Tuesday, March 16, 2010
felling lucky
Still looking for the four-leafed clover that will get you the job you’ve always wanted? If Lady Luck hasn’t been on your side lately, maybe it’s time to try a new approach. Contrary to popular belief, good luck doesn’t solely have to do with fate and the mysterious unfolding of the universe — according to several psychology study results, luck largely has to do with the way you think and your general outlook on life. As the old saying goes, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” So start living life from the perspective of a “lucky” person, and maybe you’ll come across that opportunity for an interview or meet the person you need to know to get that job.
felling lucky
Still looking for the four-leafed clover that will get you the job you’ve always wanted? If Lady Luck hasn’t been on your side lately, maybe it’s time to try a new approach. Contrary to popular belief, good luck doesn’t solely have to do with fate and the mysterious unfolding of the universe — according to several psychology study results, luck largely has to do with the way you think and your general outlook on life. As the old saying goes, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” So start living life from the perspective of a “lucky” person, and maybe you’ll come across that opportunity for an interview or meet the person you need to know to get that job.
Monday, March 15, 2010
The right words
from 4 jobs .com
In: Job Seeker - InterviewAre you looking for the right words to show your credentials and enthusiasm on a job interview?
Are you looking for the right words to show your credentials and enthusiasm on a job interview?A job interview is a screening tool. Employers want to know if you will fit in. They are assessing whether they like you and if you are a good match for the position.The key to conveying that you are the ideal candidate is by doing your homework, going in, and then giving it your all. Leave your doubts at the door and focus on what the employer wants. That’s when you will be able to successfully explain why you are perfect for the job.So How Do You Find And Use The Right Words To Get The Job You Want? Follow These Five Steps Below:I. Prepare Before You GoDon’t expect to wing it on an interview. Prospective employers expect you to be prepared. Exceed their expectations. Find out everything you can before your interview begins. Start with the company’s website. Look for its history, its mission, annual reports,links to news stories and press releases. To research further, search engines provide a wealth of information. Newspapers and business journals will provide additional insight. Go to the library and ask for help - librarians usually know where the good resources are. You cannot over prepare. Prepare to thepoint where you are confident that you know about the company and what they offer to the world.II. Showcase Your Abilities Quickly When You Are ThereStories are the best way to show how you have produced results for previous employers because they produce a visual description in the interviewer’s mind. If theycan see what you’ve done, then they are more apt to want you to do the same thing for them too. Before you begin your story, ask questions to uncover an employers needs such as, “What is the biggest problem you are facing now?” Acknowledge the problem and tell the interviewer how you have overcome something similar. Go into the problem you were facing, the action you took to solve the problem, and the results you produced. Be concise and brief. You don’t want to lose the interest of your listener. Trust that if an interviewer needs more information, they will ask.III. Keep The Conversation Flowing Sometimes, prospective employers will not know what to say to you. Maybe they haven’t had much experience with interviews. Maybe they are distracted. Yet, they have a big say in whether you are hired or not. If you are faced with this situation, go on the offensive, and take control of the interview. Turn the interview around and ask the interviewer about themselves. What do they like or dislike about their position? What skills do they need to make their life easier? Get the conversation flowing. Once you get the interviewer talking, the interview process will be easier and more productive.IV. Ask The Right QuestionsPart of the interview is YOUR assessment of the company and the position. Just as the interviewer is assessing you, you are doing the same. Learn enough to determine if the job and company is a match for you. Questions are your pathway to information about the environment and the culture. Here are a few of those questions:1. What are the specific duties I will be responsible for?2. What challenges might I encounter if I take this job?3. What would a typical day be like for the successful candidate?4. How would you describe your management style?5. What are the organization’s plans for the next 5 years?6. Describe your ideal candidate. How do I measure up against that picture?Think about the answers you receive after the interview. Is this job right for you? This isimportant for you to determine. Don’t stop listening to yourself or your gut just because you need the job or the money or want the company on your resume. If you make choices in your career that go against who you are as a person and what’s important to you, these choices will come back and bite you later on.V. Follow-UpIt’s acceptable to ask a potential employer if you can follow-up with them and when would be an appropriate time for doing so. It shows that you care about the position and about working there. Create a follow-up plan. Write the date and time for your next contact with the employer. Be sure you follow through. Your attitude and actions, from the time you first learn about an opportunity, until you get it, sets the tone for the type of individual you are, and what others can expect from you.So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!
