 Greetings BIZMAN ASSOCIATES This is just a quick note to wish you HAPPY HOLIDAYS and thank everyone who completed the online survey I mentioned in my last email. I'll share all of the responses with you next month (even the uncensored comments of someone who thinks I'm a scammer trying to profit off the unemployed). If you haven't taken the survey yet, there's still time (I'll close it down on January 5). Please go here to take the survey. To show my appreciation for taking the time to complete the survey, here are five great F*REE resources I hope you'll enjoy: BUSINESS CARDS. A business card with your name, e-mail address, and phone number can come in handy in all kinds of situations. Instead of scribbling your contact info on a napkin or the back of a receipt, hand out your card and make a better impression! Click here to order f*ree customized business cards from VistaPrint. BOOK EXCERPT. Get a 50-page excerpt from Ford R. Myers' best-selling book, "Get The Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring," along with three other gifts to help with your job search by clicking here. RESUME KIT. It's from AARP, but anyone of any age can benefit from the great tips in this kit. grab it by clicking here. JOB SEARCH TIPS. Get the ebook, "100 Job Search Tips From Fortune 500 Recruiters," by clicking here. HEADHUNTER HIRING SECRETS. Get a digital version of the popular book, "Headhunter Hiring Secrets" (available on Amazon.com) by providing your name and email address here. I hope 2011 is your best year ever! Thanks again! Bonnie Lowe-Commotion Publications You are subscribed to Career-Life Times. The back issues are at the following URL... http://www.best-interview-strategies.com/CareerLife_Times-backissues.html If you wish to remove yourself from this mailing, please click on the following URL... http://best-interview-strategies.com/cgi-bin/mailout/mailmgr.cgi?us=LQ.21137244.22982631.448b7ab04d6719e76f42a6c18eabc462 (If the above URL is not a link, copy-and-paste the URL into your Web browser. That will confirm your removal.) To change your e-mail address, please click on the following URL... http://best-interview-strategies.com/cgi-bin/mailout/mailmgr.cgi?ca=LQ.21137244.22982631.448b7ab04d6719e76f42a6c18eabc462 (If the above URL is not a link, copy-and-paste the URL into your Web browser. That will confirm your change.) |
Thanks & Gifts! [Career-LifeTimes]
Can you do me a favor Re: Career-LifeTimes?
 Greetings BIZMAN ASSOCIATES Instead of sending you my normal monthly "Career-Life Times" newsletter, I'm asking for your help. Can you please do me a favor and take a quick online survey about my newsletter? There are only nine questions and it will only take a few minutes, but your answers will be very valuable to me. I've made a few New Year's Resolutions for 2011, and one of them involves serving YOU better. I'd really appreciate your input on how you'd like me to do that. Please complete the survey to help me help you. All responses are anonymous, so feel free to be "brutally honest" when leaving your comments. Click here to take the survey. Thank you very much, and have a wonderful holiday season! Bonnie Bonnie@Best-Interview-Strategies.com Lowe-Commotion Publications You are subscribed to Career-Life Times. The back issues are at the following URL... http://www.best-interview-strategies.com/CareerLife_Times-backissues.html If you wish to remove yourself from this mailing, please click on the following URL... http://best-interview-strategies.com/cgi-bin/mailout/mailmgr.cgi?us=LQ.21136643.22982631.7db86a0f1ad5ac6f937c697ab1b1e005 (If the above URL is not a link, copy-and-paste the URL into your Web browser. That will confirm your removal.) To change your e-mail address, please click on the following URL... http://best-interview-strategies.com/cgi-bin/mailout/mailmgr.cgi?ca=LQ.21136643.22982631.7db86a0f1ad5ac6f937c697ab1b1e005 (If the above URL is not a link, copy-and-paste the URL into your Web browser. That will confirm your change.) |
Career-Life Times, Issue #70-- Video: How to Create Attention-Grabbing Cover Letters
 Greetings BIZMAN ASSOCIATES
Do you need a cover letter when submitting your resume? In my opinion: YES! Just as people read the cover of a book to determine whether or not it's one they want to buy, hiring managers, HR professionals and recruiters like to read a cover letter to determine whether or not to spend time looking at your resume. But here's the thing: it must be an effective cover letter. It must grab their attention and make them want to learn more about you. Most cover letters fail to do this. I created a video that provides helpful tips on how you can create effective, attention-grabbing cover letters to stand out among all the other candidates. Please go to my blog to view the video: Click here to watch "How to Create Attention-Grabbing Videos". I'd appreciate your feedback on that video. It's a new media for me, so I'd love to know what you think...if you like the content, and if you like the fact that it's provided in video form instead of as an article. Should I do more videos? Let me know, okay? Thanks!
