3 Things Every Job Seeker Should Know

Looking to get a job in 2011? You can improve your chances of getting hired with our inside guides to the best job hunting websites, must-know job hunting tips and overview of professional social networking strategies. But a word to the wise as well – don’t send out a resume without remembering these three essential pieces of advice:

1. Firstly, when it comes to quantity versus quality, the latter always wins. Always. Thusly, don’t spend your time impersonating a scud missile launcher, firing off ad hoc resumes and peppering the landscape with half-cocked profiles, but never really hitting your target. Instead, remember that while you may have become bored or fatigued or disenchanted with the job-seeking process, the folks who may potentially hire you don’t want to know about it.

2. Secondly, though we can’t underscore the importance of reaching out and touching someone, try to refrain from committing one of the most abhorred Internet sins of all: Spamming, or going overboard in terms of repeated efforts towards making outreach. You’ll know a true spam from a legit email or message by that little trickle of sweat forming on your brow as you concoct it.

3. Lastly, keep up your appearance – and that includes your virtual presence – even if you’re currently employed. You never know when the bell shall toll for thee, or a dream job is just one click away on the horizon.

Ten Best Job Hunting Websites and Job Search Engines

The obvious jumping off point for many is an employment website – that is, a website built with the express purpose of connecting employers with applicants. And these days, job hunting websites on the Internet are like nitrogen molecules in our atmosphere – they’re everywhere.

There really is no pure consensus as to which employment site is the best for today’s job seeker. Indeed, some of the highest rated sites in one survey get slammed by another and are also some of the biggest, fattest, slowest targets for individual complaints. Moreover, many of the familiar names vary considerably in the services that they offer and how they operate. In final analysis, because each job, job candidate, prospective employer, and employment website is unique, job seekers are advised to do their homework before diving in.

Having said all that, a select number of sites consistently seem to rate better than the rest, and we present them here in alphabetical order:

CareerBuilder (www.careerbuilder.com)

One of today’s premier mega-sites, CareerBuilder is straightforward to use and sports oodles of resources for the earnest job seeker.

Craigslist (www.craigslist.org)

Clearly not a job-specific site, popular online classified ad website Craigslist has nonetheless become a hot spot for local job listings. Beware of potential scammers, however.

Dice (www.dice.com)

Heavy on the tech-oriented jobs, Dice is lauded for its sense of direction and guidance and its collection of current and up to date job opportunites.

Indeed.com (www.indeed.com)

The hugely popular, user-friendly job search engine Indeed.com is one of several aggregators (sites that collect info from other employment sites) to appear in our list, and among the popular favorites.

Monster.com (www.monster.com)

Though it isn’t nearly as monstrous as it once, Monster.com is the granddaddy of job search sites and still packs a lot of weight, given its multitude of listings and prospective employers.

SimplyHired.com (www.simplyhired.com)

Arguably today’s most-recommended job search engine and aggregator site, SimplyHired.com is also one of the busiest.

SnagAJob.com (www.snagajob.com)

SnagAJob may seem a bit basic when compared to the industry giants, but it’s no less worthy, especially for those seeking hourly employment.

TheLadders (www.theladders.com)

Sleek and refined, just as you could be if you luck out and somehow land one of TheLadders’ $100,000-plus uber-positions. Apply here only if you’re looking for a $100,000 year job or up – just remember us on your holiday gift list.

USAJobs (www.usajobs.gov)

There are a ton of government jobs out there, and here’s where you’ll find most of them – alas, the presidency’s already taken.

Yahoo! HotJobs (http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/)

Easy resume posting and tons of exposure makes Yahoo! HotJobs a no-brainer for anyone wanting to be noticed in their prospective field.

Top 10 Tips for a Successful Job Interview

Job interviews in many organizations are getting sophisticated these days. Psychological tests, role plays, and challenges to one’s “quick intelligence” and street smarts are often part of the package. While it’s impossible to anticipate everything you may encounter, here are ten tips that will help you negotiate the interview process successfully.

1. Prepare and over-prepare.

It is assumed that you don’t go in with egg on your tie, spinach in your teeth, or without a thorough knowledge of the organization and position for which you are interviewing. Beyond that, there’s an important principle that will enable you to be much more confident. It’s called, “over-preparing.” It goes like this: Plan your strategy–your answers to all the possible questions you may be asked or the challenges that may be thrown at you–and then practice, practice, practice. Role play and repeat your best responses until they are entirely natural, until they simply roll off your tongue with the apparent spontaneity that comes only with successive repetition.

2. Be particularly clear on what you know and what you want to achieve.

If your interview is resume-based (you’ve had to supply a resume either before or concurrently), have the facts of your stated objective, relevant experience, education, etc. thoroughly memorized and mentally supported. As to your job objective, be clear on what you want, as well as what you don’t want. There’s little room in the job market for the applicant who’s willing to take anything; he or she will usually get nothing!

3. Make sure your responses match your claims.

If, for example, you’ve taken extra coursework to qualify for a particular position, license, or certification, tie it into your narrative, e.g., “When I took my coursework for my CPA, I learned that …” Build on your resume, but don’t refer directly to it (assuming the interviewer has it in his or her possession); make sure the connections are there, but do it subtly.

