Job Interview Tips for Job-Seekers

When you have successfully mastered cover letters, resumes, and job applications and are receiving requests for interviews, it’s time to understand how to succeed in the job interview so that you are ever closer to your goal of obtaining one or more job offers.

See the 10 most important job-interviewing tips for job-seekers here.

Use LinkedIn for Job Searching

The world of job hunting is changing dramatically primarily because of social media. If you haven't been paying attention to social media, and particularly to LinkedIn, you have some catching up to do. You cannot afford to ignore LinkedIn today.
Many job seekers confuse the intelligent use of social media with a loss of privacy. This is a serious mistake.  LinkedIn is the preferred social network for recruiting.

For tips on making your presence on social media positive see the article here.

Develop a Strategic Career Vision

If you’re like most people, you’ll change careers at least several times over the course of your life. Success in making transitions among careers can be partially attributed to career planning and preparation.

Job-seekers need to take the time to step way from the day-to-day work and spend quality time reflecting on career and developing plans for the future. Think of career planning as building bridges from your current job/career to your next job/career; without the bridge, you may easily stumble, but with the bridge there is safety and direction.

See basic guidelines for short and long-term career planning here.

Example Career Changes after 50

Reinventing your career; it’s not easy but it’s never too late. That’s the message from people who made life-altering career changes in their 40s, 50s, 60s or even older.

Some second acts aren’t by choice, some have described being forced into midlife career changes after losing their jobs and failing to find similar work because of the economy, their age, a disability or discrimination.  Some people start a second or third career because they can’t afford to stop working after retirement. Some discover they’re happier working, even if they can afford to retire.

See six examples of later-in-life changes here.

Advance Within Your Company

In today’s tumultuous economy it is more important than ever to understand the fundamentals of how to manage your career. 

With the rapid rate of technological change and the effects of globalization, jobs are changing or even disappearing altogether. By applying time-tested principles you will be in a better position to help yourself and your company be successful.
See 9 areas of career management here.

Tips for Your Job Search

Struggling to find a job?

Recognize it is a full time commitment, which means an 8 hour day or more.

Recognizing common setbacks may help you better identify how to spend your time when searching for employment. For a discussion of five topics in more detail see the complete article here.

Attend the Denver Professional Workshop

The Professional Placement Program assists professionals, managers, and executives in finding or upgrading their employment. The program includes the Career Workshop for professionals, networking opportunities, one-on-one coaching, professional-level job leads, and a place to conduct your job search.

1. Find the detailed description here
2. Find the workshop schedule here

Note:  there are no charges!

Successful Interview Techniques

Being well prepared for an interview will help you be confident and impress the interviewer(s).

The key to a successful interview is adequate preparation. Most employers ask the same basic questions, so prepare answers before an interview. A list of questions frequently asked by employers, with some ideas on how you might answer can be found in the complete article here.

Use Impressive Written Communication

Aside from resumes, your job search will likely require you to write effectively to communicate your capabilities.  Interviews are great when you can get one, but they are usually the result of prior written communication. 

Your effectiveness in writing cover letters, completing applications, and sending follow-up thank-you letters depends on paying attention to the details. For pointers on these three necessary documents see the material here.

How to Help with Employment Efforts

Looking for employment can be a very isolating experience. Unemployment or underemployment can challenge job seekers, and can add stress to their personal relationships. Instead of reaching out for help, many job seekers feel embarrassed or uncomfortable sharing their situation. They may feel like they have failed at self-reliance and that they need to get out of this struggle alone.

You have the opportunity to reach out and support job seekers in ways that can have a significant impact on their lives. They need your love, support, and help now more than ever. With your help, job seekers do not need to go through this challenge alone. 

One of the greatest needs a job seeker has is to be connected to opportunities and information. Members are a powerful resource to help job seekers expand their network and find the information they need. Consider ideas to offer valuable support here.

Complete an Impressive Application

Depending on the type of position you are looking for, part of your job search will likely include filling out applications. Employers use applications to identify candidates who have the skills and education needed for the position. However, they may learn much more about you than just your qualifications. 

When filling out applications, whether on paper or on a computer, you have the opportunity to demonstrate that you are prepared, thorough, and follow directions. For hints on being successful with both forms of application, see the material here.

Be a Mentor for Employment

As leaders help unemployed members develop a plan, they should share appropriate portions of each plan with the ward council. As needed, mentors or specialists may be assigned to work with members in need.

Mentors and specialists are given specific assignments to help individual members complete or carry out their plan for self-reliance.

One of the greatest challenges a job seeker faces is the internal battle of lowered self-esteem, accompanied by despair and a loss of hope. See where mentors can be of significant support here.

