Monthly Archives: July 2009

Author : Amy Nutt

A job interview is something that is nerve-wracking, just to say the least There is really nothing that is going through the mind except one can do with this opportunity, the possible money, and possible relationships with co-workers Before all of that, there is the thought of the man or woman sitting across from you, asking a battery of questions There is tension there, and in most cases, just a little bit of fear that you will not get the job

Stand Out

Questions such as, “what can you bring to the company?” and “where do you see yourself in 5, maybe 10 years?” are things that are expected and prepared for For some reason, even though you rehearsed the question time and time again in the mirror, the second they are asked, the mind can go blank It’s normal, as they maybe a few years ago they’ve done the same exact thing

But in a lot of cases, one of the best things that a person can do is stand out from the pack The best things that a person can do for further consideration is to send a thank you note after the job interview One would be surprised at how much that can make or break a job interview, because it leaves a lasting impression, something that is tangible instead of a resume or job application It leaves your name on their tongue, which is something that you want to happen

The Element of Surprise!

In a word, the thank you note is something that many people are losing the art of constructing It doesn’t have to be a literary masterpiece, and in fact, simplicity is the best The interviewer probably has a lot of things to do, and they don’t necessarily want to turn pages to hear you gush on about how much you loved spending time with them as they asked you a few questions Something short and sweet is the key, and it can be something that as short as a paragraph

Most people do not even send thank you notes anymore, which is also something to be aware of when you’re constructing it People can go their entire lives being interviewed and never send one This is what makes it vitally important, the fact that people are neglecting them There are countless stories floating around that basically say that they only have the job that they do because they were willing to write up a quick thank you note to their current boss It shows that you really want the job, you’re respectful, and you’re considerate of their time Remember, they did not have to choose you to interview

The thank you note is something that is quite important for those people who really want the job, as there are many people who came in before you and may have said the same things that you did, and they may have even said them a thousand times better So, if you really want to be considered for the newest position, especially in this economy, you may want to slide a thank you note to your next interviewer

Polish your resume format by referencing to resume example. A sample cover letter can assist you in landing an interview.

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Author : Bradlley Mckoy

Trash that Resume!

Sure, you want to impress your would be employers with a resume that is wordy but says little about your capabilities Or you obscure what you can really do by hiding behind an impressive job title of strategist, product evangelist, business journalist, sales expert, system architect and organizational psychologist What rubbish Your magic wallet holds a better job title, and it delivers!

Why don t you call a spade a spade? Would be employers will know what they can do with your talents, instead of guessing what you can really do Applicants make this biggest mistake Why not be honest as your magic wallet? When it says it can double as a business card holder, you are sure you are getting your money s worth

It s the same thing with employers If you tell them you are a strategist that will draw a blank Tell them you repair all kinds of computers, that hits the nail right on the head and you get the job

Resume Mistakes

* Not staying focused Be brief and tell the employer what you can specifically do if you are hired for the post Don t meander, because employers don t have an hour scanning a resume

* Stating irrelevant facts Don t include unrelated information; enumerate the skills and training you have attended relevant for the post You will have to focus on a summary of qualifications

* Don t show off your accomplishment focus on the duties you have done that s relevant to the post

* Not showing how you have help your employers it maybe making money, attracting customers and building relationships

* Not arranging the qualifications according to importance list the bigger qualifications first!

* Not showing important skills that can be used for the job don t forget your computer skills

Compare your efforts to impress your would be employer with the attributes of your magic wallet Your magic wallet says it can also be embossed with up to eight letters That is showing potential It has four magic elastic straps to hold the money safely, then that is also showing dependability; it has it has outside pockets for credit cards and IDs, that showing possible skills that can be used for the job

When it says it can do things and has the makings of that promise, your magic wallet will always be true to its word This is what employers are after Straight forward information sans the fluff

Making the Perfect Resume

So you are stumped by your magic wallet? You shouldn t be Take the cue from it When writing your resume, be brief but include all relevant facts employers would like to see Review your resume, does it leave some questions hanging? Does it paint a picture of professionalism and honesty

Whether you like it or not, your resume can reveal if you re riding on sugar coated facts or if you are faking everything Employers are not looking for super people They want earnest workers who can be developed to their full potential They are not looking for corporate experts but people who can handle crises anytime Shouldn t you be following the style of your magic wallet?

