What the interviewer wants to discover is if you have shared your long-term career plans with your employer and if there are any potential issues at work that would make your current company aware that you are looking to leave. The interviewer knows that it’s unlikely you’ve told your current employer that you’re looking as that’s not the norm.
Explain that things are going well at work and while your company doesn’t know your looking right now, they are aware of your long-term careers plans which may involve you moving on to new opportunities at some point. You want to avoid coming across as if you are leaving your job for negative reasons.
Posted on February 6th, 2009 under All Posts •
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Given the state of the economy right now, everyone probably has a friend or two who may have been laid off or out of work for whatever reason. Most likely your friend is beyond feeling down. Your first instinct may to be offer all the advice you can tell them that things will be okay. While this seems find on the surface, you may actually make your buddy feel worse.
Remember that being out of work can damages one’s self-worth and make them feel embarrassed. Simply asking how the job search is going can elicit a cringe from your unemployed friend.
If you have advice to offer, wait and see if your friend brings up the subject. If they never bring it up they may not want your help. When the subject does come up, don’t just throw all your advice at them at once. Start off slow with advice tailored to their situation. With a little time, your friend will feel more comfortable asking for advice and help.
Posted on February 2nd, 2009 under All Posts •
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Many people want to change careers are unable to pull the trigger for a variety of reasons. Now some reasons are understandable while others not so much.
One of the biggest hurdles individuals looking to switch careers make, is coming to terms with the fact that they will probably start at an entry-level or near entry-level position. Whatever your title is in your current position matters little in your new career. I knew a successfully attorney who was flabbergasted that his J.D. and years as an attorney didn’t matter when he sought a position in non-profit that worked with disadvantaged youths.
Now don’t let this sway you from changing careers. Just because you have to start at the bottom doesn’t mean you have to stay there. Utilize your experience in your new position, do great work, and you’ll be moving up in no time.
If your willing to start at the bottom you may find yourself with a new career that makes you happier than your old one ever could have.
Posted on January 22nd, 2009 under All Posts •
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1. Arriving late to your interview- This one’s a given but you would be surprised how many people make this cardinal mistake. First impressions are important and by being late, you just blew yours. Yes, things come up and emergencies happen but plan ahead.
Plan to arrive at your interview at least 15 minutes early. Now how early do you leave to go to your interview? I would say at least double the anticipated drive time. If the office is twenty minutes away, allot a minimum of 40 minutes to get there. Double time is the minimum. I would leave even early as an extra precaution. Triple the drive time and you’ll be good. what happens if there is an accident on the highway and you’re trapped in traffic. You’ll be glad you have a buffer.
Besides leaving early make sure you have a contact number for your interviewer. If something comes that will delay you indefinitely, you’ll want to call you interviewer before the interview and reschedule. If your interview ever starts without you, consider it over.
2. Being anything other than very polite to all employees- Say hello and be friendly to everyone you come across at your potentially employer. You never know who you’re talking to or who’s watching.
3. Not having enough background knowledge on the company and job- Be as well veresed as you can about the organization your interviewing with. Read everything you can on their website and search for recent news stories or press releases. Get a sense of their mission, culture, product line, and overall plan. You should be able to speak intelligently about the value you bring to the organization and the challenges they face.
Posted on January 11th, 2009 under All Posts •
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What the interviewer is trying to determine is if your goals and ambitions match those of the organization your interviewing with. Unless the interviewing organization has made it clear that they are filling a short-term position, you want to emphasize your desire to grow and develop with the company and make continual contributions to the organization.
Your answer should project nothing but a desire to have a long-term career with the interviewing organization.
Posted on December 29th, 2008 under All Posts, Interview Questions •
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Job reviews can pretty stressful, especially for workers who lack confidence in their work. Here are a few tips to help get by.
1. Document your accomplishments- You should have been documenting your accomplishments all along, but if you haven’t, now is the time to sit down and write down everything you can remember. Now is not the time to be modest.
2. Write down your areas of improvement- Think of all the different ways you have improved and write them down. Going over your improvements will be an important part of your job review and you want to have plenty to share.
3. Finish up any important projects- If any big projects come up in your review, it will sound great to say they are completed.
4. Discuss areas of improvement- Every worker has areas that could stand to be improved and you’re know different. Plan on openly discussing areas that need some work and what you plan to do about it. Your boss will appreciate your candor.
5. Avoid getting defensive/remain calm- You already have documentation that proves you do your job so don’t worry about that. Try to view your job review as chance to remind your boss of your value and indispensability to the organization.
Posted on December 15th, 2008 under All Posts •
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1. Don’t expect to have any earth shattering responsibility in your first position.
2. Whatever you think your going to earn, reduce it by 30%.
3. When you make a big mistake it looks bad. There is no making it up later in the semester.
4. Where you went to school will help get your foot in the door, but after that it won’t mean much.
5. There is a time and place for your thoughts on improving the company. Your first week isn’t it.
6. Don’t even think of ever involving your parents in the workplace in any way, shape, or form.
7. It possibly may take a really long time to find the “right” job.
8. Don’t count on you job to make you happy.
Posted on December 9th, 2008 under All Posts, Most Popular •
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While there is no right or wrong answer to this question, the interviewer is trying to determine how easy you are to work with. Basically, are the people you manage going to enjoy and be productive working with you?
Your answer should convey the sense that you create a healthy team atmosphere where members’ contributions are valued and encouraged; avoid coming across as autocratic.
Posted on December 1st, 2008 under All Posts, Interview Questions •
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If you speak more than on language you’re in luck. You have an advantage over roughly 80 percent of Americans. But how do you actually profit from your language abilities?
Throwing a language section on your resume is great but there are many jobs and industries in need of bilingual workers that you can target. Bilingual workers often earn more than their English only counterparts for the same position. Given the state of the economy it’s worth looking into every opportunity that will maximize your income.
Here are some industries to target where bilingual workers are in high demand:
1. Education- Bilingual teachers and guidance counselors are in strong demand and they almost always earn more than English only teachers in the K-12 system.
2. Health care- People of all backgrounds need medical care.
3. Hospitality- Assist visitors from around the globe in their preferred tongue.
4. Social Services- Complicated family issues go over a lot smoother if you can work with parents and children in their native language.
Posted on November 17th, 2008 under All Posts •
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Hey guys check out alltop.com. It’s a cool site where you can find all the top of headlines from around the web in one easy to use site. Alltop covers all topics most readers care about; give it it a quick glance every day and it’ll save you a ton of time. JobBite Blog is now one of the sites on alltop under the career section so go check it out.
Posted on November 17th, 2008 under All Posts •
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