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I Like Me

January 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

You need confidence to go on a job interview.  You need to be able to convey to a boss that you are the right person for the job.  You also need to be able to do this without nervousness, without making him feel that you are unsure of yourself.  You have confidence in your skills.  You have been trained well.  You did well in school and you are more than comfortable with every aspect of the career you have chosen.  This is important.  If you are knowledgeable and well versed in your career, you will not stumble over your words, and you may have more confidence when discussing the particulars of your job, as you know it like the back of your hand.

Meeting new people, especially a potential new boss, can make you a little nervous.  Before going on the interview take some time to take inventory of yourself.  You know you can sell your skills, but can you sell you?  Do you like yourself?  Do other people like you?  Are you easy to talk to?  Are you a good negotiator?  Are you someone people can come to and you can help with a problem?  These are all important skills in getting a job.  There are a lot of people out there who may be knowledgeable about your career.  The difference could very well be in your ability to let the boss know you are the right person for the job.  Let him know that you work well with others.  Let him know that you take criticism well and learn from it.  Let him know that you can taken on a problem and figure out a solution with very little guidance.  These are extremely important qualities to a boss.  A self motivated, highly trained individual, who works well under pressure and works well with others is a blessing for any company.

Filed Under: Business, Interviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Clearing Your History

January 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

More than ever, bosses are screening and re-screening potential employees.  They are pouring over resumes sent in to find just the right person for the job.  Once they have narrowed down the resumes to the few people they will actually speak to, they make the phone calls.  If you receive a phone call from a potential boss, it is time to go on the interview.  You will actually meet the boss, see the company and have a chance to let the boss know you are the best person for the job.

If the interview goes well you may be called back in for a second or even a third time.  These are screening interviews and you may see different supervisors or persons with expertise in the area of employment for which you are being considered.  Once the boss makes a decision or at least narrows it down to two or three people, there are some final steps.  The company may do a criminal background check on you, as well as a credit check.   At some point during one of the interviews, the boss may ask you if there is anything else you would like to tell him or her, or if there anything he or she should know.  If there is something that may come up from your past be honest.  A thorough background and credit history check can show a lot about a person.  If a boss sees something through one of these checks, and he or she already knows about it, he or she is less likely to let it have a negative effect.  They would not be checking up on you if they were not really interested.  When you disclosed whatever it is, you would have been told thank you anyway.

As with anything else, honesty is now and always will be the best policy.

Filed Under: Interviews, Job Search Tagged With: , , , , ,

Filling In The Blanks

January 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Most businesses today have websites.  Most positions are applied for over the Internet.  You can search the web for a job, using job search websites or directly logging onto websites of places you are interested in working for.  You can access the application for the job, fill it out on line and then submit it electronically.  This is both good and bad.  It is good in that the application process is streamlined right to the boss.  He can just look all the applications up on line and choose which possible employees he wishes to interview further.  The bad part about that is that everyone looks the same on paper.  It is difficult to tell who is the best choice for the job.  Hence, when filling out an application on line it is important to make your application stand out from the others.  It is a form, how is that possible?

First and foremost fill out all the requested information to the best of your ability.  Leaving anything blank will certainly give the appearance that you do not care, that you did not take the time to read over the application completely.  Second, be honest.  The information listed on a job application should most definitely be able to be verified, so lying at this point is not such a good idea.  Your boss can find out right away if what you have told him or her is true.

There is usually a place on the application where you can add a sentence or two or make a short description of some sort.  This may be the place where you can seize the opportunity to stand out.  If you are applying for a position at a large company, learn something about the company and throw that in there.  This will translate to the boss that you took the time to learn something about the company.

Filed Under: Job Search, Training Tagged With: , , , ,

The Importance Of A Good Application

January 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Everyone knows filling out an application is the first step to trying to secure employment.  Back in the day you went to a place of business, they gave you a paper application, you sat and filled it out and if the boss had time he talked to you.  If he was not there, someone would call you back for an interview.  In the ever growing age of the computer, things are a little different.  You can now fill out an application on line, you will receive a small blurb at the end telling you that you have successfully completed the application and someone will look over the application and contact you.  You have no idea how many other people are doing the same thing you are, you have no idea when your application will be looked at, and you really have no idea if and when you will receive a call back.