Support Your Spouse in a Job Search

Supporting a spouse during unemployment can be stressful. There are a lot of questions going through your head: How will you support your family financially? How can you help find a new job? If you are not already working, should you seek employment yourself? How should you adjust your budget? If you have children at home, how are they going to take the news?

At the same time, you are dealing with your spouse’s discouragement and your own personal worries. How can you alleviate your fears, find answers to your questions, 
and offer the support needed? As soon as possible, you should both sit down together and make a plan.

Here are a few tips to help.

Surviving Unemployment

As companies continue to downsize or close, even ideal employees may find themselves needing to find new employment.

While some of the following points may be seen as hind sight, we need to begin where we are.

• Prepare for the future
• Increase your faith
• Ask for help
• Live within your means
• Seek additional training
• Maintain health and well being

For details on these points, see the complete article here.

Returned Missionary Career Steps

Home from a mission begins a new and exciting chapter in life. The next steps might include finding employment or seeking further education and make this a dynamic time of career exploration. While there may be a feeling of uncertainty, know that your experiences and your missionary service have prepared you for the decisions ahead. 

As you start on your path to building a career, consider the following tips.

• Keep Your Momentum
• Develop a Career Plan
• Plan for Education and Finances
• Communicate the Skills Gained from Your Mission
• Use Additional Resources
• Move Forward with Trust in the Lord

If these topics sound interesting, see the full article here.

How Productive People Do Things

We are all limited by the number of hours in your workday, it can feel impossible to complete all projects by their deadlines. Add in fewer resources, an increased workload and a downsized workforce, and the idea of adhering to a productivity schedule becomes an insurmountable task. Ultra-productive people rely on productivity hacks to complete goals without putting in extra hours.

Never put anything on hold that you can do immediately; complete small tasks as soon as they arise. Decide whether you should take action on it, delegate it tor delete it. Do this right away so you don't have to waste time revisiting the issue in the future.

For more ways to be more effective, see the article here.

Employed? Impress Your Boss

A good relationship with your boss is key to setting your career on the fast track and increasing your chances of being promoted. Developing this relationship means being a good employee while working to make your boss's life easier.

Showing some initiative may impress your boss; for seven steps to amplify your advancement chances, see the article here.

Job offer? Ask yourself 5 questions

If your carefully crafted Resume, job searching and a few interviews have finally landed you a job offer, what now?  No longer is it necessary for job seekers to jump at the first opportunity that comes along; if you’re talented, experienced and personable enough, there will be more where that came from.

But for candidates, simply realizing they have a certain amount of agency and leverage in the job hunt is only the first step. After all, having a measure of power is one thing, but making a power play is another. If in the course of your search you land on a job that, on the surface, appears to suit your interests, it’s important to ask some difficult questions of the position, the company, and yourself before saying yes.

See five key issues to consider here.

Contact Hiring Managers Directly

Wish you could contact hiring managers directly? And without necessarily sending out your resume first? Today's technology is literally changing how this is possible. 

The Switch Job App is a new way to test the job searching market without necessarily looking for a job. There are no time-consuming applications to fill out and no job searching needed. It takes only a few minutes to sign up with nothing being posted on the Internet for full security. You complete a short profile on-line in four minutes or less with two major ingredients: 

• Provide your Linkedin URL and identify the specific job titles that you are most interested in. The Switch Job App does the rest by regularly sending you directly the jobs that best meet your expectations.
• Your Linkedlin posting is your calling card! But have your resume and other credentials ready to go when you receive contact information of each job's hiring manager if you both match up through your social media postings.

Presently, there are over 1,000 employers connected to the Switch Job App which is totally free and it is growing exponentially. The rest of what happens is rather innovative. If your Linkedin account is razor sharp and meets the needs of the posted jobs, learn more about this new way to directly contact hiring managers here.

50 Best Job Search Sites

There’s a lot that goes into searching for a job. From crafting the perfect cover letter and resume, to finding the best-fit niche jobs to apply for, to acing the big interview, to using social media to your advantage,

Fortunately, you can use a number of job search websites, tools, and apps to make the hunt for your perfect job easier.

See 50 of the best job search sites, apps, and tools here.

Impress anyone in under 30 seconds

Experts estimate that 85% of your financial success comes not from your skills or knowledge, but from your ability to connect with other people and engender their trust and respect.

Within seconds, everyone you meet forms an impression that largely determines whether they’ll like, trust, and and respect you. Making a good impression is absolutely critical.

Whether you are raising money for your company, or you are managing your team or leading your business, connecting to people and making a great impression is very important.

For some tips to help win hearts and minds in 30 seconds see the article here.

Surprising Job Interview Tips

Your carefully designed dynamic resume landed you an interview; now it’s time to seal the deal. So what’s the best way to prepare?

