Cv For Interviews

Posts Tagged ‘Job Seekers’

A lot of people are facing job change due to corporate acquisitions, mergers, workforce reductions, or personal choice in today’s rapidly changing business environment. Most of the employees subjected to layoffs or unsuitable jobs are forced to conduct aggressive job search campaigns and evaluate job alternatives in a tough market. The fast changing world of work requires adaptability, flexibility, and acceptance.

Jobseekers may want something different because they are dissatisfied in the current work circumstances, but don’t know where or how to start. Usually people around the age of 33 have the feeling they have achieved most of what they wanted to in their career, and yet they feel depressed at the prospect of another 30 years doing the same job. “We are encouraged to be successful, to go for money, status, the big car, the title, but when we get all that, we may not be happy. Often it hits people around 33, when they decide they have done it all in their career and they want to find fulfillment instead” coach Suzy Greaves says.

For more and more job seekers, the search isn’t about money, but passion, quality, freedom, independence, and living in a preferred location. For others, job choice is paramount to family commitments such as children or elderly members. David Thomas, chief executive of Crac, the Careers Research and Advisory Centre advises that “For most people, a major career change is a very positive experience and nearly always a success story. If you can find a role that you love, the change will be totally invigorating.”

Establishing what you really want from life is essential if you intend a career change. You can explore and evaluate your key transferable skills with the help of specialist guides. Changing your job could also mean running your own business. That way, you organise your workload, escape the daily commute and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that the fruits of your work come directly to you.

Generations ago, people were staying in the same profession or even hold the same job throughout one’s work life. Today a professional may change jobs about every two years and a blue-collar employee every six months.

What every career seeker should have in mind is keep a realistic and practical approach to the dream job or career goal. Assess what one is good at and enjoy doing and whether there is a market for those skills. Match what the person most want to do with opportunities that people will pay for.

The process of merging your desires and resources, or finding a way to turn your goals and opportunities into marketable work, is not accomplished overnight. Some people have to narrow down choices from seemingly too many options, and others must broaden their work search alternatives because they perceive too few opportunities.

Search the Jobserve website http:www.jobserve.com for jobs in all industries and sectors.

The major purpose of Resume/CV is to get you to the interview rooms. Therefore, for jobs seekers this is the step that requires great deal of care and holds vital significance in the whole process of Job Hunting.

Now I have listed down some key mistakes to avoid so that your Resume/CV could give you better results the next time you send it.

1- Avoid Grammatical Mistakes:

At times this has been observed and has been sated by the employers that one of the most negative that could go against any candidate is having grammatical errors in their Resume/CV. Thus, preventive measure should be taken. Before taking a printout for final submission whole document should be carefully corrected for any grammatical mistakes.

2- One Resume/CV will do:

Another turn off for the employers has been that the Resume/CV which they have received has nothing to do with the job opportunity. What the Job Seekers do is that they take many printouts of one CV and send it to all the employers. What the employers actually are looking for is a specific CV which has been created for them only. So substantial care if required.

3- Lack of Details:

At times irrelevant information is provided and relevant information seems to be missing from the Resume/CV. Therefore, we need to make sure that the key information will remain present there. Remain to the point and not to mention irrelevant details. However, do list about your accomplishment in a story form.

4- Incorrect Contact Information:

Another thing that needs attention is that you should not provide incorrect information in the resume. As this process usually entails getting in touch with you. But, if the information is not as correct that it should be then it will again fail to full fill its purpose.

5- Consultation:

Before sending your resumes do get it checked by some individuals. It’s always a good idea to get your Resume/ CV checked by some expert. They will provide you professional feedback and might also recommend you for something better in future.

So, these are the major mistakes which you need to avoid and by doing so you will be increasing the probability of letting the Resume/CV attain its objective.

Nearly all job seekers are well aware of the importance of a resume when applying for a professional opinion, but few realize the vital role that an accompanying cover letter plays in the selection process.  In fact, your cover letter is just as important to your job search as is your resume. 

Consider this: recruiters and managers often receive dozens, if not hundreds, of applicants for every one available position.  With so many applicants to review, interviewers do not have much time to determine if you are qualified for the job.  In fact, a recruiter typically spends between one and two minutes quickly glancing over a resume, hardly enough to thoroughly investigate if your skills set and experience is a good match for the position. 

