All About Jobs

Preparing for a Job Interview - A Last Minute Checklist

2006-12-04T04:48:00.000-08:00

Preparing for a Job Interview - A Last Minute Checklist

Going for an interview is just like anything else in life. You stand a better chance of reaching your goal if you prepare properly. Here is a short checklist of things to aid in preparing for a job interview.

Your attire is important. While different workplaces encourage different dress codes these days, part of preparing for a job interview is knowing what is and is not considered proper attire. If the business is...

continue with Preparing for a Job Interview

Four of the Most Common Job Interview Questions

2006-12-04T04:27:00.000-08:00

Four of the Most Common Job Interview Questions

For those of us who have worked in various positions in several fields, we know that many of the job interview questions we will be asked are universal. To help you prepare, here are a few of the most common job interview questions that you are likely to encounter.

Perhaps the most basic of all job interview questions is "why do want this job?' Whether it comes at the beginning, middle, or end o the interview, rest assured you will be asked to respond. Make sure that you understand the reasons why you want this particular position and in your mind prioritize them. This will have you prepared...

Continue with Job Interview Quesstions

Online Resume

2006-07-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

Online Resume

Ask any jobseeker and they will tell you that the most difficult aspect of the job search is not the waiting for interview calls. It is not even the nervousness that accompanies an interview call. It is not at all the trends of the job market. It is in fact the painfully elaborate and exhaustive filling up of forms that accompany the application for any job.

I’m serious! If you’ve ever attempted to surf the jobs offered advertisements and have tried to apply to the positions on offer, you will realize the truth of this statement. But a recent development is all set to change the way people apply for jobs. And this is what has come to be known as an online resume.

Simply put an online resume is your resume that is permanently available online. But how can an online resume prevent or even facilitate the filling up of forms? Well, most online resumes are not just online. They are resumes that are linked to job portals. Most big job portals like Monster allow candidates looking for jobs to create online resumes. In fact, it is not an option.

Any candidate who wishes to seek out suitable jobs must first register with the job search portal by creating an online resume. Once they have included all the relevant details in this online resume, they will be allowed to apply for a wide variety of jobs available on that portal. And to be honest, an online resume takes out the pain of filling in the same details over and over again. Most jobs require the candidate to submit similar information. All that the online resume does is to take the repetitive filling of forms out of the job search experience.

Once you have registered on the job portal and have created your online resume, all you have to do in order to apply for a relevant job is to click a simple button. And although you might spend a fair bit of time to make your online resume comprehensive and suitable, it will save you hours when you apply for similar positions.

But there may be several kinds of jobs you might want to apply for. Which is why job sites like monster allow you to create and store up to five different online resumes. What this means in real terms is that you can create five different online resumes to cater to five different kinds of jobs you would like to apply to.

And whenever you find a suitable job, all you have to do is to select the suitable online resume to apply with! Presto! The pain of filling in the details over and over again is gone. Welcome to the world of one click applications!

How to answer job interview questions

2006-07-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

How to answer job interview questions

It seems that each field and each set of interviewers have different ideas on how one should answer job interview questions. Some are listening for buzz words like “team player” or “best practices” while others are seeking the unique and authentic applicant who does not follow the herd or return with pat or cliché answers. So how to answer job interview questions is not—as one can see from the multiple advice books and pamphlets—all that streamlined in method or manner.

At the same time, there are certain techniques that go into the process to answer job interview questions that will land you the job. Some of what I have read up on, studied, and practiced myself are as follows:

ANSWER JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS as YOU WOULD WANT TO HEAR

Instead of getting all in a bind by stressing over how well you will or will not do in the interview, remind yourself (repeatedly, if necessary) that the interviewer or interview panel is composed of the human element. The people interviewing you have not only had to work to come up with ideal job descriptions and ideal open-ended questions, they have also likely had to go on interviews themselves. They want to be respected, but they also want to be real and have you be real too.

The more relaxed and amiable you are the better, for these people will want to work with you. Keep eye contact with all echelons and genders (rather than just speaking to the one who asked the question or just the men or just the head honcho).

ANSWER JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS in THEIR LANGUAGE and to COMPLETION

Answer the question in the form of the question. That is, use the language to answer that the interviewers used to ask: if they ask you what the most important components of the V-tech are to you, respond with “The most important components of the V-tech are….” To keep yourself straight, use the popular bulleted method—saying there are three parts to X, 1…, 2…, 3…, and being sure to follow through with three if you announce three or four if you announce four.

Also, many questions are intentionally two-parted. A question might be how do you see the problem of attrition and what would you bring to the problem to solve it? Be sure to answer BOTH parts of the question.

ANSWER JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS with a MODICUM of HUMOR

If it is all appropriate, use a moderate sense of humor. If they ask you a strange question, smile and admit that this is indeed a great question—which compliments them and admits you have not memorized and churned out a bunch of rote answers that are obviously the signs of a green player. Tell them you will explore that further if necessary, fill in with potential, future ambition, positive forward-looking responses. It’s okay not to know everything.

And if you place so much stake on being the ONE out of hundreds applying to get the job and you DON’T get it, remember the comments of many actors who have gone on auditions as a tall redhead woman when the part and the director and casting directing are calling for a short, fat, grey-haired man. They have a slot they know how they want filled, and you may just not have a God-given attribute that will fit.

It is not necessarily about you in the case, even if it feels like it is. Apply, apply, apply, and interview, interview, interview. You may even find that getting a job will disappoint you as you will no longer be able to continue the fun adventure that is interviewing and practicing!