4. Be clear about your strengths.

You’re almost certain to be hit with questions pertaining to your strengths and weaknesses. Know your strengths and emphasize those that relate specifically to the position for which you’re being considered. If, for example, you’re applying for a sales position, you might describe one of your strengths (if it’s true) as follows: “I’ve made a study of personality types and I’ve learned to quickly type people in terms of the kinds of approaches that might best attract them.” Be prepared, in this case, to back up your claim if the interviewer suddenly asks: “What type would you say I am?”

5. Describe your weaknesses as strengths.

This is tricky, so let’s think about why the question is asked. The interviewer probably wants to learn several things about you with this question, such as: whether or not you are arrogant (“I really don’t think I have any weaknesses”), whether you know yourself (“Well, I’ve never really thought about that”), and finally, what you are doing to eliminate your weaknesses. Here are two ways to answer this question so that you leave a positive impression in the mind of the interviewer: (a) Show that, in overcoming a weakness, you’ve learned. If, for example, there’s a period in your chronology that just doesn’t fit (say that you took a job selling cars between jobs as an accountant … it happens!), you might tell the interviewer: “One weakness, which it took me some time to overcome, wasthat I really wasn’t sure that I wanted to be an accountant. For example, in 1988-90, I worked as a car salesman. I did so because I couldn’t decide if I wanted to make accounting my career. That experience taught me that I really didn’t want to sell products, and that I was much more challenged by the opportunity to solve client problems. (b) Pick a weakness that is really a strength. If, for example, you’re interviewing for a job in an organization you know is hard-charging and unforgiving of average performance, you might say, “One of my weaknesses is that I tend to be impatient with people who aren’t willing to pull their full weight and give 110%.” In this case, your “weakness” may help you get the job.

6. If you’ve been fired, be forthright about it.

So many people have been laid off through no fault of their own in the past ten years that it’s no longer a stigma to have been fired–unless it was for justifiable cause (e.g.,- you socked your boss). Answer directly, but without a “charge” in your voice. Expressing your bitterness over being let go tells the interviewer (rightly or wrongly) that you can’t accept the realities of modern free enterprise — that downsizing is acceptable and often necessary.

7. Be clear where you want to go.

A standard question which has all manner of variations is: “Where do you want to be five years from today?” Only today, the answers are different. Unless you plan to inherit Dad’s company, your answer is apt to be a lot more general than it might have been a decade ago. Why? Because the economy and nearly every industry are changing so fast that specificity with respect to the distant future is extremely difficult. So, instead of responding to the question with, “I plan to be in a position of senior leadership in this company,” you might want to say: “I plan to become qualified in every phase of this industry.” The exact response depends upon the specifics of your job hunting campaign, but the principle is: be specific while allowing yourself the flexibility which suggests that you understand the complexities of the business you’re applying for.

8. Have clear personal standards.

This is a sleeper because, on the face of it, the question doesn’t seem to have much to do with the immediate interview. Today, however, many organizations are looking for people who DO have standards regarding their personal and professional lives, who can articulate them clearly and concisely, and who live by them. In this case, the briefer, the better. “I delegate my weaknesses.” “I don’t take on projects unless I can give them 100% dedication.” “I respond in specifics and avoid meaningless generalities.” “I am committed to life-long learning and growth.”

9. Interview the interviewer.

The applicant who will take anything offered is unlikely to win any but the most temporary of positions. A competent interviewer (there are some) will respect your efforts to assess the organization and the position in terms of whether or not it meets YOUR requirements. And you owe it to yourself to have defined before hand, what you ideally want and what you are willing to settle for, under certain conditions. For example, you might really want a salary of $75,000 to begin with, but you’d be willing to take less if the opportunities for growth are clearly in the picture.

10. Don’t allow yourself to be badgered by the salary issue.

Even today,it’s still not uncommon to hear the old refrain: “Our policy is not to pay a new employee more than X% higher than he/she is currently making.” Sorry, that doesn’t fly. The real issue, and the only one at stake here, is whether or not your prospective employer is willing to pay WHAT YOU ARE WORTH. And, your worth is a function of the job itself and your capability and willingness to perform it. In most organizations, there are clear parameters for a given job, a range of salary that is adjustable depending upon the market and the applicant’s experience. In most cases, unless you are very good, you will have to work within those limits. But, within the limits, what you are worth is a matter of mutual agreement based on your own knowledge of your worth and your ability to convince those interviewing you. So, to sum it up: Know the range of compensation for the job you’re seeking, make your own realistic determination of what you’re worth, and then be prepared to stand your ground.

Tips for Career Job Hunting

DEFINE WHAT YOU WANT SO THAT YOU CAN HELP OTHERS HELP YOU

It may seem counterintuitive, but the best way to find a job is be able to tell people exactly what kind of job you want when networking. Sometimes people think it is best to keep all options open for any type of job that may come along. But with that strategy there is a higher likelihood that they will not like the position they accept and will be looking for a job again real soon because they quit or got fired. A person who handles the job search that way risks quickly becoming a job hopper. And guess what, it all started because they didn’t define what they were looking for in the first place.

The process does not have to be difficult or long and drawn out. It can be quite enriching if a person takes the time, but it can be done quickly with a few educated guesses when food just needs to get to the table too.

Minimally, you need to know:

* What kind of work fits your lifestyle right now such as part time, full time or contract?

* What industry are you interested in?

* What are example job titles?

* What skills you have to offer and what kind of problems you can solve with those skills?

With this kind of information in mind you can start the job search by asking people you know and people you meet a very powerful question, “Who do you know in the retail clothing industry that may be looking for part-time employees?” As simple as that you can begin accessing the hidden job market and the power of networking. Moral of the story: knowing what you want sure helps other people help you.

