Cv for Interviews

Archive for February, 2010

A good way to find the perfect job is to prepare for it before you begin with your job
search. When you are still in high school and preparing for college you should begin
to determine what you consider to be the perfect job. That does not mean your first
job will necessarily be the perfect job, but you will know what you want and can
already identify your perception of the perfect job.

The key to getting the perfect job is knowing what you want and obtaining the
education and training necessary to perform that job. This is best identified in high
school so that you can take the college courses necessary to assure you can
graduate and pursue your career of choice. That does not mean you cant make a
career change later or take additional courses in order to acquire the education you
need, but it makes it easier if you can do it immediately out of high school.
Before you enroll in college try to figure out what you want in a career, what your
perfect job is so that you can obtain the training during your college career. That
doesnt mean you cant obtain the training later, but its easier to do it before you
graduate from college. Of course, its understandable that some people are not
certain even when they first graduate from college what they really want to do for a
living, but if you are able to identify it while you are still in college it will reduce the
amount of job searching you will need to do when you graduate.

For those who did not define their perfect job during college, its important to
discover what you need to do in order to find the perfect job and make it your
career for life. That means you have to identify your career and the requirements
for entering that field. Some companies may vary in their requirements but if you
follow the general guidelines for that field you will be in a position to at least
negotiate with potential employers. On the other side of the scope lack of
knowledge will get you nowhere including into your perfect job. Its essential to
know what you want and the skills you need in order to get there. Only then can
you hope to fulfill your dream of having your perfect job.

When you have prepared your warm contact list, it will be easier to select the people who you prefer to call first. These are the
people who you think have some information about the job. They may be former employers, colleagues and members of the
professional organization belonging to the same industry. They usually have first-hand, up-to-date and reliable information.

* Calling a warm contact

When you call a warm contact, inform them that you are actively seeking a job. Ask them to let you know if they heard of job
openings you might be interested in. It is better to inform them what type of job you are looking for. And don’t forget to leave
your contact number with them, so they can get in touch with you if they hear of anything. It is also better if you can leave a copy
of your resume with them so they can show or submit it to someone who will be able to help you in your job search.

* Assess yourself before calling your contact
You warm contact may ask about your skills, experiences, abilities, interests, expectations and career goals. You should be
able to talk about these sincerely and you should be able to describe what information you would like to have from your contact.
To help you prepare, you can practice by drafting a script on what to say. That way, you can articulate what you would like to
communicate to your warm contact. Anticipate questions about yourself, so you should also practice
answering questions about your previous job and what you can contribute to the company.

* Ask for referrals
If your warm contact was not able to provide you information that will be helpful to your job search, ask for the names of at
least two people who they think will be able to help you. Ask for their contact number, and if possible, the time which they will be
free to talk over the phone.

* Contact referrals immediately
When your warm contact gives you referrals, they may even call this person to inform them that you will be asking for more information.
Sometimes, the person you were referred to will be calling your warm contact. Therefore, it is better to call your referrals within a few days
after you have spoken with your warm contact.

When you make a call, introduce yourself and inform the person who referred you to himher and how you are related with the person who
referred you. Be polite, but straightforward, in informing the person what information you are seeking.

Networking really isnt a difficult thing to do. With enough practice and experience, you can maximize the benefits that you can get from
networking.

How can one person “think out of the box?” This should be done
independently, but how? Here’s an example: Cut a cake into eight
slices but you have to make no more than three cuts. Most people will
have trouble coming up with a way to cut the cake. But to solve this,
you have to change the way you look at the cake and how to cut it.
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One perfect solution is to cut the cake into two equal sizes and put the
other half on top of the other. Cut it again in half then stack the other
half pieces on top of one another and cut them again. There you go,
that’s thinking out of the box.

Another example of thinking out of a box is this: Here are four
words… subtract, multiply, add, decrease… Now which one does not
belong to the group? Mostly people would right away say that the
word “decrease” does not belong. Why? Because all the other three
words are mathematical jargons and the latter is not. Well, that’s not
thinking out of the box, if you think out of the box, the answer would
be the word “add” since it only has three letters while all the other
have six and more. You could give a lot of right answers but the one
that shows more creativity stands out.

The prevailing component in the way our minds work is inserting some
changes from past experiences and processes. Another good sample
is when you are asked two days that starts with the letter “T”. Your
answer would probably be Tuesday and Thursday. Hey, how about
Tomorrow and Today? Well, that is out of the box all right.

