Seminars: Why Are They Popular, and What Advantages/Disadvantages Are There to Attending One?

Article Category : Others

Seminars dealing with “special topics” have actually been around for decades, and are an older form of marketing and information exchanges, that have seen quite a resurgence of interest in the past ten years.Seminars are simply a group of people coming together for the discussion and learning of specific techniques and topics. Usually there are several keynote speakers within each seminar, and these speakers are usually experts in their own fields, or topics. Several topic reviews are scheduled each day throughout the seminar, and attendees can usually make their choice of topics from among these scheduled events.

Many individuals attend seminars each year, some attending several times a year. The topics of seminars can be as varied as the groups attending them, but in particular, there has been a rise of Internet Marketing Seminars over the past five years, due to the increased interest in this field.

What then are the advantages and disadvantages of seminars if you choose to attend or if you’re thinking of attending?

Advantages:

1. A wealth of knowledge usually, presented by many speakers at one time in one place. A lot of “learning” at one clip, with most material compressed into two or three days’ worth of time.

2. A sense of camaraderie, where individuals can meet others with the same interests/problems/concerns that they may have in their chosen field.

3. A sense of renewed hope and inspiration (this is especially true for Internet marketing seminars), as sometimes business concerns are lessened by sharing experiences with others. Being with others that “understand” individual’s problems or concerns, is usually a great morale booster!

4. A great way for those that don’t like to read, or attend classes, to improve their knowledge of a specific subject.

5. A nice vacation, in usually, a good hotel. Most seminars take place in quality hotels, as this is part of the incentive to attracting attendees.

Disadvantages:

1. Cost, of course, as all attendees must absorb their own costs. The seminars themselves sometimes also have an entry fee that can be quite high. All travel costs, food costs, hotel costs, and other miscellaneous costs must be absorbed by the attendees.

2. The chance that the speakers may be sharing incorrect knowledge, or not at all knowledgeable themselves (it pays to make your own assessments of presented topics, not just blindly “follow the pack”). Tips, tricks, and strategies need to be weighed as to “worth” and “accuracy” before using these. Careful thought rules here.

3. The time spent away from your actual business, or life, to attend. Time is always a concern when scheduling activities and some individuals simply can’t spare the time away from their lives for activities such as this.

4. The chance that the topics may not actively help your business or your concerns, and that the seminar will be a waste of time, where nothing you learn is of any use to you.

5. The chance that attendees will expect too much from a seminar and thus be disappointed. Realism must rule here. These are not “instant answers” to anything.

Overall, seminars, if chosen carefully, can be a good experience. They are not miracle cures to business problems or other problems, however, and this must be kept in mind when deciding to attend a seminar. These are, after all, optional events, and success or failure in business or life will probably not hinge on attendance at seminars!

Many different methods of learning business strategies and life strategies exist for those that don’t have the time flexibility or money flexibility to attend. Just visit your local library or local community college, and you’ll find a wealth of knowledge on all subjects. Read a book concerning your issues, or take a class, and you’ll find these can be great alternatives to seminars.

After all, education exists in many forms, not just at seminars!

Vishal P. Rao is the owner of: http://www.work-at-home-forum.com/ An online community of people who work at home.


Mystery Shopping

Article Category : Others

Mystery shopping is an excellent way to make extra money. In fact, some people make a full time living doing it.There are many mystery shopping companies that will pay you to shop, eat at restaurants and take part in focus groups.

A mystery shop consists of getting paid to go into a business without the employee’s knowledge and reporting back to the mystery shopping company.

A focus group is when you get paid to sit down with other people who are also getting paid and discuss new products or services.

Mystery shopping jobs and focus groups are easier to find if you live in or near a large metropolitan area.

After you do a mystery shop you answer some questions and file your report with the mystery shopping company. These reports are usually set up as a series of questions and often can be completed quickly.