Here's a big mistake many people make at the end of their job interview: instead of saying they want the job, they allow the hiring manager to assume they want it. Their logic goes like this: "The hiring manager already knows I want the job. If I didn't want the job, I wouldn't have applied and interviewed for it. There's no need to state the obvious." But here's what you need to keep in mind: a job interview is a two-way process. The hiring manager evaluates the candidates, and the candidates evaluate the position, the company, and the hiring manager. Even in today's ugly economy, candidates often decide during the interview that they would NOT want the job. Perhaps after hearing more about the duties they decided they would not enjoy the work. Perhaps the hiring manager seemed like a mean person. Perhaps the zombie-like stares of current employees shuffling down the hallway scared the crap out of them. There are many reasons why a job you applied and interviewed for may NOT be one that's right for you. Hiring managers know this; they will rarely assume you really want the job just because you interviewed for it. They need to hear you say it. If you DO want the job, make that very clear before you leave the interview. Shake the interviewer's hand, look him/her in the eye, smile and say, "Thank you very much for your consideration. I'm definitely interested in working here and would love to be a member of your team. What are the next steps?" Or even simpler: "Just so we're clear, I want this job. What are the next steps?" Oh, and say it again when you send your thank-you note immediately after the interview. (You WILL send a thank-you note, right?)
Before going into your next job interview, check your shoulders. No, not for dandruff (although that might not be a bad idea)... for a chip. For the benefit of the many non-native-English speakers who read this newsletter: saying someone "has a chip on his shoulder" means he is resentful, frustrated, or angry about something, feels that he has been treated badly, and may be looking for a fight (figuratively or literally). (I say "he," but this applies to women, as well.) Due to the poor economy, many people are extremely frustrated because they have lost their jobs and can't find work. People who are frustrated and upset often find it difficult to control their emotions. Even worse, they sometimes lash out at innocent bystanders. We've all done it to one extent or another. You can probably relate to this scenario: you wake up with a terrible headache, drop a cup of hot coffee in your lap on the way to work, get pulled over and ticketed by a cop, walk through a puddle on your way into the office (in your new shoes), hear a cheerful "Good morning!" from your coworker -- and respond by screaming, "What's so damn good about it?!?" Okay, maybe you wouldn't do something like that. But some people would. They don't mean to be mean, but because they are upset, they take their frustrations out on others, particularly when they feel they have no control over the situation that is causing their frustration. They have a chip on their shoulder. If they go into a job interview without getting rid of it, there is little chance they'll get the job. They may smile and try to hide the chip, but a positive, enthusiastic attitude is hard to fake. Before going to a job interview, do a self-assessment. Are you frustrated? Angry? Upset? If the answer is yes, change your attitude before the interview. I realize that's easy to say, but not easy to do. But if you are AWARE of your emotional state, that's a step in the right direction, and additional steps will be easier. Before your interview, consciously try to put yourself into a good mood. Do something you enjoy. Play with your children (or a pet). Listen to upbeat music or a funny audio recording. Think about things that make you happy. Yes, "Think happy thoughts" is trite, but doing it really can work wonders. Attitude is so important during a job interview. Get rid of the chip on your shoulder. Do your best to make sure your attitude is "adjusted" and you're in the right frame of mind before you walk into the job interview.