In: Job Seeker - InterviewAre you looking for the right words to show your credentials and enthusiasm on a job interview?
Are you looking for the right words to show your credentials and enthusiasm on a job interview?A job interview is a screening tool. Employers want to know if you will fit in. They are assessing whether they like you and if you are a good match for the position.The key to conveying that you are the ideal candidate is by doing your homework, going in, and then giving it your all. Leave your doubts at the door and focus on what the employer wants. That’s when you will be able to successfully explain why you are perfect for the job.So How Do You Find And Use The Right Words To Get The Job You Want? Follow These Five Steps Below:I. Prepare Before You GoDon’t expect to wing it on an interview. Prospective employers expect you to be prepared. Exceed their expectations. Find out everything you can before your interview begins. Start with the company’s website. Look for its history, its mission, annual reports,links to news stories and press releases. To research further, search engines provide a wealth of information. Newspapers and business journals will provide additional insight. Go to the library and ask for help - librarians usually know where the good resources are. You cannot over prepare. Prepare to thepoint where you are confident that you know about the company and what they offer to the world.II. Showcase Your Abilities Quickly When You Are ThereStories are the best way to show how you have produced results for previous employers because they produce a visual description in the interviewer’s mind. If theycan see what you’ve done, then they are more apt to want you to do the same thing for them too. Before you begin your story, ask questions to uncover an employers needs such as, “What is the biggest problem you are facing now?” Acknowledge the problem and tell the interviewer how you have overcome something similar. Go into the problem you were facing, the action you took to solve the problem, and the results you produced. Be concise and brief. You don’t want to lose the interest of your listener. Trust that if an interviewer needs more information, they will ask.III. Keep The Conversation Flowing Sometimes, prospective employers will not know what to say to you. Maybe they haven’t had much experience with interviews. Maybe they are distracted. Yet, they have a big say in whether you are hired or not. If you are faced with this situation, go on the offensive, and take control of the interview. Turn the interview around and ask the interviewer about themselves. What do they like or dislike about their position? What skills do they need to make their life easier? Get the conversation flowing. Once you get the interviewer talking, the interview process will be easier and more productive.IV. Ask The Right QuestionsPart of the interview is YOUR assessment of the company and the position. Just as the interviewer is assessing you, you are doing the same. Learn enough to determine if the job and company is a match for you. Questions are your pathway to information about the environment and the culture. Here are a few of those questions:1. What are the specific duties I will be responsible for?2. What challenges might I encounter if I take this job?3. What would a typical day be like for the successful candidate?4. How would you describe your management style?5. What are the organization’s plans for the next 5 years?6. Describe your ideal candidate. How do I measure up against that picture?Think about the answers you receive after the interview. Is this job right for you? This isimportant for you to determine. Don’t stop listening to yourself or your gut just because you need the job or the money or want the company on your resume. If you make choices in your career that go against who you are as a person and what’s important to you, these choices will come back and bite you later on.V. Follow-UpIt’s acceptable to ask a potential employer if you can follow-up with them and when would be an appropriate time for doing so. It shows that you care about the position and about working there. Create a follow-up plan. Write the date and time for your next contact with the employer. Be sure you follow through. Your attitude and actions, from the time you first learn about an opportunity, until you get it, sets the tone for the type of individual you are, and what others can expect from you.So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!
Is Your Job Search Driving You Mad
Found this advise on 4 jobs . com
Here are my top six tips to approach your job search with care:
Target your resume.Don’t maintain just one general resume that is a mishmash of all of your experiences. You should tailor your resume to each job you apply for and match your skills to those requirements of the job so you’ll sound like the perfect fit.
