

Before you make a phone call, consider your agenda and what you can realistically expect from the person. Think about the purpose of your conversation — is it to find out information or to seek further contacts? Being clear about what you want will be a more effective use of your and the contact’s time, and will create a better impression than a rambling speech. Be aware that they may not be in a position to do much, so be gracious if all they can offer are ideas, advice or their experience. Requesting a job isn’t appropriate at this stage and may result in you losing the contact. For networking emails, be personable and upbeat, but make sure your tone is appropriate to the person you are contacting — don’t go into “networking mode” if you are just reaching out to an old friend, for example.

3. They sound self-promoting
Networking is about selling yourself, but it can be hard to do that without sounding like a salesman. No wonder so many people dread networking.

One way to show (rather than tell) people how great you are is to have a few ‘STAR‘ stories up your sleeve. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Achievements and Results; it’s an easy way to tell a concise story that lets your talents and achievements speak for themselves. An example might be:

Situation: The customer services division of your company was losing customers, had falling revenues and a conflict-ridden team

Task: To stem the loss of customers, improve customer service, restructure the team and develop new products

Achievements: You held on to key accounts, resolved the conflict, rebuilt team morale and increased the visibility and positive reputation of the department.

Results: Increased revenues (figures), a high-performing customer service team, innovative products (examples) and happy customers.

A STAR story should take no more than five minutes to relate and should include enough detail to pique your contact’s interest without overwhelming him or her.

4. They don’t know how to work a room or a contact
If you are going to an event, remember that there will be many others in the same situation — especially in a downturn — and that the purpose of the event is to circulate among people. Focus on the other person by asking them what they like about their job, how they got it and what they would do if they were not in their current role. Exchange cards and don’t be embarrassed about moving on to the next person when the conversation is at a natural end.

If you are contacting someone by phone, check whether it is a convenient time for them to speak and reschedule the call if necessary. If your phoning or emailing someone you haven’t met personally, mention the person who gave you their name and how you know them. Ask how they got into their job, what it involves, where vacancies are advertised and how you might be considered for any roles if jobs are only advertised internally. Ask them for an introduction to other useful contacts or for a follow-up meeting.

5. They criticise the people or companies that laid them off
Think hard about how your story might sound to someone who has never met your nightmare ex-boss. Try to be positive, upbeat and open about looking for work, but avoid sounding desperate or blaming the company or others for being laid off. This will leave a bad impression and could close off contacts before you can begin to develop a relationship.

6. They forget to say thank-you
Good manners are critical for networking and are often overlooked, especially if you are under pressure to get a new job. Always thank a contact for their time and advice, either in a handwritten note or a follow-up email. And keep in touch — send them an article or notice of an event that might interest them. Keep in touch through social networking media, or drop them an occasional friendly email telling them how you are getting on. Let them know when you do secure a job. This will help you to maintain the person as a contact in your network — and allow you to return the favor when they’re looking for a job down the road.

Finally, don’t miss the opportunity to extend your network in even wider directions while you are unemployed. You might find it a surprising opportunity to consider different options, such as retraining or trying a new role (even a temporary one). Stay flexible and keep an open mind, and you might just find yourself in a better, more interesting career.

Do you have any useful tips for networking? What do you think is most important networking tip for people who have just been laid off?

Article by Gill Corkindale

Gill Corkindale is an executive coach and writer based in London. She works with managers and leaders from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East to develop strategies for business effectiveness and personal change. Formerly management editor of the Financial Times, she uses her journalistic skills and business insights to bring a new perspective on global management and leadership.

Want to Land your Dream Job Now? See these 20 Ways…

1. Get Wired to the Net
The first thing to do is get wired to the internet, get a good computer and be accessible to potential employers. Ensure that you have a land line phone, a mobile phone and an e-mail address. All theses would allow you to perform a fast and efficient job search. If you have access to all these, wait no more – go ahead and start looking for your ideal job.