1. The Bonnie Lowe Daily. There's a cool service provided by paper.li that allows people to create a daily summary ("paper") of information posted by those they're following on Twitter. I follow many career experts (and other interesting people) on Twitter, and you can subscribe to my paper to receive a summary with links to helpful articles each day. You can also create your own paper. This service is f*r*e*e. To see what I'm talking about, click here to read The Bonnie Lowe Daily. If you like it, click on the Subscribe button you'll see in its black navigation bar. 2. Top 10 Job Search Blunders This article (and many other good ones) is at bnet.com, the CBS Interactive Business Network. To read about each of the 10 blunders, you need to click on the photo thumbnails at the bottom of the article, but the content is worth that little hassle. Click here to read "Top 10 Job Search Blunders". 3. More Articles. You can find more articles by going to my online Article Index. Here are two new ones you might enjoy:
And from my blog:
4. The Best Career Strategies of 2010. If you haven't already grabbed this f*ree report I compiled that's loaded with helpful career tips from dozens of experts, you can get it here: F*ree Report. 5. The Job Interview Success System. The job market is getting better, but it still sucks. You don't have to go it alone. Get step-by-step help and a big advantage over your competition with my job-winning System. Read all the details here: Job Interview Success System.
"The man who does more than he is paid for
Thirteen Thoughts to Make You Smile 1. My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God and I didn't.
Thanks for reading this issue. If you have any comments or questions, please let me know: Bonnie@Best-Interview-Strategies.com Feel free to forward this to your friends! Thanks! P.P.S. To prevent your email service provider's spam filter from interrupting delivery or this newsletter to your email inbox, please add Bonnie@Best-Interview-Strategies.com to your address book or "safe list." Bonnie Lowe-Commotion Publications |
Career-Life Times, Issue #69-- Stress-Relieving Silly Interview Tips
 Greetings BIZMAN ASSOCIATES
Imagine you want to find a new doctor, and you've narrowed your choice to two possibilities: Doctor Smith and Doctor Jones. You've researched their backgrounds and determined they are equally qualified. You decide to get a physical check-up by each of them so you can compare their abilities first-hand. During your check-ups, you ask each doctor about his qualifications. Doctor Smith speaks at length about his experience and achievements, telling you all about the commendations he's received, the internship he completed at the prestigious Mayo Clinic, his memberships in various medical associations, and his appointment to a special hospital oversight board. He tells you he is the most qualified doctor in the state. By the time he's finished telling you all about himself, your check-up is done and the appointment is over. He seems a bit arrogant, but his credentials are impressive. You now know a lot about him. Doctor Jones, on the other hand, gives only brief answers to your questions about his qualifications. He spends most of your appointment time asking you questions about your medical history and overall health, listening carefully to your answers, and giving you helpful advice. After you mention your occasional back pain, for example, he asks about your job and then recommends ergonomic improvements to your work station as well as specific stretching exercises to prevent your pain from coming back. By the time you're finished telling him all about yourself, your check-up is done and the appointment is over. He seems genuinely interested in you and your well-being. He now knows a lot about you. You asked them the same questions. Doctor Smith focused on himself. Doctor Jones focused on you. Which doctor would you choose? Most people would choose Doctor Jones. People (even shy ones) enjoy talking about themselves to someone like Doctor Jones who listens, cares, and helps to solve their problems. Another characteristic most people share is always wanting to know, "What's in it for me?" People make decisions and take actions based primarily on how the outcome will impact their wants and needs. This isn't selfish; it's natural and necessary for survival. Guess what--hiring managers are people, too. During a job interview, you'll be answering questions designed to help the hiring manager determine if you're the best candidate for the job. You have to focus on yourself, right? Yes and no. You can turn the tables at the interview, put the focus on THEM, and be more like Doctor Jones than Doctor Smith. First, do extensive research on the company, the position for which you're applying, and the hiring manager, if possible. Your goal is to determine how you can help them achieve their mission and objectives--or how you can offer ideas, suggestions, and solutions for challenges they may be facing. Then anticipate likely interview questions and design your answers to address their (usually unspoken) desire to