SECRET CAREER WEAPON

There is now a "secret weapon" which makes it possible FOR workers to improve their odds of getting hired by as much as 10 to 1.Do you have any idea what this kind of secret weapon could do for you? It would allow you to potentially secure a new industry position right away, and we all know that the industry is on the highest paying to work in, so finding a job is the next best thing to winning the lottery.

Interview tip

1.
Be on time!Aim to be early - you can always find a nearby cafe or shop to waiting. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. If you are going to be late, then ALWAYS ring ahead and let them know.

2.
Be Prepared!Look at the employers' website and learn something about the company before you attend your interview. Discover some facts about the industry they operate in and the type of services and products it offers. Find out about any recent successes and bring this to the fore when given an opportunity during the interview. People like to talk about good news.

3.
Write down and practice possible questions!Writing them down and practicing them with someone will make it easier to remember when you get to the interview. Use the third person when talking about the job. Avoid sounding as though you assume the job is yours.It is perfectly acceptable to ask about the package and benefits on offer. It can sometimes be helpful to ask how they differentiate themselves from their competitors and looking specifically at the role what they think the toughest and hardest part of the job is.

4.
What are your weaknesses?Don’t be a know it all! Try to find an area of your experience/skill that is currently lacking and relate it to how this role may help to develop your skills. An interviewer will appreciate your honesty.

5.
You never get a second chance to make a first impression!SMILE! Dress professionally in simple business attire. Yes it is true,a firm handshake and maintaining eye contact (without glaring!) goes along way.

6.
Be honest!There really is no point lying about your background and/or skills.It’s a foolish thing to do, if you get found out, you can be sure you won't be around for long! Job interviews are about matching needs - if there isn't a good match, chances are that the job won't work out.

7.
Check your CV for possible gaps!Make sure you know how you are going to explain time gaps on your CV.

8.
Talk about specific achievements!Interviewers like to know how you felt about a particular success.Some will ask for specific examples of things you've done that you're particularly proud of; how you solved problems; how you learned - and improved - from difficult situations.

9.
Don't talk too much!Communication is a two-way thing so give them a chance.

10.
Take a spare CV with you!Your interviewer won't be expecting it so you will impress them. It also helps them remember you after the interview.

11.
Be enthusiastic and positive!NEVER criticise previous employers. Focus on positive achievements and views.......more

Interview Tips

Be prepared
Be as prepared as you possibly can be for the interview. Look at the employer’s website and find out as much as you can about the company before you go.

In particular, ensure you know:
• Staff numbers.
• subsidiary companies?
• The organisation's products and services.
• The names of your interviewers and their roles within the business.
• The structure of the organisation. For example, is it part of a larger group or does it have.

1. Make sure you are well groomed and clean cut.
2. Be on time Employers will disapprove of lateness.
3. Make-up, aftershave and perfume should be minimal.
4. Invest in professionally dry cleaning your interview clothes.
5. Make an impression, Don’t forget the first impression is the lasting impression.
6. Try to avoid the latest trends and instead go for a professional, business like approach.
7. There may be sound reasons for being late, such as an obscure office location or traffic, but none of these will help your cause.
   
8. One suggestion is to arrive 15 minutes prior to the interview and wait out the time near, but not at, the interview location.
9. If you anticipate being late, call us so we can keep your interviewers informed.
10. Maintain your self-confidence When you introduce yourself, offer a firm handshake. Call the interviewer by name, smile and maintain eye contact without glaring.
11. Those who do not are often regarded as deceptive, evasive or lacking in self-confidence.
12. Avoid any nervous mannerisms such as tapping your feet or twirling your hair. Don't smoke even if the interviewer does.
13. Show politeness to the interviewer and do not ramble in your conversation.
14. Be pleasant with everyone you meet, Often, receptionists may be asked for their opinion of you.
15. Practise your answers, What you say and how you say it is important.
16. Try to convey self-confidence and maturity.
17. A self-confident individual will impress the interviewer as someone who will be a good company spokesperson.
18. A clear and concise expression will sell better than a rambling explanation.......more

Try to prepare responses for some of the most common interview questions:

1. Why are you seeking new employment?"
2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
3. What sort of salary are you looking for?"
4. What attracted you to this organisation?"
5. What has been your greatest achievement?"
6. What do you enjoy most about your current job?"
7. What skills can you bring into the company?"
8. What do you want to achieve in your career?"

