Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Interview Tips
At age 23, you are finally going for your interview. Armed with a qualification and a few internships, you think you are ready for anything. Dressed in your power suite, you march into what you hope is your new job. After waiting in the reception area, they ask you to enter. As you sit down, you realise that you are completely over-dressed. Everyone else in the office is dressed in jeans. But not one for focusing on the negative, you take a deep breath and introduce yourself.Your mind is filled with all the advice your friends and family gave you before. Don’t be nervous, make everything positive, and don’t reveal any weaknesses. The first question the panel asks you is:“What are your strengths and weakness’?”You hesitate; your head that was filled with endless possible answers has gone completely blank. You try and think of an answer, so you start with the easy part, the strengths. As you try hopelessly to quickly think of a weakness that is not really weakness but more of a strength. As you babble on, you realise that you have actually said nothing. Your hands get clammy, you have to move on to the weakness part but you still haven’t thought of anything.First interviews are the worst. Interviews are generally very daunting. Either you babble on, ask all the wrong questions or give the wrong answers.The average 20 to 25 year old is busy going to their first interview, while the average 25 to 30 year old will switch at least three to five times within those 5 years. Which means you better learn quickly on how to answer those tricky questions.Here are some points for interviews. Wear your best professional outfit. Have sparkling glossy hair, polished shoes, manicured hands, light make up and remove all those ‘extra’ earrings. When it comes to that interview, you want to look the part of the position you are applying for, for example if you are applying as a PA, then look the part and give the image of being organised and efficient.In order to handle the dreaded question: “what are your weaknesses?” counteract a negative with a positive, e.g.: “I prefer to be the one in the background making it happen, but if I need to take centre stage, then I will.”To get rid of the nervous bug, just breath. Sitting up straight with your hands still on your lap will help with your composure and hide those shaking hands. Always listen and make eye contact. If you do go blank while in the interview, be honest and say you have gone blank. Honesty is the best policy when going for an interview.Preparation is vital. Always remember the address of the company you are going to. If you are not sure of the neighbourhood, then go on a test run the day before to ensure you know where the location is. Also make sure you know the name of the person who is doing the interview and what title that person is. Researching the company is another good idea. Most companies have websites or have press releases on the Internet. Ask the interviewer what the process is and how long it will take so you have an idea when you will hear from them again. Recruitment agencies are always a good way to go, as they act as the middleman between you and companies. This way, there is someone looking for jobs for you, who gives you advice and guides you through the process. They also try and negotiate the best deal on your behalf.Get your friend to try out questions on you the day before, so you can be prepared and work out the best answers for the more obvious cliché questions. Using a recruitment agency to represent you will give you the opportunity for feedback after the interview. In this way you can be better prepared to handle things differently at the next interview. Do not be too hard on yourself. There may have been somebody more suitable for the position and this was just not the right job for you.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
How to Begin Your Career?
Perhaps you are finding it difficult to decide what career to choose, so you are hesitating taking action. In our changing world, it is not uncommon for people to have several quite different careers over the course of their lives. Many skills are transferable to new careers. Make your best choice for now considering opportunities, wealth, and personal satisfaction, and begin taking action.
Those who have the most successful careers usually have a long range vision of where they would like to be in ten, twenty, or even forty years. Having large goals will help you to stay focused and will inspire you to do your best work. Find role models of people who are successful in the ways you wish to be and study their methods. See if you can meet with them and ask how they entered their career and what they felt was most important to their success.
Make it your desire to be well educated and current in your career. Read journals in your field. Ask friends, family, and teachers if they can introduce you to people who may be able to help you in your career.
Always be ethical in all your undertakings big and small, and demonstrate that you have integrity. Make it a habit to treat everyone, whether they are your employer, employee, customer, or even an irritating co-worker or your competition, with respect and courtesy. This will not only mark you for success, but you will enjoy your career better. Make it your habit to do quality work in a timely manner, and strive to give more than is expected.
Keep a journal of your work accomplishments on a weekly basis. This can help you with employer reviews and in marketing yourself to new employers. It can also be used to help you stay focused in your progress towards your long-term dream.
Those who have the most successful careers usually have a long range vision of where they would like to be in ten, twenty, or even forty years. Having large goals will help you to stay focused and will inspire you to do your best work. Find role models of people who are successful in the ways you wish to be and study their methods. See if you can meet with them and ask how they entered their career and what they felt was most important to their success.
Make it your desire to be well educated and current in your career. Read journals in your field. Ask friends, family, and teachers if they can introduce you to people who may be able to help you in your career.
Always be ethical in all your undertakings big and small, and demonstrate that you have integrity. Make it a habit to treat everyone, whether they are your employer, employee, customer, or even an irritating co-worker or your competition, with respect and courtesy. This will not only mark you for success, but you will enjoy your career better. Make it your habit to do quality work in a timely manner, and strive to give more than is expected.
Keep a journal of your work accomplishments on a weekly basis. This can help you with employer reviews and in marketing yourself to new employers. It can also be used to help you stay focused in your progress towards your long-term dream.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Work And Enjoy Your Retirement
I found this on the Internet the other day and it made me think about my life and life in general. II have just retired from my day job and life is so fantastic.
Retirement at any age can be seen as a beginning or an end. A cup half full or a cup half empty.
My Mother always said when one door shuts another opens and I have lived my whole life on that premise. Sometimes admittedly the door take a bit of time, from ones ultimate descent in the black hole and up again... But it will reopen.
And always when you look back on things a few months, or even years later after the event , you can either see a funny side or what happened has done you a really great turn.
The same can be said about age and retirement. Age can be seen as an advantage or a disadvantage.
I was positive I did not want to retire at any age, life without work seemed like a slow train to nowhere.
But when I finally left the rat race and found myself with just as much going on as before, I have to admit I was surprised. It was just just different, all the fun without the pressure
I wonder now how I ever had time to go to work.
I am so happy in the September of my life that I am constantly amazed at how good it is. No need to sit and do nothing there are endless things to do, things I won’t to do, nobody watching my clock for me. Things I want to do you never think you are going to be able to say that, and suddenly it there.
I read all the books I never had time for, I enjoy myself. I realize at last why older people drive more slowly. Not that I cannot still race around I just do not need to.
I have time to look at the views and find there are places I have been passing for years I have never seen before. I sometimes wonder how much of our lives we never acutely see.
I still do a mass of things to keep my hand in .Running a holiday cottage, taking all the bookings etc. Then two days a week I run a friends Rug shop. It helps him and I love keeping up my selling.
So if your feeling neglected, lonely, bored, just remember there are so many things to do and so much fun to be had.
You just have to look around and start, no excuses, no poor little me. Get up in the morning and say a thank you for another day in this beautiful world and get involved. We have one life Live it.
Have a great week
Retirement at any age can be seen as a beginning or an end. A cup half full or a cup half empty.
My Mother always said when one door shuts another opens and I have lived my whole life on that premise. Sometimes admittedly the door take a bit of time, from ones ultimate descent in the black hole and up again... But it will reopen.
And always when you look back on things a few months, or even years later after the event , you can either see a funny side or what happened has done you a really great turn.
The same can be said about age and retirement. Age can be seen as an advantage or a disadvantage.
I was positive I did not want to retire at any age, life without work seemed like a slow train to nowhere.
But when I finally left the rat race and found myself with just as much going on as before, I have to admit I was surprised. It was just just different, all the fun without the pressure
I wonder now how I ever had time to go to work.
I am so happy in the September of my life that I am constantly amazed at how good it is. No need to sit and do nothing there are endless things to do, things I won’t to do, nobody watching my clock for me. Things I want to do you never think you are going to be able to say that, and suddenly it there.
I read all the books I never had time for, I enjoy myself. I realize at last why older people drive more slowly. Not that I cannot still race around I just do not need to.
I have time to look at the views and find there are places I have been passing for years I have never seen before. I sometimes wonder how much of our lives we never acutely see.
I still do a mass of things to keep my hand in .Running a holiday cottage, taking all the bookings etc. Then two days a week I run a friends Rug shop. It helps him and I love keeping up my selling.
So if your feeling neglected, lonely, bored, just remember there are so many things to do and so much fun to be had.
You just have to look around and start, no excuses, no poor little me. Get up in the morning and say a thank you for another day in this beautiful world and get involved. We have one life Live it.
Have a great week
Friday, July 20, 2007
Things To Remember In Resume Writing
People often talk about good resumes and resume-writing skills, but you may be intrigued as to what is a good resume all about and what can one possibly consider to create an impressive resume. To show some direction to these lost job-hunters, here we have given some pointers that can help your resume go from the huge pile to the employer’s hands.
First and foremost, set a goal—the kind of job you want to apply for, what career you want to built, etc. Without this, your resume loses focus and may reduce to just an unwanted piece of paper. Knowing your career objective would allow you to create the right content for your resume.
Secondly, remember that your resume is to advertise yourself; you are selling yourself to a prospective employer. Hence, it should be a marketing communication, highlighting the positives of you as an employee. But do not make the mistake of thinking a resume is to get you a job. A good resume is only to get the first visibility, ensure an interview call. Therefore, don’t limit the resume to include only job history, mention your significant accomplishments as well and other skills that you may have.
Always use a direct tone. Directness is considered the key to good resumes. Don’t beat about the bush too much. Come to the point in a clear, concise manner to make it easier for the reader/employer to screen out the needed information fast. A good way to be direct is to use action words. Start sentences with action words like “analyzed”, “prepared”, “conducted”, etc. And, format the resume in bullets so that it’s easy-to-read.
Next, prioritize the information. While mentioning your strengths/skills, write it in descending order. Remember, only about 25—30 seconds are spent on a resume. Therefore, the best should come first.
Another good idea is to include the important keywords (relevant to your applied job). With a bit of research, it’s not hard to find the perfect keywords to be included in the résumé. Buzzwords, pertaining to specific industries also help.
Finally, have your resume reviewed by someone else before you submit it with an employer. A second look often identifies gaps, if any, in the resume. Thereby, you get a chance to better it further. Resume writing sample can help a lot; however, the final decision lies with you about how you want it to be. So be it!
First and foremost, set a goal—the kind of job you want to apply for, what career you want to built, etc. Without this, your resume loses focus and may reduce to just an unwanted piece of paper. Knowing your career objective would allow you to create the right content for your resume.
Secondly, remember that your resume is to advertise yourself; you are selling yourself to a prospective employer. Hence, it should be a marketing communication, highlighting the positives of you as an employee. But do not make the mistake of thinking a resume is to get you a job. A good resume is only to get the first visibility, ensure an interview call. Therefore, don’t limit the resume to include only job history, mention your significant accomplishments as well and other skills that you may have.
Always use a direct tone. Directness is considered the key to good resumes. Don’t beat about the bush too much. Come to the point in a clear, concise manner to make it easier for the reader/employer to screen out the needed information fast. A good way to be direct is to use action words. Start sentences with action words like “analyzed”, “prepared”, “conducted”, etc. And, format the resume in bullets so that it’s easy-to-read.
Next, prioritize the information. While mentioning your strengths/skills, write it in descending order. Remember, only about 25—30 seconds are spent on a resume. Therefore, the best should come first.
Another good idea is to include the important keywords (relevant to your applied job). With a bit of research, it’s not hard to find the perfect keywords to be included in the résumé. Buzzwords, pertaining to specific industries also help.
Finally, have your resume reviewed by someone else before you submit it with an employer. A second look often identifies gaps, if any, in the resume. Thereby, you get a chance to better it further. Resume writing sample can help a lot; however, the final decision lies with you about how you want it to be. So be it!
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Getting into the rhythm of your job and career
Lots of problems in a firm is usually tracked to the difference of everyones belief or perception. Well, there will always be two side in a story isn't it? But for every situation don't expect that everyone will understand there will always be one or two who doesn't.
Regardless if you are working in a much stable company, in just a small office or just having your office in the your house you will just see yourself in such scenario. May it be with how you see things, how others will be remembering it and other follows.
What is the cause if it?
Everyone see things in a different but unique way. Everyone has their own experiences in life that would may teach them some things that others haven't encountered yet. People vary on how they grow, their family background specifically. Of course no one wants any argument. It just sometimes what is sensible to others is senseless to one.
So how to resolve the matter and meet in one point with your respected colleagues:
A. Learn to accept and respect that not everyone has the same perceptions and you are going to see it as a perception. Nothing more nothing less.
B. Learn to listen. Trying to explain clearly may help.
Hard feelings, how to prevent it?
A. Respect your colleagues opinion.
B. Think that you are solving a problem. Sometimes it helps to think that you are solving one rather than trying to brag that you are right.
C. Listen to whatever explanation that they may have if necessary.
If the above statement is being practiced professionalism and productivity may come to development. Avoid misunderstanding always give your chance to listen, Hear what others is saying and respect it. This also help to be a harmonious relationship among your office mates. Remember to acquire proper respect show respect to others.
Regardless if you are working in a much stable company, in just a small office or just having your office in the your house you will just see yourself in such scenario. May it be with how you see things, how others will be remembering it and other follows.
What is the cause if it?
Everyone see things in a different but unique way. Everyone has their own experiences in life that would may teach them some things that others haven't encountered yet. People vary on how they grow, their family background specifically. Of course no one wants any argument. It just sometimes what is sensible to others is senseless to one.
So how to resolve the matter and meet in one point with your respected colleagues:
A. Learn to accept and respect that not everyone has the same perceptions and you are going to see it as a perception. Nothing more nothing less.
B. Learn to listen. Trying to explain clearly may help.
Hard feelings, how to prevent it?
A. Respect your colleagues opinion.
B. Think that you are solving a problem. Sometimes it helps to think that you are solving one rather than trying to brag that you are right.
