Job Interview: Topics You Should Avoid

Job Interview: Topics You Should Avoid

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When interviewing for a new job, it is important that you walk the walk (look professional) but also that you talk the talk (ask the right questions and give the right answers). In order to do the latter, avoid topics such as sex, politics, and religion unless they are directly relevant to the position (they almost never are) as well as the following:

* Getting to the interview: The interviewer wants to know if you're the best candidate for the position, not how hard it was for you to get the interview.

* Compensation: Don't talk about compensation unless the interviewer raises the subject. You're far better off waiting for the employer to extend an offer to you before you raise the issue of compensation because at that point the power is in your hands.

* Your Old Boss: You do want to talk about previous experiences which are relevant to this position, but you don't want to talk negatively about previous superiors or employers. The interviewer knows that if you bad mouth another boss, you'll bad mouth the interviewer when you're next interviewing for a position.

* Your Significant Other: It is incredibly rare when your relationship with your significant other, friends, or family are relevant to a position, so leave them and your thoughts about them outside of the interview room.

* Health: Talk about your heath condition only if it is relevant to the position and you want the employer to make some type of reasonable accommodation for you. Otherwise, talk about the condition with your physician, not the interviewer.

* The Latest Joke: If the interviewer starts joking around with you, feel free to joke around with her as well but keep your humor G-rated and turn it off immediately when the interviewer first gives a signal that she wants to get down to business. Usually, it is best not to joke around. The upsides are few and the downsides are great.

* How You Look: Even if you feel like you look horrible on the day of the interview, don't mention it. The interviewer is more concerned about your ability to do the job than in the almost invisible mustard stain on your pants.

what unemployment has taught me

Original Post: what unemployment has taught me

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Uploaded on January 12, 2009 by Mr McSquishyface

This whole unemployment thing sucks as I’ve said many, many times before. But in a way it’s good for me.

And no, I don’t mean in the reading through the Chicago Public Library system in one summer kind of way.

It’s taught me a very important lesson.

I still don’t have it figured all out. I doubt I ever will have it all figured out. But I am learning a lot about myself right now. I’m learning what I want. What I don’t want. And more importantly what I deserve.

Yes, I may have a couple things against me. The lack of degree may be a bright red flag to some employers. And yeah, maybe I don’t have the professional experience that some might require.

But I have so much more to offer. I have first hand experience. I’m a writer. I do outreach. I build community.

And I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know it all. But I want to learn. I want to do it all. I’m not afraid to jump right in to something. And maybe I might fail at first, but the next time around, I know exactly what I’ll do to change. I love a good challenge.

Most importantly, I’ve learned it’s okay to say no.

Being unemployed leaves me with a sense of urgency, sometimes even desperation. Obviously, money is a stressful thing. When you don’t have anything coming in and the bills are piling up, it’s a horrible feeling. Feeling like you’re never going to get ahead again.

For a while I was willing to take anything that came my way. I was ready to do the retail thing or get back with the nanny thing or just take any job. Who cares what, as long as it paid.

I’ve realized that it doesn’t have to be like that. I would much rather hold out a little longer searching for the right thing for me. A job that will push me. A job that has faith in my abilities. A job that has me so excited to get to the office or to my computer. A job where I have a voice. A job where people respect me and appreciate the work I do.

I’ve learned in the past few months that there is nothing wrong with turning down an offer that just isn’t right. And I have, a few times. It’s alright to say “no, thank you”. I know what I’m worth and what I want.

And I’m not planning on settling any time soon.

A Little Perspective on Job-Hunting

Original Post: A Little Perspective on Job-Hunting

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Image by romoehumarang

What better way to get some perspective on finding a job than from someone who is in the job-hunting trenches, too? Today's post is from Prescott Perez-Fox, who runs that awesome blog, twentyhood. Enjoy!

Recently, I met a young man on the train following an industry event. He was just out of school and had only moved to New York that week. He was in search of a job. As someone who is likewise in search of employment, I instantly felt his struggle. I sighed and remarked 'I'm afraid I can't offer you any advice; I'm looking for work as well.' But it soon became clear that I could offer him advice, after all.

I have, in fact, figured a few things out, and come to a few realizations about this alchemy called job-hunting. Here, dear friends, is advice from the front, tips that you won't hear from your college career counselors or your dad's co-workers or even your average 'tips from an HR guy' blog post.

I have observed

• Applying for jobs online is a numbers game. Even if you're a qualified candidate, you'll be up against dozens, if not hundreds, of candidates. Therefore, you may have to apply 100 jobs to get your first interview.

• Many people post job vacancies to Craig's List. However, the signal-to-noise ratio on Craig's List is terrible. Be bold and ignore it. Find other sources, especially relevant to your own industry. They're out there.

• A staggering number of jobs will result in a 'no hire.' It's not that they chose another candidate, but rather the whole position just fizzles into nothingness. This isn't your fault.

