Top 5 Ways to Prevent a Bad Interview

Top 5 Ways to Prevent a Bad Interview Interviews are a stressful process. Sometimes, this stress can cause you to fall into common traps and even make wacky mistakes during your job search. For instance, just because you were too nervous to eat before the interview doesn’t mean you should empty the interviewer’s candy dish into your pocket. Employers tend not to hire people who steal their candy! This is just one example of some over-the-top ways job seekers have bombed interviews from a recent CareerBuilder survey. The truth is, mistakes aren’t usually as dramatic as getting on the phone with your current employer to fake an illness while your interviewer looks on in horror. In fact, you’re probably good at the broad outlines of the interview process. You know to be polite, show up on time, and avoid candy theft. It’s the more subtle aspects of the interview process you might be getting wrong. Interview success is only around the cornerif you know to avoid common mistakes. Prevention is key and knowledge is power. Here are five ways to prevent a job interview from going south and nab your dream job instead: 1) Create a Relationship with Your Interviewer It’s important to build a rapport with your interviewer right away. This process can start early, before you’re even sitting across the desk in the interview. Make sure all communication with your interviewer (whether through email or over the phone) is professional, polite, and friendly. Do not, however, take this friendliness too far. One of the outrageous examples cited in the CareerBuilder survey involved a job seeker hugging the interviewer. Be sure you act professionally at all times, and do not hound potential employers. 2) Do Your Research Before you step foot into the office, you need to do your homework. What is the company all about? What challenges does the company face? How do they stack up against their competitors? What is the company culture like? These are all questions you should spend time researching. Their career page and social media channels can provide some answers, but cast the net wider to look at news articles and maybe even contact current or former employees for insights. By thoroughly researching the company, you’ll be able to give the interviewer a concrete idea of how your particular skills and abilities can impact the organization. In fact, 34 percent of interviewers cite lack of specific examples as the reason they passed on a candidate. By doing your homework and researching the company, you will be in a better position to get specific about the value you can bring to the organization. 3) Hit Silent There’s nothing worse during an interview than the chirp of a text message, the ring of a phone, or the persistent buzzing of your electronic device on vibrate. Forgetting to switch off your phone is a simple mistake that can cost you dearly. A survey of recruiters and hiring managers showed 91 percent would disqualify a candidate with a talkative mobile device. So before walking into your interview, turn your phone off or put it on silent. You can always take the call, answer the text, or scan your email after you’ve impressed your future employer. 4) Mind Your (Body) Language In an interview, what you say is extremely important. But it’s not just your words doing the talking. Body language is a huge part of how we judge and understand each other. In fact, a UCLA study found up to 93 percent of communication is provided by nonverbal cues this means you need to watch your words and what your body language is telling a prospective employer. Pay attention to your posture in the interview. Slouching can make you appear lazy and unmotivated, even if your words are saying the opposite. Make good eye contact in order to build a more personal connection with the interviewer. Practice a firm handshake with friends and family before walking through the office doors. Judging by a handshake might seem old school, but many employers still take this nonverbal cue into consideration. And remember, sincere passion is the key to convincing employers you really want the job. If you’re motivated and have true passion for the opportunity, don’t be afraid to let it show! 5) Ask The Right Questions If the interview is going well, it might be easy to get ahead of yourself in the process. In addition to using the interview to show employers what value you’ll bring to the company, you might start wondering what the company can do for you. While interviews are a two-way street and you should absolutely come into the meeting with questions prepared, it’s important to be careful what these questions contain. Bad interview questions will be all about what the organization can do for you. For instance, 85 percent of recruiters think the interview isn’t the right place to ask salary questions. Talking money is something that happens further down the line in the hiring process, and if you jump the gun, you might never make it to the next step. You also want to avoid asking questions about vacation time, according to 69 percent of recruiters. Asking about vacation before you’ve even gotten the job will make it appear as though you’re already looking forward to escaping the office. Instead, use your interview questions to show off what you know about the company and how well you would fit into the organizations culture. Having a successful interview is far from impossible. Your dream job is within your grasp if you avoid common pitfalls and focus on showing employers you’re the perfect candidate. What are some ways you prevent a bad job interview? Let us know in the comments below!   Author: Alan Carniol is the Founder of InterviewSuccessFormula.com   an online job interview training system.  Or, follow Alan and Interview Success Formula on  Twitter.