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Author : Tony Jacowski

If you have had a job loss in the past, you don’t need to be discouraged – because even established professionals who were previously fired have scaled greater heights of success by adopting a positive approach to this problem

Listed below are a few helpful tips on how you can effectively deal with this experience during the interview

Be Ready With Answers

It is always a good idea to be prepared well in advance to answer this question It may not come up, but if it does, you will at least be ready Prior to the interview, make sure that you rehearse the situation so that you know what kind of questions to expect and how to cope with them appropriately

Also, take into consideration any questions that can arise about your negative work experiences Try to find suitable answers as to why you were dismissed, what you learned from it and where you might have gone wrong

When formulating your response, it helps if you try to look at the situation from your employer’s perspective

Tackle the Situation with Honesty

Although you should always be truthful when revealing details, you don’t have to start the conversation with the job loss If you adopt a positive approach to this negative job experience, you will find ways to make it work in your favor rather than against you Do not volunteer information or draw attention to this aspect of your resume unless the interviewer specifically brings up the topic

If they don’t bring it up, it is best to let sleeping dogs lie

If the issue does arise, you can simply paraphrase the loss without stating directly that you were fired (if that is the case), or choose to gracefully glide over it by merely saying that since things didn’t work out or you thought it was better to try somewhere else Avoid going into too many details about the job and concentrate more on highlighting your accomplishments while you were there

Mention it as briefly as possible – and then move on to discussing positive job experiences that exhibit your skills, traits and expertise

Learn From Your Mistakes to Improve Your Future

The best way to deal with situations like this is to first briefly explain the reasons that led to the circumstances and then draw your employer’s attention to the positive aspect of it

State that you tried to make the most of the opportunity by learning new skills Emphasize how the experience improved you and made you into a better candidate by stressing the positive lessons that you learned from it

Above all, deal with the issue in an optimistic and forward-thinking manner

Be Positive At All Times

No matter what reasons you state during the interview to explain the job loss, make sure that you maintain a positive and professional attitude at all times Refrain from harboring resentment or displaying any ill feelings about your prior company, employer or associates Rather, focus on your positive experiences and your accomplishments during that period

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals including, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

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Author : Scott Lindsay

When Christmas comes for example, the goose will be getting fat-and for many people around the world this will mean a well needed break Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or don’t celebrate anything at all, this time of year tends to mean time spent with family and that means time away from your work at home

There are many ways that you can buy out time for family if you want to, but whether you want to and how much time you take off is a personal choice The basis of that choice is in part economic

You can take buy out time for your family by working a little harder both before and after the time that you plan to be away By getting ahead of your work, you can safely take off a day or more without the risk of losing your income This is an important consideration for many at home workers since they do not get paid vacation, and yet they cannot afford to simply not earn for a few days

The other side of the coin to consider is that when the majority of the country wants to avoid work to be with their family, there is an ever growing need for those few people who are willing to work Some companies will pay more-time and a half, or even as much as double or triple the normal rate of pay to entice people into working at those times What if you do not work for a company that pays extra-is there any point in working?

If you offer a service for your chosen work, you can charge quite literally whatever you want to A computer repair specialist or a web programmer may be called upon on Christmas day to repair a computer or web site that has gone drastically wrong and that thus is costing your client money In a situation like this, the client is likely to be willing to pay double your normal rate to get the work done swiftly-and if not, they may choose to simply wait till the following day when your rates go down

A particularly loyal customer may deserve in your opinion, to get service without paying through the nose Again this is your choice as the owner operator of your business-but you must always remember that charging too much for a loyal customer may cost you that return customer

For those people who make items for sale, it may be possible to take time off without any loss You cannot ship items on the major holidays-but could still cash in on the holiday rush

There will always be people who forget gifts and end up having to buy something at the very last minute If you are willing to ship things by very fast shipping services, you can charge a small premium to handle this extra work on your own behalf

The final decision may not be yours; instead your family may decide that having you with them is more important than the income that you could bring in by working those days If that is the case then try to forget work, because it will still be there when you get back, and instead have fun!

Identify any Work At Home Scam and start your own Home Based Business at WAHCheck. Don’t Work From Home until you do a WAHCheck!

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Author : Anna Stenning

Health and safety is apparent in every aspect of our lives, we use common sense in our homes to ensure our safety but all appliances and installations we make in a domestic setting still have to comply with aspects of health and safety such as having your boiler serviced by a qualified and registered corgi plumber

With just this one example of health and safety within the home, it makes sense that all the other areas of our lives are covered, not only for our safety but for the sake of others too

People who work at height, have to go through varying training courses to ensure they are up to speed with all the safety training required and have full knowledge and competence to work with the equipment needed Pasma training is an essential course which has to be completed by anyone working on scaffolding or mobile access towers

Pasma training complying with the working at height regulations requires all persons to be able to erect, dismantle and alter scaffolding or mobile access towers competently, as well as being able to identify potential hazards

Although this course is not regulated by a governing body as such, certification of completion of this course is an industry recognised certification and therefore qualifying those persons to work safely at height in any industry sector

A typical pasma training course takes place as a one day intensive course involving both practical and theory, during the practical, participants will be asked to assemble and dismantle a mobile access tower, as well as carry out an inspection before sitting a test paper at the end of the day In addition there are ten points of the course which are addressed as theory modules, these sections include:

Introduction to Mobile Towers

Overview of Legislation

Standards surrounding Towers

Safe Tower Assembly

Stability

Safe Use of Towers

Hazards

Repositioning Towers

Tower Inspection

Care & Maintenance

There are several other training courses which apply to people working height, IPAF is the certification required to work on mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs), mobile elevated work platforms include cherry pickers, scissor lifts, and boom lifts Many of these mobile elevated working platforms are used in industries such as telecommunications and power industries and therefore certification is essential

