Gblcareers

7 Tips For Staying Off the Chopping Block

In today’s uncertain economy, the unemployed aren’t the only people stressed out about work. Even those with jobs are worried, as businesses make drastic staff reductions to stay afloat. To have the best chance of avoiding the dreaded layoff, it is critical to know how to save yourself from your boss’ scorn.

1. Be a Team Player
The ability to cooperate with a team of people is integral in most workplaces. It is important to have excellent skills in communication and problem solving. Learn how to listen and provide constructive criticism to coworkers. Be willing to step outside your role and help other employees when necessary and appropriate. If you are viewed as a person who plays well with others, you will be favored by your organization.

2. Stay Positive
A positive attitude goes far in every aspect of life and that includes the office. Nobody likes a negative person that spreads gossip or is always complaining about the company. Even in a negative workplace, focus on the things that you like about your job, and be happy that you are employed in a difficult economy. Don’t associate yourself with coworkers who are negative because it could reflect poorly on you. Maintain a positive attitude outside of the office as well. Any bad-mouthing of the company could get back to your boss — especially if you take your griping to social media, such as Facebook or Twitter.

3. Get Evaluated
At all times, you should be aware of where you stand with your boss. Ask for feedback on a regular basis and use it to make positive changes in your work. Be able to show your boss that you add value to the company. If you can present a stellar portfolio of your work from the past year, you’re less likely to have a pink slip in your future.

4. Work Hard
Show your boss that you are dedicated to the company by going above and beyond the minimum requirements of your position. Employers notice those who come to work early and stay late or offer to take on extra projects. Keep track of the work that you do and the positive contributions you have made to the company so that you can promote yourself during evaluations.

5. Stay Up-to-Date
A shaky economy is no time to rest on your laurels. Attend conferences, workshops and classes to keep your skills current and to network. Not only will it make you more of an asset to your employer, but it will also make you more marketable the next time you’re job searching.

6. Be Professional
The way that you behave at work represents both you and your employer. Acting within the standards of your organization can be the difference between getting promoted and getting the axe. Things like coming to work late, missing deadlines, dressing too casually and wasting time on the internet are invites for negative attention. It is also a good rule of thumb to keep your personal life out of the office. Take your job seriously, carry yourself with pride and respect those around you.

7. Be Secretive
The best time to look for a job is when you already have one. However, most employers don’t take kindly to the news that their employees are looking for other work. Keep your job hunt undercover to ensure that your boss doesn’t fire you before you get hired elsewhere. Don’t look for jobs while you are at work, and don’t tell your coworkers about your plans to move on until you have secured a job offer and have given notice to your manager. Also, make sure that your resume isn’t posted on a job search website that your employer might see.

The Bottom Line
When the economy is shaky, no one’s job is guaranteed. To stay employed, you must show your employer that you add value to the company and that you are a person they can’t operate without.

6 Reasons You Won’t Get Hired Without a Cover Letter
by Brianna Raymond, CPRW
Without a cover letter, you’re relying solely on your resume to make a big enough impact that the hiring manager will call you back for an interview. That’s asking a lot. From demonstrating your communication skills to keeping the follow-up ball in your court, a cover letter can strengthen your candidacy and increase your odds of landing an interview. Here are 6 valid reasons why a cover letter is absolutely necessary:

It tells the employer who you are and why they want you.
Yes, the Objective or Professional Summary on your resume also does this, but only in so many words. In the body of the letter, you have the room to elaborate on your experiences and interest in the position.
It showcases your writing ability.
Resumes have strict formulas with bullet points and short, choppy statements. A cover letter allows you to write more fluently. Since employers like to see that you can communicate well in writing, a proper cover letter puts the right foot forward from the get-go.
It lets you highlight your strengths.
Your resume lists the roles you played and the significant accomplishments you achieved in your most recent positions. But when you’re constrained to one page (or two, if you have that much relevant experience), you may be forced to sacrifice some details in favor of length. In your cover letter, you can explain and draw attention to a few noteworthy experiences from your resume. It also helps start to demonstrate your personality, which is often even more important than your qualifications.
It shows that you’re serious about the opportunity.
One of the biggest complaints recruiters and managers have when they’re actively looking for a new hire is the applicants’ failure to provide a cover letter. When you apply for a job by simply submitting your resume and nothing more, the hiring manager could interpret this as a lazy move on your part. If two equally qualified candidates apply, do you want to be the one who took the time to write a cover letter, or the one who didn’t?
It makes up for a resume that can’t stand alone.
Granted, your resume should be effective if unaccompanied by a cover letter, but in case that resume just isn’t as persuasive as you thought it was, a cover letter can make up for it. There are numerous instances where a strong cover letter – not the resume – instigates a callback.
It sets up the follow-up.
Instead of leaving the next step in the employer’s hands, use your cover letter to take control of the follow-up process. In the closing, specify a specific date and time that you will call them. The follow-up in your cover letter eliminates the waiting game so you can move on with an interview or move on to another job opening.
A cover letter can make or break your chance at an interview. Have you seen a higher number of callbacks when you use them (versus not using them)?

