Aqua Career

Dec 31

Casey Yew offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
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Article Title: What to Expect From a Second Interview?
Author: Casey Yew
Category: Career, Human Resources
Word Count: 519
Keywords: job interview questions and answers, job interview tips, resume writing tips
Author’s Email Address: editor@tipandaction.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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A second interview is a great sign, but it is by no means a statement of your pending hire. Often a first round of interviews weeds out applicants that aren’t suited to the position. The second round of interviews is used to find the best candidate among those who remain.

The Biggest Mistake of the Second Interview

Many assume the second interview is a formality preceding their hire. “If I’ve made a second interview, they assume, I’m all but hired!” Nothing could be further from the truth. Your first interview was about your basic abilities and general fit in the company. The second interview is testing you on issues and if you’re the person they want. To assume you’re practically hired is to risk losing a valuable opportunity. Those who prepare for the second interview will likely stand out over a cocky candidate who doesn’t seem to respect what the interview is truly about.

The Second Interview

The second interview deals with issues – real or imagined, that take place in the line of duty. It is also an opportunity for those making the decisions to get to know you and your abilities a bit better. They already know how you answer generic questions and what you look like on paper – this is the time to shine, build relationships and show what you can do.

This is Your Time

By the second interview, you are in head-to-head competition with others for the same job. You need to make yourself stand out as the best possible candidate. The best way to do this is not by telling everyone what you can do, it’s by showing the interviewers what you can offer to them and their company.

Expect situational questions related to the position. When answering the question, pull in prior experience as much as possible to show how you’ve handled the type of situation before, but be careful to stay focused on the question at hand.

“I’ve faced a tough budget cut before at Company C, and I found that bringing in others from within the departments helped to make the process go more smoothly. When I had the opportunity to align numbers across three departments, I found that forming subcommittees to examine certain projects and their cost-value ratio was the best way to have a more universal buy-in into the initiative as well as detailed analysis from those who work on those projects in those particular departments. In the situation you described, I think bringing in others in the same manner would be extremely beneficial.”

Build Relationships

Next to showing the interviewers how wonderful you’d be in the particular job, you want to show them how wonderful you’d be to work with. This comes by building rapport and relationships. Be open and friendly and share a bit of personality in your interview. Without coming on too strong, you’re trying to make the interviewers like you and want to take you to lunch. Try a few responses with humor or tie in last night’s sports game. Be careful to keep the humor light and universal to avoid offending the interviewer or making yourself stand out in a bad way.

A great collection of the most common job interview questions and answers, job interview tips and resume writing tips and many more for job seekers and for interviewers are available at http://www.adow.com
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Dec 31

How to Explain Gaps in Your Work History?

Casey Yew offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
———–
PUBLICATION GUIDELINES
- You have permission to publish this article for free providing the “About the Author” box is included in its entirety.
- Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity.
- Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only.
- If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links.
- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to editor@tipandaction.com
- Article Marketer (www.ArticleMarketer.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Article Marketer does not own this article, please respect the author’s copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article.
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Article Title: How to Explain Gaps in Your Work History?
Author: Casey Yew
Category: Career, Human Resources
Word Count: 463
Keywords: job interview questions and answers, job interview tips, resume writing tips
Author’s Email Address: editor@tipandaction.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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Being concerned about gaps in your work history is understandable, but should a question about a gap come up, you should smoothly fill the gap with an honest response followed by a powerful statement of the future. To do this effectively, you’ll need to take time to work through your emotions regarding the gap before sitting down in an interview.

Eliminate the Emotional Baggage

Many resume gaps include emotional baggage. If you were laid off and unemployed for a long stretch of time, you might have issues with self esteem and this can sorely affect your future employment. If you were fired or targeted in layoffs, the negative emotions can follow you from one job to the next, so before interviewing and trying to explain the gap in professional terms, be sure you’ve left the more dramatic aspects behind.

If an issue is particularly painful, you might use help working through the issue before trying to explain it professionally. You might benefit from speaking with a professional about periods of depression or other medical conditions that have affected your work in the past, especially if the issue is unresolved.

Explaining the Gap

When actually explaining a gap in your work history, you’ll want to do so honestly, with as little time spent on the details as possible. Your goal should be not to gloss over the hole, but to offset it with a positive statement about the future. You should also avoid making any statement that might make future employers concerned. For example, “My boss fired me after we fought one day,” sets a very different tone than, “I lost my job unexpectedly and I used the opportunity to seek out a position that challenged me professionally and helped expand my skills in critical areas.”