C. Listen to whatever explanation that they may have if necessary.
If the above statement is being practiced professionalism and productivity may come to development. Avoid misunderstanding always give your chance to listen, Hear what others is saying and respect it. This also help to be a harmonious relationship among your office mates. Remember to acquire proper respect show respect to others.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Your Jobs and Career Politics
Politics, does your work place is filled with office politics?! Does this stop you from mingling with others and makes you just be sinking into your job?
Politics has already been a part of a human living wherever and whatever you are doing it always keeps on tailing anybody. That you'll be finding yourself asking why you couldn't stop it and avoid the conflict.
The only thing there is not to isolate yourself. If you feel like being out of place, make yourself to be the one whom they'll be talking about. Why not try being blamed for miscellaneous. Hey you're out of the circle!
You would always missed out the latest news about a group. Let yourself be aware of the news in your company, I must say it is just a part of the story. Eat with your colleagues in the pantry or you may offer the receptionist a cup of coffee. Through this it will allow you to be updated with what is latest.
Whenever there'll be arguments avoid taking sides. Defending one side only gives you little good. You should know how to mingle among them, your peers. Avoid judging be open minded as possible. Be trust worthy enough and best of all be diplomatic. This helps you to be successful in what field you belong. Learn to circulate among your colleagues.
Gossiping is what all should be avoiding. When its already near you... please kindly remove yourself carefully from it. Never give comments because this add color to whatever the issue may be. Remember news does flies. You better take care of your image.
Have you ever hated someone which you doesn't know if his only a fake. Trying to win everybody's heart. Who's pretending to be nice by doing little favors for colleagues?!...
Try to do no mistakes. Take note that whenever this is noticed by others all they'll be waiting for is your failure. They may compliment you but at the back of their mind there may be other things they are thinking of.
There should never be any destruction to your career. Somehow just be subtle about your dreams. Never exagerate anything that everybody was left noticing it. Act natural. Keep your feet on the ground. By doing this, it will make everything easier for your colleagues to trust you.
It could be done in a way you'll not be hurting yourself but indulging in the pleasure of it. Just avoid anyone. You can not please everyone but at least somehow there's something about you that they will love.
Politics has already been a part of a human living wherever and whatever you are doing it always keeps on tailing anybody. That you'll be finding yourself asking why you couldn't stop it and avoid the conflict.
The only thing there is not to isolate yourself. If you feel like being out of place, make yourself to be the one whom they'll be talking about. Why not try being blamed for miscellaneous. Hey you're out of the circle!
You would always missed out the latest news about a group. Let yourself be aware of the news in your company, I must say it is just a part of the story. Eat with your colleagues in the pantry or you may offer the receptionist a cup of coffee. Through this it will allow you to be updated with what is latest.
Whenever there'll be arguments avoid taking sides. Defending one side only gives you little good. You should know how to mingle among them, your peers. Avoid judging be open minded as possible. Be trust worthy enough and best of all be diplomatic. This helps you to be successful in what field you belong. Learn to circulate among your colleagues.
Gossiping is what all should be avoiding. When its already near you... please kindly remove yourself carefully from it. Never give comments because this add color to whatever the issue may be. Remember news does flies. You better take care of your image.
Have you ever hated someone which you doesn't know if his only a fake. Trying to win everybody's heart. Who's pretending to be nice by doing little favors for colleagues?!...
Try to do no mistakes. Take note that whenever this is noticed by others all they'll be waiting for is your failure. They may compliment you but at the back of their mind there may be other things they are thinking of.
There should never be any destruction to your career. Somehow just be subtle about your dreams. Never exagerate anything that everybody was left noticing it. Act natural. Keep your feet on the ground. By doing this, it will make everything easier for your colleagues to trust you.
It could be done in a way you'll not be hurting yourself but indulging in the pleasure of it. Just avoid anyone. You can not please everyone but at least somehow there's something about you that they will love.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
5 Resume Tips: Do What Most Job Seekers Don't
When it comes to writing a great resume, there are no hard and fast rules or specific formats that you should adhere to; however, your resume should be targeted to each specific job that you are applying to. In addition, it must be concise, clear, command attention and stand out from the pack.Include a Title for the Job You WantUse a professional title for the position that you want. An improper job title will only serve to position you at a level far below the responsibility or salary level you are seeking to achieve. Including a job title can greatly increase the number of interview calls that you get for higher positions and improve your chances of clinching a higher salary – and when you start at a higher salary, your career growth is also accelerated. Include an Executive Summary (what you can do for them) - Not an Objective (Me-focused)An executive summary should be clear and well defined, consisting of a short paragraph or four to five bulleted points. It should focus on how your skills can benefit the employer, not on what the employer can do for you. Using action words will help to convey you as an intelligent and active individual capable of making contributions to accomplish company goals. Highlight your strengths and achievements clearly and quickly. Recruiters and hiring managers want to see information that is to the point, and hardly have time to dig for buried nuggets of information hidden in your resume. Include Relevant InformationLet’s state the obvious - your resume is targeted at landing interviews. In effect, you are advertising your capabilities and experience. Therefore, you need to provide precise, accurate and relevant information. Your resume should be able to convey relevant information, but at the same time, the resume should also convey a message that if the hiring manager buys this product (YOU) it will lead to positive and direct benefits in specific areas where their needs exist (the job). Brag - With PROOF!When it comes to your resume, you can forget modesty. Brag if you have irrefutable proof that establishes you as an outstanding performer (notice I didn’t say exaggerate or lie). Give your resume an accomplishment-driven profile. Accomplishments are results you produce by resolving problems, or when you overcome a real or perceived obstacle. Mention any project that you spearheaded that served to heighten employee morale, revenues or company savings. Formulate 'Problem-Action-Result' (PAR) statements to convey your ability for producing similar or better results in your future employment. Highlight Achievements - NOT ResponsibilitiesAlthough important, listing responsibilities should not form the focus of your resume. Responsibilities are passive - achievements project you as an active, dynamic individual. When you are seeking a higher position, your achievements rather than your responsibilities acquire crucial importance – so don’t clump the two together. Write a paragraph giving an overview of your responsibilities and then highlight your achievements with bullets. When you want to sell something, you must make it stand out. Having a well-written resume is crucial when it comes to getting interview calls. Following the 5 tips above will ensure that you maximize your chances.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Three Steps To Success Anyone Can Duplicate
Success means different things to different people. Whatever your definition of success, this article will help you realize your goals.
If you define success in terms of a good job or a profitable self-owned business, then this article may become the turning point in your life. As you read, I will share some of my success secrets, which I have been able to execute in my own online business.
What It Means To Be A Leader
During my time in the U.S. Army as an Army Staff Sergeant, I learned valuable lessons about leading teams to the successful completion of projects. I learned that by following the direction of good leaders, one could build the confidence and skill set necessary to become a successful leader.
Good leaders quickly separate themselves from the masses of people who simply live day-by-day doing only the bare minimum to keep their job one more day. In other words, leaders stand out in a crowd of managers and workers.
While the Army tried hard to bring leadership qualities out in all of their people, the truth was that leaders are those who decide to go the extra mile and to create a brighter future for themselves and others around them.
A good leader is simply the person who "helps" you to become the best person you can become, by teaching you how you can "help" other people to become successful too.
One Decision Can Change Your Destiny
Are you waiting?
Are you waiting for "me" to tell "you" the secret to success?
It is time for "you" to make a decision, now.
You must decide to stop waiting for success to come to you. Success simply will not fall out of the sky into your open arms. It does not work that way.
You must "decide" to become successful. If you are waiting for success, then success will never come your way. But, once you understand that success is waiting for you, and you decide to go get it, no matter what, then you will have changed your destiny for the better.
Follow In The Footsteps Of People Whom You Wish To Emulate
While I was in the U.S. Army, I learned how to seek out leaders who were willing to share with me their secrets to success. I actively sought out people who could help me to become a better leader.
Even in my daily life outside of the Army, I found several opportunities to hook up with people who exuded leadership qualities, people who were willing to share with me their own secrets to success.
The truth is that there are people who may doubt their own abilities to have something to share, but if they doubt themselves, they are wrong. Everyone has something important to teach others, but it takes a gem of a person to understand that the role of a leader is to teach others, what "they" take for granted.
A Lifetime Of Learning Over Lunch
Just the other day, I had lunch with a fellow who is probably responsible for selling more cars in our area than anyone else. In our local metropolitan market, if someone asks about a great car dealer, his name will surely be mentioned.
My lunch partner knew that I have a successful website, and he also knew that I had an interest in learning more about what is required to be successful, from him.
To my surprise, his first words were, "Clinton, I don't know if I can offer anything to you that would help you. I sell cars, and that is what I do. You have some kind of online business, and I cannot even venture to guess how you make your money."
My lunch partner went on to say, "I appreciate the offer to share a lunch with you, but your business and my business are so different. I would not even know where to begin in giving advice to you."
Despite his initial hesitation, we went on to have a great meal, and I learned a lot! I could literally spin several articles just on the knowledge that he was able to impart to me over lunch.
If You Want To Be Rich, Listen To Rich People
Online and offline, I like to associate with people who have been successful in their fields. I learn so much about growing my business, by listening closely to people who have defined their industries.
Even online, there are key people whom I pay close attention. With every conversation, I hear some gem of information that I can apply to my own online business. These tidbits of information pieced together have helped me carry my website from one in millions to one that has served more than a million visitors.
Success In Three Simple Repeatable Steps
My car dealer friend finally put aside the idea that he could not help anyone outside his own industry, and we had great conversation.
When I asked him the secret to selling cars, he said he could sum it up in three steps:
* Talk to your customers. When you understand the needs of your customers, then you know how you will best be able to help them solve their problems and achieve their goals.
* Follow-Up. People rarely buy on their first visit, so it is important to follow-up with them. When buying big-ticket items, people tend to shop around a little bit more. When you follow-up, you are frequently creating a relationship with your customer. When all is said and done, if two products are substantially equal, it is often the relationship the customer has with the sales person that will "seal the deal."
* Be persistent. Persistence does not equate to being pushy. Persistence means that you follow-up, once, twice, three times, and more if necessary. If a salesperson is obviously "only" interested in satisfying his or her own interests, then persistence could be construed as pushy. But, when your goal is to be persistent with the goal of helping the customer solve his or her problems and satisfy his or her goals, then persistence is a quality to be appreciated.
Learning Anew Each Day
Bill Platt at The Phantom Writers taught me the same lesson last year. Bill always tells me that the secret to success online is "consistency." He says that we need to talk to our potential customers, and we need to keep the conversation going by consistently talking to potential customer base.
John Reese of Marketing Secrets taught me the same lesson. He emphasized that I need to develop a newsletter or an auto-responder series so that I could create and keep an ongoing conversation with my potential customers. Reese also taught me to track my results (follow-up) on everything that I do for my business.
Since I started my website in 2001, I have noticed that all of my mentors tend to teach me the same lessons over and again in their own terminology.
All of my mentors continue to tell me to talk to my customers, follow-up, and to be persistent in talking to my customers
With so many people who are successful in their own industries sharing with me the same sage advice, I tend to pay attention.
Final Thoughts
It does not matter whether you seek to use this information to help your career or to build an online business.
Make your decision today; decide to be successful. And then follow the golden rule of helping others to achieve what they want to achieve, follow-up, and be persistent in your efforts.
If you play your cards just right, in just a few years, you might be the mentor that we will all want to attentively listen to and appreciate.
If you define success in terms of a good job or a profitable self-owned business, then this article may become the turning point in your life. As you read, I will share some of my success secrets, which I have been able to execute in my own online business.
What It Means To Be A Leader
During my time in the U.S. Army as an Army Staff Sergeant, I learned valuable lessons about leading teams to the successful completion of projects. I learned that by following the direction of good leaders, one could build the confidence and skill set necessary to become a successful leader.
Good leaders quickly separate themselves from the masses of people who simply live day-by-day doing only the bare minimum to keep their job one more day. In other words, leaders stand out in a crowd of managers and workers.
While the Army tried hard to bring leadership qualities out in all of their people, the truth was that leaders are those who decide to go the extra mile and to create a brighter future for themselves and others around them.
A good leader is simply the person who "helps" you to become the best person you can become, by teaching you how you can "help" other people to become successful too.
One Decision Can Change Your Destiny
Are you waiting?
Are you waiting for "me" to tell "you" the secret to success?
It is time for "you" to make a decision, now.
You must decide to stop waiting for success to come to you. Success simply will not fall out of the sky into your open arms. It does not work that way.
You must "decide" to become successful. If you are waiting for success, then success will never come your way. But, once you understand that success is waiting for you, and you decide to go get it, no matter what, then you will have changed your destiny for the better.
Follow In The Footsteps Of People Whom You Wish To Emulate
While I was in the U.S. Army, I learned how to seek out leaders who were willing to share with me their secrets to success. I actively sought out people who could help me to become a better leader.
Even in my daily life outside of the Army, I found several opportunities to hook up with people who exuded leadership qualities, people who were willing to share with me their own secrets to success.
The truth is that there are people who may doubt their own abilities to have something to share, but if they doubt themselves, they are wrong. Everyone has something important to teach others, but it takes a gem of a person to understand that the role of a leader is to teach others, what "they" take for granted.
A Lifetime Of Learning Over Lunch
Just the other day, I had lunch with a fellow who is probably responsible for selling more cars in our area than anyone else. In our local metropolitan market, if someone asks about a great car dealer, his name will surely be mentioned.
My lunch partner knew that I have a successful website, and he also knew that I had an interest in learning more about what is required to be successful, from him.
