Wednesday, September 30, 2009

10 Questions About an Employer You Should Answer ...

10 Questions About an Employer You Should Answer ...
Before you are ready for an interview ....

1. What is the organization's history?
2. Who is the organization's leader (e.g. CEO, Owner)?
3. What is the organization's recent financial performance (if a publically traded company)?
4. What are its core strengths and competencies?
5. What are its current products and services?
6. What are its future products and services?
7. Who are its primary competitors (if applicable)?
8. What are the industry trends?
9. What is the mission statement of the organization?
10. What are its guiding principles and values?

Tip - Don't let the economy get you down ... Plan For The Future ...


Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Brighthouse Is Hiring - 46 Open Jobs ....



Here are samples of the openings ...

• Media Editor/Audio Operator
• Motion Graphics Designer/Animator
• Copywriter
• Customer Service
• Receptionist
• Director of Local Sales
• Director of Regional Sales
• Account Processing Representative
• Digital Media Sales Specialist
• Marketing Analyst

Click Here to See the Complete List ...

Tip - Don't send form cover letters customize your letter for each position ...


Saturday, September 26, 2009

10 Ways To Trash An Interview …








Whales Aren't Fish Just As Interviews Are Not Job Offers ....

10 Ways To Trash An Interview …

Information abounds regarding what you should say in an interview, however it can be just as important to realize what not to say. It is also imperative to note that what you say can be communicated through both your words and actions.

What it means is the way people in the company you are interviewing perceive your actions, response, or body language …

You arrive late to the interview ...
What it means: "I really don't care about getting this position."
Arrive a healthy 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to give you time to collect your thoughts, review your notes and make a good first impression.

You're rude to the receptionist ...
What it means: "I'm difficult to get along with."
Receptionists are the gate keepers and it's their job to be the eyes and ears of the company. Besides, if hired, you may need their cooperation one day.

You answer questions with trite or cliché responses …
What it means: "I'm just one of the crowd."
Telling the interviewer you are a perfectionist and expect too much of yourself is sure to elicit a yawn, if not a discreet roll of the eyes. Prepare potential responses ahead of time to avoid relying on the usual(s).

You don't ask questions ...
What it means: "I'm not that interested in your company."
The interview should be a two-way conversation "to determine if you are the right fit for the company, and if the company is the right fit for you. Use the interview to gather as much information about your potential new position as possible.

You answer the standard "Tell us about yourself," with "What would you like to know?"
What it means: "I have nothing special to offer this company."
This is your opportunity to steer the conversation into areas where you truly shine. Don't waste this chance by appearing to lack any outstanding qualities you want to share. And please don't start with where you were born. Focus on your career unless your birthplace is relevant to the job.

You use inappropriate language ...
What it means: "I'm unprofessional and if it shows in the short span of an interview, imagine what I'll be like in the office."
Even if they're only mild and somewhat acceptable words, there still is no place for them in the interview.

You trash-talk your former boss ...
What it means: "I have no discretion; I'll blab any inside information."
"If you left your prior job on poor terms, you need to put this relationship in a positive light for the interview," Milligan advises. "Even if your boss was to blame." You never want to bring negativity or antagonistic emotions into the interview. Keep it positive and upbeat.

You ask the interviewer to not contact your former employer ...
What it means: "I have something to hide."
Even if you do not get along with your boss, you can always name someone else in the organization as a reference.

You exaggerate your accomplishments or credentials ...
What it means: "I'm not good enough on my own merits, so I need to lie to make myself look good."
A skilled interviewer can easily identify fabrications in your background or experience. State your qualifications with confidence. You don't have to be Superman to get hired; you just have to be right for the job.

You don't thank the interviewer ...
What it means: "I have no manners."
Forgetting to thank your interviewers in writing for their time can take the luster from even the most stellar interviewee.

Friday, September 25, 2009

One The The Best Companies To Work For ...


This company is one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies To Work For ...

Publix is hiring in following areas of expertise ...

* Benefits Department
* Corporate Purchasing
* Facilities
* Finance
* Human Resources
* Information Systems
* Legal & Risk Management
* Loss Prevention
* Marketing/Advertising
* Public Affairs
* Real Estate
* Strategy Support

Overview of Publix - Click Here ...

Click here for Hiring Now Opportunities at Publix ...

Job Search Tip of the Day: Itemize your career interests and values, then consider your career options ...



