Resources

Author: Rebecca Metschke

“I wish I would have said….”

We’ve all had that moment (or, as the case may be, those moments). Whether 5 minutes later or the following day, the amazing comeback or witty response pops into your head after the fact. Too little, too late.

Obviously, lapses like this aren’t limited to everyday conversations; they happen during interviews, too.

You’re asked a question, your brain freezes up - so you stumble and give a weak response.

Later, when you’re more relaxed and you’ve had some time to think it over, the right words pop into your head. You know exactly what you should have said. Why did this not come to you when you needed it? You just know it would have been a slam dunk answer!

But you blew it. And there are no do-overs when it comes to interviews.

You’ve got one chance to make the right impression…one opportunity to convince the person you’re talking with that you’re the person they ought to hire.

You need to try to anticipate everything you might be asked and know how you’re going to respond. You must be able to articulate what’s unique about you - why should they hire you and not the next person? (They’re not going to coax it out of you…) You need to be able to speak to and support every line on your resume. You’ve got to do your homework and thoroughly research the company.

The better prepared you are, the less likely you are to fumble your responses. Or worse yet, find yourself at a total loss for words.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Don’t let it happen to you.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/interviews-articles/interview-regrets-the-great-reply-that-comes-too-late-884306.html

Author: Bob Stanley

Job interviewing is a critical part of an individual’s job search. This is the time to sell your skills and experiences. It is critically important to practice prior to your interviews. Job seekers only get one chance in an interview. A job hunting Best Practice is to practice interviewing with a friend or career coach. This will help you prepare properly and get you focused on winning the interview for that perfect job.

1. Research the company before the interview.

You should be familiar with the company you are applying to. Review company profile, annual reports, mission, vision, and other relevant information that the interviewer might ask.

2. Practice with some common questions and answers.

Prepare and rehearse responses to frequently asked questions during interviews. Practice in front a mirror or with an audience such as your friends, family members or ideally an expert. They can provide feedback of what to do and not to do during job interviews.

3.Respect the time of your interviewer.

Time is gold in every business or institution because everyone is busy with their respective duties. Arrive at least 15 minutes early. This way you will have time to relax and not look stressed before the interview as well as not waste the interviewer’s time.

4. Display confidence in your behavior and the way you communicate.

The interviewer can easily perceive if you are confident through your posture, dress, walk, energy, and eye contact. Greet the employer with a firm handshake. Let the interviewer start the dialogue and listen carefully. Always welcome questions with a smile. Before answering the question, think and develop answers in your head. Ask the interviewer to restate a question if you are confused. Most importantly, give honest and direct answers.

5. Demonstrate positive statements and attitude.

Smile, be polite, and try to relax during the interview. The attitudes that you express must express that you are willing to work. You must also exhibit willingness to expand your knowledge. You must remember that employers like to hear your plan for future development and commitment to learning.

6. If you have worked before, talk about what you have learned from it.

Review your previous work experiences. Be ready to support past career accomplishments with specific information targeted toward the company’s needs.

7. Encourage the interviewer to share about the company information.

Demonstrate your interest by encouraging the interviewer to share information about the company. This way the interviewer will appreciate your interest to the company and your willingness to be a part of their team.

8. Bring extra Personal Data Sheet or Work Portfolio.

An attractive personal data sheet or work portfolio provides additional information that your prospective employer might want to hold on to for future references.

9. End the interview positively.

The end of the interview is the time to let the prospective employer know if you are interested in the job or not. A positive end to the interview is a way of ensuring your success. At this time restate your strengths and accomplishments that you have emphasized during the interview. Express also your appreciation for the interviewer’s time.

10. Review and evaluate your interview’s strengths and weaknesses following your interview.

Evaluating your strengths and weaknesses immediately after the job interview. If you don’t get the job consider asking the interviewer what you did well and in what areas you will need improvement.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/interviews-articles/best-job-interview-tips-how-to-quickly-get-a-job-801002.html

Author: Barbara Brown, PhD

Are you a manager who is looking for ways to jumpstart or advance your career? If so, in addition to working hard and achieving goals, you might want to find ways to subtlety (and not so subtlety) show that you understand the BIG PICTURE.

Why? Because the further you move up the corporate ladder, the more your responsibilities will cover a wide range of areas within your organization. So you want to demonstrate your understanding of how the achievement of goals impacts profits or customer service for your 10-person team as well as for your 100-person organization. HOW and WHEN do you do that? Consider these four instances:

During Planning Discussions With Superiors: Think about the instances when you have to meet with your immediate boss or other powerful people to discuss future goals, strategies, etc. In those situations, find a way to link what your team or unit is doing to some broader organizational objective. For example, if the discussion concerns profits, describe how an increase in revenues in your area of responsibility might positively impact other areas. You could make the same connection with customer service, quality, or productivity. The topics are limitless.