However pasma training and IPAF training doesn’t always include the essential PPE required, PPE stands for Personal Protective Equipment and as one would imagine working at height will require an element of this, generally companies are required by law to send delegates who are required to wear PPE to a training course in order to obtain the full certification before commencing work, and depending on the level of safety training separate courses may also be required for safety harnesses, this course in general will go hand in hand with working at height as safety harnesses are a big part of the equipment required for personal safety avoiding slips and falls from height

It is agreed within the industry that all courses pertaining to safety should be, by law required to avoid accident injury or even death through lack of knowledge when working at height, especially as these potent6ial threats can be avoided by taking just a handful of one day courses

Anna Stenning researches why it is essential for people working at height to participate in pasma training or IPAF training courses to achieve the correct level of competency.

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Author : Adam Khoo

In the Asian culture we have been taught to put ourselves down, most of it is due to the way that we’ve been brought up

I remember when I was young , my aunt would use to come over and they would pass comments over to my mum saying, “Do you know, your son is really good at this”?

Then my mum would reply,” Nah, he’s quite stupid He’s not like that ” This is precisely how we have been conditioned to respond in the Asian culture

You’ll find that a lot of people who are influenced and brought up through the American culture or European culture tend to bring their kids up

But that’s not the case in Singapore Here’s a joke to put the point across, if you see a kid climbing a tree here in Singapore, the mum would say, get down, you ‘re going to fall!”

But in another country, a kid climbs up a tree, and the dad would say, “Go higher son, come on, you can do it! Go higher!” Reach the top!”

So that’s the trouble, we put ourselves down And I find it’s the Asian culture that does it most of the time

I have actually encountered some people who are really good at what they do and I feel that they are really good at what they do

But the same person doesn’t feel it They don’t feel the same way, they feel like, “Hey, you know, no big deal about what I’m doing or can do

Here’s an example, I was having a chat with one of my friends who comes from Mauritius and he’s a really, really talented learner He’s has this very curious style about learning He puts himself in this child-like state and he’ll ask questions that normally no one would ask

But when I told him, “Hey, you know, that’s a really good talent you have How about turning it into some kind of business?” What was his reaction? He said ” nar, I don’t think we can do it It’s no big deal I’m sure other people are doing it better”

The reason why most people would have such responses is because of the way we’ve been conditioned

We have been conditioned in the education system that, to be a successful person, I must be a doctor, I must be a lawyer, I must study really hard, I must do something I hate to do, must work really hard And after making all the money in the world then will I do something I love

So, a lot of us have been conditioned to think that success is not doing something we truly love, and what we truly love should be something done only for fun

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, best-selling author and a self-made millionaire by the age of 26. Discover his million dollar secrets and claim your FREE bonus CD ’6 Ways To Achieve Anything In Life’ at Paving The Way To The Top.

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Author : Tony Jacowski

It’s not necessarily a negative thing settling for the not-so-perfect job offer In fact, it’s very flattering to get more than one job offer, especially if you are fresh out of college Now you just have to make the right choice and select the right job offer

A Good Offer

Before we start discussing what a good offer is, let us understand that there is no such thing as a perfect offer – so if you are waiting for a perfect offer, you will be waiting for a very long time Now, getting back to that good offer – a good offer is comprised of certain criteria, the first being a good salary Most people judge a job offer according to the salary Getting a good salary is important – that’s the reason most people work, to make money If you are a college graduate, you can expect your salary to be higher than that of a high school graduate Remember to look at the benefits that you would be getting Check to see if the company is offering insurance, a company car, a company expense account or a great savings plan If it is, then you have a great job offer

Do not always look at just the salary while judging the job offer It is definitely an important criteria, but it isn’t the only one Keep in mind the potential for growth – this will help in the long run Check into the company policy for performance reviews and raises, and how soon you can expect to get a promotion All these things are important to consider when considering a job offer

You also have to consider the kind of job you are taking Is it something you will enjoy doing? Is it something that interests you? Is it something that you can easily learn to do? Do you think you will get bored of this job easily? Is the job challenging enough to keep you stimulated? Are the co-workers going to be a problem to work with? What is the traveling time involved? How long do you think you will stick around with this company and this job? The answers to these questions will help you determine whether or not the job offer is suitable for you or not

Make A Choice

You have to start thinking practically when deciding on the job offer There is going to come a time when you are going to have to choose what matters to you most It could be choosing between job satisfaction and salary, or you may have to choose between getting a better salary or getting better opportunities for growth Whatever the choice may be, think it over it several times before making a commitment

Get Help

If you think that you are not capable of making the right choice for yourself, then get help from someone that you trust Speak to family members, parents, siblings, spouse or your partner Tell them why and how you are considering the offer You may be biased, but having the viewpoint of a third party will probably help you get things into perspective

Professors, Mentors or placement specialists can be of valuable help as well in evaluating a job offer They are the ones who know your professional abilities and will be able to guide you in making the right decision

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution’s Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

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