Thursday, September 24, 2009

Now Hiring - These Tampa Employers Are ...



Whether you’re unemployed or looking to switch careers .... Fox 13 in has teamed up with employers to offer hundreds of jobs in the Tampa Bay Area ...

Hiring Now Tampa - Click Here ...

...

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

10 Ways to Reduce the Cost of Your Job Search …





10 Ways to Reduce the Cost of Your Job Search …

Organize & Prepare ….
• The more efficient you are with your time the more successful you will be in your job search ..
• Time Management - Make Each Day An Opportunity
• Manage Your Day – Don’t Let The Day Manage You
• Power of Enthusiasm - Enthusiasm will turn Bad Days into Good Ones …
• Facts of Life - Job Applications, Parking, Traffic - Prepare for it ...
• Budget - Minimizing The Cost of the Job Search

Budget For The Cost of Your Job Search

Budget Busters
• Interviewing for a position that doesn’t exist
• Travel to Interviews
• Parking Expense
• Food
• Postage & Faxing
• Child Care
• Dry Cleaning
• Printing & Copy Cost
• Public Transportation
• Newspapers, Books, Magazines

Bogus/Fake Interviews are conducted by some companies and staffing firms where no open position currently exists.

Pipeline, cueing, trolling for cream of the crop candidates by recruiters believing that there maybe an opening occurring in a month or two, happens in today’s business world.

Always ask how long the position has been open, and is the position budgeted for immediate hire. Additionally, if the company has been interviewing for the position for 6 or more months and there is only one opening, the position probably is not going to be filled anytime in the near future. Get more details on why it has not been filled then decide if it is worth your time.

Wasting your time and money interviewing for a position that currently is not open or doesn’t exist, does not make good business sense.

Travel to Interviews – Know where you are going. Getting lost can be expensive. Always map your route using Google Map or Mapquest. Gas, car maintenance, wear, and toll roads & bridges can quickly blow the budget.

Parking Expense – Never pay for parking. Prior to leaving for the interview call and ask the receptionist, operator, or the recruiter at the company you are interviewing with where should you to park, or if the company doesn't provide parking ask where the closest free or low cost public parking is.

Eating Out & Coffee – Bring snacks and water in the car. Avoid purchasing food in restaurants and convenience stores. Even McDonald’s or snacks at 7-11.

Postage & Faxing – Do as much as you can by email. Example: Postage for 100 mailed resumes is $50.00. Cost for 100 email resume zero. Faxing can be done for free at the state employment office.

Child Care – Be on good terms with a neighbor or close relative with kids who may want to swap child care time with you. Low cost daycare may also be available thru community centers and local churches.

Dry Cleaning – Two items $6.00/wk $24/mo that can add up. Use wrinkle free or easy iron clothes as much as possible.

Printing & Copy Cost – State Employment Offices offer free copy services. Most copy machines can produce printer quality prints. Do not use your home printer as a copy machine. Toner cartridges for laser printer and ink jet cartridges costs add up. Use free services for copies no your home printer.

Public Transportation – Look for free or discount bus passes to get around town when not interviewing. Interviewing is going to require a car. In fact most companies ask on the job application if you have dependable transport. If you have to travel out of town consider on line services like Travelocity or Priceline, avoid travel agents.

Newspapers, Books, Magazines – All available for free at your public library. Avoid bookstores they are to tempting.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Effective Email Tips For Job Seekers …




...


The Pony Express was the fastest mail service crossing the U.S. from St. Joseph, MO to Sacramento, CA between April 1860 to October 1861 ...

Today email is sent at the speed of light around the world ...

Effective Email Tips For Job Seekers …

Email is an integral part of today’s hiring process. Recruiters contact prospective candidates via email. Employers ask candidates to send resumes via email. Hiring managers schedule interviews by email and conduct follow-up conversations that way, as well. Email is an ideal way to network because it is fast and simple way to connect with people who can help you with your search. It may not be impossible to job search without email, but it is close to impossible …

Here are few business email etiquette basics. Create effective and professional email communications …

First try to imagine if you were the recruiter or hiring manager how you would feel if you received poorly written email in response to a job posting.

Email is business correspondence. So use proper grammar and complete sentences. If you are applying for a position using email communication, do not write in text message shortcuts or use pop culture sayings. Every email you send is an extension of your professional image, transmitting an email filled with spelling errors and poor English reeks of unprofessionalism.