FIND A MENTOR

First, outline or journal what your career will look like when you arrive at the “next level.” What will you be doing in your work? What experience & education will you have achieved? How are you impacting your industry? Continue to make better distinctions about yourself and where you want to go then follow your nose to the virtual and real world gathering places for people whose interests match yours. Look for them in writing and speaking that is going on in your industry and in professional associations associated with your industry, or attend a conference or training, and search for them on LinkedIn. Locate and engage the experts in those places. Share your enthusiasm and demonstrate that you are there to learn and that you are very interested in contributing to the conversation. Ask the question, “what advice do you have for someone who is interested in doing what you are doing?” Ask also how they stay up-to-date in the field. Be sure to thank them for their time by writing them a thank you note or email or a quick follow up phone call or message later. Consider them a part of your professional network and send info their way when you see or hear about something they might like to know. If you notice a potential mentor but suspect they are too busy to be a mentor? Or maybe you just don’t know how to break the ice with them. Try informational interviewing. Its not just for students or those choosing a career for the first time! Informational interviewing can help you transition to a new career field, further your network, or find a mentor.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS NOT GOALS

Spend more time tracking and talking about your accomplishments rather than your goals. Think about it: accomplishments are actions you have already taken, goals are actions you intend to take…which is more powerful? Begin by making it a habit to log your accomplishments weekly while they are fresh in your mind. Collect them and turn them into bullet points for your resumes and power stories for your networking and interviews.

START A BLOG

Career blogging is a networking and electronic portfolio all in one! Your blog can be an outstanding networking tool. This is just the kind of thing the blogosphere was meant for…sharing information, having a discussion, building relationships. Plus, a blog can become a showcase for your unique personality, knowledge, and skills. With small regular posts you can quickly build an impressive portfolio demonstrating more about your personality and quality of work while building your reputation at the same time.

10 Tips on Career Advancement

Nowadays, it’s up to you to take control of your professional future and make sure that you are progressing wisely down the right career path. 

Here are 10 proven strategies to help you get started:

1. Talk to your boss. Sit down and have a very direct and pointed conversation with your boss about your future in the company. Stress that you want your job performance to meet the company’s goals. Share your own career goals with him or her. Your boss will respect this display of confidence and maturity.

2. Ask for more. Volunteering to help out other departments or teams — or simply asking for more responsibilities — increases your value within the organization. Asking for additional work shows an interest and desire to help your department and company to succeed. It also puts a spotlight on your value to the business.

3. Volunteer for boards. If you have your career set on something beyond what you are doing in your present position, seek out opportunities to volunteer or serve on advisory boards, where you can build a reputation as someone who is passionate and dedicated to your particular industry.

4. Sharpen your people skills. Strong interpersonal skills play a crucial role in gaining the respect of your boss and coworkers; they will also attract the notice of outside influencers who might open new doors of opportunity for you. Be friendly, outgoing, and personable. Listen carefully to people, and practice being a clear and effective communicator.

5. Be innovative. Never be afraid to think outside of the box and put your business acumen to work. Stay on the lookout for creative solutions to problems that will make you — and your boss — look good.

6. Find a mentor. Develop mentoring relationships, either inside or outside the company. Recent studies have shown that four out of five promotions are influenced by a mentor higher up in the company. Mentors are also great sources of information and career guidance.

7. Sell yourself. Learn the fine art of self-promotion. If you have had major accomplishments or created successful programs, make sure people know about it — especially those in influential positions who could help you advance professionally. Let it be known that you are seeking a promotion or the next step up in your career.

8. Keep learning. A proven way to advance in your career is to be continually acquiring new knowledge. Stay on top of trends or developments in your field and make sure that your current résumé reflects those needed skills.

9. Network. Strengthen your personal network and join professional organizations, attend industry conferences, or even volunteer. The more people who are aware of your strengths and abilities, the better your chances of hearing about any new opportunities that might arise.

10. Build your reputation. In business, your reputation is the most valuable thing you own. Be known for being dependable, professional, and cooperative. Act and look the part by dressing professionally. Make a name for yourself by attending conferences, delivering speeches, or writing articles.

Secrets of Best Customer Care Services

Customer care is a basic department of a business. If it is strong, efficient and offering their customer best response then it can consider the best customer care. Customer care service is not limited just on front desk, it can be telephonic or through proper channel via internet. Through telephone and internet, customer care services of an organization support their customers behind the screen. They try to provide their customers best solution of their problems. They guide how people can use their product and how to utilize them. In case of any problem customer care offer them the best solution under the company and organization rule. But if customer care is not efficient then customer can acquire impression that company is not fully interested in business and customer care. Here we are going to offer some suggestions about front desk customer care services.

Preservation

It is a vital secret of customer service. When walk-in customer enters in office:

* A welcome smile should be on your face.

* You should prepare mentally as well as physically. You should be well dressed and well looking. If you are female then it is better to have natural make-up with light matching jewelry.

* Stop if you are doing something at that time and leave it for later time.

* Do not ignore your customer but make an eye-interaction to give them notion that you are fully attentive to listen what they want to say.

Pay Full Consideration

When they starts speaking:

* Just listen to his words carefully do not catch errors in their actions and way of speaking.

* Do not interrupt your customer for adding your information.

* Just node your head till customer does not finish his task (problem, information that is required, or suggestion).