Stay organized. While you search for a new job you’ll need to create a system that works best for you to keep track of the positions you’ve applied for, those you’ve followed up on, and those you need to provide with more information. Staying organized while sometimes taxing will be your best friend throughout this whole process.
Make goals. While your job search might seem out of your control a lot of the time, make sure that you set goals for yourself throughout the process. While you can’t realistically know when you’ll land your next great job, you can certainly keep yourself on track by setting deadlines for yourself like researching a particular company you’re interested in pursuing or reaching out to networking contacts. Setting and meeting goals throughout your job search will keep you in good spirits.
Do your homework. Before applying to a job make sure you do a little digging before you submit your resume. Try to learn as much about the organization as possible so that you can target your resume and cover letter appropriately.
Use your network. If you come across a position and you’re unsure of the work involved with the job reach out to your network for some advice. Turning to your network of contacts to introduce you to potential employers is not their only purpose, but they’re also there to be your sounding board.
Be positive. No one wants to be around someone who feels sorry for them self and seems like they’re about to go off the deep end. Having a positive attitude and being able to roll with the punches shows a great sense of character on paper and in person.
Here are my top six tips to approach your job search with care:
Target your resume.Don’t maintain just one general resume that is a mishmash of all of your experiences. You should tailor your resume to each job you apply for and match your skills to those requirements of the job so you’ll sound like the perfect fit.
Stay organized. While you search for a new job you’ll need to create a system that works best for you to keep track of the positions you’ve applied for, those you’ve followed up on, and those you need to provide with more information. Staying organized while sometimes taxing will be your best friend throughout this whole process.
Make goals. While your job search might seem out of your control a lot of the time, make sure that you set goals for yourself throughout the process. While you can’t realistically know when you’ll land your next great job, you can certainly keep yourself on track by setting deadlines for yourself like researching a particular company you’re interested in pursuing or reaching out to networking contacts. Setting and meeting goals throughout your job search will keep you in good spirits.
Do your homework. Before applying to a job make sure you do a little digging before you submit your resume. Try to learn as much about the organization as possible so that you can target your resume and cover letter appropriately.
Use your network. If you come across a position and you’re unsure of the work involved with the job reach out to your network for some advice. Turning to your network of contacts to introduce you to potential employers is not their only purpose, but they’re also there to be your sounding board.
Be positive. No one wants to be around someone who feels sorry for them self and seems like they’re about to go off the deep end. Having a positive attitude and being able to roll with the punches shows a great sense of character on paper and in person.
Industry Employment Trends Report
According to Indeed's February Industry Employment Trends Report, ten of the 12 major industries tracked had more openings this past February than in February 2009. Hospitality experienced a 44% increase in open jobs over last year. Retail improved by 35% and real estate had a 33% jump. Here's the full list of industries trending upward ranked according to greatest increase in advertised openings.
1. Hospitality - hotels, restaurants, casinos, catering, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers and tourists.
-- Find hospitality jobs
2. Retail - establishments selling merchandise to the public.
-- Find retail jobs
3. Real Estate - establishments that rent or lease real estate to others or manage real estate for others.
-- Find real estate jobs
4. Education - establishments providing instruction and training such as schools, colleges, universities, and training centers.
-- Find education jobs
5. Media - includes newspapers, radio, television, and online outlets.
-- Find media jobs
6. Financial Services - encompasses banks, credit card companies, insurance, consumer finance companies, stock brokerages, and investment funds.
-- Find financial services jobs
7. Manufacturing - establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products.
-- Find manufacturing jobs
8. Accounting - sector focusing on the recording, reporting, and analysis of financial transactions of a business.
-- Find accounting jobs
9. Transportation - industries providing transportation of passengers and cargo, scenic and sightseeing transportation, and support activities related to modes of transportation.
