Interview Tips - LPU GUIDE



Interview Tips | |

|Preparation of interview can be divided into 3 parts |

|[pic]Pre interview preparation |

|[pic]The interview |

|[pic]Post interview |

|Pre interview preparation |

|one must consider the following points :- |

|Research about the company |

|Know its sales turnover, Ranking and MS if possible. Know about some top selling products. The best way to know all this other than your own local MIS is |

|company's official web site. In fact it is always advisable to visit their site at least once even if you know every thing about the company |

|Formulate the questions |

|Some of the commonly asked questions are : - |

|Tell me about yourself |

|Most of the interview starts with this question. One must aim at getting 10/10 in answering this question. One must practice answering this question at home and|

|that too loudly. Your answer should include (50%) your present assignment and achievements, (30%) previous assignments and achievements and (20%) personal |

|details and educational qualifications. |

|At the end of this answer interviewer should have fairly good ides about what to expect from you. |

|Why do you want to quit you present organization? |

|One must not talk bad about his/her present employer. In most of the cases it is t taken in a negative manner. It is advisable to talk good about your present |

|employer and as future employer offers better opportunities to contribute and grow you want to change. |

|What are you strength and weaknesses? |

|While answering this it is always good to give real life examples to support your point. For example- if somebody's strength is analytical skills. The answer |

|could be something like- 'Sir, I possess good analytical skills and it was reflected in one of our regional meeting where I gave an altogether different |

|perspective to why Delhi city is not able to perform' |

|It is OK to feel nervous. |

|It is OK to feel nervous. |

|Not only is it OK to be nervous about an interview, but it is essential for you to accept how you feel. As you are preparing for an better opportunity some sort|

|excitement and different feeling are bound to be there. These feelings are part of the whole process. Sometimes it helps to prepare for the worst that can |

|happen at an interview? For many, it would be not getting an offer. Did you ever think that maybe the job wasn't right for you? Try to look at the process as a |

|learning experience. |

|First comes the phone |

|Telephone screening is becoming very common as the first step in the interview process so you need to be prepared for the phone to ring at any time. These |

|screenings, depending on your answers usually last for 5 to 10 minutes.  It's helpful if you've thought about questions likely to be asked during the screening |

|(Why did you/are you leaving your job? What makes you qualified for this position?) and prepared your answers. |

|Put a suitable caller tune. |

|The D Day |

|Preparing emotionally for the interview is equally important. The right mood helps you perform at your best. Some of the suggestions for preparing emotionally: |

|get moving -- go for a walk, run, exercise, meditate, do yoga, stretch, dance, or any some- activity gets blood flowing to your brain. Repeat an inspirational |

|phrase aloud that's meaningful for you or simply remember a time when you felt terrific. |

|Look better feel better |

|Wear any formal dress that makes you comfortable. Avoid any bright and flashy colors. Avoid chewing tobacco/pan and keep your teeth absolutely clean. Avoid |

|strong perfumes but some kind of mild deodorant is always welcomed. Your front pocket should have bare minimum articles and should not be bulging out. Mobile |

|phone should always be in power off mode.    |

|Know them |

|It is suggested to know the interviewer's background, designation etc. Remember |

|Back to Top |

|The Interview |

|Keeping Time |

|Try to arrive early for the interview, but not too early. Get to the site 15 to 20 minutes early to allow for any surprise disasters. Don't enter the building |

|until 10 to 15 minutes before your interview. Arriving too early could throw the interviewer's schedule off and start you off on the wrong foot. Use the time |

|spent sitting in the lobby to get a good feeling for the environment. |

|Talk and allow them to talk |

|Some of your answers probably take time to detail, but all your answers should be brief  (Each answer not exceeding a minute). In case you need longer time then|

|may seek more time by prompting a question like- "Now that I've described the outcome of my work on that project, would you like to hear about my role in |

|detail?" |

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|As a general rule, you should speak 40-50% of the time and definitely no more than 60% of the time. The best interviews have a give-and-take atmosphere. To do |

|this, you need to ask questions and try to draw out your interviewer rather than talking about yourself nonstop. If you do not ask questions then this meeting |

