Latest blogs
Created by - Suzette Roberts, BSc., ADE
The Formula to Creating Goals That Help You Improve Your Personal Life
In life, we have a formula to use to create goals that assist us in improving our personal lives. To start these goals, however, we must tap into our inner qualities. These inner qualities, such as skills, ability to commit, ability to set priorities, ability to accept failure, will to say no, and more, are the tools that empower us to shape our personal lives. We also have self-awareness, personality, and other details that help us find ways to improve our personal lives. Once you find your qualities and develop them, you'll find it easy to set goals. To get started, consider brainstorming, long-term goals, short-term goals, evaluation of these goals, brainstorming some more, evaluating, and so on. You also want to consider managing your time. Be sure to start your plans with short-term goals. These goals act as stepping stones, guiding you toward your long-term aspirations. Short-term goals should include what you want to accomplish in the next few years. Do you plan to open a business? Do you plan to move? Do you plan to start a new job? Each question will lead you in a good direction as you find answers. For example, I plan to open a business in the next few years. How do you plan to open that business? What business are you considering? How will you get the money to start your business? You have many options, so check your resources, learn new resources and continue building your dreams to improve your personal life. After you lay out the plans for your short-term dreams, start working toward your long-term goals. For instance, what do you see yourself doing in the next ten years? Use your visions and voices inside to cultivate a plan. Brainstorm your ideas. To set up long-term plans, keep them realistic. Be sure that your long-term goals align with your short-term goals. For example, if you plan to start a business in the next few years, build upon this dream and plan to become productive and established in the near future. Start saving money to back your plans. You will need to set up a budget that allows you to save money. You have many options, so spread your wings and reach for the sky.
More detailsPublished - Sat, 01 Jun 2024
Created by - Suzette Roberts, BSc., ADE
Tips On Goal Setting
Do you often find yourself frustrated when things don't go your way? Does the lack of desired success leave you feeling down? If you're nodding along, then you're probably on the lookout for some effective strategies to help you achieve your goals. Look no further, as we've got some tried and tested tips that can set you on the path to success. Start by visualizing your dreams and goals. This act of dreaming will ignite the fire within you to chase your goals. Remember, a person without dreams often has no goals in life. So, let your dreams be the catalyst that propels you towards your goals. Think of the steps you can take to achieve your goal. Consulting others might help you a little, but ultimately, you must decide for yourself. This is because you know yourself the best. Others can guide you correctly, but you must know the best way to achieve goals. Next, do not promise anyone but yourself that you will achieve your goals when you have found the right way to start. Promising others often leads to breaking promises, but if you promise yourself, your inner voice constantly reminds you of the promise. After promising, sketch out a timetable that you wish to follow. However, it is advisable to change the routine when boredom sets in. Changing timetables will give you more energy and a new outlook to start afresh with a positive mind. Moreover, changing timetables lets you find your previous faults and shows you a better and proper way. The timetable should also reflect the time you are doing a particular work. Say, if the timeline says that you must complete a unit of any subject in 30 days, then you must do so. Time is an essential factor when desiring results. Think of innovative ideas to make your goal achievement process easier. Innovative methods will also give you the energy to complete tasks. Keep optimistic about your dreams. Optimism plays a vital role in getting results. The more upbeat you are, the faster you will probably reach your goals. An optimistic attitude motivates you to get the desired results and shows you the right way to success. Finally, be dedicated to the work you do. Dedication can improve your job's accuracy. Thus, follow these tips firmly to set your goals and reach the point of success.
More detailsPublished - Sat, 01 Jun 2024
Created by - Suzette Roberts, BSc., ADE
What Can You Do to Motivate Your Employees?