To my surprise, his first words were, "Clinton, I don't know if I can offer anything to you that would help you. I sell cars, and that is what I do. You have some kind of online business, and I cannot even venture to guess how you make your money."
My lunch partner went on to say, "I appreciate the offer to share a lunch with you, but your business and my business are so different. I would not even know where to begin in giving advice to you."
Despite his initial hesitation, we went on to have a great meal, and I learned a lot! I could literally spin several articles just on the knowledge that he was able to impart to me over lunch.
If You Want To Be Rich, Listen To Rich People
Online and offline, I like to associate with people who have been successful in their fields. I learn so much about growing my business, by listening closely to people who have defined their industries.
Even online, there are key people whom I pay close attention. With every conversation, I hear some gem of information that I can apply to my own online business. These tidbits of information pieced together have helped me carry my website from one in millions to one that has served more than a million visitors.
Success In Three Simple Repeatable Steps
My car dealer friend finally put aside the idea that he could not help anyone outside his own industry, and we had great conversation.
When I asked him the secret to selling cars, he said he could sum it up in three steps:
* Talk to your customers. When you understand the needs of your customers, then you know how you will best be able to help them solve their problems and achieve their goals.
* Follow-Up. People rarely buy on their first visit, so it is important to follow-up with them. When buying big-ticket items, people tend to shop around a little bit more. When you follow-up, you are frequently creating a relationship with your customer. When all is said and done, if two products are substantially equal, it is often the relationship the customer has with the sales person that will "seal the deal."
* Be persistent. Persistence does not equate to being pushy. Persistence means that you follow-up, once, twice, three times, and more if necessary. If a salesperson is obviously "only" interested in satisfying his or her own interests, then persistence could be construed as pushy. But, when your goal is to be persistent with the goal of helping the customer solve his or her problems and satisfy his or her goals, then persistence is a quality to be appreciated.
Learning Anew Each Day
Bill Platt at The Phantom Writers taught me the same lesson last year. Bill always tells me that the secret to success online is "consistency." He says that we need to talk to our potential customers, and we need to keep the conversation going by consistently talking to potential customer base.
John Reese of Marketing Secrets taught me the same lesson. He emphasized that I need to develop a newsletter or an auto-responder series so that I could create and keep an ongoing conversation with my potential customers. Reese also taught me to track my results (follow-up) on everything that I do for my business.
Since I started my website in 2001, I have noticed that all of my mentors tend to teach me the same lessons over and again in their own terminology.
All of my mentors continue to tell me to talk to my customers, follow-up, and to be persistent in talking to my customers
With so many people who are successful in their own industries sharing with me the same sage advice, I tend to pay attention.
Final Thoughts
It does not matter whether you seek to use this information to help your career or to build an online business.
Make your decision today; decide to be successful. And then follow the golden rule of helping others to achieve what they want to achieve, follow-up, and be persistent in your efforts.
If you play your cards just right, in just a few years, you might be the mentor that we will all want to attentively listen to and appreciate.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Being fired could be an advantage
The best way to start your new job search is to create an effective search strategy. It is up to you to take care of yourself and to find your next position. Also, solicit the help of friends and family to help you. Don’t forget Centrelink and community-based support groups, and even a good recruitment agency. It is time to take advantage of all the help you can get.
The key to surviving during this time is to fall back on your network of acquaintances. Let the world know that you are free and looking for exciting opportunities. Send an email to all of your friends, former colleagues, and relatives. They can often be a helpful supportive network that will immediately swing into action to help you in a variety of ways.
Don’t be embarrassed to send a note about your situation, detailing what kind of work you are looking for. Attach your updated résumé so it can be easily forwarded. You may be surprised at just how fruitful this ‘cry for help’ can be. Online sites that I believe are really worthwhile visiting are careerone.com.au where you can search jobs across Victoria. OzFreeOnline.com has a great online service. Register, submit al your search criteria for a quick an easy online job search. You will find that they have thousands of jobs Australia-wide, so do yourself a favour and log on today.
Your former employer’s main competitor should be one of your first calls in your job search. While your résumé is making the rounds, consider picking up a part-time job, temporary work, freelancing and consulting, which are also good options and can open the door to opportunities.
Many companies don’t wish to hire full-time employees immediately and prefer to bring people on as contract workers for an initial period. Jobs such as these can often lead to full-time positions.
The most important thing during this chaotic period is to be patient and keep a positive attitude. Stay physically active; exercise is a great stress reliever. Surround yourself with friends and loved ones. Be kind to yourself. Even if it takes a little while, you will bounce back. You will find that in a few months time, you may just find yourself in a better position than you could have imagined at the beginning of all this trauma, and perhaps it shall be a ‘golden
opportunity’ after all.
The key to surviving during this time is to fall back on your network of acquaintances. Let the world know that you are free and looking for exciting opportunities. Send an email to all of your friends, former colleagues, and relatives. They can often be a helpful supportive network that will immediately swing into action to help you in a variety of ways.
Don’t be embarrassed to send a note about your situation, detailing what kind of work you are looking for. Attach your updated résumé so it can be easily forwarded. You may be surprised at just how fruitful this ‘cry for help’ can be. Online sites that I believe are really worthwhile visiting are careerone.com.au where you can search jobs across Victoria. OzFreeOnline.com has a great online service. Register, submit al your search criteria for a quick an easy online job search. You will find that they have thousands of jobs Australia-wide, so do yourself a favour and log on today.
Your former employer’s main competitor should be one of your first calls in your job search. While your résumé is making the rounds, consider picking up a part-time job, temporary work, freelancing and consulting, which are also good options and can open the door to opportunities.
Many companies don’t wish to hire full-time employees immediately and prefer to bring people on as contract workers for an initial period. Jobs such as these can often lead to full-time positions.
The most important thing during this chaotic period is to be patient and keep a positive attitude. Stay physically active; exercise is a great stress reliever. Surround yourself with friends and loved ones. Be kind to yourself. Even if it takes a little while, you will bounce back. You will find that in a few months time, you may just find yourself in a better position than you could have imagined at the beginning of all this trauma, and perhaps it shall be a ‘golden
opportunity’ after all.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Interview Tips & Tricks - Its All About Marketing the Skills and Talents
Having the appropriate skill sets is not sufficient until and unless a person has the pre-interview preparation. IT is necessary to have an idea about the type of questions that may arise and the answer to the same should be a heart winning one and not merely blame or highlight a problem.
What is an interview?
From the job seeker’s perspective, an interview is all about marketing one’s skill and talents, thereby projecting oneself as the most suitable candidate for a given post.
From the Employer’s perspective, interview is a tool for judging the employability of candidates for a given post.
In an interview, the questions that are put before a candidate are specially formulated by the employer to draw out some insights into the candidates' personality traits.
There are a number of questions such as “why were you fired?” etc that are often enough to baffle a fresher and take the wits out of them. Paradoxical as this may sound, but the best answer is not always the right answer. The best answer is one that is objective and focuses on solutions and positive outcome rather than blaming and dead analysis.
Keep in Mind Always
• To remain calm when faced with tough interview questions.
• To remain objective and focus on the solution not the problem
• Not to bad mouth or blame any of your past colleagues or bosses
• To check and beware of body language during uncomfortable questions
• To practice every possible uncomfortable question regarding your past job before the interview
• To identify and beware of what regards uncomfortable reactions regarding your past job
• To have sufficient questions for the interview to ensure that the past job experience does not repeat here; the question should be subtle but which can give you the sufficient information to help you to decide whether you should or not take the job if offered.
• Never to tell lies – even if you are sorely tempted during a tough question
• Not to show frustration, anger or disappointment on circumstances of leaving the past job.
• To show that you have outgrown the past and gained out of the experience even if it was not a pleasant one.
ICA believes that pre-interview preparation is as important as acquiring the skill sets in communication, personality development & overall thorough knowledge in the Accounting field. Students are trained in such a way that they acquire practical knowledge in topics like Basics of computers, Financial Accounting packages, Advanced Accounts Training, Taxation, Excise & Service Tax, R.O.C., Payroll & Investment & Banking, which is actually required at work.
A group of highly competent faculties which include CA, CS, ICWA, MBA & highly qualified computer professionals nurturing each and every individual in a very affable way. The class studies include assignments with real projects on live data in order to enable them to reconcile theoretical knowledge with practical exposure.
Our ever-active Placement division with their technically strong recruitment perception has already placed 30000+ candidates successfully across the vertical. In the recent months a new feather has been added to this cap through the overseas placement of our candidates.
What is an interview?
From the job seeker’s perspective, an interview is all about marketing one’s skill and talents, thereby projecting oneself as the most suitable candidate for a given post.
From the Employer’s perspective, interview is a tool for judging the employability of candidates for a given post.
In an interview, the questions that are put before a candidate are specially formulated by the employer to draw out some insights into the candidates' personality traits.
There are a number of questions such as “why were you fired?” etc that are often enough to baffle a fresher and take the wits out of them. Paradoxical as this may sound, but the best answer is not always the right answer. The best answer is one that is objective and focuses on solutions and positive outcome rather than blaming and dead analysis.
Keep in Mind Always
• To remain calm when faced with tough interview questions.
• To remain objective and focus on the solution not the problem
• Not to bad mouth or blame any of your past colleagues or bosses
• To check and beware of body language during uncomfortable questions
• To practice every possible uncomfortable question regarding your past job before the interview
• To identify and beware of what regards uncomfortable reactions regarding your past job
• To have sufficient questions for the interview to ensure that the past job experience does not repeat here; the question should be subtle but which can give you the sufficient information to help you to decide whether you should or not take the job if offered.
• Never to tell lies – even if you are sorely tempted during a tough question
• Not to show frustration, anger or disappointment on circumstances of leaving the past job.
• To show that you have outgrown the past and gained out of the experience even if it was not a pleasant one.
ICA believes that pre-interview preparation is as important as acquiring the skill sets in communication, personality development & overall thorough knowledge in the Accounting field. Students are trained in such a way that they acquire practical knowledge in topics like Basics of computers, Financial Accounting packages, Advanced Accounts Training, Taxation, Excise & Service Tax, R.O.C., Payroll & Investment & Banking, which is actually required at work.
A group of highly competent faculties which include CA, CS, ICWA, MBA & highly qualified computer professionals nurturing each and every individual in a very affable way. The class studies include assignments with real projects on live data in order to enable them to reconcile theoretical knowledge with practical exposure.
Our ever-active Placement division with their technically strong recruitment perception has already placed 30000+ candidates successfully across the vertical. In the recent months a new feather has been added to this cap through the overseas placement of our candidates.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Finding Success in Career Assessment
Successful people generally work in a career that they love. By using a career assessment test, you can discover your strengths and skills and match them to an occupation and working environment most suited to you. Career assessments tools come in many forms but most career assessment tests focus on the following:• Personality assessments seek your values and determine your decision making style. Personality assessments evaluate how you convey information to others and your work style. They help match your personality to an occupation and working environment most compatible to you.• Skills and aptitudes assessments determine mathematical, analytical, artistic, and creative skills to name a few.• Interest assessment tests determine where your passions lie. These tests can help determine the best working environment for you (indoors or outdoors), or they can reveal if you'll succeed best working with other people or independently.Where to Find Career Assessment TestsMost colleges and universities have qualified career counselors that have access to career assessment tests. You can also go online and find Web sites with free career assessments. You might try taking a number of different assessments that specialize in personality type, skills and aptitudes, and interests. You may find that your assessment results lead to a career totally unknown to you.Career Assessment OptionsCareer and assessment tools are designed to help you learn more about yourself and to guide you to a rewarding career. As we grow and develop our interests change. So occasionally taking a career assessment test may be a great practice to understand your own growth. You may discover that your assessment confirms what you already know about yourself or it may lead you to a brand new career. Wherever your assessment guides you, it should be a good adventure and lead you to a much better understanding of yourself.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Career Decisions – Charting Your Own Destiny
Being grown up and having the freedom to ‘decide’ is a goal that most of us have. However, once we have reached our early twenties, and we realize that we are actually getting a little freedom, it is not such an exciting prospect. Why? Because along with the freedom comes the need to make responsible decisions, ones that are likely to dictate the course that our lives will take.
Getting Closer To Graduation Day
As we get closer to graduation day, whether it is for our first or second degree, or continuing education courses, most people are faced with a bewildering question – “What do I want to do?” It is now time to be proactive and take life by the horns. The course of your life has already been decided by the courses you took and your experience – for better or for worse, they have narrowed down your choices.
The key to figuring out where you fit in professionally is to put your academic or previous working life on paper and send your resume to prospective employers. It is then that you will see how it measures up in the real world. When it comes to your employment-related skills, ask yourself - how do they compare with the jobs available on the market? Do I have what employers are looking for? If your answer is ‘no’, ‘maybe’, or if you answer your own question by the fact that you are not getting any calls for interviews - then it’s time to do some reassessment – and decide if you need to bolster your skills with additional training, courses or meaningful work experience.
Once your skills are solid, you should compile a list of employers that you could approach. Why? Because jobs don’t grow on trees – you have to go after them! ‘Proving your worth’ is the name of the game. Once you get a few interview calls, (and with any luck, a subsequent job offer), you need to decide if you are going to take the job or not. At this stage, it is imperative to make the right decision – weighing salary, potential for advancement and the type of company – to be sure that it is the right job for you. If you have to wait a while longer for a suitable job to come along, then do it – it will be better for your career progression in the long run.
It Is Wise To Seek Wise Counsel
Whatever stage of your career you are in, a sound piece of advice is to seek counsel from the ‘experts’, such as a career coach. Run your ideas and career options by them. A good career coach is likely to be well-informed about the current trends in the job market and is also likely to be able to tell you how a particular job choice will (or won’t) help you. A career coach works for you, so you will receive sound advice.
