Interview Preparation Are You Doing Enough

Interview Preparation Are You Doing Enough Everyone and their mum bangs on about the importance of preparing for an interview research the company, make sure you get there on time, dress smart, re-read your application etc. etc. Despite this emphasis on preparation employers still keep coming back time and time again with the same feedback the candidate was unsuccessful because they hadn’t done the necessary preparation. So what is it that we’re missing? Practice This is a widely over looked aspect of the interview process.  It’s all well and good preparing answers, questions and comments for the interview but have you thought about how you’re actually going to say it? I made this mistake at my first interview at the end of what I had considered a bad performance the interviewer asked if I had any questions, I had prepared an array of intelligent and complex questions but all I could do was meekly bleat that I had none.  In my preparation I had entirely failed to consider how I would feel posing these complex questions, and when it came to it I was just too nervous to ask them. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t get the job but what did surprise me was the feedback from the recruitment agent. The interviewer had considered me a strong candidate until I completely failed to ask any questions at the end. Don’t make the same mistake. Imagine sitting across from a stern interviewer who’s looking less than impressed. Do you feel comfortable with your words? Do they sound natural or overly rehearsed? Will you feel confident saying these prepared statements if the interview is going badly? How about if you’re really nervous? And it’s not just what you say, but everything about the interview you need to consider. How will you look, will you try and look relaxed? Serious? Friendly? Where will you put your hands? What will you say when they ask you if you want a drink? Will you take your jacket off if it’s hot? You get the picture it’s about envisioning the actual environment, not just the paper version of it. A great way to practice is to rope in a friend, but failing a willing pretend interviewer try a mirror. Put your suit on, get in the right mind frame and speak out loud. The major advantage of a real person over a mirror is that mirrors rarely provide useful feedback. Robust understanding of the role Another issue is a lack of real understanding about the role and the firm. OK so you’ve memorised the ‘about us’ section of the website, read the recent news articles and press releases and even know the job description off by heart, but do you really understand? Do you understand thoroughly enough to convincingly answer in-depth questions as opposed to just reciting a pre-prepared blurb? Gaining this insight can be tough, but it’s definitely worth investing some time in. One job I interviewed for required candidates to complete a pretty hefty essay style questionnaire on the firm and the role. At the time I was a little put out by this extra burden and the extra stage of hoops I had to jump through before interview. But after I reached the minimum 1500 words I realised I now knew far more about this company and industry than I had ever done with any other interview. So for important interviews why not challenge yourself to create and complete your own essay on the firm and t he role? Answer questions such as: Describe the main objectives of the firm. What current outside issues are affecting this firm and the climate they operate in? What growth strategies is the firm currently pursuing? Who are the major players in this industry and how do they compete? What are the main responsibilities associated with this role? What does a [insert role here] actually do? Answer those questions thoroughly and your robust understanding will shine through at interview. Appreciation of your skills You’ve probably done the standard preparation for this relating your skills and experience to the job specs and required candidate attributes. But do you really understand why they should employ you? In reality, why are you better than the other candidates outside in the waiting room? To answer this forget the buzzwords, forget what you’ve been taught about transferable skills and ask yourself what are you really good at? What can you do better than most people? As above, a great way to organise your thoughts is to write them down. Don’t write it for other people, don’t worry about sentence structure or punctuation, use it simply as an exercise to achieve a better understanding of yourself. As you’re writing down your skills, think about how you know you’re good at them, what experiences in your life have taught you that that’s where your skills lie? Again this isn’t for other people, it’s not to prepare answers for questions, it’s just for you. If you manage to do this successfully I think you’ll instantly understand its worth how can you expect to communicate your value to a potential employer if you don’t really understand it yourself? Summary: The key to ‘good’ preparation for an interview is about thinking beyond the standard. It’s about gaining deeper insight into yourself, the role and the firm. As well as making sure you can adequately communicate this to the scary person sitting across the desk from you! Author: Rachael works at Graduate Rescue, an employability resource and social enterprise for student and graduates. They provide online interview coaching, career matching and advice software, practice psychometric tests as well as a host of general advice for job seekers, check them out here.  