When you are at the helm of affairs in your workplace, a lot of responsibility lies on your shoulders. You have to be able to motivate your employees; that’s the most essential thing expected of you… something that you have to do if you want your organization to progress. However, many leaders find this daunting. Employee motivation is never easy because there are so many people involved with so many different mentalities and expectations. But do not let that stop you. There are always common things that you can implement to try to motivate your employees.Here we speak of some things that you can do.Keep Your Requirements ClearWhen assigning tasks to your team, you must ensure that your requirements are completely clear. It is only when you speak with a clear objective in mind and when your people understand what you are saying that they can perform as you want them to.Give Them Clear ObjectivesWhy should people work for you? Loyalty and work ethic aside, it is essential that these people are given the right incentives. Everyone performs their job on the salary they are given. But, if someone is doing more than what their job profile tells them to do… which is your expectation of them anyway… then you have to give them the right incentives as well. And you have to make these incentives quite clear. It would be best to tell people what they will get at the end of the day.Express YourselfEmployees are always looking forward to receiving feedback. If they do something good, they need a word of appreciation. Do not take this for granted. Appreciation is a significant bonus. For many people, it means more than money. Money is spent and forgotten, but the appreciation always lingers. At every opportunity, ensure that you give them the proper feedback and praise them for what they have done well.These are three ways to approach employee motivation in the right way. When you motivate your employees, they will work in better spirits, and that definitely works better for your organization itself. If you seek employee faithfulness and trust in the organization, you cannot avoid these three important employee motivation guidelines.
More detailsPublished - Sat, 01 Jun 2024
Created by - Suzette Roberts, BSc., ADE
The Power of Imagining Yourself Achieving Your Goals
How confident do you feel today? Like most people, you feel less self-confident about at least one thing. That is normal, especially if our life experiences take us a little out of our comfort zone. The problem arises when low self-esteem and feelings of low self-worth are something we carry around with us all the time. Whether we are experiencing a temporary feeling of lack of self-confidence or one we face every day; there are some steps we can take to turn around low self-confidence into a belief that we can be successful in our endeavors. 1. Imagine Yourself Achieving Your Goals The first step is to imagine yourself achieving whatever you feel less than self-confident about. If we can begin to imagine ourselves achieving our goals, we are well on the way to achieving them. Articulating our goals by either writing them down or telling them to a friend and then constantly reaffirming ourselves that we have achieved them is essential to achieving them. 2. Act as if You Have Achieved Your Goal To develop self-confidence, you must start to put action into your imagination. Once you have imagined yourself achieving your goals, you must begin to act as if you are achieving them, even if, on the inside, you still feel far from self-confidence. People who want to feel more confident in public speaking must practice it, or they cannot achieve it. This may be as simple as attending a group meeting with a list of pre-thought questions to help you overcome your fear of initiating conversations with strangers. To achieve self-confidence in talking to strangers, you must practice talking to them. 3. Practice Your Achievements Keep practicing until you feel self-confident and begin to enjoy what you previously feared. It would be best if you praised yourself for achieving your goals. Even if others also applaud your efforts, what you tell yourself about your achievements could mean the difference between becoming self-confident and continuing to struggle with low self-esteem. Perhaps you are wondering if this talk of self-confidence and self-worth is beneficial and if it is appropriate to act as if you are self-confident. In his book “How to Win Friends and Influence People, " Dale Carnegie wrote in the chapter on “How to Spur People on Success” the importance of “Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement… Be lavish in Praise.” Very few people give this gift to us, so we must learn to give it to ourselves.
More detailsPublished - Wed, 29 May 2024
Created by - Suzette Roberts, BSc., ADE
Acing The Interview: The Positive Approach To Tough Questions
As a Career Consultant, I work with clients on all the tools and techniques needed to succeed in the job search–including interviewing skills. Over the years, I have noticed that candidates often get “trapped” in specific interview questions designed to make them say something negative or self-defeating (which leads to rejection). Indeed, job-seekers are unaware of how hostile many of their answers sound in interviews! So, I instruct all my clients to “never say anything negative, or anything that could be construed as negative!” Candidates can avoid being disqualified by stating all their answers in positive (or, at least, neutral) terms.The following are some of the most commonly asked interview questions, along with suggested approaches for answers. Job candidates must practice these responses until they can effectively handle all the questions.Why do you want to work here? How can you help our company? Why should we be interested in you?The answer is always based on information you’ve researched about the company and its needs.What kind of person would you select if you were choosing someone for this job?The answer is to generally state your qualifications without being too “obvious.” Leave out the details.What would you want at this company if you could have any job?The answer concerns the most general description of the job–NOT A SPECIFIC TITLE.What weaknesses do you have in this job?TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! The answer is to ponder for a while and then state that you can’t think of any weaknesses that would compromise your performance at this job or negatively impact your performance of the job’s responsibilities.What do you expect to get in this job that you haven’t gotten in your current/previous job?TRAP QUESTION. Do not say anything negative. State that your current/previous jobs have met or exceeded your expectations. With the new position, you hope to have broader responsibilities and make more significant contributions.What do you see as your future here?I expect to contribute at higher levels and have increased responsibility over time.Are you considering other positions at this time?TRAP QUESTION. Say “yes.”How does this opportunity compare?From what I’ve heard so far, very favorably … and I would like to learn more.What other companies/opportunities are you looking at now?As I’m sure you can appreciate, I’m not at liberty to say as I am still in discussions with these companies. I must protect their privacy, as I would for your company under similar circumstances.What are your short and long-term goals?Short range: To secure an appropriate new position where I can apply my skills and experience to increase the company’s productivity and profitability.Long range: Assume more responsibility and make more significant contributions over time for my employer.What motivates you?Focus the answer on your core values and the values and priorities of the company you are interviewing with (which you should have identified through your preliminary research).What have you done to improve yourself during the last year?Talk about professional development, training programs, educational curricula, study in your field, on-the-job training, skill-building, relevant books you’ve read, etc.How do you spend your spare time?Say something inoffensive, apolitical, and innocuous. (reading, exercise, travel, home projects, gardening, family activities, home projects, etc.)Tell me about your health.My health is excellent.What changes would you make if you could re-live your last 15 years?Nothing is perfect, but overall, I’m quite satisfied with the way my life and career have developed, so I wouldn’t make any significant changes.Tell me about your most significant achievement/disappointment in your life.Give one personal example (like meeting your spouse and getting married, going through college and graduate school, or saving up to buy your first house, etc.). Then, give your best professional accomplishment story. As for the disappointment, the answer is similar to the one above, implying that “overall, I would say that I’m quite satisfied with the way my life and career have been developing, so I really can’t think of any major disappointments.”What did you like best/least about your last job?TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Explain what you liked best. Then, say that while every job has its challenges, you have been fortunate enough to learn and grow professionally in each position you have held.In your last position, how much work did you do alone, and how much as part of a team? Which did you enjoy more?Talk about your flexibility and adaptability–your ability to work in whatever mode seems appropriate. Make it clear that you have been equally effective in teams or working independently, as each case demanded. You enjoy both; it’s more about what will work best for the project and the company at that time.What are some of the more difficult problems you have encountered in your past jobs? How did you solve them?Tell two or more pre-prepared accomplishment stories. Keep it POSITIVE!Did you ever make suggestions to senior management? What happened?Say “yes.” Tell some accomplishment stories and results in which you positively influenced senior management.At your previous job(s), what did you think management could have done to make you function more effectively as an employee?TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Say that the employer was outstanding at providing resources and support for your position, and you have no complaints about this.What has kept you from progressing faster and farther in your career?TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! State: “I don’t know what could have given you the impression that I am dissatisfied with the progress and pace of my career. I am quite satisfied with where my career is at this point in my life. However, I am ready to take on greater challenges.”What else should we know about you?Tell one or two more of your best accomplishment stories. You can also repeat how well-suited you are for the opportunity and your interest in the job.Tell me about the best/worst boss you’ve ever had.TRAP QUESTION: Never state anything negative! Say that while every boss has been different, you have