This is why a cover letter is such a critical tool to the job seeking process.  The purpose of a cover letter is to clearly express your interest in and qualifications for a position to a prospective employer.  So while the resume is a generic advertisement, your cover letter tailors your application to each specific job.  By condensing your resume into key points and drawing the recruiter’s attention to the most relevant areas of your experience, you are assisting the recruiter in matching up your qualifications to that of the open position.  And by taking the guesswork out of your resume, you greatly increase your chances of getting a call for an interview.

A cover letter has to “sell” your qualifications to a complete stranger and convince them that you are worthy of an in-person meeting.  Therefore, as you can imagine, it is not an easy document to write.  There are several guidelines, though, that should assist you in the cover letter development process.

Typically a cover letter is less than one page in length and has four main sections: the introduction, a highlight of your qualifications, a summary of why you are interested in the position, and a concluding follow-up.  Before you start listing a litany of skills, though, it’s important to do some research on the company and the position for which you are applying to give you a better understanding of the company’s products or services, history, values, and target customer market. This will help give you a better idea of what recruiters are likely to be seeking in a candidate, and allow you to tailor your cover letter to specifically address those areas. 

Part 1 - The Introduction:

Your cover letter should be addressed to the hiring manager, whenever possible.
Specifically mention the position(s) that you are seeking
Let the recruiter know how you heard about the position.  If you saw the position advertised or were referred by someone, be sure to include this information.
Grab the reader’s attention and stimulate their interest in you right away!!

Part 2 – Summary of your Qualifications:

Highlight your strongest qualifications for the position you are seeking.  Be sure to limit your qualifications to only those that are the most relevant to the position. 
Show, rather than simply tell, the manager your qualifications by including specific, credible examples from your experience. 
Quantify these qualifications whenever possible by focusing on pertinent figures, projects, awards, and equipment/software/tools you’ve used that are relevant to the job you want.  For example, rather than highlighting your “excellent customer service skills” indicates that you “achieved a 98% customer satisfaction rating” or “increased department sales by 25% in the first quarter”.

Part 3 – Why you are Interested in the Position:

Let the recruiter know why you want to work at their company.  What is it about the company that appeals to you?
Why does this particular position appeal to you?
Indicate why you are a good fit for the company.  How will be an asset to the team?

Part 4 – Conclusion and Follow-up:

Refer employers to your enclosed resume so that they can review your qualifications in further detail.
Request a personal interview or meeting with the hiring manager.
Indicate how the recruiter should contact you.  Be sure to provide a working phone number or e-mail address.
Set a time to follow up.  For example indicate that you “will call to follow up on Monday afternoon”. 
Thank the reader for his or her time.

One final note: your cover letter is the first impression that recruiters will get of you.  A strong focused cover letter can convey a powerful, positive first impression.  A weak non-focused letter, though, can kill any interest a recruiter may have in your qualifications, regardless of how strong of a fit you may be for the position.  Be sure that you proofread carefully for grammatical and typographical errors before sending any correspondence.

The thank you letter for a second interview is a must for serious job seekers.  If you’ve made it as far as a second interview, then you are right on the edge and are one of the serious candidates ready to be offered the position.  When you’re in that position then it is worth your while to use all of the leverage you have, all of your knowledge of the company and all of your job search skills to close the deal and land yourself a job offer.  This letter can be a deal closer.

When engaged in a job search, even if it is not your profession, you are really serving as a salesman.  The product you are selling is yourself, your skills, and the concept that you can help the company you are applying to.  A professional salesman always tries to know his or her product well, and always does better in selling the product when he or she has a genuine belief in the value of the product.  As a salesman of YOU this genuine belief in your value to the customer, the potential employer is essential. 

If you’ve ever watched a sales representative for a radio station calling on customers you’ll notice that certain tools are carried by the sales rep and used time and time again.  One sales rep made a fortune selling commercials on major league baseball game broadcasts by walking into businesses carrying a baseball bat as a conversation starter.  He’s get the business owner excited about baseball and walk out with a signed contract.  He did the same thing with major league football games by walking into a business carrying a football, or wearing a helmet.  More conventional sales reps carry “leave behinds”, brochures, price lists and other literature designed to perk the interest of the prospect. 