|will turn out to be an interrogation and not the interview. |

|Answering personal questions |

|Normally girls are asked some of very personal questions like when are you getting married? When are you planning your family?  Even such personal questions |

|pose an opportunity for you to present information about your talents. |

|Such questions are best answered indirectly without being specifics (unless probed further)- |

|Respond with, "I'm fully committed to performing my job well. My career is important to me, and I have will continue to have a strong support system at home." |

|Look Them in the Eyes |

|Eye contact is one of the most important aspects of nonverbal communication and can make a significant difference in how you present yourself. If you look away |

|when speaking to someone, you're viewed as lacking confidence or interest. If you have a problem looking into your interviewer's eyes, try looking at the "third|

|eye" right above and between the eyes. |

|Prove What You Could Do |

|There could be a situation that you lack in a particular skill, be sure to emphasize how quickly you learn. Give an example of a time when you were able to get |

|up to a desired speed in a similar situation. Companies are interested in people who are good learner. |

|Don't Forget to Listen |

|Most candidates are so nervous about answering  questions correctly that they do not listen carefully. In fact listening is one of the most underused skills |

|during the interviews. |

|Understand each question properly before start answering. |

|Talking Salary |

|Understand that now a day's most of the companies believe in differential salary structure for the same work depending on a person. |

|Know your CTC and take home on annualized basis. Do not include any of your allowances as part of your salary. Never discuss that you save something out of your|

|allowances even if that is a fact. |

|Have a realistic expectation.  |

|Let them bring up the subject of money. If you are asked what your salary expectations are too early in the process, just say if it is fine you would like to |

|discuss the same later. |

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|When to take a feedback? |

|If the interviewer doesn't call back after the interview as promised, don't be surprised -- it happens. It is suggested not to hurry up. If a week goes by after|

|the decision was supposed to have been made, call and ask if the position is still open. If the answer is yes, ask if you're still under consideration. |

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|Questions You May Be Asked During an Interview : |

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|Being prepared is half the battle. |

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|If you are one of those executive types unhappy at your present post and embarking on a New Year's resolution to find a new one, here's a helping hand. The job |

|interview is considered to be the most critical aspect of every expedition that brings you face-to- face with the future boss. One must prepare for it with the |

|same tenacity and quickness as one does for a fencing tournament or a chess match. |

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|1. Tell me about yourself. |

|Since this is often the opening question in an interview, be extracareful that you don't run off at the mouth. Keep your answer to a minute or two at most. |

|Cover four topics: early years, education, work history, and recent career experience. Emphasize this last subject. Remember that this is likely to be a warm-up|

|question. Don't waste your best points on it. |

|2. What do you know about our organization? |

|You should be able to discuss products or services, revenues, reputation, image, goals, problems, management style, people, history and philosophy. But don't |

|act as if you know everything about the place. Let your answer show that you have taken the time to do some research, but don't overwhelm the interviewer, and |

|make it clear that you wish to learn more. |

|You might start your answer in this manner: "In my job search, I've investigated a number of companies. |

|Yours is one of the few that interests me, for these reasons..." |

|Give your answer a positive tone. Don't say, "Well, everyone tells me that you're in all sorts of trouble, and that's why I'm here", even if that is why you're |

|there. |

|3. Why do you want to work for us? |

|The deadliest answer you can give is "Because I like people." What else would you like-animals? |

|Here, and throughout the interview, a good answer comes from having done your homework so that you can speak in terms of the company's needs. You might say that|

|your research has shown that the company is doing things you would like to be involved with, and that it's doing them in ways that greatly interest you. For |

|example, if the organization is known for strong management, your answer should mention that fact and show that you would like to be a part of that team. If the|

|company places a great deal of emphasis on research and development, emphasize the fact that you want to create new things and that you know this is a place in |

|which such activity is encouraged. If the organization stresses financial controls, your answer should mention a reverence for numbers. |

|If you feel that you have to concoct an answer to this question - if, for example, the company stresses research, and you feel that you should mention it even |

