Interview Questions That Send Chills Up Your Spine

There’s something about interview questions that can trick all of us up.  Typically it’s because the questions are not the type you find in normal every day conversation.

When was the last time you were talking to your friend on the phone and she said, “Tell me, Jan, what would you say is your greatest weakness?”  It never happens.

That’s why interview questions need to be treated like something special.  Never go into an interview with your only plan being to “wing it.”  Take some time to think about the questions that might be asked, and then carefully prepare your answers.
Here are a few of the top questions people hate to answer, but that interviewers almost always ask:

1. Why did you leave your last position?
2. Where do you see yourself in five years?
3. Why should I hire you for this job?
4. How much money are you asking for?
5. What specific training do you have that prepares you for this job?

Before you go into any interview, think carefully through the answers to the above questions.  Make yourself some “cheat sheets” with key messages, which can be used for telephone interviews and preparations for your in person interviews.

The Art of Writing Cover Letters

Does anyone still write cover letters any more?  In this era of the online resume, the art of writing cover letters is starting to get lost.  However, more hiring managers say the cover letter is what captured their attention over the resume, a phone call, or another form of contact.

“Someone who can write a good, concise cover letter has an advantage in getting an interview,” says John Baker, a recruitment officer with Standard Manufacturing.

“I can look at resumes for chemical engineers all day long.  At some point, something has to stand out.  In most cases, it is the engineer’s cover letter. Usually, that cover letter says something different that other letters don’t say.” Baker says.

Don’t waste time with your cover letter saying, ‘my resume is attached and I’m interested in the job.’  That’s a given,” Baker says.
Use your cover letters instead to talk about your accomplishments, to show you’ve researched the company you want to work for, and to say something that sets you apart.

“When I was in college, my professor taught us to never use the word ‘I’ in our cover letters.  It’s not easy to do, particularly when you’re selling yourself.  But if you manage to do it, it’s probably because you’ve said things about the company you want to work for or shown some creativity in your presentation.”

Why People Leave

Recent surveys show that the common reasons why people leave an organization have more to do with the non-work issues than the work-related ones.

In fact, there’s no guarantee that even if you pay your people better than anywhere else and provide excellent career opportunities you will keep them.  More people leave an organization because of how they are treated by others than for any other reason.

Jane, for example, was very happy with her work.  She enjoyed helping her customers and solving problems.  She liked her hours, enjoyed her co-workers, and even felt her pay was fair.  But when the competitor across town offered her a lateral move, she jumped at the chance.  Why?

Jane says that she experienced what many who leave an organization do.  She never felt valued at her job.  No one ever told her she was doing a good job.  No one ever thanked her for a job well done.

If you have employees that you want to keep.  Be sure you tell them regularly how much they are appreciated.  Why people leave an organization is often based on emotion rather than fact.  Treating employees well will help keep them where you want them to be – with you!

Succeeding at Your Job in Three Easy Steps

No matter what type of job you have, there are some basic rules that will help you succeed.  Although these tips won’t ensure you are succeeding at your job, they will help you to have the best chance at doing so.

1. Know everything you can possibly know about your job.  It’s not enough to show up for work and just do your job.  Today it is important that you go above and beyond your basic job duties and learn things that will help you excel.
2. Treat everyone like they are your boss.  Your relationships with people at work are still the key to succeeding at your job.  You don’t want your co-workers talking bad about you, or people pointing fingers in your direction should a lay-off occur.  Make friends with everyone at work, and treat everyone with respect and kindness.  This not only is the right thing to do, but it’s also a way to stay on the good side of everyone, since you never know when changes will occur and your co-worker becomes your boss.
3. Be the first to arrive and the last to leave.  Succeeding at your job still has a lot to do with being seen.  Try to arrive early and leave late most days.  People will notice.

Finding the Jobs of the Future

If I was about to head off to college, what type of major would I pursue?  It’s a good question and one that many graduating seniors have not yet asked of themselves.

Before you decide on a major, you may want to determine what you want to do with your life.  Rather than decide you’ll be an engineer because your dad is or a teacher because your mother was, do a little research about jobs of the future in your chosen field.

Jobs of the future could be very different from the jobs of today.  In journalism, for example, there are fewer newspaper jobs than ever before.  Being a reporter today may mean working for yourself, creating your own blog or online publication and covering a topic that interests you (and others).

There will be jobs of the future in certain industries that closely mirror jobs of today, but just about every job will change in the future due to technology.  In tomorrow’s job world, you may have the chance to live where you want to live and do what you want to do.  It’s an exciting time to consider the jobs of the future.

Recruitment Trends You Need to Know About

Over the last several years more talented individuals have lost their jobs than in any other period in history.  This has resulted in a lot of competition for available jobs.  No longer can you simply wait for the classifieds to come out in the Sunday paper and respond to them with a resume through the mail.

Today, companies are amending their recruitment trends to focus on finding the best possible candidates.  It’s a buyer’s market from a standpoint of a hiring manager, and as a job seeker, you’ve got to sell yourself – hard!

Recruiters today have tapped into their personal data banks to find the right people for the jobs their clients (the employers) have to fill.  One recruitment trend that is important to remember is that professional recruiters really don’t work for you.  They are working for the companies that will eventually hire you.

If you’re seeking a job and plan to work with a recruiter, you’ll need to ask them about the recruitment trends they are following.  It’s important to know that, if you are an active user of sites like Monster.com or other job boards, a recruiter may not be able to help you.  Once you are in a hiring company’s database, you are off limits to a recruiter.

Ask recruiters about the recruiting trends they are experiencing, and use that information to help yourself find a job.

Performance Reviews are No Time for Complaints

Once a year most employees are subjected to that most dreaded of exercises: The performance review.  In many companies, the process begins with distribution of a written form you are asked to complete before meeting with your supervisor or boss, who may have completed a similar form on you.

The last couple of years have been full of workplace stress for just about everyone, but when it’s performance review time, try to use the time constructively.  Don’t make the mistake of using your performance review as a chance to whine.

A recent survey of HR managers noted that, too often, employees use their performance reviews as a chance to complain about their co-workers, work policies, and pay rates.  They think of the performance review as a chance to let the boss know just how overworked, underpaid and underappreciated they’ve been.

In years past, this might have been an acceptable strategy, but today, if you are interested in getting ahead, it’s best to use your performance review as a chance to praise the company and your boss and prove you are a team player.

This doesn’t mean it’s time to lie.  You probably can come up with some positive things to share during your review.  If you can’t, maybe you should be looking for a new job anyway.