2. Tweak Your CV
Do not use one CV for all. Prepare your CV in Word and ensure that it targets the job of your interest. Make sure that it clearly highlights your skills, experience and qualifications. Remember that your CV is the first thing a potential employer will see before they see you. It is still the backbone of an effective job search. Be sure to always customise your cover letter to the particular job you are interested in. It is vital to present yourself as a professional, articulate and serious candidate. Click CV and Cover letter for help and information.

3. Know where to look
Newspaper Advertisements
Most newspapers have job advertisement sections on a weekly basis. If you are reluctant to spend money on newspapers, try your local libraries. They often have daily newspapers in them and increasingly the newspapers also advertise vacancies on their websites.

4. Trade Magazine Advertisements
What are you interested in doing. Is there a trade magazine connected to the job? If there is, look for a current copy of the Trade Magazine as it is most likely to carry job advertisements.  Trade organizations usually have a website with a dedicated area for job vacancies too.

5. Online Job Recruiters
There is an abundance of websites, see here, which offer the opportunity to search for jobs by inputting certain data or by completing an online CV to apply for jobs in the database. Characteristically potential employers are able to search the database and contact you directly if they see you as suitable for a role.

6. Company Websites
Most companies have their own websites and often they list any job vacancies they have on this website. These are advantageous for companies, as they do not have to spend time and a lot of money advertising positions.

7. WOM (Word of Mouth)
Many job opportunities can be sourced through word of mouth. Don’t forget to brazenly inform people that you are looking for work. A lot of people get their ideal jobs this way. You never know who knows someone that knows someone who is a CEO or Managing director of a company in your area.

8. Out and About
When you are in town or walking around your neighbourhood, look at job boards at your local shops and supermarkets, this is particularly true about jobs in retail.

9. Recruitment Agencies
Recruitment agencies are always looking for people to put into jobs because they only make money when they place people in jobs.

10. Networking
Networking is very important, see WOM above. Essentially, networking is about asking the people you know and don’t know, your friends and family for help in your job search. They many have information that could be useful to your job search. See networking to learn more.

11. Speculative Job Search
Making speculative approaches is a very good way of getting a job. Many employers may be considering taking on an employee, but have not got round to finalising the process, your enquiry or CV might get to them at the right moment or they may even create a post for you if they see you as the right applicant.

12. Job Centres
These job centres tend to have jobs advertised that may not be advertised elsewhere. Most job centres often have company brochures and application forms ready for interested candidates to take away and complete.

13. Create your own job
Creating a job for yourself consists of doing some thorough examination of an organisation, find a position in the organisation that you could fill and make a proposal for the job to the person who is in charge of the hiring. Just think of yourself as a consultant, offer your understanding, knowledge and skills to solve a problem that they might have – keep it positive and strategic.

14. Be Self-Employed
Are you passionate about something? If you are and can get hold of a little capital, with the right idea, you do not have to be an employee. With the internet, it has never been so inexpensive to start your own business. If you want to go down this route, there are many places you can turn to for help. Your bank must have business advisers and they might help you with the financial side of starting your own business.

15. Know What You Want.
Know what you’re looking for and don’t waste time in going for it. Be realistic and target the industries and firms that suit you best and focus your job search activities squarely on them.

16. Research the Company of your interest
The first and foremost questions to ask yourself after you have researched the history, products, services, competitors and any recent news of the company on the web are:
Will this establishment suit me?
Will I fit into this establishment?
The more research you do into your target establishment, the better prepared you are for the application process and for any selection events.

17. Know Your Worth and achievements
You can’t find out what you want until you find out who you are. What are your values? |What are your skills? What’s most important to you? What are you fanatical about? Taking the time to think about the things that really matter to you is a good starting point for finding your ideal role.

18. Showcase Your Skills

Showcase the skills that you wish to use and the things that you are really passionate about on your CV. If you haven’t done a skills analysis test, do so straight away. Focus on your favourite skills and what you have achieved in the past using your skills. Be specific and focus on evidences that demonstrate your skills.

19. Pull All of the Above Together

Now combine all the findings above and proactively use them to clinch your ideal job. Be very imaginative, realistic and flexible. Think outside the box and know your preferences.