worked productively with and learned something from each one. (Be prepared to give some examples of what you have learned.)Everybody likes to criticize. What do people criticize about you?TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Say that you can’t think of any criticisms you have received from colleagues on the job. Of course, there have been areas for development–such as when your supervisors would have given you your “employee review,” and they might have suggested improvement. State that you have always taken these suggestions seriously and taken steps to make the requested improvements, making you more potent as a professional. (State at least one example).Everyone has pet peeves. What are yours?TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Turn this question around by talking about your high professional standards. Your only “pet peeves” are with yourself–pushing yourself hard and not accepting mediocrity, for example–or how you are constantly striving to reach your full potential on the job, etc.What is your leadership style?Talk about your flexibility and adaptability–your ability to lead in whatever appropriate mode. Explain that it’s more about what approach will work best for the project and the company. Using your accomplishment stories, give an example or two demonstrating different leadership styles.Are you geographically mobile? (or) Are you willing to put in a lot of extra time?Ask for clarification—what exactly does the interviewer mean? Then, according to their answer, either say, “That would be no problem at all,” or tell them, “You’d like to give it some thought and get back to them within 24 hours.”You don’t have the experience/background for this position. How could you handle it?Say you’re confused by their comment, that you’re pretty confident that you DO have the experience and background for this position and that you’re a solid match for the responsibilities. Ask what concerns them explicitly about your background; what’s missing in your experience? (Sometimes, the interviewer is just testing you.) Re-state your qualifications as needed, tying your accomplishment stories to the employer’s requirements.You’re overqualified for this position, aren’t you? (even if you are slightly overqualified)State: No–I see a lot of challenges in this opportunity, and I’m sure that I would find the work extremely interesting. Give some examples of what you mean, and talk about the new dimensions of experience and skill that you would bring to the position, almost as though you would expand the contribution level in this job, thus making it more than it is now.We have all the information we need. We’ll be in touch.Take the initiative. Ask such questions as: “Where do I stand? Am I being considered as a strong candidate? When should I expect to hear from you, or would you prefer I contact you in a day or two? What is your time frame for making a final decision? Can I provide anything else to facilitate the process?” etc. Then, re-state your strong interest in the position and your confidence that your background matches the job.In conclusion, I strongly recommend you prepare for your interviews by studying and practicing these answers. Get someone to help you by doing a “role-play,” in which your friend can be the interviewer, and you can play the part of the job candidate. You will reduce your anxiety, boost your confidence, and perform much better if you “know your lines” in advance! And remember–never say anything negative in a job interview!
More detailsPublished - Sat, 18 May 2024
Created by - Suzette Roberts, BSc., ADE
If Your Resume is the Cake, Your Cover Letter is the Icing
Cover letter writing is almost as important a skill for a job seeker to learn as resume writing. The cover letter always accompanies the resume as the primary support document. Whether you use traditional mail, email, faxing, or electronic submission, this should always be sent with the resume. There are, of course, other tools you’ll use when job seeking. Your cover letter and resume come first, followed by follow-up letters, thank-you letters after the interview, reference sheets, salary histories, and job acceptance letters. The other written tools should be a snap to compose if you have a suitable cover letter and resume writing skills.Your goal in this is to get the hiring manager's attention, just as it is with resume writing. The method and format are a little different, however. Your resume will cover all or most of your professional career, from one to two pages. Your cover letter will be a very brief page as an introduction to the resume. Cover letter writing must be direct, to the point, and able to grab the reader's attention quickly to make the reader want to read the attached resume.When engaged in this type of writing, many people tend to say too much. Good cover letter writing is short and punchy and will take two or three key points from the resume and emphasize them. The adage “tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them” holds in resume and cover letter writing.For example, assume you are a materials handling manager for a defense contractor seeking another position. The buzzwords in your line of work are MRP, lean manufacturing, ISO 9000, and cost savings. Your writing efforts should reflect these buzzwords to show value to your current and future employers. Your resume will go into more detail about how you accomplished these goals. The cover letter will show the hiring manager that you accomplished them. An example of this would be two bulleted paragraphs in the body of the letter that say….• Experienced in quality assurance and quality control, MRP, ISO 9000, QS 9000, and Lean Manufacturing.• Demonstrated results in saving significant money for employers through cost savings, inventory level reductions, and on-time supplier delivery.According to many surveys, the hiring manager devotes only about fifteen seconds to each resume and cover letter they review. With that in mind, your writing skills need top-notch to get this person to look at your resume. Your resume writing skills need to be just as good to get the reader to want to grant you an interview. Your interviewing skills need to be excellent to get the hiring manager to offer you the position. This long and hopefully positive chain of events begins with good cover letter writing skills and ends with job satisfaction and a nice paycheck.