know "What's in it for me?" For example, let's say that during your research you found out that the company will soon be implementing a number of "green" initiatives to help protect the environment. It's a company-wide program and every manager (including the one who will be interviewing you) will be involved. During the interview, when asked to "Tell me a little about yourself," you could include a sentence or two about how you're very interested in "green" issues and have always wanted to work for a company that is taking action to protect the environment. That answer seems to be focused on you, but it's actually focused on the hiring manager, who will be thinking "This person will be eager to help me with that company-wide 'green' program I've been stuck with." See how it provides an answer for his "What's in it for me?" question? Try to incorporate into your answers information about how you will be able to help the company and the hiring manager with issues that are important to THEM. With a little determination, you can do this with virtually any question. Even one like "What's your greatest weakness?" You could say "I've always had a somewhat poor memory. I'd forget my mom's birthday if I didn't write it on the calendar. That's why I always use detailed checklists so I can keep track of all details and never miss a deadline. This practice really came in handy when I volunteered to organize XYZ Company's Earth Day Festival last year that showcased their environmental initiatives to more than 10,000 people." See? You're answering a question about yourself, but including information relevant to one of the hiring manager's self-interests. He now knows you have experience with planning environmental events, even though it may never have occurred to him to ask you about that. Even though both examples I gave are related to the same issue (environment), try to identify more than one issue and plan to address each through different answers to anticipated questions. Remember, prepare and practice your answers! Now, let's go back to the fact that people like to talk about themselves to someone who listens and cares. Typically during a job interview, you'll be asked if you have any questions. This is when you get the hiring manager to talk about him/herself and topics he/she would enjoy telling you about. Questions you might ask include: What do you enjoy most about working here? What attracted you to this line of work? How did you win the Whatzit Award? (Something about him/her based on your research or what you see in his/her office.) Listen carefully and show genuine interest. If the hiring manager mentions something you have in common, briefly acknowledge that common interest, but avoid the temptation to start talking about yourself. Remember, you goal is to let the hiring manager enjoy doing the talking. Smile, nod, and ask follow-up questions to show that you're fascinated by whatever he/she is saying. This will put the hiring manager in a great mood, and he/she will relate that happy feeling to you. Yes, this process of focusing on THEM instead of just yourself during the job interview is a lot more work. But I guarantee it will make you stand out from all the other candidates who focus only on themselves!
Got a job interview coming up? I know they can be stressful, so here's a list of interview tips designed only to make you laugh... NOT to be used in an actual interview! 1. Be fashionably late (about 15 minutes) for your interview. Punctuality is for wimps. 2. Be sure to start off the interview by making your demands known right up front. No sense wasting time if they're not going to give you the penthouse office, Mercedes company car, offshore account for your monthly bonuses, and private masseuse you deserve. 3. If you forget the interviewer's name, just call him Slick. If it's a woman, use Sweet Thing. Or vice versa. 4. Speak softly; a whisper is best. You want the interviewer listening as carefully as possible to everything you say. 5. If you don't know the answer to a question, change the subject by saying, "That's a very interesting question. Wow, those are some big feet! What size shoes do you wear?" 6. Bring a bag of peanuts to munch on during the interview (after all, you don't want your stomach to growl!). Be considerate; don't toss the empty shells on the floor, pile them neatly on the interviewer's desk. 7. When asked a stupid question like "If you were a bird, what kind of bird would you be?" respond with an equally stupid answer like "I'd be an ostrich, so I could leave the biggest possible pile of bird crap on your list of questions." 8. When asked about your experience, keep details to a minimum. Everyone loves a good mystery! Use vague sentences such as "I took care of things. It's best that you don't know too much," and then wink and aim your finger gun at them. 9. Show how cool you are by using these phrases as often as possible: "Don't get all salty on me! Ya feel me? My last boss was a real cheeseball. I'll blitz you refs. Hey, I'm late for my tweetup!" 10. Finally, disregard all these "tips" and ace your next interview!
