Saturday, August 25, 2012

New to the Interview Scene? Here's What to Expect.

By Mary Salvino

Interviews can be intimidating; however, your 'fear factor' can be mitigated if you know what to expect. If you have never been interviewed for a job, or it has been a very long time since you had the experience, the following information may be of value to you.

The first thing that you need to know is that the questions that will be
asked of you will be fall into one of two categories:

a] Direct - What skills do you have that relate to this position?" Your
information should be clear and specific. These types of questions, whether
they relate to technical or soft skills, should be easy to answer if you
have completed the research on yourself

b] Indirect - Non-direct questions are general and do not ask for specific
information. e.g. "Tell us a bit about yourself". You determine the focus of
your answer.
HINT #1: In response to this particular question, you should briefly
summarize approximately four areas: education, experience, skills, and
personal attributes.
HINT #2: Strive to ensure that your responses are relevant and related
to the job you are seeking.

The second thing that you need to know is that interviews are opportunities
to both give and get information. The interviewer will want to know all
about your skill set and ‘what you bring to the table’. During the interview
process, you, as the interviewee, will be given the opportunity to have an
extremely narrow peek into the company’s organization. Do not take this
opportunity lightly! Pay attention when you are presented with this unique
opportunity.
HINT #1: The best indicators of how new employees will be treated at
the new company can be assessed by how they treat the front-line employees.
HINT#2: If the front line employees are unhappy or looking stressed
out, there is a reason for it and the issue is not being addressed. It is at
this point that you should list the pros and cons for accepting the
position, if it is indeed offered.

The third key element of the interview that requires your attention is the
ability to answer questions thoroughly and concisely. The types of questions
that you will be required to answer will fall into one of 2 categories:

a] Behavioural - Hypothetical Questions or Situation Questions - When
answering these types of questions you should talk through your personal
involvement in a specific situation rather than hypothetical examples. When
answering these types of questions you should get into the habit of using
the STAR:
Situation – Describe the situation and explain what happened
Task – Outline the task you had to complete and describe your
responsibilities
Action – Explain the steps that you took or the decisions you made
Result – Explain the outcomes of your actions as well as what you learned
from the experience
N.B. Behavioural interview questions are designed to provide the interviewer
with an understanding of your past behaviours on the belief that how you
have acted in the past is the best predictor of how you will act in the
future.

b]Technical / knowledge based - It is very difficult to prepare for these types of questions. Either you know the answer, or you don’t. If you don’t. know the answer, say so. “Tis better to remain silent and have others believe you to be a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”

The last thing you should know, is that most interview sessions will end with the opportunity for you to ask questions of the interviewer. It is best that you do not overwhelm the interviewer with tons of questions. This is an area where quality counts. Never ask any question that can be easily answered by doing basic research on the company or industry. If, however, there are changes in the offing that may affect the industry or the company, it may be a good idea to ask about them. It is also a good idea to ask a question with regard to decision making time-lines. N.B. Don't forget to ask for the interviewer’s business card. You will need the information on it for all of your follow-up correspondence.


Copyright © 2012, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2012, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog authored by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com that is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. This blog is also dedicated to those who stand a little taller each time they picked themselves up after failing and those who gained the wisdom and humility from those experiences to help others do the same. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca

Saturday, August 18, 2012

The Best Interview Questions, EVER!

by Mary Salvino

The last time I went surfing on the web, I came across an interesting article written by Dr. Deepak Chopra, an Indian-born, American physician, public speaker, and writer.  The article centred around the 7 questions you can ask yourself that will help you to clarify your ‘Soul Profile’. 

As I was reading through the questions, listed below, I was struck by how well these questions, (the questions in bold type are the original questions asked by Dr. Chopra), with minor modifications, can just as easily be asked during the interview process:

Who am I?
            Tell me about yourself.

What do I want?
            Why do you want to work for this company?

What's my purpose in this life?
            What are your plans for your future with the company? [3 months, 6 months, 12 months, etc.]

What sort of contribution do I want to make?
            Why should I hire you?

What are my unique skills?
            What makes you different and/or a more suitable candidate than your competition?

Who are my heroes?
            Who are your heroes?

What is a meaningful relationship—what do I expect from one, and what do I give?
            What does a successful working environment look like to you?
            What can I expect from you as an employee?      
            What do you expect from me as your employer?

Regardless of whether you believe in the spiritual guidance offered by Dr. Chopra, or not, by taking the time to answer the questions listed above, you will gain clarity of purpose in both your professional and personal life.  Clarity of purpose breeds confidence.  Employers gravitate towards candidates that exude confidence.  It’s a win-win situation and there is no ‘downside’ to that!

Do you have any questions that you would add to the list?