The reason they have mystery shops and focus groups is so that companies can get feedback on their employees, products and services. That way they can see where there might be problems and make the necessary changes to improve things.

A few years ago I had some free time and I wanted to make some extra money. I took a course, How to Become a Mystery Shopper, at a local community college. After completing the course I registered with a few mystery shopping companies online.

You can do a search on Google for “mystery shopping.” Bypass the mystery shopping websites that are trying to sell something. You want to find the mystery shopping websites for the actual mystery shopping companies. These mystery shopping companies will never charge you any type of fee to register or to do mystery shops or focus groups.

Be sure to read all the free mystery shopping information you come across. There is an art to being a good mystery shopper. Basically you are like a reporter. You will never add your feelings or what you think to a mystery shopping report. Your job is to just answer the questions, report the facts and describe what actually happened during your shop.

You never want to give your own recommendations. That is not why you are hired. If the mystery shopping company wants a consultant, they will hire one. All they want you to do is to answer questions with just the facts of your mystery shopping assignment.

Once you find a few mystery shopping companies you can then register with them. They’ll contact you by email whenever they have a mystery shopping job in your area. You’ll only respond to the emails when you want to do the shop. Otherwise you can just delete the email. You get to pick and choose the shops you want to do.

A couple of years ago I did some apartment shops for the Jancyn Evaluation Company that took me about half an hour to complete. Since they paid $25, I was basically being paid $50 an hour.

You can register with the Jancyn Evaluation Shops Company. They may pay more than $25 today for apartment shops since it has been about two years since I’ve done an apartment shop for them.

Jancyn also does a lot of shops and surveys for the Ross Dress for Less retail stores. I’m not sure if Jancyn still has a business relationship with Ross, but I once handed out survey forms in one of the local Ross stores here in the Seattle area and made $500 for about 30 hours of work.

Here’s the URL for Jancyn if you’d like to register with them to do some shops. http://www.jancyn.com/

Another mystery shopping company that I get a lot of email requests for shops for is the Secret Shopper Company. They seem to specialize in shops for Veterinary Clinics. They pay $15 plus up to $100 payment NOT including tip + $10. The only catch is that you have to own a cat or dog, which I don’t, but maybe you do. Here’s their URL http://www.secretshopper.com

OK, I’ve saved the best for last. Fieldwork specializes in setting up focus groups for some of the biggest companies in the US. They pay $50 to $75 for a focus group meeting that usually lasts about an hour.

The last one I did with them was for some research for eBay. They were trying to come up with a name for a new category on their website.

Fieldwork is located throughout the US in major metropolitan areas. You’ll have to visit their website to see if they are located near where you live.

It’s great if you have children since Fieldwork does a lot of focus groups involving children. Perhaps you can talk your kids into splitting the fee with you. Again, the pay usually works out to be about $50 to $75 an hour.

Unfortunately I have no children, but the next time I get an email for a focus group for children I’ll borrow a couple of my neighbor’s children.

Here’s the link for Fieldwork. http://www.fieldwork.com/

Now you have a basic idea of how the mystery shopping and focus groups work. Start searching for more mystery shopping websites and get paid to shop, eat and taking part in focus groups. It’s easy money!

Barry Stein is the owner of aWebBiz.com where he offers cutting-edge tips on all aspects of business. To find more advice, tools and resources to help you succeed in your business, visit: http://www.aWebBiz.com

Barry’s Internet Marketing Blog: http://awebbiz.com/blog

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You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your e-book or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author bylines are included with an active hyperlink to the aWebBiz.com website.


Take This Job and…Re-staff It

Article Category : Others

Deciding to leave a job isn’t easy. In fact, quitting a job requires courage, especially in today’s soft economy when the unemployment rate has reached 6.4%. However, in a tight job market, some people consider leaving their jobs without having another "lined up".