-- Find transportation jobs
10. Information Technology - sector encompasses the design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware.
1. Hospitality - hotels, restaurants, casinos, catering, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers and tourists.
-- Find hospitality jobs
2. Retail - establishments selling merchandise to the public.
-- Find retail jobs
3. Real Estate - establishments that rent or lease real estate to others or manage real estate for others.
-- Find real estate jobs
4. Education - establishments providing instruction and training such as schools, colleges, universities, and training centers.
-- Find education jobs
5. Media - includes newspapers, radio, television, and online outlets.
-- Find media jobs
6. Financial Services - encompasses banks, credit card companies, insurance, consumer finance companies, stock brokerages, and investment funds.
-- Find financial services jobs
7. Manufacturing - establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products.
-- Find manufacturing jobs
8. Accounting - sector focusing on the recording, reporting, and analysis of financial transactions of a business.
-- Find accounting jobs
9. Transportation - industries providing transportation of passengers and cargo, scenic and sightseeing transportation, and support activities related to modes of transportation.
-- Find transportation jobs
10. Information Technology - sector encompasses the design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Good interview questions I seen on upladder
These are good questions interview I seen on upladder
Have good questions
Even though I'm usually the final person to meet a candidate here at TheLadders, I'm always surprised when people I'm interviewing say they don't have any questions for me. Sure, you've already met four of my colleagues and they've answered a lot of the open questions you had about TheLadders, but, really? You have absolutely no good questions for me?
And that's because asking questions is only 50% about addressing your needs, explaining the role to you, and satisfying your curiosity. The other 50% of asking questions is showing your capability to think critically about the company, the industry, and the role. Use that time to show off your good noodle by asking (brief) insightful questions.
And because I like you, here are ten questions that are good for almost any interview, plus a bonus question that will really make you stand out: What's the biggest change your group has gone through in the last year?
One year from now, if I get the job, what will earn me a "gold star"?
What are the key accomplishments you'd like to see in this role over the next year?What's your (or my future boss') leadership style?
About which competitor are you most worried?
How do your sales / marketing / technology / operations work here?What type of people are successful here? What type of people are not?What's one thing that's key to your success that somebody from outside the company wouldn't know about?How did you get your start in this industry?
Why do you stay?What are your best and worst working relationships with other groups in the company?What keeps you up at night? What's your biggest worry?And here's the bonus, my favorite, and the best way to really demonstrate how much value you're going to add to your boss' career:
How do you (Mr. or Ms. Future Boss) get a gold star / big bonus / your boss' recognition & thanks at the end of the year? How can I best help you do that?
Why is this question so good? It shows you're thinking about others, not just yourself. It shows that you want to be helpful and help the boss and the team achieve. And it gets your future boss thinking about how beneficial it is going to be to have somebody like you on the team helping them achieve their goals.
Good Monday morning Patricia R., The job interview is an unusual situation: You're put in a room you've never been in, with a person you've never met, to talk about a company you don't work at, in order to persuade somebody that you'll be excellent at a job you don't have.
No wonder it feels awkward, artificial and anxious.
But a lot of the "mystery" around great job interviewing comes from the fact that we don't do it that often. Every few years, we're supposed to magically dust off our interview skills and go out there and shine.
Well, I talk to a lot of job-seekers, hiring managers, and recruiters, and the "secrets" behind great interviews aren't really that mysterious after all.
So here's what you need to know for making your job interviews a lot less nerve-wracking and a lot more effective.
Pick three points and stick to them.
Ever watched the politicians on TV? When the host asks them a real zinger of a question, you'll notice they rarely get flustered. Instead, they reply right off the top of their heads with an answer that seems to be completely coherent and well-crafted.
No matter what the question is, and no matter how impertinently put, the politician has an answer and doesn't get distracted by the host's badgering. I can't say whether that's good for us voters, but I can tell you it's deadly effective for giving a great interview.
It's called "staying on message" and the politicians don't do it by accident.
