7 Steps to a Fast Hire
- Mon 20th August 2007, 6:17 am
7 Steps to a Fast Hire
There are times when you have months to search for the absolute perfect employee for an open position, and other times when you need to fill an opening quickly. When time is of the essence, use the following steps to find a great candidate quickly.
There are times when you have months to search for the absolute perfect employee for an open position, and other times when you need to fill an opening quickly. When time is of the essence, use the following steps to find a great candidate quickly
Step 1: Know the Job Requirements
Step 2: Write the Job Ad
Step 3: Distribute Your Job Ad
Step 4: Prepare Your Interview Questions
Step 5: Wait 24 Hours, Read Resumes, and Tweak Your Job Ad`s Title
Step 6: Identify Candidates and Start Interviewing
Step 7: Make the Offer Quickly
13 mistakes in an interview
- Mon 20th August 2007, 6:14 am
Now its time for the face to face interview with the employer itself. Any number of items can go wrong but you have to be in control and must have confidence. Go into an interview with the feeling that you are going to impress them so much that they will have to make you an offer.
The interview is the most stressful part of the job hunt for many people because now they can`t hide behind the cover letter and resume. The real face to face human connection between possible employer and job candidate takes place. But for starters if you simply follow these 13 tips below, you are on your way to interviews with results.
A big part of a successful interview is avoiding simple mistakes. Mistakes are deadly to the job seeker and easy to avoid if you are prepared.
These are the most common interview mistakes - and their antidotes.
1. Arriving late. Get directions from the interviewer - or a map. Wear a watch and leave home early. If the worst happens and you can`t make it on time, call the interviewer and arrange to reschedule.
2.Dressing wrong. You make your greatest impact on the interviewer in the first 17 seconds - an impression you want to make powerfully positive. Dress right in a conservative suit, subdued colors, little jewelry (but real gold, or silver, or pearls), low heels (polished) and everything clean and neat. Hygiene includes combed hair, brushed teeth, deodorant and low-key scent. Check everything the night before, again before walking out the door and once again in the restroom just before the interview.
3.Play zombie. OK, you`re nervous. But you can still smile, right? And make eye contact, yes? Sit up, focus on the interviewer, and start responding. Enthusiasm is what the interviewer wants to see.
4.No smoking, no gum, no drinking. This is all comfort stuff for you, and none of it helps you here. Employers are more likely to hire non-smokers. At a lunch or dinner interview, others may order drinks. You best not.
5.Research failure. The interview is not the time for research. Find out the company`s products and services, annual sales, structure and other key information from the Internet, the public library, professional magazines or from former employees. Show that you are interested in working for the prospective employer by demonstrating knowledge about the company.
6.Can`t articulate your own strengths and weaknesses. Only you can recognize your most valuable strengths and most hurtful weaknesses. Be able to specify your major strengths. Your weaknesses, if such must come up, should only be turned around to positives.
7.Winging the interview. Practice! Get a friend, a list of interview questions and a tape recorder and conduct an interview rehearsal. Include a presentation or demonstration if that will be part of the real interview. Start with introducing yourself and go all through an interview to saying good-bye. Write out any answers you have difficulty with, and practice until your delivery is smooth (but not slick).
8.Talk, Talk, Talk. Rambling, interrupting the interviewer and answering to a simple question with a fifteen-minute reply - all of these can be avoided if you`ve thought through and practiced what you want to communicate. Good answers are to the point and usually shorter.
9.Failure to connect yourself to the job offered. The job description details the company`s needs - you connect your experiences, your talents and your strengths to the description. It answers the essential reasons for the interview - "How my education/experience/talents/strengths fit your needs and why I can do this job for you."
10.Not asking questions - and asking too many. Use your research to develop a set of questions that will tell you whether this is the job and the company for you. This will help you limit and focus your questions. But don`t overpower the interviewer with questions about details that really won`t count in the long run.
11.Bad-mouth anyone. Not just your present employer, or former employer, or the competition. You don`t want to look like a complainer.
12.Asking about compensation and /or benefits too soon. Wait for the interviewer to bring up these issues - after the discussion of your qualifications and the company`s needs and wants.
13.Failure to ask for the job. When the interviewer indicates the interview is over, convey your interest in the job and ask what the next step is.
Baby Boomers, Beware! Don`t Let Your Resume Date You!