Whether you are changing careers or just starting out, this phase of your life is likely to be scary - but it needn’t be traumatic. By taking advantage of additional training, education and the right career guidance, you should be just fine.
Getting Closer To Graduation Day
As we get closer to graduation day, whether it is for our first or second degree, or continuing education courses, most people are faced with a bewildering question – “What do I want to do?” It is now time to be proactive and take life by the horns. The course of your life has already been decided by the courses you took and your experience – for better or for worse, they have narrowed down your choices.
The key to figuring out where you fit in professionally is to put your academic or previous working life on paper and send your resume to prospective employers. It is then that you will see how it measures up in the real world. When it comes to your employment-related skills, ask yourself - how do they compare with the jobs available on the market? Do I have what employers are looking for? If your answer is ‘no’, ‘maybe’, or if you answer your own question by the fact that you are not getting any calls for interviews - then it’s time to do some reassessment – and decide if you need to bolster your skills with additional training, courses or meaningful work experience.
Once your skills are solid, you should compile a list of employers that you could approach. Why? Because jobs don’t grow on trees – you have to go after them! ‘Proving your worth’ is the name of the game. Once you get a few interview calls, (and with any luck, a subsequent job offer), you need to decide if you are going to take the job or not. At this stage, it is imperative to make the right decision – weighing salary, potential for advancement and the type of company – to be sure that it is the right job for you. If you have to wait a while longer for a suitable job to come along, then do it – it will be better for your career progression in the long run.
It Is Wise To Seek Wise Counsel
Whatever stage of your career you are in, a sound piece of advice is to seek counsel from the ‘experts’, such as a career coach. Run your ideas and career options by them. A good career coach is likely to be well-informed about the current trends in the job market and is also likely to be able to tell you how a particular job choice will (or won’t) help you. A career coach works for you, so you will receive sound advice.
Whether you are changing careers or just starting out, this phase of your life is likely to be scary - but it needn’t be traumatic. By taking advantage of additional training, education and the right career guidance, you should be just fine.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
The First 30 Seconds Count The Most On Your Job Employment Interview
The first thirty seconds of the interview will ultimately determine if you get the job or not. Not only are first impressions crucial they are everything. If you have created a bad first impression you are sunk dead in the water. It would have been much better for your career and employment prospects if you had never shown up for the interview, called in sick so to say and stayed in bed at home for the day.
You have been screened into an interview because you have appeared qualified on paper. The employer uses the interview to learn whether or not you have the personal qualifications needed to fit into the organization. As well the interview process is used to confirm and further conform you work habits and work performance skills in action.
The first thirty seconds count most. People form basic opinions as well as basic assumptions about you within the first 30 seconds of meeting you. These opinions and assumptions may be conscious choices by the interviewer. In many cases this process in an unconscious one. The interviewer may never realize that they have determined basis assumptions of you - that determine you career path. It may never be acknowledged that these prejudices so to speak are even recognized as being held never mind acknowledged in conversation. The role of assumptions in our daily lives is integral.
If we did not make assumptions about people and places we encounter we would be spending most of our daily lives starting from scratch on everything in order to determine information, tactics and strategies.
The first thirty seconds do count. Interviewers will often say that they usually form strong opinions about applicant in the time it takes for the job seeker to walk across the room and say “Hello”.
How can you make those first impressions and those vital 30 seconds work for you as opposed for against you in your quest for that job or gainful employment or gainful advancement.
It comes down to 2 concepts. Preparation, presentation and attitude.
Prepare to be be prepared. Arrive on time with the essentials. Never arrive late or if an emergency arises phone ahead. Show that you are a person of honor, integrity and respectful toward others.
If the interview requires some preparation or tools plan ahead to either do the task or bring the equipment. Many a job interview is sunk even before the event when a potential job seeker does not bring a pen to fill out an application. Strike one. It is reasoned by many gatekeepers of the first step in the organizational hiring process that if a person cannot even prepare to bring a pen to fill out the application form then they are a person who cannot plan ahead for tasks and are a poor choice for employment at that place of work.
Second in the list of concepts is presentation. Dress well and appropriately. Be neat. Details count down to clean fingernails and clean and polished shoes. How to dress? Generally look at the industry and its employees. Do not overdress to impress the interviewer. If you are applying at an organization where people dress in a jacket and tie it is wise to dress as such or one step up. To come in an expensive tailored Armani suit may not be a wise idea.
Attitude after the previous two concepts are attended to can be the number one factor. Attitude is said to be the primary factor that influences an employer to hire. First of all concentrate on being likeable. Interviewers want to hire pleasant people whom others will enjoy working with on a daily basis.
To project that you are highly likeable it is best to be friendly, courteous and enthusiastic. Speak positively. Use positive body language. Smile.
It is best to project and air of pride and confidence. Act as though you thoroughly want and deserve the job – not as though you are desperate for the job.
Demonstrate enthusiasm. An applicant’s level of enthusiasm often influences the employer as much as any other interviewing. The applicant who demonstrates little enthusiasm for a job or even life will never be selected for employment positions.
It is best to demonstrate knowledge of and interest in the employer. Saying that “I really want this job” is not convincing and mature enough. Explain in the interview why you want the position and how that position fits into your career plans and ultimately benefits the employment organization. It may even be that the employer’s position or firm offer unique opportunities or training that are highly relevant to your career and personal growth.
Perform your best at every moment. It is not as if you are on parade or presenting a false show. Be sincere but remember that there is no such thing as “time out” during an interview. Even from the beginning treat even the receptionist courteously. You may want to enquire about his or her name and conduct basis small talk. In the end it can be said that you never really know who can ultimately help or hinder your job employment prospects and success.
Lastly remember that an interview and the interview process is a two way street. You should project a genuine and sincere interest in determining whether you and the employer can mutually benefit from your gainful employment.
You have been screened into an interview because you have appeared qualified on paper. The employer uses the interview to learn whether or not you have the personal qualifications needed to fit into the organization. As well the interview process is used to confirm and further conform you work habits and work performance skills in action.
The first thirty seconds count most. People form basic opinions as well as basic assumptions about you within the first 30 seconds of meeting you. These opinions and assumptions may be conscious choices by the interviewer. In many cases this process in an unconscious one. The interviewer may never realize that they have determined basis assumptions of you - that determine you career path. It may never be acknowledged that these prejudices so to speak are even recognized as being held never mind acknowledged in conversation. The role of assumptions in our daily lives is integral.
If we did not make assumptions about people and places we encounter we would be spending most of our daily lives starting from scratch on everything in order to determine information, tactics and strategies.
The first thirty seconds do count. Interviewers will often say that they usually form strong opinions about applicant in the time it takes for the job seeker to walk across the room and say “Hello”.
How can you make those first impressions and those vital 30 seconds work for you as opposed for against you in your quest for that job or gainful employment or gainful advancement.
It comes down to 2 concepts. Preparation, presentation and attitude.
Prepare to be be prepared. Arrive on time with the essentials. Never arrive late or if an emergency arises phone ahead. Show that you are a person of honor, integrity and respectful toward others.
If the interview requires some preparation or tools plan ahead to either do the task or bring the equipment. Many a job interview is sunk even before the event when a potential job seeker does not bring a pen to fill out an application. Strike one. It is reasoned by many gatekeepers of the first step in the organizational hiring process that if a person cannot even prepare to bring a pen to fill out the application form then they are a person who cannot plan ahead for tasks and are a poor choice for employment at that place of work.
Second in the list of concepts is presentation. Dress well and appropriately. Be neat. Details count down to clean fingernails and clean and polished shoes. How to dress? Generally look at the industry and its employees. Do not overdress to impress the interviewer. If you are applying at an organization where people dress in a jacket and tie it is wise to dress as such or one step up. To come in an expensive tailored Armani suit may not be a wise idea.
Attitude after the previous two concepts are attended to can be the number one factor. Attitude is said to be the primary factor that influences an employer to hire. First of all concentrate on being likeable. Interviewers want to hire pleasant people whom others will enjoy working with on a daily basis.
To project that you are highly likeable it is best to be friendly, courteous and enthusiastic. Speak positively. Use positive body language. Smile.
It is best to project and air of pride and confidence. Act as though you thoroughly want and deserve the job – not as though you are desperate for the job.
Demonstrate enthusiasm. An applicant’s level of enthusiasm often influences the employer as much as any other interviewing. The applicant who demonstrates little enthusiasm for a job or even life will never be selected for employment positions.
It is best to demonstrate knowledge of and interest in the employer. Saying that “I really want this job” is not convincing and mature enough. Explain in the interview why you want the position and how that position fits into your career plans and ultimately benefits the employment organization. It may even be that the employer’s position or firm offer unique opportunities or training that are highly relevant to your career and personal growth.
Perform your best at every moment. It is not as if you are on parade or presenting a false show. Be sincere but remember that there is no such thing as “time out” during an interview. Even from the beginning treat even the receptionist courteously. You may want to enquire about his or her name and conduct basis small talk. In the end it can be said that you never really know who can ultimately help or hinder your job employment prospects and success.
Lastly remember that an interview and the interview process is a two way street. You should project a genuine and sincere interest in determining whether you and the employer can mutually benefit from your gainful employment.
Friday, April 27, 2007
10 Steps To Improve Your Job Chances 2007
Many companies and organizations do a significant amount of hiring during the first few months of the year. But most people make the mistake of firing off their resumes without putting any real thought into the important, and sometimes daunting task of finding a new job.
In the competitive job market of today it’s essential to stay up to date by finding new ways of marketing yourself and your valuable skills. Current statistics show that the average job search can be anywhere from two to an astounding ten months long. Here are ten steps to help quickly improve your chances of landing that perfect job in 2007.
1. Plan for Success
For any venture to be successful, including the search for a new job, proper planning is the first essential step. If you already know what your goals are both short and long-term, then planning your job search should be relatively simple. You should then know where you see yourself in a year as well as where you’d like to be in five years.
2. Be Realistic
If you’re considering changing careers completely, then you may need to sit down and review your qualifications. Perhaps you’ll need to take a few courses to brush up on your current skills or enroll in a class to learn a few new ones.
3. Make a List and Check it Twice
Make a list of all of your recent achievements and figure out how to incorporate them into your resume or CV. Think of any special projects you may have been a part of or any other job-related success stories that you might have which can be summarized effectively in your resume and cover letters.
4. Toot Your Own Horn
Remember that employers want to know what you can do for them and how you’ll help to better their company. By providing what you’ve already done and not just what you intend on doing will help better your chances of beating out the competition.
5. Revamp that Resume/C.V
Now that you have a complete list of all of your achievements the next step is to add them to your resume in a way that will get you noticed. Keep in mind that the average recruiter or employer will spend under one minute glancing at your resume or CV, so it’s imperative that you make an impression quickly in order to land that interview. And it should go without saying that you must triple, even quadruple check spelling and grammar before sending anything to a prospective employer.
6. Scope out Your Prospects
Considering that we spend a large majority of our lives at work, it makes sense to find a job that you enjoy doing at a place you can be comfortable. By doing a little research to find the best companies that are suited to your needs, you’ll better your chances of finding the best work environment for you and your style.
7. Spread the Word
Social networking can be an excellent way of improving your chances of finding a job. Let everyone know you’re looking to make a career move and attend career fairs and trade shows as well.
8. Explore the Web
The internet is an extremely valuable resource when it comes to job hunting. Post your resume on the various job boards and stay in the know about what’s happening in your particular industry. Sign up to be notified via e-mail when jobs that interest you are posted.
9. Make Yourself Over, Not Just Your Resume
Dress to impress when you’re on interviews, and remember that this is one of those instances where less is more. By keeping make-up, jewelry and perfume or cologne to a minimum you’ll project a more professional image.
10. Take a Breather
Job hunting can be mentally exhausting so it’s easy to get burned out before you even get the new position. To make sure that doesn’t happen, allow your mind a break once in a while. Find ways to relax and participate in activities you enjoy. When you resume your search you’ll have a fresh outlook and a better perspective on things.
In the competitive job market of today it’s essential to stay up to date by finding new ways of marketing yourself and your valuable skills. Current statistics show that the average job search can be anywhere from two to an astounding ten months long. Here are ten steps to help quickly improve your chances of landing that perfect job in 2007.
1. Plan for Success
For any venture to be successful, including the search for a new job, proper planning is the first essential step. If you already know what your goals are both short and long-term, then planning your job search should be relatively simple. You should then know where you see yourself in a year as well as where you’d like to be in five years.
2. Be Realistic
If you’re considering changing careers completely, then you may need to sit down and review your qualifications. Perhaps you’ll need to take a few courses to brush up on your current skills or enroll in a class to learn a few new ones.
3. Make a List and Check it Twice
Make a list of all of your recent achievements and figure out how to incorporate them into your resume or CV. Think of any special projects you may have been a part of or any other job-related success stories that you might have which can be summarized effectively in your resume and cover letters.
4. Toot Your Own Horn
Remember that employers want to know what you can do for them and how you’ll help to better their company. By providing what you’ve already done and not just what you intend on doing will help better your chances of beating out the competition.
5. Revamp that Resume/C.V
Now that you have a complete list of all of your achievements the next step is to add them to your resume in a way that will get you noticed. Keep in mind that the average recruiter or employer will spend under one minute glancing at your resume or CV, so it’s imperative that you make an impression quickly in order to land that interview. And it should go without saying that you must triple, even quadruple check spelling and grammar before sending anything to a prospective employer.
6. Scope out Your Prospects
Considering that we spend a large majority of our lives at work, it makes sense to find a job that you enjoy doing at a place you can be comfortable. By doing a little research to find the best companies that are suited to your needs, you’ll better your chances of finding the best work environment for you and your style.