* Show your interest in what your customer is saying, for this purpose reply in yes or no where it is required.

* Also use some other nice short sentences during conversation, such as “yes I understand”, “of course yes” etc. depending on the situation.

Voice and body language

Respond to your walk-in customers in following ways:

* There should be intonation in your voice while conversation with customer. (Do not speak too loud, it seems awkward, nor in too low volume that customer could not listen to you voice. It may leave an impression of lack of confidence on you customer.

* Your body language consists of smile, standing rigidly and putting hands at side, neither on hips nor on chest in folding style.

* Do not seek a chair during conversation with customer.

Be Calm and Cool

* Some customers are hot tempered so do not be harsh in their response.

* Be cool and calm and try to convince them in lenient style.

* Reply to all of their questions calmly without missing any information if you really want to motivate them for your product or service.

* Try to leave them satisfied for all their enquiries.

Manager Should Never Use Worst Words

A person going to be hired in a call center should know the power of words. People who are working in call centers should never communicate with people in unsympathetic style as well as with their colleagues or juniors. A call center of a business should have a massive collision for people to whom they communicate with. Common destructive phrases can be toxic the atmosphere or even damage the market value of organization. These common damaging language patterns are used by a team manager:

1. When a team sits alongside manager, they want to hear remarkable and inspiring words on behalf of their manager. You should be careful while you brief on special task and never compare your team with some other successful people. Ask them why you can not do some accomplishments and why you find it difficult? Avoid adopting insulting attitude. Your team member can imagine that you are insulting them or try to let down them. Do not ask them for behavior changes. If you behave like this, you will execute inadequately as a team manager.

2. Always motivate your team member in positive manners. If they are doing well then appreciate theme at the spot and do not mix up disappointing words, like ‘but’, ‘may be’, ‘it is better but’ kind of words. Use of these words in appreciation means that you are not satisfied with the performance. First word means that manager has mind psychic ability and second word show its thinking toward its staff. Boss may use these words to motivate for the best performance still it is not a good way to achieve the task. For instant, manager appreciates your nice behavior with customer on phone but he does not like that you spent much time on phone. Your dealing way and way of enquiry was fine but you should brief data in more detail. Just not in call center but in every official environment “but monster” should be erased for the good and positive management.

3. If your team member is unable to understand something and asking to you once again, do not reply in insulting style “I have told you before why you don’t understand”. Infect it is assassination style of confidence. Manager’s ineffective conveying method can be cause of poor efficiency instead of overcoming deficiency of team member’s reorganization.

4. Every person has not abilities to do every kind of work. Low performance can owe to conflict with work and environment. So it is up to team member how is utilize his abilities and polish skills. If manager is creative mind and tolerate person, he can gain hundred-percent efficiency from his employee.

Lectureship Interview Questions

To have lectureship in desirable university can be difficult. Obtain or loss opportunity depends estimated 50% on Interview. If you have fulfilled all the requirements and expectations regarding job then you may select as a lecturer. For your guidance here are some sample questions from academic interview section about lecturer task.

1. Every individual has his own criteria, but purpose of making shortlisted is that any one of the applicants can be appointed. So be careful while conversation with other candidates and do not distract with other candidates when you enter or excite from the interview room.

2. Just short listed candidates could be call on the day of interview. The academic Human Resources representatives on the interview board mostly follow selection criteria of applicants.

3. Feel free to use the words in interview because your behavior also being noticed in lecturer job. Also use some academic terms or adopt them according to your own entrepreneurial needs.

4. If Human Resources ask to you that how you resolved the situations and what did you do in critical conditions, never give this idea to your competitors after your interview. Do not give them idea about the expected questions in interview room.

5. Interview for a lectureship can be at least 45mints long in questioning related to teaching, researches and administration.

6. Interview usually starts with general questions, like about family background, discussion about academic records etc.

7. Question about experience, lecture demo, research students and test may include in lecturer interview. Question in interview can be like these:

• Give anyone example of your researches that you have define.

• How you can describe the teaching or lectureship.

• What is your strategy about the generation?

• What opportunities do you feel the best for male/female.

• What attracts you in your career, subjects or discipline?

• If you selected for this post then what are your expectations.

How to launch a career?

TV and Advertisement

TV is the best source to launch your career. You can broadcast your career launching in form of an advertisement but not in documentary style that will be tedious. Also stroll down important notes of your career on TV sports and news channel for at least 60 second during sports and news time. You can show it in form of clips especially during special programs. Give your launch ad in first break. To promote your career take these steps.

Proper Network

Use proper network phenomenon for the launching of your career. To obtain strong feed back from society and organization perform in such as way that previous generation did never act. Thanks to internet phenomenon, like Facebook and other social networks. Try to show your skills via launching program that are required by the organization. These skills can be in form of computer fluency and flair of teamwork. Your social networking skills and consumer intellects are necessary for valuable career launch. Generation demand can also reveal obliging to your career.

Keep in touch

For the successful career launch contact with your concerned persons. Try to keep in touch with your previous colleagues and friends. When you are going to launch your career invite them, too. In this way you can connect with different developing organizations, social networks and media.

If you are working in an organization then this place can also be a best source for your career. Try to gain new opening opportunity if it suites you. You can launch career at that place with the coordination of your friends and ex-colleagues. You can play fabulous and useful role in that place. If you have been working in market then you can utilize your relationships for your career launch.