When after a careful evaluation of emotional and financial considerations you determine that leaving your job is your best option, you may find that you will have a hard time getting support from your family, friends and colleagues. The moment you tell others that you are considering leaving your job, their immediate reaction will be, "Don’t leave your job if you don’t have another to go to."

Yes. The ideal situation is to leave a job when you have a perfect career opportunity. But life doesn’t always hand you a magic bullet. Sometimes you have to take a risk, and that’s when conventional wisdom must be put aside to improve the prospects for your career.

Your decision to leave should be based on the expectation that better opportunities await you. You may be ready to move on when:

  • The organization’s culture has shifted, and no longer matches your work values.

  • You have outgrown your position, and the only way you will get promoted is if someone leaves.

  • The price of staying (e.g., increased anxiety and loss of self-esteem) is greater than the price of leaving.

  • You no longer care about the company, and it is reflected in the way you perform your job.

  • Your career goals have evolved, and you are ready to pursue new opportunities.

Once you have made the decision to resign, plan for the following:

  • Write a letter of resignation. Keep the letter short and to the point. The letter should mention two key points (1) the date of your last day of work and (2) a thank you to your immediate superior for having provided you with the opportunity to work for the organization.

  • Prepare for an exit interview. This is not an opportunity for you to provide a laundry list of pet peeves. Instead, use this time to offer objective and constructive feedback.

Possible exit interview questions include: What were the factors that contributed to your accepting a job with our Company? Were your expectations realized? Has that changed? What constructive comments do you have for management with regard to making this a better place to work? Why are you leaving? What would have kept you here? What do you expect to find somewhere else?

  • Go the extra step. Ask your manager what you can do to make the transition easier and, if possible, offer to train your successor.

  • Extended yourself. Be available for a certain time after your last day to answer any questions your employer may have.

Most important of all, do not burn your bridges. Keep your resignation professional and brief.

About The Author

Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias brings a wealth of experience to the career services field. She has been sought out for her knowledge of the employment market, outplacement, job search strategies, interview preparation, and resume writing, quoted a number of times in The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Newsweek, and HR-esource.com. She is President of CareerStrides and the National Resume Writers’ Association. Visit her website at www.careerstrides.com or email her at careerstrides@bigfoot.com.


Three Tips for Successful Networking

Article Category : Others

I generally shy away from using the word “networking” when it comes to our business. As professional “headhunters”, we are constantly practicing and performing the art of networking in our daily operations. Many only consider the subject of networking when they are either seeking a new job or seeking new business opportunities. From our perspective, networking should be a daily event in your life. Networking is the art of building relationships that create benefit for yourself. Here are three tips to becoming a top notch “networker”.1. Develop an “Elevator Speech”: The theory goes that if you were to get into an elevator with a key decision maker and they asked you what you did, you should be able to respond in a concise and articulate statement that would conclude before you reached the bottom floor. The elevator speech is a brief statement of both fact and “tease” meant to open up the potential for future discussions or business development. The elevator speech(s) should be well rehearsed and roll off your tongue as if it were second nature. Ideally, you should have a couple of different versions of your elevator speech. You should be able to tailor it depending on the group or individual you are speaking to. This is a must for the savvy networker.

2. Give first, expect second: Successful networking depends on the ability of both parties to see value in continuing the relationship. Value given first will generally be reciprocated. Understanding what you can bring to the table for the other person is critical here. Through careful listening you can begin to understand what others see as your value proposition. Take the initiative and volunteer advice, knowledge or other valuable information first, without being asked to do so. Once you have demonstrated that you can provide value, the other person or party will have reason and call to reciprocate. Giving first is a primary building block to successful networking.

3. Follow through and be consistent: Good networking relationships last the test of time. Why? Because both sides follow through with their commitments and remain dedicated to the relationship. A savvy networker understands that being able to “count” on someone is critical to the network. Knowing that the other person is there for you through thick and thin is a key building block to beneficial networking.