According to the United Nations Environment Program, a green job, or a green-collar job is one that helps protect and preserve biodiversity and ecosystems. Green workers reduce materials, water consumption, and energy by increasing resource efficiency. These jobs are minimize pollution and all forms of waste. Below are the top five Green jobs available in America today. 1. Farmer - Do you know the shocking truth about farmers in America? There are only 2 million, and their average age is 55. This market is screaming for more workers on the local and small scale, particularly for young farmers who know organic production methods and avoid the use of pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizer. The U.S. Job market has capacity for ten million farmers. However, the job is not as easy at it might seem to some. Modern farmers must be skilled businesspersons knowledgeable in heirloom genetics and marketing. 2. Energy Efficiency Builder - In the US, buildings actually account for 48% of greenhouse emissions and energy use. We are way behind the rest of the world in this. Switzerland and Germany, for instance, use 75% to 95% less heat energy than a building built to environmental code in the U.S. There is a huge opportunity here for one of the major green building certifications today. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) has given accreditation to more then 43,000 professionals. When the U.S. standards get stricter, the country will need a workforce of retrofitters to go with its millions of engineers and architects. 3. Urban Planners - The linchpin of America's campaign to lower its carbon footprint. Urban planners will help us reduce our use of cars and encourage the utilization of bicycles. They will also strengthen mass transit, limit sprawl, and help us plan for heat wave, garbage creep, and flooding contingencies. 4. Recycling Professional - More than 1 million recycling jobs are available in America. A shocking number of people engaged in this area have been continuing to grow. This is primarily because recycling still continues to be the most economical alternative to high disposal fees. Hiring in this sector will always be active. 5. Solar Power Installer - There are 770, 000 jobs worldwide for installing and making solar power systems. Opportunities for this work are still relatively high and high paying too. In fact at the present, 3,400 companies are still employing power installers--some as many as 35,000 workers in one company! This job will definitely promote the welfare of the environment and the economic sectors, and the job prospects of its skilled workers. While we continue to face a recession and our young adults decide which jobs will be available when they graduate from college, green jobs are looking more attractive all the time. Jeff Deutsch is an environmentalist and resident of one of America's fastest-greening states, New Jersey. He works for the environmentally friendly NJ electrician Vetter Electric. He also provides free info on the environment from an electrician's perspective on his blog, ElectricianInNJ.com.
1. JOBSPICE. I recently received the following email: Dear Bonnie, My name is Andrea Simmons, and I'm a huge fan of your blog! I graduated from Seattle University, and started reading it when I was doing my own job search! Since then I have joined a small startup company that helps students (and professionals) build great-looking resumes in 15 minutes and then publish them online. Anyway, your recent blog post on 'When Does Your Interview Really Begin' was so totally relevant to what we've been working on here at JobSpice that I felt I had to write you and tell you what we've been up to (as I agree that the interview starts way before the actual meeting; I think it starts with the resume). In the last few months, we've gotten dozens of large universities, (Northwestern, University of Washington, ASU and more) signed up to use JobSpice, and we're expecting about 250,000 students to have accounts on the site this Fall. But we want to do more than help students build resumes. In the feedback we've gotten from students who are already using the site, most say that they love the ability to post their resumes online and then tweet the URL to friends or potential employers. I just thought I would write to you to tell you about all that JobSpice has been up to because I feel our web application could really benefit your readers! Anyway, I'd love to hear back from you and hear your thoughts on what you thought of JobSpice.com and the ease of building a resume with our web application. I'd really appreciate your advice! I receive many solicitations to promote other sites, and to be frank, most of them are crap (the solicitations and the sites themselves). But Andrea is one smart cookie. Her email to me was NOT a "canned" generic request like 99% are; she made it obvious she'd actually read my blog; and she appealed to my ego by paying me a compliment before making her request. How could I refuse? I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. JobSpice enables you to quickly create an attractively formatted resume by following the prompts and filling in the blanks. You can choose from several format designs. The prompts guide you on the type of content to consider including in your resume. So I like the resume-builder at JobSpice. But I also like the fact that JobSpice includes helpful articles on topics like making the resume CONTENT more effective. The best resume design/creation tool in the world won't help a clueless job seeker to get hired if he/she doesn't understand how to effectively communicate accomplishments. If you decide to use JobSpice to build your resume, be sure to read the articles on its blog first. I do recommend JobSpice. It's a useful, and even fun way to create and post your resume. It has a F*REE trial, and if you like it, it's only $20 for a year of service. That seems like quite a bargain to me. I suspect they'll raise the price as their service gains in popularity. Check it out here: JobSpice.com. 2. CITYTOWNINFO. This is a very useful site. CityTownInfo is the leading online resource for in-depth information and analysis on U.S. cities, communities, careers, colleges, and more. It provides an incredible amount of helpful information, including detailed career profiles. If you're considering a new career, moving to a new city, or going back to school, this site should be your first stop. Go to CityTownInfo.com. 3. The Best Career Strategies of 2010. If you haven't already grabbed this f*ree report I compiled that's loaded with helpful career tips from dozens of experts, you can get it here: F*ree Report. 4. The Job Interview Success System. The job market is getting better, but it still sucks. You don't have to go it alone. Get step-by-step help and a big advantage over your competition with my job-winning System. Read all the details here: Job Interview Success System.