Before they go on TV, they write down (or have written down for them) "talking points" that make the key arguments they want to make. And whatever else happens, they make sure to get their talking points across.
So in order to ace your interviews, you'll want to have your own talking points.
And here's the truly amazing thing — you don't even need to come up with them on your own. Unlike the fickle electorate, your target audience will tell you exactly what you need to say! All you have to do is ask them.
When you are setting up the interview, ask the recruiter or HR person:
What are the three key things you're looking for in this position?
And why are they important to the company? (If you're not able to get this question in beforehand, you can still ask it right at the start of the interview.)
They might say this position is for a new initiative, or this role is critical for the implementation of the strategy, or the boss needs an expert to help assist them in this area.
Whatever the three key needs for the role are, write down beforehand how you can accomplish those needs. Don't over-practice, just make sure that you know their three needs by heart, and you've got a reasonable argument for why you can help them.
Then during the interview, if conversation gets steered away to upcoming spring training or the snow this winter, or Tiger's apology on Friday, you just make sure that you steer it back to how you can contribute on the three key needs.
Stay on message and when you walk out, your message with stay behind with your future boss.
It's not about you
If you think about the interview from your future boss' point of view, the interview is not about you. It's about how well you fit into his or her needs. If you stick to your talking points above, you'll avoid one of the most common errors people make in job interviews: talking about themselves without a real purpose.
Yes, you need to discuss your career goals, but only in the context of how they match up with what your boss is looking for.
And, yes, you need to discuss your prior performance and successes, but only to the extent that it supports how you match the three key needs the company has for the open position.
A job interview is a sales call — it's about selling you and your experiences and skills and talent for the role.
It's not an A&E Biography about Patricia R., it's a discussion about the company, their needs, the role, and how well you do, or don't, fit into the plans.
And it is most especially not a chance for you to get distracted on extraneous topics that may be very important to you, but have absolutely nothing to do with how well you can do the job. Because these topics are very important to you and you've been thinking about them a lot, you'll need to make an extra-special effort to avoid dwelling on them in the interview: How difficult the job search is (ok, yes it is, how is talking about this going to help you shorten your job search?)What your perfect career would be (we're not here to talk about your perfect career, we're here to talk about this job and who we should hire for it)The wrong decisions made by your previous boss / company / colleagues (how is this helping you get your next job? It's not. Avoid.)If I can be slightly tongue-in-cheek, the rule for job interviews is: "He who talks the least, wins." If you can get your interviewer talking about their needs, their hopes, and their viewpoints, you'll be collecting a lot more information about what it takes to get the job. Making your key points can take as little as 10 minutes if you're strictly on message. Use the rest of your time to find out what else you need to know to make your case.
Have good questions
Even though I'm usually the final person to meet a candidate here at TheLadders, I'm always surprised when people I'm interviewing say they don't have any questions for me. Sure, you've already met four of my colleagues and they've answered a lot of the open questions you had about TheLadders, but, really? You have absolutely no good questions for me?
And that's because asking questions is only 50% about addressing your needs, explaining the role to you, and satisfying your curiosity. The other 50% of asking questions is showing your capability to think critically about the company, the industry, and the role. Use that time to show off your good noodle by asking (brief) insightful questions.
And because I like you, here are ten questions that are good for almost any interview, plus a bonus question that will really make you stand out: What's the biggest change your group has gone through in the last year?One year from now, if I get the job, what will earn me a "gold star"? What are the key accomplishments you'd like to see in this role over the next year?What's your (or my future boss') leadership style?About which competitor are you most worried?How do your sales / marketing / technology / operations work here?What type of people are successful here? What type of people are not?What's one thing that's key to your success that somebody from outside the company wouldn't know about?How did you get your start in this industry? Why do you stay?What are your best and worst working relationships with other groups in the company?What keeps you up at night? What's your biggest worry?And here's the bonus, my favorite, and the best way to really demonstrate how much value you're going to add to your boss' career:
How do you (Mr. or Ms. Future Boss) get a gold star / big bonus / your boss' recognition & thanks at the end of the year? How can I best help you do that?
