Job Search Tips and Advice - Skills to Finding a Job

How Not To Find A Job

Job searching can be tough enough all by itself. There is no need to make it even harder by doing or saying the wrong thing when job searching or interviewing. Here's a list of what you shouldn't do. These tips might sound simple, but, you might be surprised at how many people make a mistake without thinking much about it. Then they wonder why they didn't get a call or didn't get the job.

Make a Mistake. Should a typo in your resume or cover letter drop you out of contention? It shouldn't, but, it might. Employers typically get hundreds of resumes for each position they list. Perfection counts.

Limit Your Job Search. Don't limit your search by only applying to positions that meet your exact criteria. Instead, having an open mind (remember, you won't know exactly what the job entails until you interview) when reviewing the job ads will increase your applications and increase your chances for getting an interview.

Expand Your Job Search. Sounds contradictory, doesn't it? You shouldn't limit your job search, but, there is no point wasting your time or anyone else’s applying for jobs for which you aren't qualified.

Job Search Only Online. Don't post your resume on resume posting boards and just that your email In Box will start to fill up or your phone will start ringing off the hook. It won't happen. You need to be proactive when job searching and use all available job search resources - online and offline.

Contradict Yourself. If you are interviewing with several people make sure you keep your story straight. Telling one interviewer one thing and another something else is a good way not to get the job.

Insult your Former Employer. Even if your last job was horrible and your boss was an idiot, don't mention it. Speaking poorly about former employers is never wise. How does your future employer know that you won't talk about him that way, next time around?

Under Do It. Don't be a slob. Candidates who are unkempt, disheveled and poorly dressed won't get the job.

Over Do It. I once worked for someone who wouldn't hire anyone he could smell before they walked into his office. He might have been overdoing it a little, but, the candidates would have done better if they had minimized the perfume or the after shave.

Show Your Desperation. Are you almost out of unemployment? Don't know where you next meal is coming from? Do you absolutely have to have this job? Don't give an inkling of any of that away. You want employers to believe that you want this job because it's a good opportunity and you can be an asset to the company, not because you need to buy groceries or make your car payment.

Show Your Tattoos. If you are applying for a position in the corporate world, and other worlds too, you might want to cover up your tattoos and remove some of your rings if you're pierced in lots of places. They probably won't impress most employers.

Give Up. Regardless of how good the job market is, job searching isn't simple, and it's not always easy to stay positive and focused. When you've sent hundreds of resumes without much of a response it can be difficult to keep going. It's important though to keep plugging away, to use all the job search tools available, and to keep a positive outlook.

Keep a positive attitude!

So much is how you view the world

Job Interview Is Like A Blind Date

Love is in the air. You know a little about your date and your date knows a little about you. The description of your blind date seems to be too good to be true - a perfect vision of your ideal partner. They have the right physical attributes and personal qualities. Your matchmaking friends are even more excited than you because they're convinced you are perfect for one another. The date has been set. You can hardly wait!

The night arrives and you see your blind date walk through the door of the restaurant. So far so good. The introductions go very well. They are very attractive and have a great personality. They seem to like you too. You can sense each other's nerves, and are very careful about saying the wrong thing and turning each other off. After about fifteen minutes of slightly awkward conversation mostly dominated by your friends, your date, who by the way is a nurse, says, "So, I hear you're a successful pharmaceutical sales representative with one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country. That sounds so exciting. How did you get into pharmaceutical sales? You begin by talking about how you've always been interested in medicine, enjoy selling, and never saw yourself at a desk job. You explain how you joined the company when they launched one of the best selling nebulizers on the market. As you humbly mention that you grew your sales territory to rank as one of the highest in the country, the waitress interrupts to take your plates and asks if you'd like desert. Wow, the conversation just flowed. You even forgot you were on a date! Your date was so interested in what you had to say, and they responded so well to the great questions you asked them about their work and family. Your date can sense you are truly interested in them. In the first half hour, you both realized you have so much in common. Deep down inside you are praying they like you as much as you like them, and hope they aren't seeing anyone else. By the end of the night, it seems your date feels the same way. You both agree to a second date - this time alone!

