interview tips,importantinterviewtips

5 Skills Everyone Needs to Have on a Resume

2012-03-22T23:37:00.003-07:00

If your resume feels a little thin or you can't seem to fill up the Skills & Expertise section of yourLinkedIn profile, then it's time to do something about it. There are countless free educational tools on the Web that make it easier than ever to teach yourself valuable skills that will help to create a robust resume.

Your resume is more than a summary of your past experience. It's a tool that can help propel your career growth--that is, if you highlight skills, language, and the context of the job you want, rather than regurgitating your past experience.

Consider boosting your skills in the following:

1. Excel

Many job-seekers list Excel as one of their skills, even if they only have a mastery of the basics. Set aside some time this evening or weekend to learn some new features.

Excel is valuable because it offers some essential ways to analyze a lot of info in the least amount of time. Go beyond the basics of formulas and equations and learn about features like Excel's PivotCharts, custom functions, Visual Basics for Applications, and more. Search for free tutorialsonline; you'll be bombarded with resources and videos.

2. Web Development (Java, HTML, SQL)

Many experts agree that having knowledge of computer languages is particularly appealing to today's employers. Learning Web development isn't just applicable for IT professionals. Whether you're a new business grad or a seasoned professional looking to brush up on the latest in-demand skills, learning the basics may make you more relevant.

All you have to do is start. Free tutorials from W3Schools.com, Code Academy, and other coding resources will give you step-by-step instructions on the basics.

3. Adobe Creative Suite

Practicing creative web tools is a great way to develop some basic graphic design skills. Adobe is very widely used for just this--so if you can get your hands on the software, then you can choose your favorite application and begin learning.

The suite includes various creative applications, including InDesign, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver--all programs that companies rely on to create engaging Web designs and layouts. You never know when you might be able to lend a hand in a new project that requires proficiency in using one of these apps.

Start now by taking advantage of Adobe's How-To Channel, which hosts videos for beginners.

4. Foreign Language

Learning a new language can open up a lot of doors for you as a professional. In fact, becoming fluent in a second language could even offer you the opportunity to work in another country.

The most popular language-learning courses are effective, but they can also be costly. Instead, teach yourself at home by taking advantage of a free online course. In fact, free online courses are growing in popularity. Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the University of California, Berkeley are some colleges that are sharing courses online.

If, for instance, you decide to learn Mandarin, check out MIT's OpenCourseWare. You'll find course material, audio demonstrations, study groups, and more for beginning to intermediate levels of Mandarin.

5. Google Analytics

Web 2.0 is centered on Google. The ability to track and analyze how Google ranks and organizes information can be invaluable both personally and professionally. Google Analytics can help job-seekers manage their online presence (LinkedIn profile, Twitter, personal website, etc.) to enhance their marketability to potential employers. To start, type "Google Analytics IQ Online Course" in Google and watch one of the training videos.

Source: http://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/5-skills-everyone-needs-resume-150301990.html

3 Ways to Ace a Job Interview

2012-03-04T21:36:00.004-08:00

3 Ways to Ace a Job Interview

Our experts show you how to make the perfect impression and score your dream job.

1 .

"The interview starts the moment you enter the building," says Barbara Safani, president of Career Solvers in Manhattan. Don't crack gum in the elevator, and be nice to the assistant, who may speak up if you're not.

Don't use an interview to find out about the company's basic products and services, which you should research in advance. Instead, "prepare questions about the company's culture and its most pressing business challenges," says career consultant Nancy Collamer.

3.

"Sometimes it's more compelling to show people what you've done," suggests Collamer. If you edited an online newsletter at your former job, print out a copy; if you organized a successful fund-raiser, bring promotional materials or a few photos in a binder.

Source:http://shine.yahoo.com/secrets-to-your-success-20120120/3-ways-ace-job-interview-212500947.html

Beware of Back-Stabbing Coworkers

2012-03-03T02:20:00.003-08:00

Beware of Back-Stabbing Coworkers

Think you've been stabbed in the back at work? If so, you're not alone.

In a 2008 national survey by The Creative Group, half of advertising and marketing executives responded that a current or former colleague had tried to make them look bad on the job. In addition, professionals of all types say they had suffered from sabotage on the job. In an online poll asking, "Are you aware of a coworker trying to make you look bad or sabotage your work in the last year?" nearly three-quarters said yes.