|though it really doesn't interest you- then you probably should not be taking that interview, because you probably shouldn't be considering a job with that |

|organization. |

|Your homework should include learning enough about the company to avoid approaching places where you wouldn't be able -or wouldn't want- to function. Since most|

|of us are poor liars, it's difficult to con anyone in an interview. But even if you should succeed at it, your prize is a job you don't really want. |

|4. What can you do for us that someone else can't? |

|Here you have every right, and perhaps an obligation, to toot your own horn and be a bit egotistical. Talk about your record of getting things done, and mention|

|specifics from your resume or list of career accomplishments. Say that your skills and interests, combined with this history of getting results, make you |

|valuable. Mention your ability to set priorities, identify problems, and use your experience and energy to solve them. |

|5. What do you find most attractive about this position? |

|    What seems least attractive about it? |

|List three or four attractive factors of the job, and mention a single, minor, unattractive item. |

|6. Why should we hire you? |

|Create your answer by thinking in terms of your ability, your experience, and your energy. (Seequestion 4.) |

|7. What do you look for in a job? |

|Keep your answer oriented to opportunities at this organization. Talk about your desire to perform and be recognized for your contributions. Make your answer |

|oriented toward opportunity rather than personal security. |

|8. Please give me your defintion of [the position for which you are     being interviewed]. |

|Keep your answer brief and taskoriented. Think in in terms of responsibilities and accountability. Make sure that you really do understand what the position |

|involves before you attempt an answer. If you are not certain. ask the interviewer; he or she may answer the question for you. |

|9. How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution     to our firm? |

|Be realistic. Say that, while you would expect to meet pressing demands and pull your own weight from the first day, it might take six months to a year before |

|you could expect to know the organization and its needs well enough to make a major contribution. |

|10. How long would you stay with us? |

|Say that you are interested in a career with the organization, but admit that you would have to continue to feel challenged to remain with any organization. |

|Think in terms of, "As long as we both feel achievement-oriented." |

|11. Your resume suggests that you may be over-qualified or too       experienced for this position. What's Your opinion? |

|Emphasize your interest in establishing a long-term association with the organization, and say that you assume that if you perform well in his job, new |

|opportunities will open up for you. Mention that a strong company needs a strong staff. Observe that experienced executives are always at a premium. Suggest |

|that since you are so wellqualified, the employer will get a fast return on his investment. Say that a growing, energetic company can never have too much |

|talent. |

|12. What is your management style? |

|You should know enough about the company's style to know that your management style will complement it. Possible styles include: task oriented (I'll enjoy |

|problem-solving identifying what's wrong, choosing a solution and implementing it"), results-oriented ("Every management decision I make is determined by how it|

|will affect the bottom line"), or even paternalistic ("I'm committed to taking care of my subordinates and pointing them in the right direction"). |

|A participative style is currently quite popular: an open-door method of managing in which you get things done by motivating people and delegating |

|responsibility. |

|As you consider this question, think about whether your style will let you work hatppily and effectively within the organization. |

|13. Are you a good manager? Can you give me some examples?       Do you feel that you have top managerial potential? |

|Keep your answer achievementand ask-oriented. Rely on examples from your career to buttress your argument. Stress your experience and your energy. |

|14. What do you look for when You hire people? |

|Think in terms of skills. initiative, and the adaptability to be able to work comfortably and effectively with others. Mention that you like to hire people who |

|appear capable of moving up in the organization. |

|15. Have you ever had to fire people? What were the reasons, and       how did you handle the situation? |

|Admit that the situation was not easy, but say that it worked out well, both for the company and, you think, for the individual. Show that, like anyone else, |

|you don't enjoy unpleasant tasks but that you can resolve them efficiently and -in the case of firing someone- humanely. |

|16. What do you think is the most difficult thing about being a       manager or executive? |

|Mention planning, execution, and cost-control. The most difficult task is to motivate and manage employess to get something planned and completed on time and |

|within the budget. |

|17. What important trends do you see in our industry? |

|Be prepared with two or three trends that illustrate how well you understand your industry. You might consider technological challenges or opportunities, |

