Monthly Archives: March 2012

4 Interview Mistakes that Probably Jeopardized your Chances

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So you got the called in for the interview but you blew it. Not really sure where you went wrong? There could be several factors, but below is a list of the most common. To make sure you don’t make any of these blunders on your next interview, follow the tips below.

1. You Didn’t Do Your Homework

One of the most cardinal sins of job interviewing is to show up unprepared, meaning you’re clueless about the job that you’re actually interviewing for. Do your research of the company way beforehand, including the company’s mission, history, as well projects the company has completed. Pick out something specific that you can single out that you like/admire. For example, if you are interviewing for a publication, select an issue that really blew your mind and state why. It’s also a great idea to research the “important” people in the office such as managers and executives— you don’t want to get caught in the elevator with one pre-interview and stick your foot in your mouth. Most of this information can be found on the company’s website or with a simple Google search. Not only will employers be impressed that you know so much, but your research will give you better insight to whether that’s the place you actually want to work for.

2. You Provided No Specific Example, Ideas

Just like when applying to colleges, employers want to know what you as an individual will bring to the table. That said, those who are most likely to get hired are applicants that are able to give specific examples on what/how he or she can contribute to the company. Do you have a unique set of skills? How did you learn those skills? Any previous job or leadership positions teach you? Do you have a great idea that will make the company better?

3. You Brought up the Subject of Money

Your earning salary is something that you should definitely be addressed at some point, but refrain from talking about money until the interviewer brings is up. Otherwise, you just appear money hungry and employers aren’t interested in applicants that solely are concerned about pay. When the matter is brought forth however, do make sure that you state the salary you were hoping for and make an argument for it—were you getting paid more at your previous job? Do you need to compensate for moving out of state expenses? Etc.

4. No Long-Term Commitment Potential

Lastly, one of the most aggravating things an employer can do is hire someone who really only intends on staying for a short time (or until something better comes a long)—it takes time and money to hire someone new, and employers don’t want to bring someone on the team that doesn’t plan on staying. So when the interviewer asks you where you see yourself in X amount of years, don’t say something that isn’t related to the company you’re applying for—say you hope to hold a leadership position, etc.
By-line:

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031@gmail.com.

How Social Media May Change Your Future Employers Mind

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There’s no denying that there are great benefits to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Even beyond the obvious benefits of staying in touch with friends, family, classmates and coworkers—as well as being up-to-date on the latest inane tweet from “Snookie” –there are now plenty of other benefits.  Social platforms are offering special offers and coupons for events within your city, deals on various activities you have shown a preference for, and opportunities to play games and win prizes.

Businesses are becoming fluent on social networks, as well. Employers are using Facebook more to advertise their business and attract employees, while LinkedIn is more commonly used by employers to connect and communicate with potential employees.  The first step to advertising your brand and connecting with your target audience is to decide where your target audience “lives” and what platforms they tend to interact within.  As a student however, your brand is yourself, and the way you promote yourself on various social media stages will influence the way people, including potential employers, view your brand.

Indeed, you can include the online education you’ve obtained; the courses you took, both pertaining to your degree and those that helped you become a well-rounded individual.  Both will help promote your brand, but the key will be to make yourself stand out.  This can mean optimizing your profile to gain attention, or engaging on platforms where you know your audience tends to congregate.  Managing your social media presence and getting your resume and social media outlets to work together to market you as an employee will be the combination you need to succeed within the social media sphere. The bottom line is that there are tremendous benefits to using social media, but you must exercise caution and common sense. Basically, when you know you’re in the market for a job, the best bet is to not post anything anywhere on social media that you wouldn’t want your future boss to see.

Employers, however, are using social media in some other creative ways. ZDnet reports that 56 percent of employers check up on applicants using Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. What this means for you, as a potential job applicant, is that your private life may no longer be as private as you think. It may impress the heck out of your friends that you rock at “Mafia Wars”, but the hiring manager for that security director job you’re interviewing for might not be as impressed. Further, the pictures of all your childhood friends—who now look like the cast of a prison drama—on your wall will probably not do much to build the trust of a new potential employer, either.