Companies try to test a new product and are sure they are getting a
design at a reasonable cost. They look at things in the business and
think that objectives will work just as planned. But these things sound
monotonous already, for they only think using the past as patterns.
Patterns are helpful since they help finish tasks such as driving, eating
or drinking. However, these are the same patterns that make it hard
for people to think out of the box and create alternative solutions to a
dilemma especially when challenged with unwanted data.

One important move to break the pattern is trying to reverse patterns,
designs or solutions and arouse new interest. Take thing as they are
and turn them inside out, upside down, or simply turn them around
and you’ll be surprised with the result. This was Henry Ford’s personal
experience. His conventional plan was to just “bring people to work.”
He tried to change all this into: “bring work to the people.” This plan
generated more revenues.

Another way to bring out other solutions to simple problems and
situations is to not think about the subject. If you want to bring about
something more creative, think not of the part of the problem itself,
rather, think of people or subjects in motion and then use the abstract
formation or design as a stimulus for a new design.

But to think out of the box, never shy away from the fact that some of
your ideas could really be crazy enough. This could break rigidity of
thinking and present a way to sift the harebrained and irrational. This
gives the thinker more freedom to think out of the box and reinvent
things in way they have never been arranged before. What you could
do is list several odd or absurd ideas about a certain problem.
Letting go of the question will release the stress you are undergoing by
trying to squeeze the creativity. Once you let it go, all the power of
the universe is free to find a solution and the solution will come to you
when you least expect it.

In much more real life scenarios, you could think out of the box for
fun. You can practice fun trouble-making stuff without hurting anyone
by saying or doing the unexpected. But make sure that you do this
first to persons you already know to avoid conflicts and negative
confrontations. Say, a buddy asks for the time, automatically you
would look at your wrist watch which is a result of the stimulusresponse
theory. Thinking out of the box, why not say something
crazy like, “Oh it’s time for a vengeance,” then head toward the door.
Watch their reaction as they go into total confusion and trance as you
have totally mixed things up in their heads and interrupted their
thinking pattern. (Don’t forget to apologize afterwards)

Thinking out of the Box or usually known as creative thinking seeks to
design new and really creative arrangement of elements to produce a
work of art. Being an out of the box thinker can be a rewarding
profession. This is dangerous, but it could be one of your strengths in
no time. If the herd is going to the right, you go the other way.
Remember that you could be genius in your own way. Your thoughts
come from deep reaches and these totally different ideas are clever
enough to make a difference in the end. Being creative and out of the
box is wild sometimes, but could move you through growth and selfdevelopment.
You’ll be surprised at how easy and differently it will be
for you to fix and try to solve things away from the tried-and-true
habits. Let your thinking out of the old box be your guide to a new
and better, wonderful approach to life.

In todays unpredictable economy, the idea of job security with any company would seem to be a thing of
the past. Large company layoffs, golden handshakes, mergers, leveraged buyouts, company acquisitions
and similar business moves have left people of all ages out of a job.
While there may be some compensation upon being let go from the firm you work for, this money wont
last forever. Or, if eligible for unemployment benefits, this also has a finite period of time attached to the
check. Sooner or later, job hunting will be necessary.

But its not only the individuals who have been turned out of jobs whom this booklet can help. How happy
are you in the business youre in? Do you long to do something else with your career? If so, youre not
alone. You have plenty of company in wanting to change your goals and focus in life.
Perhaps youve just turned 40 and realize that youre into the second half of a working career youve never
really liked. Studies have shown that working in a job because you have to, not because you like it, can
have some effect on an individuals life span. Why take years off your life when you dont have to?
The problem for most people in these situations is that theyre not sure where to start. Theyve either been
tossed into this situation unexpectedly and are trying to make decisions on the run, or they know that they
at least have a paycheck, so they postpone thinking about trying to focus in on a job hunt for something
they truly like to do.

Well, cheer up! This booklet will help you refocus, identify the skills you have, narrow down the type of
work you like to do and give you a number of outlets to gather information from in prospects of landing
that job that will carry you contentedly into your retirement years. The best news is that this doesnt have
to be a long, drawnout process. You can label your transferable skills and acquire helpful data within a
few days! Its not a year or two effort were talking about.
The secret is knowing where to look, what to ask and how to narrow down the type of job youd not only
enjoy, but be pretty good at, too! So much of this is understanding what makes you tick! Who better to
identify this than you? This booklet will give you some pointers in doing it, but it will be up to you to take
the time to really analyze what it is you like and want to do. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will
give you the power to change your life!