You have your resumes out and the phone is starting to ring with potential employers wanting you to come in for a job interview. While the interview is the next logical step in obtaining a great paying job perhaps you are caught off guard just a bit and maybe you though that you had a little more time before the offers would come in.
Don’t panic! Just take a few deep breathes and conduct some good old fashioned practice before you go to the actual interview and you will be all set. While there are many methods for practicing for a job interview there are some that are more effective than others such as:
• Self Interview: Stand in front of a mirror and interview yourself. Play out the role of the interviewer and yourself of course. Ask yourself all the questions that you think the interviewer might ask you and then really pay attention to how you answer yourself and how your body language is. Be sure to ask yourself the question, ‘How would you describe yourself,’ as that question almost always pops up in an interview and is an easy on to stumble on. After you have completed the interview of yourself ask, ‘Would I hire me?’ If the answer is no then you need to continue this exercise.
• Friend Interview: While the first exercise is a great way to prepare for an interview, some people simply cannot effectively self-evaluate. If this describes you then you can always turn to those who are usually more than thrilled to point out your flaws for you; your closest friends. Write a list of questions down for a friend to ask you and then conduct a ‘mock’ interview. Go through the whole process from walking in and shaking hands to answering all the questions asked of you. At the end you can be sure that your friend will give you an honest opinion and you should not take what they are saying to be mean, but rather view it as constructive criticism that will allow you to fix any flaws before the actual interview. Besides it is better to hear your friend say that they wouldn’t hire you rather than the actual interviewer.
• Ask and Answer Out Loud: Another great way to practice for an interview is by writing down about 20 to 25 questions that you think you may be asked, read them out loud one by one, and answers them out loud one by one. The idea with this exercise is to have your answers sounding natural and not scripted. Also, by practicing the most commonly asked questions you will already have an idea of what to say if asked and will avoid the job killing words such as ummm and ahhh.
No matter how you decide to practice for your interview you do in fact need to practice. Don’t have the attitude of, ‘I’ll just wing it,’ as there are bound to be numerous candidates for the job you are seeking. By being prepared for your interview and speaking in a clear and concise manner you will automatically be one step ahead of the pack. Besides, as the old saying goes, ‘Practice makes perfect.’
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Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Why Resume Appearance Matters
The way that your resume is written is one of the most important factors in whether or not you will get any job interviews, but equally as important is the appearance of your resume. In order for your resume to get any eyeballs on it has to also be pleasing to those eyeballs.
So just what is in the ‘appearance’ of a resume? The appearance of a resume is the overall way that the resume is laid out. This layout includes:
• Font: What style font are you using? Don’t go too fancy, but don’t go too plain. Avoid a lot of bold and italics unless you are using the effects to help separate the sections of the resume.
• Spacing: If your resume is not properly spaced it will be too jumbled. If it is too jumbled then it can be difficult to read and will simply lead the person reviewing it to move on to the next resume.
• Grammar and Spelling: Nothing kills the appearance of a resume faster than bad grammar and spelling. Don’t just use spell check, but really go over your resume and be sure that it is properly edited before you give it to potential employers.
• Paper Quality: If you are physically giving your resume to someone don’t give it to them on low quality copy machine paper. Instead spend a little bit of money and get some higher quality paper that you use only for your resumes.
• Neatness: Are there any ink smudges on your resume? Did you accidentally drip something on the cover page? Always check to make sure that your resume is in perfect condition and nice and neat as submitting a messy one will likely see it hit the bottom of a trash can.
Having the appearance of your resume be the best it can be is extremely important, especially in a tougher job market. What you need to remember is that there will be multiple applicants for the job in which you are going after. Knowing that, you have to have every advantage you can muster in order to stand out. A great way to stand out from the get go is by turning in a resume that has a perfect appearance.
Put yourself in the shoes of the potential employer. If you were handed a resume that was nice and neat that read perfectly and looked great and then you were handed a sloppy looking error laden resume that appeared as though it was thrown together in a matter of five minutes, which applicant would you think about interviewing? As far as the potential employer is concerned, your resume is the only thing that they will know about you until they interview you. So your resume acts as your representative and you will of course want to be represented in the best possible manner.
In a sense there is nothing more important than having you resume appearance be flawless. While you may be able to dazzle anyone face to face, if your resume appearance is awful, you may never get that face to face chance.
Compare the top online resume services.
So just what is in the ‘appearance’ of a resume? The appearance of a resume is the overall way that the resume is laid out. This layout includes:
• Font: What style font are you using? Don’t go too fancy, but don’t go too plain. Avoid a lot of bold and italics unless you are using the effects to help separate the sections of the resume.
• Spacing: If your resume is not properly spaced it will be too jumbled. If it is too jumbled then it can be difficult to read and will simply lead the person reviewing it to move on to the next resume.
• Grammar and Spelling: Nothing kills the appearance of a resume faster than bad grammar and spelling. Don’t just use spell check, but really go over your resume and be sure that it is properly edited before you give it to potential employers.
