5 Interview Types and How to Ace Them

All interviews were not created equal.

Depending on the role, the industry and the ruthlessness of your potential employer, you may encounter one – or a combination – of the common interview types.

Each one is unique, and demands a tailored approach to its preparation.

Lucky for you, we’ve identified the five most common interview methods.

We’ll give you the low down on each, and tell you how to ace them.

Click here for the entire article.

Hot Tips on Resume Writing

Article Source:  Yana Parker, http://www.damngood.com/jobseekers/tips.html

1. What IS a resume anyway?
Remember: a Resume is a self-promotional document that presents you in the best possible light, for the purpose of getting invited to a job interview.
It’s not an official personnel document. It’s not a job application. It’s not a “career obituary”! And it’s not a confessional.

2. What should the resume content be about?
It’s not just about past jobs! It’s about YOU, and how you performed and what you accomplished in those past jobs–especially those accomplishments that are most relevant to the work you want to do next. A good resume predicts how you might perform in that desired future job.

3. What’s the fastest way to improve a resume?
Remove everything that starts with “responsibilities included” and replace it with on-the-job accomplishments. (See Tip 11 for one way to write them.)

4. What is the most common resume mistake made by job hunters?
Leaving out their Job Objective! If you don’t show a sense of direction, employers won’t be interested. Having a clearly stated goal doesn’t have to confine you if it’s stated well.

5. What’s the first step in writing a resume?
Decide on a job target (or “job objective“) that can be stated in about 5 or 6 words. Anything beyond that is probably “fluff” and indicates a lack of clarity and direction.

6. How do you decide whether to use a Chronological resume or a Functional one? The Chronological format is widely preferred by employers, and works well if you’re staying in the same field (especially if you’ve been upwardly-mobile). Only use a Functional format if you’re changing fields, and you’re sure a skills-oriented format would show off your transferable skills to better advantage; and be sure to include a clear chronological work history!

7. What if you don’t have any experience in the kind of work you want to do?
Get some! Find a place that will let you do some volunteer work right away. You only need a brief, concentrated period of volunteer training (for example, 1 day a week for a month) to have at least SOME experience to put on your resume.
Also, look at some of the volunteer work you’ve done in the past and see if any of THAT helps document some skills you’ll need for your new job.

8. What do you do if you have gaps in your work experience?
You could start by looking at it differently.
General Rule: Tell what you WERE doing, as gracefully as possible–rather than leave a gap.
If you were doing anything valuable (even if unpaid) during those so-called “gaps” you could just insert THAT into the work-history section of your resume to fill the hole. Here are some examples: 

• 1993-95 Full-time parent — or
• 1992-94 Maternity leave and family management — or
• Travel and study — or Full-time student — or
• Parenting plus community service

9. What if you have several different job objectives you’re working on at the same time? Or you haven’t narrowed it down yet to just one job target?
Then write a different resume for each different job target. A targeted resume is MUCH, much stronger than a generic resume.10. What if you have a fragmented, scrambled-up work history, with lots of short-term jobs?
To minimize the job-hopper image, combine several similar jobs into one “chunk,” for example:

• 1993-1995 Secretary/Receptionist; Jones Bakery, Micro Corp., Carter Jewelers — or
• 1993-95 Waiter/Busboy; McDougal’s Restaurant, Burger King, Traders Coffee Shop.

Also you can just drop some of the less important, briefest jobs.
But don’t drop a job, even when it lasted a short time, if that was where you acquired important skills or experience.

11. What’s the best way to impress an employer?
Fill your resume with “PAR” statements. PAR stands for Problem-Action-Results; in other words, first you state the problem that existed in your workplace, then you describe what you did about it, and finally you point out the beneficial results.

12. What if your job title doesn’t reflect your actual level of responsibility?
When you list it on the resume, either replace it with a more appropriate job title (say “Office Manager” instead of “Administrative Assistant” if that’s more realistic) OR use their job title AND your fairer one together, i.e. “Administrative Assistant (Office Manager)”

13. How can you avoid age discrimination?
If you’re over 40 or 50 or 60, remember that you don’t have to present your entire work history! You can simply label THAT part of your resume “Recent Work History” or “Relevant Work History” and then describe only the last 10 or 15 years of your experience. Below your 10-15 year work history, you could add a paragraph headed “Prior relevant experience” and simply refer to any additional important (but ancient) jobs without mentioning dates.