Those numbers are not surprising to Dr. Gary Namie, director of the Workplace Bullying Institute. He says that employee sabotage is one of the most prevalent forms of on-the-job bullying, a phenomenon that itself is far too common.

Many Forms of Sabotage

"Sabotage can happen in any organization, but some forms are special to the industry," Namie says. "In creative fields, it may take a passive form, such as not contributing to the group effort. In healthcare, a seasoned professional may withhold vital information, which not only hurts the new employee but also affects patient care."
Workplace saboteurs come in several types, including:

Belittlers, who hurl put-downs, demeaning remarks and disparaging comments.
Credit Thieves, who steal your ideas and grab the glory when a project is successful.
Finger Pointers, who pin the blame on others when the project goes wrong.
Rumor Mongers, stirring up drama by spreading lies and half-truths that destroy reputations.
Slackers, who shirk responsibility and foist duties onto others.
Scorched-Earth Managers, who will undermine or even fire a smart, capable worker when they feel threatened by brains and talent.

A 2007 survey conducted by Zogby International and commissioned by the Workplace Bullying Institute had even more bad news about workplace bullying. In 62 percent of workplace bullying cases, when made aware of bullying, employers worsen the problem or simply do nothing.

Before You Respond
How you handle sabotage or other bullying can affect your career prospects. You don't want to come across as a pushover, but you shouldn't overreact either, according to Megan Slabinski, executive director of The Creative Group.
"Not everyone who slights you is doing it on purpose," Slabinski says. "Before you confront someone, see if you may have played a role in the problem, or if your colleague wasn't aware of the issue. It's also wise to ask a mentor for candid feedback."
Slabinski also recommends looking for patterns before crying foul. "If it's happened a few times, it's definitely time to speak up," she says. "If someone is purposely trying to make you look bad, you want to let him or her know that you're aware of the situation, and you're not going to let it continue."
Guarding Against Sabotage
f you're certain you've been the target of sabotage, Namie offers several remedies:

Get Allies:Know that the bully will have allies, so you'll need all the back up you can get.
Go Three Levels Up, If Possible: A bully's boss may be in on the game, so go above their heads to make your case.
Don't Get Personal: "Instead of saying how you were hurt by what happened, show how sabotage is causing the business to suffer," Namie says.
Ask for Protection: Again, make your case business-related, not personal, and explain that your productivity can improve if you're not constantly looking over your shoulder.
Prepare for Your Next Job: Unfortunately, whistleblowers can be blamed for their own fate. If things go from bad to worse, know that you may have to leave the job you love.