Take the time to examine and evaluate your current network. You can always improve on your networking skills. In the end, an established network will pay dividends today and tomorrow.

Executive recruiter William Werksman is a frequent columnist to job boards including www.NevadaJobBoard.com addressing both the candidate’s and employer’s perspective. Werksman’s expertise has been featured in business magazines, national newspapers and television news segments. His firm, Resource Partners, is recognized as the leading source of specialized and executive talent in the Casino and Gaming industry. He manages a staff of recruiters out of his firm’s Las Vegas, Nevada headquarters. He may be reached at: Bill@CareerInsider.com

jobs, careers, resumes, employment, interviews, job offer, hiring, recruiters, headhunter


Employment Screening Today ? Are Online Database Searches Enough?

Article Category : Others

In today’s employment environment, HR managers are faced with the monumental duty of hiring and maintaining, as well as the ongoing development, of employees. But the single most difficult task lies first in hiring the right people.Not only are prospective employers faced with the largest available potential workforce since the Second World War, but, as things have become more sophisticated, so have the deception techniques of those who would shaft you and your company. Negligent hiring, sexual harassment, and frivolous employee lawsuits have increased sharply in recent years, as have the incidents of workers’ compensation fraud and employee theft.

What Can You Do?

In the area of hiring the most qualified candidate for the job, there are the reference checks, the employment and education verification and the background check. A good background check should include thorough candidate identification, financial and driving histories and criminal convictions at any and all court levels. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, it isn’t that easy.

Today, you must conduct as thorough a check on the company doing your screening as you would on screening your candidates. Why? As mentioned, a lot of little companies have sprung up touting the wonders of overnight background checks, some of which could be illegal. A number of these firms, which rely upon database research to compile the background data, without so much as a verification of the information, discovered.

Case in point. A well-known HMO recently settled out of court with a group of families, two of whom suffered the loss of their mothers because a psychopathic orderly took it upon himself to call patients and tell them that they had cancer. Two women committed suicide and fourteen others sought serious psychiatric help to get them through the problems that didn’t really exist.

Yes, the HMO did indeed do a background check ? one that was low-cost and was ordered on a computer screen. No record was found, and the candidate was hired. No one took the time to learn that this individual had just been released from prison in Massachusetts one year before for doing the same thing at a Boston-area hospital. In this case, the HMO saved a few dollars on the background, but the result was a $14 million settlement!

When hiring a background check firm, look for stability, longevity, a good track record, and one that isn’t afraid to refer you to any of its clients. Look for professional memberships, and above all, find out how they do their criminal conviction research. If they do it by database or computer, you could be better off if you stay away.

Thomas C. Lawson, CFE, CII is President and Founder of APSCREEN International, the world’s leading full service Consumer Reporting Agency since 1980. Lawson is called “one of the real pros” as he has helped to reshape laws including those for employment screening, permissible credit reporting, asset discovery and fraud examination. Tom is a Life Member of: ACFE, ASIS, SHRM, PIHRA, PNRRA, PRRN, CII, WAD, WIN, FCAOC and OCEMA.

Category :


Experience Hear-See-Do - Careers-Employment

Article Category : Others

Research indicates that we retain only 10% of what we hear; 20% of what we see; 65% of what we hear and see; but 90% of what we hear, see, and do.Every day at work we demonstrate Hear-See-Do when we use a combination of our knowledge, wisdom and skill to perform a task or plan what we will do at a later date. This combination of intellect, insight and ability is called experience.

Experience

One of my favorite sayings is, “It’s not what you know that counts; it’s what you do with what you know that counts.” In other words, knowledge by itself is useless and unproductive. It’s only when we act on the data, facts and information and apply them in a particular situation or circumstance that we in fact gain experience.