Drawing on experience, interviews, research, and most importantly, employees from today’s most coveted companies, useful tips have been developed. These are deep insights beyond the typical “sit up straight!” and “dress to impress!” commonly suggested.

See the dozen best tips before, during and after your interview here.

Turn around Workplace boredom

Time is a resource with high monetary value, and any boredom is a symptom of wasting time you should be putting to good use. Take advantage of the situation and do something you wouldn't ordinarily be able to do. 

Start a new initiative, develop your professional skillset, or reorganize your current strategies; you'll make yourself more valuable and ultimately, you'll position yourself for a respectable salary increase at your next formal review.

The next time you find yourself bored at work, try the ideas here.

Five Meaningful Soft Skills

While your experience and education may land you an interview, you need to be prepared for an additional assessment on how well you would fit into the company culture.

Many assume that a solid education is what employers deem most important when determining the right candidate, but this is not always the case. Soft skills, the traits that measure a person's emotional intelligence, are a good indicator of job performance. Soft skills, aren't necessarily learned at school. They include the following:

1. Communication 
2. Time Management 
3. Team Player 
4. Motivation 
5. Flexibility 

For more detail on these skills, see the complete article here.

Using Power Statements

Communicating your value to the reader of your resume or your profile is of prime importance. Your value or ability to satisfy the positon requirements is being compared to many other candidates being reviewed. Using well thought out power statements helps you hold a position for further consideration.

Power statements are appropriate for use in your application, resume and online profile. During an interview these principles are applicable to your work experience examples s you reply to questions.

Review the use of power statements here.

Cover Letter Focus and Critique

A great cover letter can have as much impact as a great resume and increase your odds of landing an interview. To insure your cover letter is effective, a critique can arm you with valuable information to make this essential document the best it can be.    

The benefit of a cover letter critique is to not only catch blatant errors such as spelling, grammar and formatting, but to receive feedback on how well you address the employer's needs and separate yourself from the competition.

Follow these three steps when seeking a cover letter critique: 

  Find a reviewer

  Relate your background and a copy of the job posting

  Take any advice given that works

For the details see the article here

Job-Hunting Do's and Don'ts for Job-Seekers

Learning the do's and don'ts (rules) that job-seekers must know regarding the key strategies and tactics of successful job-hunting is essential. Presented in this article are 25 keys to successful job-hunting. Job-seekers who follow these rules and guidelines -- the do's and don'ts of job-hunting -- should have much more success in the job-search.

For more insight, click here.

Quantifying Achievements on Your Resume

When citing past work experience on your resume, it is important to articulate your achievements since employers are always eager to know how you have contributed to the organizations you worked for. By highlighting job achievements, you provide good evidence to demonstrate how you can use your skills to improve work results.

When developing your achievement statements, you are suggested to quantify your achievements with numbers that specify details such as project scope and work outcomes. As a result, readers can get a clear picture of how well you did.

For the "how to's" in writing strong achievement statements, click here for examples of accomplishing this

TagCrowd as a Job Search Tool

TagCrowd is a web application for visualizing word frequencies in any text by creating what is popularly known as a word cloud. - TagCrowd is particularly useful in making it easier to analyze a detailed job description for the particular requirements for each job by creating a screen with the most frequently mentioned keywords for skills and experiences emphasized in a concise manner. These keywords must be addressed and customized in your resume for you to have impact with each of your employment applications.

Topics covered included:

• TagCrowd as a job search tool
• How does TagCrowd Work?
• Any problems with TagCrowd?

Click here for more info.

Add Pizazz to Your Interview

The job interview is the most anxiety-inducing part of the job search; it's incredibly frustrating to spend time, energy and effort on making a great impression without getting the position as your reward. If you find this happening to you over and over, you may need to sharpen your interview skills. Make sure the following techniques are part of your strategy.

• Use your resume as a reference point
• Present your accomplishments numerically
• Understand the company
• Let your personality come through

For the details of these points see the complete article here.

Career Change Planning

There are many reasons that people face career change. Sometimes career change can comes as the result of a long anticipated layoff while other times it can occur suddenly without warning. But don’t think you’re alone. Know that career change (not job change) happens to everyone sooner or later. The average job-seeker will change careers several times over the course of a lifetime. Whatever the reason, the key to having a successful career change is having a good plan.

See several steps you should follow in order to have successful career change here.

Overcome Age in Your Resume

Older workers have an uphill battle when it comes to changing jobs. Although employers are not supposed to discriminate against older workers, some hiring managers do favor younger employees. If overcoming age bias is a concern, there are several things you should do when updating your resume.

There's no rule that you have to list every position you've ever held.  Overcome age bias early in the hiring process by listing only your most recent jobs on your resume. If you have been in the same industry for 25 years, eliminate information about jobs you held more than 15 years ago.