14. What if you never had any “real” paid jobs — just self-employment or odd jobs? Give yourself credit, and create an accurate, fair job-title for yourself. For example:

 Here’s an example: “Transformed a disorganized, inefficient warehouse into a smooth-running operation by totally redesigning the layout; this saved the company thousands of dollars in recovered stock.”

Another example: “Improved an engineering company’s obsolete filing system by developing a simple but sophisticated functional-coding system. This saved time and money by recovering valuable, previously lost, project records.”

• A&S Hauling & Cleaning (Self-employed) — or
• Household Repairman, Self-employed — or
• Child-Care, Self-employed

Be sure to add “Customer references available on request” and then be prepared to provide some very good references of people you worked for.

15. How far back should you go in your Work History?
Far enough; and not too far! About 10 or 15 years is usually enough – unless your “juiciest” work experience is from farther back.

16. How can a student list summer jobs?
Students can make their resume look neater by listing seasonal jobs very simply, such as “Spring 1996” or “Summer 1996” rather than 6/96 to 9/96. (The word “Spring” can be in very tiny letters, say 8-point in size.)17. What if you don’t quite have your degree or credentials yet?
You can say something like:

• Eligible for U.S. credentials — or
• Graduate studies in Instructional Design, in progress — or
• Master’s Degree anticipated December 1997

18. What if you worked for only one employer for 20 or 30 years?
Then list separately each different position you held there, so your job progression within the company is more obvious.

19. What about listing hobbies and interests?
Don’t include hobbies on a resume unless the activity is somehow relevant to your job objective, or clearly reveals a characteristic that supports your job objective. For example, a hobby of Sky Diving (adventure, courage) might seem relevant to some job objectives (Security Guard?) but not to others.

20. What about revealing race or religion?
Don’t include ethnic or religious affiliations (inviting pre-interview discrimination) UNLESS you can see that including them will support your job objective. Get an opinion from a respected friend or colleague about when to reveal, and when to conceal, your affiliations.

21. What if your name is Robin Williams?
Don’t mystify the reader about your gender; they’ll go nuts until they know whether you’re male or female. So if your name is Lee or Robin or Pat or anything else not clearly male or female, use a Mr. or Ms. prefix.

22. What if you got your degree from a different country?
You can say “Degree equivalent to U.S. Bachelor’s Degree in Economics-Teheran, Iran.”

23. What about fancy-schmancy paper?
Employers tell me they HATE parchment paper and pretentious brochure-folded resume “presentations.” They think they’re phony, and toss them right out. Use plain white or ivory, in a quality appropriate for your job objective. Never use colored paper unless there’s a very good reason for it (like, you’re an artist) because if it gets photo-copied the results will be murky.

24. Should you fold your resume?
Don’t fold a laser-printed resume right along a line of text. The “ink” could flake off along the fold.

Use Numbers to Highlight Your Accomplishments

Source:  http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-writing-tips/numbers-to-highlight-accomplishments/article.aspx

By Peter Vogt, Monster Senior Contributing Writer

 If you were an employer looking at a resume, which of the following entries would impress you more?

• Wrote news releases.
• Wrote 25 news releases in a three-week period under daily deadlines.

Clearly, the second statement carries more weight. Why? Because it uses numbers to quantify the writer’s accomplishment, giving it a context that helps the interviewer understand the degree of difficulty involved in the task.

Numbers are powerful resume tools that will help your accomplishments get the attention they deserve from prospective employers. With just a little thought, you can find effective ways to quantify your successes on your resume. Here are a few suggestions:

Think Money

Organizations are and always will be concerned about money. So as you contemplate your accomplishments and prepare to present them on your resume, think about ways you’ve saved, earned or managed money in your internships, part-time jobs and extracurricular activities so far. A few possibilities that might appear on a typical resume:

• Identified, researched and recommended a new Internet service provider, cutting the company’s online costs by 15 percent.
• Wrote prospect letter that has brought in more than $25,000 in donations so far.
• Managed a student organization budget of more than $7,000.

