10
Dec

Tips To Ace The Dreaded Job Interview

interviewThere’s a reason why we all dread job interviews. Going to an interview can feel like an interrogation session where we are asked question after question, sometimes catching us off guard and making us feel anxious. Many times the interviewer gives little feedback or facial expressions to indicate whether or not we seem like a good candidate for the position, which makes it even more uncomfortable. Employers use a series of questions to figure out whether an applicant matches the requirements they need, and whether they’d be a good fit in the company and position.

While it may seem intimidating in an interview, it’s important to remember one thing: Not only should you be trying to show that you’re the right person for the job, you should also use the interview to decide whether the job is right for you. You may be thinking, “That’s nice and all but I really need a job.” The truth is, you’ll be much happier, perform better at your job, and stay at the company longer if you actually feel that the position matches with your skills, experience or interests. It’s better to think about whether a job is right for you, instead of taking anything you get and trying to leave after a couple of months. It’s a waste of your time, as well as the employers.

The employer may do most of the job interviewing and ultimately be the one who decides whether the position is offered to you or not, but you should also ask the interviewer questions about the company and position to determine whether it really is a good fit. This also shows employers that you’re serious about the position and you actually want to see if it’s right for you. Although employers realize that you’re on the search for a job, it’s not good to appear as if you will take any position, even if it doesn’t match your skills and interests.

Whenever you are asked in an interview if you have any questions, you should always be prepared with a list of questions for the employer. Ask questions related to the company and position, such as how much time the position spends on certain tasks, the main qualities looked for in a candidate for the position, whether the position works closely with any other departments, some of the big projects during the year, etc. If you feel that your skills or qualities match a response to one of your questions, be sure to tell the employer that you enjoy certain tasks; have worked in similar projects, and so on to show that you are in fact a good fit from what you’ve learned.

You’ll actually look better in the interview if you ask relevant, strategic questions to the employer and you’ll also get a better idea if you actually want the position if it’s offered to you. Viewing the interview as a chance to figure out whether the position is a good fit can also take away some of the stress and pressure we feel during an interview. It can allow us to portray a more accurate, honest version of ourselves, skills and experiences.

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20
Aug

Applying For Jobs But No One Calls Me Back

Do you currently find yourself in a position of applying for multiple jobs every single day yet never seem to get a call back or interview request? Why does this happen? If you have the right skills and experience surely you should have hiring managers calling you to arrange an interview?

Unfortunately job seeking is not as simple as just applying for jobs and waiting for the phone to ring. Demand for new jobs is more competitive than ever and with more and more people applying for jobs via online websites it is now much easier to send off your resume in a much shorter time period. I recently worked with a job seeker who had been laid off after 10 years of loyal service with the same company. This person told me that she was applying for up to 20 jobs a day. When I asked her if there were 20 new jobs being advertised every day that suited her skills she said she didn’t care. “The more jobs I apply for the greater my chance of getting an interview.”

In my experience, if you are applying for jobs and never hearing back it is typically down to two main factors. Reason number one, is your resume is not good enough to attract the hiring manager and therefore your resume is most probably being deleted before the reader even has a chance to recognise the skills that you can bring to the role. The second reason you may be getting overlooked is simply that you are not qualified, skilled or experienced enough for the types of roles you are applying for.

Your resume is just not good enough: 

Before you apply for another job take a long hard look at your resume. If you were the hiring manager would you hire yourself based on your resume? Your resume is your marketing document and as such needs to be written to highlight your value added skills that you can bring to your next job. If you are applying for a management position you need to emphasise your management experience. Don’t assume that the hiring manager will know this information unless you provide evidence. For example, rather than just stating “5 years of management experience” which does not tell the reader much information apart from the obvious, you need to include further explanation to highlight this experience “5 years of management experience leading expert teams, capable of analysing all areas of operations and implementing dynamic improvements, cost savings and overall growth and profit” – From a hiring managers perspective it is obvious which statement stands out.