• Silence is the new rejection letter. Even after a real-life, in-person interview many folks will simply blank you. Make sure you follow-up by phone, email, and maybe even hand-written (paper) letter, but don't be insulted when you get no reply.

• The worst insult you can receive is when someone calls your portfolio 'Nice' or says 'Oh, cool.' No one gives criticism anymore, they just pass you over and move one. Goes with the previous point.

• Some companies simply will never hire an entry-level applicant. This isn't your fault, it's just their unspoken policy. If you're under 25 or so, to these folks you will be viewed as a rookie, regardless of your skills or qualifications.

• The best way to find a job is through your personal network; the best way to have a network is through co-workers, past and present. A paradox indeed.

• Cold-calling is incredibly taxing emotionally. If you think this is an effective route, I hope you're stronger willed than me.

• Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., are useful communication tools, but none are a silver bullet for finding a job. Persist with a mix of methods.

• Freelancing or doing contract work may eventually lead to a full-time job, but not always. Try to hold it together when your short-term job ends with little fanfare, and without a job offer.

• Most people in your field are reasonable. There are a few divas, but chances are you can meet someone at an industry event and ask him/her for a business card with no problem. Email and ask for an interview, most often he'll say yes, even though that company may not be hiring. What's the worst that happens? You get some extra practice.

I don't want to you be cynical in your job search, but I want you to be prepared. Looking for work, going on interviews, and starting a new job are all incredibly awkward experiences. You're certain to feel the complete range of emotions and come up against some academic paradoxes. This is like applying for colleges, but without the notion of a 'safety school' or a community college to fall back on.

Onwards and upwards, fellow job seekers. If you can survive your first job search, you will have endured one of the hardest life situations there is — and certainly something they don't teach in college.

Prescott Perez-Fox is a graphic designer and blogger in the New York City area, and the author of twentyhood, the blog about life as a twentysomething. He also writes about design and branding on his own site, perez-fox.com, and is the arbiter of Your Business Card Sucks.

What Married Men Have To Do With Job Seeking Advice

Original Post: What Married Men Have To Do With Job Seeking Advice

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The other day we celebrated my wife’s birthday and we had a great time. You see, we’ve been married almost four years and I know the kinds of things she likes. I made her dinner (instead of going out) because she enjoys when I put together dinner. I got her clothes instead of jewelry because she seems to have a glut of jewelry but has wanted some more clothing. We chilled out and watched Sunday Night Football and the original Pink Panther movie because she loves football and old movies.

I’m only telling you this now because I used to stress out about my wife’s birthday. Of course, this was when we were dating so it always seemed more precarious. If you asked me what I stressed about, I couldn’t answer you right now. I just don’t know. I can’t remember. I just know that now I enjoy it and before, it seemed more stressful than enjoyable.

People ask me dating advice sometimes. These people are idiots. I have no idea what advice to give a person dating someone right now. A woman I know asked me how she should entice her man to give her a call once in a while. My answer (”Tell him to call you more”) was met with groans. Of course, this is why after you get married, you start just hanging around other married people.

Here’s where I’m going: everyone feels qualified to give dating advice because almost everyone has been on dates. The same thing happens with job seeking. Everyone has looked for a job so they all think they can give you advice. That’s great but the longer you’ve been out of the market, the more your advice is going to suck.

The nice thing about the perspective HR professionals bring to the table is that they see many of the techniques that simply don’t work. What I’ve found though is that many people in HR can’t tell you what works. Their advice is often risk adverse and safe.

And that’s really the advice that sells. It is boring but it also won’t disqualify you from many positions. So it is like me telling a person dating to not pick their nose during their date. If the person didn’t already know that, it will probably help them a bit. Of course, if it were as simple as not picking your nose and making sure to have good hygiene, many more people would be married than there are right now.

Most job seeking advice is the same as dating advice from a married man. It has more to do with what not to do than specific actions that can actually help you win a job (or a date).

That advice is a lot more difficult though. That’s why you will rarely get it from a married man or a person who has already established their career.

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by Lance Haun

 

7 Signs That You’re Not (Yet) Cut Out for Teleworking

7 Signs That You’re Not (Yet) Cut Out for Teleworking

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It’s become almost commonplace to consider teleworking as a career move. From companies wanting to reduce costs to individuals looking for alternative income streams, there’s no shortage of people interested in this option. But no matter how easy it looks on paper, successful teleworking takes time and effort to establish. This is especially true if you have personal characteristics that might make it harder for you to telework.

What traits should you watch out for and how do you overcome them?

1. You are dependent on face-to-face interaction when acquiring information. A common problem I see with people who are new to teleworking is that they don’t know how to acquire information independently. This is a difficult problem to have, especially in the age of search engines. Not all information can be found online, but taking the initiative to look up solutions on your own can get you very far.