Address the hiring manager by their name. Don’t start the email message with “To whom it may concern” or “Hi Recruiter. The sweetest sound people want to hear is their own name. Use the first and last name and their title if appropriate for the message. If you don’t have their name, go with the body of the email only.

Don’t write an essay. A business email message should be no longer than five lines. If you have more information to convey, learn how to self-edit. If you stick to this rule, your email messages will be clear, concise and responded to quickly.

Eliminate crazy fonts, colored backgrounds and excessive punctuation. Use a standard 10-12 point sized font. Stick with Arial, Times New Roman and Verdana. Refrain from using an exclamation point after every sentence. Never write in capital letters to express your interest in the position. Do not use capital letters to express your enthusiasm. It is like yelling at the recipient.

Beware of sending large files unannounced. Some people are email attachment averse, so play it safe, avoid sending large attachments that can cause a virtual online bottleneck on the receiving end. Always ask for permission before attaching large files to the email. If you are sending a resume or cover letter, include a mention of the document(s) in the body of the email what you are attaching. If you have a copy of your resume or portfolio online, include in the link, only if you explain what the link leads to.

Set Up A Job Search Email Account …

If you don’t have your own personal email account, go to a friend, local library or state employment office and get one, plus learn to use their computer.

The Top Five Free Email Services

1. Gmail - Free Email Service www.gmail.com Gmail is the Google approach to email and chat. Practically unlimited free online storage allows you to collect all your messages, and Gmail's simple but very smart interface lets you find them precisely and see them in context without effort.

2. Inbox.com - Free Email Service www.inbox.com Inbox.com not only gives you 5 GB to store your mail online but also a highly polished, fast and functional way to access web including speedy search.

3. Yahoo.com - Free Email Service www.yahoo.com Yahoo! Mail is a comfortable, reliable and secure email service with unlimited storage. A good spam filter keeps the junk out, plus you can send rich text emails.

4. FastMail - Free Email Service www.fastmail.fm FastMail is a great free email service. Loads of useful features, one of the best web-based email interfaces and few ads.

5. Hotmail - Free Email Service www.hotmail.com. Hotmail is a free email service that gives you a 2 GB of online storage, fast search, solid security and an interface easy as a desktop email program.

Picking Your Email Name ….
If you already have a personal Internet service and/or email account, change your current personal email address or get a new email address that allows you to use some version of your name, such as john.jones@gmail.com or jjones@yahoo.com. Do not use a “cute” email address, such as superguy@hotmail.com, or nonsense names or codes, or initials initials321@inbox.com.

Additional Tips for Your Job Search Email …


- Always put your email address on your resume in contact information next to your street address and phone number.

- After every networking phone conversation, email a thank you with a copy of your resume.

- Always confirm appointments by email the day before or the day of your meeting or interview.

- When networking for referrals asking for help include a copy of your resume.

- If someone referred you to the person you are emailing, put that person’s name on subject line.

- Write short emails, ideally with only one to four lines plus a signature at the bottom.

- Always include your Name, Email address and preferred contact Phone Number in the body of the email.

- When emailing a resume, bring attention to your resume and help employers.
Be sure your resume is saved using your name, such as John_Jones_Resume.doc.


Friday, September 18, 2009

Job Search Time Management ...





Let's face it there is never enough time in a day ...


This link has some ideas on the subject ...

Manage Your Time During a Job Search

Tip: As you go through your day, make a "To Do List" for the next day. This reduces stress and provides you with a method of following up on what is important ...


Thursday, September 17, 2009

Telephone Interview Tips ...

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....

....

Don't Be a Monument ...

Always Be Engaging with a Winning Personality ...

Keep The Following In Mind …
• Be yourself, relax and be conversational.
• Be confident in your abilities, demonstrate competence, ambition, and show attention to detail and the reasons for your success.
• Do not brag or boast.
Examples - “Hire me and you will never regret it.” or “I will run the department within 6 months."
• If you are currently employed, Never - Talk Negatively About Your Current Position. This will be looked upon negatively by the person(s) conducting the interview.
• Certainly, do not dwell on past situations. Move on and be confident in your ability to be positive and to be enthusiastic about lessons learned.

*** Key Points ***
• Know what you want …
• Know what you are good at …
• Know what you can do …
• Know where you can add value, and sell that ….