Are you qualified for the job you are applying for?

Although you may think you could perform a certain job and maybe if given the chance you would prove to be the perfect person, unfortunately if the employer needs certain requirements they then expect that those applying for the role have these requirements.  If the job requires an accountant with minimum 2 years of experience with specific skills in auditing, it is not reasonable to think that they will hire a graduate accountant with less than 1 year of work experience. My advice is don’t waste your own time by applying for roles where you don’t meet certain expected requirements.

Final thought:

If you are not receiving interview requests and feel that you are being ignored every time you apply for a job, you’re not alone. Job seeking is a tough business, but in order to give yourself the greatest opportunity of finding success you need to ensure that your resume is written, structured and presented correctly. Every time you apply for a new job you may need to adjust or tweak your resume. Remember that the best resumes are those that are achievement based and written to target that specific job you are applying towards.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Professional Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

Did you know: The RedStarResume resume layout and design presentation has been highly praised by recruiters, hiring managers and career experts from across globe!

25
Aug

How To Answer Behavioural Job Interview Questions

Interview questions are typically divided into three main categories: Traditional interview questions, Behavioural Questions (competency-based interview) and Situational questions (hypothetical questions).

Behaviour Job Interview Questions:

“Past behaviour is a better predictor of future behaviour”

It is estimated that 80% of the interview is made up of behavioural questions. In order to understand how to answer behaviour questions we need to first define what a behavioural question is.

This type of interviewing is based on the philosophy that your past actions and behaviours will be a good indicator of your future behaviours. Therefore, how you acted to certain circumstances in your previous job is a reliable indicator of how you will act in your new job. As there are literally thousands of behaviour type questions, you can best prepare for this type of questioning by researching the culture of the company to get an understanding of the behavioural traits that are essential to working at that particular organisation.

Behavioural questions differ to standard interview questions as they focus more on experiences, behaviours, knowledge, skills and abilities. Rather than the standard question of “Do you have leadership skills” a behavioural question is more likely to be “Give me an example of your previous role when you displayed leadership abilities.” As the interviewer has already determined which skills are necessary for the role it is important that you are prepared for these questions.

The best way to begin studying for these questions is to look at the job description! The list of skills that they require are the skills they will more than likely focus on. When the job description mentions they require a person with good teamwork skills or negotiation skills, it is more than likely that this will be turned into a behavioural question to see if you really do possess these skills.

In good news, behavioural questions are not to be feared. When prepared properly, these questions can be easily answered.

How To Answer Behaviour Job Interview Questions:

The best way to answer a behavioural question is to use the STAR format.

Situation: The interviewer wants you to present a recent challenge and situation in which you found yourself.

Task: What did you have to achieve? The interviewer will be looking to see what you were trying to achieve from the situation.

Action: What did you do? The interviewer will be looking for information on what you did, why you did it and what were the alternatives.

Results: What were the outcomes of your actions? What did you achieve through your actions and did you meet your objectives. What did you learn from this experience and have you used this learning since?

The Star Model:

© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com

During the last decade, RedStarResume has successfully written hundreds of professional resumes for candidates across the globe. From the student or entry level position to the CEO, our unique, custom-made resumes are written specifically to match the goals and desires of our clients and to help them land jobs.

17
Apr

Secret Tips on How to Answer the Hardest Job Interview Question

What’s your greatest weakness?

Without doubt one of the hardest questions to answer. Being too honest can severely affect your interview. Everyone has something they can work on, so saying you have no weaknesses makes you sound arrogant. The best way to approach this is to think of a weakness that won’t impact your getting the job. Remember that this question is a work-related question, so don’t say that your biggest weakness is not helping enough around the house or, the worst answer I ever heard, “chocolate cake.”

Tips:

1)    Do not mention a weakness that will prevent you from being hired. If you’re going for a job as a telemarketer, don’t say your greatest weakness is speaking on the telephone!