How To Use The MyPerfectResume For Resumes

How To Use The MyPerfectResume For ResumesThe MyPerfectResume is a great tool to get you started. It helps you get started by generating a resume for you to use. There are several ways to use this resume builder to help you out.If you are new to the job search or just looking for a resume you will be able to get a resume builder to generate your resume. You may also get a free trial or a price check at the site to see if you want to buy it or not. In either case, you will be able to start creating your resume and get started on your new career.They will give you a free trial and once you have used it and found it to be of use to you, then you can purchase it. This resume builder also gives you the ability to download the resume and you can make more of them. I will tell you right now that some people were not happy with the quality of the resume and not because of its quality but because of the restrictions of the tools that the creator had made.Some people felt that they could use i t for two weeks and still be denied of the job. The creator tried to address this by making certain that all the information was correct and up to date. They should not be concerned with the fact that the information is incorrect because all of the information is fact and the flaws are in the use of the tools.There are many people that would love to have a resume, but they do not know where to go to get one. This is why the MyPerfectResume was created.This system generates resumes and helps you to get a new career start with it. The creator of the tool realized that this could be a big help for many people who may be at cross roads trying to get a new career started. The MyPerfectResume is not hard to use and is easy to learn how to use.This is a great tool to use and can be used by anyone. The only thing that you need to know is that you will need to be a member to use the tool. If you are a member of the program, then you will be able to create a new resume for yourself.This is a good investment because you do not have to spend money to make your resume. All you need is your computer and you will be able to start your new career on the right foot. It is a great tool that can help you get a new career start on the right foot.

How to Narrow In on a Career Path When You Want to Try Everything

How to Narrow In on a Career Path When You Want to Try Everything When you’re a kid and you constantly change what you want to be when you grow up, it’s pretty cute and kind of funny. One day you want to be a fireman, next you want to be a doctor and the next day you want to be an acrobat. However, when you’re an adult, switching between career path ideas rapid-fire can become problematic. Your changing focus results in a lack of momentum and success in your career.  So how do you pick a career path when you want to try everything? First, jot down a list of the jobs that most commonly occur as desirable to you. Then ask yourself the following questions  to help narrow your list down to a more reasonable size! Is it really what you want? The first step is to check in with yourself. Are the things on your list what you really want? Or are they things that society or people in your life want? Focus on things that have a natural pull for you, that you find intrinsic enjoyment in, rather than the things that people in your life or society respect. For example, you may want to be a Brew Master at a local brewery but also think that it would be great to be a lawyer because your parents are lawyers. If that’s the case, you need to get to the root of what’s driving that desire. Is it really you? Or is it the people around you? Is it cool to learn, or cool to do? The second thing is to distinguish between the things that you would like to learn and the things that you would actually like to do. There’s a difference between being interested in something and wanting to do it all day, every day. For instance, say you think it would be cool to be able to manipulate someone’s body like a physical therapist. Take a moment and consider whether you want to know how to do that, or if you actually want to do it. If it’s the first, cross it off your list. What’s your underlying drive? The third thing you need to do is identify the core desire beneath your different career ideas. For example, someone may say, “There are so many things I want to do â€" I want to be an actress, a musician, a painter, and I just can’t decide. I want to do them all!” If you think about the career paths they named, there are some core underlying elements. They’re all physical, creative jobs that involve self-expression. If you have a pool of jobs, instead of starting with “which of these jobs do I want to do?” take a moment to identify what these jobs have in common. What’s the core desire that they fulfill? Once you identify that, you can more easily pick one of the careers that best meets that need. How else could you engage with an interest? Lastly, not everything you enjoy has to be a part of your career. Even if you have five different things that you want to be doing, like being an archaeologist, child therapist, nutritionist, lion tamer, or volcanologist, they don’t all need to find expression in what you do for a living. Focusing your career on your most marketable interest doesn’t mean turning your back on the other things you enjoy. They can be hobbies, extracurriculars or volunteer work. You can feed different parts of yourself with different parts of your life. Hopefully by applying these frameworks against your different career ideas, you can narrow your options down to a more reasonable size. Once you do that, you can pursue your one path whole-heartedly instead of feeling scattered trying to do so many different things. About the author:  Alison Cardy  is the  author of 5-star-rated  Career Grease: How to Get Unstuck and Pivot Your Career  and  a career coach who  specializes in guiding men and women all over the world through career changes. For more information, check out her  Step-by-Step Career Change E-Course.

Giving to Those Who Give to You

Giving to Those Who Give to You What do the words equity, savings account and gas tank have in common? Each requires you to put something in before you take out. If you dont put anything in, they have nothing to give you back. This simple concept is an important one for both your personal and professional life. So far, my week has been full of empty gas tanks: people who want something without putting anything in first. One of the biggest lessons Ive learned since graduating college is: dont run on an empty gas tank. I believe we should all give more than we take, but why do certain people feel that they deserve to have equity without investing anything first? Filling up other peoples gas tanks before emptying them is crucial. Are you conscious of this concept? Do you give before you take at work and at home? Cars cant operate on an empty tank, so why should you? Do you have people in your life who constantly take instead of give? How did you address the problem?