|economic conditions, or even regulatory demands as you collect your thoughts about the direction in which your business is heading. |

|18. Why are you leaving (did you leave) your present (last) job? |

|Be brief, to the point, and as honest as you can without hurting yourself. Refer back to the planning phase of your job search. where you considered this topic |

|as you set your reference statements. If you were laid off in an across-the-board cutback, say so; otherwise, indicate that the move was your decision, the |

|result of your action. Do not mention personality conflicts. |

|The interviewer may spend some time probing you on this issue, particularly if it is clear that you were terminated. The "We agreed to disagree" approach may be|

|useful. Remember hat your references are likely to be checked, so don't concoct a story for an interview. |

|19. How do you feel about leaving all your benefits to find a new       job? |

|Mention that you are concerned, naturally, but not panicked. You are willing to accept some risk to find the right job for yourself. Don't suggest that security|

|might interest you more than getting the job done successfully. |

|20. In your current (last) position, what features do (did) you       like the most? The least? |

|Be careful and be positive. Describe more features that you liked than disliked. Don't cite personality problems. If you make your last job sound terrible, an |

|interviewer may wonder why you remained there until now. |

|21. What do you think of your boss? |

|Be as positive as you can. A potential boss is likely to wonder if you might talk about him in similar terms at some point in the future. |

|22. Why aren't you earning more at your age? |

|Say that this is one reason that you are conducting this job search. Don't be defensive. |

|23. What do you feel this position should pay? |

|Salary is a delicate topic. We suggest that you defer tying yourself to a precise figure for as long as you can do so politely. You might say, "I understand |

|that the range for this job is between Rs.______ and Rs.______. That seems appropriate for the job as I understand it." You might answer the question with a |

|question: "Perhaps you can help me on this one. Can you tell me if there is a range for similar jobs in the organization?" |

|If you are asked the question during an initial screening interview, you might say that you feel you need to know more about the position's responsibilities |

|before you could give a meaningful answer to that question. Here, too, either by asking the interviewer or search executive (if one is involved), or in research|

|done as part of your homework, you can try to find out whether there is a salary grade attached to the job. If there is, and if you can live with it, say that |

|the range seems right to you. |

|If the interviewer continues to probe, you might say, "You know that I'm making Rs.______ now. Like everyone else, I'd like to improve on that figure, but my |

|major interest is with the job itself." Remember that the act of taking a new job does not, in and of itself, make you worth more money. |

|If a search firm is involved, your contact there may be able to help with the salary question. He or she may even be able to run interference for you. If, for |

|instance, he tells you what the position pays, and you tell him that you are earning that amount now and would Like to do a bit better, he might go back to the |

|employer and propose that you be offered an additional 10%. |

|If no price range is attached to the job, and the interviewer continues to press the subject, then you will have to restpond with a number. You cannot leave the|

|impression that it does not really matter, that you'll accept whatever is offered. If you've been making Rs. 3,00,000a year, you can't say that a Rs. 2,00,000 |

|figure would be fine without sounding as if you've given up on yourself. (If you are making a radical career change, however, this kind of disparity may be more|

|reasonable and understandable.) |

|Don't sell yourself short, but continue to stress the fact that the job itself is the most important thing in your mind. The interviewer may be trying to |

|determine just how much you want the job. Don't leave the impression that money is the only thing that is important to you. Link questions of salary to the work|

|itself. |

|But whenever possible, say as little as you can about salary until you reach the "final" stage of the interview process. At that point, you know that the |

|company is genuinely interested in you and that it is likely to be flexible in salary negotiations. |

|24. What are your long-range goals? |

|Refer back to the planning phase of your job search. Don't answer, "I want the job you've advertised." Relate your goals to the company you are interviewing: |

|'in a firm like yours, I would like to..." |

|25. How successful do you you've been so far? |

|Say that, all-in-all, you're happy with the way your career has progressed so far. Given the normal ups and downs of life, you feel that you've done quite well |

|and have no complaints. |

|Present a positive and confident picture of yourself, but don't overstate your case. An answer like, "Everything's wonderful! I can't think of a time when |

|things were going better! I'm overjoyed!" is likely to make an interviewer wonder whether you're trying to fool him . . . or yourself. The most convincing |

|confidence is usually quiet confidence. |

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|Job Search Tips |

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|How prepared are you for planning and conducting an effective job search? |