How to Reach Your Company Goals With Help From Your Employees

How to Reach Your Company Goals With Help From Your Employees Success doesnt happen by itself. It takes hard work and commitment to reach your company goals and your employees play a huge role in your journey towards  achieving the best results. The most successful of businesses have an driven  and engaged team who  know how to communicate and cooperate with each other in order to reach their common objectives. In order to build a strong workforce, employers must keep this in mind when making decisions, as well as building a culture of support and appreciation for existing staff. So how can businesses go about meeting their goals with help from their employees? Clear Company have created this infographic with everything you need to know to hit your targets. What should you do before hiring? Dont wait until you have hired your new employee to discuss performance expectations. Evaluate a candidates ability to meet goals in the interview stage. 69% of candidates want an accurate job description when applying for a job and 33% of employers provide candidates with a profile of what a successful employee looks like. 94% of job seekers would like feedback during the process. 7 ways to  help  your employees meet goals: 1) Make your expectations known: Clearly communicate your expectations  of your  employees and how they can personally contribute to meeting goals.  Dont just set a goal and leave them to it explain how they can achieve it. 57% of employees say that their bosses dont give them clear directions, whereas only 13% say their managers help them achieve goals. 2) Set achievable goals: Dont overwhelm employees with one large long-term goal and rather set smaller incremental goals.   69% of employees whose managers help them set goals are engaged at work. 3) Provide training: Help employees to develop their skills with further training.   54% would like more job-specific training. Create mentorship, so employees can learn from each other. 4) Foster collaboration: Facilitate communication and collaboration between employees in different departments. 88% of employees who work at a company who encourages collaboration also think that morale and job satisfaction are high in the workplace. 5) Provide feedback: Dont wait until the end of a project to offer feedback, offer it to employees throughout the process. 64% of companies said that improving managers ability to provide in-the-moment feedback is critical. 6) Evaluate success: Conduct reviews and acknowledge individual achievements and hard work from employees, rather than the company as a whole. 23% if employees are satisfied with their companies dedication to their personal development. 7) Recognise achievements: Reward both the team and individuals when they achieve goals, as 91% of employees who feel valued by their superiors feel more motivated to work their hardest. 32% of employees changed jobs because they did not feel appreciated in their current role. [Image Credit: Shutterstock]