The latter statement is an example of an honest response, “I lost my job unexpectedly” followed by a strong positive statement. Using the time provided by severance or even being fired to find a more suitable position is understandable. It is much better than sitting around feeling sorry, of course.

Stay Focused On the Future

Throughout your interview and particularly this question, you should stay focused on the future. Offset any negative remark with a positive one about the career you’re now seeking or what you learned from the experience that can benefit you in the future. For example, even personal issues can be turned around in a positive light, “I felt that personal issues outside of my control were affecting my performance at work, and decided to leave the position to resolve those issues. I am happy to say that my decision was the right one as I’ve been able to handle those items and used the extra time to seek out opportunities, such as this one, that best utilize my problem-solving skills and determination.”

Dec 31

How Do You Convince Your Interviewer That You Really Want The Job?

Casey Yew offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
———–
PUBLICATION GUIDELINES
- You have permission to publish this article for free providing the “About the Author” box is included in its entirety.
- Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity.
- Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only.
- If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links.
- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to editor@tipandaction.com
- Article Marketer (www.ArticleMarketer.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Article Marketer does not own this article, please respect the author’s copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article.
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Article Title: How Do You Convince Your Interviewer That You Really Want The Job?
Author: Casey Yew
Category: Career, Human Resources
Word Count: 497
Keywords: job interview questions and answers, job interview tips, resume writing tips
Author’s Email Address: editor@tipandaction.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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There are twin purposes in an interview. The interviewer is looking to see if 1) you are the right fit for the job and 2) it you are ready to take on the responsibilities of the position. Your job in the interview is to be sure that you present all of your best skills to show you are obviously the right fit and to be perfectly clear that you really and truly want the job. To show you care a great deal about the position:

Research the Company

To show you’re not just after a salary, but a career, spend time researching the company to learn how it operates, what is sells, how it functions, who it competes with and what core values it has. If you happen to have the same core values, be sure to mention it in the interview if you can. Sprinkle your interview with insightful remarks about your research to show you have more than just a general idea about the company and, more importantly, the position.

Be Excited

Sitting on the edge of your chair, terror in your eyes and whispered responses to questions is not the way to show you’re excited about the job. Show your skills and enthusiasm for the position by smiling, using hand gestures, being professionally relaxed (but not casual) and answer questions with a bias toward the position. For example, “I’m very detail oriented. If I were to be the graphic designer you’re seeking, I’d spend a lot of time ensuring the details of each banner and ad were clean and precise. It’s something I pride myself on.”

Ask Detailed Questions

You can use questions to show your excitement about the position as well as your skill set. By asking detailed questions about the position that are pertinent to the interview, not to show off, you can make it clear how interested you are. For example, “I’ve always loved having the flexibility to choose color schemes and work directly with clients to get the right look in a new ad. Would I be encouraged to build close relationships with clients as a member of your team?”

Ask For the Job

Finally, at the end of the interview, thank your interviewer and ask for the job. It will likely feel brazen, but telling the interviewer just how interested you are and then asking for the position will show how far you’re willing to respectfully go to get what you want. In asking, you don’t want to sound cocky, “Obviously, I’m the right guy for this position – when do I start?”

Instead, you want to be a class act who’s ready to sign on the dotted line if all parties are in agreement. “Thank you for the chance to share my skills with you. From the information you’ve shared with me, I feel I am a good match with what you are seeking and would truly love to join your team as the new graphic designer. I hope you will consider me and thank you again.”

Dec 31

How to Answer Behavioral or Situational Questions?

Casey Yew offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
———–
PUBLICATION GUIDELINES
- You have permission to publish this article for free providing the “About the Author” box is included in its entirety.
- Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity.
- Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only.
- If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links.
- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to editor@tipandaction.com
- Article Marketer (www.ArticleMarketer.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Article Marketer does not own this article, please respect the author’s copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article.
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Article Title: How to Answer Behavioral or Situational Questions?
Author: Casey Yew
Category: Career, Human Resources
Word Count: 483
Keywords: job interview questions and answers, job interview tips, resume writing tips
Author’s Email Address: editor@tipandaction.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
—————— ARTICLE START ——————

The behavioral interview is catching on in popularity although some companies have been using this style of interviewing for years. In a behavioral interview, you are asked to tell about particular experiences in your history and the interviewer probes your answers looking for certain behaviors and responses. Your past actions tell the interviewers a great deal about how you reacted in the past and how you might react in a similar situation for their company. Statistics show that a behavioral interview is 55% effective at determining your success in a new position versus only 10% effectiveness with standard interview questions.