2. You are afraid of technology. While you don’t have to spend hours each day reading tech blogs and you don’t need to know the latest Gmail hacks, you need to be comfortable with technology. After all, you’ll be using it to perform your most important work tasks including collaboration and research. Don’t worry, though. There are both written and video tutorials for practically every application out there.


3. You need supervision to get things done. Whether you’re a freelancer or an employee doing remote work for a company, you need to get your major tasks done even when there’s no one to look over your shoulder. When it comes to your day-to-day accomplishments, your only supervisor is yourself.


4. You equate busy-ness with productivity. Ernest Hemingway once said “Never confuse movement with action.” To measure whether you’re accomplishing tasks throughout your workday, note your output rather than the hours you spend in front of the computer.


5. You are not organized. Being organized has nothing to do with how clean or neat your home office is. It’s about finding office supplies in a couple of seconds, knowing where you stashed each client file and scheduling your workday well. For some useful tips, refer to Leo Babauta’s WWD article on how to get organized.


6. Your work ethic is largely dependent on moods. If you keep waiting to work when you’re “inspired” or you “feel like it”, you’re likely to spend 80 percent of your time waiting around for the right mood to get started. Make the effort to develop sound working habits, especially while you’re just starting to telework. Of course, there will always be those moments where you can’t seem to focus. During these times, you can always take a break or perform other tasks that are indirectly related to your work. This allows you to come back to your work with a fresh perspective.


7. You can’t say no. Teleworking requires the ability to prioritize ruthlessly, to say “no” to requests that are neither important nor urgent. These requests can range from professional to personal. Since I work from home and have a flexible schedule, some of my relatives seem to think that it’s okay to ask me to run errands for them. Other teleworkers have told me that they also experience this problem. But if we agreed to do everything that was requested of us by our families or clients, we would have no time for the actual work.

Having these traits doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t attempt teleworking. I had at least a couple of these myself before I started out. We just need to be aware of the weaknesses that may be detrimental to our teleworking, and work towards overcoming them.

What traits or personality types prevent successful teleworking? Any suggestions on how to get over them?

Image by Viktor from sxc.hu

CeeVee opens up to offer a mega-simple CV page builder

Original Post: CeeVee opens up to offer a mega-simple CV page builder

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Coming along to give VisualCV and JobSpice a run for its money is new online CV builder CeeVee. It’s now opened up after being in private beta and aside from the cute sounding name, it’s aim is simple – to be the simplest CV builder out there.

But what is the point of CV sites like this when we have LinkedIn? Well, not everyone is into LinkedIn’s sparse, rather corporate presentation and so CeeVee – as it’s competors do – aims at the wide consumer marketplace with a simpler interface. Apparently Human Resources people aren’t keen on busy CVs (or maybe can’t cope with them?), hence this design approach.


In addition LinkedIn doesn’t allow you to export or share your resume in a widgety, social way (as yet). The aim, as founder Lee Wilkins tells me, is to work with HR departments and companies to make a more standardized format.



It’s certainly simpler and better looking than some of the CV designs on VisualCV, or maybe that’s just me.

The site also has a cool vanity URL feature. Thus if your name is Mike you can nab CeeVee.com/mike, although this may rather limit the site’s appeal to other Mike’s on the planet.

Plans for the future include company profiles, a jobs board and search amongst other things. The site features FaceBook Connect, and Share twitter buttons, with more coming.

Started by Romania-based Wilkins as a pet project in Sept 2008 the bootstrapped venture is looking to expand into localised version for key markets in Europe like Spain, Russia and Italy and further abroad such as India and also into Asia.

Social Media And Job Hunting: Friend Or Foe?

Social Media And Job Hunting: Friend Or Foe?

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A new study by Harris Interactive shows that 45% of US human resources pros occasionally use social networks to research job candidates:

This must be a good thing, right? Your prospective employer can find out just how sharp of a candidate they’re getting, based upon your digital footprint.

Not so much. According to the study:

The findings were more likely to get candidates rejected than hired: 35% of HR professionals said social networking content had caused them to eliminate a candidate, while only 18% reported deciding to employ someone based on a profile.

The top reasons for rejection were, unsurprisingly, “provocative or inappropriate photographs or information” (53%) and information about drinking or using drugs (44%). But job candidates were also hurt by negative postings about their previous employers, poor communication skills, discriminatory remarks and other faux pas.

The findings underscore just how important reputation management has become in the digital era. While the question of whether a prospective employer should base its decision to hire you based upon your social media footprint remains a hotly-disputed one, it is likely that HR professionals will become more adept in their use of these tools over time, not less. Users of social networks should take basic precautions to ensure that any content which may be deemed embarrassing should either be removed from online networks, or at least safeguarded behind privacy filters.

via Job Candidates Both Hurt and Helped by Social Networks – eMarketer .