Newspaper

If you are looking for a best place for your career launching then newspaper is also a great source for this purpose. Especially evening time newspaper is really good for this. You can get place in vacancies and edition via a newspaper. Through this place you can get a biggest and pushiest section. In UK, Sunday is the best time to proceed. Your image selection should be appealing, it can convey your theme properly.

How to keep your job search confidential?

How to keep your job search confidential? It is somewhat tricky. But there are several tips you can use to hunt the job successfully and secretly. Some of the most important tips are as follows:

* Try not to use your current work email address for job searching. Make the email address that is totally different from your existing id.

* Do not use office equipments of your current employer. These equipments include office computers, fax machines, and telephones. Keep your job hunt limited to your home computer.

* Be very conscious in posting your resume online. Post your resume only on job sites where you can easily stay invisible to your employer and keep your contact information confidential.

* Do not include your company name, job title, contact information, and phone numbers in your resume. Instead, use the job hunting email address and phone number.

* Define your current employer in general words, for example “pharmaceutical company”. Never use the company name in your resume.

* When going for the interview, plan to do it either in the morning or in the evening, or you may go in your lunch time. You can also utilize your annual leaves for interviews.

* Stay quiet after giving the interview. It is important to maintain your current job position secure in case you fail in your job hunt.

* You should never discontinue giving 100 % of your efforts in your current job work while hunting a new job.

* You can also use job agents for searching job secretly. This source of finding a new job is much safer as your resume will not be much publicized.

* Last but not the least; do not tell anything to anyone about your job search, especially to your coworkers, friends, and colleagues, no matter how much you trust them.

Doing your job search is always very hazardous. You need to be very careful because it will keep your stress level to the minimum. Following these guidelines properly will lead you to the secure job hunt, giving you the job of your dreams.

How To Dress for a Job Interview (For Men)

It is important that no matter how good you are, you still have to wear the best dress to give the best impression. Unfair as it may seem but the world judges everyone, even men, by his clothing. So why not use this to your advantage? Wear a dress that will make you look like the best man for the job.

Follow the tips below when choosing the best job interview dress:

* Wear the common formal dress for men. This is a coat over a long-sleeve polo shirt with a simple tie. It’s safer to go with simpler prints or better yet, a polo shirt with plain color. Tuck this into your pair of slacks. Coat and slacks should be of the same fabric, too. Your tie can be of the same color as the coat but it’s okay if not. It can be a more intense color than your shirt or it can be a contrasting color to your shirt.

* An open collar is okay. This gives a more casual look. Do not wear a tie if you’ll open the collar. Also, unbutton only the top button. Don’t open more buttons if you wish to wear an open collar. Wear a coat over this shirt to make it look less casual.

* Wear a color-coordinated sweater during cold weather. You don’t have to suffer the chill of winter just because you want to dress ideally for the job interview. You can wear a sweater but it should be of solid color and should be color-coordinated with your shirt, coat, and tie.

* Remove earrings or any body piercings before the interview. It is inappropriate to wear body piercings during a formal interview like this.

* Hide tattoos, as much as possible. For some people, wearing a tattoo gives a bad impression. Hide those tattoos, especially if you’re eyeing a conservative job.

* Cut your hair before the interview. Well-groomed hair is the best for a job interview. If you can’t cut your long hair, at least comb it back so your facial features will be seen. Tie the hair with a ponytail holder that is the same color as your hair.

* Shave off your beard and mustache. If you can’t, at least make sure that these are well-groomed.

* Choose a silk tie. If this is too expensive for you, then go with a silk blend. It’s best to wear a simple tie clip also to keep your tie in place.

* Wear black leather shoes. Other colors are okay as long as they are coordinated with your clothing. Laced or loafer shoes are okay, too, as long as your shoes are leather or a man-made alternative.

* Socks should be color-coordinated with your dress trousers. Cover your legs with your socks so that they won’t show when your trouser legs pull up when sitting.

* Your belt should be the same color as your shoes. If not, it should at least match your clothing.

Other accessories can be worn for the job interview, but keep everything as simple and as plain as possible. It’s the safest way to go for most type of jobs. Also, don’t forget that dressing up well is only a part of it. You should speak well during your interview, too. How you answer the interview questions, and not how well you dressed, can make or break your chance of landing a job.

Source : http://www.howtodothings.com/careers/how-to-dress-for-a-job-interview-men

Winning Job Interview

Truth be told, a job interview can be quite brutal, especially if you aren’t fully prepared to handle yourself and be in total control. However, if you overdo it there is also a chance for you to sound too tense and perhaps even trip all over your words, effectively lowering your chances of catching that job. In a way, it is a lot like applying for your driver’s license—your instructor will either pass or fail you depending on how you handle yourself during the test. It is the same way in a job interview, and the step by step process provided by this article hopes to help you improve your chances by offering different tips and advice to having a winning job interview—ultimately coming out of it feeling like a million dollars, instead of feeling like you had lost a million dollars.

So, put on your most natural and confident smile and follow these steps:

* Whether or not you have a sharp wit and a natural ability to answer difficult questions on the spot, you still need to do your homework. Choking in a job interview is not something that should ever happen, so you should do some research on what kind of questions will be asked, as well as practice a little a bit yourself. In front of a mirror, you could answer an imaginary question and see what you can do to make yourself sound and look more amiable and capable. Even changing the slightest of details can be useful.