Here are a few simple yet profound truths about experience:

  • We learn from our experiences. If they are positive, we tend to repeat them again and again until we become proficient and our skill levels increase. If they are negative, we file them away in the back of our minds as cautions or red flags to be recalled when a potentially dangerous situation threatens.
  • To experience is to be actively involved. An experience is gained when we wholeheartedly become engaged in an activity or are constantly involved with people over a period of time.
  • Experiences are dynamic. It’s really up to us to take charge of our experiences and not let them just happen to us.
  • We are shaped by our experiences. They are the sum total of things we have done, had done to us as well as our past thoughts and feelings.
  • We impact others through our experiences. When we demonstrate an increased ability to work collaboratively with others, their experience levels increase also.
  • Experiences are the foundation of success. Success results when we apply the invaluable lessons we learn from our experiences and move forward. Failure happens when we allow our experiences to stop us or hold us back.
  • What About You?

    Your work related experience is an integral part of who you are, and consists of every job or assignment you have ever had. Over the next week, take a small career break-a time-out to reconsider, reflect and focus on your career direction.

    You determine how much time your break will be. Timing is not as important as actually taking the break itself. Here are a few thoughts to get you started:

    • Reflect on the last time you took a good look at your work experience.
    • Identify 3 things you could do differently on your job to positively impact your career.
    • Develop a plan to overcome the obstacles that are holding you back at work.

    Althea DeBrule, entrepreneur and seasoned human resources executive, has focused for more than 30 years on helping people achieve their career goals. Creator of The Extreme-Career-Makeover? and a founding partner of RADSGroup Organizational Consultants, she is recognized for her bottom line and practical application of career development and management strategies in a way that penetrates hearts and compels action. She speaks and teaches with inspired talent, humor and contagious zeal at management conferences and leadership retreats nationwide, and has been featured in CFO Magazine, Strategy@Work, Human Resource Executive Magazine. Althea is the author of Bosses & Orchards, a compelling and candid book about how to make your work relationship with your boss succeed. To discover how you can take your career to a new level, visit http://www.extreme-career-makeover.com/.


    Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Career Opportunity and Employee Retention

    Article Category : Others

    This article relates to the Career Opportunities competency and explores issues such as internal growth opportunities, potential for advancement, career development importance, and the relationship between job performance and career advancement. Evaluating the Career Opportunities competency in your organization will determine whether your employees believe they have a chance to grow within the organization. Studies show that lack of career opportunity is one of the top reasons why employees leave an organization. Also, continually hiring open positions from outside the organization can be detrimental to morale when a qualified candidate is available internally. Topics covered in this competency are: perceived opportunity for advancement, existence of a career development plan, and organizational commitment to staff development.This article, Career Opportunity and Employee Retention, is part of AlphaMeasure’s compilation, Tales From the Corporate Frontlines. It tells how one company changed procedures to offer new kinds of career opportunities to its workers and improve overall employee retention.

    Anonymous Submission

    Career Opportunity and Employee Retention

    Over the past decade, the company where I work has been through plenty of changes with regard to the way it hires, promotes, and utilitizes its greatest asset—its workers.

    “Human capital” is the phrase often used in corporate literature. I’m not sure that I like the sound of it, but I must admit, it’s an accurate description.

    As a human resources manager, I was asked to review the results of our recent employee satisfaction survey and choose one category of interest and prepare a report outlining possible solutions. I chose employee retention, because the survey indicated that many employees were leaving or looking for new positions elsewhere because they felt a lack of career opportunity in their current positions.

    Upper management had recently issued a directive—No new promotions into management for the foreseeable future. We were already overstaffed and the budgets would not permit any more spending in this area.

    So, I set out to find some ways to make changes that would allow employees to learn, grow, and feel fulfilled without becoming a member of management. Together with a few HR coworkers, I conducted a focus group. The findings may be valuable to companies in similar circumstances.