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|Successful job seekers must have both good information and well-developed job hunting skills. |

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|Three important factors for a successful job search are |

|An awareness of your goals and skills |

|An understanding of the labor market, and |

|A well planned job search campaign. |

|Experts recommend that you begin an active job search six to nine months in advance of your target employment date. |

|You can begin the process by visiting the Career Center early (for students, nine months to a year before graduation). |

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|Ten Time Saving Tips to Speed Up Your Job Search |

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|Be Prepared. |

|Have a telephone answering machine or voice mail system in place and sign-up for a professional sounding email address. Put your cell phone number on your |

|resume so you can follow up in a timely manner. |

|Be More Than Prepared. |

|Always have an up-to-date resume ready to send - even if you are not currently looking for work. You never know when an opportunity that is too good to pass up |

|might come along. Have a supply of good quality resume paper, envelopes and stamps on hand. |

|Don't Wait. |

|If you are laid-off, file for unemployment benefits right away. You may be able to file online or by phone. Waiting could delay your benefits check. |

|Get Help. |

|Utilize free or inexpensive services that provide career counseling and job search assistance such as college career offices, state Department of Labor offices |

|or your local public library. |

|Create Your Own Templates. |

|Have email and paper versions of your resume and cover letter ready to edit. That way you can change the content to match the requirements of the job you're |

|applying for, but, the contact information and your opening and closing paragraphs won't need to be changed. |

|Use Job Search Engines. |

|Search the job search engines. Use the sites that search the major job banks, employer sites and electronic news groups for you. |

|Jobs by Email. |

|Let the jobs come to you. Use job search agents to sign up and receive job listings by email. All the major job sites have search agents and some web sites |

|specialize in sending announcements. |

|Use Your Network. |

|Be cognizant of the fact that many, if not most, job openings aren't advertised. Tell everyone you know that you are looking for work. Ask if they can help |

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|The following list summarizes the most important Boolean rules. |

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|To get the best results from any specific job database, however, study its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and use its online tutorial, if one is provided. |

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|Rule #1. |

|The characteristics (i.e., the individual words, terms or phrases) that you use to describe your dream job are called "key words" on the Internet. They are |

|normally entered in all lower case letters because capitalization makes them cases sensitive. In other words, if you capitalize a key word, the computer will |

|identify only those jobs where that word is capitalized. If you use all lower case letters, the computer will identify every job that contains the word, whether|

|it is capitalized or not. |

|Rule #2. |

|To link two characteristics together, both of which are required in your dream job, use the Boolean operator AND. Boolean operators are normally expressed in |

|all capital letters. In the example above, you might use the following expression to tell the computer what kind of job you want: $50,000 AND hospitality. This |

|expression tells the computer that you want it to identify any job in its database that offers both characteristics. It must pay $50,000, and it must be in the |

|hospitality industry. If either one of those factors is missing, you do not want to see the job. |

|Rule #3. |

|To tell the computer that the characteristic for which you are looking is a phrase rather than a single word, use quotation marks. For example: "facility |

|manager" AND Rs.50,000 AND hospitality. |

|Rule #4. |

|To link two characteristics together, either one of which is acceptable in your dream job, use the Boolean operator OR. For example, Milwaukee OR "Green Bay". |

|Note that using capital letters with city or state names is acceptable as they are seldom expressed any other way. |

|Rule #5. |

|To link two characteristics together when they are part of a longer set of characteristics, use parentheses. For example, "facility manager" AND RS.50,000 AND |

|hospitality AND (Milwaukee OR "Green Bay"). |

|Rule #6. |

|To account for the fact that different people use different terms to express the same idea, always include any synonyms of your characteristics and, wherever |

|possible, use a Boolean operator called a wildcard. |

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|The 7 Bad Habits of Ineffective Job Seekers |