"When I was a young man, I observed that
Office Visit Resolving to surprise her husband, an executive's wife stopped by his office. She found him with his secretary sitting in his lap. Without hesitating, he dictated, "...and in conclusion, gentlemen, shortage or no shortage, I cannot continue to operate this office with just one chair.
Thanks for reading this issue. If you have any comments or questions, please let me know: Bonnie@Best-Interview-Strategies.com Feel free to forward this to your friends! Thanks! P.P.S. To prevent your email service provider's spam filter from interrupting delivery or this newsletter to your email inbox, please add Bonnie@Best-Interview-Strategies.com to your address book or "safe list." Bonnie Lowe-Commotion Publications |
Welcome to Career-Life Times
Welcome to Career-Life Times.
Your subscription will start with the next issue.
If you'd like to start *NOW*, the back issues are at...
http://www.best-interview-strategies.com/CareerLife_Times-backissues.html
I hope you enjoy the e-zine as much as I do writing it.
Wishing you all the best,
Bonnie Lowe
http://www.best-interview-strategies.com
BIZMAN ASSOCIATES, Career-Life Times Unsubscribed
This note is just to confirm that we have deleted your
address from Career-Life Times.
We send this notification just in case someone unsubscribed
you without your knowledge.
If you have a moment, I'd love to hear how we did *not* meet
your needs. I am always looking for ways to improve this
e-zine. So please just hit the REPLY button and let me know.
Don't pull any punches -- the truth is the best way to learn.
Thank you for your time with us,
Bonnie Lowe
http://www.best-interview-strategies.com
Career-Life Times, Issue #65--Do These Job Interview Clothes Make My Butt Look Big?
 Greetings BIZMAN ASSOCIATES You should click on the birdie to... 
"What should I wear to my interview?" If you have a job interview coming up, that question has undoubtedly popped into your head. I wrote an article a while back that covers the basics: Plan Your Appearance to Make a Great First Impression. As you know, the clothes you wear to a job interview can create a good--or bad--impression about you. Here are a few additional things to keep in mind: 1. Dress comfortably... to a point. One of the biggest challenges during a job interview is remaining calm and relaxed. The clothes you wear can have a big impact upon how relaxed you are, and how natural you look. If you are happy with how you look and feel, it will reflect on how you act, and the interviewer will perceive you as being calm and confident. Having said that, don't take it to extremes. Showing up in your sweats is definitely NOT a good idea. Follow the general guidelines of the earlier article referenced above. But if you have a choice between outfits that are appropriate, wear the most comfortable one. 2. Realize that clothes put you into context. As much as we all like to talk about not judging a book by its cover, the truth is this: your appearance says a lot about who you are and what people will think of you. The clothes you wear to your job interview will convey a meaning to people and they'll form an opinion about you based on the image you've created. So think carefully about the image you wish to project, and then communicate that through the clothes you wear. 3. Consider dark and plain clothes. Besides being conservative (usually a good thing for job interviews), a simple, dark suit, pantsuit or dress allows the real focus to be where you want it--on your face. An added bonus of dark clothes is that they tend to make you look slimmer (your butt might not look too big). Exception: There's no way to put this delicately, but if you have a dandruff problem and can't resolve it before your interview, do NOT wear a dark color that will make every flake visible. Watch out for crazy patterns, lines, dots or bright colors. Understated basics allow YOU (instead of your clothes) to shine. 4. Don't play the skin game. (This is for women): If your outfit leaves too much skin exposed (especially cleavage or legs), don't be surprised if the interviewer gets distracted from the main focal point of the interivew – YOU. As a consequence of that distraction, it's likely that you'll be viewed as unprofessional; you won't be taken seriously; you probably won't get the job. Keep those points in mind, along with the tips in my previous article, and you'll know how to dress to impress at your next job interview!