7. Spread the Word
Social networking can be an excellent way of improving your chances of finding a job. Let everyone know you’re looking to make a career move and attend career fairs and trade shows as well.
8. Explore the Web
The internet is an extremely valuable resource when it comes to job hunting. Post your resume on the various job boards and stay in the know about what’s happening in your particular industry. Sign up to be notified via e-mail when jobs that interest you are posted.
9. Make Yourself Over, Not Just Your Resume
Dress to impress when you’re on interviews, and remember that this is one of those instances where less is more. By keeping make-up, jewelry and perfume or cologne to a minimum you’ll project a more professional image.
10. Take a Breather
Job hunting can be mentally exhausting so it’s easy to get burned out before you even get the new position. To make sure that doesn’t happen, allow your mind a break once in a while. Find ways to relax and participate in activities you enjoy. When you resume your search you’ll have a fresh outlook and a better perspective on things.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The First 30 Seconds Count The Most On Your Job Employment Interview
The first thirty seconds of the interview will ultimately determine if you get the job or not. Not only are first impressions crucial they are everything. If you have created a bad first impression you are sunk dead in the water. It would have been much better for your career and employment prospects if you had never shown up for the interview, called in sick so to say and stayed in bed at home for the day.
You have been screened into an interview because you have appeared qualified on paper. The employer uses the interview to learn whether or not you have the personal qualifications needed to fit into the organization. As well the interview process is used to confirm and further conform you work habits and work performance skills in action.
The first thirty seconds count most. People form basic opinions as well as basic assumptions about you within the first 30 seconds of meeting you. These opinions and assumptions may be conscious choices by the interviewer. In many cases this process in an unconscious one. The interviewer may never realize that they have determined basis assumptions of you - that determine you career path. It may never be acknowledged that these prejudices so to speak are even recognized as being held never mind acknowledged in conversation. The role of assumptions in our daily lives is integral.
If we did not make assumptions about people and places we encounter we would be spending most of our daily lives starting from scratch on everything in order to determine information, tactics and strategies.
The first thirty seconds do count. Interviewers will often say that they usually form strong opinions about applicant in the time it takes for the job seeker to walk across the room and say “Hello”.
How can you make those first impressions and those vital 30 seconds work for you as opposed for against you in your quest for that job or gainful employment or gainful advancement.
It comes down to 2 concepts. Preparation, presentation and attitude.
Prepare to be be prepared. Arrive on time with the essentials. Never arrive late or if an emergency arises phone ahead. Show that you are a person of honor, integrity and respectful toward others.
If the interview requires some preparation or tools plan ahead to either do the task or bring the equipment. Many a job interview is sunk even before the event when a potential job seeker does not bring a pen to fill out an application. Strike one. It is reasoned by many gatekeepers of the first step in the organizational hiring process that if a person cannot even prepare to bring a pen to fill out the application form then they are a person who cannot plan ahead for tasks and are a poor choice for employment at that place of work.
Second in the list of concepts is presentation. Dress well and appropriately. Be neat. Details count down to clean fingernails and clean and polished shoes. How to dress? Generally look at the industry and its employees. Do not overdress to impress the interviewer. If you are applying at an organization where people dress in a jacket and tie it is wise to dress as such or one step up. To come in an expensive tailored Armani suit may not be a wise idea.
Attitude after the previous two concepts are attended to can be the number one factor. Attitude is said to be the primary factor that influences an employer to hire. First of all concentrate on being likeable. Interviewers want to hire pleasant people whom others will enjoy working with on a daily basis.
To project that you are highly likeable it is best to be friendly, courteous and enthusiastic. Speak positively. Use positive body language. Smile.
It is best to project and air of pride and confidence. Act as though you thoroughly want and deserve the job – not as though you are desperate for the job.
Demonstrate enthusiasm. An applicant’s level of enthusiasm often influences the employer as much as any other interviewing. The applicant who demonstrates little enthusiasm for a job or even life will never be selected for employment positions.
It is best to demonstrate knowledge of and interest in the employer. Saying that “I really want this job” is not convincing and mature enough. Explain in the interview why you want the position and how that position fits into your career plans and ultimately benefits the employment organization. It may even be that the employer’s position or firm offer unique opportunities or training that are highly relevant to your career and personal growth.
Perform your best at every moment. It is not as if you are on parade or presenting a false show. Be sincere but remember that there is no such thing as “time out” during an interview. Even from the beginning treat even the receptionist courteously. You may want to enquire about his or her name and conduct basis small talk. In the end it can be said that you never really know who can ultimately help or hinder your job employment prospects and success.
Lastly remember that an interview and the interview process is a two way street. You should project a genuine and sincere interest in determining whether you and the employer can mutually benefit from your gainful employment.
You have been screened into an interview because you have appeared qualified on paper. The employer uses the interview to learn whether or not you have the personal qualifications needed to fit into the organization. As well the interview process is used to confirm and further conform you work habits and work performance skills in action.
The first thirty seconds count most. People form basic opinions as well as basic assumptions about you within the first 30 seconds of meeting you. These opinions and assumptions may be conscious choices by the interviewer. In many cases this process in an unconscious one. The interviewer may never realize that they have determined basis assumptions of you - that determine you career path. It may never be acknowledged that these prejudices so to speak are even recognized as being held never mind acknowledged in conversation. The role of assumptions in our daily lives is integral.
If we did not make assumptions about people and places we encounter we would be spending most of our daily lives starting from scratch on everything in order to determine information, tactics and strategies.
The first thirty seconds do count. Interviewers will often say that they usually form strong opinions about applicant in the time it takes for the job seeker to walk across the room and say “Hello”.
How can you make those first impressions and those vital 30 seconds work for you as opposed for against you in your quest for that job or gainful employment or gainful advancement.
It comes down to 2 concepts. Preparation, presentation and attitude.
Prepare to be be prepared. Arrive on time with the essentials. Never arrive late or if an emergency arises phone ahead. Show that you are a person of honor, integrity and respectful toward others.
If the interview requires some preparation or tools plan ahead to either do the task or bring the equipment. Many a job interview is sunk even before the event when a potential job seeker does not bring a pen to fill out an application. Strike one. It is reasoned by many gatekeepers of the first step in the organizational hiring process that if a person cannot even prepare to bring a pen to fill out the application form then they are a person who cannot plan ahead for tasks and are a poor choice for employment at that place of work.
Second in the list of concepts is presentation. Dress well and appropriately. Be neat. Details count down to clean fingernails and clean and polished shoes. How to dress? Generally look at the industry and its employees. Do not overdress to impress the interviewer. If you are applying at an organization where people dress in a jacket and tie it is wise to dress as such or one step up. To come in an expensive tailored Armani suit may not be a wise idea.
Attitude after the previous two concepts are attended to can be the number one factor. Attitude is said to be the primary factor that influences an employer to hire. First of all concentrate on being likeable. Interviewers want to hire pleasant people whom others will enjoy working with on a daily basis.
To project that you are highly likeable it is best to be friendly, courteous and enthusiastic. Speak positively. Use positive body language. Smile.
It is best to project and air of pride and confidence. Act as though you thoroughly want and deserve the job – not as though you are desperate for the job.
Demonstrate enthusiasm. An applicant’s level of enthusiasm often influences the employer as much as any other interviewing. The applicant who demonstrates little enthusiasm for a job or even life will never be selected for employment positions.
It is best to demonstrate knowledge of and interest in the employer. Saying that “I really want this job” is not convincing and mature enough. Explain in the interview why you want the position and how that position fits into your career plans and ultimately benefits the employment organization. It may even be that the employer’s position or firm offer unique opportunities or training that are highly relevant to your career and personal growth.
Perform your best at every moment. It is not as if you are on parade or presenting a false show. Be sincere but remember that there is no such thing as “time out” during an interview. Even from the beginning treat even the receptionist courteously. You may want to enquire about his or her name and conduct basis small talk. In the end it can be said that you never really know who can ultimately help or hinder your job employment prospects and success.
Lastly remember that an interview and the interview process is a two way street. You should project a genuine and sincere interest in determining whether you and the employer can mutually benefit from your gainful employment.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Learn How to Successfully Search for a New Career
Love What You do and You Will Succeed
In Barbara Sher's, Wishcraft: How to get what you Really Want, she states one of the foundations of success is enjoying what you do. If you are not quite sure where your interests or passions are, think about the games that you played as a child. Did you play teacher, doctor, or cops and robbers? Did you enjoy directing and coordinating the activities of the group, or did you enjoy playing alone? Think back to what you enjoyed to start your career search for your future.
Career Assessment is a Valuable Tool for Career Success
If you have difficulty finding your talents and interests, career assessment tests are valuable tools to help you discover your hidden abilities. Most colleges and universities have guidance counselors that can administer and evaluate the testing for you. You can also do career assessments online. There are numerous Web sites that offer free testing. You can take several tests to see if a pattern emerges across the different evaluations on what career best suits you.
Evaluate Your Lifestyle
You should consider what your lifestyle needs are. Do you need full-time or part-time work? Do you like an 8 to 5 or prefer flexibility in your schedule? Are you most productive at an office or at home? Success in your new career can be determined by how compatible your work is with your lifestyle.
Talk to Others
Professionals doing the job are the best source of knowledge and insight into the new career you are contemplating. Ask those in the profession about their jobs and get their feedback. Setting up informational interviews is a great way to get a feel for an industry.
Walk the Talk
After twenty years as an accountant, I wanted to do something more. As a "people" person, I didn't like the alienation of crunching numbers all day. I was also bored. However, I was nervous about giving up proficiency in a field and starting over. When I became Controller at a mortgage company, I watched the loan officers, and I liked what I saw. Loan officers helped people, controlled their own schedules, and were constantly challenged by new scenarios. So, I decided to become a loan officer and have enjoyed it ever-since.
You can make the change too. Take stock of your skills, your interests, and your dreams and move toward a more promising future. A promising career is only a "wish" and some "assessing" away.
Sources
Sher, Barbara. Wishcraft: How to get What you Really Want. Ballantine Books; New York, NY, 1979.
In Barbara Sher's, Wishcraft: How to get what you Really Want, she states one of the foundations of success is enjoying what you do. If you are not quite sure where your interests or passions are, think about the games that you played as a child. Did you play teacher, doctor, or cops and robbers? Did you enjoy directing and coordinating the activities of the group, or did you enjoy playing alone? Think back to what you enjoyed to start your career search for your future.
Career Assessment is a Valuable Tool for Career Success
If you have difficulty finding your talents and interests, career assessment tests are valuable tools to help you discover your hidden abilities. Most colleges and universities have guidance counselors that can administer and evaluate the testing for you. You can also do career assessments online. There are numerous Web sites that offer free testing. You can take several tests to see if a pattern emerges across the different evaluations on what career best suits you.
Evaluate Your Lifestyle
You should consider what your lifestyle needs are. Do you need full-time or part-time work? Do you like an 8 to 5 or prefer flexibility in your schedule? Are you most productive at an office or at home? Success in your new career can be determined by how compatible your work is with your lifestyle.
Talk to Others
Professionals doing the job are the best source of knowledge and insight into the new career you are contemplating. Ask those in the profession about their jobs and get their feedback. Setting up informational interviews is a great way to get a feel for an industry.
Walk the Talk
After twenty years as an accountant, I wanted to do something more. As a "people" person, I didn't like the alienation of crunching numbers all day. I was also bored. However, I was nervous about giving up proficiency in a field and starting over. When I became Controller at a mortgage company, I watched the loan officers, and I liked what I saw. Loan officers helped people, controlled their own schedules, and were constantly challenged by new scenarios. So, I decided to become a loan officer and have enjoyed it ever-since.
You can make the change too. Take stock of your skills, your interests, and your dreams and move toward a more promising future. A promising career is only a "wish" and some "assessing" away.
Sources
Sher, Barbara. Wishcraft: How to get What you Really Want. Ballantine Books; New York, NY, 1979.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Key to Success: Passion for Your Career
An important key to success is developing passion for your career. This means thriving in your work, not just surviving. When you have that extra spark that generates enthusiasm, others see it and want to be part of it. You become a leader who is sought after and valued because of your positive attitude.
But what if you don’t have that passion going for you in your current job? Or what if you used to have it but it has faded away over the years? There are some simple steps you can follow to develop or renew your career zeal as part of your leadership development.
Step 1 – Self Assessment
The first step is to do some in depth self assessment. Think about things that you really like to do and explore why those things generate such passion for you. Go beyond the activity itself and focus on the underlying reason why that activity is so appealing. For example, do you like the chance to be creative? Do you enjoy the variety, or perhaps the challenge? Do you thrive on the detail and complexity? Or do you like the rush of excitement and need for problem solving?
Now take your list of characteristics that make you feel passionate and match them up with the attributes of your job. Take a fresh look at your job and look for areas where your passions already exist so you can build on them. Think about which of the bad parts you can change and which ones you can’t change. Look for ways to infuse the bad parts with the attributes you find so invigorating.
Step 2 – Take Action
It may be tempting to just sit back and wait for things to get better, but if you do that you will end up stuck right where you are right now. Take steps to make improvements, even if those steps seem small or insignificant. Just the act of doing something is invigorating, which moves you away from being a victim and into a positive frame of mind.
For example, do you hate doing paperwork but love working directly with customers? Maybe there is a way to share some of the burden of that paperwork, or even swap responsibilities with someone who likes paperwork but is not as enthusiastic about customer contact. Don’t assume something is not possible – brainstorm, think of options, and ask someone else for their ideas.
Step 3 – Take In Energy
Think about things that you find energizing and make a point of including them in your life. Your job inevitably consumes energy, so it is important that you replace it somehow. The best way to do this is to add some variety to your life and find something fun to expand your horizons.
