Why You Should Research Before the Interview

There are lots of resources pointing out that the research before actually going to an interview is crucial. I am perfectly aware of that; however, once I didnt research because I presumed I know enough.

I found about a job opening at a local company. The town I live in is pretty small, so I decided I know all about the company already from what people have told me. So I sent my CV and waited.

The company contacted me the same day. They reached me by phone and invited me to be at their office at 10 next morning. There was a girl on the phone who nicely offered me to tell me the exact office location. I asked her “Are you the plastics producing company?” She said yes, we are, and I said dont bother then, I know where to come.

The next day I got up, went to the place presumed and stood at the portal. The guard went out, asked me why I had come and let me in the building. I knocked on a door and asked where exactly in the building is Mr Joness office. They gave me directions. Still I saw they look a bit surprised.

I found the office of the manager with whom the interview was arranged. I knocked at the door and he let me in. I presented myself and began explaining why I had applied for the job telling about my qualifications.

The man sat there looking a bit embarrassed but just listened. I thought “What am I doing wrong?” and I asked. He said, “Your qualifications are fine and you would be a very good candidate IF we had such a job opening”.

Now it was my turn to get confused. I told him I saw an ad, I responded and was contacted by his secretary. He asked me “Which company you said placed the ad?” The small plastics producer, I said. Oh I see, the man answered. Actually there are two of us; my name is Jones and the manager of the other company is Jones too; heres why you were admitted to my office. But I dont have this opening, its in the other company”.

I felt awful. Who wouldnt be? I just believed that in such a small town people knew everything and there was only one company of this kind. How wrong I was!

Fortunately a few minutes later I got a call from the actual Mr Jones who said he was late, but still wanted to meet me half an hour later. I got lucky and didnt miss the interview. I just wish I had done more research- I didnt even ask about the other companys name.

Why You Should Research Before the Interview

Great Catwalk Models Start Slowly

When a child is born, no one in their right minds would ever think that this cute little bundle of joy would grow up to be famous. However, as time goes on, the looks of the child, and how their personality develops, may indicate that the kid is meant for bigger and better things. Indeed, as they grow into their teen years it may only be too obvious that these children could make their living on the catwalks of the world. For those who feel that this just may be a possibility, try looking up modeling agencies online to see how to proceed. A modeling agency will have more than enough information for the budding artist to find out if they are ready for the big time.

What a lot of parents do not realize is that this business can be rather cut throat. Today the person has the look that everyone is looking for, and tomorrow they could be right out of vogue. However, in between all this, the person could be making a decent living doing something that they love.

Even kids are needed for TV and magazine adverts but care should be taken that the child is not exploited in any way. Some parents push the child into doing this when all they really want is to be at home like all the other kids. However, if the kid is extroverted and ready for the limelight, then they should go on and try their luck.

Finding a good agent must be a high priority since contracts and negotiations need a lot of experience to get the best deal. As in all walks of life, this has to be the case of a willing seller and a willing buyer. Signing into a contract which stops the would-be super star working for anyone else is a big problem since this could halt their career right there and then. If the person or parent falls out with the agent, effectively, they cannot work until the contract runs out. Many famous people have fallen foul of these clauses in their early days so it is wise to be cautious for sure.

Once the agent has been chosen, and no fees should be required up front by the way, then they will go all out to get their novices work wherever possible. Although these jobs may be thin on the ground right at the beginning, by making sure that the work ethic is strongly in place, and by letting go of the diva attitude, the person should start to get a good reputation quite soon which will lead to more work eventually.

Some words of warning here though. Those people who offer to take photos for a certain price to create a book of looks for the novice should be vetted thoroughly. Most agents will arrange some shots themselves and recover the cost when the work is coming in. In this way, those with some very dubious intentions are avoided and the novice can flourish slowly.

Great Catwalk Models Start Slowly

Job Bidding Sites – The Hidden Advantages

Job Bidding Sites get a lot of bad press for a number of reasons some of which are the poor rates of pay, huge competition and high level service fees. However, these types of websites can also hold many advantages that are often overlooked. Here are a few of the benefits:

1) Extend your Reach to New Markets

By selling your services through a bidding site you can find customers in all parts of the world. This can be particularly useful if you are offering a niche service and have exhausted all local marketing opportunities.

2) Payment Protection

Many of the bidding sites offer a degree of protection when it comes to payment. For example, they may advise you not to start work until the job is financed by a method known as escrow. Most of the existing customers offering work are aware of this system and happy to comply. Some job bidding sites will also automatically release the escrow if the service buyer doesn’t provide any feedback after a certain period following project completion.

3) Internet Presence

If you are registered with a job bidding website you will be included in search engine results. Therefore, you may find that some customers approach you direct after finding your details on a bidding site. Be careful though, as you will not have the protection of the bidding site if your client doesn’t pay.

4) Build your Portfolio

For many small companies offering services, job bidding websites present an excellent opportunity to build your portfolio. You may find that existing skills enable you to find work, but a particular customer could also have a number of other requirements. If he is happy with your work he may ask you to complete other tasks giving you the chance to branch out into new areas.

5) Assess Demand

By looking at the types of projects that are being posted in your industry you will be able to assess current demand. This can be useful for marketing campaigns as you will be able to target them to areas where you know there is work.

6) Enhance your Reputation

Job bidding websites use a feedback system so it is a good way to enhance your reputation. Not only will this get you other jobs through the bidding sites, but many providers also refer to the positive feedback on their own websites as a form of testimonial.

7) Vary your Rate

Don’t think that you have to charge the same on a bidding site as you would normally charge. It may be that you have to reduce your rate on a bidding site because of the competition, but if you would not otherwise have been working, it is still additional income.

8) Get to Know the Competition

Because you are bidding alongside many others this gives you a good opportunity to take a look at the competition. What sort of people are bidding? Which projects are popular amongst bidders? Which providers win projects and why do you think that is? Could it be because of their experience, education, glowing feedback or extensive portfolio? Could you learn anything from them when it comes to marketing your own services?