How Can Recruiters Attract More Women to Tech Roles

How Can Recruiters Attract More Women to Tech Roles Lets be honest, the stats arent great. Just 17% of people working in the tech sectors in the UK are female. Are employers doing enough to attract more women into tech roles? IT, technology and subjects alike are predominantly  studied by males, so is it really the employers fault? As recruiters, what can we do? How can we change this? Ruth Penfold By making sure that we are helping to build gender neutral environments, and creating spaces and businesses where women truly feel like they can be a part of and thrive in. Creating an inclusive space and ways of working has to be number one. We are at the ‘coal face’ of this stuff, and can therefore play an instrumental role in the way the tech world evolves. It’s up to us to spot opportunities to evolve working practices and re-skill people to move into technical roles.  I work closely with some of the female engineers specifically at Shazam to encourage them to become role models, and to inspire other women to consider a career in tech.  The next tech generation can also be a more mature group, and I’d love to see more of that happening. Ruth Penfold, Director of Talent Acquisition at Shazam. Libby Herrmann Start by diversifying and growing the networks you actively take part in â€" to include those that have a widespread female population. From here, ensure you are evangelizing the opportunities and the organization’s desire to diversify the workforce by hiring strong female candidates. For many women tech candidates, it has likely been a while since their last job search. Ensure they are aware of their value to an organization, the culture of the company, their growth potential and the positive implications of making a career change, among other reinforcements. Internally, hiring managers need to be conscious of diversifying their candidate slate and fostering an inclusive environment. Organizational culture, including its reputation built by the hiring manager and existing team, is just as much an attractor as any effort a recruiter could put forth in outbound strategy. Libby Herrmann,  Client Relationship Manager at WilsonHCG. Amanda Bell There’s a lot of discussion in the diversity and inclusion community about how to bring more diversitygender, racial, ethnic, among othersinto companies. But we often forget that it’s not just about bringing people of diverse backgrounds into companies: we must make sure we focus on inclusion once candidates become employees. Make sure your company is, in fact, inclusive. If you aren’t showing that you truly live your values surrounding DI, no amount of diversity recruiting efforts will be effective. You can begin by asking employees: “What’s going well?”, “What could be better?”, “Which resources can we invest in  to make sure all employees feel welcome, encouraged, and supported at work?” Once you build the foundation of an inclusive environment, attracting more women to a supportive team becomes much easier. Amanda Bell, Director of Recruiting at Lever. Angela Bortolussi I remember years ago when I attended my first tech meetup. And while the vast majority of attendees were male, I also was able to connect with a handful of women looking back though, it was a bit overwhelming meeting with 60+ men and just 6 women. Woman or man, people ultimately learn to code and join the industry for the same reason (and same with recruiting) so, if we can show how women are already here doing “the job” we don’t necessarily need to make a “special case” I think what we need to do is keep voicing the importance of encouraging women to get into technology. How do we do that? Well, in general workplace culture also needs to transmit a message of inclusiveness and diversity including gender diversity. But, some really easy stuff (we recruiters) can do: let’s be a presence and support women in their IT careers. Angela Bortolussi, Partner at Recruiting Social. Rebecca Fraser Recruiters can support this more than drive it I believe. This includes supporting in coaching their organisations to consider the best way to write job adverts, ensuring they are gender neutral. A recruiter can also work with their clients on developing HR policies that support working mothers’ transition in to the work environment, or considering ways of making their work place flexible. Flexible work options do not mean less work, a lot of the time it actually results in improved productivity and quality of work as the individual is highly engaged in the work environment and the work output. Rebecca Fraser, National Executive Committee, Career Development Association of Australia. Liz Sebag-Montefiore Diversity in hiring is important for all organisations but it is particularly difficult to attract women to  digital and tech roles. Candidates of both genders increasingly seek flexible and family friendly  working policies. Ensure that job adverts don’t use gendered language or imagery that puts off female  applicants.  When employers champion female role models, they inspire applicants to see what is possible in a  tech career and to aspire to what have traditionally been seen as male-dominated roles. It pays off  because more diverse teams do better financially and compete better in the market. Liz Sebag-Montefiore,  Director and Co-Founder 10Eighty. Lysha Holmes Recruiters can ensure they understand the brief and requirement of the roles as they would any job, regardless of discipline and ergo of the gender for the incumbent applicant. Engage with your audience through social media channels, steering away from stereotypical and generic adverts and stating the facts to the entire audience you wish to capture, not just women. Lysha Holmes, Owner and Recruiter of Qui Recruitment R2R. Caroline Stokes The billion dollar question: recruiters will have greater success when biases are removed at screening stage through technology, have their role optimized for success in the first 90 days through coaching, the employer demonstrate true gender equality and there’s more support and systems in place for women and men to manage life challenges. Caroline Stokes, Founder of FORWARD and The Emotionally Intelligent Recruiter. Poonam Mawani I personally feel  that this should be influenced at schools and universities so that by the time jobs are  applied for then the status quo isn’t gender but merely the ability to do the job. Let’s  all educate our children that it doesn’t matter whether you are male or female but  that they can do whatever job they want to do. Poonam Mawani, Director at Azuki Accounts.