Think Time

You’ve heard the old saying, “Time is money,” and it’s true. Companies and organizations are constantly looking for ways to save time and do things more efficiently. They’re also necessarily concerned about meeting deadlines, both internal and external. So whatever you can do on your resume to show that you can save time, make time or manage time will grab your reader’s immediate attention. Here are some time-oriented entries that might appear on a typical resume:

• Assisted with twice-monthly payroll activities, ensuring employees were paid as expected and on time.
• Suggested procedures that decreased average order-processing time from 10 minutes to five minutes.

Think Amounts

It’s very easy to neglect mentioning how much or how many of something you’ve produced or overseen. There’s a tendency instead to simply pluralize your accomplishments — e.g., “wrote news releases” or “developed lesson plans” -– without including important specifics — e.g., “wrote 25 news releases” or “developed lesson plans for two classes of 20 students each.”

Don’t fall into the trap of excluding numbers. Instead, include amounts, like these:

• Recruited 25 members for a new student environmental organization.
• Trained five new employees on restaurant operations procedures.
• Created process that bolstered production 25 percent

The more you focus on money, time and amounts in relation to your accomplishments, the better you’ll present your successes and highlight your potential — and the more you’ll realize just how much you really have to offer prospective employers. Add it all up, and you’ll see that playing the numbers game is yet another way to convince employers that you should be a part of their equation for success.

12 Negotiating Tips for Job Seekers

Article Source:  http://www.resumebear.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/03/12-negotiating-tips-for-job-seekers/

Negotiating is a very important part of the job search process. It can set the tone for your work life and experience with the employer. These are some suggestions to consider when you receive a job offer. Negotiating is a two-way street. Try to achieve a win-win situation. It’s up to you to decide the tips that will work best for you.

1. Know the salary you can reasonably accept and expect for the type of position you seek in comparison with your experience, education and the industry wage standards.
2. Try to find out the salary range for the position before the interview. Contacting the interviewer’s secretary, the personnel office or a networking contact that works in the company may be helpful.
3. It isn’t usually recommended to accept an offer on the spot. Express your appreciation and strong interest in the job. Request at least 24 hours to consider it, even when saying “Yes.” Ask any questions you need clarified.
4. Assess the job offer in terms of your needs, benefits and long-term career and life goals. Talk it over with someone you respect. Make a list of the pros and cons of the job offer.
5. Consider if the job description is clear. Note your reporting relationships, authority and advancement potential. Keep asking questions until you clearly understand. Careful thought and consideration will only gain you respect.
6. If you want the job, make it clear this is the job you want. If you’re uncertain, state there are some items you’d like to discuss before you can accept the job. Suggest meeting further to talk about the offer.
7. Begin the negotiation with reasonable requests. Those requests could include more money, benefits, tuition, training, more vacation time, a flexible schedule, stock options, a company car, onsite daycare, parking privileges, etc.
8. Negotiations should never become emotional or hostile. Use your value, skills, experience and education to negotiate. Don’t use your need for the job to negotiate.
9. Listen carefully. If the offer is less than you expected, let them know that, but state you’re still interested in the position if they want to reconsider their offer. Don’t assume the first offer is fixed. Even if the interviewer tells you it is– it rarely is.
10. If the same figure is offered a couple days later, it probably is the last offer. In that case, you can ask for a salary review in six months to evaluate your performance and value, or you can turn the job down, asking that they keep you in mind for future openings paying more money.
11. Even when saying “no,” leave the door open to negotiation. (Don’t use this to negotiate a higher wage. When you say “no,” be ready to lose the job forever.)
12. When you reach an agreement, always request the agreement in writing.