Preparing for the Behavioral Interview

In a behavioral interview, the interviewer is looking for traits that show through actual experience. You can’t fumble your way through a response without your lie showing and you can’t just answer in a general way. You must have specific experiences to show for each of the questions asked – and you most likely won’t know what behaviors your interviewers are looking for as you tell the story.

To overcome this obstacle, you should start preparing for the interview by doing research. Research what sorts of traits are requested in the job advertisement as well as in the overall philosophy of the company. Speak with other employees if possible to get a feel of the company’s culture. The more you learn about the company and the position, the more able you are to guess at what traits the interviewers will be looking for. Some examples include:

- Initiative
- Willingness to travel
- Self-starter
- Problem solver
- Creative
- Willingness to do what it takes
- Leadership

The Behavioral Interview Questions

To determine if you have these traits, interviewers are trained to probe your situational responses to see what you did or thought at certain times. They might start by asking you to tell them about a time you overcame obstacles. As you begin telling the story, your interviewer might interject to ask how you felt at that time, or what you said to a particular person. Your best bet is to be honest. The nature of the behavioral interview is to keep probing at a story – if you fudge a bit, you’re setting yourself up for a tricky spot farther down the interview.

Advance Preparation

You don’t usually know what characteristics the company is seeking, so you have no idea what kinds of questions they will be asking. You can’t practice standard questions and answers for this interview. Instead, you should work to develop an arsenal of stories that showcase your skills and abilities as well as failures. Rehearse those stories in your mind with the understanding that they don’t have to be from work experience. You can demonstrate the critical skills in the classroom, on the golf course, in a Greek society, in an art contest, on a sporting field or in an office. Pick stories that show who you are and the strong skills you can offer.

Dec 31

Following Up on an Interview

Casey Yew offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
———–
PUBLICATION GUIDELINES
- You have permission to publish this article for free providing the “About the Author” box is included in its entirety.
- Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity.
- Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only.
- If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links.
- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to editor@tipandaction.com
- Article Marketer (www.ArticleMarketer.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Article Marketer does not own this article, please respect the author’s copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article.
———–
Article Title: Following Up on an Interview
Author: Casey Yew
Category: Career, Human Resources
Word Count: 531
Keywords: job interview questions and answers, job interview tips, resume writing tips
Author’s Email Address: editor@tipandaction.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
—————— ARTICLE START ——————

In an interview situation, the individual conducting the interview is likely speaking with many qualified applicants for the same position. This means you have competition for the position and need to take every initiative to stand out. It’s to be expected that most of what is said and discussed in your interview will fade from memory almost immediately. It’s your job to use the follow-up on an interview to propel yourself forward, ahead of the competition.

A Difficult Choice

Interviewers face a difficult choice of hiring the right person to do the job who can also mesh well with the current workforce and environment. A thirty minute or one hour interview usually isn’t enough time to grasp everything about you, and you can use the follow up to make the interviewer’s job easier. In your follow up letter, certainly thank your interviewer again, but really use the opportunity as one last chance to show her why you’re the candidate that should stand out above the rest.

The Perfect Timing

You should send a follow up or thank you letter within twenty-four hours of an interview. But following up on the interview is a bit more complex. Ideally, you asked the interviewer about the hiring processes the company is using. If this is the case, you should know when a decision is going to be made.

The ideal timing is after the interviewer has had a chance to sort through multiple candidates and is in the processes of making a decision about each one. If you send a follow up the day of your interview, you run the risk of seeming desperate or annoying the interviewer. Send it too late and you might miss your window of opportunity. In most cases, sending a follow up a week after the interview is ideal timing unless you know they are making a decision sooner.

The Letter

Email is the chosen form of communication for most business people today. Unfortunately, however, when you send an email as a thank you or follow up for an interview, it will likely be lost among the dozens, even hundreds of other emails the manager sees in her inbox every day. A phone call might very well have the same result if she checks voice mails only a few times a day.

While writing a letter by hand might seem old-fashioned, the time it takes and the apparent effort is worth a great deal to the interviewer. It’s the most impressive form of communication if done well. If you don’t have nice handwriting, a typed and signed letter is acceptable.

What to Include in a Follow Up Letter

Inside your letter, you should have a standard thank you, but you should also pitch yourself to the company and interviewer again. Remind him or her of your best traits and tie each one to the skill sets she’s seeking. If you can, tie in some of the issues and problems discussed in the interview to show how your abilities can handle specific issues you’ve only just learned about. Give him or her every reason to see you handling the position well already and there won’t be a reason to hold you back from what just seems like a natural fit.

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