For those just starting out in business job bidding sites can give you the chance to maintain a steady flow of income when you are between other, better paid jobs. Although you may not wish to rely solely on these sites for your business income, you can use them alongside any other marketing methods that you may choose to adopt. Another thing to bear in mind is that although many other providers may bid a much lower rate than you, if you have relevant experience, good feedback and an impressive portfolio, there is still a good chance that many employers will select your bid.

Job Bidding Sites – The Hidden Advantages

A Medical Career in the Armed Forces

A career in the medical wing of the armed forces is unique. Life here gives the aspiring candidate an opportunity to be trained extensively and also play a vital role for his or her unit and country, even in the war zone. A selected cadet can be placed in an RAF, Army or Naval base. He or she can be part of the armed forces unit in NHS hospitals.

The armed forces offer a structured career path. The responsibilities and experience are similar to civilian duties or service. However what makes this career different is the places and conditions in which a military medical officer will have to serve and looked upon to deliver.

Selection or Recruitment

An aspiring candidate can join the armed forces while studying in the medical college. Interested candidates can apply for Medical Cadetship. For instance, to join the Royal Army Medical Corps they have to contact the RAMC Officer. Most doctors join the various Forces through this process of cadetship. Each of the forces sponsor the study in return for six years of service, after the foundation training. Some doctors join at a later date in their training or after being fully qualified. There are shortages of trained doctors, such as GP, in a few hospital specialities.

The British Army awards up to 30 medical cadetship every year. They are even sponsored through part of their medical degree. In fact there are provisions for financial aid to support the studying of a medical degree. On completion, further studies can be possible, right up to the candidates 46th birthday, on condition that he or she passes the selection tests, and joins.

The Royal Air Force awards up to 25 medical cadetships in a year. The doctor cadets after their foundation programme do the 13 week specialist entrant and re-entrant course. Further military medical training is split between the Defence Medical Services Training Centre, Keogh Barracks, Hampshire, the RAF College, Cranwell, and RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine, RAF Henlow, Bedfordshire.

The Royal Navy offers in a year, up to 15 medical cadetships. After foundation doctors are placed in a MOD hospital unit. Later they undergo officer training at Dartmouth, plus a new entry medical officers course at the Institute of Naval Medicine. Five direct entry doctors are also taken yearly.

Veterinary doctors can join The Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) which provides a challenging and varied employment. This service is involved in use and care for military service animals, from procurement to retirement, in training practice and preventative medicine.

Commissioning & experience

Medical officers start their first commission after registration and a short-term posting at a medical centre to get experience in the forces.

In the RAF, a medic will join as Flight Lieutenant or Squadron Leader on a short commission of 3 to 4 years, and later can opt for medium commission of 18 years. After the first appointment they undergo specialist training in a hospital specialty, or occupational medicine, or in public health or start vocational training in general practice at an MDHU or NHS hospital. All Post-graduate Training follow the Civilian Royal colleges or as civilian medical training in typical specializations like anesthetics, psychiatry, general surgery, ENT, or orthopedics.

A Medical Career in the Armed Forces

Should You Buy a Business or Get a MBA?

Profit Now or Profit Later

Those who have recently graduated from college or in the process of completing their degrees, specifically those who are majoring in business, find it hard to choose between two contrasting options: to stay in school and get a MBA – Masters of Business Administration – or go out into the real world and start a business. To make an informed decision on this matter, there are four factors that one needs to consider: money, time, estimated return on investment and the current market condition. Those people who choose to get a masters degree do so under very stressful situations. They usually work part-time while studying, earning just enough to sustain full-time classes. These students oftentimes use their own savings, borrow money from family members or friends, and sometimes go into debt issues because of unpaid student loans. After a couple of years studying in a business school, they already possess a significant degree of education that they can use as an advantage over those who did not pursue a MBA. However, they cannot deny the fact that they are also far behind when it comes the actual world of entrepreneurship.

Business Owners and the MBA program

It can be very beneficial if you decide to get a MBA program while running an already existing business. Everything you will learn from your classes can be directly applied to the business you are managing. Buying a business and running it personally will help you develop new business skills and hone those that you already have. Having a MBA degree will surely show you how to improve your weaknesses in business management. Attending a business school is also a good opportunity for you to meet new people and make lifelong professional relationships that will give you an advantage in running an existing small business. A MBA will surely give you strong credibility within local communities. Financially, you can also benefit from a masters degree. Bankers are more than willing to approve loans to business owners who have MBAs. A good MBA program will also help you think like an executive, as the things youll learn from classes will guide you in business issues and expansion strategies.

Becoming a Successful Business Owner

You should know that buying a business is a costly process. You need to spend a considerable amount of money if you want to buy a business or purchase a franchise. In either option, you need to get financing assistance for the purchase price, the inventory cost, marketing and advertising expenses, and the property or equipment lease payments. The money you will spend on continuing with your MBA can also be good capital for buying a business. Your money will be returned immediately in the form of sales income. Among the simplest ways to buy a business is to go for an established franchise. This move is safer because all planning has already been done by the parent company, and the business methods and processes were also tried and tested in the market. Everything youll need is at your fingertips. The franchisor will guide you on the operations of the business, showing you the strategies to make the most out of your franchise. There is also a good chance that the people you will deal with at the franchisor level have already earned their MBAs.

Should You Buy a Business or Get a MBA?

Procedure of Bank Exams and Bank Recruitment in India

INTRODUCTION:

Bank jobs are emerging as one of the top career choices in India. Millions of Indian youth complete their educational and professional degree courses every year, but the jobs available for them in their respective fields are far lower the number of applicants. Every year a fresh batch of students arrive, which lead to a further increase in competition and thereby stagnation. Even the jobs once recruited will not fall vacant till the service of the employed person is superannuated. This means there is just one chance for a qualified person to utilize, if that is wasted, it spells a disaster in his life. As a result of this many Indian youth nowadays search for an alternate career in addition to their specialization.