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|Habits can be good for you. As Stephen Covey pointed out in his landmark book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the right behavior patterns can propel |

|you to great success. Unfortunately, however, there's also a dark side to habits. Habits can be good, and they can be bad. And, the wrong behavior patterns can |

|constrain your opportunities and, ultimately, derail your advancement in the world of work. What are the bad habits of online job search? With a nod to Dr. |

|Covey, I think there are seven. |

|I call them The 7 Bad Habits of Ineffective Job Seekers. They are: |

|Habit #1: Limiting the time and effort you invest in your job search |

|Habit #2: Limiting the research you do to plan your search campaign |

|Habit #3: Limiting your search to a handful of the same job boards |

|Habit #4: Limiting your application to clicking on the Submit button |

|Habit #5: Limiting your use of the Internet to reading job postings |

|Habit #6: Limiting the care you take with your communications |

|Habit #7: Limiting the preparation you do for employer interactions |

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|Details on these bad habits : |

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|Habit #1: |

|Limiting the time and effort you invest in your job search |

|As the old axiom goes, looking for a job is a full time job. That's true whether you're conducting your search online or off. A job search on the Internet, |

|however, exposes you to many potential distractions that are not found in the real world. There's e-mail and browsing, chats and discussion forums, online poker|

|and other games, and a host of other forms of entertainment, exploration and communication. And the key to job search success is to put them all aside. You must|

|dramatically limit the time you spend on such activities and maximize the time you spend using the Internet's job search resources. |

|Habit #2: |

|Limiting the research you do to plan your search campaign |

|The #1 reason people don't work out when they're hired by an employer is not that they can't do the job, but that they don't fit in. In other words, they take |

|the right job with the wrong employer. Doing careful, thorough research helps you avoid the negative consequences of such a situation: When you go to work for |

|the wrong employer, your performance goes down which can, in turn, hurt your standing in your field; you waste time that could have been spent searching for |

|your dream opportunity—the right job with the right employer; and you risk losing that opportunity to someone else who's active in the job market. To put it |

|another way, inadequate research virtually guarantees an inadequate work experience. And the alternative is right at your fingertips. Use the Internet to assess|

|alternative employer's culture, management, values and performance, and the focus your search on those organizations where you're likely to feel comfortable |

|(and do your best work). |

|Habit #3: |

|Limiting your search to a handful of the same job boards |

|There are over 40,000 job boards in operation on the Internet. In addition to the ones that you've seen advertised, there are thousands and thousands of others |

|that you may not have heard about. Collectively, they post over two million new openings every month. To find your dream job online, therefore, you have to use |

|enough sites to cover the job market and the right ones to satisfy your search objective. The formula 2GP + 3N + 2D will ensure you do that. It involves using |

|two general purpose sites that offer opportunities in a broad array of professions, industries and locations; three niche sites, including one that specializes |

|in your career field, one that specializes in your industry, and one that specializes in the geographic area where you want to live; and two distinction sites |

|that focus on one or more of your personal attributes (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity, college, military service). I call it the 7:1 Method; use seven of the |

|right sites to find the one right job for you. |

|Habit #4: |

|Limiting your application to clicking on the Submit button |

|The competition for jobs today, particularly the best positions, is simply too tough for you to do nothing more than show up online and submit your resume. If |

|you find your dream job and want to position yourself for serious consideration by the employer, you have to practice the "application two-step." Step 1 |

|involves submitting your credentials exactly as specified by the employer and exactly for that job. It's a test to see if you can follow instructions and will |

|take the time to tailor your resume for the position you want. Step 2 involves networking to set yourself apart from the horde of other applicants who are also |

|likely to submit their resume for that opening. Your goal is to find a personal or professional contact who works for the employer and will walk your resume in |

|the door of the HR Department and lay it on the desk of the recruiter assigned to fill your dream job. |

|Habit #5: |

|Limiting your use of the Internet to reading job postings |

|As in the real world, recruitment ads posted online reveal only a portion of the job market. There are many more openings, including some of the best positions,|

