Interview Prep 101 Back to Basics

Interview Prep 101 Back to Basics Your CV has received great feedback, you’ve passed the telephone screening and finally been invited to interview. However it’s not time to celebrate just yet; there’s still a lot of work to be done before you land the job. Job interviews can be stressful and nerve-racking but good preparation will make the process much easier for you. If you have an interview coming up, StandOut CV have created this useful step-by-step guide for simple yet effective interview preparation. A few days before the interview The days that lead up to your job interview are extremely important, as this is when you should be doing the bulk of your preparation work. Don’t leave everything until the night before, it’s not worth the risk. Firstly you need to ensure that you research the company in detail, as 82% of interviewers will reject a candidate if they don’t understand the employer’s business at interview stage. You need to understand what products or services they offer, who their customers are, the company culture and who their key people are. You can use a number of channels to do your research including web searches, the company site and social media. If the role is being handled by a recruiter, you can also ask them for some inside information. You also need to ensure that you fully understand the role being offered, because if you don’t there is only 5% chance that you will be offered the job. Study the job description and learn the goal of the role, who you will be reporting to, tools and software required and any product or service knowledge needed. Once you are familiar with the company and the role, you need to understand what makes you a good fit for the role. Compare your CV with the job spec and make notes on how your experience, skills and knowledge match up. Doing this will enable you to answer any questions you may get asked around suitability. Interviewers will usually be keen to ask about your weaknesses so take some time to learn your skills gaps and how you plan to work around them in the role.  If you have a significant journey to travel to the interview, plan your journey a few days in advance and even look into back up routes in case there are travel delays on the day. If you have time, it may even be worth doing a practice journey, as being just 5 minutes late could cost you the job. Practice answering some common interview questions so that they do not come as a surprise at the time. The 3 most popular interview questions are: Why should we hire you? Why do you want this job? Why are you leaving your current job? These questions will definitely arise in some form or another, so make sure you have some answers prepared. The night before the interview The night before the interview should be fairly relaxed as you’ve done most of your preparation beforehand. Go over your preparation notes and the job spec to make sure it’s all fresh in your mind but don’t stress too much. Plan your outfit to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions in the morning and ensure that everything is washed and looks sharp. You should also pack a smart bag or folder with all your interview essentials such as your CV, the job spec and a pen and note pad. Most healthy adults need between 7.5 and 9 hours of sleep to perform at their best so get to sleep as early as you can once you’re fully prepared.

Learn What Others Do to Find Your Ideal Career

Learn What Others Do to Find Your Ideal Career Two weeks ago my sister Jay (a high school senior) and her boyfriend visited me downtown to look at DePaul University.   Afterwards, we sat outside at one of my favorite Lincoln Park spots and talked about college and careers.   My sister and I are nine years apart.   While I’ve already graduated college and gone through those first few post-college years, she is just starting the process. Our conversation was really interesting and gave me some great topic ideas for Ms. Career Girl.   What most sparked my interest, though, was a comment Jay’s boyfriend made. Taylor, like a vast majority of college students, is paying his way through school but isn’t totally sure of what entry level career path he’d like to pursue.   He said something like, “I’m not dumb and I’m not lazy.   I just don’t want to waste a ton of time or money until I know what I want to do.” If I were to venture a guess, I’d say Taylor explained how most 18-22 year-olds feel about their education and career. Some blame the “lost generation” on schools: High schools aren’t doing a good enough job of introducing students to various career paths.   Others feel college curriculum isn’t focused enough on preparing students for life outside the classroom.   Some of this may be true.   But, to that I say: There is only one person in charge of your career: YOU. My advice to Taylor was to make a point to talk to everyone he knows about what they do for a living. I told him to sit down with the professors who teach his favorite subjects and ask them what types of career paths that subject matter could lead him to.  I suggested that he ask his relatives, friends’ parents and everyone else he knows about their jobs, education and career goals.   At some point he’d hear about options that are interesting to him. But the problem with my advice is that it takes up a lot of time. And, at his age, his network is still small. After thinking a lot about this conversation, I decided that I want to provide a free “career due diligence” tool to young professionals like Taylor. Therefore, you’ll start to see some requests to join our free email list. Ms. Career Girl’s email subscription is designed around the values expressed here at Ms. Career Girl: YOU are in charge of your career. Network every day. If you don’t know what you want to do, then figure out what everyone else is doing and see what appeals to you. You must know who you are and what you want before you can go and get it. When conducting a career search, look for cool companies, not just cool job postings. Read! Interview often, even when you’re not looking. Your college major isn’t everything. The details of this premium content email is still in the works, but here’s what we know so far: Our career email will educate you on cool career paths, awesome companies and unique job openings that you probably didn’t know existed. Some emails will appeal to you more than others. Thats the point. The info in each email should help you open your mind to what’s out there.   Use this email to learn, network, get inspired and as part of your self-exploration.   Use it as a job search tool and use it to save yourself time from doing all the legwork yourself. Recruiters, business owners, journalists and more can submit cool job postings and companies by emailing me: [emailprotected] And YOU should subscribe to our free email list today.   Then tell your friends by clicking some buttons below to share this article with your friends. Suggestions? Questions?   Leave them in the comments box below or send an email directly to me at [emailprotected]