During Progress Discussions With Superiors: There are times when you have to update senior managers on what you and your team are doing. Use these opportunities to showcase your knowledge about what is happening elsewhere in your organization. Make connections with other teams, divisions, and departments. For instance, you might show how what you are doing or what you have done will lead to the completion of an assignment somewhere else.

During Problem Solving Discussions With Superiors: Consider situations when the topic is problems rather than progress. These might involve people, processes, profits, or practices. Whatever the topic, use these encounters to demonstrate your knowledge about the synergistic impact—how failure in one area will impact another area. If the problem involves your team, explain how the resolution will affect other teams. If the problem involves another area within your organization, draw connections between improvements in that area and improvements in other areas.

During Non-Work Discussions With Superiors: Think about all the chance encounters you have with influential people. These might occur at the elevator, in the cafeteria, on the parking lot, or a charity event. Wherever the encounter, you probably start talking about the one thing you definitely have in common-WORK! So don’t just tell the other person what you do or respond to a question with a “yes” or “no” answer. Instead, pepper your remarks with comments about the strategic plan, the company vision, or the organization mission. And be sure to link what you do to outcomes in other areas within your organization.

Demonstrating Your BIG PICTURE Understanding Is Easy

The people in your organization who have power, influence, and authority can help you jumpstart or advance your career. And you are always talking to these people. So use such encounters to let them know how competent you are AND how much you know about your organization. The further you move up the ladder, the more you will need to understand the BIG PICTURE. To demonstrate that understanding, all you have to do is make a few small changes in what you say. So start today!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/career-management-articles/jumpstart-your-career-by-using-a-big-picture-approach-799411.html

Author: Barbara Brown, PhD

OK. You work hard, your employees work hard, and you achieve goals. But so do all the other managers in your organization. So how do you stand out from the crowd? How do you make yourself the best candidate among all the candidates? By learning everything about your organization’s purpose, goals, and plans. And by highlighting “how” what you do contributes to achievements in these areas. In other words, you let decision-makers know that you understand the Big Picture and where you fit. Here is how you do that:

Learn About The Big Picture

To stand out among the crowd, you have to know what’s important to your organization. You also have to stay abreast of what’s happening where you work. Your goal is to master information about the Big Picture when it comes to your organization. Use these 4 strategies:

1. Look at your company’s organizational chart. Look at the relationship between offices, divisions, and departments. Look at the relationship between your office and other areas of the organization. You want to see how your products and services affect the products and services provided elsewhere.

2. Review your organization’s vision, mission, and/or values statements. If there are supporting statements for the department/division where you work, review these as well. You want to identify the ways you and your employees contribute to achievements in these areas.

3. Read any statements or articles from your CEO or organizational leader. This is where you will find information about future goals, plans, or problems.

4. Glance at documents involving budgets or money matters. Look for the bottom line on funds, profits, and losses.

5. Take copious notes when attending meetings where the discussion involves events, actions, or activities that have an organizational impact. You want to have “real time” information about factors that affect workloads, employees, etc..

Decide What To Say About The Big Picture

No matter what you do, there is probably some way to connect your products and services to a Big Picture item. If not, you probably shouldn’t be doing it. To make this connection, just remember what you have read, seen, or heard. Then, link this knowledge to the workload item you are discussing. For example, the following could be used when talking or writing:

1. “This improvement will allow us to achieve our strategic goal related to…”

2. “I see that the budget changes have…”

3. “The project we just completed fits right in with this year’s vision of…’

4. “If we meet these deadlines, we might avoid the kind of global problems…”

5. “The installation of the new system will help the facilities department…”

6. “Those changes will allow us to start reducing the excessive backlogs…”

Identify Opportunities To Talk About The Big Picture

To highlight your contributions, think about the many activities you do and the many interactions you have. There are probably dozens each day. You just have to use those situations to emphasize your understanding of the Big Picture. Here are a few instances:

1. When initiating emails or responding to emails, add a statement at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end.

2. When giving status reports about workloads to management, interject a comment at some point during the update.

3. At senior management meetings where you are asked to present or contribute comments, add a statement during your presentation.

4. During informal or formal meetings with senior managers, include an observation during the discussion.

5. When talking to senior managers at extracurricular activities, make a reference when giving input.

6. When engaged in “passing conversations” about work with senior managers, offer an insight during the conversation.

To Get Promoted, You Have To Stand Out From The Crowd

If you are a manager who wants to get promoted, working hard is critical. But remember, every other manager is working equally hard. So you have to distinguish your contributions from those of other managers. You can do that by letting decision-makers know that you understand the Big Picture and where you fit. That’s how you stand out from the crowd. And if you can stand out from the crowd, you increase your chances of getting promoted.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/career-management-articles/getting-promoted-how-hard-working-managers-can-stand-out-from-the-crowd-565120.html