OPPORTUNITIES:

Many opportunities like software and hardware industries, government sector jobs, private sector jobs, finance, business, agriculture, etc are available for earning a decent livelihood. Of all these options banks are one of the most stable and lucrative due to a robust growing economy as well as a robust and stable banking system in India. So, bank jobs have emerged as one of the top career choices for Indian youth from various educational backgrounds.

Bank jobs have become so popular in India that whenever you visit any government library and ask the people studying there for what are they preparing, then 70-80% of them reply that they are preparing for bank exams. In every city and town of India we can see many institutes coming up for giving coaching and training regarding bank exams.

The reasons for choosing bank as their career by many Indian youth are:

1. Job security

2. Stability of banking sector in a robust Indian banking system

3. Good salary packages with great incentives and allowances.

4. Good job environment provided by most banks

5. Impartial and clean interviews especially in private banks in India

BANKS IN INDIA:

There are two types of banks in India, Public Sector and Private Sector. Some Public Sector banks are grouped together as nationalized banks. Reserve Bank of India is the central bank of India which regulates the Indian banking system and monetary policy. Every Indian bank including private banks needs to follow the guidelines from RBI (Reserve Bank of India) which is one of the main reasons of the stability and robustness of the Indian banking system.

PROCEDURE OF BANK EXAMS:

Private sector banks conduct separate exams for their recruitment may it be

for officers or clerks. Public sector banks other than SBI (State Bank of India) and its associates are conducting a joint examination for their recruitment called IBPS (Indian Banking Personnel Selection). The rest of the public sector banks are conducting separate examinations for their recruitment.

TYPES OF EXAMS:

There are two types of exams conducted for any Bank recruitment. They are:

1. Clerical (for clerks).

2. PO exam(for provisional officers)

If at all there are any other type of posts like IT officers, etc separate type of syllabus are setup for them.

QUALIFICATION:

1. For clerical exam: Minimum qualification required is 10th class or Undergraduates.

2. For PO exam: A degree in any stream is a must for applying.

For any other type of posts the eligible qualification as needed is suggested in the advertisements which are mostly posted in leading Indian newspapers as well as online.

RECRUITMENT:

The process of Recruitment commences from publication of vacancies in various banks to allotment of candidates selected through the respective exams to the individual banks.

Procedure of Bank Exams and Bank Recruitment in India

Three Tips for Successfully Working With a Temporary Staffing Company

Temporary Staffing is a great way to find a new job, transition a career, or be able to work a flexible schedule. Many people find that their experience with a temporary staffing company is not what they were expecting, but there are ways to improve your chances of getting an assignment. These three tips for working with a temporary staffing company will help make your experience more pleasant.

1) Make sure you maintain a positive and professional attitude. Make sure your resume is clean and concise showcasing your best experience. Make sure you are using a professional sounding email address. When the recruiter asks why you left your last position, leave any negative feelings out of your answer. Also, the more flexible you are in regards to length of assignments or the hourly pay rate, the more possible opportunities you will be offered.

2) Even if you are unemployed, make sure you are continuing to keep busy. When your recruiter asks you what you have been doing most recently do not answer with “Looking for a job.” The recruiter at the staffing company is your representative and advocate, but they can’t lie about your experience. The first question a client is going to ask about a candidate is what have they been doing most recently. If you haven’t been working spend some of your time volunteering or doing freelance work or any number of other engaging things that will give you and your recruiter something to talk about. And put this information on your resume.

3) Don’t expect a job immediately. Temporary staffing companies don’t create the jobs, they receive jobs from their clients and each individual position requires different skills based on the client’s requirements. A temporary staffing company is unable to guarantee a position for each applicant. The company will likely instruct you to contact them once or twice a week to let them know you are still available, so make sure you are maintaining positive contact even if they don’t have anything available when you call. Once a position becomes available that matches your background and skill set, the temporary staffing company will be sure to contact you.

Three Tips for Successfully Working With a Temporary Staffing Company

As A New Employee How Do I Position Myself To Be Promoted? Part One

As a career counselor, career guidance professional, and HR professional who has hired or placed 1,340+ professionals, the job market is getting some traction in several areas. Technology, Finance and Management from my perspective have all seen a more upward trend.

Like everyone new in the job market, what can you do to position yourself for a promotion? Based on successfully establishing and running a “High Performing Employee” group for a $35Billion firm, there were criteria to select individuals for this group. From this group, promotions were made.

Selection Criteria

The individual had to be selected from university. The main criterion was a GPA in the top 10% of a university graduating class. Some exceptions were made: If a student had a substantial GPA for the last two of the four years, an exception could be made. If a student had a substantial GPA in the major, an exception could be made. But the GPA was critical in getting the best-of-the-best for consideration.

On-Site Interview

Every selected candidate was brought to the headquarters, interviewed by recently hired (and identified as fast-track employees), maybe taken to lunch in the company cafeteria and given a written test to determine how well they could think. The test was a pass/fail given without prompts and lasted ten or fifteen minutes.

Training and Monitoring

If and when hired, every new employee was put through an orientation and training class. Orientation to learn the company; Training to provide knowledge of what was expected. Then the new hire was assigned to a group.

Monitoring began at this point. Who was able to excel at assignments? Who took on extra assignments? Was this individual a go-to person? Did the individual continue learning? What was the quality of work? Was the person respected? Did the individual show exceptional attention-to-detail? Did the new employee receive top ratings in the performance management system? Did the department director know this person? Could the director state the quality of work was exceptional? The department and HR took notes on these individuals.

The Bottom Line

An assessment was attempted before anyone could be presented to the Vice President for entrance into the “Hi-Perform Employee” group. Was it 100% fail proof? I tried and felt I had good success.