More detailsPublished - Sat, 18 May 2024
Popular blogs
Created by - Suzette Roberts, BSc., ADE
The Formula to Creating Goals That Help You Improve Your Personal Life
In life, we have a formula to use to create goals that assist us in improving our personal lives. To start these goals, however, we must tap into our inner qualities. These inner qualities, such as skills, ability to commit, ability to set priorities, ability to accept failure, will to say no, and more, are the tools that empower us to shape our personal lives. We also have self-awareness, personality, and other details that help us find ways to improve our personal lives. Once you find your qualities and develop them, you'll find it easy to set goals. To get started, consider brainstorming, long-term goals, short-term goals, evaluation of these goals, brainstorming some more, evaluating, and so on. You also want to consider managing your time. Be sure to start your plans with short-term goals. These goals act as stepping stones, guiding you toward your long-term aspirations. Short-term goals should include what you want to accomplish in the next few years. Do you plan to open a business? Do you plan to move? Do you plan to start a new job? Each question will lead you in a good direction as you find answers. For example, I plan to open a business in the next few years. How do you plan to open that business? What business are you considering? How will you get the money to start your business? You have many options, so check your resources, learn new resources and continue building your dreams to improve your personal life. After you lay out the plans for your short-term dreams, start working toward your long-term goals. For instance, what do you see yourself doing in the next ten years? Use your visions and voices inside to cultivate a plan. Brainstorm your ideas. To set up long-term plans, keep them realistic. Be sure that your long-term goals align with your short-term goals. For example, if you plan to start a business in the next few years, build upon this dream and plan to become productive and established in the near future. Start saving money to back your plans. You will need to set up a budget that allows you to save money. You have many options, so spread your wings and reach for the sky.
More detailsPublished - Sat, 01 Jun 2024
Created by - Suzette Roberts, BSc., ADE
Tips On Goal Setting
Do you often find yourself frustrated when things don't go your way? Does the lack of desired success leave you feeling down? If you're nodding along, then you're probably on the lookout for some effective strategies to help you achieve your goals. Look no further, as we've got some tried and tested tips that can set you on the path to success. Start by visualizing your dreams and goals. This act of dreaming will ignite the fire within you to chase your goals. Remember, a person without dreams often has no goals in life. So, let your dreams be the catalyst that propels you towards your goals. Think of the steps you can take to achieve your goal. Consulting others might help you a little, but ultimately, you must decide for yourself. This is because you know yourself the best. Others can guide you correctly, but you must know the best way to achieve goals. Next, do not promise anyone but yourself that you will achieve your goals when you have found the right way to start. Promising others often leads to breaking promises, but if you promise yourself, your inner voice constantly reminds you of the promise. After promising, sketch out a timetable that you wish to follow. However, it is advisable to change the routine when boredom sets in. Changing timetables will give you more energy and a new outlook to start afresh with a positive mind. Moreover, changing timetables lets you find your previous faults and shows you a better and proper way. The timetable should also reflect the time you are doing a particular work. Say, if the timeline says that you must complete a unit of any subject in 30 days, then you must do so. Time is an essential factor when desiring results. Think of innovative ideas to make your goal achievement process easier. Innovative methods will also give you the energy to complete tasks. Keep optimistic about your dreams. Optimism plays a vital role in getting results. The more upbeat you are, the faster you will probably reach your goals. An optimistic attitude motivates you to get the desired results and shows you the right way to success. Finally, be dedicated to the work you do. Dedication can improve your job's accuracy. Thus, follow these tips firmly to set your goals and reach the point of success.
More detailsPublished - Sat, 01 Jun 2024
Created by - Suzette Roberts, BSc., ADE
What Can You Do to Motivate Your Employees?