Hence it is more important than ever to make the boss look at your application.  Since they are not seeing you in person at the time of the application, you must make your application be the one that stands out.  Whatever you say on that application will let the boss know that you are the one he or she should call back for the interview.

First and foremost make sure everything is spelled correctly.  Make sure your answers are clear and concise.  Rambling will definitely turn a boss off.  If the application asks you for availability, let them know you are available for them.  Putting too many constraints on the days and times you can work can get your application overlooked.  Make sure you let them know of your training, as well as any other skills you may have.  A lot of businesses today are using traditional employees in non traditional ways and your typing or bookkeeping skills can make you are more valuable choice than the next guy.

Filed Under: Interviews, Job Search Tagged With: , , , , ,

Finding The Right Job

January 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Never before has it been so important to find the right job for you.  There are just not enough jobs to go around.  The luxury of going from job to job until you find the perfect fit is a thing of the past.  People who do find full time steady work are more apt than ever not to leave the position.  There is no guarantee another one will come along.  If you you are in a position of needing to find a job, what is the best way to go about it?  There are times when we may need to take whatever comes along, just to pay the bills, and we may be lucky to find that job.  Even if you are in a job that may not be right for you, you can be searching for that perfect position.

In the age of the Internet you can always start your search there.  A lot of time can be spent on surfing the net to see what each job entails and if you think you are the right person for that job.  Searches can take you in many different directions.  You may be able to find exactly what you are looking for, or you may just stumble across the job that is looking for you.  Either way, solid research is the best way to make sure this is the career for you.

Maybe the people you spend your leisure time with will have a lead for you.  Many a career has been started on the tennis courts, around the pool table, or at a friendly social gathering.  Talking to people with your same interest, skills or expertise can open the door for a lifelong career.

The want ads of yesterday have come a long way.  A three word description of a job is no longer all you can find.  Knowing what you want is half the battle.

Filed Under: Job Search Tagged With: ,

I Am The Right Person For The Job

January 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It is more important than ever that you convey to a new boss or new management team that you are the right person for the job.  You are the employee they have been looking for, they have been dreaming of.  You have the skills, you have the experience, and now you just need the confidence to convey that to the possible new boss.  Maybe you are not the most confident person.  If you are not an extremely outgoing person, that may come across as lack of confidence.  Fortunately, there are a few tips to garnering that self confidence and making that boss believe in you as much as you believe in you.

First and foremost, make sure this is the right job for you.  If this is your dream job, and you find that you know everything there is to know about the business and the job, you have conquered the first step towards showing your confidence.  You have nothing to worry about with questions pertaining to the job.  Being prepared to answer any question the boss may have for you will show him or her that you are not only interested in the job, but are well versed in the job and its duties.  This in itself conveys a confidence necessary to hold any position.

Dress for success.  Make sure your clothes are not wrinkled and your hair is in place.  Worrying about the way you look can convey a lack of confidence, so plan your clothes beforehand and know that you are taking the corporate world by storm.  If the company is very public, familiarize yourself with the boss.  You may be able to learn something personal that will help you get your foot in the door.

You know you are exactly what this company needs.  You know this job is perfect for you.  You know you are the best choice.  Now you just need to let the boss in on it.

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: ,

Dust Off The Resume

January 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In this fragile economy, more than ever people who had been steadily employed for years are finding themselves out of work.  Some people have been employed for so long, they do not even have a resume on a computer file somewhere.  Their original resume was typed out on the old clunker.  Resumes have changed quite a bit since then.  It is hard enough trying to compete with younger people raised in the computer age, carrying around their laptops for all to see.

The first thing you need to do is pull out the old resume, which is on a piece of paper in a file somewhere with your important papers.  If you now have a computer, you can scan it in, therefore having a cyber copy of who you are and what your experience is.  Resumes of yesterday were very cut and dry.  Where did you go to school?  What were your grades?  Do you have any college?  What is your work experience?  Name a couple of references, two personal and two professional.  Not many bosses cared what you were interested in other than what you did from 9:00 to 5:00.

Now more than ever your life experiences are part of who you are, and can be listed on your resume to make your future boss see what you are all about.  Of course you need to list your education, your work experience and your references, however add a section for hobbies, and of course, other special skills.  Maybe you are applying for a job with certain skills, but you have other marketable skills.  There may be a boss who is looking for someone more versatile, someone who would be able to pitch in at other places throughout the business.  This alone could be the deciding factor for management.  So let corporate America know that you are more than just a one dimensional employee, you are exactly what they are looking for.