As A New Employee How Do I Position Myself To Be Promoted? Part One

Sales Training Tips – Your Office Linebacker – How to Get An All Star Team

It amazes me in our economy we have this challenge and that challenge is finding quality employees who want to work. Why is that? To be honest the problem is typically you – and me, its us. Be truthful do you ever talk about it, complain about it, and at times worry about it but in the end do very little about it? If so welcome – youre human! At times you may feel there is nothing you can do, but in reality there is always something you can do in fact there is a lot you can do and here it is.

First of all fixing the problem starts with recognizing you have a problem – Im hoping Im not the only one to have heard this statement! The bottom line is youre not alone. There is a lot of competition for talented employees so attracting a superstar can be tough.

Where are the Star Employees?

Many employers go shopping for employees. In fact they are conveniently stocked at your local competitor. Superstars are already working for someone else. Sad but true great employees are raided out of companies every day. We all know headhunters that call us and our all star staff offering visions of grandeur. But here is a secret few know, you may shop for a star but you risk superstars showing up with preconceived ideas of what things should be like. Youll also pay a higher price tag after all – all star results dont come cheap. Bottom line this can be the right move if you need immediate results and dont have the luxury of training and waiting.

The other option is to grow your own superstar through training less experienced people from the ground up. When you introduce programs youll see buy in as there is a lack of preconceived ideas of what does and what does not work. My experience has been there is more loyalty – youve given them a chance they never had before and if youre doing a good job theyre constantly learning and achieving success in their new profession. In fact, those are documented reasons why employees stay in the jobs they choose.

Both options of adding superstars to your team work. What really manners is what you do with your newly acquired superstar or the superstar in training. Mindset is 90% of the equation. Think of it this way – who gets fired when the team doesnt win – the coach or the players? Typically its the coach. Who strategizes the plays and motivates the team before they need to play? Its the coach! Mindset plays a heavy role in success so make sure you keep your star linebackers motivated from being active on the sidelines.

Nancy Drew is the CEO of Drew & Associates International Inc. a company devoted to empowering small businesses and sales professionals throughout North America, with tools to make more money and have the time to enjoy it! If you enjoyed this article and want to find out how others have increased sales by 700% youll love our free strategies and how to tips that will help you achieve dynamic results!

Sales Training Tips – Your Office Linebacker – How to Get An All Star Team

References and Referees Can Make A Difference – Three Things to Keep In Mind

When you are applying for a job it is tempting to pick the highest level manager you can find as your referee, but it is far more important to choose someone who appreciates your work, and who will give an honestly positive response when your prospective employers call them. You do not want someone who will say, “Joe who?” when asked about their impression of you.

1. It is a good idea to contact your referees on a regular basis and especially before you send out applications to make sure that their contact details are still current, and that they are willing to talk to people about you. This also gives you a chance to update them on your recent activities, which will give them more to talk about, and remind them of who you are, so that they will not sound completely surprised when they are asked about you. As a prospective employer it is frustrating to have selected a candidate and then be unable to speak to any of their referees. It is really surprising how often people choose referees who hardly know them, and do not inform them that someone might call.
2. Your references should be people who know your work and are your fans – that is, they appreciate your work and believe that you are a great worker. Prospective employers prefer referees who are in senior positions and who are likely to be able to express possible shortcomings as well as positive characteristics. However, if you don?t know any senior managers who are your fans it is better to choose a co-worker who is a fan. I recently called one of the referees for a prospective employee and was told, “She is better than average.” but I could tell that this was not a high recommendation. In another case the referee said, “If you hire this person they will destroy your company.” I appreciated the frank response, but I was also amazed that the candidate had chosen such a referee.
3. Your referees can make or break your job prospects so collect fans. You should always work in such a manner that people will be pleased to recommend you even if your current job is just a stepping-stone to something else. Always do your best, and go beyond the line of duty. Not only will that get you a great reference, it may even win you opportunities.

Employers are usually calling to check references after the selection has been made, so you want to choose referees who will confirm that you can do a great job. If you have had a bad experience, and you know that your most recent employer was not happy with you, dont list them as a reference. If you are asked about why you have not listed them, you should have an explanation ready, but hopefully you have some other referees who will be very enthusiastic about you, and it will not be a problem. It is better to list your most enthusiastic supporters, than your most recent employer.

References and Referees Can Make A Difference – Three Things to Keep In Mind

Your Guide to Staffing Agencies

March 19, 2013   Career Advice

Number of View: 0

Register with at least one agency. Choose one of the most popular staffing agencies that cater to your occupation. If you’re up for it, register with many. Some companies use one staffing agency exclusively as a sort of “outsourcing” of HR functions; then there are other companies that “shop around” with several agencies to see the candidate pool. Tip: if there’s a particular company you want to work for, find out if they use any staffing agencies and register with that agency.

Regardless of how many agencies you’re registered with, make sure to regularly check-in with them. The agency will probably recommend checking-in once a week; my suggestion is to check-in twice a week via phone and email. You don’t want to be aggressive or pushy; you’re simply doing your due diligence. When you do check-in, make sure you are connecting directly with a staffing manager and not a receptionist. If your staffing manager isn’t available when you call, leave a message and follow-up with an email. This may sound basic, however I know some temps don’t follow-up with their staffing manager after leaving a message with a receptionist and wonder why they aren’t contacted when a position becomes available.

Have a meeting with your staffing manager and ask them to review your resume and skill set. Ask them for their opinion on what you can do to greatly increase your chances of their clients choosing you out of all the other choices available. Some staffing managers will automatically initiate this conversation, and others won’t. Take the initiative and discover what the agency’s clients are looking for. The benefits of having this conversation are simple: the better candidate you are, the more money the staffing agency makes off you. Remember, the staffing agency’s #1 priority is to make the client company happy. Quality, marketable candidates = more money in their pocket.