|that aren't advertised. To find this so-called "hidden job market," you have to make contact and develop relationships with others online. That's called |

|electronic networking. It's done by participating in discussion forums and bulletin boards hosted on the sites of such groups as your professional association |

|and college alumni organization. To get the most out of your involvement, practice the Golden Rule of Networking: Give as good as you get. Share your knowledge |

|and expertise with others in these online discussions, so that they will be inclined to share their knowledge of job openings and their connections in the |

|workforce with you. |

|Habit #6: |

|Limiting the care you take with your communications |

|E-mail is often viewed as an informal communication medium where typos and slang are not only appropriate, but expected. When you're looking for a job, however,|

|e-mail is strictly a business communication. Every message makes an impression on the recruiter and other representatives of the employer who receive it, and |

|that impression becomes a part of the data used to evaluate you. To make the right impression, carefully edit and proofread every message before you send it |

|off. Don't use stilted or flowery language, but do be formal and professional in what you write. Take the time and make the effort to eliminate grammatical |

|errors and misspellings and ensure that your points are clearly and accurately expressed. Doing so tells the employer that you take pride in what you do, and |

|that attribute makes you a stronger candidate. |

|Habit #7: |

|Limiting the preparation you do for employer interactions |

|In today's highly competitive job market, the interview begins in the first nanosecond of the first contact with an employer. That means you have to be well |

|prepared and at the top of your game virtually all of the time. What does that entail? First, make sure that you thoroughly investigate each employer to which |

|you apply. Visit its Web-site, use a browser to search for information published by other sources, and check out the commentary and research available at such |

|sites as and . Then, use the formal and informal educational resources on the Internet to stay at the state-of-the-art in your field and |

|up-to-the-minute on your industry. Finally, use the information and insights you've acquired to hone your ability to articulate the contribution you will make |

|to the employer, during every interaction you have with its representatives. All of us get into a rut from time-to-time. We put ourselves on autopilot and fall |

|back on habits. It's a benign way to relieve some of the workload and pressure in today's demanding business environment. When you're looking for a new or |

|better job, however, those ruts can be harmful; they can lead to behavior that limits your opportunity and potential success. They are the 7 bad habits of |

|ineffective job seekers—the ruts in the road to your dream job. |

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|Review the following list of values and check those most important to you. |

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|Then rank your top five values in order of priority. |

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|01. Job security |

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|02. Working as part of a team |

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|03. Working independently with little supervision |

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|04. Making a contribution |

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|05. Professional status |

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|06. Mental challenge |

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|07. Pleasant surroundings |

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|08. Challenging, stimulating co-workers |

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|09. Different tasks to accomplish daily |

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|10. Financial rewards |

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|11. Creating something |

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|12. Ability to advance |

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|Preparing Your Resume or Curriculum Vitae |

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|The foundation of your job search should be a good, solid resume (which may also be called a curriculum vitae or vita). The curriculum vitae describes in detail|

|one's professional career over the course of one's life, including both work experiences and qualifications. It is primarily used when pursuing opportunities in|

|an academic setting. Although the curriculum vitae and resume have the same function, the differences between the two are length and format. In the business |

|world, the standard resume is usually no more than two pages in length. An effective resume gets your foot in the door and it may lead to personal interviews. |

|Your resume should be detailed enough to give employers the information necessary to assess your qualifications for the job opening. At the same time, it should|

|be concise. It's essential that your resume be word processed; if you can't word process it yourself, hire a word processor. The few dollars you pay to have it |

|word processed will prove to be one of the best investments you will make. You may use your resume for several different purposes: |

|include one with a "blind"' letter of inquiry about a job opening; |

|send one with a cover letter in response to an advertised position; |

|attach one to a standard job application; or |

|take it with you on a job interview. |

|Six steps are used to conduct an effective job search |

|1. Begin with Self-Assessment |

|2. Research and Explore Career Options |

|3. Choose a Career Field, then Target Employers |

|4. Prepare Job Search Materials and Develop Job Search Skills |

|5. Plan and Conduct Job Search Campaign |

|6. Obtain Offer and Continue to Develop Your Career Action Plan |

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