Stuck on “starter words” when you’re creating a resume?! The link below is an excellent list of action verbs to help describe accomplishments and tasks completed at your current or previous job(s.)
For example:
CLICK HERE: http://www.ship.edu/Career/Action_Verbs/
Often times being unprepared and caught without some crucial items can throw off your confidence level. The better prepared you are, the better you can relax and present yourself as the best solution to the employer’s problem and the tremendous asset you would be to the company! Having the follow items below will help make your interview mroe enjoyable and flow smoother!
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” He can inspire a group only if he himself is filled with confidence and hope of success.” ~Floyd V. Filson
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“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” – Ben Franklin
It is important to be well-prepared for the interview job seekers. Below are a list of item you should carry to your interview.
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There are certain things that an interviewee should avoid saying during an interview. Your statements asked can send and alarm to the interviewer that you may not meet one of the criteria. The things you must avoid are the following:
1. Never Initiate in Salary Discussions or Demands– The interview is not the time to negotiate salary. Salary is generally discussed during your second interview (if conducted) or after you have been offered the position.
2. Health Care Benefits-Frivolous questions about heath care benefits can be distracting to the interviewer and wastes time you could be using to sell your capabilities.
3. Tuition Reimbursement- Many employers ask the question, where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? Perhaps, your desire is to further your education, although avoid asking about tuition reimbursements. Employers may often times touch upon their goals after you’ve been hired, but only after your demonstrate your capable of handling the job at hand will they pursue paying for your degree.
4. Never Give Negative Comments-Never give negative comments about your former co-workers and employees because this makes your negative impact on the interviewer.
5. Holidays and Sick Leave- Never ask about the holiday and sick leave because an employer will think you are more interested in time rather than in job itself.
6. Never say “What is it your company does again?”- You were to have been prepared for the interview, it’s best to know about the company before arriving to the interview.
7. Never Say That You Don’t Have Any Negative Points- The most commonly asked question asked during an interview, list all your negative qualities. For such question you should already have answered in your mind. For example, a weakness may pertain to being disorganized or preferring to work alone, and not team oriented. After expressing your weaknesses that you are working on overcoming your weak points.
8. Never Make Dishonest or Misleading Statements- You want to impress the interviewer, but always remember that a lie never has legs of its own to stand up, while a small truth prevails. Be confident and honest while making your statements during the interview.
Add leverage to your college education! Here is the motivation you’ve been looking for to get the job you want and develop the leadership skills you need. The Bridge the Gap Getaway is a two day retreat session held in Central Pennsylvania that will help you to develop a personalized, long-term success plan to make your best even better. Participants will navigate through their job search process and life as a young professional with established leaders who have built dream jobs in their field. Participants will also have the chance to meet with employers from local companies who are hiring recent grads. Best of all, the program is only $219 (yeah, not much more than last semester’s Statistics text book).
INVEST IN WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU ARE GOING
Sessions highlight:
Personality Profiles: What makes you, personally, a valuable asset to employers and what YOUR leadership style is
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Business Etiquette: Presenting the best version of “you” in all professional ventures, including interviews and networking events
Professional Communication: Conveying your ideas with polished and concise execution
for job search tips & $20 off the registration fee. This 2 day event (June 4th and 5th) is something you don’t want to miss out on… do you want to build the right skills to help achieve your career goals? For more information and registration click the link below! Stand out from the crowd as everyone competes in this tough economy for jobs. Invite a friend to join you. We can’t wait to see you there.
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While the price of a college education rises and money in college students’ pockets is disappearing, a job is usually considered a must-have after the spring semester is complete. Even better than just a job, how about a job that is in your particular field of study, such as an internship. I only speak from experience that an internship has been the most valuable opportunity that I have had in college. Not only are student able to gain tremendous experience in a particular program, but also a great way to build your resume for a future career. Often times an internship can turn into full time position after graduation, which is always a perk. In today’s aggressive market an internship is just as competitive as getting a full/part time job. What are you waiting on juniors and seniors…?
Where can you find reliable career information and advice? Here are some ideas to get you started!
Always remember, you don’t need to have all the answers about your career right away. And while it’s important to investigate possible careers while you are a student, don’t focus too much on this. Enjoy your life as a college student and focus on getting an excellent education. An internship is just one excellent experience that will make you stand out when going for that first interview! Therefore, don’t let the opportunities slide away from your finger tips!