If you are registered with a staffing agency that posts all their open assignments on their website, be sure to daily check that site. I can’t stress this enough! If you see a job posting that you know you can perform, yet your staffing manager hasn’t called you yet, don’t be shy about picking up that phone and asking them why not? Some websites also allow you to submit your resume directly after viewing a particular job posting: don’t skip this step simply because “you’ve already registered with the agency”.

The staffing agency isn’t a charity organization revolving around making the temps happy… Their mission is to make their client companies happy. Make this work for you, and not against you, by developing a solid working relationship w/ your agency.

Your Guide to Staffing Agencies

Tips to Work Abroad – Learning a New Language Can Increase Hiring Potential

The Philippines is considered as the third largest English-speaking nation, which is a trait that many OFWs boast of. But because of competition, many people try to learn another foreign language in a pursuit on working and living abroad on other countries apart from the English-speaking nations like Australia, USA, and UK etc. Currently, European countries such as Finland, Germany, Spain, Norway and our neighbor Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea open their doors for foreign workers yet besides the needed skills; one qualification is to be fluent with the language.

One example is the JPEPA, an economic agreement between Philippines and Japan to exchange trades, offered nurses and caregivers a job to provide healthcare and assistance to the aging society of Japan. The JPEPA requirement includes six months of Japanese language teaching and practical training in preparation for their employment in Japan. Another importance of knowing a foreign language is in hospitality industry like hotels, tourism etc. Such skill is needed particularly when applying on a job hiring abroad.

Whether studying Korean, Japanese, Finnish or Spanish, learning a foreign language needs time, effort and commitment to be fluent. The most important factor to measure how fluent you are is the time you immersed yourself in the language. This doesnt mean sitting in lectures for months or years but by connecting yourself to the language while having fun. By constantly exposing yourself in the language through listening and reading, you can easily familiarize its accent and tone. Next, you need to focus on the vocabulary. Build lots of vocabulary words and after that, start to construct phrases. Online dictionaries will help a lot as well as language translators. You wont notice it but youll gradually be accurate during speaking. The fastest way to learn is to have interest over the language so pick topics that you can easily relate to. If you still cant master it, dont rush or be frustrated. You are still in a learning process so relax and enjoy studying the language.

Tips to Work Abroad – Learning a New Language Can Increase Hiring Potential

The Complexities Of Executive Recruitment – What You Need To Know

Businesses rely on their Human Resource department to find the best people for them. As who you have in your payroll are who would be instrumental to the possible success or failure of your business, a good Human Resource department is something that you need to be staffed with.

Learn More About How Executive Recruitment Works
The process of finding employees to be added to your roster is not a very easy one, though. This is even more true if the jobs you have open are top-drawer jobs that deserve the best possible candidates. And, many businesses – though they are equipped with good Human Resource employees – just fail to deliver.

Different factors would contribute to that. It may be that your advertising strategies have not worked so less people are aware of your executive jobs vacancies. Or, the people you want working for you are too far away and don’t want to take the risk of relocating to where your business is, unless you give them assurance that they would be hired.

Regardless of the factors, though, when you can’t find the people you need, you would definitely see drawbacks. Your business would suffer, your sales would decrease, your profit would be affected. Since you don’t want to see those unpleasant things manifest for your business, naturally, the best thing you can do when your Human Resource department has failed to find excellent people for you is to find an executive recruitment agency.

An executive recruitment agency is effective at:

1. Finding the best people for you. executive jobs must only be delegated to those who have had a lot of experience in managing top-level assignments. And, if your pool of recruiters have not been able to deliver, an executive recruitment agency would. These agencies thrive on insider knowledge, and they can immediately set you up with candidates who you would be very happy to interview. They have excellent connections who they would be happy to pass along to you to help you run your business better.

The Complexities Of Executive Recruitment – What You Need To Know

Your Exciting Sales Career Is Just Around The Corner

Thousands of people across the UK are unhappy in their job. Due to limited job vacancies, very few people actually manage to change their job to something more enjoyable and fulfilling. With high prospects and large pay packets, a career in sales is certainly worth considering. If you enjoy communicating with people, have a drive for success and great presentation skills a role in sales could be your ideal career. Perhaps you are unsure whether or not you have the right personal skills for a job in sales. There are many training courses available to help you get onto the sales career ladder.
Almost anyone can sell a product or service if they have the right attitude and truly believe in what they’re trying to sell. If you have skills and experience within a certain industry its often a good idea to start with a sales role within your particular industry. For example, if you have experience in construction, a career in construction sales would be ideal place to start. The required background for a role in construction sales is fairly specialised, meaning competition is not as high and expert knowledge is generally rewarded with generous pay packets.
Perhaps you have experience in marketing or advertising? This will enable you to begin a career in media sales. You could work for a newspaper, magazine, radio or television station and gain generous financial rewards. As a media sales advisor, you will be able to recommend the best advertising spots and advise your clients on how they can get the highest return for their advertising investment. Alternatively, if you are new to the job market or wish to start a career in a completely different industry, you may wish to consider a career in inbound or outbound telesales.
As an inbound sales representative, you will be answering calls, trying to sell a particular product to the person on the other line. A career in inbound sales could lead to you working in a variety of different environments, including sales or customer service departments, large call centres, or from the comfort of your own home. Training is generally not necessary for a career in inbound telesales. However, you will need good telephone skills, be able to multi task and perform comfortably under pressure.

Your Exciting Sales Career Is Just Around The Corner

Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?

A mnemonic tool is a simple technique for remembering almost anything. The best about mnemonics is that they are easy-to-remember and may be flashing quickly in the brain once the information is needed.

Use the “HONEST” mnemonic to remember how to answer the most common interview question. In any common interview, certainly, you will be asked this question “Why did you leave your last job?” Whether you were fired from your last job or you left it on your own accord, use this simple mnemonic to answer this popular interview question professionally.

HONEST mnemonic stands for:

• Honesty
• No for Blaming Others
• Economical in answering
• Straight forward

Answer This Interview Question with Honesty

When addressing any interview question, be honest. Nevertheless, you should also try to outline the honest answer with a positive frame.

