Archive for April, 2010

PostHeaderIcon The Importance of Maintaining Professionalism

Although some might think becoming friendly with the interviewer is an easy way to
get hired for that perfect job, quite the opposite is true. You want to remain
professional and not attempt to sway the interviewers position by being friendly
instead of professional. You want to show your professional skills and training
rather than to identify with the interviewer by talking about personal things. The
discussion should focus on the job for which you are applying and why you are the
most qualified person. The interviewer is likely to be seeing a number of people, so
you do not want to take up his or her time talking about things that have nothing to
do with the job.

The purpose of the interview is to find out if you are a good fit for the job and the
company. In order for the interviewer to be able to do that you must remain
professional and make certain the conversation is business-related. In regards to
any personal questions the interviewer asks you want to answer only what he or
she asks. If the question is whether you are married, the answer should be yes or
no and not an autobiography of your married life. If the interviewer wanted to know
how long you have been married and what your husband or wife does for a living,
he would ask.

Make sure you do not provide any negative information on former employers. Even
if your last supervisor was a real nasty person, do not mention that. It is not even
necessary to mention that you left your last job because you were unhappyall you
need to say is you and the company were not a good fit. Many companies today are
not providing information on the reason an employee left for legal reasons, so in
most cases all they will know is your position and the dates you worked for the
company. Do not go into any more details than necessary about former employers
stay with how long you were with the company and the job functions you
performed. Certainly if you were the victim of downsizing you can state that but
again, keep it brief and to the point leaving out any details unless the interviewer
asks. Keep the interview professional and make sure your answers are right to the
point without any unnecessary and unrequested details provided.

PostHeaderIcon The Best Job Resources

With so many different job resources it can be difficult for someone to decide which
ones are best and offer the highest potential for success. Depending on your field of
expertise, you may wish to take the time to look at all of the potential resources
rather than attempting to limit yourself to one or two. Of course, if you are
interested in a highly specialized field, it will certainly be better if you utilize the
resources for that particular field in order to make certain you spend as little time
as possible in the job seeking process.

Although some people still tend to look at the local circuit when looking for the
perfect job, its important to remember that many employers have gone away from
newspaper advertising simply because it is too costly and because job applicants
today tend to utilize the Internet rather than local newspaper to conduct their job
searches. The want to find the highest number of results in the quickest time
possible and the Internet provides that. In addition, they are able to search the
listings and find enough information to know if a particular position meets their
needs.

Trade publications have become very popular sources of job advertisements and
many people of professional standing are now using this source of job information,
especially those who have the flexibility to move to another city or state. Those who
are looking for something in the town where they currently live may still use local
newspapers or filtered online searches. The job resources that are best for you
depend upon the type of position you are seeking and the area in which you want
to work. If you are open to relocating, you have more available job resources than
those who are adamant about staying in the same place where they currently live.
Quite often the college you attended has a placement service or at least a list of
potential job openings that will help you find the job that is perfect for your needs.
Never discount any source of potential job postings because you never know when
there is one that is just right for your needs and may even be the exact position
you have been seeking. Use any and all resources that are available and you will
increase your chances of finding that perfect job in less time than you had
expected.

PostHeaderIcon Steps to Improve Your Interviewing Skills

In the midst of technological advancement nowadays, the “back-tobasics” rule still applies when it comes to getting hired for a job. It
does not matter if you are planning to apply for a million-pound company or a small, independent firm. When you face an interviewer,
it all boils down to how you present yourself. This is the deciding factor whether you will get hired or not.

So you have distributed your resume to prospective employers and you have determined the correct job to apply for. The next step is to
schedule the job interview.

You can make the acquaintance of the assistant or the receptionist when you schedule for the interview, either by phone or personally. Be
friendly and polite, as these people might provide information that can be essential to getting that job or, even just give you a background of
the company or your prospective boss.

Finally, you show up for the interview. The basic traits of being prompt, how you speak and carry yourself
and even how you dress are all factors that contribute in making a lasting impression that will eventually get you hired.

PostHeaderIcon Take these simple tips on how to Cold Call

Always be Positive
Remember that cold calling is a powerful business strategy. First be
positive with your self. Your co-workers and your prospects you’re
about to make the cold call should be next to feel positive about.
There must be enthusiasm in your voice the people can feel right away.

Prepare to be Prepared

It’s not enough to know the procedure and having the right attitude.
Prepare the list of whom to be called or visited, how the introduction
should be done, learn what prospects do and the most important part
of all is that your offered product or service should be something that
could be of good use for them. Being well prepared can turn a simple
cold call into real business.

I am what I am
Never sound too over reactive or obviously nervous on the phone or
when you shake your prospect’s hand. Never try to be somebody you
are really not with an aim to getting the attention you need. Assume
that talking to your prospective customer for the first time should be
the key to a lasting relationship.

Calm Down
Anticipate that you’ll be declined. That’s it. It’s really hard but never
take it as a personal attack on you. Don’t let the feeling of being
dismissed put you down and roll you back. Be patient and learn from
your mistakes. You will reap a good harvest if you commit yourself to
being persistent. This will also help you find a strategy that will work
in the long run. Look at each turn down as if it were the next stepping stone.

The Art of Questioning
You cannot expect someone to believe you right away and just sign up
after describing your company’s objectives. You have to ask the right
questions. Ask what they do correctly and promptly to help you use it
along the conversation. A sure attention getter when opening a
conversation can be “May I ask you about something MsMr?” People
want to help and this question lowers their guard. The next question
will be “Can you help me out about this thing sirma’am?” This
question does not ask for a yes or no answer but would definitely give
you a valuable response that you can use all through out the interaction.
It’s possible that the little Girl Scout on the street asked the same
question and left the doorway with 2 less boxes of cookies at hand!