Your Goal is to get to the next step which is a Face to Face with the Hiring Manager…
• Try to mirror the style of person conducting the interview in regards to pace of questioning and speaking.
• In some form, you should expect to be asked questions that cover the subjects below. It will be a “high level view” of your career to date, the way in which you work and what makes you the professional you are.
• Why did you or are you leaving your current position?
• Why are you looking?
• Will ask about your career decisions to date to discover what motivates your style.
• What was your first job?
• College degree(s)?
• Career history (1-2 minute summary works best) ?
• Did you live away while attending college?
• Is relocation an option?
• Be ready for The Why? The Where? The When? Of your professional life.
• You will be asked about past positions and each company.
• What did you like about each position?
• What do you like about what you do?
• As you look around, what factors weigh into your decision?
• Tell me about yourself outside work? What are your interests? Style?
• How do you handle managing peers and team members through stressful situations?

Use the STAR format to answer your question (Situation, Task, Action, Result) …
You may get questions like …
• Tell me about a significant accomplishment, and why?
• Tell me about a significant disappointment, and why?
• Why do you feel this company would be a good fit for you? (What can you do for them, without being over-confident?)
• What do you find stressful?
• What are you looking for in a career?

If the job you are being interviewed for involves managing people …
You may get questions about your philosophy of how you manage people and manage the business of technology projects. If she does not, then you should emphasize your people management skills. Coaching, mentoring and leading a team through a project that you are a part of, is an important aspect of the position.
• What is your idea of best practices for the employee life cycle?
• What goal setting systems do you use?
• What has worked for you in the past?
• What is your time frame to start employment?
• Are you available next week for a meeting at their offices?

What You Should Ask ….
• Ask abut the company, process, your observations and research on their web site.
• What is the ideal candidate for the position for which you are interviewing?
• At the end ask her if she has any concerns, or would like more information on anything she sees in the resume or that she has heard from you today. This will give you the opportunity to address anything she mentions immediately and hopefully brush aside the concern and confirm her good judgment.
• Remember, the reason you are on the call is because your resume is very strong for what they are looking for.

Be prepared with notes and points you want to emphasize before the call so that way you will not leave anything out that you want to address under the pressure of the interview.

Finally, be yourself, relax and have a conversation! Be Engaging !

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Telling Stories - An Interview Strategy ...






Don’t Just Blow Off Steam …

Telling Your Story ....

If you have read books on job interviews, you'll notice that some provide you with lists of interview questions that you should learn the answers to, however an interview is not an interrogation; it's a conversation. Thus, the best way to prepare for an interview is to come armed with a multitude of small stories about both your business and personal life.


Conversation Wins the Job ....

Competency based interviews, as opposed to traditional interviews, have become more common today. In a traditional interview, the interviewer will ask you questions focused on whether you have the skills and knowledge needed to do the job. A competency-based interview goes further by asking you additional questions about your character and personal attributes that can better determine whether you fit their corporate culture. These are called "behavioral competencies."

A competency-based interviewer will spend about half the interview on your job skills, and about half on your behavioral competencies. He or she will be looking for evidence of how you have acted in real situations in the past. So having your stories ready to go, and discussing them during a conversation between two equals, plays very well for this type of interview.

The Interviewer's Priorities ....

An employer wants to find out:
• Are you an asset or liability? In other words, will you either make money or save money for the company?
• Are you a team player? Will you fit into the corporate hierarchy or be like sand in the gears? Can you take and give (if appropriate) orders?
• Will you fit into the company culture? They don't want prima donnas.

Your Story Strategy ...

The best way for an interviewer to get answers to the questions above is for you, the interviewee, to take the initiative. You should have several personal stories that you can tell as examples of your successes, and each story should last between 30 to 90 seconds.

You should start by developing your stories around these areas:
• Examples of when you either made money or saved money for your current or previous employer.
• A crisis in your life or job and how you responded or recovered from it.
• A time where you functioned as part of a team and what your contribution was.
• A time in your career or job where you had to overcome stress.
• A time in your job where you provided successful leadership or a sense of direction.
• A failure that occurred in your job and how you overcame it.
• Any seminal events that happened during your career to cause you to change direction and how that worked out for you.

Actions speak louder than words. Your actions in the past replayed in story form will tell a company much more than any generic response ...

Your stories will give the interviewer tangible examples he or she seeks, and will convey a very strong sense of your individuality, making you stand out more ....


Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Questions To Ask In Face To Face Interviews ....













































It Can Be A Jungle ...