When you are at the helm of affairs in your workplace, a lot of responsibility lies on your shoulders. You have to be able to motivate your employees; that’s the most essential thing expected of you… something that you have to do if you want your organization to progress. However, many leaders find this daunting. Employee motivation is never easy because there are so many people involved with so many different mentalities and expectations. But do not let that stop you. There are always common things that you can implement to try to motivate your employees.Here we speak of some things that you can do.Keep Your Requirements ClearWhen assigning tasks to your team, you must ensure that your requirements are completely clear. It is only when you speak with a clear objective in mind and when your people understand what you are saying that they can perform as you want them to.Give Them Clear ObjectivesWhy should people work for you? Loyalty and work ethic aside, it is essential that these people are given the right incentives. Everyone performs their job on the salary they are given. But, if someone is doing more than what their job profile tells them to do… which is your expectation of them anyway… then you have to give them the right incentives as well. And you have to make these incentives quite clear. It would be best to tell people what they will get at the end of the day.Express YourselfEmployees are always looking forward to receiving feedback. If they do something good, they need a word of appreciation. Do not take this for granted. Appreciation is a significant bonus. For many people, it means more than money. Money is spent and forgotten, but the appreciation always lingers. At every opportunity, ensure that you give them the proper feedback and praise them for what they have done well.These are three ways to approach employee motivation in the right way. When you motivate your employees, they will work in better spirits, and that definitely works better for your organization itself. If you seek employee faithfulness and trust in the organization, you cannot avoid these three important employee motivation guidelines.
More detailsPublished - Sat, 01 Jun 2024
Created by - Suzette Roberts, BSc., ADE
The Power of Imagining Yourself Achieving Your Goals
How confident do you feel today? Like most people, you feel less self-confident about at least one thing. That is normal, especially if our life experiences take us a little out of our comfort zone. The problem arises when low self-esteem and feelings of low self-worth are something we carry around with us all the time. Whether we are experiencing a temporary feeling of lack of self-confidence or one we face every day; there are some steps we can take to turn around low self-confidence into a belief that we can be successful in our endeavors. 1. Imagine Yourself Achieving Your Goals The first step is to imagine yourself achieving whatever you feel less than self-confident about. If we can begin to imagine ourselves achieving our goals, we are well on the way to achieving them. Articulating our goals by either writing them down or telling them to a friend and then constantly reaffirming ourselves that we have achieved them is essential to achieving them. 2. Act as if You Have Achieved Your Goal To develop self-confidence, you must start to put action into your imagination. Once you have imagined yourself achieving your goals, you must begin to act as if you are achieving them, even if, on the inside, you still feel far from self-confidence. People who want to feel more confident in public speaking must practice it, or they cannot achieve it. This may be as simple as attending a group meeting with a list of pre-thought questions to help you overcome your fear of initiating conversations with strangers. To achieve self-confidence in talking to strangers, you must practice talking to them. 3. Practice Your Achievements Keep practicing until you feel self-confident and begin to enjoy what you previously feared. It would be best if you praised yourself for achieving your goals. Even if others also applaud your efforts, what you tell yourself about your achievements could mean the difference between becoming self-confident and continuing to struggle with low self-esteem. Perhaps you are wondering if this talk of self-confidence and self-worth is beneficial and if it is appropriate to act as if you are self-confident. In his book “How to Win Friends and Influence People, " Dale Carnegie wrote in the chapter on “How to Spur People on Success” the importance of “Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement… Be lavish in Praise.” Very few people give this gift to us, so we must learn to give it to ourselves.