As a job seeker sales person, the tools you will carry will not be baseball bats, football helmets or brochures and price lists.  You will carry the personal marketing tools that benefit a conscientious job seeker.  They include a resume, cover letter, follow up letter, reference sheet, salary history, letters of recommendation, thank you letter for after the interview, and the piece we are discussing, the thank you letter for a sub sequential interviews. 

Your thank you letter should be short and to the point.  As an example,
Date
Name
Company
Address
City
State
Zip

Dear Mr. Jones,

I enjoyed our chance to visit during the recent second interview, and wanted to express my thanks to you for the serious consideration you are giving me. 

As you know, I am very serious about my work, and I believe that Xyz Company would be an excellent fit for my skills, experience, education and background.

If you have any further questions, please give me a call.   I look forward to speaking with you further.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

John Doe
As you can see this letter that you send after meeting with an employer for the second time is short, simple and conveys the thoughts that you wish to get across.  Try this letter when the chance arises and you’ll have good results.

In preparing for a job interview it is important to list and plan your answers ahead of time so that you don’t panic when the time comes. Jotting down some of the possible questions and then figuring out the best answer for each will help to boost your confidence.

There are ten interview questions that often times are the downfall of job seekers, especially if they are caught off guard. These top ten questions are ideal to be used when practicing for a job interview. The top ten questions are:

What are your weaknesses?

The best way to answer this question is to minimize your weakness and emphasize on your strengths. Mention professional traits that you deem as your weakness rather than concentrating on negative personal qualities. Likewise, it would be best to mention that you are doing something to improve yourself professionally in order to correct your weakness.

Why should we hire you?

This is another overwhelming question which can make any interviewee panic. An ideal way to handle this question is to start with summarizing your working experiences which may be important to the company. Remember be confident and show that you really are looking forward to becoming a part of the company.

Why do you want to work in our company?

The purpose of the interviewer for asking such a question is to make certain that you as the applicant are really interested in the job and not just simply applying because there is a job opening. As an applicant you have to convince the interviewer that you are serious and very much interested in the job you are applying for.

What are your goals? Or where do you see yourself five years from now?

It is better to answer this question with reference to short-term and intermediate goals rather than talking about some distant future. It is also advised to involve the company in discussing your professional goals. For instance, say that you see yourself as becoming a part of the company and helping it in achieving it goals and missions. Most interviewers asked this type of question to gain insight on the real motive of an applicant since there are some applicants who will just make a company their training ground and then after they have gained some experience leave to search for another job.

Why did you leave or why are you leaving your current job?

This is another question used to weigh the professionalism as well as the ability of an applicant to stay on a job. As an applicant it is not nice to say anything negative about your current or previous employer since it may reflect a badly on you. This will also create a “big question” in the mind of the interviewer why you are making such discriminatory remarks regarding your previous job. To prevent falling into this trap just say that you are looking for additional opportunities to enhance further your professional knowledge.

When were you most satisfied in your job?

Again, be very careful in answering this type of question since this will reflect a lot about you as a potential employee. A not so convincing answer may cause you to lose the chance of getting that job you want. Try to answer this question without any prejudice to your previous job, and concentrate more on discussing things that motivate you professionally. This will create the impression that you are a good employee since you refrain from creating any bad remarks regarding you previous job plus this will provide your future employer with ideas on how to motivate their employees.

What can you do for us that other candidates cannot offer?

Some applicants usually go blank when asked this question for fear that they may answer inadequately. Be confident and concentrate on discussing your positive traits and work qualifications that you deem as important and relevant to the job you are applying for.

What three positive things would your last boss say about you?

Simply tell them of your positive traits both as a person and as an employee which are noticed not only by your previous employer but likewise by your co-employees. Think of positive remarks that your previous boss may have told you and read through any performance related assessments you may have had for inspiration.
 
How much salary are you seeking? Or how much salary are you expecting?

When an interviewer asks you your salary requirements, it usually means they like you and considering hiring you to become a part of their company.

Some employers would even ask your salary history from your previous jobs. This will provide them with an idea of how much you would consider asking from them. A safe way of answering such a question is to ask for a salary that is similar or close to what you is previously receiving. Or simply tell them that you are willing to receive any amount that is rightfully commensurate to the position or the job you’re applying for.

If you were an animal, what can of animal would you be?

This question is geared more on knowing the personality that you have. Try to think of animals that are not harmful but rather exhibits good qualities that match with the type of position you are applying for.