7 posts tagged “jobs”
Dr. Robert Genetski of Chicago Capital recently presented his views about the outlook for the economy, financial markets, and jobs at the ERE Expo.
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When you decide to take your next career step, write out your personal and professional goals to see if they align. The following questions can help you clarify your objectives:
- Why are you in the field in which you are currently working?
- Are your talents and personality traits being fully utilized?
- Are continuing education and training high priorities where you work?
After you have answered these questions, take the following next steps:
Career management. Take control of your life by taking positive steps to achieve your objectives.
Support. Be sure that your family endorses your choices. You'll be able to move faster when an offer is tendered.
Networking. Your career network should include friends, current and former colleagues, vendors, industry contacts, recruiters, teachers and classmates.
Skills. Today's economic environment is constantly changing. Make sure your skills are up-to-date.
Your resume is your most important calling card in your job search. It should include the following information:
Contact Information. Include phone, mail and email contact information. In addition, make sure your voicemail message is professional. A message that is too casual can create a negative impression.
Career Objective. You may choose to list or not list your career objective. If your objective doesn't match the recruiter's needs, you may miss out on a golden opportunity. However, a clearly stated career objective can help your recruiter find your ideal career match.
Summary Statement. Your summary should be brief.
- Include your title and years of experience.
- List pertinent skills.
- Discuss your character traits or work style.
Example: "Financial Accountant with over 10 years' experience with two Fortune 500 companies. Technical skills include P&L, budgeting, forecasting and variance reporting. Bilingual in Spanish and English. Self-starter who approaches every project in a detailed, analytical manner."
12 Accomplishments Employers Want To See
- Increased revenues
- Saved money
- Increased efficiencies
- Cut overhead
- Increased sales
- Improved workplace safety
- Purchasing accomplishments
- New products/new lines
- Improved record keeping process
- Increased productivity
- Successful advertising campaign
- Effective budgeting
Professional Experience. List each position held in reverse chronological order, dating back at least ten years. If you held multiple positions within the same company, list them all to show advancement and growth. The body of each position description should describe your responsibilities and accomplishments.
Other Components. Include education, professional training, affiliations/appointments, licenses, technical skills and languages.
Personal Information. Do not include personal information such as marital status.
Before you interview for a position, learn as much about it and the employer as possible. If you found the position through a recruiter, he or she should be able to provide that information for you. If not, conduct research on the Web, visit the library, and tap into industry contacts.
Questions To Ask
After you have studied the company, make a list of questions to ask the employer:
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What are the company's plans for future growth?
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Looking out one year, what will be the measures of success?
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What are the biggest challenges?
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How would you describe your management style?
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What are the most critical issues to address in the first 30/60/90 days?
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How would you descibe the company's culture?
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Ask about the organization and the team.
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Are there certain employees who might be resources to me?
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What are the qualities you are looking for in the candidate for this position?
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Why is this position available?
- What training programs are available to the person in this position?
- What are your goals for this position?
- What obstacles must be overcome for the person in this position to succeed?
- How will my performance be evaluated?
- What opportunities are there for growth in the next 12 months? Two years? Five years?
- What growth do you anticipate for your organization in the next 12 months?
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Is there anything else you would like to know about me?
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What are the next steps in the selection process?
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Push a little to understand if there are any objections to proceeding to the next step. Perhaps you need to clarify a thing or two.
Questions You May Be Asked
Your recruiter should be able to give you a good idea of the hiring manager's personality, his or her typical interview demeanor, and a few important questions that the employer is likely to ask, such as:
- Tell me about yourself.
Keep your answer in the professional realm only. Review your past positions, education and other strengths. - Why are you interested in this position?
Relate how you feel your qualifications match the job requirements. Also, express your desire to work for the employer. - What are the most significant accomplishments in your career?
Identify recent accomplishments that relate to the position and its requirements. - Describe a situation in which your work was criticized.
Focus on how you resolved the situation and became a better person because of the experience. - What do you know about our organization?
- How would you describe your personality?
- How do you perform under pressure?
- What have you done to improve yourself over the past year?
- What did you like least about your last position?
- Are you leaving (did you leave) your present (last) company?
- What is your ideal working environment?
- How would your co-workers describe you?
- What do you think of your boss?
- Have you ever fired anyone?
- What was the situation and how did you handle it?
- Are you creative?
- What are your goals in your career?
- Where do you see yourself in two years?
- Why should we hire you?
- What kind of salary are you looking for?
- What other types of jobs/companies are you considering?
Also learn about Interviewing Do’s and Don’ts.
Do's
- Arrive 10 minutes early. Being late to an interview is never excusable.
- Clarify questions. Answer the interviewer's questions as specifically as possible. Relate your skills and background to the position requirements throughout the interview.
- Give your qualifications. Focus on accomplishments that are most pertinent to the job.
- Anticipate tough questions. Prepare to turn perceived weaknesses into strengths.
- Ask questions. An interview should be a mutual exchange of information, not a one-sided conversation.
- Listen. Concentrate not only on the interviewer's words, but also on the tone of voice and body language. Once you understand how the interviewer thinks, pattern your answers accordingly and you will be able to establish a better rapport.
- Dress appropriately. Make your first impression a professional one.
- Be professional. Smile, make eye contact and maintain good posture. These are simple but important things that are easy to forget to do during an interview.
Don'ts
- Don't answer vague questions. Ask the interviewer to clarify fuzzy questions.
- Don't interrupt the interviewer. If you don't listen, the interviewer won't either.
- Don't be overly familiar, even if the interviewer is.
- Don't ramble. Overlong answers may make you sound apologetic or indecisive.
- Don't lie. Answer questions truthfully.
- Don't express resentment. Avoid derogatory remarks about present or former employers.
- Don't wear heavy perfume or cologne. The interviewer may not share your tastes.
Closing the Interview
Job candidates often second-guess themselves after interviews. By asking good questions and closing strongly, you can reduce post-interview doubts. If you feel that the interview went well and you want to take the next step, express your interest to the interviewer. Try an approach like the following: "After learning more about your company, the position and responsibilities, I believe that I have the qualities you are looking for. Are there any issues or concerns that would lead you to believe otherwise?"
This is an effective closing question because it opens the door for the hiring manager to be honest with you about his or her feelings. If concerns do exist, you may be able to create an opportunity to overcome them, and have one final chance to dispel the concerns, sell your strengths and end the interview on a positive note.
A few things to remember during the closing process:
- Make sure that you have thoroughly answered these questions during the interview: "Why are you interested in our company?" and "What can you offer?"
- Express appreciation for the interviewer's time and consideration.
- Don't expect an offer to be made or a specific salary to be discussed during your first interview.
Follow-up
After your interview, follow-up is critical. When you get in your car, immediately write down key issues uncovered in the interview. Think of the qualifications the employer is looking for and match your strengths to them. A "thank you" letter or email should be written no later than 24 hours after the interview. Be sure to call your recruiter to discuss your interview and your next steps.
Congratulations! You've landed the job! Now you are faced with the delicate challenge of resigning from your current employer without burning bridges, and saying good-bye to friends and colleagues.
Your The Trevi Group recruiter will help you draft your resignation letter. Then, you will make an appointment with your manager to respectfully explain your decision. Your manager needs to hear that your decision is firm and final and that you are committed to your new employer. Express appreciation for the opportunities that your former employer has given you.
Be careful not to get lured into any discussions other than your resignation, such as how your employer wants to handle your final weeks or the transition of your current responsibilities and projects.