Does a life insurance policy cover suicide as a cause of death -

Does a life insurance policy cover suicide as a cause of death - Every year in the U.S, around 250,000 people become suicide survivors. Losing a loved one through suicide is among the most painful situations to face. Most people find it challenging to deal with all the questions that come with such a loss. A denied life insurance claim due to suicide is very devastating. Along with the pain of losing someone you love, there are financial issues to address too. When such a situation occurs, most people wonder whether the life insurance policy of the deceased will cover the death. Generally, the plan will cover your loved ones if; The employer paid for the life insurance policy The person had an individual insurance policy, which went into effect two or more years ago (one year in some states) However, even if the insurance company does not cover death, it is crucial to follow up. If the insurance company denies the claim, it still owes the beneficiary a return of the premiums that were paid by the policyholder. Individual Life Insurance and Suicide The type of coverage (individual versus employer-paid group insurance) will determine how an insurance company will handle suicide. In an individual policy, you buy it on your own. When it comes to group life insurance, your employer buys the plan for you. Individual policies contain a clause that denies payment if the policyholder commits suicide within one or two years (depending on your state) after the plan goes into effect. This period is a way of preventing people who intend to commit suicide from purchasing policies. If the policyholder commits suicide after this period, the company pays the beneficiary as it would in case the person died from an illness or any insured causes. In case the suicide occurs within the excluded period, the company does not cover death. Instead, the insurance company will return the premiums but will subtract any premiums that the policyholder owed before death. For instance, if the policy is a whole life, and the person had an outstanding loan against the policy’s cash value, the insurer will subtract this loan. The remaining premium will then go to the beneficiary. Group Life Insurance Group life insurance policies do not have a suicide clause. If the person had a group life or free insurance policy, the insurer would pay the beneficiary. You can contact the employer’s human resource department for a guide on how to file a claim. Nevertheless, group life insurance also excludes the first one or two years. If the suicide occurs within this period, the insurer returns the premiums that the employer had paid. If you are dealing with the aftermath of a suicide, do not allow the cause of death to prevent you from filing a claim. Remember that you are among millions of other people who have the same issue. Although this article clarifies the impact of suicide in the payment of a life insurance policy, you can read more about life insurance and suicide to be on the informative side.

Interview Series - Career Experts - Marty Nemko CareerMetis.com

Interview Series - Career Experts - Marty Nemko â€" CareerMetis.com In this interview series, we caught up with Marty Nemko who shares his expertise and insights about job search, career change,etc.in today’s marketplace.Tell us a little bit about your companyevalI’m a career and personal coach who specializes in high achievers who nonetheless have issues.How did you get started in this path?Self-study. I already had a PhD in another field and couldn’t stomach more school.evalIs this something you decided early on in your career?When I was told, again and again, that a white male with moderate views, even with an impressive background was undesirable, I decided to become a self-employed career counselor. I chose that because I believe that helping people find and succeed at well-suited work is an honorable pursuit.What is the best Career Advice you’ve ever received?Work hard.Not withstanding what the lifestyle gurus say, “Work smart” israrely enough.The most successful AND contented people I know work long hours. Yes, they’ve taken the time to find work that they’re good at and enjoy reasonably, which makes them less likely to burn out. But they are never clock watchers. They work a lot.evalWhat is the most exciting part of working in this industry?ResultsHow do to stay abreast of the industry as an expert?I’m constantly reading.evalWhat are some of the things that you see job seekers struggle with the most?Laziness is the answer to that question. But most my clients are well-employed and their biggest problem is being gifted in a not-gifted world.What are the common mistakes that you see them do?A drips and drabs job searchâ€"the same lack of drive and/or intelligence that got them “laid off.”How should job seekers approach job search today?An excellent targeted LinkedIn profile sent to their extended network.Unemployment is at the lowest levels, why do you think that is?It’s misleading. What counts is the number of WELL-employed people.evalWhat is the biggest trendMarty Nemko has also been featured in our recent compilation of the most resourceful career experts and career blogs Top Career Advice Websites.