Anti Unemployment Organization Wants to Pay Utility Bills

Source:  http://news.aol.com/article/anti-unemployment-organization-wants-to/638403?icid=sphere_newsaol_inpage

GOODYEAR, Ariz., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Founder and President Joshua Turner of Help My Resume, ( HTTP:// www.helpmyresume.org ) today announced the ” Flippin Pay My Bill ” contest, a state of Arizona approved contest, with the grand prize being a years worth of utility bills paid valued at $3,600. “Paying an individuals or families utility bill is another weapon that we have created to combat unemployment,” said Josh Turner, Help My Resume’s president and CEO.

“This contest will do two things for Help My Resume. It will satisfy a need to take a ‘necessity’ bill off of one individual or family’s plate. Allowing the winning individual or family to focus on other issues and hopefully get ahead in this tough economy. The contest will also let individuals know about the different free services that Help My Resume offers to all Americans eighteen years or older,” said Manon Chadwick, Vice President.

The “Flippin Pay My Bill” contest is open to all US citizens who are eighteen years or older, with the grand prize being a years worth of utility bills paid up to $3,600, with a second place prize of a new 2nd generation 32GB iPod Touch, and a third place prize of a $150 dollar Macy’s gift card.

Details and registration information for the “Flippin Pay My Bill” contest are available at http://www.helpmyresume.org . We are limiting only ten thousand entries into the “Flippin Pay My Bill” contest. Help My Resume will be announcing the winners of this contest on October 1, 2009.

 

About Help My Resume

Help My Resume, a Flippin Creative Inc. organization, is a national organization motivated by a love of America, and for the wellbeing of our fellow citizens and the dreams and hopes of a bright future and endless opportunities, each of us as Americans hold dear to our hearts. We work together with our corporate sponsors, private donors, and foundations across the country in order to motivate, build confidence, financially support and equip with new or upgraded skill sets, unemployed Americans from coast to coast all across the United States.

 

Help My Resume is a registered trademark of Flippin Creative Inc. a IRS approved non-profit organization.

SOURCE Help My Resume

2009-08-25 10:00:00

Motivation for Job Search

Article Source:  http://www.cvtips.com/motivation_job_search.html

Entering the world of job hunting for the first time or for the first time in a long time can be quite daunting but at the same time exciting as you anticipate that dream job being yours. You get busy with all the preparation needed to research and apply for vacancies and then of course start sending out applications and eagerly await a reply. You may find you are successful quite early into your job search and are offered employment in your chosen field or you may not be so fortunate and may instead find yourself waiting and waiting and waiting…

Days go into weeks; weeks stretch into months and still no job offer. You may receive replies that say ‘sorry, but on this occasion you have not been selected for interview’ or worse receive no reply at all. This lack of job search success can be very disheartening and you may begin to feel a sense of rejection and hopelessness.

Keep track of your job search efforts by using the Job Search Organizer .. give it a try .. click here now !

It is then very easy to become unmotivated, and even depressed as your job search HIGH becomes a job search LOW.

The more unmotivated you become the more difficult it is to push yourself to continue with your job search and so it becomes a vicious circle. It is therefore very important that you do your utmost to remain motivated as any loss of enthusiasm and focus will eventually be reflected in your behaviour, appearance and demeanour.

You may develop a fear of failure that manifests itself as a reluctance to apply for jobs all together. But that dream job will not find you unless you are incredibly lucky so you have to remain motivated and look for it yourself.

There are things you can do to remain motivated for job search, here are some tips:

Think Positive

Negative thinking involves a series of thoughts and repeating patterns whereby you always expect the worst of yourself and future situations. Negative thoughts about yourself and your performance and ability to achieve success will impact upon your chances of success. With negative thoughts comes a persona to match.

People who think negatively exude negativity in their speech, their mannerisms, the way they dress and the way they carry themselves. Employers want confident individuals who will add value to their organization. That is all that interests them, what you can do for them, not what they can do for you. So negative thinking will be off putting. To attract good fortune you need to think positively. This positive attitude will then reflect itself in everything that you do.

Having great credentials will not be enough to guarantee you success without that positive confident winning attitude. Believe in yourself and employers will too!