2)    No clichéd responses. “My greatest weakness is that I am a perfectionist.”

3)    Do not avoid the question. The interviewer has asked you this question and you need to answer it.

My advice is to provide a real work-related weakness and follow it up with examples of how you are fixing the problem.

Example:

If you’re asked this question, give a small, work-related flaw that you’re working hard to improve. Example: “I’ve been told that I occasionally focus on details and miss the bigger picture, so I’ve been spending time laying out the complete project every day to see my overall progress.”

Admitting a real weakness and then following up with what you’re doing to improve yourself is preferable. “My presentation skills are not as strong as I’d like, so I signed up for weekend presentation skills classes and also joined a Toastmasters club.” Remember that the specific job you are interviewing for will help to determine how you answer the question.

For more Tips and interview advice check out “Interview Secrets Exposed

Everything you need to know in order to nail your job interview

Interview Questions: Interview SamplesInterview Tips & Advice

© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com

Interview Secrets Exposed1 Secret Tips on How to Answer the Hardest Job Interview Question

22
Mar

Best Resume Tips – Guaranteed To Help You Get Hired!

Secret Resume Tip from the vault

When a hiring manager first opens your resume the first place their eyes will take them is directly into the middle of your resume. I like to call this area “Prime Real Estate”

As such it is important that your greatest strengths, skills and achievements are highlighted in this prime piece of real estate.

What I like to do is create a KEY ACHIEVMENTS category

All you need to do is jot down your top achievements that best describe you.  No matter what stage of your career you are at, listing your achievements will add value to your resume and help you stand out from your competition.

© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com

27
Oct

How tough is a Guide Dog’s job?

How tough is a Guide Dog’s job?

Watch real people being interviewed for the role, and see how they handled it:

 

18
Aug

Tips to help you through your Job Interview

 

 Brett Duncan, managing partner of Duncan & Associates shares his tips on the job interview 

Job Interview Tips

Details:

Make sure you have full details of the interview, ie- number of people in the interview, their titles, time, date and address.

Time keeping:

Make sure you get there on time. Aim to be 15 minutes early. Plot your route, and be aware of heavy traffic times.

Research:

Do as much research on the company as possible. This is very important as it shows that you are interested in the organisation, and will enable you to ask relevant questions. Research the news- has the company been in the news? Have a look at the company’s stock- have there been any drastic movements? Perhaps a new CEO/ CFO etc.

Examples:

Always try use workable examples when asked questions. For example: Q: Are you a team player? A: “Yes I believe I am. In fact, just the other day I stayed behind to help a colleague finish an important document.” Using examples will give credibility to your answers. Try think of work situations before the interview, as they may not come to you during the interview.

Strengths and weaknesses:

So clichéd- 98% of recruitment companies will tell you “You want to describe

your weaknesses as strengths.” I would ask- why are you applying for a job that highlights your weaknesses? Be confident, you have been successful so far, this is due to your strengths, not your weaknesses. Everyone has weaknesses, but not necessarily relating to your job.

Questions:

Use your research and prepare a list of relevant questions.

Career:

Don’t be afraid to ask about career progression. Companies will look for candidates who want to learn and grow.

Rapport:

Rapport is essential and needs to be established from the outset. Smile; be positive and confident in your ability. Use interviewers names- make sure you get them right (keep business cards in front of you).

Conclusion:

Most importantly be yourself. You will not get every interview that you attend, however you want to make a good impression and give it your best shot.

Get in touch by sending us an update CV, as well as your plans and commitments. We are more than happy to help.

Duncan & Associates

Specialist in international recruitment. Are you looking to return to South Africa, and want access to exciting job opportunities? For contact details please visit

 Brett Duncan – Managing Partner : Tel: 011 301 0905/ Cell: 0823841953/ Fax: 011 301 0944

www.duncanassociates.co.za

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