20. Yes, You Can Make it Happen

Now, go after what you want. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do – it should be all about you and your future. Research, network and apply for your ideal jobs. Be motivated, informed, and enthusiastic and know what makes you tick. You owe it to yourself to follow your dreams!
Good luck!!!

If you like this post, please don’t forget to share or save:

Thanks,
Catherine

Want to get Hired? See How to Perfect Your Pitch

You’re in the elevator with the hiring manager of Dream-Job Corporation. As the door slides shut, you feel a combination of adrenaline and slight nausea: you’ve got 15 seconds, if that, to communicate your value as a potential employee in a compelling way — just 15 seconds to cram in a whole resume’s worth of work and accomplishments and late nights and successes. There’s so much you want to say, but your message has got to be crisp, tailored, to-the-point. Handle this one right, and you’ll be the newest member of the Dream-Job team. Flub it up, and you’re back to scanning listings on Monster.com. What are you supposed to say?

Here are the five key things to know and do in order to make your elevator pitch successful:

• Practice, practice, practice.

Very few people have the oratorical power to make compelling 15-second speech about their entire professional lives on demand and under pressure. Practice your speech 100 times — literally. Know it, get comfortable with it, be able to tilt it effectively for a different audience. Practice your body language with it: how will you give the speech differently sitting down vs while walking down a hall? How will it be different over the phone vs in person?

• Focus on impact.

Two weeks ago, 60 Minutes aired a segment set at a white-collar job fair. One of the interviewees, a laid-off Wall Street secretary, looked straight into the camera and said, with total conviction, “I can make any boss shine.” I wanted to hire her on the spot. Who doesn’t want to shine? Describing the impact you’ve had, and can continue to have, is much more compelling than talking about your number of years of experience.

• Ditch the cultural baggage.

A lot of us have been taught — by parents, teachers, or team-oriented corporate environments — not to toot our own horns, and to use “we” instead of “I”. Elevator pitches are all about “I”. You’ve got to get comfortable with bragging about your own individual contributions (in a graceful way).

• Be slow and steady.

Whether out of nervousness or a desire to cram in a lot of information, people giving elevator speeches tend to talk at breakneck pace — which is extremely off-putting to potential employers. Speak at a pace that shows your calm and confidence. You want them to think of you as thoughtful and deliberate — not as some manic babbler.

• See the whole world as an elevator.

Too many people looking for jobs save their elevator speeches for job fairs and interviews. Remember the first rule of sales: ABC (Always Be Closing). Give your elevator speech to everyone — at family gatherings, in the waiting room of the dentist, at coffee hour at your church or temple. You never know where the next job is coming from.

How do you pitch yourself to prospective employers? What advice do you have for other people doing the same? What works — and what doesn’t?

Article by :

Daisy Wademan Dowling

Daisy Wademan Dowling is the author of Remember Who You Are and a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review. She has coached executives at Fortune 100 companies, including Goldman Sachs. She blogs about career planning, leadership, and coaching.

——————————————————————————————–

To search for your ideal job that would enable you to make a pitch, start by searching these job sites:
CareerBuilder.com Jobs – The Largest Job Search, Employment & Careers

Jobs.com – Global job search. Local careers.

Yahoo! HotJobs – Thousands of jobs. Find the right one.

Find Jobs. Build a Better Career. Find Your Calling. | Monster.com

jobs.ac.uk – job search – science, research & academic vacancies in …

Job Search | one search. all jobs. Indeed

USAJOBS – The Federal Government’s Official Jobs Site

Jobs & Employment | Full & Part Time Job Search | SnagAJob.com

Jobs.com.au – Jobs Australia – Job Search

Job Search Made Simple | SimplyHired

Searching For A Job? See These Strategies

• Use your personal contacts to find out about possible job opportunities. Personal contacts could be friends, family, former co-workers or employers, members of your religious organization, local community members such as doctors, physical therapists, counsellors, members of professional organizations or social clubs, etc.
• Contact employers directly when looking for job opportunities. You may need to visit or telephone many places of employment about present or future job openings.
• College, university, or vocational-technical school placement offices offer job placement and career development services.
• The public library may be able to provide employment information.
• Classified ads found in the newspaper, local bulletin boards or professional magazines may be useful.
• Advocacy and support groups may provide employment assistance
• Public and private employment agencies can circulate resumes and match appropriate job candidates.
• Job banks provide computerized listings of jobs that you can be matched up with nationwide. Use the Internet to find employment opportunities. Local libraries usually have computers to access the Internet.
• Volunteer activities can sometimes lead to paid employment and can provide good work experience to include on a resume.
• Visit online recruiters
• Above all, update your CV

These strategies may assist you in finding a job. However, these suggestions are not all inclusive. Following is a list of specific resources which may be helpful in seeking job leads, placement, training, or assistance in the employment finding process such as resume writing and interviewing techniques.

Temporary staffing agencies may be helpful in finding employment opportunities. Temporary staffing agencies work with all job seekers. Temporary jobs help job seekers build a work history, experience different types of jobs, and increase their employment marketability and earning potential through enhancement of skills.

Research On Employer

As you plan for a job that will lead to a career, you should research employers that have the characteristics that you desire. Here are some questions to guide your research:

• What kind of business is this?
• What is its product/service?
• How many people are employed in the company?
• Where is the local plant/office located?
• Who is the head of the local business operation (name/title)?
• What are the requirements for the job for which you are applying?
• What is the salary range for the job?
• What are the business dress requirements, if any?

Many of the answers you are looking for can be found on the company’s website.

Interviewing For A Job

Most people find job interviewing to be a nerve-wracking experience. With some extra planning and practice, job applicants with disabilities can approach their interviews feeling more confident, and show the interviewer the true extent of their abilities.

See more information on interviews.

Interviewing For A Job

Before

Make sure you are clean and well-dressed for your interview. If you do not own interview clothing or can’t purchase them, you may ask your local job center for assistance.

Take school certificates, copies of your resume, and letters of reference. (take copies along; do not leave originals with anyone). Take along a pen or pencil and paper. Be prepared to answer questions. Ask in advance for permission before using someone as a reference.

Make sure that you have time and assistance to prepare for your interview.

Interviewing For A Job

During

Plan to arrive 10 minutes before the interview is scheduled to begin.

• Smile and shake hands with the interviewer.
• Make eye contact with each interviewer often.
• Speak clearly and slowly.
• Do not chew gum or wear heavy fragrances.
• Do not make negative comments about previous employers or co-workers.
• Don’t tell jokes or information that is too personal.
• Ask questions if you do not receive all the information you need to understand the job duties.
• Thank each interviewer for their time and shake their hands.
• Send a thank you note by mail or email thanking them for the interview and telling them your interest in the job.
• If you don’t hear from the employer within the job decision time frame, follow-up by phone.

Interviewing For A Job

Sample questions employers ask

• What would you do if …? (Imagined situations that test a person’s knowledge of the job).
• In what type of position are you interested?
• Why do you think you would like to work for our company?
• What jobs have you held, how were they obtained, and why did you leave?
• What do you know about our company?
• What are your ideas on salary?
• Why do you think you would like this particular type of job?
• What interests you about our product or service?
• Are you looking for a permanent or temporary job?
• How long do you expect to work?
• Are you willing to go where the company sends you?
• Why should we hire you for this job rather than anyone else?

See most popular interview questions and answers here

Interviewing For A Job

After a job interview

• Send a thank you note by mail or email thanking them for the interview and telling them your interest in the job.
• If you don’t hear from the employer within the job decision time frame, follow-up by phone.

See more articles from the source.