Focus on the opportunities In marketing yourself, think from the employer’s perspective. Rather than talking about salary and benefits during your first interview, impress the interviewer with what you can do for the organisation. Salary discussions are best left for discussion in subsequent interviews. Try to talk about potential opportunities within the company.Be enthusiastic. A portion of your interview is likely to focus on your work experience.

Your experience will give you something to talk about; it should help you package yourself more attractively. Sell your experience with enthusiasm. Be yourself and be your most charming. As the interview closes, thank the interviewers for their time and be positive about the position and the company, even if you are not entirely sure this is the right move for you. You should never close off an opportunity at this early stage.

Stay positive Accept the fact that regardless of your interviewing skills, you may still not get some job offers for a number of reasons. These may have little to do with your qualifications or interview skills. Sewell Moor house will try and get feedback on such occasions wherever possible, as this will be valuable in the future.........more

How to Write a Resume Fast

If you need a guide on how to write a resume fast, then this article will provide that.If you are like the rest of us, then you would probably have jumped from one employment to another trying to find that job satisfaction we all desire. By then, you would have come to a realization that knowing how to write a resume that is effective is important. As a matter of fact, knowing how to write a resume that highlights your skills can help you get that position you've always wanted. Knowing how to write a resume is not very hard once you learn the basics. If you think writing is difficult, you are not alone. A lot of people feel the same way. Just calm down. Learning how to write a resume that is effective is not as difficult as it seems.

How to Write a Resume Quickly

1.
The first thing that you need to do is write down your employment history for the last 5 years. Try to analyze the positions that you held and check whether it suits the new position that you want to apply for. Your job record will be your guide on how to write a resume easily.

2.
For every position that you held, write down your detailed duties and responsibilities. Prospective employer will obviously give this a thorough consideration to decide whether your are the right candidate for the position so analyze it thoroughly. To effectively know how to write a resume that sells needs your careful analysis.

3.
Tell the truth. If you blatantly lie with your credentials, it will be discovered. Then you will have to live up with your embarrassment if you get interviewed and the employer finds out. To learn how to write a resume also requires you to be honest.

4.
Write down your achievements. This is another important criteria on how to write a resume to get you the job. With this, employers will know that you have the desire and drive to be successful in your career.

However, remember rule number 3. These are the points you need to take into account when you like to know how to write a resume fast. You do not need to be a professional to learn how to write a resume that employers want. But it will need your patience and time.However, there will sometimes be obstacles on how to write a resume quickly.

Some will eventually find it hard and takes up too much time. If that happens, then get an expert to do the job or let a resume maker program sort out your employment details. These are a last resort on how to write a resume that recruiters will chose from all the rest.Learning to write a resume that gets the employer's interest and gets you that needed interview shouldn't be that hard. Read more Tips on How to Write a Resume that guarantees success........more

Tips For Writing An Effective Cover Letter

Your cover letter is the first thing a prospective employer sees, so it's crucial that it grab his or her attention and never let go. There are two schools of thought on a cover letter's opening remark: one being that you should ask a rhetorical question or make a funny remark as an attention grabber. This isn't a good idea for most people, however, because it can come off wrong. Only consider this approach if you're applying for a very creative position. Otherwise, stick with the obvious.
Describe what job you're applying for and where you saw it advertised, if applicable. That way, there's no guessing game for the person reading your letter.In the next couple of paragraphs, highlight the points that make you perfect for this job. That could be your job history, your degrees or certifications, your skills, or a combination of those things. But if you're applying for a teaching position, for example, the cover letter isn't the place to note that you're a certified welder--unless you'll be teaching welding.Your closing should make it clear that you are very interested in talking with the prospective employee further about how you can help his or her company.

One mistake many job seekers make is forgetting the purpose of a cover letter and resume. It isn't to secure the job; rather, its purpose is to secure an interview. So be sure to ask for an interview!

Other tips that will rev up your cover letter:

Address it to a specific person. If possible, research who is reviewing the resumes and making the hiring decision for the job you want. Sometimes that information will be in the ad, but if not, don't be afraid to do a little detective work. It's often as easy as calling the company and simply asking!Don't print off a one-size-fits-all cover letter.You must personalize your letter completely for the company and the job you're seeking.Focus on them.