What Can You Do With A Degree In Social Work

What Can You Do With A Degree In Social Work Nowadays, one of the biggest mistakes that people make is embarking on a degree without having complete knowledge regarding the doors it will open afterwards. Yes, the course appeals to you, but what does it mean in terms of your career prospects? What sort of job will you be able to obtain once you are qualified? With that being said, if you are interested in a degree in social work, read on to discover what this could do for you in terms of your career prospects. What type of skills will you add to your CV? Let’s begin by taking a look at the different sorts of skills you will be able to add to your CV once you have completed your degree. Firstly, you will obtain a number of practical skills, especially as you will have likely had to complete a placement within public sector organisations related to social work. One element that is covered heavily is ethics, and this incorporates promoting social justice and respecting diversity. You will also gain a number of different transferable skills, including effective time management, communication skills, negotiating plans and goals, analysing a situation and problem-solving, advocacy, and managing conflict. What sort of jobs can you obtain with a degree in social work? No matter whether you have gone to university to attain your degree or you have taken a BSW online, there are going to be a number of different job options available to you once you have attained your degree. Some of the jobs that are directly related to a degree in social work include becoming a social worker, family support worker, and high-intensity therapist. There are also a number of jobs whereby your degree will be very useful. This includes becoming a youth worker, adult guidance worker, volunteer coordinator, advice worker, play therapist, careers adviser, life coach, community development worker, detective, and counsellor. Do you need work experience? If you want to become a social worker, it is highly important that you gain prior work experience in any sort of field that is related to social work. You could seek out voluntary work or paid positions within community care centres. You may also want to look for opportunities to work with vulnerable adults or with children. Essentially, you need to look for any type of role that is going to give you the platform to showcase empathy, as well as an authentic desire to have a positive impact on other people’s quality of life. Hopefully, you now have a better understanding regarding what a career in social work can do for you. This is the sort of qualification that can open a number of different doors, and you also have the ability to travel and apply your skills overseas too. This information should give you a good understanding as to whether this is the right career option for you.