Have you considered including a few references on your résumé? Don't do it. Here's why: 1. Your résumé may be circulated or posted online. Your references won't want their contact information so readily available to everyone. You can give your résumé to anyone who wants it, but you shouldn't give out your references' contact info so carelessly. 2. You don't want hiring managers contacting your references until you're sure you want to work for them. You usually don't know that until after your interview. 3. You need to use the limited space on your résumé for information about YOU and your accomplishments, not for a list of people who know you. NOTE: If you're sure the hiring manager knows one of your references, do a little name dropping. Include that reference's name in your cover letter to boost your chances of getting the interview, especially if that reference recommended that you apply for the job. (For example: "Joe Smith recommended that I apply for this position.") But don't include references on your résumé. (Exception: Some government agencies demand that references be listed on the initial job application. In this case, follow the instructions.) Also, don't bother including "References available upon request." The ability to provide a reference list is assumed by employers, so there's no reason to take up valuable résumé space with that sentence. Do keep a separate document with your references (typically three professional references and three character references) and provide it when requested. Like your résumé, review this document often. Contact your references from time to time to ensure that you have their current contact information, to give them a heads-up when you're interviewing, and to thank them again for being a reference. Bring this document with you and offer it as the interview is concluding (whether it is requiested or not).
I usually say there's no such thing as a bad job interview, because each one is an opportunity to practice, learn, and improve your interviewing skills. But there are exceptions. Here are 5 signs that the job interview is not going well and you should exit as quickly as possible: 1. The interviewer can't remember the name of the company she works for. 2. The interviewer asks only personal questions that have nothing to do with the job ("Are you married? Do you come here often? What's your sign? Want to pose for our calendar?"). 3. The interview answers all of your questions about the position with, "I'm sorry. That information is confidential. If I told you, I'd have to kill you." 4. There are mouse traps all over the place and the interviewer asks if you're immune to the Hantavirus. 5. The interviewer's eyes have a red glow, there's a faint smell of sulphur in the air, and his opening remarks are "How badly do you want this job? Perhaps we can make a deal." OK, those are (mostly) silly examples, but my point is serious: If you have weird feelings or nagging doubts about the job or the person conducting the interview, don't ignore them. Listen to your gut, your instinct, your sixth sense. Analyze what it is that's making you feel uncomfortable, and take appropriate action--even if that action is walking out.
Thousands of job seekers make these mistakes. Are you making them too? 1. FORGETTING TO INCLUDE A COVER LETTER Not attaching a cover letter to a resume is like shooting in the dark. Hiring managers receive hundreds of unsolicited resumes every week. Tell them specifically what opening you are applying to or the position you're inquiring about. Do not assume they will figure it out from your resume. 2. USING AN OBJECTIVE Point blank, objectives are bad form, self-serving, and will get you nowhere in this job market. Instead of telling the employer what you want, show them what you can do. When you buy something, the store doesn't tell you what they want from you. You know what they want; they want your business and your money. Employers know what you want-you want a job. Instead, utilize a career summary that will 'show' (not just 'tell') the employer how you can meet their needs. And include a completely customized personal branding statement. 3. UTILIZING HEADERS VERSUS YOUR TARGET JOB TITLE AND PERSONAL BRAND Titling sections with headers (career summary, qualifications summary) uses up valuable real estate on your resume-space you could be using to advertise your unique value, talent, passion, and vision. Instead, create a catchy personal branding statement that immediately tells the employer who you are and what you have to offer. 4. LEAVING OUT INDUSTRY SPECIFIC KEYWORDS Forget keywords and you're neglecting all three of the audiences that will be reviewing your resume. Even worse, you're excluding yourself from being found in candidate databases, job search engines, social networks, and more. First, your resume has to make it through the software scan, then the secretary or administrative assistant scan, then on to the hiring manager who actually knows what you're doing and how you are supposed to do it. You NEED the right keywords. Here's a hint: check the job description. They are in there; I guarantee it. 5. PROOFREAD, SLEEP, PROOFREAD, AND GO BACKWARDS One small mistake and you're out of the running. Proofread your documents carefully. Take a night to sleep on it, and then read it again. When you go back to read the resume the second time read it backwards one word at a time. Experts say this simple trick will catch any mistakes you would normally read right over. Use this checklist to determine if your resume passes the "basics" test. Best wishes in your job search. To receive a free resume analysis, send your resume to info@greatresumesfast.com or visit us online at www.GreatResumesFast.com
More Articles. You can find more articles by going to my online Article Index. Here are some new ones you might enjoy:
Free Book: "Get Job Leads FAST Using Twitter". Career expert Teena Rose has written a very handy guide that explains how to use Twitter to network, mine the new "underground" for jobs, and connect directly with recruiters. For a limited time, she's giving it away for f*ree. All you have to do is follow her on Twitter or sign up to receive email updates from her (I recommend you do both). To get Teena's f*ree Twitter ebook, go to Get Jobs Fast Using Twitter. My Blog: BestCareerStrategies.com. More career-related articles and tips! Please pop in for a visit and let me know what you think: BestCareerStrategies.com. New Job Board. Because I receive so many inquiries asking about job openings, I decided to incorporate a Job Board with my website. It's f*ree, easy to use, and offers information on current jobs in your area. Check it out here: Best Strategies Job Board The Job Interview Success System. The job market is getting better, but it still sucks. You don't have to go it alone. Get step-by-step help and a big advantage over your competition with my System. Read all the details here: Job Interview Success System.