The Importance of Cover Letters and Resumes on Glassdoor

The Importance of Cover Letters and Resumes on GlassdoorWhen people first meet you they probably won't know much about you, and your cover letter and resume are the very first things that pop into their heads. If you follow these 14 essential tips for writing a rockstar resume you'll set yourself apart from the crowd.Rock star resume writing is not an exact science. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to create one that stands out. Rather, it's a combination of everything you know to write a good cover letter and your resume. This includes mastering some of the fundamentals that people are just not familiar with.Writing a resume is hard, but not impossible. Your resume should be concise, and it needs to show someone what you can do. If your resume looks like all the other resumes in the pile, then the hiring manager won't feel inclined to read it. After all, why should they read a resume that doesn't even look like it was written by a human? In order to make a great first impress ion on someone reading your resume, it's best to get them focused on your best qualities.Using bullet points on your resume will help you stand out from the crowd. Bullet points make your resume easy to read, and they'll also make it more professional looking. Not every resume needs to be filled with color pictures and fancy fonts.Make sure that your cover letter is professional and captivating. The person reading your cover letter needs to believe that you could do the job. You need to make them believe you're the next big thing. A well-written cover letter will boost your chances of getting a call back.Get it together - yes, this one is more common sense, but it's important nonetheless. A solid resume and a powerful cover letter are great, but if you don't have an interesting personality you won't stand out on Glassdoor either. You'll show up in the same job description with your new friends, and that's not something most people want to happen.What good is a great resume if you do n't have a great personality? Find the things you do best, and make sure you showcase them in your resume. Also, don't forget to include a list of your skills as a resume highlight. Don't worry about spelling or grammar mistakes because the hiring manager will catch those up before reading your resume.Your resume and cover letter should be proofread to ensure that it isn't littered with typos or grammatical errors. It's also a good idea to take these steps even if you have a perfect resume and cover letter, so don't let a bad resume scare you off of Glassdoor.

Investing in Yourself - CareerAlley

Investing in Yourself - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Curious people often look at successful entrepreneurs, such as Steve Wynn Las Vegas icon, with admiration. They may wonder if it was just luck that brought the person so much affluence. Most self-made people, however, worked very hard to achieve their successes and continue to strive within their given industry. People who want to achieve a better tomorrow must invest in themselves and work hard to build a wealthy life. Education Comes First Its almost impossible to be a successful businessperson without a higher education background. Complete a four-year college degree and even strive for more schooling in this competitive world. College readies the mind for the business world, giving students the power to climb the corporate ladder or even enter on a higher floor. Employers need to know a person can commit to a project and complete it. A college degree is an accomplishment covering years of commitment. Being an Independent Worker Not everyone is cut out to work under a corporate entity, so some successful people explore the independent worker side to industry. With that college degree, these consultants gain clients and work diligently to offer them the service they require. Consultants only have themselves to rely on, making it a stressful business to be in. However, it pays off substantially when more clients crave a service. The consultant may be hiring their own employees after a short period, for example. Using Real Estate to Build Wealth Even with a college degree and lucrative employment positions, becoming a highly successful person requires some clever investments. Purchasing real estate is the best way to shore up considerable wealth. Start with a small property and build up equity. Use that equity to purchase even more properties. Over time, real estate usually grows in value. Seeing profit in any investment only gives the entrepreneur another outlet to grow financially and professionally. Benefit Others with Tangible Services With considerable growth and wealth comes responsibility. A successful businessperson may have 10 or more employees depending on the company for a paycheck, for instance. The entrepreneur must actively promote and grow the company to keep it lucrative and steady for personnel. When assets are large enough, business people can help others even more by founding a charity or other institution. This facility wouldnt be for profit, but could help society by researching a serious disease or aiding needy people. Spreading the wealth around when an entrepreneur is able allows everyone to benefit from the mounting success. Continuing Personal Success Success isnt a plateau to reach and remain idle. Business people must continue to grow on a personal level. Take classes on various subjects to stimulate the mind, for example. Continuing education on any level helps the brain make new connections. A brand new business concept could emerge from a basic class on sculpting, giving the entrepreneur another chance to better society and help others. Even pursuing another college degree is a smart choice to keep the wealth and success flowing. Use every social situation to greet new friends because networking contacts are always possible. With this concept in mind, its also important to avoid any conflicts with other associates. Future prospects could hinge on past relationships working again toward a common goal. Keep all your contacts cared for to see opportunities arise in the most unlikeliest places. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ Visit Joeys profile on Pinterest. jobs by Job Search job title, keywords, company, location

Biking in Copenhagen is AWESOME - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Biking in Copenhagen is AWESOME - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog And speaking of the ills of long commutes, check out this video that examines bicycling in Copenhagen from a car-centric North American perspective: I have no doubt that a bike commute being physically active is a lot more likely to contribute to making you happy at work than driving your car. What do you think would you like your city to be more bike-centric? And thanks to Ole Kassow for telling me about the video above. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related