7 ways to decrease your hours without harming your career

7 ways to decrease your hours without harming your career It is possible to work fewer hours without hurting your career, but you need to get serious about systematically changing how you approach your work. First, dont blame your long hours on your boss, your CEO, or your underlings. Someone who does not make a conscious, organized effort to take responsibility for the number of hours they work can be thrown off course by anyone. But the person who systematically follows the steps below will not be thrown off course, even by a workaholic boss in a workaholic industry. 1. Concentrate on quality of work over quantity. The person who builds a career on doing the most work commits to living on a treadmill. The work will never be done, and you will become known among your co-workers as someone who never turns down an assignment. Read: dumping ground. Quality is what matters: people dont lose a job for not working unpaid overtime, they lose a job for not performing well at the most important times; and a resume is not a list of hours worked, it is a list of big accomplishments. 2. Know the goals of your job. You need to know the equivalent of a home run in your job. Get a list of goals from your boss, and understand how they fit into the big picture. Judge if your work is high quality by what people need from you and how they measure success. Be sure to get goals that are quality oriented and not hours oriented. Suggest replacing, Devote eight hours a week to cold-calling to Find six qualified leads in three months. 3. Refuse bad assignments. Figure out what matters, and spend your time on that. Once you have clear short-term and long-term goals, its easy to spot the person you dont need to impress, the project that will never hit your resume, or the hours worked that no one will notice. And then say no. Constantly. The best way to say no is to tell people what is most important on your plate so they see that, for you, they are a low priority. Prioritizing is a way to help your company, your boss and yourself. No one can fault your for that. 4. Know your bosss goals. Your best tool for saying no to a project is reminding your boss what her goals are. If she cannot keep track of her own goals, help her. Because if you worm your way out of work that doesnt matter to her, so that you can do work that does matter to her, she is more likely to back you up. Also your boss will protect you from assignments from other people if you show her how the other peoples work affects your bosss goals. 5. Take control of what you can. Even small efforts at control add up to a lot, and best of all, they usually go unnoticed by others. For example, refuse to make meetings on Monday and you are less likely to have to prepare for meetings on the weekend. Refuse meetings after 4:30 p.m. and you are less likely to miss dinner at home. Ignore your phone while you write your weekly report and youre less likely to stay late to finish it. You dont need to tell people: My policy is no meetings at x time. Just say youre already booked and suggest another time. You cant do this every meeting, but you can do it enough to make a difference in your life. 6. Know your own boundaries. Wanting to work fewer hours is too vague a goal because you wont know which hours to protect. Try getting home at 7pm, not working weekends, or leaving for two hours in the middle of the day for a yoga class. These are concrete goals for cutting back hours. 7. Be brave. Brave people can say no when someone is pushing hard, and brave people can go home when other people are working late. The bravery comes from trusting yourself to find the most important work and to do it better than anyone else.

10 Simple Tips for a Better Work-Life Balance CareerMetis.com

10 Simple Tips for a Better Work-Life Balance â€" CareerMetis.com Source â€" Pexels.comPeople frequently espouse the importance of a healthy work-life balance, but it can be hard to know how to achieve such an equilibrium. Groom Style have assembled a useful in-depth guide on the subject, and we’ve put together some quick-fire tips on how you can manage your time better.Having more balance in your life can lead you to be happier, healthier, and more productive. Following these tips can help you realize that goal.1) DisconnectModern technology makes it incredibly easy to stay connected with the world no matter where you are. This connectivity can be incredibly useful, but it often means that work can infringe on your personal life at any time.evalYou should take time every day where you’re away from your phone, laptop, or another device. You can focus on other important tasks without the constant worry that a colleague or customer will interrupt it.2) Scheduled DowntimeHighly productive people are excellent at scheduling their time. Doing so ca n keep you focused and