- Mon 20th August 2007, 6:13 am
Baby Boomers, Beware! Don`t Let Your Resume Date You! If you`re a job-seeker of the Baby Boom generation, you may be feeling a little left out by the job market. You`re certainly not ready to retire, but the young recruiters you send resumes to don`t seem to respond to your skills and experience. If you`re experiencing symptoms of age discrimination, you should know that your resume could be the culprit, categorizing you as out of date and over the hill. There are three ways your resume can put you in the over the hill category. Your resume is due for an update if it contains: Outdated technology skills 1. Make sure you are up to date on your industry`s technology. Check multiple job descriptions within your industry to see what technologies employers really want. Determine which technologies are missing from your resume. Then decide what you need to learn or do to fill that technology gap. Consider adult-education classes, college classes, or even online learning. You should be aware that technology terms are often used as keywords to filter the best resumes from electronic databases. If your resume doesn`t have them, it may never be seen. Make sure your technology skills aren`t leaving you behind. 2. Make sure your resume is using current terminology. If you have just been adding to the same old resume over the years, then your early entries may be using outdated terms. One way to bring your resume up to date is through publications from your industry`s professional associations. If you don`t belong to any professional associations, you might be missing out on the latest industry-speak. Another good resource is job descriptions. Search job descriptions in your field for recurring terms. Learn to use the current terminology for your industry correctly and effectively. 3. Make sure your resume reflects today`s trends in resume format and style. Some of the old resume rules just don`t apply any more. For example: Old Rule: Limit your resume to one page. New Approach: This is a really old idea that limits your ability to show all of your skills and expertise. Old Rule: You should show every job you have ever held and give each equal importance. New Approach: Your employment history should only go back as far as it related to your current employment objectives. Think of your resume as a marketing piece that highlights the best parts rather than as a tell-all. Old Rule: Your resume should go back no more than 10 years. New Approach: Don`t use an arbitrary number to determine how much to include on your resume. Use the rule of relevancy to decide how many of your jobs to include. Old Rule: One resume should handle everything. New Approach: Not anymore! In addition to tailoring your resume to different fields or industries, you`ll also need to tailor the way that you save it. You`ll want to have a standard Word format (for printouts and as email attachments), and a plain text version for online forms, which will save you a lot of time in repairing lost formatting, which often occurs when cutting and pasting a Word document into a text-only form. Let your experience work for you rather than against you. Using these tips to update your resume can make a noticeable difference in interest from employers. And your new resume will be a better reflection of your hard-earned skills, talents, and expertise.
Outdated industry or occupational terminology
Outdated resume trends
Don`t despair if your resume is out of date. You can perform an extreme resume makeover by using the tips below.
Old Rule: End your resume with References Available Upon Request. New Approach: You don`t need to say that; it`s assumed.
Tips For Writing Cover Letters
- Mon 20th August 2007, 6:12 am
Tips For Writing Cover Letters Use the cover letter to peak the interest of the reader. The purpose here is to get the reader interested so that he/she will want to examine your resume. Keep reading below for some of the finer points to writing effective cover letters. Use a combination of these tips and fine tune your cover letter for maximum results! Tips For Writing a Cover Letter 1.Each letter of application should be original, typed in business form standard size paper, and directed to a particular individual by name and title, preferably to the person who has the authority to hire you. * Write to communicate, not to impress Basic Rules For Good Cover Letters #) Personalize each letter to the interviewer and to the organization. Don`t use a blanket form #)Open your letter with a strong sentence that would make the reader take notice. Some students compliment the person or organization based on information they have gathered ahead of time. For example referring to the interviewer`s recent published work or to the organization`s newest grant is a great way to get them interested in you. #)Appeal in your letter to the self-interest of the person to whom you are writing. Include clues that indicate that hiring you will lead to higher production, greater efficiency etc.. #)If at all possible, include some challenging thoughts that will cause employers to feel that discussion with you would be worthwhile even if they really hadn`t been planning to hire anybody right now. #)Keep your letter short to hold the reader`s interest and to save you time.
Aaah...the dreaded cover letter. Or is it? Cover letters are actually a great way to set yourself apart from the rest if you write it correctly.
Cover letters allow you to actually get your personalized message across to the hiring manager or possible interviewer. The key is to be brief and direct...just like a resume...the person on the other end will want to quickly read your cover letter...so make sure you don`t write a short story.
2.Your letter should serve as an introduction to your resume. Draw attention to a particular skill or accomplishment that has meaning to the organization. Its inclusion in the cover letter communicates that the writer has researched the organization, knows the organization`s needs and can fulfill those needs. Limit your letter to a few paragraphs. If you have done considerable research on an organization, you may want to make the letter longer.
3.Use simple direct language and proper grammar. Clearly state why the organization is of interest to you. Let your letter reflect your personality, but avoid appearing too aggressive or humorous.
4.Close with a statement that indicates some action -- preferably yours. You control the communication when you indicate that you will call the reader`s office to set up and appointment at a convenient time rather than to wait for the reader to contact you.
Proofread your letter for errors! Keep a copy of all correspondence.
Cover Letter Writing Suggestions
* Get to the point
* Be active, not passive
* If you mean I, say I
* Use short, familiar words
* Use contractions
* Go on a "which" hunt
* Ask questions
* Be specific
#)Letter for all letters of inquiry.