Examples of ways you might energize yourself include:
· Exercise
· Try something new
· Read a book just for fun
· Change the decorations in your office or cubicle
· Volunteer your time
· Go to lunch with someone you don’t know
· Take on a new responsibility at work
· Spend time with your mentor
· Make changes to your work schedule
· Take a personal day off to just relax
· Meditate
· Join a club or professional organization
· Write a letter
· Write in your journal or diary
· Commit a random act of kindness
· Surprise someone
Everybody gains positive energy in different ways, so think about what works best for you and add it to your leadership development plan. Even a little bit of something positive can go a long way toward reinvigorating your excitement and passion.
But what if you don’t have that passion going for you in your current job? Or what if you used to have it but it has faded away over the years? There are some simple steps you can follow to develop or renew your career zeal as part of your leadership development.
Step 1 – Self Assessment
The first step is to do some in depth self assessment. Think about things that you really like to do and explore why those things generate such passion for you. Go beyond the activity itself and focus on the underlying reason why that activity is so appealing. For example, do you like the chance to be creative? Do you enjoy the variety, or perhaps the challenge? Do you thrive on the detail and complexity? Or do you like the rush of excitement and need for problem solving?
Now take your list of characteristics that make you feel passionate and match them up with the attributes of your job. Take a fresh look at your job and look for areas where your passions already exist so you can build on them. Think about which of the bad parts you can change and which ones you can’t change. Look for ways to infuse the bad parts with the attributes you find so invigorating.
Step 2 – Take Action
It may be tempting to just sit back and wait for things to get better, but if you do that you will end up stuck right where you are right now. Take steps to make improvements, even if those steps seem small or insignificant. Just the act of doing something is invigorating, which moves you away from being a victim and into a positive frame of mind.
For example, do you hate doing paperwork but love working directly with customers? Maybe there is a way to share some of the burden of that paperwork, or even swap responsibilities with someone who likes paperwork but is not as enthusiastic about customer contact. Don’t assume something is not possible – brainstorm, think of options, and ask someone else for their ideas.
Step 3 – Take In Energy
Think about things that you find energizing and make a point of including them in your life. Your job inevitably consumes energy, so it is important that you replace it somehow. The best way to do this is to add some variety to your life and find something fun to expand your horizons.
Examples of ways you might energize yourself include:
· Exercise
· Try something new
· Read a book just for fun
· Change the decorations in your office or cubicle
· Volunteer your time
· Go to lunch with someone you don’t know
· Take on a new responsibility at work
· Spend time with your mentor
· Make changes to your work schedule
· Take a personal day off to just relax
· Meditate
· Join a club or professional organization
· Write a letter
· Write in your journal or diary
· Commit a random act of kindness
· Surprise someone
Everybody gains positive energy in different ways, so think about what works best for you and add it to your leadership development plan. Even a little bit of something positive can go a long way toward reinvigorating your excitement and passion.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Get that job you’ve always wanted with a great resume.
If you’re looking for a job in this increasingly competitive job market your best chance of securing that job is via a great resume. Remember that a number of jobs are being outsourced so the remaining choice jobs are even harder to come by. The more you can convince an employer that you are the perfect candidate for the position the easier it will be for you to land the job of your dreams.
The first thing you might ask is: “What is a resume?” A resume is a document that informs your potential employer of your experiences, and accomplishments in the best possible light. It also lets your potential employer know what it is you are looking for and what your expectations are as well. It can also state any personal attributes that may impact in a positive manner on your job performance. Examples of this would be an ability to work under stress, punctuality, ability to communicate well with others.
It helps to know in advance what your prospective employer is looking for in an employee. Some of the key qualities are a willingness to share information and ideas. Another is one’s ability to work within a team. Responsiveness to change is important in that it demonstrates a degree of flexibility in the work environment. It also demonstrates a willingness to take risks with new ideas and products.
The first item in your resume is the cover letter. This is the introduction to your personal resume and must be interesting enough to entice the potential employer to proceed further. First address the cover letter to a specific person in charge of resource management. The paper and fonts used should be basic and not distract from the content of the resume. Use the “KISS” principle by keeping your cover letter short and to the point. In your opening you should list why you are writing. Then in the next paragraph ask for the job you are interested in obtaining and explain why you are the best person for the job. Then thank the reader for their time and make sure you leave your phone number and/or e-mail address so that the employer may contact you if any questions arise.
In the resume itself you should list your job descriptions in a chronological order starting with the most recent job descriptions first and then moving backwards. List any technical knowledge first, in an organized manner. Use action verbs and portray yourself as a “go-getter”. Leave out unnecessary personal information. Be concise.
The most common mistakes to avoid are being too verbose. One page should suffice. Do not use fancy paper or fonts, they detract from the content of the resume. Outdated or useless information will also detract from the resume. The most common error of all is selling yourself short. Let the employer know how truly valuable you are.
With these tips you should be able to increase your chances of obtaining that job you want.
The first thing you might ask is: “What is a resume?” A resume is a document that informs your potential employer of your experiences, and accomplishments in the best possible light. It also lets your potential employer know what it is you are looking for and what your expectations are as well. It can also state any personal attributes that may impact in a positive manner on your job performance. Examples of this would be an ability to work under stress, punctuality, ability to communicate well with others.
It helps to know in advance what your prospective employer is looking for in an employee. Some of the key qualities are a willingness to share information and ideas. Another is one’s ability to work within a team. Responsiveness to change is important in that it demonstrates a degree of flexibility in the work environment. It also demonstrates a willingness to take risks with new ideas and products.
The first item in your resume is the cover letter. This is the introduction to your personal resume and must be interesting enough to entice the potential employer to proceed further. First address the cover letter to a specific person in charge of resource management. The paper and fonts used should be basic and not distract from the content of the resume. Use the “KISS” principle by keeping your cover letter short and to the point. In your opening you should list why you are writing. Then in the next paragraph ask for the job you are interested in obtaining and explain why you are the best person for the job. Then thank the reader for their time and make sure you leave your phone number and/or e-mail address so that the employer may contact you if any questions arise.
In the resume itself you should list your job descriptions in a chronological order starting with the most recent job descriptions first and then moving backwards. List any technical knowledge first, in an organized manner. Use action verbs and portray yourself as a “go-getter”. Leave out unnecessary personal information. Be concise.
The most common mistakes to avoid are being too verbose. One page should suffice. Do not use fancy paper or fonts, they detract from the content of the resume. Outdated or useless information will also detract from the resume. The most common error of all is selling yourself short. Let the employer know how truly valuable you are.
With these tips you should be able to increase your chances of obtaining that job you want.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
5 tips for acing any job interview
Job interviews are a right of passage for young adults and a real pain in the you know what for everyone else. They are preceded by stress, nervousness and uncertainty. The problem is that your prospective employer is looking for certain things out of you and you have no idea what they are. For all you know, they're looking for a supremely flexible person that can wing certain things and you present yourself as a regimented go getter that will follow company policy to the letter. You're never going to know for sure but here are 5 tips to help you ace any job interview.
Study the prospective company
You want to make sure you know the company that you're interviewing for as thoroughly as possible. When did they come into business? How did they grown into what they are now? Most importantly, where do they see themselves going? If you know these things, you'll be better able to articulate how you fit into their plans.
Know the position you're interviewing for
You'll want to know the ins and outs of the position you're up for. For instance, if you're interviewing for a secretarial position, touch up on your typing and let them know that you are skilled at it. If you're a traveling salesman, let your prospective employer know that you enjoy being on the road and meeting new people. This will apply to any field. Make sure you're interviewer knows that you're aware of the requirements of the job and you're up to the task.
Keep a light touch
I can't tell you how many times I've heard from employers that the person they were considering hiring had all the right qualifications, had all the skills necessary to fill a position, but they just couldn't picture working with this person. That's right, its not something you'll hear spoken about, but employers are human beings too and they want to work with someone they like. So although you want to convey that you're knowledgeable and capable, make sure your interviewer knows that you're not a stick in the mud. If you keep a sense of humor and allow yourself to smile and laugh a little, you're a step ahead of most people.
Stress the unique benefits you bring to the job
We all have different life experiences that lead us to where we're at. You need to figure a way to incorporate your life experiences into an asset for your prospective company and they convey that to your interviewer. Maybe you worked at a fast food restaurant and the law firm you're interviewing for is involved in litigation against a local fast food chain. Anything you can bring to the table that makes you a unique asset to this company will help your chances.
For God's sake, dress appropriately
There truly is no second chance to make a first impression. This doesn't mean you have to don formal wear for your interview but it does mean that you have to dress according to the job you're looking for. A suit will not work if you're interviewing to be the foreman at a construction company. Likewise, constructions boots won't work if you're interviewing at a law firm. If you're interviewing for a marketing position, learn the lay of the land. Do they dress casual? Maybe khakis and a Polo shirt are appropriate. Are they more buttoned down, you may want to wear a suit and tie/
What it really comes down to is doing your due diligence. You've heard it a million times in all areas of business and it applies here too. You need to put a little work in beforehand so you know what you're walking into. Always remember what Sun Tzu said in The Art of War, "Every battle is won before it is ever fought."
Study the prospective company
You want to make sure you know the company that you're interviewing for as thoroughly as possible. When did they come into business? How did they grown into what they are now? Most importantly, where do they see themselves going? If you know these things, you'll be better able to articulate how you fit into their plans.
Know the position you're interviewing for
You'll want to know the ins and outs of the position you're up for. For instance, if you're interviewing for a secretarial position, touch up on your typing and let them know that you are skilled at it. If you're a traveling salesman, let your prospective employer know that you enjoy being on the road and meeting new people. This will apply to any field. Make sure you're interviewer knows that you're aware of the requirements of the job and you're up to the task.
Keep a light touch
I can't tell you how many times I've heard from employers that the person they were considering hiring had all the right qualifications, had all the skills necessary to fill a position, but they just couldn't picture working with this person. That's right, its not something you'll hear spoken about, but employers are human beings too and they want to work with someone they like. So although you want to convey that you're knowledgeable and capable, make sure your interviewer knows that you're not a stick in the mud. If you keep a sense of humor and allow yourself to smile and laugh a little, you're a step ahead of most people.
Stress the unique benefits you bring to the job
We all have different life experiences that lead us to where we're at. You need to figure a way to incorporate your life experiences into an asset for your prospective company and they convey that to your interviewer. Maybe you worked at a fast food restaurant and the law firm you're interviewing for is involved in litigation against a local fast food chain. Anything you can bring to the table that makes you a unique asset to this company will help your chances.
For God's sake, dress appropriately
There truly is no second chance to make a first impression. This doesn't mean you have to don formal wear for your interview but it does mean that you have to dress according to the job you're looking for. A suit will not work if you're interviewing to be the foreman at a construction company. Likewise, constructions boots won't work if you're interviewing at a law firm. If you're interviewing for a marketing position, learn the lay of the land. Do they dress casual? Maybe khakis and a Polo shirt are appropriate. Are they more buttoned down, you may want to wear a suit and tie/
What it really comes down to is doing your due diligence. You've heard it a million times in all areas of business and it applies here too. You need to put a little work in beforehand so you know what you're walking into. Always remember what Sun Tzu said in The Art of War, "Every battle is won before it is ever fought."
Monday, April 2, 2007
Five Ways To Get The Job Of Your Dreams
Are you frustrated with your current job and ready to either move up or move on? Maybe you feel it's time to look for a new job with higher pay, better benefits, and a lot more job satisfaction. And, quite possibly, you've been downsized, let go, or fired and need a good job fast.
Chances are, you've experienced one or all of these situations. You may be looking for a new job now. If so, you can benefit from these five simple tips to help you find and land the job of your dreams.
I learned these strategies during my 25 years as CEO of a large staffing firm. During that time, then later as a career coach, I worked with every kind of person, job, success story, and horror story you can imagine. From those years I gleaned these five top ways to get the kind of work you want.
1. Take ACTION! Those two short words are the key to the treasure. Most people don't get the job they deserve because they're too overworked, too tired, too discouraged, or not motivated enough to jump up and get their job search going. Don't sit there -- get moving, NOW!
2. Toot your own horn to draw attention to your abilities, ideas, and accomplishments. This is particularly true for people trying to move up in their current organization. Too often we play down our accomplishments and wind up getting ignored at promotion time. Make sure you tactfully point out your skills, good ideas, and big wins to the boss.
3. Go the extra mile. If you're looking for a new job, don't simply stop with a resume and a cover letter. Offer to help the employer with ideas via email, make yourself available 24/7 by cell phone, or offer to stop by the employer's office at his or her convenience.
4. Stand OUT from the crowd. Anything you can do to separate yourself from all the other applicants will put you miles ahead. You might write a different kind of resume, have your application package delivered by singing courier, put your ideas on DVD video, or create a web site specifically to answer questions related to the job you are applying for.
Let your imagination go to work on this. Consider the industry you're in, the personality of the boss you're talking to, and what creative strategy could best bring attention to your unusual abilities.
5. Be a leader. When you work to stand out from the crowd, you look like a leader to employers. Every employer needs people who are self-motivated, who can work well with others, who can solve problems, save money, increase production, and keep going without a lot of maintenance. Take strides to show you're that kind of person, a leader who the employer can rely on to make good things happen.
Use these 5 simple strategies to get the job of your dreams or move up in your current position. By making yourself more visible and drawing attention to your best attributes, you greatly increase your chances of getting the recognition you may have been missing.
Chances are, you've experienced one or all of these situations. You may be looking for a new job now. If so, you can benefit from these five simple tips to help you find and land the job of your dreams.