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: ,

Get Ready For The Interview

January 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

You have been searching for the perfect job.  You have done your research and found that great job that seems to be just the right fit for you.  Unfortunately you can’t just show up and expect to be given the job.  You now have to convince management that you are the right person, that all important team member they have been seeking.

This is your area of expertise.  You know exactly what the company is looking for and you know exactly how to get it for them.  You presentation is perfection, right down to the last bullet point.  You are not nervous.  You are more than confident that you have prepared the best presentation they will see.  Your work will speak for itself.  It will show just how much you care, and how knowledgeable you are in the field for which you are applying.  While being prepared is the most important part of the interview, showing you have the confidence, knowledge and fortitude it will take to hold this position, there is another very important part of the interview process.

How you present yourself, that all important first impression, is almost as important as your skill and knowledge of the position.  If you are applying for a management position and you show up with your hair uncombed, your shirt untucked, popping your gum, you may as well stay on the elevator.  For your first interview, choose something to wear that shows that you do not need your clothes to define you, but you absolutely know how to represent the company.  Soft colors, well pressed pants, crisp collars are all excellent choices.  Not too much jewelry, definitely not too much make up,  sensible but fashionable shoes will show your boss that you are someone who cares about they way they present themselves.  This will put the boss at ease, so he is ready for the fabulous presentation of your skill.

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: ,

Resume Tips: Keyword-Driven Titles and Headings

December 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Because many employers are receiving as many as several hundreds of resumes for each job that they post, it is essential that you find ways to hook the attention of the prospective employer quickly. If your resume can catch the attention of the employer within a glance as short as five seconds, then you will be much more likely to land the job. One way that you can do this is to use headings, job titles and other keywords that specifically relate to or match whatever jobs you are looking to obtain. For example:

>> Instead of “Accounting / Recordkeeping”, you may want to put “Managing Both A/R and A/P Accounts”.

>> Instead of “Computer Skills”, you may want to put “Computerized Applications for Accounting”.

>> Instead of “Administrative” you might want to put “Departmental Recordkeeping and Administration”.

Keyword-Driven Titles and Headings

These types of tags make much more sense because they are specific to the type of job that you are trying to land, and they actually explain your specialized experience and what type of job you are applying for.

Which set of these headings do you think will be the strongest if you are trying to land a accounts payable or accounts receivable management position? Make sure that the keywords, headings and titles that you use in your resume actually strengthen your character, and know that details do really matter when it comes to this type of thing. Make sure that you are strengthening your position in your resume rather than being broad or non-descript when talking about your experiences and your capabilities.

Above all, keep in mind that your resume is designed to sell you. It should promote your strengths, skills and capabilities as quickly and concisely as possible in order to attract the attention of your prospective employers quickly and effectively.

Filed Under: Business, Job Search Tagged With: , ,

Resume Tips: Choose the Right Resume Design

December 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

When it comes to glancing at your resume, employers are likely going to make snap judgments about who you are. If they see skills or job titles on your resume that are unrelated to what they are looking for, then the odds are good that they are going to make an immediate bad assumption about your qualifications. If you do not want employers to think that you are unqualified for the job or jobs for which you are applying, then you need to find ways to stand out to them.

Employers do not have time to read everything on your resume, you really only have a few seconds to capture their attention. What this means is that you need to take steps to make your resume friendlier for these quick-moving employers so that they can quickly skim your resume and actually find what they are looking for. The design of your resume is a great way to get the ball rolling, because your resume design can highlight all of the most important details about your skills, your experience and your education.

When an employer looks at your resume, he or she is going to want to be able to pinpoint attention on the things that truly matter. If your potential employer glances at your resume, then they should be able to see the skills, the abilities, the keywords and the other information that is most important to them. Make sure that the design of your resume supports this. The design of your resume can have a profoundly positive impact on your ability to be called in for job interviews by showing employers that you do have the skills, the talents, the education and the experience that they are looking for. A little bit of fine tuning in the design of your resume can really go a long way for this purpose.
 

Filed Under: Business, Interviews, Job Search Tagged With: , ,
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