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How to Stay Relaxed During a Job Interview
Tweet Share on Facebook March 22, 2011 Comment (6)Whether you’re an interview virgin or have simply been “interview celibate” for awhile, that first interview in a new job search can be stressful. From the sweaty palms to the rambling stories to the nervous laughter, it takes a great amount of self-discipline to harness your energy when trying to impress an employer. And since it’s something we don’t get to do regularly, it’s easy to find yourself out of practice when you’re hunting for a job.
By now you’ve researched the company, picked out a winning outfit, and are planning to arrive 15 minutes early. Good thinking! But how will you stay calm during the interview?
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Should You Include a Short-Term Job on Your Resume?
Tweet Share on Facebook March 21, 2011 Comment (9)If you left a job after just a few months, should you include it on your resume?
It depends on why it was short-term. Was it short-term by design, or did you leave under less than ideal circumstances?
If the job wasn’t intended to be short-term but ended up that way because you were fired or left after finding you hated the work or the people, you’re generally better off leaving it off your resume.
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How to Research a Hiring Manager Before an Interview
Tweet Share on Facebook March 18, 2011 Comment (2)Career experts always tell job seekers to address their cover letter to the hiring manager—but all too often, that name is pretty difficult to come by. If you can’t even find out who’s behind the job posting, how will you research them before your interview? And what do you do once you know their name?
Let’s start with figuring out who the hiring manager is for the specific position you’re applying for:
Use Google. Search keywords in quotations such as the company name, department name, or position title to bring up relevant results. They may have divulged the hiring manager’s name in a previous job ad or company release. You can also try company directory websites, such as Jigsaw, to see if the contact’s name is listed there.
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Feeling Stuck in Your Career? Tips to Get Moving
Tweet Share on Facebook March 17, 2011 Comment (2)Stuck. We’ve all been there. Maybe you have big dreams but can’t seem to find your way past the demands of your present mundane situation. Maybe you don’t even have the big dreams and are mired in the muck of a career you don’t love without any vision of where you would like to go instead. Perhaps you know what you want, but are at a loss for what the next step is to take you there.
Whatever the source of getting stuck, it can be a frustrating and demoralizing feeling.
Here are eight ideas to help your career get moving again:
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Answering High-Pressure Interview Questions
Tweet Share on Facebook March 17, 2011 Comment (4)Have you ever found yourself in an interviewing situation where the hiring manager asked you about a negative quality or an uncomfortable issue related to a previous job? Some interviewers love asking these high-pressure types of questions, so it's best to be prepared to answer them.
These are a few tricky questions you should think about prior to interviewing and how to handle them:
Tell me about your last performance review. In which area were you most disappointed? How could you have improved your performance?
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Consider This Before Applying for an Internship
Tweet Share on Facebook March 16, 2011 Comment (2)If you’re careful about selecting an internship where you’ll learn crucial skills and add new accomplishments to your resume and online portfolio, it can be just the ticket to help you stand out and get your next job in this difficult market.
The key thing to consider? What are the specific learning outcomes and skills you want to gain on the job? It’s especially important to identify these goals if you’re considering a volunteer internship; if you aren’t earning money, you certainly want a specific return on your time investment. While you may be able to secure an internship at a brand-name organization to impress your friends and family, if you’ll be doing nothing but making copies and greeting visitors, it won’t help you succeed in the long run.
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When You Want to Drop-Kick Your Boss
Tweet Share on Facebook March 15, 2011 Comment (4)Life at work can be tough. These days, you’re probably spending more time with co-workers than ever before, and working harder because tight budgets prevent hiring your other half.
So when stress enters the workplace, expect squabbles, disagreements, and a lack of patience. And when head-butting occurs between employee and supervisor, the air can get even thicker.
Whether you are in the right or not, office relationships can be tricky. After all, you rely on each other. You have to find common ground to maintain a productive relationship.
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How to Stand Out at a Job Fair
Tweet Share on Facebook March 14, 2011 Comment (8)Job fairs are nerve-wracking: huge crowds of people, harried employers, and the expectation that you’ll walk up to a stranger and start talking about yourself. But if you know how to navigate them, you can take a lot of the anxiety out of the experience, and impress prospective employers.
Here are 12 tips for navigating a job fair effectively:
1. Go to a job fair that serves a specific industry. Job fairs that don't serve a particular niche tend to be cattle calls where it's very hard to target your search. It’s far more worth your time to go to a fair that focuses on the industry where you want to work.
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What You Shouldn’t Say at Work
Tweet Share on Facebook March 11, 2011 Comment (2)For one reason or another, it has become part of mainstream culture to use expletives. In the entertainment industry, we have Cee Lo Green’s hit song, “@&*# You” (or “Forget About You”). Pink has her own with “@&*#in’ Perfect.” On The New York Times Best Seller List are “______ Finish First” and “____ My Dad Says,” which started as a Twitter feed and now has also crossed over into a television sitcom.
What is it that has us celebrating the expletive? One place where expletives can get you into trouble, of course, is the workplace. If you want to be safe, you’re better off speaking the Queen’s language and leaving expletives for elsewhere.
Here are just a few reasons to be careful about what comes out of your mouth at the office:
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Overcoming Fear in Your Career
Tweet Share on Facebook March 10, 2011 CommentFear is probably the single biggest limiting factor when it comes to stepping into our true potential in our careers—and life in general. We take a look at something that’s beyond our easy reach, and the fear propaganda in our brain takes over. “That’s too risky,” it tells us. “You would probably fail. You would look stupid. You’d end up living under a bridge. Just stay put.” Those negative messages, if we listen to them, are toxic and debilitating.
To be effective, your mind’s fear propaganda depends on your reptilian brain response: fight or flight. It’s a knee-jerk reaction that requires no critical thinking. You end up like the rodent that automatically freezes motionless when it sees a hawk.