Some negative thought patterns relating to job search:

• Expectation of failure
• Putting yourself down and being overly critical of yourself
• Doubting your ability to do the jobs you are applying for
• Believing every other applicant is better than you and has more to offer

These negative thought patterns can damage your confidence and affect your performance. If you believe you will do badly in your job interview you probably will, BUT if you believe you will do well in your interview that can work wonders for your chances.

To keep yourself thinking positively you should create positive affirmations that you can use to counteract any negative thoughts. These positive affirmations will help you to build self-confidence and maintain it. In addition to this you could keep small cards that you can carry with you with details of your personal achievements or sayings that make you feel good. The more personal these sayings are the better. They can be sayings from the family, your partner, friends, or an inspiring quote you read in a book. As long as the saying uplifts and inspires you then having it handy for quick reflection is a very helpful.

Accept that you will have bad days and to avoid on those days thinking every day is a bad day on a calendar make a happy face to indicate a happy day and sad face to indicate a sad day. This way when you do have a bad day you can instantly check your calendar and see that not every day is like that after all. Meanwhile if you do find you are having a lot of bad days, you may find a chat with a good friend, GP, counsellor or coach is needed in case you need extra help addressing those feelings and dealing with them.

Know your Value

Employers want to know what how you can benefit their organization and what talents and skills you can bring to the table. Your talent and ability is your ’employment value.’ You need to identify what your employment value is before you start your job search so you can make sure you highlight this value in your job applications.

It will also ensure that you realise your own potential and apply for jobs that you will find rewarding.

Expect it to take time and effort

Finding a job can be a full time job in itself. Expect to devote a substantial amount of time and energy to the process. If you are unemployed, spend at least 30-40 hours per week and if you are employed, expect to have extra work to do when you get home for several weeks/months until you find a new job.

Take care of yourself

Job hunting can be stressful and can lead in some cases to depression. Maintain your health as best as you can by ensuring that you eat regularly, exercise and sleep well. Allow yourself plenty of relaxation time when you are not giving any thought to job hunting!

Set goals

Set clear defined achievable goals and be prepared to review them after a few weeks /months and set new goals. Be flexible and adaptable in your approach to job hunting. If one avenue is not working then try another. Avoid getting stuck in a rut.

Tip: The job search organizer, can track your goals & progress. Give it a try click here

Join a job club

A trouble shared is a trouble halved. Joining a job club can be a great way of remaining motivated as you can all encourage each other and help keep that job search momentum going.

Above all be patient

Cover Letter Samples

Cover Letter Samples for Resumes

By Alison Doyle, About.com

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When applying for a job a cover letter should be sent or posted with your resume. If you are not sure what to write, review these cover letter samples. 

Your cover letter should be specific to the position you are applying for, relating your skills and experience to those noted in the job posting. Your cover letter is your first (and best) chance to make a good impression!

An effective cover letter should explain the reasons for your interest in the organization and in the job you are applying for. Take the time to review cover letter examples, then make sure that your letter explains how your skills relate to the criteria listed in the job posting. 

Click here for cover letter samples. 

Resume Writer

Source:  http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp451525.jsp

Description

Position Summary: Helpmyresume.org is actively searching for qualified volunteer resume writers. Our volunteer resume writers have diverse backgrounds including former executive recruiters, marketing executives, human resource managers, grant writers, etc. Helpmyresume.org is one of America’s fastest growing nonprofit organization that is helping to fight unemployment. With clients from all over the country, Helpmyresume.org is offering every individual who is unemployed the opportunity to have the resume rewritten for free.

Essential Duties: Resume Writing Consultants will create achievement based resumes for clients based on information and research provided by Helpmyresume.org. Our consultants work from their home.

Skills

•2-3 years experience writing articles, papers, or reviewing resumes
•Excellent research skills
•Strong marketing skills
•5+ years experience using MS Word
•Excellent communication skills
•Excellent follow-up skills

Networking Expert, Hank Blank, Offers Five Tips on How to Network Your Way to Success in a Recession

Article Source:  http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2008_May_15/ai_n25429282/

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. — Everybody knows that networking is growing in popularity. There are social networking sites like MySpace www.myspace.com, FaceBook www.facebook.com and Business networking sites such as LinkedIn www.linkedin.com. Business networking expert Hank Blank www.hankblank.com offers these tips on why networking is even more important in these recessionary times.