Strategies for Finding Employment on the Internet

Looking for a job may never be the same. With the huge growth of employment-related Web sites on the Internet, a job-seeker cannot afford to overlook searching for a job
electronically. Successfully navigating this frontier, however, requires new skills and strategies. The focus of this article is to provide you with a roadmap that will guide you through the maze of Web sites related to career development and job-hunting and give you directions to the best resources currently available to job-seekers.
Before we begin this journey, one caveat: Job-hunting on the Internet should, in no way, be your sole means of looking for a new job. The traditional methods of networking, job boards, classified ads, and targeted job searches should still be part of your overall job-hunting plan. The Internet simply expands the job-hunting resources that are available to you.
For those unsure of their career direction, the first step might be to one of several Web sites that offer Career Assessment Tools, such as the Ansir Self-Perception Test or the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, which score results from online questionnaires and provide suggestions of appropriate careers for your type.
Most others will start the journey by going to one of several career development Web sites, such as Quintessential Careers or The Riley Guide, which can provide assistance with developing or honing your resume and cover letter writing, finding the best sources for researching companies, strengthening your interviewing skills, learning how to network, mastering salary negotiation, as well as perfecting other key career and job-hunting skills. If you only have one type of resume, then you should definitely start here. Most job-hunting experts now talk about three kinds of resumes:
the traditional resume: this version has all the bells and whistles, including nice formatting. The focus is on action verbs and accomplishments.
the scannable resume: this version is a stripped down version of your traditional resume, in plain text for easy scanning into computer databases. The focus is on nouns and phrases, as well as key accomplishments.
the Web-based resume: this version is similar to your traditional resume, but published on your personal Web site so that is always available to potential employers.
See some sample Web resumes.
Once you’ve honed your skills in these areas, the next step is to develop a strategy for job-hunting on the Internet. If you’re a college student or recent college graduate, your approach will be much broader than if you are a seasoned veteran, partly because of the need for confidentiality of people currently in the workplace, partly because of the availability of Web sites at different career levels, and partly because a less developed network. Keeping these issues in mind, there are four different types of Web resources for job-seekers:
Job networking Web sites and discussion lists. There are thousands of Internet-based discussion lists on almost every subject and profession imaginable. Join one or more of these lists and network with people in your field; employers sometimes subscribe to these lists to screen potential candidates. Finally, many professional organizations have Web sites that have forums to facilitate networking. Visit The Art of Networking for more information and links.
General job databank and resume sites. Websites such as theQuintessential Careers Job Board, Yahoo! HotJobs, andMonster.com have large databases of job openings where you can search by profession or keywords. A complete list of the best of these site can be found at Quintessential Careers: General Job Resources. College students should visit College Recruiter in addition to the ones mentioned previously. A complete list of the best of these site can be found at Quintessential Careers: College Grad Resources. Many of these sites allow you to post your resume for free, and some even offer job and applicant matching services. Some of these sites allow you to post your resume without revealing your name for the sake of confidentiality.
Specialized job sites. There are also hundreds of specialized job Websites, from employment recruiters of all types to specialized job databank sites that focus on a specific industry. If you’re an executive, you might want to go to FutureStep. If you’re an accountant, you might want to go to JobsinThe Money. And if you’re a marketer, you might want to go to Marketing Jobs. A list of the best of these specialized job sites can be found atQuintessential Careers: Career and Job-Hunting Resources by Industry.
Company sites. If you have a specific set of companies you would most like to work for, the best solution might simply be to go the each company’s Web site and review job postings. Many of these companies allow you to apply online, and they often list the contact person so you should be able to easily follow-up, as you would if you sent a cover letter and resume to an employer. We link directly to the career centers of hundreds of firms in ourQuintessential Directory of Company Career Centers.
Will these steps guarantee you success in finding a new job or career? No. No method is guaranteed to work, but as more and more companies go to the Internet for faster and more efficient job searches, it does not make sense to ignore this new avenue of networking and job-hunting.

How to Answer the Salary Question during Interview
We all want to be honest and forthcoming in an interview. So when the question “What are you making now?” or “What kind of salary are you looking for?” comes up, it’s tempting to just cite a
number or a range and move forward – but try to resist the urge. If you reveal your salary expectations too early in the process, you lose two big opportunities:

1. The opportunity to make them love you before they know your price.
2. The opportunity to demonstrate your ability to handle an uncomfortable situation confidently and respectfully, without caving (a prized skill in most jobs).

To Answer or Not to Answer?

If you’ve done your homework, you should have a fairly good idea of the typical salary range for someone with your level of experience in the kind of position you’re seeking within your market.

If you feel it’s in your best interests to avoid the question, your reply should respectfully and professionally communicate three general principles:

* Your interest in the opportunity;
* Your expectation to be paid in line with market conditions and your experience level; and
* Your willingness to discuss salary history once you and the company decide you’re the right person for the position.