I learned these strategies during my 25 years as CEO of a large staffing firm. During that time, then later as a career coach, I worked with every kind of person, job, success story, and horror story you can imagine. From those years I gleaned these five top ways to get the kind of work you want.
1. Take ACTION! Those two short words are the key to the treasure. Most people don't get the job they deserve because they're too overworked, too tired, too discouraged, or not motivated enough to jump up and get their job search going. Don't sit there -- get moving, NOW!
2. Toot your own horn to draw attention to your abilities, ideas, and accomplishments. This is particularly true for people trying to move up in their current organization. Too often we play down our accomplishments and wind up getting ignored at promotion time. Make sure you tactfully point out your skills, good ideas, and big wins to the boss.
3. Go the extra mile. If you're looking for a new job, don't simply stop with a resume and a cover letter. Offer to help the employer with ideas via email, make yourself available 24/7 by cell phone, or offer to stop by the employer's office at his or her convenience.
4. Stand OUT from the crowd. Anything you can do to separate yourself from all the other applicants will put you miles ahead. You might write a different kind of resume, have your application package delivered by singing courier, put your ideas on DVD video, or create a web site specifically to answer questions related to the job you are applying for.
Let your imagination go to work on this. Consider the industry you're in, the personality of the boss you're talking to, and what creative strategy could best bring attention to your unusual abilities.
5. Be a leader. When you work to stand out from the crowd, you look like a leader to employers. Every employer needs people who are self-motivated, who can work well with others, who can solve problems, save money, increase production, and keep going without a lot of maintenance. Take strides to show you're that kind of person, a leader who the employer can rely on to make good things happen.
Use these 5 simple strategies to get the job of your dreams or move up in your current position. By making yourself more visible and drawing attention to your best attributes, you greatly increase your chances of getting the recognition you may have been missing.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
16 Tips to Looking, Feeling Great
It is relatively important for the human body to detoxify to get rid of the toxins that uncontrollably enter into the system.
Although primarily on acute exposure, an interesting chapter by W. Stopford, tells of a young man who was treated by daily 20-minute saunas for three years and recovered from a nearly fatal acute Hg poisoning.
Were you concentrating so hard on the negative that it happened as you expected? 2. Are you looking at life through your present limitations? To rise in consciousness the level which you desire you must completely drop or let go of the consciousness with which you are identifying.
The Full Body Detox kit comes complete with herb, instructions on how and when to take the herbs, a recommended diet and everything you will need to get started and to complete the program. Addiction is different from abuse, a person can abuse drugs and not be addicted. The two most vital factors in determining addiction are tolerance and physical dependency. Addiction is very destructive, and most of the time people who are suffering from it end up hurting themselves and their love ones.
16 Tips to Looking + Feeling Great
Do you want to improve the quality of your life? Do you want to look and feel better than you have in years – maybe better than you ever have before? Do you want to protect yourself from disease and injury? And do you want to live a longer, more vital life?
I’m confident that you answered YES! to each of those questions, just as the hundreds of individuals I’ve counseled, coached, and trained in my career as a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and Rehabilitation Specialist. I’m now going to reveal to you the 16 essential strategies that have enabled my clients to achieve the health and fitness goals they always wanted!
16 Essential Weight Loss and Fitness Strategies
1. In the beginning, your fitness program should not be overly aggressive. One of the biggest problems people encounter when starting a fitness program is rapidly depleted motivation after only a few weeks due to an overly ambitious fitness program. Attempting to do too much too fast is worse than doing nothing at all! Because then you feel like exercise is too hard and it’s just not for you.
Start out slow, maybe just shooting for 1 or 2 workouts a week. Once you have successfully added that to your normal routine, then attempt to slowly add to your fitness program. Plus, most people don’t need to exercise more than 3-4 times a week. That doesn’t mean you can’t exercise more; it’s just not necessary.
2. Always have a detailed plan! In order to reach your health and fitness goals, you must have a road map to follow. I can’t stress this enough. If you are unsure of how to put together a fitness plan, or if you’re uncertain of the effectiveness of the one you have, I highly recommend you consult a professional fitness trainer. With a well thought out plan you are much more likely to be successful!
3. Set realistic, attainable goals. You must have tangible, quantifiable, short and long-term goals so you can measure and assess your progress. Too many people have totally unrealistic expectations of what to expect from an exercise and nutrition program. The best way for you to understand what is realistic and attainable is to talk with a fitness professional – not to buy into the “hype” of infomercials and diet and fitness products that are blatantly misleading.
4. Keep a journal! This is one of the most important things you can do. If you’re not tracking what you’re doing, how will you know what worked? There are quite a few great exercise and nutrition logs I’ve come across. You should keep track of all your exercise and also each day’s food intake.
There’s a company called NutraBiotics that makes a great 90-day journal that can be used to track strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and daily nutrition. If you would like more information on this journal, please feel free to call me at 240-731-3724.
5. You must be accountable! Set exercise appointments with yourself if you’re not working with a personal fitness trainer. Use your appointment book to set aside times for exercise, just like you do for meetings or events. Don’t let things get in the way. Nothing is more important than your health! If you don’t have your health you can’t effectively do anything. I often have mothers tell me that they can’t find time to exercise because they have to take care of their children. I have 4 daughters myself, and a baby on the way, so I know exactly how hard it is. Whatever your situation is, making the commitment to exercise and your health IS possible, and very important. Plus, it sets a great example for the children!
6. Remember the benefits of exercise. Being physically fit affects every aspect of your life: you sleep better, eat better, love better, overcome stress better, work better, communicate better, and live better! Remember how good it feels to finish a workout, and how great it feels to meet your goals!
7. Exercise safely and correctly. So much time is wasted doing, at best, unproductive exercise, or at worst, dangerous exercise. Educate yourself on how to exercise correctly. The best way to do that is to hire a personal fitness trainer. It could be for just a few sessions to learn the basics, or it could be for a few months to learn everything. It’s completely up to you. But statistics prove that those who understand how to exercise correctly get better, faster results. And that’s what you want, right?
8. Enjoy your exercise! For example, if you hate doing strength training, try to find ways to make it more enjoyable. Circuit training might be a more fun and exciting way to fit this important part of fitness into your program. The key is you should enjoy it, and if you don’t you need to look for other exercises or activities to replace whatever it is you don’t enjoy.
This very second, your physical body is mysteriously functioning internally exactly the way human bodies functioned 10,000 years ago.
It does not necessarily mean that detox diets have to be super technical or complicated, in that, only the people who have background in health and medicine can understand. Do I believe in detox? Well, most of it is plain simple commonsense - proper diet, judicious supplementation, adequate rest, exercise, stress-relieving techniques.
Metal toxicity can cause health issues that range from headaches and aching bones to memory loss and discoloration of the skin and nails.
These also include aerosol cleaners, gasoline, cleaning fluids, butane, and acetone. These things are legal to sell or buy however, they are not controlled substances and they are relatively cheap when compared with drugs.
If you don’t enjoy it, how do you expect to stick with it?
9. Make time to stretch! It has so much benefit and takes very little time. So many people suffer from various aches and pains of which most can be eliminated by basic stretches! Try to spend at least 5 minutes after each workout stretching. For more information on stretching and how it eliminates aches and pains, please call 240-731-3724 to request a FREE copy of my special report “No More Back Pain”.
10. Don’t think you need to exercise 5 days a week! I touched on this earlier. Many people feel they’re getting fat because they’re not exercising. Totally not the case! Exercise is not the answer! It’s all in your eating habits. However, exercise can aid in burning body fat, plus there are numerous health benefits. Think of exercise as a bonus.
How many people do you know who exercise 3-5 times per week, but still fail to meet their weight loss and fitness goals? I’ve met hundreds!
First look at your eating habits, such as: when you eat, what you eat, how much you eat, where you eat, and how often you eat.
11. Never skip breakfast, or any meal! If you want to maximize your fitness or fat-loss efforts you’ve got to eat breakfast! So many people skip breakfast, and it’s the worst thing you could ever do when it comes to fat-loss. Skipping meals throws your blood sugar all out of whack and it sets you up to store your next meal as fat, almost guaranteed!
12. Eat fat to lose fat. Healthy fats are necessary to your body for numerous reasons: regulating hormonal production, improving immune function, lowering total cholesterol, and providing the basics for healthy hair, nails, and skin.
The key is to eat the right types of fats. The “good’ fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and avocados, to name a few. The “bad” fats are partially hydrogenated oils, and trans fats. Most processed foods contain large amounts of these bad fats. For more information on the different types of fats, please call 240-731-3724 to request a FREE copy of my Healthy Eating Guidelines.
13. Drink plenty of fresh, clean water. Yes, I know that you have probably heard this one over and over again. But there’s a reason for that – it’s that important! The recommended daily intake of water is 8 glasses, or 64 oz. You should even be drinking even more if you are active or exercise regularly.
And no, soda, juice, coffee, and tea DON’T count! Nearly every chemical process place in your body, takes place in water! Proper blood flow and digestion are both affected by how much water you drink, and poor blood flow and digestion can be linked to numerous health conditions.
14. Stabilize your blood sugar! If you want to burn fat and prevent your body from putting it back on, you must stabilize your blood sugar. In order to do this you need to eat small, balanced meals or snacks every 2-3 hours.
Fasting, skipping meals, and overly restrictive diets will enable you to lose weight – in the short run. The weight you lose is primarily water weight and muscle tissue, and in the long run has opposite effect of what you want. When you restrict your diet, your body instinctively thinks it’s being starved and shifts into a protective mode by slowing down the metabolism and storing nearly all calories as body fat. Plus, losing muscle tissue is the last thing you want to do. Muscle burns calories, even while you sleep. You should be focused on increasing, or at least maintaining muscle tissue. 15. Focus on increasing muscle tissue. As I mentioned previously, muscle burns calories, so if you want to increase your metabolism, you have to increase your muscle. The best way to do that is with progressive strength training. That doesn’t mean you have to join a gym, buy expensive fitness equipment, or follow some bodybuilding workout program; it simply means you need to challenge your muscles! You can do that at home in just 15-20 minutes, 2-3 times a week.
16. Get the help of an expert! Obviously, meeting your health and fitness goals is important to you, so why not eliminate the guesswork and start seeing the results you have always wanted? With the help of a qualified professional you can!
If your car breaks down, where do you take it? Mechanic, right? How about if you have a cavity? Dentist. So why is it that so many people attempt to solve their health and fitness problems without consulting an expert? I don’t know exactly, but I encourage you to make the investment in yourself- in your life- by hiring a professional to educate you and help you meet your goals.
So there you have it. The 16 essential strategies for an effective weight loss and fitness program that will have you looking and feeling great! There are a variety of ways that drug and alcohol rehab work to help a person stop abusing a controlled substance. One way is commonly referred to as ‘cold turkey’.
If toxins are present within your body, oxygen and the body's "food supply" cannot get inside your cells to supply needed nutrients, nor can the cells' waste products get out.
Did you know that most deodorants have aluminum as their active ingredient? Your body quickly absorbs this metal, solving the day’s odor problem.
Conventional, mainstream (allopathic) medical practitioners have yet to latch on to this concept, since they're only trained to treat diseases and symptoms specifically without treating the patient as a whole. More on how you can detox drugs from your system
Planning is important if you want to achieve something. Creating simple detox diets require simple planning. You just have to set up the list of foods that you should be eating.
Although primarily on acute exposure, an interesting chapter by W. Stopford, tells of a young man who was treated by daily 20-minute saunas for three years and recovered from a nearly fatal acute Hg poisoning.
Were you concentrating so hard on the negative that it happened as you expected? 2. Are you looking at life through your present limitations? To rise in consciousness the level which you desire you must completely drop or let go of the consciousness with which you are identifying.
The Full Body Detox kit comes complete with herb, instructions on how and when to take the herbs, a recommended diet and everything you will need to get started and to complete the program. Addiction is different from abuse, a person can abuse drugs and not be addicted. The two most vital factors in determining addiction are tolerance and physical dependency. Addiction is very destructive, and most of the time people who are suffering from it end up hurting themselves and their love ones.
16 Tips to Looking + Feeling Great
Do you want to improve the quality of your life? Do you want to look and feel better than you have in years – maybe better than you ever have before? Do you want to protect yourself from disease and injury? And do you want to live a longer, more vital life?
I’m confident that you answered YES! to each of those questions, just as the hundreds of individuals I’ve counseled, coached, and trained in my career as a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and Rehabilitation Specialist. I’m now going to reveal to you the 16 essential strategies that have enabled my clients to achieve the health and fitness goals they always wanted!
16 Essential Weight Loss and Fitness Strategies
1. In the beginning, your fitness program should not be overly aggressive. One of the biggest problems people encounter when starting a fitness program is rapidly depleted motivation after only a few weeks due to an overly ambitious fitness program. Attempting to do too much too fast is worse than doing nothing at all! Because then you feel like exercise is too hard and it’s just not for you.
Start out slow, maybe just shooting for 1 or 2 workouts a week. Once you have successfully added that to your normal routine, then attempt to slowly add to your fitness program. Plus, most people don’t need to exercise more than 3-4 times a week. That doesn’t mean you can’t exercise more; it’s just not necessary.
2. Always have a detailed plan! In order to reach your health and fitness goals, you must have a road map to follow. I can’t stress this enough. If you are unsure of how to put together a fitness plan, or if you’re uncertain of the effectiveness of the one you have, I highly recommend you consult a professional fitness trainer. With a well thought out plan you are much more likely to be successful!
3. Set realistic, attainable goals. You must have tangible, quantifiable, short and long-term goals so you can measure and assess your progress. Too many people have totally unrealistic expectations of what to expect from an exercise and nutrition program. The best way for you to understand what is realistic and attainable is to talk with a fitness professional – not to buy into the “hype” of infomercials and diet and fitness products that are blatantly misleading.