    * Employees don’t expect a lifetime commitment from your company. But they do appreciate the chance to learn new skills on the job that will make them more marketable in the future. Practices like cross training and adding increased responsibility give employees the opportunity to show what they can do, and if they are eventually chosen for management, they will be better qualified. * Employees want to learn more about the business they work for, as a whole. Once they learn the big picture, they feel empowered to make valuable contributions in terms of how they can perform more creatively and efficiently.

    Eventually, we developed a series of policy changes that brought our company current with the changing structure of business today. To create more opportunity for our employees, we offered cross training and lateral job move options, as well as information groups and training sessions to let employees in on company wide business practices, procedural changes, and new opportunities as they became available. As a result, morale, retention, and productivity have improved greatly.

    ?2005 AlphaMeasure, Inc. - All Rights Reserved

    This article may be reprinted, provided it is published in its entirety, includes the author bio information, and all links remain active.

    Measure. Report. Improve your organization with AlphaMeasure employee satisfaction surveys.

    Josh Greenberg is President of AlphaMeasure, Inc.

    AlphaMeasure provides organizations of all sizes a powerful web based method for measuring employee satisfaction, determining employee engagement, and increasing employee retention.

    Launch your employee satisfaction surveys with AlphaMeasure.


    The Dog Days of Job Hunting

    Article Category : Others

    Does a headline like this scare you?

    it should because the consolidation is not over yet.

    Don’t despair just because we are in the “dog days” of job
    hunting there are action items you can do now to keep yourself primed for.
    FYI: Dog Days is the name for the sultriest period of summer,
    from about July 3 to Aug. 11. Named in early times by observers
    in countries bordering the Mediterranean, the period was reckoned as extending from 20 days before to 20 days after the conjunction of Sirius (the dog star) and the sun.

    First and foremost is to learn to create your own opportunity
    you have to get your name out there. Just don’t sit around
    wailing for the phone to ring.

    Start with a vanity search and type your full name into GOOGLE.
    Get any results? If you have ever authored any articles hers is
    an insiders tip.

    To see where your articles are posted go to GOOGLE and type “your name” + articles. Yes, use quotation marks around your name, then add the plus sign. You’ll find articles you’ve written and articles written about you but not other references.

    Disappointed??? Ready to get started with more visibility?

    Here are some self promotion ideas for consideration:
    Write an article.
    Make a speech.
    Write a press release.
    Enter a competition.
    Get an interview.
    Start an e-zine.
    Get a personal website.
    Pick up the phone and call old contacts.
    Send out a clever “how are” you card.
    Give a testimonial.
    Attend a conference.

    Does that give you enough ideas? Every day you should schedule
    at least one of the above activities. The summer is an ideal time to get started because work is a little less hectic.

    So the next time I hear from you I don’t want to learn you “have gone to the dogs”.

    JoAnn Hines’ specialty is PACKAGING PEOPLE. Whether you want to be paid more, you just lost your job, or you want to progress in the one you have, Ms. Hines advice and expertise can help you transform your personal brand. She can show you how to package yourself and make your brand a hot commodity. It’s easy once you know the ropes and begin to utilize her insider’s secrets. She shows you step by step how to increase your visibility, credibility and marketability with easy to use tutorials and templates.

    It is time to get started “Packaging Yourself.”
    Email me the Chief People Packager @ pkgcoach@aol.com


    Thank-You Notes: Your Thoughtfulness will be Rewarded

    Article Category : Others

    I get asked these questions over and over: “Should I send separate thank-you notes to everyone who interviewed me? Can I just send one thank-you note to the hiring manager and ask him/her to thank others involved in the process?”The answers are yes and no, respectively.

    Send a separate thank-you note to everyone who interviewed you, whether it was an informal pre-interview phone call, an interview lunch meeting, or the final formal interview after a lengthy process.

    Don’t be stingy with your thank yous!

    It’s an easy thing to do, it will only take a few minutes–and it will make the recipients feel good about you!

    Why wouldn’t you jump at the chance to do that?

    You can make your thank-you notes relatively short. They can be sent via snail-mail or email.