Okay, let's rewind the tape. You're not in pharmaceutical sales yet. But, that is what you want to be. You've just graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry with a concentration in Psychology. You've had your resume professionally developed and it's time to send it out. You scour all the job boards and classified ads, and talk to everyone in your personal network. Things are looking up. In less than two weeks, you have lined up four promising interviews.

So, if everything is going so well, why are you so nervous? Is it because you're afraid you are going to fail at making a great first impression? Take a deep breath. There is a way to overcome this fear -- and you hold the key. Remember that blind date? What was the hardest part? That's right - it was the anticipation! Once you got there, everything went smoothly - especially when they asked you about your {future} job. Why did it go so well? Because it was about YOU! Know one knows you better than yourself, and that's who they want to get to know better -- YOU. THEY WANT TO MEET YOU. THEY ALREADY LIKE YOU!

And therein lies the secret. The very fact that they have invited you for an interview means they have PRE-QUALIFIED YOU FOR THE JOB! Can you believe that? It's true! They are hoping that you are as good in person and you are on paper. If you are, like your blind date, they're going to pray that you'll stop interviewing with other companies and accept their offer to join their company.

So how do you gain the confidence you need to overcome your interview jitters? First, believe in yourself. Know how talented and knowledgeable you are. Remember, your resume says you are - and that's why they want to meet YOU. Next, do your homework. Learn about the company. Ask genuine questions to show how interested you are in what their company does, why the position is available, what the position is about, and what the potential is to grow with the company. Volunteer to tell them what you know about their company, using it as a lead-in for a question you might have or save it as a response to a question they may have. Do not fail to ask questions! Do not wait until the end and say, "No, I think you answered all my questions (that were silently in my head!). BE PROACTIVE in the interview. As long as you know who you are and know something about them, you should have no problem hitting it off. If for some crazy reason they decide to offer the position to someone else, don't be discouraged. There are other fish in the sea. Think of it as a great experience and opportunity to practice your interviewing skills.

In summary, the interview is a meeting between two interested people. They already know about themselves. So, it's about YOU. They want to meet YOU. They want to get to know YOU. Just be yourself, be interesting, polite, and show your interest in them. If it is meant to be (hey, remember, you might not like them. Did you ever think about that?), you will be invited to a second interview or will be offered the position after the first meeting.

Good luck!

Job Interview Active Listening

During a job interview, a potential employer asks, "Can you take on more than one project at a time?" If you respond, "Yes," you may want to rethink that answer. According to our research, you should avoid one-word or one-sentence answers.

Be specific. And speak money-language. Here's a preferred answer to the question above, "In general, depending upon the type and length of projects, I believe in efficiently handling more than one project at a time. This could save a company as much as 30%."

Let's check out the definition of "active listening skills" and learn more to help with your next interview.

ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS

Just as everyday "speaking" is not the same as public speaking; "listening" is not the same as active listening. Active listening means two things: analysis and response to the message being communicated.

An active listener maintains eye contact and good posture with a slight lean towards the speaker. During the interview, the listener nods, smiles and takes notes. Be ware, however, that a daydreamer or pseudo-listener, can adopt these behaviors. So a listener's physical response does not necessarily mean good listening skills are at work.

Nonverbal communication, more than just the nod or smile, is important. Gestures, appearance, timing, voice responses, facial expressions, spatial distance - all affect how the speaker (or interview) interprets the listener. So a person preparing for a job or work project interview should consider the cultural climate and norms of society of the interviewer. In short, perceived active listening based on nonverbal signals can vary from culture to culture.

Especially in this age of such great cultural diversity, be courteous of others regardless of cultural, sexual or societal backgrounds. If you are a woman and get to a door before a man, open it. If your interviewer doesn't speak English very well and looks puzzled at your words, go back and explain yourself again in different words and re-establish a good communication exchange.

Note: a major part of active listening is paraphrasing. It's not the same as summarizing. A summary is a shortened version of the original message, focusing on the main point. To paraphrase means to re-state the message in your own words.

Active listeners take notes by paraphrasing or restating what the speaker said in their own words, and summarizing main points. A good listener is not the same thing as a silent listener. Good listeners ask questions, even something like, "Is this an accurate paraphrase of you have said?" to let the speaker know that you understand the message being communicated.