More detailsPublished - Wed, 29 May 2024
Created by - Suzette Roberts, BSc., ADE
Acing The Interview: The Positive Approach To Tough Questions
As a Career Consultant, I work with clients on all the tools and techniques needed to succeed in the job search–including interviewing skills. Over the years, I have noticed that candidates often get “trapped” in specific interview questions designed to make them say something negative or self-defeating (which leads to rejection). Indeed, job-seekers are unaware of how hostile many of their answers sound in interviews! So, I instruct all my clients to “never say anything negative, or anything that could be construed as negative!” Candidates can avoid being disqualified by stating all their answers in positive (or, at least, neutral) terms.The following are some of the most commonly asked interview questions, along with suggested approaches for answers. Job candidates must practice these responses until they can effectively handle all the questions.Why do you want to work here? How can you help our company? Why should we be interested in you?The answer is always based on information you’ve researched about the company and its needs.What kind of person would you select if you were choosing someone for this job?The answer is to generally state your qualifications without being too “obvious.” Leave out the details.What would you want at this company if you could have any job?The answer concerns the most general description of the job–NOT A SPECIFIC TITLE.What weaknesses do you have in this job?TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! The answer is to ponder for a while and then state that you can’t think of any weaknesses that would compromise your performance at this job or negatively impact your performance of the job’s responsibilities.What do you expect to get in this job that you haven’t gotten in your current/previous job?TRAP QUESTION. Do not say anything negative. State that your current/previous jobs have met or exceeded your expectations. With the new position, you hope to have broader responsibilities and make more significant contributions.What do you see as your future here?I expect to contribute at higher levels and have increased responsibility over time.Are you considering other positions at this time?TRAP QUESTION. Say “yes.”How does this opportunity compare?From what I’ve heard so far, very favorably … and I would like to learn more.What other companies/opportunities are you looking at now?As I’m sure you can appreciate, I’m not at liberty to say as I am still in discussions with these companies. I must protect their privacy, as I would for your company under similar circumstances.What are your short and long-term goals?Short range: To secure an appropriate new position where I can apply my skills and experience to increase the company’s productivity and profitability.Long range: Assume more responsibility and make more significant contributions over time for my employer.What motivates you?Focus the answer on your core values and the values and priorities of the company you are interviewing with (which you should have identified through your preliminary research).What have you done to improve yourself during the last year?Talk about professional development, training programs, educational curricula, study in your field, on-the-job training, skill-building, relevant books you’ve read, etc.How do you spend your spare time?Say something inoffensive, apolitical, and innocuous. (reading, exercise, travel, home projects, gardening, family activities, home projects, etc.)Tell me about your health.My health is excellent.What changes would you make if you could re-live your last 15 years?Nothing is perfect, but overall, I’m quite satisfied with the way my life and career have developed, so I wouldn’t make any significant changes.Tell me about your most significant achievement/disappointment in your life.Give one personal example (like meeting your spouse and getting married, going through college and graduate school, or saving up to buy your first house, etc.). Then, give your best professional accomplishment story. As for the disappointment, the answer is similar to the one above, implying that “overall, I would say that I’m quite satisfied with the way my life and career have been developing, so I really can’t think of any major disappointments.”What did you like best/least about your last job?TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Explain what you liked best. Then, say that while every job has its challenges, you have been fortunate enough to learn and grow professionally in each position you have held.In your last position, how much work did you do alone, and how much as part of a team? Which did you enjoy more?Talk about your flexibility and adaptability–your ability to work in whatever mode seems appropriate. Make it clear that you have been equally effective in teams or working independently, as each case demanded. You enjoy both; it’s more about what will work best for the project and the company at that time.What are some of the more difficult problems you have encountered in your past jobs? How did you solve them?Tell two or more pre-prepared accomplishment stories. Keep it POSITIVE!Did you ever make suggestions to senior management? What happened?Say “yes.” Tell some accomplishment stories and results in which you positively influenced senior management.At your previous job(s), what did you think management could have done to make you function more effectively as an employee?TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Say that the employer was outstanding at providing resources and support for your position, and you have no complaints about this.What has kept you from progressing faster and farther in your career?TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! State: “I don’t know what could have given you the impression that I am dissatisfied with the progress and pace of my career. I am quite satisfied with where my career is at this point in my life. However, I am ready to take on greater challenges.”What else should we know about you?Tell one or two more of your best accomplishment stories. You can also repeat how well-suited you are for the opportunity and your interest in the job.Tell me about the best/worst boss you’ve ever had.TRAP QUESTION: Never state anything negative! Say that while every boss has been different, you have worked productively with and learned something