Click here the full article on Age and Resumes.

Rules for Successful Networking

Successful networkers show a sincere interest in their networking contacts. They work hard to develop a relationship, establish their credibility, and share information. They follow the rules of the game in which everyone has something to gain. Like the lottery, you have to be in it to win it. To review seven rules to follow for successful networking see the complete article here

Interview Etiquette

If your effective resume or a personal introduction has provided you with an invitation to interview, do not mess it up.

The first step to a career victory is to adequately prepare for the interview. Use etiquette tips for interviews to ensure you are making the best impression possible to your prospective employer.  To see a graphic path to success, with do's and don't, select the link here.

Words for Negotiating Salary

You have the most power to negotiate a salary after you've impressed your future employer in interviews, but before you sign an official job offer. Most employers will informally offer you the job before they give you anything to sign, and this is a good time to talk about what you want.
Your new employer wants to hire you, has received buy-in from other team members and has no desire to keep interviewing. More than anything, she is anxious for you to start work. This is the time to ask for more money.

For the language to use see the complete article here

Upgrade Your Skills

Is your career up for the challenges of a tough job market and the rapid pace of technology? Experts agree that ongoing professional development should be part of your career plans no matter what stage you’re at. Keeping your skills current can help you stay competitive and make sure you’ll be an asset to any employer.

Review some practical ways to stay sharp here

Overcome Procrastination

Procrastination is detrimental to efforts in gaining employment and in career change. Many procrastinate, even fewer recognize it.

 Many have forgotten the negative consequences of procrastinating such as feelings of anxiety and stress, fatigue, and disappointment from falling below their own standards . Leaving things to the end dramatically increases the chances something will go wrong – like getting sick or a computer problem . So, procrastination can be hard on us and actually increase our chances of failing and falling behind.

If this is a problem you may have acquired in school, see a discussion here.

Career Change Planning

There are many reasons that people face career change. Sometimes career change can comes as the result of a long anticipated layoff while other times it can occur suddenly without warning. But don’t think you’re alone. Know that career change (not job change) happens to everyone sooner or later. The average job-seeker will change careers several times over the course of a lifetime. Whatever the reason, the key to having a successful career change is having a good plan. 

See several steps you should follow in order to have successful career change here.

Fill in with a Part Time Job

Part time jobs can supplement your current job or be a fill in while unemployed. If unemployed recognize that the benefits you receive are partly reduced by your income. If you may be out of work for some time, your benefits could be stretched for a longer time before expiring.

Part time work may provide you with funds to pay down credit cards., or some other specific financial objective.

For an on-line source of part time jobs visit the site here.

Best Jobs in America

It is in your best interest to actively manage and monitor your career. Whether employed, looking for work or a new career, being aware of the jobs market place is prudent. 

The job market’s getting stronger, to find America's Best Jobs this year, analysts reviewed professions that offer great growth opportunities, and that are satisfying as well. Other big factors considered: pay (how strong it is now, and how fast it's growing) and how many jobs are in the field overall. Also included weighed how meaningful or low stress a job is, how difficult it is to enter the field, the likelihood of moving up the ladder and, where possible, the ability to telecommute. 

See the listing of the 100 top ranking jobs in America here.

Finding a Job Can Take So Long

Finding a job often takes much longer than job seekers expect. 

The rule of thumb is to plan for at least one month of job searching for every $10,000 of salary desired. This means that a job seeker who expects to earn $60,000 needs to prepare for a six-month-long job search or more. 

Why does finding a job take so long? See the complete article here.

New Year Trends for Resumes

Technology seems to change everything in the marketplace every few years, and it should be no surprise that resumes are reflecting those changes. 

Stay up to date in your job search and make sure you are keeping up with resume trends and career-search innovations. 

Review seven of the top resume trends expected to become prevalent in 2015 here. 

When it pays to work for free

Some people will tell you it’s never, ever worth it to work for free.  But it’s perfectly acceptable to do career-related work without pay – IF you derive some other career-related benefit from it.

It could be keeping up a skill, or having the opportunity to work for your potential dream client, or flexing a creative muscle you haven’t been able to use in a while.

Working for free is something to consider, especially if you’re out of the workforce, looking to go back after a long break, or contemplating switching careers. It could benefit anyone else who lacks the relevant experience or current skills they need for the job they want. For further ideas, see the article here.

Job Search #11: References and Recommendations

There are several support documents you may have need of; a list of references and letters of recommendation to use in your successful interview.  These are not commonly provided with your resume, but held and made available when asked. That said, since it involves others, you must plan ahead; these are not things you can do alone or on short notice.

For reference letter samples and how to request and write recommendation letters, see the complete source here.