Soure:http://career-services.monster.com/

How to Handle Salary Questions Before the Job Offer

2012-02-26T23:34:00.000-08:00

How to Handle Salary Questions Before the Job Offer

With unemployment stuck at 9.1%, job seekers feel less empowered than ever. That makes it tough to know what to do when a hiring manager or company representative asks you about your salary requirements. Career coaches and negotiation specialists universally agree that it’s never a good idea to talk concrete numbers until you get a job offer. But how do you fend off the inevitable questions about salary before you get to that stage? “You’ve got to stonewall it,” says Kate Wendleton, founder and president of the Five O’Clock Club, the national job coaching firm. “If they’re looking to pay you $100,000 and you’re making $150,000, the minute you say $150,000, they’re going to say, you’re not going to be happy here.” Wendleton adds that even when you do your homework, it’s tough to know what number the employer has in mind, and how much room there is to negotiate. “If you name a low number, then they may decide, we can get this person cheap,” she notes. So what do you say instead? Before you even get to a potential salary question from the hiring manager, there is often the challenge of the online application that requires you to put a number in the salary field. Wendleton recommends simply entering the numeral zero. Five O’Clock Club coaches have been recommending that technique for some time. “It works,” she says. The next potential pitfall comes when the human resources representative or hiring manager asks in the first interview, or even via email, for your compensation history or salary requirement. If the query comes through email, you can respond, “why don’t we discuss compensation questions when we talk in person?” Stonewall, but in a polite and respectful way. When you do meet in person, or have a phone conversation, one response would be, “I’ve been making a competitive salary.” Wendleton also recommends the following: “I’m truly interested in the job and I’m sure we can come to an agreement.” Another alternative: Turn the question back on your interviewer. Ask him if he can give you a sense of the range the job pays. Wendleton says the most productive thing you can do is ask how many other people are in the running for the job, and how you stack up against the competition. If the employer is talking to four other people, then ask what he sees as your positives and your negatives. Make it clear to the interviewer that you understand his concerns, and then write a follow-up letter specifically addressing them, instead of trying to improvise on the spot, advises Wendleton. “It’s much better to think about it and put it in writing.” Adds Wendleton, “most hiring managers are shocked when you ask that, but they do tell you.” She says that asking about your competition for a job can set a tone that will make the interviewer feel that he is talking to a peer, and that can be a good thing. Dawn Chandler, an assistant professor of management at California Polytechnic State University who teaches a course on negotiation that includes negotiating salary, agrees with Wendleton that stonewalling is the best tactic, particularly if you can do it diplomatically. If it’s early in the process, she recommends this response to the compensation question: “I really need to know more about where I fit within the organization, the requirements of the job and your expectations.” Some other possible responses: “I’d like to make a salary commensurate with my experience.” Or, “What’s most important to me is to talk about the value and the skills that I bring to the position. I’m sure that when we continue down the road, we can identify an overall package that meets my needs.” Another tactful line, especially if you’re pressed: “I’m aware of the range for this position and I view myself as bringing value on the higher end of that.” Yet another diplomatic yet evasive response, suggests Chandler: “This is really not so much about money for me. I’m more focused on the job, the challenge of the company culture and finding the right home for myself. I’m sure we can settle on an arrangement that’s mutually agreeable.” Chandler says that research shows that in rare cases, it can be OK to reveal a number. “It’s what’s called the anchoring effect,” she says. But applicants should only give a figure after they’ve done extensive research and gleaned solid information about the compensation range. For instance, if you have three friends who recently got hired by a consulting firm and they’ve reported back to you that the position pays between $85,000 and $100,000. Chandler says it can be helpful to talk about your skills and experience and then say you’d expect to earn $100,000. However if you can avoid naming a number, that’s always the best tactic. “It can be awkward,” notes Chandler, “but most people are not going to push back if you give a political answer.”

How To Negotiate Your Salary

2012-02-26T23:32:00.001-08:00

How To Negotiate Your Salary

I mentioned to an advertising honcho friend of mine that I was thinking of writing a story on how to negotiate salary in job interviews. My friend, who is in his 50s—we'll call him Don—was inspired to write me a 10-point memo on how he's done it. Don likes to play hardball. Don's tips include such advice as "If they've decided on you, you got 'em by the balls," and "Lie about your previous salary." Among other things, he suggests, go to your present boss, tell him you have an offer, and then "lie about how much the new job is offering and see if you can get more. Negotiate back and forth, depending on which company you want to end up with and how many bridges you want to burn." So successful has Don been at manipulating employers that one year he wangled two different six-month severance packages. "I made 12 months in severance pay and worked only five months," he wrote. But then at the end of his advice laundry list, he included a coda: "Of course, this was all then." He continued: "Now, I beg. I grovel. I take whatever anyone wants to give me. I suck up in ways that would shock others. I thank them profusely, lie to make myself younger and tell them about my nine sick kids so they don't fire me." One more thing: "If they make a cultural reference you don't get, just say, 'Whatever.' Apparently, that means you know." What's a job seeker to do in the current, brutal climate? I interviewed three job search experts and found that Don's old tricks are not completely obsolete. Though none of my sources like the idea of lying to an employer, they all agree that some of his advice has merit, like demonstrating to an employer that you are valued by other employers and using severance pay as a bargaining chip. First, about lying. "It's highly counterproductive," says Orville Pierson, author of The Unwritten Rules of the Highly Effective Job Search and a former senior vice president at the outplacement firm Lee Hecht Harrison."The person you're talking to is going to be your next boss. Your career depends on your reputation." Rusty Rueff, author of Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business and former head of human resources at PepsiCo and Electronic Arts, agrees. Rueff says job seekers should be transparent about why they need to make a particular salary. "It's just like applying for a mortgage or a student loan," he says. "The hiring manager wants to know there's a rational explanation behind what you're asking for." For example, if a company wants you to move from San Jose to New York City and you have two kids in private school, go ahead and tell the hiring manager that you're going to be needing $68,000 to cover tuition. Nevertheless, Pierson and Rueff add—and Roy Cohen, a veteran career coach, agrees—the salary discussion is most certainly a negotiation, and it pays to establish yourself as a valuable commodity desired by others. "It's all about demonstrating that you are the best person to help the employer address any challenges that may exist," Cohen says, "that you are going to change the course of history at the organization." He advises you to continue to demonstrate your value throughout the negotiation period, by offering solutions and strategies at meetings and in follow-up e-mails. Cohen, author of The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide, also says it's good to have competing offers, or at least competing conversations with prospective employers, and to let hiring managers know about it. "The only way you remain exciting to an employer is by giving the impression that you are dynamic and busy, that you're consulting and you have other conversations going on," Cohen says. At the same time Rueff and Pierson advise applicants to appear humble. You should be confident, but not cocky, Rueff says. "If you look like an egomaniac, you're going to turn people off," notes Pierson. He suggests that you go to interviews prepared with stories to tell that illustrate your accomplishments and your values. When you start negotiating, be well-prepared for that, too. First, think hard about what's most important to you, including salary and anything else, from the non-compete clause to the office where you'll sit. What are you willing to give up? What is make or break? For some applicants, the size of the paycheck may not be as important as vacation time. Severance is a good negotiating item, because it costs the employer nothing up front. Then be sure to research your employer, educating yourself about perks, employee policies and general compensation practices. Websites like glassdoor.com can help. At glassdoor, you can find the compensation levels for specific jobs at thousands of companies. Using LinkedIn can be another efficient way to get background on a company. How should you handle it when a hiring manager asks how much you currently make? Cohen says it often makes sense to use a delaying tactic, like saying, "I want to figure out if there's an opportunity for me here." Or if you're coming from a low-paying job, for instance at a nonprofit, and want to make a lot more, you can say to the hiring manager, "I'm sure you know I'm coming from a lower-paying industry where salaries are not in line with the private sector." Finally, negotiate in person whenever possible. Once you get to the salary discussion, the employer has decided she wants to hire you. Nevertheless, if you're sitting in front of her, says Cohen, "there's more of a commitment." It's a lot easier to get someone off the phone than to dismiss a prospective employee from your office. Stand your ground.