* Remember, that you are looking to exude confidence, not brash cockiness. The latter will simply annoy the interviewer, and push them to asking you more difficult questions, question that may hit outside of your comfort zone too soon in your job interview. Just remember to look eager, and look confident, but do not overdo it. If you impress your interviewer, then they will be more inclined to easing you into your questions, making your job interview easier to handle overall.

* Finally, always keep in mind that first impressions last in a job interview. How you go about introducing yourself and answering the first questions is the most important part of a job interview, and it will dictate the pace and what will happen all throughout. This is not something you can prepare for necessarily, but it does all depend on how calm you can be. Just try to shake off your anxiety (or even a little bit of it), take deep breaths, and make sure you are mentally prepared, having followed the first step.

Having learned what you should do to prepare yourself for your job interview with the steps above, all you can do now is follow through, and try your best. Knowing is half the battle—effort is the other half. You can do it, and if you are aware of that fact, you will be successful.

Source : http://www.howtodothings.com/careers/how-to-have-a-winning-job-interview

What Employers Look For in Candidates

The employer, in fact, looks for not only the professional experience and job related skills, but he want to find the variety of other characteristics and skills sets in a candidate. They want the candidates who do not only like the position and their company but are also capable of driving the company in new dimensions of progress.

Though there may be some factors which a candidate can not change or they are out of his control but may be there have been some factors from candidate which he did not notice. Here are some tips to understand what the employers want from candidates and how you should prepare yourself for these qualities. Have a look.

1. Your appearance is the first impression on the employer. Be a well dressed and smart person. It adds value to your personality and appearance.
2. Reveal the employer that you are a good listener and communicator. It is important to deal different situations in effective ways.
3. Express the self-motivation. Taking extra time in answering the questions or making late decisions destroys the impression.
4. Don’t express your nervousness by beating the table with nail, playing with your pen or twirling the tissue into pieces. Only you know that you are nervous, so keep your nerves, expressions and body language in your best control.
5. Reveal them that you hold the ability to learn, whether you have the relevant experience or not. Show the flexibility and “I can do” attitude.
6. The employer may be looking for a person who has efficient problem-solving skills. He should know the tricks and techniques to come out of any situation.
7. Employer always needs a loyal, dedicated and reliable candidate, not only focusing the money earned.
8. Your talking way should meet the impressive moral standards and your personality should be a good fit of culture and society. Your look carries more than half of the impression before you speak.
9. They look for the enthusiasm to improve, solid business ethics and team-building skills for their business. So do hold and utilize your best opinions and strategies to make effectiveness.
10. They look for a candidate who walks with them for their long term goals and objectives. If they feel you are just looking for a temporary job or not interested in any permanent work, it makes your hiring chances weaker.
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Ten Tips for Best Time Management

Through time management, you can not only make your life more comfortable but also get satisfaction with your career whatever it is. There are a lot of things that you consider little but they matter a lot in your time management. Learn how to arrange and organize your daily tasks ranging from little/major tasks and usual/unusual matters to live a happy and successful life in both personal and professional way.

Here are some tips to provide convenience in making your time management schedule:

1. Make a list of your routine tasks to organize your daily planner. Try to include every little detail of less and more important points. Make sure nothing is missed in your planner.
2. Find out the things and activities that wastes your time or they are unnecessary. Don’t get preyed of the things that steal your precious time for nothing and stop your natural productivity and creativity. Exclude them from your planner.
3. Set your goals for each day with clear definition and try your best to achieve it. Find out best ways to start with and finish.
4. Prioritize to finish the most important and urgent tasks that can not be delayed at all and then less important. It will give your more satisfaction with your performance.
5. You are at home or office, always keep your workstation neat and clean and keep your equipments at their right place. It play significant role in saving your time and you don’t need to spend more time in searching things here and there.
6. Quickly respond to the emails and do not leave any email unanswered for the day. It is helpful in two ways; you finish your work immediately and the email receiver does not have to wait longer for response. Better to design a proper schedule for it.
7. Avoid multitasking as much as you can. It does not only make your performance slower, but also drags your urgent assignment longer. No matter how expert you are in your duties, but you can easily make mistake if you get overwhelmed with multitasks.
8. Know yourself and figure out when you work best. Avoid working when you are really not in mood to do it. Probably you can commit some error that can drag the task longer to correct. Try to reserve your best performance time for most important work.
9. Some things demand quick response and some things required to decide much slower. Arrange both things separate and manage the things appropriately that are more sensitive and demand your response slowly and wisely. It saves you from serious loss.
10. Organize time for your personal interests to keep yourself fresh. Meet friends and people, visit your favorite place, listen to music, play games, watch movies, paint a portrait or whatever that makes your mind free from worries.

Career Quotes

These quotes equally fit for people of all career types.

1. The best career advice to give to a young is ‘Find what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it’.
2. If you want a big career, a big man and a big life, you have to think big – that’s the only way to get it… you just cannot stand being anonymous.
3. For many people a job is more than an income – it’s an important part of who we are. So a career transition of any sort is one of the most unsettling experiences you can face in your life.
4. He knows nothing and thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.
5. Think not of yourself as the architect of your career but as the sculptor. Expect to have to do a lot of hard hammering and chiseling and scraping and polishing.
6. No man can succeed in a line of endeavor which he does not like.
7. Work to become, not to acquire.
8. A career is born in public – talent in privacy.
9. The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual.
10. Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career!
11. The true measure of a career is to be able to be content, even proud, that you succeeded through your own endeavors without leaving a trail of casualties in your wake.
12. I’ve arrived at the place if I’m not taking a career risk, I’m not happy. If I’m scared, then I know I’m being challenged.
13. Criticism of others is futile and if you indulge in it, often you should be warned that it can be fatal to your career.
14. Analyzing what you haven’t got as well as what you can have is necessary ingredient of a career.
15. A good manager is a man who isn’t worried about his own career but rather the careers of those who work for him.
16. I think everyone should experience defeat at least once during their career. You learn a lot from it.
17. Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.
18. It’s not what you achieve, it’s what you overcome. That’s what defines your career.
19. I absolutely want to have a career where you make’em laugh and make’em cry. It’s all theater.