Twitter is a whole other issue–the brief, stream-of-consciousness nature of the medium makes it perfect for a rant that you may not realize is visible to a searching employer. Even if you possess all your faculties when you tweet, the nature of the medium makes it very easy to misinterpret or take something out of context—leading to a potential for huge misunderstandings. Don’t portray yourself as someone you are not, but be conscientious of the image you are sharing with the world.

 

Job Search Mistakes that May Prove Costly

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The outcome of your job search depends on your effort. If you’re a serious job seeker, you understand your search is an investment and want to see results. However, those results can be put on hold if you are making costly mistakes along the way. Be sure to avoid these mistakes in your job search:

Not knowing what you want: Don’t get a job for the sake of getting a job. Find a position you’re qualified for and will give your best effort to.

Having a mediocre resume:You need a quality resume to secure interviews. Make sure it is error free and accurately represents who you are.

Avoiding networking events and conferences: Attending job fairs or other career events are good opportunities to meet people. You can never tell who may have information about job opportunities.

To learn more costly job search mistakes, see the source below.

If you want to have a job search that produces results, you must give it the best chance to do so. That means eliminating mistakes that put those results on hold.

Source: The Career News

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

London: Finding a Job and Making the Move

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Moving to London is a great step to take for many people, both in terms of advancing your career and broadening your experiences.

Although there are plenty of jobs available in the UK capital, when moving to the third most expensive city in the world it’s wise to do plenty of background research before jumping in headfirst. Expensive accommodation, transport and general living costs mean that, although your earning potential might be higher in London, you may find it a struggle to manage all your costs in the first month or so.

The best way to prepare for this is to search extensively for attractive positions, make plenty of applications and attend as many interviews as possible in order to line up a job before making the move.

Search for London jobs using as many platforms as possible: newspapers, job sites, recruitment agencies, social contacts, speculative applications to specific companies and word of mouth if you already have friends living in London.

Once you have secured a job, it’s time to hunt for accommodation. Base your accommodation search around your place of work, as although transport in London is widely available it can still be unreliable, so your commute should be of a reasonable length if possible. Ensuring that you have a short commute could also cut down your travel costs, perhaps even allowing you to take a healthy mode of transport to work, like cycling.

Additionally, you should take into account your salary expectations, since certain areas of the city are more expensive than others and suburbs on the outskirts will generally be much cheaper.

Making the move to London will be challenging and perhaps even terrifying at times but, once you’ve familiarised yourself with the city, you’ll be surprised at the number of opportunities that open up to you.

Would You Give Your Facebook Password To Your Employer?

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Interesting article on CNBC today regarding a new candidate screening technique. It involves asking the candidate for their Facebook username and password so that the company can check up on on their personal life.

From the article:

When Justin Bassett interviewed for a new job, he expected the usual questions about experience and references.

So he was astonished when the interviewer asked for something else: his Facebook username and password.

Bassett, a New York City statistician, had just finished answering a few character questions when the interviewer turned to her computer to search for his Facebook page. But she couldn’t see his private profile. She turned back and asked him to hand over his login information.

To me, this is a gross invasion of privacy, but I’m also ultra-careful about the information I post online. For others, there could be an even higher risk.

Would you give your Facebook credentials to a company in order to get a job?

Interview with a Dance Instructor

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This is a true story as told to LatPro.com, the worldwide leader in providing online employment resources for Hispanic and bilingual professionals. LatPro is the largest diversity employment site in the U.S. and the most complete personal career advancement service for Latino and bilingual professionals. Read the following interview with a Dance Instructor and get started on your job search today.

What is your job title and what industry do you work in? How many years of experience do you have in this field?

I teach Irish Dance. I have been dancing all of my life, so I guess I have about 5 decades of experience. I have owned my own dance studio now for about 25 years.

If this job moves your heart, how so? Ever feel like you found your calling or sweet spot in life? If not, what might do it for you?