Best Times Of The Year To Look For A Job

2012-02-26T03:31:00.005-08:00

Best Times Of The Year To Look For A Job

If you have been job hunting and have had no positive results, it could be because your targeted employers are not hiring when you applied. Unbeknownst to most job applicants, some companies limit their hiring process to certain times of the year. Some companies hire during seasons when they experience high volumes of customer contact, and others schedule their hiring process to coincide with company timelines, such as at the end or beginning of their fiscal year. If you are in the market for a job, consider the following. Seasonal Jobs Most retailers actively hire seasonal employees during major holidays so that they are adequately staffed to service shoppers. For example, department stores may need additional staff during Christmas, Easter and other holidays during which the shopping volumes are high. If you are looking for a full-time job, these may not seem appealing to you. However, if you impress your supervisors, they could lead to full-time positions. When applying for these jobs, do so well in advance of the season, as these companies usually staff in advance to allow time for training. Hiring by Profession Some companies hire new employees in order to meet customer demands for professional services. For example, income tax firms may hire new employees at the end of the calendar year in order to be prepared for the tax season. Financial institutions may hire during the third quarter of the year to ensure staff are fully trained to handle calls about transactions that must be done by the end of the year. In some cases, companies hire based on market demands. For example, if the housing industry is booming, building contractors, architectural firms and bank loan departments may need to hire new staff to handle increased demand from consumers. Government Contracts and Unusual Events Check your local newspaper for announcements about large government contracts for projects in your area, as this will likely mean new jobs. You should also pay attention to unusual events, such as if oil is discovered in your area. For example, a recent CNN article discussed a large increase in jobs in North Dakota, which is the result of an oil boom. Low Volume Season May Work for You The summer seems to be the period when most job applications are inactive, and some companies put their hiring processes on hold. While this may seem like the least favorable time to apply for a job, it could work in your favor as not all employers put their hiring process on hold. During the high-volume seasons, employers have a large number of applications to review, which makes it hard for your application to stand out. But, if you submit your application during the low-volume season, you are more likely to stand out if your application is done properly. The Bottom Line While these are good suggestions for when you should ramp up your job search, the best time to look for a job is anytime. Companies are always hiring for different reasons, including the need to fill vacancies left by employees who change jobs. Therefore, you always have a chance of being hired even during the off season. The best approach is to submit your applications all year round if you can, and to as many companies as you can. Doing so will increase your chance of being hired.