• Paper Quality: If you are physically giving your resume to someone don’t give it to them on low quality copy machine paper. Instead spend a little bit of money and get some higher quality paper that you use only for your resumes.
• Neatness: Are there any ink smudges on your resume? Did you accidentally drip something on the cover page? Always check to make sure that your resume is in perfect condition and nice and neat as submitting a messy one will likely see it hit the bottom of a trash can.
Having the appearance of your resume be the best it can be is extremely important, especially in a tougher job market. What you need to remember is that there will be multiple applicants for the job in which you are going after. Knowing that, you have to have every advantage you can muster in order to stand out. A great way to stand out from the get go is by turning in a resume that has a perfect appearance.
Put yourself in the shoes of the potential employer. If you were handed a resume that was nice and neat that read perfectly and looked great and then you were handed a sloppy looking error laden resume that appeared as though it was thrown together in a matter of five minutes, which applicant would you think about interviewing? As far as the potential employer is concerned, your resume is the only thing that they will know about you until they interview you. So your resume acts as your representative and you will of course want to be represented in the best possible manner.
In a sense there is nothing more important than having you resume appearance be flawless. While you may be able to dazzle anyone face to face, if your resume appearance is awful, you may never get that face to face chance.
Compare the top online resume services.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Simply Fired – What to do When You’ve Been Let Go
Getting fired or let go from your job is never an easy pill to swallow. However, with the economy the way it is and businesses cutting back instead of expanding, being let go has unfortunately become a way of life. So what the heck do you do when you’ve been let go?
First things first; take a day and just relax and get your thoughts together. Losing your job may be a big deal, but it is not the end of your working life. After you have taken a day you need to then formulate a plan to get back into the work place as fast as you can. Here are some of the things you should do once you have been let go:
• Seek Unemployment: Depending on the circumstances of your lay off you may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits. This is no doubt a humbling experience but the benefits are there for a reason and though you will not receive nearly what you were making at your former job, at least the benefits will provide you with something while you look for a new job.
• Get Your Resume Ready: Take some time and brush up your resume. Really give it a good going over as it may have been some time since you last used it. Make sure that everything is up to date and that the resume reads as well as possible and above all else, don’t forget to proof read it. If you need help, hire a professional resume service - the expense will be worth it.
• Distribute Your Resume: Once you feel your resume is up to par you then need to distribute it. You can post it on job boards such as Monster.com and Hotjobs.com but you also want to begin to fax it or e-mail it to potential employers that are looking to hire.
• Network: Let everyone in your social and work circles know that you are actively looking for a new job. All it takes is one person knowing the right opportunity exists and you will be back to the daily grind before you know it.
• Attend Job Fairs: If you look you will find an abundance of job fairs that go on right in your own back yard. These are wonderful opportunities for you to network, pass out some resumes, and even possibly discover a job that you may not have ever thought about but would certainly enjoy doing.
• Practice Interviewing: You will eventually get interviews for different positions and you may need to brush up on your interviewing skills. The perfect way to do this is to look in the mirror and interview yourself. Ask yourself questions and then answer them honestly. Would you hire yourself? If the answer is no then the potential employer would probably say the same thing. Keep at it as practice makes perfect.
Getting the pink slip, getting the axe, being let go, getting fired; however you say the words it is no fun. But with some dedicated work and a lot of tenacity on your part you can get back in the workplace in no time at all. Just remember to keep a positive attitude and an open mind and then get out there and find your new job.
First things first; take a day and just relax and get your thoughts together. Losing your job may be a big deal, but it is not the end of your working life. After you have taken a day you need to then formulate a plan to get back into the work place as fast as you can. Here are some of the things you should do once you have been let go:
• Seek Unemployment: Depending on the circumstances of your lay off you may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits. This is no doubt a humbling experience but the benefits are there for a reason and though you will not receive nearly what you were making at your former job, at least the benefits will provide you with something while you look for a new job.
• Get Your Resume Ready: Take some time and brush up your resume. Really give it a good going over as it may have been some time since you last used it. Make sure that everything is up to date and that the resume reads as well as possible and above all else, don’t forget to proof read it. If you need help, hire a professional resume service - the expense will be worth it.
• Distribute Your Resume: Once you feel your resume is up to par you then need to distribute it. You can post it on job boards such as Monster.com and Hotjobs.com but you also want to begin to fax it or e-mail it to potential employers that are looking to hire.
• Network: Let everyone in your social and work circles know that you are actively looking for a new job. All it takes is one person knowing the right opportunity exists and you will be back to the daily grind before you know it.
• Attend Job Fairs: If you look you will find an abundance of job fairs that go on right in your own back yard. These are wonderful opportunities for you to network, pass out some resumes, and even possibly discover a job that you may not have ever thought about but would certainly enjoy doing.