It's tempting to describe in your cover letter what you want out of the job or the company:

to advance your career, to enhance your skill set, or to secure a better title. But companies want to know what you can do for them. Structure your letter so that it lists the talents and experience that you bring to the table.
There will be time later to talk about what you'll be getting out of the deal.Let them know you've done your homework. Weave in at least one fact about the company somewhere in your letter.........more

For example:

"Though Company X had an impressive $5 million in sales during the last quarter, I believe my marketing skills could help Company X achieve even better results in the next quarter."Limit your words.

Very few cover letters should run more than one page. Prospective employers are just like everybody else: they're more likely to read a concise four-paragraph letter than a daunting eight-paragraph letter.Don't rehash the contents of your resume. Assuming your cover letter is put together well, the potential employer or hiring manager will get to your resume. At most, highlight the two or three most impressive aspects of your resume to give the employer a taste of what's to come.Aesthetics are important.
Print off your cover letter on high-quality paper in white or off-white (make sure it matches your resume), and don't staple or fold it.Proof and proof again. Nothing turns off a potential employer or hiring manager like a cover letter with spelling or grammatical errors. You might think you're in the clear if you use your computer's spell check, but that doesn't save you from mistakes such as confusing "affect" and "effect," for example. After you've proofed your letter twice, ask a grammar geek friend to look it over too.

Don't make them guess. At the bottom of your letter, include the number(s) where you can be reached if they need more information--or if they want to (hopefully!) schedule an interview. You'll undoubtedly include your phone number on your resume, but you want to make it as easy as possible for the company to reach you.Jason Kay is a professional resume writer who contributes to career related magazines and websites such as JobGoRound.com, which provides resume writing service reviews and cover letter writing tips.

Self-Discovery and Success in Career Testing

Socrates once said, "The unexamined life is not worth living."
Yet sometimes it seems that Americans are obsessed with self-examination and constant change. Individuals once spent an entire lifetime with a single employer, but most people today evaluate their career and lifelong goals every few years.
It's common to leapfrog from opportunity to opportunity and to re-make a professional identity several times over. If you're entering college and are perplexed about your future goals, join the club. Even as graduates enter the workplace, they continue to assess their skills and dreams to find lasting success and happiness. Psychologists, educators, and employers have developed a battery of tests that measure your likes and dislikes, your aspirations and aptitudes.

Personality Factors (16PF)

The 16PF text was created by psychologist Raymond Cattell to measure so-called primary factors that show your tendencies in major assessment categories of warmth, reasoning, emotional stability, dominance, liveliness, rule-consciousness, social boldness, sensitivity, vigilance, abstractedness, privateness, apprehension, openness to change, self-reliance, perfectionism, and tension.Beyond the Personality Testing Numbers.

You'll no doubt discover a broad range of online career tests that are based on these highly regarded methodologies. While the governing categories may not be immediately visible, they are there. Instead of dry category breakdowns, you're more likely to see questions based on the SFPQ model. You'll be given a direct statement and asked to rank your identification with it. Sample questions/declarations might include:
I love to work alone.

I have difficulty reaching decisions. I prefer not to always show how I feel. I'd rather be a farmer than a stockbroker. Your responses to these statements translate into raw numbers that fit the 16PF or SFPQ qualities. If you're taking a personality or career assessment test online, it's vital to consider the results as sweeping generalizations about your career or life-goal tendencies that give you guidance but not clear-cut directions.

Think of suggested career choices as options, and then see how you respond emotionally to detailed career descriptions you find elsewhere in your search. As a bonus, a test may reveal broader career fields than you imagined for yourself as well as greater self-wisdom about your likes, dislikes, aptitudes, and skills. Remain open to suggested fields. If a test sends you into unexplored territory and you respond with energy and delight, you may have hit the jackpot.Caveat emptor--buyer beware.

Online career testing is at best uneven and, at worst, misleading marketing junk to promote a paid survey. Don't take yourself--or the results--too seriously. Before entering personal information other than your email address on an exam site, look for privacy declarations or contact the Webmaster. Before you ante up for extras or detailed analyses, look at the quality and sensibility of your free results.Edu411.org is a career education directory for finding colleges and universities, training schools, and technical institutes. For more information about careers, online education and campus based career programs.