Free Resume Samples and Job CV Templates

Everything about your resume should say that you are a smart professional person with a positive attitude.Within two pages you must convey the image of an efficient and polished performer. The following are some tips in how to do exactly that: 1. Resume Length Two pages is the optimum length of an effective resume, however in the case of technical people such as IT for example this can extend to three in order to incorporate relevant technical information. An important point to note is that if you have relevant information that will be useful in your job hunt, add it as an attachment to your resume rather than filling your resume with technical or professional information that will only be understood by a person familiar with your field. 2. Format Do not cramp information into your resume in order to meet the two-page requirement. If your resume is illegible it will be canned on sight. Legibility is the key. Use bullet points, indents and margins to good effect, producing a document that is well presented, detailed and targeted. ——————————————————- Academic Accountant, Entry Level Accountant Accounts Payable Actor/Actress Actuarial Analyst Administrative Assistant Administrative Sales Manager Administrative Services Manager Administrator Admissions Representative Advertising Agency Executive Airline Manager Animator Architect Athletic Trainer Attorney Auditor Automotive Mechanic Bank Teller Banking Executive Biochemist Biomedical Researcher Bookkeeping Building Inspector Business Consultant Business Development Executive Buyer Camera Operator Care Giver Cashier Caterer Certified Public Accountant Chef Chemical Engineer Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer Chief Information Officer Choreographer City Planner Civil Engineer Clothing Designer Commercial Artist Commercial Loan Officer Communications Administrator Community Service Worker Composer Computer Engineer Computer Programmer Computer Systems Designer Construction Foreman Construction Project Manager Consultant, Chief Strategy Officer Contract Administrator Controller Copywriter Counselor Court Reporter Creative Designer Credit Manager Customer Service Manager Data Analyst Data Entry Data Processor Database Administrator Database Developer Daycare Director Dental Hygienist Department Store Manager Designer Desktop Publisher Detective Developer Dietician/Nutritionist Director, Corporate Strategy Director, Marketing-Sales Director, Product Development Disc Jockey Distribution Manager Doctor Drafter Electrical Engineer Electrical Engineering Manager Emergency Medical Technician Environmental Health Inspector Executive Assistant Executive Recruiter Field Service Representative Field Technician Film Director Financial Advisor Financial Executive Fire Chief Flight Attendant General Manager – Distribution General Manager – Sales Hair Stylist Head Nurse Healthcare Provider Hotel Manager Human Resources Manager Industrial Engineer

3. Gaining AttentionPlace your information within your resume in order of importance. Recruiters are busy people; they need to see something immediately within your resume to ensure that they continue to read. The best strategy to employ is to begin with a strong objective, declaring your intentions. Then follow that by telling an employer what you can do for them. Move directly into your work experience and achievements and don’t waste time. 4. Font Another common mistake is to change font regularly throughout the resume. This is distracting and messy, and if too many typefaces are used it makes the resume look chaotic and out of control, the very opposite impression you want to make. Want to have a go at updating your CV? See free samples of job resume and more articles like this from JobBank USA for your use.These are just to guide you, please be sure to tailor it to take in your personal details, suit your needs, skills and the position that you are applying for. ———————————————— Insurance Claims Adjuster Insurance Executive Interior Designer Investment Banker IS Administrator IS Project Manager Journalist Labor Relations Manager Laboratory Technician LAN Administrator Landscape Designer Legal Aid Practitioner Legal Clerk Legal Secretary Librarian Machine Operator Management Consultant Manager Manufacturing Marketing Director Materials Manager Mechanical Engineer MIS Manager Network Administrator Network Administrator, Entry Level Nurse Office Manager Operations Manager Outside Sales Paralegal Pharmacist Photographer Physical Therapist Pilot Police/Security Postal Worker Producer Product Manager Product Marketing Manager Production Manager Programmer Engineer Project Lead Project Manager Project Manager, Construction Property Manager Prosecutor Public Accountant Public Administrator Public Relations Public Relations Director Public Service Manager Public Worker Purchasing Agent Purchasing Manager QA Test Engineer Quality Control Manager Real Estate Broker Real Estate Developer Recent Graduate Receptionist Recruiter Researcher Retail Clerk Retail Manager Retail Store Manager Sales Manager Sales Representative Sales Support Administrator Senior System Administrator Set Designer Shipping & Receiving Software Development Manager Software Developer Software Engineer Staff Journalist Statistician Strategy Director Superintendent Teacher Technical Manager Technical Support Executive Technical Support Representative