• Practice Interviewing: You will eventually get interviews for different positions and you may need to brush up on your interviewing skills. The perfect way to do this is to look in the mirror and interview yourself. Ask yourself questions and then answer them honestly. Would you hire yourself? If the answer is no then the potential employer would probably say the same thing. Keep at it as practice makes perfect.
Getting the pink slip, getting the axe, being let go, getting fired; however you say the words it is no fun. But with some dedicated work and a lot of tenacity on your part you can get back in the workplace in no time at all. Just remember to keep a positive attitude and an open mind and then get out there and find your new job.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
How to Find Engineering Jobs
While it is true that the world is undergoing an economic crises, it can still be said that there is a need for people who are going to rebuild the world market from the ground up, and one such group of people are the engineers.
Engineering jobs may be a little difficult to come by these days but they’re the kind of industry that will never go out of style and will never be done without. So for those who are looking out for jobs in engineering, here are a few ways in which you can find a job that suits your particular area of engineering.
How the Bigwigs do it
Most of the big multinational companies find their engineers by going directly to educational institutions. They do this by going on campus tours and visiting different universities to entice qualified engineering students to apply for the career opportunities that they are offering. Some firms deal directly or have tie-ups with specific engineering departments or course their offers through faculty members. Other ways of recruiting through universities include posting notices on public bulletin boards or online notice boards, while others attend on campus recruitment fairs and giving talks that promote their company to potential applicants.
This is particularly helpful to those who are still studying or are about to graduate. Since most of the big companies bring their career openings to schools, graduating students headed for careers in engineering should take advantage of this great opportunity.
Another route that engineering students can take is through internships. Often, on-the-job training is one way to get your foot through the door and be able to show your potential employer how valuable you are as an engineering asset to the company. Internships also help you make connections with people in the same industry that will be able to help you find work in the future.
The Media is your friend
Because not everyone can benefit from attending on campus job fairs and not all jobs can be found within the ranks of the big multinationals, jobseekers must expand their means for job hunting by looking at other ways in which they can find jobs.
One such way is by looking through different forms of media, of which the Internet may be emerging as one of the most powerful and effective. Jobseekers can hit a gold mine of engineering jobs by checking daily with general job boards as well as niche job boards.
General job boards include such popular web sites as Careerbuilder.com and Monster.com. These are big websites where engineering companies as well as employers from different industries can post their job openings and where jobseekers can apply for the open posts. Niche job boards on the other hand are more specialized since they focus either on specific skills like engineering, or specific areas, like the different cities in the USA. Niche job boards may not hold as many jobs as the major job sites but they are more tailored to a specific criterion like industry and locality.
Another useful medium for seeking engineering jobs is print advertisement in newspapers. Most small companies and government departments looking for employees with an engineering background post their job openings in newspapers. Checking your local paper daily will give you an idea of which companies are looking to hire.
Find Solidworks jobs near you. Compare the top online resume writers.
Engineering jobs may be a little difficult to come by these days but they’re the kind of industry that will never go out of style and will never be done without. So for those who are looking out for jobs in engineering, here are a few ways in which you can find a job that suits your particular area of engineering.
How the Bigwigs do it
Most of the big multinational companies find their engineers by going directly to educational institutions. They do this by going on campus tours and visiting different universities to entice qualified engineering students to apply for the career opportunities that they are offering. Some firms deal directly or have tie-ups with specific engineering departments or course their offers through faculty members. Other ways of recruiting through universities include posting notices on public bulletin boards or online notice boards, while others attend on campus recruitment fairs and giving talks that promote their company to potential applicants.
This is particularly helpful to those who are still studying or are about to graduate. Since most of the big companies bring their career openings to schools, graduating students headed for careers in engineering should take advantage of this great opportunity.
Another route that engineering students can take is through internships. Often, on-the-job training is one way to get your foot through the door and be able to show your potential employer how valuable you are as an engineering asset to the company. Internships also help you make connections with people in the same industry that will be able to help you find work in the future.
The Media is your friend
Because not everyone can benefit from attending on campus job fairs and not all jobs can be found within the ranks of the big multinationals, jobseekers must expand their means for job hunting by looking at other ways in which they can find jobs.
One such way is by looking through different forms of media, of which the Internet may be emerging as one of the most powerful and effective. Jobseekers can hit a gold mine of engineering jobs by checking daily with general job boards as well as niche job boards.
General job boards include such popular web sites as Careerbuilder.com and Monster.com. These are big websites where engineering companies as well as employers from different industries can post their job openings and where jobseekers can apply for the open posts. Niche job boards on the other hand are more specialized since they focus either on specific skills like engineering, or specific areas, like the different cities in the USA. Niche job boards may not hold as many jobs as the major job sites but they are more tailored to a specific criterion like industry and locality.
Another useful medium for seeking engineering jobs is print advertisement in newspapers. Most small companies and government departments looking for employees with an engineering background post their job openings in newspapers. Checking your local paper daily will give you an idea of which companies are looking to hire.
Find Solidworks jobs near you. Compare the top online resume writers.
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