I love what I do. I really enjoy seeing how dancing can change the life of a child. I’ve had many children come to my school for lessons. When some of those kids first started out, they were so shy and timid! After some time, they really get their confidence and it shows in the way they walk and the way they talk. I had one little girl that was so shy when she started. She’s now dancing in competitions! It is amazing to see the transformation!

Is there anything unique about your situation that readers should know when considering your experiences or accomplishments?

I was born in Ireland and my mother taught us to dance when I was small. When my family came to America, my mother taught the neighborhood children to dance. It was just for fun though. When I saw how interested people were in learning to dance, I decided to open up my own school. Originally, I taught mostly children that had Irish ancestors. Then when Riverdance came out–everyone wanted to learn to dance like that. That is really when my business took off.

How did you get started in this line of work? If you could go back and do it differently, what would you change?

I wouldn’t change a thing! Sure, I have had my ups and downs, but it has all been so wonderful for the most part.

What kind of challenges do you handle and what makes you really want to pull your hair out?

Parents who do not pay their dance tuition on time really make me want to pull out my hair! I really hate running after people begging them for money. That is the part about this that I really do not like. When people do not pay their bills on time, it makes it difficult to pay my bills on time. For the most part, people are good about paying their tuition on time though.

How stressful is your job? Are you able to maintain a comfortable or healthy work-life balance?

My job is not that stressful. The most stressful thing is dealing with some of the more difficult parents while running my business. I love dancing and I love sharing my love of dancing with others. What more could I ask for out of a career?

What’s a rough salary range for the position you hold? Are you paid enough and/or happy living within your means?

The amount of money you can earn from a dance studio really varies. I know of people who work about 60 hours a week and make a very good sum of money. They also charge quite a bit for dance lessons. Of course, a lot depends upon where you live. I live in an urban area where there is a large population interested in dance. If I lived in a rural area, I might not be able to earn as much money as I do now. I am lucky in that my husband has a very good job so I do not really need to worry about providing for our family through my dance business. I do not charge a lot for lessons either because I want for everyone to be able to afford them. I guess what I am saying is that I did not start a business to make a lot of money. Because of that, I am not really worried about how much I make as long as the bills get paid. I work between 25 to 30 hours a week right now. I could probably work more if I wanted to do so, but I do not care to do so at this time. I share a dance studio with a couple that teaches ballroom dancing and this cuts down on my expenses. I am very happy with what I make! However, some years are better than other years. You just never know!

How much vacation do you take? Is it enough?

I take several vacations a year. Usually, I travel back to Ireland to visit with family and friends. During the summer, I teach summer classes, so I do not get to travel too much then. I travel over the Christmas break when school is out and classes are on hiatus. I do not think it is ever possible to get enough vacation time! However, I do consider myself to be lucky as I take several vacations a year.

If you could write your own ticket, what would you like to be doing in five years?

If I could write my own ticket, I would be doing the same thing I’m doing now five years from now. I truly do love what I do. I consider myself very blessed to have had such a wonderful opportunity as to dance for a living.

On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate your job satisfaction? What might need to change about your job to unleash your full enthusiasm?

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate my job satisfaction as an 11. I love what I do and I would not change a thing about it.

3 Things Every Online College Graduate Should be Doing During a Job Search

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Though the repute of an online degree has improved since the days of diploma mill websites that traded money for fake diplomas, a stigma still hangs over online colleges in the minds of many people in the working world.

The fact that their education still isn’t regarded as legitimate makes many graduating students of online programs anxious about entering the workforce. Will employers still want to hire me? Did I waste my time and money? Am I doomed to a life working at McDonalds?

In short: No, of course not!