It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect It’s successful outcome.” – William James
Behavioral based interviewing is currently being used worldwide. Behavioral based interviewing is said to be the most accurate predictor in the future performance is past performance in similar situations. Behavioral interviewing, in fact is 55% predictive for future on- the-job behavior, while traditional interviewing is only 10% predictive. Traditional interviewing focused upon very general questions such as; tell me about yourself, what are your strengths and describe a typical work week. Interviewers will still incorporate a few traditional based questions, but they are just to get a feel of the candidate. For example, tell me more about your last job, why did you leave your last job, and why are you interested in this job? Companies are now changing the interview process an interviewing environment. Instead of focusing on and asking how you would behave, they will ask how you did behave. The behavioral based interviewing style is based strictly on a specific “situation” and focuses on experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills and abilities that are job related. For example, the task that needed to be done, the action you took, and the results (what happened.) It’s important to keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers. The interviewer is simply trying to understand how you behaved in a given situation. How you respond will determine if there is a fit between your skills and the position the company is seeking to fill. So, listen carefully, be clear and detailed when you respond and, most importantly, be honest. Employers are able to evaluate a candidate’s experience and behaviors of the questions asked to determine the applicants potential for success.
Preparation for the Potential Behavioral Interview
It is difficult to prepare yourself for a behavioral-based interview because of the variety of questions you may be asked. The best way to prepare is to think about example stories that can be adapted into many behavioral based questions. What are good examples to use? Use internships, classes and school projects, sports participation, community service, hobbies and work experience. Also, you may want to use examples of special accomplishments (personal or professional). Maybe you were elected to be on an organization’s board, winning a prize, raising money for a charity…the list goes on of special accomplishments that are very important to you. After all, you are trying to impress the interviewing team! Knowing what kinds of questions might be asked will help you prepare an effective selection of examples. Below are a list to help you get started and thinking in the right path of potential questions…
Are you caught in a blur and unable to think of interview questions to ask during your interview? Below are list of effective interview questions that I have provided to help get started on becoming successful in your career pursuits. Best of luck at your interview!!
-Could you describe your company’s management style and the type of employee who fits well with it? -When are you going to make a hiring decision and what are companies hiring steps? -What are some of the skills and abilities necessary for someone to succeed in this job? -What are the opportunities for advancement? -Will traveling take place in this position? If, so how often. -What are the greatest challenges facing the person in this position? -How will your performance be evaluated? -What is the company’s policy on providing seminars, workshops, and training so employees can keep up their skills or acquire new ones? -What are the company’s plans for growth in the next five years? -What kind of work can I expect to be doing the first year? -Who would supervise me? -Is this a new position or am I replacing someone? -How big is the team that I’d be working with? -How much guidance or assistance is made available to individuals in developing career goals? -What are the opportunities for advancement? -How much opportunity will I have for decision-making in my first assignment?
At the end of a formal interview an employer should, and will typically provide an opportunity for you to ask additional questions that were not answered during the interview. Always prepare to ask questions!! Having no questions prepared sends a message to the employer that you are unprepared. Often time’s employers place their judgment on questions asked. Therefore, employers are looking for questions that are intelligent, thoughtful and cordial! It comes down to YOU! Have you done your research (homework) on the company? Asking rather dull questions that could be found and answered on the website you again shows you didn’t utilize your resources before the interview.
Next, you’re thinking how many questions should you ask? There is no set number; it depends on what you need to know. It is very unlikely that you would enter an interview without at least three to five questions on your mind. Have those questions printed out on a word document and ready to present the day of your interview. Prioritize your questions based on the interview situation and feel free to jot additional questions during the interview to ask at the end.
Some of your questions you have prepared may be answered during the course of the interview, before you are offered the opportunity to ask. If so, you can simply state something to the effect that you were interested in knowing about…..,but that was addressed during the interview. Therefore, that shows the employer your prepared and thinking ahead! When information is given make sure you express appreciation for the thorough answer that was given. If you do not understand the information presented to you, ask for additional clarification. After all, you want to leave the interview feeling confident and content, not feeling befuddled on how the company operates.
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Below are 10 multiple choice questions about interviewing….
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