Questions To Ask In Face To Face Interviews ....

About The Company
- What do you see ahead for your company in the next five years?
- How do you see the future for this industry?
- What do you consider to be your firm's most important assets?
- What can you tell me about your new product or plans for growth?
- How do you rate your competition?

The Position's History
Asking about why the position is vacant can provide insight into the company and the potential for advancement. good questions include:
- What happened to the last person who held this job?
- What were the major strengths and weaknesses of the last person who held this job?
- What types of skills do you NOT already have onboard that you're looking to fill with a new hire?

Questions for the Hiring Manager
Asking about his/her department's staff and their role in the company can help you understand more about the company's culture and hierarchy:
- What is the overall structure of the company and how does your department fit the structure?
- What are the career paths in this department?
- What have been the department's successes in the last couple of years?
- How do you view your group/division/department?

The Job's Responsibilities
To avoid any confusion later on, it pays to gain a solid understanding of the position.
- What would you consider to be the most important aspects of this job?
- What are the skills and attributes you value most for someone being hired for this position?
- Where have successful employees previously in this position progressed to within the company?
- Could you describe a typical day or week in this position? The typical client or customer I would be dealing with?

The Expectations
To determine how and when you will evaluated:
- What are the most immediate challenges of the position that need to be addressed in the first three months?
- What are the performance expectations of this position over the first 12 months?
- How will I be evaluated at ABC company, and how often?

The Next Steps
At the end of the interview, don't forget to ask:
- What are the next steps in the interview process?
- Do you have any concerns or is there anything else that you would like to ask me about that may help position me as a top candidate for this position ....

Monday, September 14, 2009

8 Little Known Tricks for the Job Hunt ….


























Flow Like a Waterfall …

8 Little Known Tricks for the Job Hunt ….

• Add a signature line to your outgoing email messages, to remind your friends and contacts that you're on a job search. Much as they love you, it's easy for our friends to forget our day-to-day priorities, including a job search that feels like a life-or-death proposition to you. Add a signature line to your email messages that reminds your friends what you're after.

• Include your LinkedIn profile URL in that signature. You can customize your LinkedIn profile's URL (as soon as you set up a free LinkedIn profile) to something that sounds logical, like www.linkedin.com/in/yourname. Add this to the signature line I recommended a moment ago. Might as well make it easy for people to check out your credentials!

• Use Twitter to keep your fans in the loop. A daily (or even more frequent) Twitter 'tweet' from you keeps your friends and well-wishers abreast of your latest job-search happenings. If you tweet to say "Got an interview at Apple tomorrow morning," then your friends with friends at Apple can jump into the scene and help you out with a side-door connection or referral.

• Make your Facebook page work for you -- not against you. Smart job-seekers fill their Facebook pages with useful and relevant information about what they've accomplished and where their strengths lie. Using Facebook effectively in a job search requires more than just taking down the party-animal photos. Prospective employers are bound to see your online persona, so you may as well make it one that moves the ball forward for you.

• Add a quote to your resume. Got a favorite quote (in writing) from a boss who praised your work? Add it to your resume in place of the tedious "References available on request." Everyone knows your references are available. Tell us (in twenty words or fewer) what one of those people actually said about you -- the more specific the kudos, the better!

• Get a Moo card. Job-search business cards are great tools, because they're easy to pass to a conversational partner at a networking event (no one wants to take your 8.5 x 11 resume in a setting like that). Moo mini-cards are cooler than regular business cards, because they're small and attention-grabbing. If your field is creative, techie, or you just want to stand out a little, order your mini-Moo cards online at moo.com.

• Put a voice on your job-search profile. Too shy to appear on camera? Add an audio file to your LinkedIn, Facebook or other social-networking profile to help job-search targets and influencers get a feel for who you are and how you think. Buy a headset for a few bucks and download Audacity for free to make high-quality audio files. You can even send your podcasts to iTunes and build a following!

• Rewrite your resume so it sounds human. As a careers expert, the biggest job-search stumbling block I see is a boilerplate-laden resume that sounds like every other resume I see. Yank the boilerplate out of your resume and give it a human voice, replacing "results-oriented professional" with "I'm happiest solving thorny technical problems that slow down product development" or whatever (human) statement describes you.

• A job search doesn't leave room for error these days. Details can make all the difference -- better put every tool to work for you now, and put your job search behind you sooner.