How to use Feng Shui to find a Career - CareerAlley

How to use Feng Shui to find a Career - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. If youve been out of work for a while, you know how frustrating it is to keep looking, all the time wondering if theres a job out there for you, or maybe even a whole new career field. Many times, careers take turns and detours that move the job seeker in different directions. Sometimes, though, if youve been looking for a job for a while, those detours begin to feel like dead ends. So, you contemplate a career move but to what? If youve been thinking about changing careers, you might consider giving feng shui a shot. Thats right, the same technique people use to place their beds in their bedrooms or to bring harmony to their home or more money to their business can be used by job seekers too. In feng shui, people are assigned a number, called a kua number (pronounced kwah), thats an indicator of lucky directions based on the persons date of birth and their gender. These lucky directions are associated with career fields because of their relationship to elements, such as water, fire, metal, and so forth. A good example is a seven kua person. This number is related to the element of metal, making that person well suited for metal-related industries such as working computers or jewelry. Feng shui may seem like an odd way to go about a job search, but when youre looking at all your career options, it never hurts to have a bit of luck on your side. The Chinese see luck as a three-sided stool, rather than the western have or have not viewed of luck. To Chinese culture, luck is something that can be cultivated and improved. In fact, feng shui is called earth luck. Its the kind of luck you acquire by aligning your birth date and gender with particular colors, directions, and elements, and by employing harmonious living to your life. And, if youve been considering a job change, it might be worth investing a little personal energy into your own earth luck and trying to foster that luck with your job search. The chart below outlines the kua numbers and the careers associated with them, as well as other compatible industries and jobs for your particular kua. To determine your kua number, please visit http://redlotusletter.com/resources/kua-calculator/. If youve come up empty on ideas in your job search, maybe nows a good time to employ a little feng shui and see if you dont stimulate your job search luck! KUA NUMBER ELEMENT/ DIRECTION CAREERS COMPATIBLE CAREERS 1 Water/North Hotels, hospitality, fishing, tourism, driving, transportation, gift shops, marketing, consumer goods and services, all water-related jobs, health spa, tour guide, blogger on trends, boats, yachts, sea shipping Jobs involving metal, metal working, high-tech, legal matters, international travel or business, finance, banking, legal/law fields, medical, food and beverage, jewelry, locksmith, insurance, medical/dental, sculptor, police, jobs involving sales, metal, metal working, high-tech, jewelry, locksmith, insurance, medical/dental, sculptor, nail technician, airlines, travel, singer, announcer, TV/radio, actor. 2 Earth/Southwest Massage therapist, nursing, farming, fundraising/community organizer, charities, agriculture, healing, holistic therapy, nursing homes, mining and minerals, real estate, teacher, sales, gas/oil industries Restaurant owner/worker, beautician, makeup artist, stylist, astrologer, optician, ophthalmologist, fireman, cardiologist/cardiovascular specialist, feng shui consultant, public relations, newspaper, journalist, aviation, photography, chemist, and scientist. 3 Wood/East Sports and sports fields, forestry, furniture, moving, health instructor, fitness trainer, gym owner or instructor, dancer, upholsterer, antique refinisher/repair Hotels, hospitality, fishing, tourism, driving, transportation, gift shops, marketing, consumer goods and services, all water-related jobs, health spa, tour guide, blogger on trends, boats, yachts, sea shipping. 4 Wood/Southeast Teacher, lab technician, journalist, blogger, writer, researcher, poet, plant nursery, florist, yoga instructor, dancer Hotels, hospitality, fishing, tourism, driving, transportation, gift shops, marketing, consumer goods and services, all water-related jobs, health spa, tour guide, blogger on trends, boats, yachts, sea shipping. 5 MAN Earth/Center Massage therapist, nursing, farming, fundraising/community organizer, charities, agriculture, healing, holistic therapy, nursing homes, mining and minerals, real estate, teacher Restaurant owner/worker, beautician, makeup artist, stylist, astrologer, optician, ophthalmologist, fireman, cardiologist/cardiovascular specialist, feng shui consultant, public relations, newspaper, journalist, aviation, photography, chemist, scientist. 5 WOMAN Earth/Center Healthcare, spiritual advisor, daycare owner/teacher, retreat owner, health spa worker, teacher, corporate trainer, ceramics or glassblower, government jobs, accounting, beautician, healer (Reiki, massage therapist), data entry, radiologist, gas/oil industries Restaurant owner/worker, beautician, makeup artist, stylist, astrologer, optician, ophthalmologist, fireman, cardiologist/cardiovascular specialist, feng shui consultant, public relations, newspaper, journalist, aviation, photography, chemist, scientist. 6 Metal/Northwest Jobs involving metal, metal working, high-tech, legal matters, international travel or business, finance, banking, legal/law fields, medical, food and beverage, jewelry, locksmith, insurance, medical/dental, sculptor, airlines, military Massage therapist, nursing, farming, fundraising/community organizer, charities, agriculture, healing, holistic therapy, nursing homes, mining and minerals, real estate, teacher, sales, gas/oil industries, healthcare, spiritual advisor, tarot reader, daycare owner/teacher, retreat owner, health spa worker, teacher, corporate trainer, ceramics or glassblower, government jobs, accounting, beautician, healer (Reiki, massage therapist), data entry, radiologist, gas/oil industries. 7 Metal/West Jobs involving sales, metal, metal working, high-tech, jewelry, locksmith, insurance, medical/dental, sculptor, nail technician, airlines, travel, singer, announcer, TV/radio, actor Massage therapist, nursing, farming, fundraising/community organizer, charities, agriculture, healing, holistic therapy, nursing homes, mining and minerals, real estate, teacher, sales, gas/oil industries and healthcare, spiritual advisor, tarot reader, daycare owner/teacher, retreat owner, health spa worker, teacher, corporate trainer, ceramics or glassblower, government jobs, accounting, beautician, healer (Reiki, massage therapist), data entry, radiologist, gas/oil industries. 8 Earth/Northeast Healthcare, spiritual advisor, tarot reader, daycare owner/teacher, retreat owner, health spa worker, teacher, corporate trainer, ceramics or glassblower, government jobs, accounting, beautician, healer (Reiki, massage therapist), data entry, radiologist, gas/oil industries Restaurant owner/worker, beautician, makeup artist, stylist, astrologer, optician, ophthalmologist, fireman, cardiologist/cardiovascular specialist, feng shui consultant, public relations, newspaper, journalist, aviation, photography, chemist, or scientist. 9 Fire/South Restaurant owner/worker, beautician, makeup artist, stylist, astrologer, optician, ophthalmologist, fireman, cardiologist/cardiovascular specialist, feng shui consultant, public relations, newspaper, journalist, aviation, photography, chemist/scientist, publishing Sports and sports fields, forestry, furniture, moving, health instructor, fitness trainer, gym owner or instructor, dancer, upholsterer, antique refinisher/repair, teacher, lab technician, journalist, blogger, writer, researcher, poet, plant nursery, florist, yoga instructor, dancer. TopResume Free Resume Review Price: TopResume writes and analyzes more resumes and LinkedIn profiles than any other service in the world. Let our resume experts provide you with objective feedback and personalized recommendations to improve your resume and land the right job sooner. Get a free, confidential resume review from TopResume Get Your Killer Resume We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to identify and land your dream job. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