Why is this question so good? It shows you're thinking about others, not just yourself. It shows that you want to be helpful and help the boss and the team achieve. And it gets your future boss thinking about how beneficial it is going to be to have somebody like you on the team helping them achieve their goals.
OK, Readers, that's how you ace the interview. Good luck this week!
I'll be rooting for you!
Warmest regards,
Marc Cenedella, Founder & CEO, TheLadders.com Follow me on Twitter here.
Have good questions
Even though I'm usually the final person to meet a candidate here at TheLadders, I'm always surprised when people I'm interviewing say they don't have any questions for me. Sure, you've already met four of my colleagues and they've answered a lot of the open questions you had about TheLadders, but, really? You have absolutely no good questions for me?
And that's because asking questions is only 50% about addressing your needs, explaining the role to you, and satisfying your curiosity. The other 50% of asking questions is showing your capability to think critically about the company, the industry, and the role. Use that time to show off your good noodle by asking (brief) insightful questions.
And because I like you, here are ten questions that are good for almost any interview, plus a bonus question that will really make you stand out: What's the biggest change your group has gone through in the last year?
One year from now, if I get the job, what will earn me a "gold star"?
What are the key accomplishments you'd like to see in this role over the next year?What's your (or my future boss') leadership style?
About which competitor are you most worried?
How do your sales / marketing / technology / operations work here?What type of people are successful here? What type of people are not?What's one thing that's key to your success that somebody from outside the company wouldn't know about?How did you get your start in this industry?
Why do you stay?What are your best and worst working relationships with other groups in the company?What keeps you up at night? What's your biggest worry?And here's the bonus, my favorite, and the best way to really demonstrate how much value you're going to add to your boss' career:
How do you (Mr. or Ms. Future Boss) get a gold star / big bonus / your boss' recognition & thanks at the end of the year? How can I best help you do that?
Why is this question so good? It shows you're thinking about others, not just yourself. It shows that you want to be helpful and help the boss and the team achieve. And it gets your future boss thinking about how beneficial it is going to be to have somebody like you on the team helping them achieve their goals.
Good Monday morning Patricia R., The job interview is an unusual situation: You're put in a room you've never been in, with a person you've never met, to talk about a company you don't work at, in order to persuade somebody that you'll be excellent at a job you don't have.
No wonder it feels awkward, artificial and anxious.
But a lot of the "mystery" around great job interviewing comes from the fact that we don't do it that often. Every few years, we're supposed to magically dust off our interview skills and go out there and shine.
Well, I talk to a lot of job-seekers, hiring managers, and recruiters, and the "secrets" behind great interviews aren't really that mysterious after all.
So here's what you need to know for making your job interviews a lot less nerve-wracking and a lot more effective.
Pick three points and stick to them.
Ever watched the politicians on TV? When the host asks them a real zinger of a question, you'll notice they rarely get flustered. Instead, they reply right off the top of their heads with an answer that seems to be completely coherent and well-crafted.
No matter what the question is, and no matter how impertinently put, the politician has an answer and doesn't get distracted by the host's badgering. I can't say whether that's good for us voters, but I can tell you it's deadly effective for giving a great interview.
It's called "staying on message" and the politicians don't do it by accident.
Before they go on TV, they write down (or have written down for them) "talking points" that make the key arguments they want to make. And whatever else happens, they make sure to get their talking points across.
So in order to ace your interviews, you'll want to have your own talking points.
And here's the truly amazing thing — you don't even need to come up with them on your own. Unlike the fickle electorate, your target audience will tell you exactly what you need to say! All you have to do is ask them.
When you are setting up the interview, ask the recruiter or HR person:
What are the three key things you're looking for in this position?
And why are they important to the company? (If you're not able to get this question in beforehand, you can still ask it right at the start of the interview.)