Copyright © 2012, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2012, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog authored by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com that is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. This blog is also dedicated to those who stand a little taller each time they picked themselves up after failing and those who gained the wisdom and humility from those experiences to help others do the same. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca

Saturday, August 11, 2012

What Job Seekers Can Learn from Donald Trump


Donald J.Trump, is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts.  Given that Trump has worn so many hats, there are also many things that job seekers can learn from him.  Donald Trump, dubbed, “The Donald” by his first wife, Ivana, is an American business magnate, television personality and author.   His lessons for job seekers can be summed up as follows:

  1. Personal brands are important
    1. There is value in ‘branding’ yourself - A brand saves time for the public. [People] know a gold standard brand because the name [itself] will stand for the gold standard. It takes the guesswork out.” 
Questions to ask yourself:
                                                    i.     Are you thought leader or an expert in your field? 
                                                  ii.     How have you established or verified your expertise? 

  1. Work hard
    1. Regardless of your employment status, continuous learning is critical for success. “…do [your] research, and be very passionate about what [you] are doing. Passion is the No. 1 ingredient for success ... because it's necessary in order to withstand the challenges and difficulties one will face.”
    2. Always strive to set an example - “You have to completely believe in what you are doing; set the example for [your] children and [your] organization.”

  1. Adopt an ABC [Always Be Challenged] mentality
    1. There are always new things to learn - “… the key with entering a new space--[is that] you have to focus because it's necessary and there's no back-up experience…make the effort to learn as much as possible.”
    2.  “Self-confidence should be apparent, along with a desire to learn and excel. No one goes into [any] business knowing everything, s,o it's important to be open to education on a daily basis.”
    3. “I learn something new every day and it keeps things interesting. It also keeps you young. But again, [you’ve] got to have passion or [you] won't get too far. Passion is the key to success.”

  1. Pay attention
    1. Personal mentors are not always available but opportunities to watch, listen, and learn from successful people are abundant and, in many cases, free of charge -“Passion, momentum and focus are crucial.”

  1. Avoid selling mistakes
    1. There is a difference between being enthusiastic about a new venture or career opportunity and appearing desperate. - “When people come in with a sales pitch, it's always bad news when they appear to be desperate. That works against them immediately. Enthusiasm is fine, but it shouldn't be extreme.”

Job search success is all about differentiating yourself from your competition and increasing your credibility. Embrace the fact that you are a ‘work in progress’.  Stand out from the crowd by showing and telling the world about your unique background.



Copyright © 2012, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2012, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog authored by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com that is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. This blog is also dedicated to those who stand a little taller each time they picked themselves up after failing and those who gained the wisdom and humility from those experiences to help others do the same. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Job Seekers and LinkedIn

by Mary Salvino

There is a rumour being bantered about that says that LinkedIn is fast replacing the traditional résumé as the tool you need to be using to if you want to impress hiring managers.  

Fast Facts about LinkedIn [as of March 12, 2012]:
  • LinkedIn boasts a membership of 161M professionals around the world
  • LinkedIn is currently available in seventeen languages
  • Sixty-one percent of LinkedIn members are located outside of the United States
  • LinkedIn members include executives from all 2011 Fortune 500 companies
  • Both Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies use LinkedIn as part of their corporate hiring solutions
  • LinkedIn members share insights and knowledge in more than one million LinkedIn Groups
  • More than 2 million companies have LinkedIn Company Pages
  • Companies are taking advantage of the platform via the hundreds of thousands of job applications that have been submitted using Apply With LinkedIn

Fast Facts for Job Seekers:
  • Your competition is likely to be one of the hundreds of thousands of job applications have been submitted using Apply With LinkedIn
  • People use LinkedIn, as well as other social media platforms, to discover pertinent information about their peers, their competition, industry trends, and potential employees
  • A profile on LinkedIn is on the cusp of becoming a social convention akin to having a ‘professional’ e-mail address i.e. one that incorporates your name
  • The formatting of the LinkedIn profile allows hiring managers to compare ‘apples to apples’ almost on a line-by-line basis
  • LinkedIn profiles provides a venue for people to find out useful or interesting facts about people and potential candidates that may not appear on their résumé
  • A profile on LinkedIn provide can people with talking points they can use during both networking events and job interview situations - These talking points can include common interests, career paths, fellow alumni, current and/or former fellow employees and people whom both parties know.
A LinkedIn profile may not be a résumé, but it is certainly a proactive online persona and it lets job candidates say to the world, “Here are some things about me and my job history you might find interesting.”

Even though many recruiters now skip the job boards altogether and proactively search on LinkedIn for passive candidates, the traditional résumé is not dead.  Regardless of if you are actively or passively looking for a job, it behoves you to keep all of your marketing channels open and optimized.


Copyright © 2012, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2012, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog authored by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com that is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. This blog is also dedicated to those who stand a little taller each time they picked themselves up after failing and those who gained the wisdom and humility from those experiences to help others do the same. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca