Cv for Interviews

Posts Tagged ‘Career Goals’

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.

Top 10 Job Interview Questions with Tips on How to Answer

1. Can you tell me something about yourself?
This is the probably the most terrifying interview questions of all time and the most difficult to answer as well. As an applicant for a certain job, youd be wondering what the employer wants to know. Whats the point of asking this kind of question? I suggest that you should relax and think of this situation as a great opportunity to impress your employer. Well, the technique here is you should answer them with something that supports your career goals. Avoid telling those things about your name, your birth date, where you live, hobbies and other extra curricular activities. It would be better if you tell them something relevant about your qualifications and employment history.

2. What are your strengths?
Be sure that you tackle those points that would help you do the job youre applying for. Tell something about your technical skills and your qualifications and be sure to support them with specific examples.

3. What are your weaknesses?
With regards to your weaknesses, you should answer them with things that you are improving upon and make sure that it is work related. Do not just tell your weak points; you should back up your statement with things that you are doing to improve your weak points.

4. How do you handle stresspressure?
Some companies have a type of interviews where in a group of interviewers ask you a set of questions. Some interviewers purposely stir up emotional responses by asking questions in a challenging manner. Their purpose is to find out how you handle the stress.
If you were asked about this question, just relax and keep your self calm because they are already observing you. Just describe how you handle pressure by being honest and direct, but avoid being anxious.

5. What do you know about our company?
Before you can answer this question, you must have a research about the company you are applying to. Knowing their mission and vision can help you make the interview more interactive. It would be better if you tell them that you want to know more about the company. This shows that you are interested to the company and you really wanted to be part of the team.

6. Why do you want to work in our company?
If you were asked about this question, the first thing that would come into your mind would be Because you have a job opening. Well, those are clear answers but it wont give you additional points on your interview. Those kinds of answers might sound sarcastic and may possibly annoy the interviewer.
The point of asking this question is to determine whether you have an idea about where you want to work or youre just applying to any company that has a job opening.
Having a brief research on a company before your interview can help you to stand out as a competent applicant. It would be helpful if you can think of some reasons about what you can contribute to the company.

7. Why do you want to leave your current job?
Not all interviewee can deliver a straight forward answer to this question. Of course you have your own reasons why you want to leave your current job. You should be careful in answering this question. By all means you should keep your answers in a positive manner. As much as possible, do not give them a hint on how much you hate your current officemate or your boss. At this point, the interviewer is testing your attitude. The firm wants to hire someone who has the potential to become part of their team and not a negative one who can pull them down.

8. What can you contribute to our company?
Tell them your qualities that are related to the position you are applying for. Give them some ways in which you can help the company grow and be productive by sharing your thoughts and ideas. Show them your dedication and your willingness to be a part of the company.

9. Why should the company hire you?
Basically, this question is about selling yourself. Just like the first question, telling something about your self. Develop a sales statement and be more detailed as much as you can. Tell them something about what makes you unique and what you can contribute to the company. Think of your qualities you have to offer that match on what the employer is looking for.

10. Where do you see yourself five or ten years from now?
In answering this question, you should focus on your career-advancement goals that are related with the job you are applying for.

Interview questions are very tricky and you should be more careful in answering them. Your future career relies on how you deliver your answers. Respond appropriately, just relax and be yourself.

How To Survive A Bad Performance Review (And Move To Your Dream Career)

Q. I wasnt happy with my last performance review. Should I dispute the review? Write a letter for my file? Talk to a lawyer? Or just let it go?

A. Most professionals feel you should offer some kind of response. But whether to respond, and the way to respond, will depend on your companys culture, the unwritten message and your own career goals.

1. Assess your report in light of the companys culture.

In some cultures, anything but glowing praise will be viewed as negative. In others, tough reviews are the norm.

Often your boss will be expected to come up with at least one point of constructive criticism. After all, nobody walks on water. But if youre being attacked or unfairly criticized, you must explore further.

Sometimes youll win more points by taking the review in stride than by fighting. But in some cultures, a single negative review means you need to start job-hunting right away.

2. Calculate your bosss strategy.

Sometimes your performance report has nothing to do with you or your performance. Your boss might honestly want to see you leave the company or make sure the next promotion goes to someone else.

Your boss may be a new hire who is still learning your companys culture. She may combine good intentions with weak implementation.

Or maybe your boss wants to get your attention: hes dropped hints and youve ignored them. Or he wants to help you progress but doesnt know how to communicate tactfully.

3. Listen for unwritten messages.

Does your company have a category where a low score means youre headed for disaster? Does your boss try to tell you, Its a great review! when you know otherwise?

Suppose youve been getting terrific reviews and now you get slammed with a truckload of criticism. Maybe you really did have a bad year. Or maybe theres an agenda you need to understand.

4. Get the facts without getting defensive.

Ask your boss to explain each criticism.

For example, if your boss said your project was delivered late, get dates and times. If youre criticized for interpersonal skills, ask for specific instances.

But give your boss a chance to save face.

Anyone can make mistakes. An overworked, harried boss can skimp on her own data collection. You can say, without confrontation, My records show I managed six projects, not four. Can we go over this point?

5. Delay your response.

Ask for a second meeting, explaining calmly that you need time to think. Use the time to collect your backup file. Consider a consultation with an outsider: career coach, consultant, human resources professor even a lawyer if the situation warrants.

Do not discuss your report or your decision to seek help with your peers. Ever.

6. Back up a rebuttal with facts, not emotion.

Assemble your own evidence of performance. Collect letters of appreciation, dates and times of project completion, statistics showing how you helped the company.

Often simply placing a rebuttal letter in your own file will defuse the impact of a negative evaluation. When youve had a strong track record, your company will ignore an occasional negative, unless someone has introduced a new agenda.

Your boss may be ordered to grade on the curve, i.e., assign some employees the low category even if everyones doing great. And, being human, he may assign those ratings to those who are least likely to speak up. A strong, carefully written rebuttal will clarify your strength of purpose.

7. Avoid jumping to conclusions or to a new job.

When clients ask, Should I look for a new job? my answer will be, When you work for any organization, keep yourself marketable. Maintain your network. Identify reputable recruiters and build ties with them.

Its rarely a good idea to share your career change plans with your colleagues or boss until you have a written offer in hand. And its rarely a good idea to accept a counter-offer from your present company. (Over half of all workers who accept a counter-offer are gone within six months, one way or another.)

But if your company wants to send a Go Away! message, they may be happy to give you a good reference that reflects your real contribution.