They might say this position is for a new initiative, or this role is critical for the implementation of the strategy, or the boss needs an expert to help assist them in this area.
Whatever the three key needs for the role are, write down beforehand how you can accomplish those needs. Don't over-practice, just make sure that you know their three needs by heart, and you've got a reasonable argument for why you can help them.
Then during the interview, if conversation gets steered away to upcoming spring training or the snow this winter, or Tiger's apology on Friday, you just make sure that you steer it back to how you can contribute on the three key needs.
Stay on message and when you walk out, your message with stay behind with your future boss.
It's not about you
If you think about the interview from your future boss' point of view, the interview is not about you. It's about how well you fit into his or her needs. If you stick to your talking points above, you'll avoid one of the most common errors people make in job interviews: talking about themselves without a real purpose.
Yes, you need to discuss your career goals, but only in the context of how they match up with what your boss is looking for.
And, yes, you need to discuss your prior performance and successes, but only to the extent that it supports how you match the three key needs the company has for the open position.
A job interview is a sales call — it's about selling you and your experiences and skills and talent for the role.
It's not an A&E Biography about Patricia R., it's a discussion about the company, their needs, the role, and how well you do, or don't, fit into the plans.
And it is most especially not a chance for you to get distracted on extraneous topics that may be very important to you, but have absolutely nothing to do with how well you can do the job. Because these topics are very important to you and you've been thinking about them a lot, you'll need to make an extra-special effort to avoid dwelling on them in the interview: How difficult the job search is (ok, yes it is, how is talking about this going to help you shorten your job search?)What your perfect career would be (we're not here to talk about your perfect career, we're here to talk about this job and who we should hire for it)The wrong decisions made by your previous boss / company / colleagues (how is this helping you get your next job? It's not. Avoid.)If I can be slightly tongue-in-cheek, the rule for job interviews is: "He who talks the least, wins." If you can get your interviewer talking about their needs, their hopes, and their viewpoints, you'll be collecting a lot more information about what it takes to get the job. Making your key points can take as little as 10 minutes if you're strictly on message. Use the rest of your time to find out what else you need to know to make your case.
Have good questions
Even though I'm usually the final person to meet a candidate here at TheLadders, I'm always surprised when people I'm interviewing say they don't have any questions for me. Sure, you've already met four of my colleagues and they've answered a lot of the open questions you had about TheLadders, but, really? You have absolutely no good questions for me?
And that's because asking questions is only 50% about addressing your needs, explaining the role to you, and satisfying your curiosity. The other 50% of asking questions is showing your capability to think critically about the company, the industry, and the role. Use that time to show off your good noodle by asking (brief) insightful questions.
And because I like you, here are ten questions that are good for almost any interview, plus a bonus question that will really make you stand out: What's the biggest change your group has gone through in the last year?One year from now, if I get the job, what will earn me a "gold star"? What are the key accomplishments you'd like to see in this role over the next year?What's your (or my future boss') leadership style?About which competitor are you most worried?How do your sales / marketing / technology / operations work here?What type of people are successful here? What type of people are not?What's one thing that's key to your success that somebody from outside the company wouldn't know about?How did you get your start in this industry? Why do you stay?What are your best and worst working relationships with other groups in the company?What keeps you up at night? What's your biggest worry?And here's the bonus, my favorite, and the best way to really demonstrate how much value you're going to add to your boss' career:
How do you (Mr. or Ms. Future Boss) get a gold star / big bonus / your boss' recognition & thanks at the end of the year? How can I best help you do that?
Why is this question so good? It shows you're thinking about others, not just yourself. It shows that you want to be helpful and help the boss and the team achieve. And it gets your future boss thinking about how beneficial it is going to be to have somebody like you on the team helping them achieve their goals.
OK, Readers, that's how you ace the interview. Good luck this week!
I'll be rooting for you!
Warmest regards,
Marc Cenedella, Founder & CEO, TheLadders.com Follow me on Twitter here.
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