First, learn what is happening in your market from the streets and not the newspapers. “Although the news can be all bad, I hear about jobs all the time,” said Hank Blank of Blank and Associates and prominent networking expert. “What you hear on the street by meeting with people is often more current on the employment situation and business opportunities in your area. If you are connecting with a lot of people regularly you will have a better sense of what is out there than reading the newspaper.

“Networking in these times forms a better long-term bond with people. Anxious times can create greater honesty and affinity as people can be more forthcoming and direct.

“Remember the 75/75 rule. Seventy-five percent of jobs are found through relationships and 75% of all business engagements are found through networking from referrals you know rather than going on the internet and emailing strangers,” said Blank.

“To get those referrals you have to know people, and you won’t get to know people by just sitting at your computer. It is all about contact and touch and being a resource for people. That is why my approach to networking is ‘How to Get More by Asking for Less and Doing More for others,'” said Blank.

“Although we all network primarily for financial currency which translates to finding new jobs and new clients, remember networking in these times builds your social currency. Social currency is your relationship with people and in the long run your social currency is more valuable as your financial currency. Remember to help people in transition because when they land they will remember your efforts and you will have a powerful connection.

“When you attend a lot of networking events you increase your industry relevance in these changing times because you learn a lot about current topics and trends in your industry. Networking simply makes you smarter and current in this exponentially changing information age,” said Blank.

About Hank Blank and Blank and Associates

Blank and Associates provides a variety of Marketing Services for clients. Its founder and President, Hank Blank, is a well-known networker in Southern California and has spoken to numerous companies and organizations on networking. Most recently he was the keynote speaker for Volvo of North America’s Leadership Guild in Cabo San Lucas. To have Hank Blank speak to your company or organization on the power of networking or to buy his networking CD at a ridiculously low price of $37, email hank@hankblank.com or visit www.hankblank.com.

Featured Career Expert: Alison Doyle, About.Com

Alison Doyle is a job search expert with many years of experience in human resources, career development, and job searching, with a focus on online job searching, job search technology, social media, and professional networking. She has covered job searching for About.com since 1998.

Alison is the author of Internet Your Way to a New Job: How to Really Find a Job Online (2009) and the About.com Guide to Job Searching (2006).

Experience:

Alison worked for many years in Human Resources. She has also worked in a college career services office, developing information technology resources to assist constituents with job searching.

Alison has been quoted or mentioned in many major online and print publications, including The New York Times, CNN.com, Newsday, NY Daily News, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, MSNBC.com, ABCNews.com, The Christian Science Monitor, The Arizona Republic, FastCompany.com, Employment Digest, Bankrate.com, HireVue.com, Kiplinger.com, LinkedIn, Mashable.com, TypePad, WashingtonPost.com, Consumer Reports, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the syndicated Careers Now column.

She has also been featured on the radio shows InfoTRAK, Blogtalkradio, Career Success, Women Aloud, Something You Should Know, and The Job Search Solution, as well as many local radio stations.

Alison is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Education:

Alison holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and has completed several years of employee benefit and and information technology coursework.

From Alison Doyle:

“You’ll find tips for locating job listings, finding employers, networking, and other ways to find the right job. Some of the topics I cover include online job searching, writing resumes and cover letters, references, unemployment, and interviewing skills.”

Media Contacts: Email Alison for interviews.

References:

• About.com Careers and Job Search LinkedIn Group
  Networking with career experts and plus job search advice and resources.
• Alison Doyle’s Personal Blog
  Commentary and career advice, and using your connections to build your career.
• Press
  Media mentions and coverage.
• Internet Your Way to a New Job
  Online job search, professional branding, networking, and career building strategies and techniques.

For more information about Alison Doyle, please visit this link.