by Peter Lloyd for Job Hunting, On the Job
Here in the Talent Centric Blog, I’ve avoided compiling job search questions and offering answers, especially the kinds of answers a lot of employment blogs and websites so confidently provide. On the other hand, there’s value in the Q&A format. Reading Q&As can help a job hunter keep up with trends in employment. At the very least, they reflect what employers expect from resumés, cover letters, interviews, and all the rest.
So instead of adding to the glut of Q&As, let me direct you to two sources on each end of the good of what’s already out there. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Cover Letters, interviewing, Job Hunting, job search, Q&A, resume writing job tip
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by John Owens for Job Hunting
Michael Neece, president of Interview Mastery, suggests you have four objectives in a job interview:
1. Prove you meet the job’s requirements. You must make a case that you have the skills to do the job, including soft or “hidden” requirements such as an ability to learn new information quickly. You must do this for each individual interviewer; find out what’s important to him or her.
2. Communicate clearly. Get your key messages across. Confirm you’re understood accurately.
3. Build rapport. Get your interviewer to recognize you as an “ABC Company type of person.” It’s as simple as getting him or her to like you, and as complex as expressing your values in the context of the company culture. Rapport arises from those subtle clues, as well as from your demeanor.
4. Gather feedback. Get specific feedback from each interviewer at the close of each meeting with questions like, “What strengths do you feel I bring to this position?” or, “What concerns do you have about my background?” You won’t get feedback unless you ask in a professional manner.
Other Things to Keep in Mind
Not surprisingly, employers really like it when you listen. Not only listen, but also clarify the information back as to what you heard. Such as, “Just so I understand, you’re looking for someone with 3 or more years of sales experience. How do you see this experience being best applied to this role?”
Back up your statements with related, specific information. Instead of saying, “I do that all the time…so often in fact, I can’t think of a specific example,” quantify your statement with a story of achievement that outlines the situation, what you did, and what happened.
Convey your most important message. Answering questions with continual affirmation of your most important skills and abilities in relation to the employer’s desired skill set will reinforce your ability to meet the key aspects of the job. For example, if a salesperson’s message is “I regularly develop new business,” then he or she will want to mention “growing sales or developing business” several times during the interview.
Tags: resume, resume writing job tip
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