Right Format for Resume

Before you start arranging information in your resume, you need to determine the correct format. There are three formats used for the resume writing:

- Chronological

- Functional

- Combined

Here you will read the description of all three formats :

1. Chronological Format

It is the most preferred format by the employers. Using chronological format you can present your previous work history and professional portfolio in most suitable way. This format emphasizes on your responsibilities. You must use this format if you need to highlight your accomplishments at your previous/running job showing the stability, professional growth and urge to make development in career. This format is also helpful to highlight your career history including dates along with accomplishments made at every job. Employer will easily read out and reveal your qualification with which he is interested most. Chronological format is best choice if you are going to apply for the job similar to your running or previous job category.

Chronological format is not for those who do not want their frequently changed job history to be revealed. It emphasizes more on the accomplishments, but not on the skills. If your are having limited job experience, this format is not ideal for you.

2. Functional Format:

If you have frequently changed career in your job history, or there have been inconsistent gaps in your career, you should choose Functional format for your resume. This format can represent your skills and capabilities in an appropriate way and the employer will take less notice of those inconsistent gaps, job changing frequency and even less experience. This format is more helpful if you are going to apple a different career because it will emphasize directly your abilities and skills drawing out the focus from responsibilities and experience. It also relates tour qualification to the job your are going to apply for.

Candidates who want to tie their experience with job titles to the new different career, should not choose this format. Employer will be looking for the relevancy of the vacant job with your resume, and if he does not find it, he will take your resume is less impressive or you are hiding something. Also this format does not make your career growth and developments prominent.

3. Combined Format:

Combined format is ideal if you want to emphasize on specific points like relevant skills, capabilities and accomplishments in your resume. Using this format you can create different sections where you can highlight the aspects as per your requirement. It includes the features of both the Chronological and Functional formats because it enables you to highlight either your skills and capabilities, your work history and responsibilities, or any part of your resume information. Using Combined format, you can even include the primary accomplishments and every transaction of your job history. This format is more helpful in grouping the relevant qualifications and objectives together and keep maintaining the focus of employer on relevancy of your data.

Unusual Interview Questions Tips

Purpose of such questions is ofcourse to check the present mindedness and mental capabilities of a candidate, not for fun. Really! May be they are trying to test how much you know about employer or what is your general information level. The interview gets good impression of candidate if he is quick responsive and comfortable to reply such questions that fulfills the purpose of this strategy.

Here you can see some unusual questions that can be expected from an interviewer who is fond of making the interviewees shocked with their eye brow raised:

1. If you could have super power, what it could be?
2. If you get 100 million dollar, where you will spend it?
3. What you would like to title yourself?
4. How many gas stations are there in US?
5. How many stairs you stepped up and down from your way of home to office?
6. If you have only 2 months left to live, what you would long to do?
7. Who is your favorite celebrity ad why?
8. If you summarize your life in a short story, what would be its title?
9. What you would like to take with you if you are asked to go alone to a desert?
10. If you get an invisibility power, what you would act first?
11. Do you think you have committed the biggest mistake of your life with being here?
12. What do you know about our company and its role?
13. Explain what is dijkstra algorithm?
14. What would be the major improvements and developments you would make if you join our company?
15. Do I rate like an interviewer?
16. Are you feeling nervous?
17. You just come to know that the person next to you is about to shot you, how you will react?
18. How you will convince a customer for a product which he does not need at all?
19. If you are stuck in the middle of a wide desert and you don’t know the way to escape, what would be your first strategy to come out?
20. Suppose you have forgot something very important and you don’t know exactly what is it, what can make you remind it?

Things to Avoid in Interview

The interviewer usually does not want to listen to the extra things which cause to waste their time. Here you can find some valuable tips about the things which you should avoid during a job interview:

1. Be always on time. It shows your care and punctuality. This is the first good impression you can put on the interviewer.
2. Keep a smile on your face. Angry or aggressive mood leave your inflexible impression on the interviewer.
3. Dress up appropriately and don’t use strong perfumes. It is the thing which explains you before you talk to someone.
4. Don’t chew gum, drink or smoke before or during interview.
5. Don’t tell incorrect information. If you try to change your statements frequently, it may reveal your interviewer that you are trying to hide something from your employer.
6. Some people try to be creating a frank environment to justify their nervousness against the interviewer. Sometimes the interviewer provides a comfortable setting to provide ease in the interview. In such situation you need to keep your nerves calm and under your control. Don’t be frank with the interviewer and keep your attitude professional.
7. You need to be ready for all usual and unusual questions. Don’t say the things showing your forgetful habit.
8. Don’t bad-mouth to anyone before the interviewer. If you start saying bad comments about your previous employer, the interviewer may think you will say such things about him if you move on. So, don’t count the negative aspects of the previous employer.
9. You must realize what they may expect from you. It is possible only when you have beforehand information about the company’s history, goals and running activities. It will also make you comfortable during the discussion.
10. Switch your cell phone off. The ring or vibration of your cell phone can take your concentration out of the discussion.
11. Don’t ask for permission to go out for cause of a phone call or toilet flush. It wastes the time of interviewer.
12. Listen carefully to the words asked to you, don’t ask to repeat the words again and again. Be attentive to the questions and don’t keep silent when you are asked to reply.
13. If your are asked the open ended questions, like “tell me about you?”, “why you want to do this job?”, “how you feel you are appropriate for this position?”, this is the best chance to speak your words to reveal your capabilities relevant to the job.
14. Don’t show the feelings of disappointment, attitude of negligence or nervousness.
15. Don’t cut the words of interviewer and don’t offer extra details. Simple state the to the point information to the questions and don’t talk too much.
16. Keep your portfolio with you and don’t hesitate for any field test or even personality test which is going to be a common trend in interview strategies.
17. Don’t put the blames on the previous company, boss or the society for your past failures if any. Take out the positive points and show that you have learned from your past career mistakes.

How to Deal With Difficult Boss

Deal With Difficult/Strict Boss

Majority of jobbers have some points in their lives when they had to deal with a difficult/strict boss. Almost all supervisors and bosses vary in personality and are being push for rudeness. Some people think that an abusive boss or supervisors are the victim of domestic problem that’s way they behave like this. Role of boss attracts certain controlling-type personalities because they crave the power and boss designation gives them authorities to control staff people. There are commanding motivating factors that allow a difficult supervisor to control people out of fear. No doubt we are not able to correct his behavior but we should never allow them to control our lives according to their personal will. A difficult boss is a challenge for everyone but there are some terms to handle the situation.
We have some strategies to deal with strict and difficult boss, if you want to be relaxed then follow them.

1. Some people do not have much confidence to talk with supervisor or boss. They feel scared while discussing with boss on some matter owing to the boss’s obvious behavior. They get afraid of losing their job as the result of misunderstanding or conflict. So before dealing with your boss, it is better to prepare a meeting and discussion which you are going to talk with him/her.
2. Make an honest analysis of your wok, job performance for the time, when your boss threats you for the performance if you have not been relaxed and lazy person. Then at that time, try to re-locate on the project in your hand.
3. It is also possible that your boss is a good person but due to lack of your efficiency, his behavior is much rude towards you. So also make analyses of your performance and sincerity and try to change yourself instead of your boss.
4. If you are happy with the company and do not want to skip just owing to the difficult boss, then develop relationship with some other supervisor of the related department and try to move in some other department under a new boss.
5. Moreover make a list of your difficult boss’s bad, unprofessional and abusive behavior. Just write down fact, not your reaction.
6. If your boss’ attitude is beyond to your toleration then write down a letter to your HR department with the fact report that you have made of your difficult boss. Human resources would do something for the solution of this misunderstanding between you and your boss.
7. It is not good way to keep silent at the response of your difficult manager’s insulting and non-professional behavior. If he is letting you down and insulting you over nothing then reply just calmly it is best way to deal with a difficult boss in bad situation. If he is doing this to damage your efficiency then for somebody else then report to your most senior boss or Human Resources.
8. It is not good to sacrifice your health by taking tension of your boss bad behavior. Problem will never be solved till we do not try to solve them. First try to change your strict boss attitude through your sincerity and devotion. But it does not mean to sacrifice your health by giving over time to your job just for the sake of boss’s pleasure.

How To Have a Great Career

1. Take Ownership

* Your career is yours and yours alone. You have the power to create it and live it as an expression of your unique talents and energy.

* Forget what other people think of your choices. Even though people often mean well, you will be the one putting in the hours so be selfish enough to do something you enjoy and to have fun with it!

* Being yourself in your work gives power, creativity, and freedom. You are off track if you feel insecure or like an pretender at work.

2. Look Inside Yourself, You Know the Answers

* Take note when you find yourself fully engaged in a work activity. If it feels like you are in the zone, or plugged in and energized, or connected to something larger than yourself: Pay special attention.

* Then describe it further…what are you liking about what you are doing? Is it this? Is it that? Keep asking yourself and you’ll know when you hit the answer that feels right.

* Start general then get more specific in your description of what you like about what you are doing. For example, is it the communication or connection? Is it the performing or beautifying? Is it the helping or healing? Is it the organizing or administrating? Then add more detail by asking why.

3. Respect the Career Development Process

* The beauty of a great career is in the way it unfolds.

* Enjoy the present moment. Each small step adds up until you are for sure ready for more.

* Appreciate then forget when you felt lost or frustrated in your career. Through those times you learned more about what you DO want.

4. Understand the Power of People

* People can be powerful and brilliant in sharing their connections with others. Use strategy in maintaining your 150 or so top connections to tap into the power.

* Accept that people can be dark, egotistical, and negative but this is nothing compared to an individual in harmony with self. Recognize the negative as the weaker power and stay beyond it.

* See and applaud the strengths of others as you do for yourself. Be a builder-upper who is generous with knowledge, info, and positive energy.

5. Be an Opportunity Bulldog

* Take your individual strengths and mesh them into your public identity and no one can take your place.

* Research and understand the opportunities that exist because of the challenges in your field of expertise.

* Present a passion for being or finding the solution and be unafraid of asking for the opportunity.

Source : http://careertipsblog.com/