For example, if you left your last job because you were underpaid or under-appreciated. Do not mention that your boss was overbearing and under appreciative corporation. It is a good idea to tell that your last work didn’t give you the chance to grow professionally and there is no chance for advancement opportunity.

No For Blaming Others

Do not blame your previous organization or boss. Do not show your anger due to the resignation.

For example:

Question: “Why did you leave your last position / job?”

Answer: “I want to apply for a more challenging position.” Or “I want to have a chance to work in a larger and more robust organization.”

Economical Answers are Safe

Answer any common interview question economically.

Bad example:

Question: “Why did you leave your last position / job?”

Answer: “They didn’t meet their promises and my salary was insufficient. My manager was not up to it and every time failed to deliver.”

It may be acceptable to say that he/she wanted a chance to improve his/her salary. Unfortunately, he/she decided to tell additional information concerning the relationship with the previous boss which is irrelevant to the question asked and only guarantees to lessen the chances of passing the interview.

Good example:

Question: “Why did you leave your last position / job?”

Answer: “I had an opportunity to apply for more advanced role in a company with a larger portfolio.”

This behavior is honest, positive and economical. The interviewee addressed in a brief that he is confident and valued; someone who enjoys with a challenging spirit.

Be Straightforward in Answering any Professional Interview Question

If you left your last job under bad circumstances, be direct and focus your interview answer on the future.

Naturally, no one likes the interview process but let’s face it, as you only get one chance to get the job, right? Firstly, you have to be on your best mood. Secondly, be prepared well to answer the most common interview questions, especially “Why did you leave your last job”? Simply, remember the mnemonic ”HONEST” to remember how to answer this question professionally and to avoid the dead end of the interview. Answering interview questions is a skill. Acquire it, and memorize it.

Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?

Interview Etiquette – What Should and Should Not Be Done

The United Kingdom has historically been known for following stringent etiquette practices in every walk of life ranging from dining etiquette to greeting etiquette. When you are on a lookout for a job and have a scheduled interview coming up, then make sure that you follow the proper interview etiquette, lest you damage your chances of landing the job. Below given are some of the most important points that you need to keep in mind and follow in order to improve your chances of getting the job.

Things that should be done

The basic interview etiquette is to be there on time. Being unpunctual can be the biggest strikes against you. Handshake is the second most important thing. A weak handshake is always taken to symbolize a weak personality and hence, shake hands firmly with all the interviewers while greeting them. All though the interview, it is important that you be attentive and focused on the proceedings. Your dressing forms a very important part of the interview etiquette. Being formally dressed is your safest bet. If the company has a dress code for candidates, make sure that you follow it. The posture while sitting has to be erect and confident. Stooped postures never form a good impression. You can ask questions during the interview but never interrupt the interviewer. Speak confidently, smile, maintain a formal demeanor and put your points across with clarity. Finally, you should keep in mind that your conduct is evaluated all through your stay in the premises. Therefore, be polite to everybody in the office and not just to the interviewers. After the interview is over, etiquette says that you should send a handwritten thank you note to the interviewers.

Things that should never be done

Never arrive late for an interview. After you arrive, compose yourself because it is not a good etiquette to gasp and take steadying breathes in the interview room. You should also take care not to let your attention wander. Yawning and burping are completely taboo. Also take care that you do not have to excuse yourself during the interview for any reason whatsoever. Clear all interruptions before entering the room. Do not let your cell phone ring during the interview. Put it off instead so that you are not distracted. Never wear a depressed expression, even if you feel that the interview is not going very well. Do not take a lot of time to answer questions and do not speak for too long when answering. Answers have to be crisp and to the point.

Interview Etiquette – What Should and Should Not Be Done

Why Buyers Love to Delay Buying

Salespeople love to complain about buyers. One of the complaints salespeople share the most is that buyers never seem to make up their mind. Just about the time it looks like theyre going to make a buying decision, they suddenly hold off.

Yes, there are times when a buyer legitimately cant make a decision. Many times, though, the delay is nothing more than a tactic on the part of the buyer to get a better deal. This is especially true of professional buyers, who see numerous salespeople on a regular basis. Why should anyone make a decision quickly if they dont have to? More often than not, the buyers believe that by waiting, they will get a better deal. The salesperson will get scared and will think the only way to secure the sale is to offer a discount. Buyers believe this because experience has shown them that it works!

Salespeople by nature are scared. Dont take offense to my observation, because I include myself in this profession as well. We, unfortunately, can view things too quickly in a negative manner. For most salespeople, the way out of a situation like this is to immediately offer the buyer a price reduction. This is exactly what the buyer wants! They are looking for the salesperson to show some fear and some sense that the sale may not happen at all. Once the buyer smells fear, they know a better deal is about to appear.

This is also a key reason why many professional buyers love to ignore phone calls, emails and all other forms of communication from salespeople. Nothing can make a salesperson more scared than a buyer who doesnt communicate with them. If youre a buyer, its hard to find any activities that can result in a higher return on investment than ignoring a salesperson or holding off on making a decision. These tactics usually result in saving money.

Now lets look at this challenge from a salespersons perspective. Salespeople love to close sales and they also love to close sales quickly, preferably with as little effort as possible. But effort – particularly mental effort – can make the difference. This is the ability to understand and rationalize objectively what is happening and what is not happening. This means understanding why the buyer does need to buy from you and how what youre selling will allow them to achieve their needs and objectives. The more you can build this kind of objective thinking into your attitude, the better equipped you are to keep negativity at bay. Negative thinking is the culprit that takes the biggest toll on a salespersons level of success.

As soon as the salesperson begins viewing the situation negatively and how the sale may not occur, its only natural for them to think the solution is to lower the price or offer something extra in the form of service. When the salesperson does this, two things happen. First, it confirms in the buyers mind why the smart thing to do is to slow down the decision-making process. Second, it destroys profit margin for the salesperson.

