Acing the interview

Reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows employers are still cautious about hiring. So it's more important than ever to really wow a potential employer.

Here are 5 Tips to help you put your best food forward and nail that interview.

1. It's not all about you. What is it that they need? What is it that their company needs?
2. Understand how work life has changed. Employers don't want to hear that you can't compromise or be flexible -- especially in a time when companies are forced to do more with less staff.
3. Practice makes perfect. You need to have more than one answer for any question you're going to be asked.
4. Consider easing in. If there's a way to do an interim or project-focused job, it could be your chance to show them what you're made of.
5. Leave money for last. People can easily get filtered out if they start setting limits about what they will do and how much they'll do it for. 

If these tips make sense, get more details here.

Get HR on Your Side

Employers are dealing with more job applicants than ever. With thousands of submissions for a single vacancy, companies must be more diligent when sorting the wheat from the chaff. Many rely on HR managers to screen out applicants who aren't qualified for the job or a good fit for the company. This step may feel like a roadblock to you as the applicant, but there are good reasons companies do it. Instead of thinking, "Ugh, I have to talk to HR," focus on how you can work with the department to pass this critical hurdle.

If you are called for a phone interview, or better yet one in person, you have passed a significant hurdle. You have made contact. For some good pointers on handling this level of interview view the complete article here.

Show Confidence with Body Language

How do you look? What message do you communicate the moment you walk into a room? What are your eyes, hands and shoulders saying? What information can people gather about you before you ever say a word?

People read your body language, often via instinct and without thinking. It’s because our poses and postures are a great source of information. They reflect our mood and our confidence level. With a little practice, we can learn the tips to show confidence through body language so that we always appear confident, capable and ready.

If this sounds interesting or you are just curious, find 10 tips for body language here.

How to stay optimistic

The holiday season is not noted for much hiring. The corporate focus is preparing for the next year in many ways, but not necessarily with interviews. Building a Support System Being in a job search for long period of time can be mentally draining and physically taxing.  Seeking support from friends, family or professional help may also may not generate much response for your search efforts. Regardless, you need to remain optimistic.  Consider the following suggestions:

1. Build a Support System
2. Volunteer – Do Something you Like/Love
3. Be Inspired, Remain Motivated
4. Define Goals – Be Practical
5. Meet Friends – Network
6. Practice Positive Affirmations

For more info about how to achieve this optimism, click here.

Ask Better Interview Questions

So, the resume you slaved over for weeks and the expertly tailored cover letter landed this interview.  You have answered all their questions in confident detail, you feel great. Their next question: ‘Do you have any questions for us?’  It has all gone so well, and you say…‘No’. BAD MOVE!

This was your chance to take control, to direct part of the conversation to your benefit. Your prior research on the company should give you some good discussion points. Ask short but thoughtful questions; let the interviewer participate. If you would like to learn 5 techniques for this part of the interview, click here.

Habits That Will Make You Happier

The stress of looking for a new job or the necessity of getting one has a negative effect on your attitude and relationships with others.  Taking some time to review and modify your mental and emotional state is worth the time.  These are stressful times; acknowledge that fact and recognize its effect on you and those around you.

Minor changes in your daily routine will make a major difference in your life and career. Happiness is the only true measure of personal success. Making other people happy is the highest expression of success, but it's almost impossible to make others happy if you're not happy yourself. So if you are open to 9 suggestions that might counter the job search stress, click here.

9 Words to Dump from Your Resume

Think of the hundreds of resumes that cross an HR manager’s desk; a mountain of paperwork they’d rather bypass. But there are subtle ways to make your resume stand out from the rest.
 
One way is to be word wise. But first, the words that need dumping. These are self-aggrandizing words that your references may use to describe you. But if you use them, it sounds like you’re patting yourself on the back. They simply lack objectivity. They’re qualitative and can’t easily be linked to quantitative appraisals of your accomplishments. So, if you are curious about 9 words to dump and 9 to include, see the article here.