    (There are differing opinions on which is best. I prefer the now “special” touch of a real letter over the routine method of email; others think email is best because it’s faster. Just remember that what you say is more important than how you send it.)

    Make each thank-you note slightly different by mentioning something in particular that you and the recipient discussed. This is a good reason to do your thank-you notes right away, while the interview is fresh in your mind. You might even want to take notes for this purpose.

    Here’s a great tip that will really impress the hiring manager: add a P.S. that mentions how helpful someone was, by name. I’m not talking about people directly involved in the interviews; they should get their own thank-you notes. But if there was a receptionist, an administrative assistant, or someone else who was helpful during your interview process, say so. Those people are rarely recognized, but may have influence with the hiring manager. The boss will think of you as someone who appreciates his team, notices things most other people overlook, and goes the extra mile.

    Why make this a P.S.? Studies show that most people read the P.S. before (or even instead of) reading the main body of a letter. This P.S. will get attention and impress the reader, which will get your entire letter read and your thoughtfulness remembered!

    Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular Job Interview Success System and free information-packed ezine, “Career-Life Times.” Find those and other powerful career-building resources and tips at her website: http://www.best-interview-strategies.com


    The Hidden Agenda of Interviews

    Article Category : Others

    It’s Not What They Ask - The Hidden Agenda of InterviewsWhat do you think you’re going to an interview for? To list your qualifications and discuss what’s on your resume? That’s just the tip of the iceberg, and you’re the Titanic if you don’t go in with at least an idea of what is behind their questions.

    Sure, there are the standard questions, because the basic information has to be conveyed some way, and besides reading your resume, they like to see you sweat and whether you can be caught out with any inconsistencies between what is on paper, and what comes out of your mouth. But interviews can be full of potholes that you won’t even see coming, because you’ve been lulled into a false sense of bonhomie by the pleasant manner of the recruiter. Before you know it, and sometimes even without knowing it, you’re spilling all your little job secrets, your insecurities, and clues as to your character or work ethics.

    Preparation as always, is the key. Having talent and being committed to your employer won’t cut any mustard, if the interviewer snags a juicy bit out of something you just said, and tosses it back at you, only to be greeted with a blank stare and stuttering.

    It’s not what you want out of the job, it’s what you can bring to the job.

    Face it, you can be the most qualified (technically) candidate on the planet, but you’re not going to get the position on that alone. Do your homework and find out what the company wants in the person who does get the job. What do they expect in the way of job performance? How do they view initiative? Then when you’re interviewed, give them a potential employee who has all that and the technical skills. Because a successful interview is not always about what you can tell them, but about what they want to hear.

    Employers want people who are not only going to keep the company running, but who are going to take it to new levels of success.

    You can tell an interviewer what you’re capable of, but how are you going to sell them on your aptitude and attitude? Show them, that’s how!

    Don’t just say “I work well with others”, tell them how you involved different departments in a cooperative effort to cut waste within the office, and how your past employer benefited from it, as well as how the company “team” enjoyed their joint efforts.

    Never mind boasting that you have a nose for new things. Give them a rundown (not a brag list) of new procedures that you initiated, which resulted in more efficient operations at your last job. Or tell them about the ideas you presented, which were incorporated into the company marketing plan, resulting in increased profits for the last year.

    As stated in The Perfect Interview Book (www.theperfectinterview.com) interviews are not just fact-finding missions. Recruiters and company interviewers are looking beyond the person in front of them, to find the right one for the job. And the applicant who gives them a potential employee with depths to be plumbed to the company’s benefit, is the one who’s going to get that job.

    Copyright 2005 The Perfect Interview

    Joel Vance is an Human Resources expert who has been in HR for 17 years and interviewed 3,159 people. He has also taught at 4 major universities around the country and currently has a best selling book on interviewing entitled The Perfect Interview at http://www.theperfectinterview.com


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