While there are several techniques to counter these outcomes, there really is only one that is foundationally most important – the confidence of the salesperson. If the salesperson is not confident, then every other tactic or strategy is useless and will have little effect. Everything starts with the salesperson.

Confidence begins with the total belief in your own skill set as a salesperson and total belief in your ability to help the buyer fill the needs they have. If you dont believe in both of these, then there is nothing else you can do to prevent the buyer from taking advantage of you by delaying their decision. Buyers, especially professional buyers, can discern very quickly how confident a salesperson is. If they sense the salesperson is not confident, then theyll delay their decision. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain by doing so.

Why Buyers Love to Delay Buying

Sweating It Out: A Guide for Students Seeking a Summer Job

Finding the Perfect Job
Once you decide to begin searching for a summer job, you must first determine what type of job is most appealing to you as well as where you are interested in working. This should be based on the time you have to commit to a job. How many hours a week are you willing to work? Will you only be working for the summer?

You must remember that an employer invests a large amount of time and money hiring and training a new employee. Therefore, many are not willing to hire someone who is only going to work for one summer. If you can work during holidays or weekends in addition to summer, employers may be more willing to hire you. If this is the case, applying for a job at a restaurant or any other position in the hospitality industry will likely be the best fit due to the increase in business during the summer and holidays. Many large retailers also hire seasonal workers to accommodate for back to school and other holiday sales that bring increased business. If you are looking to continue working once school starts, you should apply at chain retailers or restaurants that are willing to transfer you to a different location at the end of summer. You may also be able to use some past experience or existing skills you have to find a job just for the summer. Rick Qawami, the General Manager at Agave Downtown stated, “We don’t mind hiring someone just for the summer because we only hire servers with experience that need minimal training so having turnover is not a problem for us.” Other companies, such as Another Broken Egg, will hire some employees only for summer for positions that require little training, such as a hostess or kitchen staff, according to the regional manager, Bryan Jewell.

Another consideration when searching for positions to apply is the minimum age and other law-based restrictions. For example, to work in an environment where the sale of alcoholic beverages constitutes the main business, such as a bar, the candidate must be at least 18 years old. In addition, where the sale of alcoholic beverages does not constitute the main business, but is for premise consumption, such as a restaurant, the candidate may be under 18 years old as long as his employment does not involve the mixing, dispensing, or serving of alcoholic beverages.

After establishing these basics, you need to decide where to apply. The best starting point is determining where you want to work. Many companies may not necessarily be hiring, but if you go in and speak to a manager he might be interested enough in what you have to offer and hire you regardless. You can also begin by looking for open positions. The best way to do this is to network with family and friends who might know of a company hiring employees at the time. By simply updating your Facebook status, you can instantly inform all your friends of your job search, who can, in turn, provide you with some leads. You can also look through the Internet and newspaper classified ads. The career services department at your school will also have listings of companies who are hiring. If there is a company or a position that you know you want to work for, you can always contact them directly.

Sweating It Out: A Guide for Students Seeking a Summer Job

Stop Assuming What Employees Want and Start Asking

Stop assuming what employees want and start asking

One of the major problems circulating around the recruitment process of most organisations around the globe is the ability to recruit quality people, get the best out of them and keep them interested for the long haul.

Things arent the way they used to be.

These days you have very few employees who stay at their organisation for longer periods of time, mainly due to job dissatisfaction. Everything is changing constantly and rapidly except one thing – what people want. Something that hasnt changed in 50 years!

If employers tune in and really take the time to understand what employees really want from their organisation, and meet this need, their chances of hiring and keeping the best will greatly improve. This in turn will assist in reducing their recruitment and training cost.

“Human Capital is the most powerful capital for any organisation”

These days too many employers assume that they know what employees want from their jobs rather than ask them.

Below is a list of what employees say they want, starting with whats most important to them:

1. Full appreciation for work done

2. Feeling “in” on things

3. Sympathetic help on personal problems

4. Job security

5. Good wages

6. Interesting work

7. Promotion/growth opportunities

8. Personal loyalty to workers

9. Good working conditions

10. Tactful discipline

Now take a look at what managers THINK employees want, starting with what they think is most important:

1. Good wages

2. Job security

3. Promotion/growth opportunities

4. Good working conditions

Stop Assuming What Employees Want and Start Asking

Personal Training Certificates

Personal Training Certificates are qualifications presented to an individual after completing a personal trainer course and passing the related exams. In this article we look at the different types of personal trainer courses and how to find out which one is for you.

If you’ve been looking into how to become a personal trainer you’ll already know that there are many, many course to choose from. It can be hard to tell the good from the bad before you start, with many courses operating in buildings belonging to others or online. Don’t let this put you off, there are still many many ways to determine if the course you are looking at is reliable and worthwhile.

The first thing to check is that the course you are looking at has been accredited by a recognised body governing personal trainers such as REPs, the Register for Exercise Professionals. If you can’t see a REPs accreditation in the prospectus or online you can call or email the REPs helpful team to check. If it transpires that the personal training certificate you wish to train for is not REPs accredited it is likely that you will struggle to find work through it. Personal trainers must be proven to be using safe methods of training, or risk customer injury should they train them using incorrect methods. By gaining a REPs accredited certificate potential employers can see that you have been trained using the correct methods and procedures, safeguarding the health of your clients.

When learning for your personal training certificate you will find certain strengths and weaknesses, we all have them. If you have an online course you will have access to a tutor to talk over an issues you may have. If you are learning in a real life setting find a course leader to walk you through anything you don’t fully understand. You will need to use a whole range of skills, from patience, using your analytical mind, and a positive outlook, to more patience, the ability to chat and relax your client, and even more patience!