more productive. However, you should also factor in some off-time when you’re making a schedule.This will mean you won’t feel guilty about time out from work, and also says you have a designated time to relax.An exercise such as meditation can further help you to de-stress and gives you more focus when you do go back to work.3) Focus on FinancesPart of your downtime should reflect your hobbies and interests, but there are also other parts of life outside of work that need attention. Having your finances in order is an excellent way of removing stress and knowing where you stand financially.Whether it’s setting a budget, or working on saving money on insurance and services, these are necessary tasks that make your job worthwhile. You’ll be able to see where your hard-earned cash is going and work towards savings goals for the future.4) ExerciseIt’s easy to get so wrapped up in work that you barely have time to eat, let alone exercise. This inactivity can become an unhealthy habit, mainly if you resort to eating junk food to get by. Many health benefits come from regular physical exercise.evalOne positive of regular exercise is that it can make you feel more energetic, which goes a long way towards helping you accomplish things. What it also does, however, is force you to step away from work for a while, which can give you time to clear your thoughts.5) DelegateYou may feel like you need to oversee every aspect of your work and home life, but delegating responsibilities is an excellent way of striking a healthier work-life balance.Don’t be afraid of saying ‘no’ to projects that are beyond your remit at work, or working with your colleagues to equitably share out responsibility.The same goes for at home; if you share a space with a partner and/or children, ensure that everyone is pulling their weight when it comes to chores.6)Strive for Excellence, Not PerfectionevalSuccessful people generally tend to start out as perfection ists. The finer details are undoubtedly important, as is doing a good job, but perfectionism can be exhausting.As your life gets busier, with multiple elements demanding attention, striving for perfection becomes harder. Instead, try and produce excellent work instead. You’ll still be producing high-quality work, but you won’t burn out in the search for the ideal of ‘perfect.’7) Create BoundariesThis point relates somewhat to the above one; you need to let people know where your boundaries lie. Work doesn’t own you, so make sure you push back to any unreasonable requests. Similarly, you may feel the need for some alone time at home and should communicate that.Having such boundaries will keep work from spilling over into your personal life too much.8) Learn to Love ListsLists are a useful tool in many situations. They can help you outline your goals and objectives, weigh up the pros and cons of a decision, and keep track of essential elements in your life. All of these can help with juggling your home and work life, but there’s another use too.Keep track of the significant time hogs in your life, whether that’s tasks, people, or places. You can soon identify what or who is taking up disproportionate amounts of your time. With that understanding, you can start planning your days better to account for those elements, and avoid them if necessary.9) Get AwayThe very thought of being away from the office for a week or two may be enough to make you feel anxious. This is a good sign that you’re overdoing it at work. Taking a chunk of time out for a holiday can be a lifesaver. Turn off your work emails and go to somewhere new or relaxing.The distance will allow you some perspective on your work-life balance and will give you time to relax and unwind. It also gives you time to start planning out for a more equally distributed schedule, using many of the tips we’ve already highlighted. Going,10) Take Small StepsIt’s unlikely that you’ll be able to s hift your work-life balance dramatically overnight. It’s a process that takes some time and effort. Identifying that your life is out of kilter is the first step to making changes.evalFrom there, you’ll need to consider ways in which you can improve your situation. These don’t have to be major overhauls, which can be stressful in themselves. Instead, look for small changes that you can make gradually. It will be much easier to manage a gentle transition.Reward yourself for the small victories, and start to enjoy your newly found home life.Final ThoughtsImplementing just a few of these tips can make a massive difference to your work-life balance. Every job comes with its pressures and demands, but it’s how we deal with those that make the difference.Focus on what’s important to you, and stand firm when it comes to your time. The changes you make will likely be gradual ones, but make sure you recognize them for what they are; progress towards a more balanced life.