"The people who get on in this world
Kids Are Funny A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it and I would turn red in the face." "Yes," the class said. "Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position, the blood doesn't run into my feet?" A little boy shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty!"
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note and posted it on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching." Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written and posted this note: "Take all you want. God is watching the apples."
So, what did you think of this issue? Any suggestions? Topic ideas? Questions? I really appreciate your feedback. Please send me a note at Bonnie@Best-Interview-Strategies.com Please forward this to your friends! Thanks! P.S. To prevent your email service provider's spam filter from interrupting delivery or this newsletter to your email inbox, please add Bonnie@Best-Interview-Strategies.com to your address book or "safe list." P.S.S. I apologize for the glitches (especially in links) you may see if you receive this as straight text. If you can receive your email in HTML format, choose that and it'll look better. (There may still be some odd formatting quirks, though.) Bonnie Lowe-Commotion Publications |
Welcome to Career-Life Times
Welcome to Career-Life Times.
Your subscription will start with the next issue.
If you'd like to start *NOW*, the back issues are at...
http://www.best-interview-strategies.com/CareerLife_Times-backissues.html
I hope you enjoy the e-zine as much as I do writing it.
Wishing you all the best,
Bonnie Lowe
http://www.best-interview-strategies.com
BIZMAN ASSOCIATES, Please Confirm Your Career-Life Times Subscription...
Thank you for subscribing to Career-Life Times.
Please click on the following URL to confirm your subscription...
http://best-interview-strategies.com/cgi-bin/mailout/mailmgr.cgi?cc=H.CM.23324754.22982631.1055cfcbd94aaca74810460899738fdc
(If the above URL is not a link, copy-and-paste the URL into your
Web browser. That will confirm your subscription.)
We put this safety mechanism in place to make sure that no
one subscribed your e-mail address without you knowing about
it. As soon as you activate your subscription above, you will be
queued to receive our newsletter.
All the best,
Bonnie Lowe
http://www.best-interview-strategies.com
---------------------------------------------------------
Notice from SiteSell.com, administrators of this e-zine...
If you did not subscribe to this newsletter, then someone
tried to subscribe you without your permission. That is the
only way to receive this notification. If you do not wish to
receive any issues of our newsletter, do not confirm your
subscription. Simply delete this notice.
If you never want to receive e-mail from this site again,
please click on the following URL to block all e-mails from
this site...
http://best-interview-strategies.com/cgi-bin/mailout/mailmgr.cgi?bl=CM.23324754.22982631.1055cfcbd94aaca74810460899738fdc
(If the above URL is not a link, copy-and-paste the URL
into your Web browser. That will confirm the block.)
---------------------------------------------------------
[Job Interview & Career Guide] Mailing list subscription
Thank you for subscribing to the Newsletter of Job Interview & Career Blog.
I will do my best to provide unique and interesting material for you.
Take a bonus - free career assessment. Check here http://www.job-interview-site.com/online-career-assessment-test-top-career-assessment-tool-in-the-market