from each one. (Be prepared to give some examples of what you have learned.)Everybody likes to criticize. What do people criticize about you?TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Say that you can’t think of any criticisms you have received from colleagues on the job. Of course, there have been areas for development–such as when your supervisors would have given you your “employee review,” and they might have suggested improvement. State that you have always taken these suggestions seriously and taken steps to make the requested improvements, making you more potent as a professional. (State at least one example).Everyone has pet peeves. What are yours?TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Turn this question around by talking about your high professional standards. Your only “pet peeves” are with yourself–pushing yourself hard and not accepting mediocrity, for example–or how you are constantly striving to reach your full potential on the job, etc.What is your leadership style?Talk about your flexibility and adaptability–your ability to lead in whatever appropriate mode. Explain that it’s more about what approach will work best for the project and the company. Using your accomplishment stories, give an example or two demonstrating different leadership styles.Are you geographically mobile? (or) Are you willing to put in a lot of extra time?Ask for clarification—what exactly does the interviewer mean? Then, according to their answer, either say, “That would be no problem at all,” or tell them, “You’d like to give it some thought and get back to them within 24 hours.”You don’t have the experience/background for this position. How could you handle it?Say you’re confused by their comment, that you’re pretty confident that you DO have the experience and background for this position and that you’re a solid match for the responsibilities. Ask what concerns them explicitly about your background; what’s missing in your experience? (Sometimes, the interviewer is just testing you.) Re-state your qualifications as needed, tying your accomplishment stories to the employer’s requirements.You’re overqualified for this position, aren’t you? (even if you are slightly overqualified)State: No–I see a lot of challenges in this opportunity, and I’m sure that I would find the work extremely interesting. Give some examples of what you mean, and talk about the new dimensions of experience and skill that you would bring to the position, almost as though you would expand the contribution level in this job, thus making it more than it is now.We have all the information we need. We’ll be in touch.Take the initiative. Ask such questions as: “Where do I stand? Am I being considered as a strong candidate? When should I expect to hear from you, or would you prefer I contact you in a day or two? What is your time frame for making a final decision? Can I provide anything else to facilitate the process?” etc. Then, re-state your strong interest in the position and your confidence that your background matches the job.In conclusion, I strongly recommend you prepare for your interviews by studying and practicing these answers. Get someone to help you by doing a “role-play,” in which your friend can be the interviewer, and you can play the part of the job candidate. You will reduce your anxiety, boost your confidence, and perform much better if you “know your lines” in advance! And remember–never say anything negative in a job interview!
More detailsPublished - Sat, 18 May 2024
Created by - Suzette Roberts, BSc., ADE
If Your Resume is the Cake, Your Cover Letter is the Icing
Cover letter writing is almost as important a skill for a job seeker to learn as resume writing. The cover letter always accompanies the resume as the primary support document. Whether you use traditional mail, email, faxing, or electronic submission, this should always be sent with the resume. There are, of course, other tools you’ll use when job seeking. Your cover letter and resume come first, followed by follow-up letters, thank-you letters after the interview, reference sheets, salary histories, and job acceptance letters. The other written tools should be a snap to compose if you have a suitable cover letter and resume writing skills.Your goal in this is to get the hiring manager's attention, just as it is with resume writing. The method and format are a little different, however. Your resume will cover all or most of your professional career, from one to two pages. Your cover letter will be a very brief page as an introduction to the resume. Cover letter writing must be direct, to the point, and able to grab the reader's attention quickly to make the reader want to read the attached resume.When engaged in this type of writing, many people tend to say too much. Good cover letter writing is short and punchy and will take two or three key points from the resume and emphasize them. The adage “tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them” holds in resume and cover letter writing.For example, assume you are a materials handling manager for a defense contractor seeking another position. The buzzwords in your line of work are MRP, lean manufacturing, ISO 9000, and cost savings. Your writing efforts should reflect these buzzwords to show value to your current and future employers. Your resume will go into more detail about how you accomplished these goals. The cover letter will show the hiring manager that you accomplished them. An example of this would be two bulleted paragraphs in the body of the letter that say….• Experienced in quality assurance and quality control, MRP, ISO 9000, QS 9000, and Lean Manufacturing.• Demonstrated results in saving significant money for employers through cost savings, inventory level reductions, and on-time supplier delivery.According to many surveys, the hiring manager devotes only about fifteen seconds to each resume and cover letter they review. With that in mind, your writing skills need top-notch to get this person to look at your resume. Your resume writing skills need to be just as good to get the reader to want to grant you an interview. Your interviewing skills need to be excellent to get the hiring manager to offer you the position. This long and hopefully positive chain of events begins with good cover letter writing skills and ends with job satisfaction and a nice paycheck.
More detailsPublished - Sat, 18 May 2024
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