If you’re applying for a sales-oriented job where negotiation skills are critical to success, then by all means demonstrate your negotiating finesse and your ability to diplomatically sidestep the question. If you’re applying for an administrative assistant’s position in a huge company with a rigid salary structure, there’s not much point in negotiating.

However, when you should answer depends on when in the hiring process the question comes up. Some companies demand a salary history with your application. Others will ask the salary question in an initial phone screen. The trouble is, at these early stages, they’re most likely trying to screen you out, not in. Even at these early stages of the selection process, you have a choice whether or not to provide a compensation number.

What to Say, When You Say It

Don’t get caught off guard. Craft a response that feels comfortable for you and practice saying it. Think that sounds silly? Remember that being unprepared for this question can literally cost you thousands of dollars.

Use the following examples as a guide. Modify them to suit your style and personality, then practice until you can say any one of them with a smile!

1. “I was paid well in my last position. The number was in line with market conditions and the results I delivered. I’m very interested in this opportunity, and I’ll be happy to discuss my compensation history when we determine that I’m the right person for the job.”
2. “I realize you need to be sure my expectations are consistent with the salary range for this position. To ensure that we’re aligned, please tell me your range for this position.”
3. “I’m reluctant to focus on just one factor at this stage when so many other factors affect what makes an opportunity a great fit: the job itself, the company, the people I’d be working with, and growth potential. So far, I’m impressed with what I have learned about this opportunity and I remain very interested in learning more!”
4. “The actual figure will depend heavily on a number of important variables, but my experience and research tell me that fair compensation for this position falls in the range of __________.” [Note: Name a wide salary range toward the higher end of your expectations. For example, “$45,000 to $65,000 per year” or “$14 to $19 per hour.”]

Remember, your negotiating leverage goes way up once they’re convinced they can’t live without you. Just keep in mind that even if you don’t give a range immediately, chances are the employer won’t toss your resume in the wastebasket, says Michael Neece, chief strategy officer at PongoResume. “Your resume has already proven that they want to talk to you. I’ve never known of a situation in which a prospective employee was eliminated from consideration after an interview because he or she refused to answer the question.”

Does it seem as though some job interview questions are designed to trip you up?
It should, because they are. Here are 10 of the trickiest tricky questions you might be asked at a job interview, with ideas on how to handle them:

[Scholarships 2011.]

1. “Tell me about yourself.”

•DO: Talk about the ways that what you know and what you can do are perfectly suited to this job.

•DON’T: Tell the interviewer your life story.

2. “Tell me something bad you’ve heard about our company.”

•DO: You wouldn’t apply for a job at a company you disapproved of, would you? So you should be able to honestly answer that you haven’t heard anything negative about this place.

•DON’T: Repeat gossip you might have heard.

3. “Why should I hire you?”

•DO: Impress your interviewer with how much you know about the company’s requirements and then describe how you are the best person to meet those requirements.

•DON’T: Get tripped up by a lack of prior research.

4. “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

•DO: Talk about how your specific abilities, training, and experience will enable you to smoothly integrate with this company.

•DON’T: Say that you have no idea.

5. “How would you react if I told you your interview so far was terrible?”

•DO: Recognize that this is a test to see if you get flustered. Say, mildly, that you would ask for reasons why.

•DON’T: Freak out. Remember, the interviewer said “if.”

[Graduate & Post Graduate Scholarships)

6. “What’s the last book you read?”

•DO: Mention a book that reflects well on you. Choose something by a reputable author that your interviewer has probably heard of.

•DON’T: Name a book you haven’t actually read.

7. “Can you work under pressure?”

•DO: Say that of course you can, and then relate a brief story about a time you did.

•DON’T: Just say, “Yes I can.” Provide a specific example.

8. “Who’s your hero?”

•DO: Name a person who has inspired you and then describe specifically how this inspiration relates to your work.

•DON’T: Get caught off-guard by what should really be a softball question. Come prepared with a good answer.

9. “Have you ever considered starting your own business?”

•DO: Talk about how you are happiest and do your best work in a company that is amazingly similar to the one you’re applying at.

•DON’T: Go on and on about how you’d love to be your own boss one day.

10. “If you won the lottery, would you still work?” graduate jobs

•DO: Be honest and say you’d be thrilled to win the lottery; then add that even if you did you’d still seek out satisfying work, because work is what makes people happy.

•DON’T: Say that you’d never work again (too honest) or that you’d just work for free (too BS-y).

Bottom line: It pays to think through in advance how you would handle some of the more common trick questions. In general, remember never to badmouth or blame others, especially past employers. Be careful not to betray your nervousness with jittery body language. Don’t lie or babble, or show frustration, impatience, disappointment, or anger.

The most important thing to remember is that hiring managers who ask these questions are far more interested in how you answer than what you answer. They just want to see how well you think on your feet. So even if a question completely flummoxes you, keep your cool, smile, and look ‘em in the eye.

http://www.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/03/03/how-to-answer-10-tricky-interview-questions