The new employee lifecycle 3 small tweaks to bring managers big change

?The new employee lifecycle 3 small tweaks to bring managers big change It’s a fact high turnover rates are not only costly to an organization’s bottom line, but also a gut punch to employee morale and company culture. Digital Intelligence Systems, LLC (DISYS), a global managed services and staffing firm with 33 offices around the world, recently launched a new protocol designed to lower turnover rates, provide effective coaching, and continually learn where improvements are needed, through comprehensive employee engagement. DISYS’ Vice President of Global Human Resources, Laura Smith, shared her thoughts and recommendations via email. Her aggressive 2016 to 2018 goal is to reduce voluntary turnover by 50 percent. She and her team have spent countless hours dissecting the employee life cycle, carving out touch points necessary to enhance the candidate experience, improve the relationship between employee and manager, and further engagement of current and departing employees. “There are key factors that play into the culture within a particular company, and when you are global, these factors are compounded by the influences of local cultural norms, she said. We developed something larger than just another policy. The protocol gives employees every opportunity to be an active participant in crafting their experience so they can shine and advance.” Released in May, The DISYS Employee Life Cycle Protocol (ELC Protocol) encapsulates a strategic, innovative solution to tackling key factors in an employee’s journey: Hiringâ€" The candidate experience and internal hiring practices Coachingâ€" Shifting managers to coaches, introducing a formal mentor program, and a career engagement tool called the Key Impact Success Story (or KISS) Exitâ€" The end-stage of life at DISYS, or “What’s NEXT?” Below, Smith shares the key components and strategies behind the ELC Protocol: 1. Hiring “Hiring smarter is a major theme of our new protocol,” Smith said in our email conversation. “Treating candidates the way you would want to be treated is a priority for those involved in the candidate experience.” The candidate’s hiring experience now extends far beyond just a basic interview before selecting a candidate; instead, it’s a high-level initiative Smith recommends any HR team deploy. Hiring managers complete an in-depth job requisition outlining mandatory skills and dependencies. “This forces hiring managers to think beyond the cookie-cutter job description and drill down on what is truly needed for a new employee to hit the ground running,” she said. Next, Smith implements technical and behavioral skills assessments early on in the interview process. Potential candidates are asked to complete one or two assessments, which provides insight into core skills and behaviors. Finalists are also asked to prepare a presentation that helps HR and hiring managers evaluate critical thinking, writing style and creative approach. She also suggests an interview process that involves multiple team members across disciplines. As candidates move through the behavior-based interview process, feedback is collected that gives a full picture of the candidate’s interview process and creates a data library. 2. Coaching In order to improve retention, coaching is vital. Managers are expected to be honest and transparent with team members. To help develop managers into coaching managers, Smith employs Situational Leadership II theories and training. While this model is new to the company, there are variations on the coaching concept that exist in many companies today. Look into which one is the best fit for your organizations. While coaching is the “soft” approach to employee development, the other critical piece is the creation of performance goals and expectations. Many companies use standard performance appraisals to document and manage expectations. But Smith said, “I wanted to introduce a tool that fosters positive and continuous engagement between manager and employee.” So DISYS joined one of the latest trends in HR and took a bold step to scrap performance appraisals and performance improvement plans. Instead, each employee gets a KISS! The “Key Impact Success Story” is completed by employees in tandem with their managers to outline key goals and development paramount to success. Smith said, “KISS encourages a collaborative and engaging approach aimed at success â€" for the employee and for the company.” For peer-to-peer coaching, Smith recommends a mentor program. Pairing employees together to facilitate knowledge sharing creates additional avenues for learning and development and fosters company loyalty. 3. Exits, or NEXT In many cases, voluntary resignations are a sign the coaching manager has failed at meeting employee expectations or hasn’t acted to correct problems. To combat this, DISYS’ Protocol outlines the steps managers and employees must take when leaving and also includes an extensive exit interview to uncover lurking problems that might need repair. The new formal exit process is called NEXT, and includes protocol on treating employees compassionately, fairly, and with transparency. It also includes a formal exit survey. Companies looking to learn more from their mistakes are often well served by an exit interview process that is rooted in empathy and objectivity. In summary, Smith is transforming her HR team to have a stronger customer-service attitude. “We are very proud of the steps taken to ensure we are meeting our business needs and our employee’s needs through this new protocol,” Smith said. “The beauty is it remains a living experience and is as nimble as our workforce. As our talent needs change and the culture shifts, so will the protocol. All our people have a voice in how this new program evolves.” Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class right now and immediately access the most comprehensive job search system currently available!

Resume Tips - How to Write a Great Resume

Resume Tips - How to Write a Great ResumeIt is not uncommon for a person to search for resume tips on the internet and in the library. Resume tips are indeed very important in order to attain success in an interview. You should know how to write an effective resume in order to get noticed by employers. The following resume tips can help you develop a great resume.o In order to write a great resume, you must first know the basic steps of writing a resume. A resume consists of the introduction, educational information, skills and experience section, work experience, expertise section, and the other sections. In the introduction section, you should introduce yourself to the reader. The educational information should be related to your previous jobs. Skills and experience should be based on your qualifications.The skills and experience section include a summary of all your previous jobs that are related to your qualification. The work experience section should also include your job title , date of employment, and work hours.o Your experience section is very important. Here, you should list your experiences related to the position you are applying for. You should also list all your knowledge related to the job. This section should also include accomplishments related to your skills and experience.o You should know your English proficiency. It is advisable to use grammar and spelling check on your resume. If you are using Microsoft Word application, you can download and use the spell check and grammar checkers offered by Microsoft Office. Otherwise, you can utilize the spell check and grammar checkers that are available for free in the Internet.o In addition to resume tips, you must also write a cover letter. You should highlight the main points of your resume in your cover letter. This will show your potential employer that you really have the interest in your current job. The letter should include your address, e-mail address, telephone number, and voice mail. You s hould know how to write a good cover letter.o Your personal brand and history is also important. You should include details of your achievements in your career. You should also mention about your latest activities, hobbies, and interests.These resume tips can help you develop a great resume. These resume tips can be useful when you search for resume tips. Make sure you use these resume tips to achieve success in your future job search.