Students graduate every day from online programs and go on to lead very successful lives. Some students have even found that their online education can be a talking point during interviews that tips the scale in their favor. It’s just a matter of knowing how to frame your experience. If you graduated from an online program, use these strategies while searching for a job to help ease your anxiety:

1. Remember that your degree is valid and was hard-earned. Staying positive during a job search can be a challenge for anyone, but is especially discouraging for online students, who begin to feel that their education was worthless. Students graduating from traditional universities have the same troubles getting a job right out of college, so don’t sweat it. It is imperative that you don’t let your sense of self-worth be affected by the results of your job search. Keep your head up, and keep working hard at finding your dream job. Interviews can sense when a person is dispirited, and tend not to go with those candidates who are, so stay positive

2. Learn how to talk about your degree. More than anything else, most employers today are curious about online education. They may ask you questions during interviews about your education, but because they are asking doesn’t mean that it is a strike against you. Often, if you can frame your experience in the right way, you will leave the interview having made a deeper impression on your interviewer than someone who was a graduate from a more traditional university. Things to discuss:

- Ability to multitask: The majority of online students work while going to school, or are military personnel pursuing education on their free time. This means that you have developed an excellent ability to multitask, and is definitely something to talk about during interviews.

- Ability to prioritize: Another challenge of online education is finding the time to complete schoolwork with work and other obligations. That you graduated from an online school means that you have the ability to prioritize well, another skill that will be very valuable to any company.

3. Express your dedication to improvement. One thing very common among online learners is that they choose to go to school, often after having tried once and disliking it, which gives them an edge because they know what they want in life, and are dedicated in pursuing it. Once again, this is a quality that companies look for in candidates, and will be highly valued in any office.

While it might seem intimidating, a job search for graduates of online programs is no different than one undertaken by more conventional students, and in some cases can be a great benefit. Just be sure of yourself and your degree, and keep searching.

By-line:
Alvina Lopez is a freelance writer and blog junkie, who blogs about accredited online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: alvina.lopez @gmail.com.

Resume Mistakes Job Seekers Make

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Any job seeker who has tried writing a resume knows resume writing is much more complex than it actually looks. There is an art to designing a resume and when job seekers get it right, they increase their chances of gaining of interviews. Let’s take a look at resume mistakes the majority of candidates make:

Resume Mistake Number 1

The biggest mistake job seekers make when creating their resume is trying to follow “resume rules” they read. In terms of “resume rules,” most of them are simply guidelines. With the exception that a resume should be accomplishment driven, all the other advice you’ve come across should be weighed against your particular situation.

As an example, if you’ve read a resume should only be one page, apply that advice to your situation. Can you fit the last 10 to 15 years of experience on a single page? Or do you need two pages to adequately spell out your accomplishments? Most likely you need more than one page and the one-page-resume-rule applies to a recent college graduate or someone with less than five years of work experience.

When writing your resume keep in mind that your situation is unique. What worked for a friend may not work for you and not every piece of advice you read is applicable to you. So use critical thinking skills to determine the suggestions you should implement.

Resume Mistake Number 2

In life, you can’t be all things to all people. Your professional life isn’t any different. The resume you create should be focused on one interest. This means you need more than one resume if you are willing to take your career in different directions. That’s fine. There’s nothing taboo about spreading your wings. Just know that in order to do that successfully, you have to compartmentalize your experience.

Let’s say you are interested in a sales position, but you are also willing to take an administrative job. Some of the skills for each position are the same (e.g., people and follow-through skills) and others will be different. In sales, knowledge of consultative sales techniques is important; a skill an administrative assistant doesn’t need. Adding an unnecessary skill-set to a resume distracts from the skills that are pertinent to the job you are seeking. That is the reason you need more than one resume. To keep the reader focused on the information that matters.

Resume Mistake Number 3

Copying and pasting your job description on your resume. That is never a good idea. The words on your resume should be unique; not a plagiarism job. In addition, when you copy and paste your job description, you are breaking the only “resume rule” that is applicable to all job seekers – your resume should be accomplishment focused. A job description hones in on responsibilities, and responsibilities make for a boring and uninformative read.

Conclusion
A polished resume improves your brand and increases the number of times your phone rings. The result will lead to better job opportunities.

About the Author

Certified in all three areas of the job search – Certified Interview Coach (CIC), Job & Career Transition Coach (JCTC), and Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW), Linda Matias is qualified to assist you in your career transition. Whether it be a complete career makeover, interview preparation, or resume assistance. She is also the author 201 Knockout Answers to Tough Interview Questions and How to Say It: Job Interviews. 

Article courtesy of the www.recruitingblogswap.com – Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.