Check the locality and longevity of the course, you don’t want to be travelling too far if the course requires you attend frequently. In these instances people often turn to online learning, which can take place in the comfort of your own home and cut costs considerably. Think about any current commitments you have and how you will fit the course around them. This again is where online learning can help. Instead of being tied to fixed hours in fixed location the freedom of learning online allows you to pause your personal training certificate and restart it when you have more time.

Personal Training Certificates

Phone Interview Tips To Help You Get a Job

They have to run the show and keep the shareholders happy, and they have to help the HR department in recruitments too. And today when everyone is a lot more mobile, the right candidate may often be located miles away, perhaps in a different continent altogether. So often companies have to take interviews over the telephone.
But what about the candidate? If you are appearing for such an interview, you should know what to expect and how to prepare yourself for it. The fact is a telephonic interview is often a lot different than your normal face to face interview. So you will have to prepare differently too.
Here Are Some Tips to Help You Succeed in the Phone Interview
? Even before you appear for the interview, you should do some research about the company to get yourself acquainted. Take a look at the website. And if you can, find out who will be taking the interview and try to find out something about the person.
? Wear something casual and comfortable.
? Keep a positive and clear-cut attitude.
? Give to-the-point answers, but go on to the details if the question so demands.
? Keep the ambience cool at the appointed hour of the interview. Dog barking, a television blaring on the next room or a baby crying for milk near the telephone may irritate the interviewer, and you may not also be able to listen accurately.
? Always concentrate and listen carefully to what the interviewer has to say, and try to understand what the person wants to know about you. You should try to identify yourself with the company even before you are hired. But never overdo it.

Phone Interview Tips To Help You Get a Job

Stop Assuming What Employees Want and Start Asking

Stop assuming what employees want and start asking

One of the major problems circulating around the recruitment process of most organisations around the globe is the ability to recruit quality people, get the best out of them and keep them interested for the long haul.

Things arent the way they used to be.

These days you have very few employees who stay at their organisation for longer periods of time, mainly due to job dissatisfaction. Everything is changing constantly and rapidly except one thing – what people want. Something that hasnt changed in 50 years!

If employers tune in and really take the time to understand what employees really want from their organisation, and meet this need, their chances of hiring and keeping the best will greatly improve. This in turn will assist in reducing their recruitment and training cost.

“Human Capital is the most powerful capital for any organisation”

These days too many employers assume that they know what employees want from their jobs rather than ask them.

Below is a list of what employees say they want, starting with whats most important to them:

1. Full appreciation for work done

2. Feeling “in” on things

3. Sympathetic help on personal problems

4. Job security

5. Good wages

6. Interesting work

7. Promotion/growth opportunities

8. Personal loyalty to workers

9. Good working conditions

10. Tactful discipline

Now take a look at what managers THINK employees want, starting with what they think is most important:

Stop Assuming What Employees Want and Start Asking

Looking for a New Job? Where to Look

So you’re ready to join the workforce? Change jobs? Return to work after a career break? You’ve thought about the kind of job you are looking for and drawn up a professional resume? Great…let’s get started. You can start looking for suitable jobs in the following places:

• Online job boards (almost all companies advertise their jobs online nowadays and a quick Google search “find jobs” will probably take you to the top ones in your area).
• National newspaper advertisements.
• Local newspaper advertisement.
• Recruitment agencies.
• Specialist online job boards targeted towards part-time, freelance or family friendly jobs if applicable or specialist industries.
• Previous employers or professional contacts.
• Company websites.
• Government run job boards.
• Shop windows.
• Word of mouth and personal networks.

Know What You Want

Be clear about the kind of job you are looking for as it will help you narrow down your internet searches. For example, most job boards have an option to refine your search to “part-time work” if applicable. You can also often put in key word searches such as “job share” or “school hours” or specific duties. Don’t waste your time applying widely to every job you see. It can ruin your credibility if recruitment agencies see your resume arrive for every job they advertise. A few specifically targeted applications for roles that suit your skills or at least are in the same ballpark will be much more effective.

Recruitment Agencies

If you want to use a recruitment consultant to help you with your job search, it is usually best to register with between three and five agencies. Any more than this can be ineffective as you lose track of your job applications or begin doubling up. Register, attend interview, provide references and most importantly keep in touch. Recruitment consultants tend to see about twenty candidates a week. A quick weekly email or phone call to touch base and remind them of your job search can do wonders with regards keeping you front and centre of their minds.

Don’t underestimate your recruitment consultant!

Recruitment consultants can make your or break you with regards finding the role of your dreams. Many times, as a recruiter, candidates would come in for interview in jeans with a “you’re just the recruitment consultant” or a “it’s all there on my resume” attitude. Make no mistake, you will only be presented to clients, if your recruiter is confident that you are capable of attending interviews punctually, dressed appropriately and able to answer questions effectively. And this means you have to prove it them first!

Dress to Impress

It is the way of the world, that appearances are important. No matter your size, age, level of attractiveness, make sure you are dressed appropriately for the role for which you are applying. For most roles especially corporate ones, this means smart, clean clothes, neat hairstyle, not too much make up or flesh on show, closed toe shoes and a big smile. Think about how the employees of your chosen company dress and try to mirror it. Stand straight, make eye contact and give a firm hand shake. Research has shown that first impressions count and your non-verbal cues will count up to four times more than anything you actually say.

Be Self Aware

If you feel your recruitment agent is giving you the run around, you might be right! Don’t despair if you are not getting the results you want. If possible, ask your recruiter for honest feedback. How could you improve your application and be more marketable? Do you need to update your skills, improve your interview technique or adapt your expectations? Be open to their advice, ask them to keep your file open and then move on. Chemistry is important as in any relationship. If you don’t click with a recruiter, find another…

Don’t Be Shy

Many opportunities are not even advertised. Don’t be shy to use your personal networks. Tell people you are looking. Draft up your resume and carry a copy. Call up companies of interest and ask if they have any opportunities to suit you. At the very least, people will admire your initiative.

Looking for a New Job? Where to Look