California Resume Writing Service Tips

California Resume Writing Service TipsYou can be sure that your California resume writing service will ensure you have a professional looking document that reflects your experience and skills in the industry. Unfortunately, many people try to use too much style on their resumes, which is not good when it comes to selling your services. This type of resume can sound unnatural and are difficult to read for those in the job search process.First, make sure that all the materials in your package are complete. Every section should be given a specific number of pages, even if it only has a basic summary. This ensures that the person who receives your resume knows exactly what they are getting. Having this information in one document will help them determine how useful the section is.Next, make sure that all the information is accurate. People are going to have questions that they may want to ask when they get your resume. For example, they may wonder if you are currently employed in the fie ld you are currently in. This is perfectly normal, so make sure that you have those answers.The most important piece of information that you want to include is your contact information. This means that your phone number and email address. In addition, your current place of employment should be included so they can get you in touch with them immediately.Your contact information will make it easier for others to get in touch with you if they need your services. It also means that they do not have to hire a third party to contact you. You can even include a short personal note that explaining your services and how they can benefit the organization.The cover of your resume is also very important. Keep in mind that the cover represents the first impression that others have of you, so make sure it is a successful one. If it is not appealing, then you may not get a second look from another prospective employer.One of the most important pieces of information is the references. Any employer that is considering hiring you needs to know that they can easily get in touch with you. These references can be added to your resume by using a direct mail service or by just sending an email to the companies you have worked for in the past. Remember, they are a resource that is available for you to contact if needed.The last pieces of information that you want to include is your education information. Make sure that you include all of the details of your education by doing some research online. In addition, include any certifications you may have and show them what you have accomplished. Remember, you want to leave a great impression so ensure that your California resume writing service has your best interests in mind.