4. Keep a journal! This is one of the most important things you can do. If you’re not tracking what you’re doing, how will you know what worked? There are quite a few great exercise and nutrition logs I’ve come across. You should keep track of all your exercise and also each day’s food intake.
There’s a company called NutraBiotics that makes a great 90-day journal that can be used to track strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and daily nutrition. If you would like more information on this journal, please feel free to call me at 240-731-3724.
5. You must be accountable! Set exercise appointments with yourself if you’re not working with a personal fitness trainer. Use your appointment book to set aside times for exercise, just like you do for meetings or events. Don’t let things get in the way. Nothing is more important than your health! If you don’t have your health you can’t effectively do anything. I often have mothers tell me that they can’t find time to exercise because they have to take care of their children. I have 4 daughters myself, and a baby on the way, so I know exactly how hard it is. Whatever your situation is, making the commitment to exercise and your health IS possible, and very important. Plus, it sets a great example for the children!
6. Remember the benefits of exercise. Being physically fit affects every aspect of your life: you sleep better, eat better, love better, overcome stress better, work better, communicate better, and live better! Remember how good it feels to finish a workout, and how great it feels to meet your goals!
7. Exercise safely and correctly. So much time is wasted doing, at best, unproductive exercise, or at worst, dangerous exercise. Educate yourself on how to exercise correctly. The best way to do that is to hire a personal fitness trainer. It could be for just a few sessions to learn the basics, or it could be for a few months to learn everything. It’s completely up to you. But statistics prove that those who understand how to exercise correctly get better, faster results. And that’s what you want, right?
8. Enjoy your exercise! For example, if you hate doing strength training, try to find ways to make it more enjoyable. Circuit training might be a more fun and exciting way to fit this important part of fitness into your program. The key is you should enjoy it, and if you don’t you need to look for other exercises or activities to replace whatever it is you don’t enjoy.
This very second, your physical body is mysteriously functioning internally exactly the way human bodies functioned 10,000 years ago.
It does not necessarily mean that detox diets have to be super technical or complicated, in that, only the people who have background in health and medicine can understand. Do I believe in detox? Well, most of it is plain simple commonsense - proper diet, judicious supplementation, adequate rest, exercise, stress-relieving techniques.
Metal toxicity can cause health issues that range from headaches and aching bones to memory loss and discoloration of the skin and nails.
These also include aerosol cleaners, gasoline, cleaning fluids, butane, and acetone. These things are legal to sell or buy however, they are not controlled substances and they are relatively cheap when compared with drugs.
If you don’t enjoy it, how do you expect to stick with it?
9. Make time to stretch! It has so much benefit and takes very little time. So many people suffer from various aches and pains of which most can be eliminated by basic stretches! Try to spend at least 5 minutes after each workout stretching. For more information on stretching and how it eliminates aches and pains, please call 240-731-3724 to request a FREE copy of my special report “No More Back Pain”.
10. Don’t think you need to exercise 5 days a week! I touched on this earlier. Many people feel they’re getting fat because they’re not exercising. Totally not the case! Exercise is not the answer! It’s all in your eating habits. However, exercise can aid in burning body fat, plus there are numerous health benefits. Think of exercise as a bonus.
How many people do you know who exercise 3-5 times per week, but still fail to meet their weight loss and fitness goals? I’ve met hundreds!
First look at your eating habits, such as: when you eat, what you eat, how much you eat, where you eat, and how often you eat.
11. Never skip breakfast, or any meal! If you want to maximize your fitness or fat-loss efforts you’ve got to eat breakfast! So many people skip breakfast, and it’s the worst thing you could ever do when it comes to fat-loss. Skipping meals throws your blood sugar all out of whack and it sets you up to store your next meal as fat, almost guaranteed!
12. Eat fat to lose fat. Healthy fats are necessary to your body for numerous reasons: regulating hormonal production, improving immune function, lowering total cholesterol, and providing the basics for healthy hair, nails, and skin.
The key is to eat the right types of fats. The “good’ fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and avocados, to name a few. The “bad” fats are partially hydrogenated oils, and trans fats. Most processed foods contain large amounts of these bad fats. For more information on the different types of fats, please call 240-731-3724 to request a FREE copy of my Healthy Eating Guidelines.
13. Drink plenty of fresh, clean water. Yes, I know that you have probably heard this one over and over again. But there’s a reason for that – it’s that important! The recommended daily intake of water is 8 glasses, or 64 oz. You should even be drinking even more if you are active or exercise regularly.
And no, soda, juice, coffee, and tea DON’T count! Nearly every chemical process place in your body, takes place in water! Proper blood flow and digestion are both affected by how much water you drink, and poor blood flow and digestion can be linked to numerous health conditions.
14. Stabilize your blood sugar! If you want to burn fat and prevent your body from putting it back on, you must stabilize your blood sugar. In order to do this you need to eat small, balanced meals or snacks every 2-3 hours.
Fasting, skipping meals, and overly restrictive diets will enable you to lose weight – in the short run. The weight you lose is primarily water weight and muscle tissue, and in the long run has opposite effect of what you want. When you restrict your diet, your body instinctively thinks it’s being starved and shifts into a protective mode by slowing down the metabolism and storing nearly all calories as body fat. Plus, losing muscle tissue is the last thing you want to do. Muscle burns calories, even while you sleep. You should be focused on increasing, or at least maintaining muscle tissue. 15. Focus on increasing muscle tissue. As I mentioned previously, muscle burns calories, so if you want to increase your metabolism, you have to increase your muscle. The best way to do that is with progressive strength training. That doesn’t mean you have to join a gym, buy expensive fitness equipment, or follow some bodybuilding workout program; it simply means you need to challenge your muscles! You can do that at home in just 15-20 minutes, 2-3 times a week.
16. Get the help of an expert! Obviously, meeting your health and fitness goals is important to you, so why not eliminate the guesswork and start seeing the results you have always wanted? With the help of a qualified professional you can!
If your car breaks down, where do you take it? Mechanic, right? How about if you have a cavity? Dentist. So why is it that so many people attempt to solve their health and fitness problems without consulting an expert? I don’t know exactly, but I encourage you to make the investment in yourself- in your life- by hiring a professional to educate you and help you meet your goals.
So there you have it. The 16 essential strategies for an effective weight loss and fitness program that will have you looking and feeling great! There are a variety of ways that drug and alcohol rehab work to help a person stop abusing a controlled substance. One way is commonly referred to as ‘cold turkey’.
If toxins are present within your body, oxygen and the body's "food supply" cannot get inside your cells to supply needed nutrients, nor can the cells' waste products get out.
Did you know that most deodorants have aluminum as their active ingredient? Your body quickly absorbs this metal, solving the day’s odor problem.
Conventional, mainstream (allopathic) medical practitioners have yet to latch on to this concept, since they're only trained to treat diseases and symptoms specifically without treating the patient as a whole. More on how you can detox drugs from your system
Planning is important if you want to achieve something. Creating simple detox diets require simple planning. You just have to set up the list of foods that you should be eating.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
How to Quit Your Job Like a Pro
Knowing when and how to leave a company is an art in today's economy. With constant change in many companies and in our lives, there's always a cycle of beginning and ending. We love beginnings and the fresh energy that comes with them. We often hate endings and shy away from them, dealing with them only when forced to. But, the fact is that on the other side of every ending, no matter how scary it may feel, is a bright new beginning that can be just what is needed.
Even if you hate your job and can't wait to get away, there's almost always a feeling of loss from the separation. You just want it over with. However, you benefit yourself and others by bringing proper closure to your connection. Quitting well is an art, not a science. Taking the time to do it right can save you much regret later down the line.
Here are some ways to do it like a pro:
• Leave on the best possible terms: Your involvement with a company is part of your employment history. If you leave on good terms, you increase the chances of getting positive references for future employers or clients. Who knows, your former employer might be a client one day.
• Don't try to resolve any negative emotions through the quitting process: You probably won't get any lasting satisfaction from storming into your boss' office and exclaiming, "I'm outta here!" Momentary pleasure, yes, lasting, no.
• Deal with any ill feelings through out-of-office means: Talk it out with a friend, take some time away, write a flame letter and then ball it up and throw it across the room. Your best revenge is leaving and being happier elsewhere.
• Show respect: Inform your direct manager before anyone else at work.
• Plan for individual partings: Ask those who have been most meaningful to you to meet one-on-one for lunch, dinner, over coffee, or otherwise. Just by asking, you've communicated how much you appreciate them, and they'll likely make time for you.
• Make your last words count: Emphasize the positive when saying good-bye. Focus on something you appreciated about them and something positive about your future. Short and sweet works well and is memorable.
•Let people know how to get in touch with you: Give your contact information to those you want to stay in touch with. Be the first one to reach out and say hello once you've left.
Even if you hate your job and can't wait to get away, there's almost always a feeling of loss from the separation. You just want it over with. However, you benefit yourself and others by bringing proper closure to your connection. Quitting well is an art, not a science. Taking the time to do it right can save you much regret later down the line.
Here are some ways to do it like a pro:
• Leave on the best possible terms: Your involvement with a company is part of your employment history. If you leave on good terms, you increase the chances of getting positive references for future employers or clients. Who knows, your former employer might be a client one day.
• Don't try to resolve any negative emotions through the quitting process: You probably won't get any lasting satisfaction from storming into your boss' office and exclaiming, "I'm outta here!" Momentary pleasure, yes, lasting, no.
• Deal with any ill feelings through out-of-office means: Talk it out with a friend, take some time away, write a flame letter and then ball it up and throw it across the room. Your best revenge is leaving and being happier elsewhere.
• Show respect: Inform your direct manager before anyone else at work.
• Plan for individual partings: Ask those who have been most meaningful to you to meet one-on-one for lunch, dinner, over coffee, or otherwise. Just by asking, you've communicated how much you appreciate them, and they'll likely make time for you.
• Make your last words count: Emphasize the positive when saying good-bye. Focus on something you appreciated about them and something positive about your future. Short and sweet works well and is memorable.
•Let people know how to get in touch with you: Give your contact information to those you want to stay in touch with. Be the first one to reach out and say hello once you've left.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
20 Tips to Dress for Success
Do you possess the look of a professional? Do you look incredibly smart? Are you confident enough to take charge and get the job that you applying for?Consider the fact that your resume is quite impressive and the employer can't resist to have the audacity to ask you to come for an interview. But after the all the preparations, your final problem will surely comes up right after you realize and ask yourself " what should I wear?" These things are actually important for the job hunters, people tend to have a systemic problem nowadays regarding what they should wear on a job interview. Honestly I'm wired toward automatically seeing the person in these kind of situations because I also had the same experienced when I was hunting for a right job. However many take these for granted, with the eloquence of having an "impressive resume" they forgot that applicants will not only be examined based on the job experience and personality but also with how they present themselves professionally. Here are the top 20 tips in dressing for an interview1.Research if the company or your potential employer have a specific dress code.2.If your planning to buy new clothes, get good advice from sales persons.3.Have the clothes altered to fit and accent your features.4.Select an outfit that you have worn before and are comfortable wearing5.Your hair should be clean and neat.6.Do not wear a strong perfume or cologne, scent must be low key or absent.7.Cover any tattoo and limit pierced jewelry to ears only.8.For men – Wear a suit or sports jacket that is color coordinated with your trousers.9.For men – You should have clothes in Neutral or dark colors such as blue, black or gray.10.For men – Wear a conservative and low key tie. Avoid ties with flashy patterns.11.For men – Keep your sneakers away. A clean, polished black leather shoes is highly recommended.12.For men – Don't forget to trim and clean your nails.13.For men – White socks are definitely NO! Use dark socks. 14.For men – Use dark suit and light colored shirt.15.For women – Wear a classic suit or simple dress paired with a jacket.16.For women – The appropriate colors are navy blue, black, dark green, dark red, burgundy or gray.17.For women – Don't be too provocative or sexy.18.For women – Trim your fingernails and use a polish that complements your clothes and would not distract the interviewer.19.For women – Choose a moderate shoes which is clean and with heels that makes you comfortable.20.For women – Use a tan or light hosiery.Clothing will play a role in your career so you should continue to pay attention to your wardrobe. Add pieces made of high quality that will match to what you already have. Buy separates that can be mixed and matched. Dressing is not everything but it will definitely add up to your overall impression that you will make on. These are some advices and the right tools that I can give to someone on their job hunting, but I have to leave it here. Because as we all end up with reality, applicants must not look good with their own respective dress but might as well have the confidence to make themselves qualified enough for the job. Job hunters should think first all the requirements before going to an interview, from the resume to his/her diploma. They must be ready to answer the question exquisitely. So if you want to have a job career in the future, you should consider these suggestion for you to succeed.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Don't Make Mistakes at Your Interview
This article's title may seem like an oxymoron; after all you really are not supposed to make mistakes during an interview. Unfortunately, regardless of how good your resume may be, if you make mistakes at your interview, you might as well not have come in the first place. Sounds harsh, eh? But that's the real world. This is not to say that companies are in search only of perfect, flawless droids who never ever make mistakes, but it's best that you present yourself in the job interview in the best light possible. During your online job search, you may encounter problems. Some can be overcome very easily, others happen without thinking. So when you are called in for your job interview, whatever you do, rehearse each and every step you may come across with your interviewer.If you have a friend who works in the human resources department, then he or she might give you advice on what and what not to do during a job interview, as they know these things the best. Otherwise, you can just rehearse the interview with a friend who's willing to grill you and assess your answers.Here are a few other tips you will want to know before you show up for that interview and land that job.Communicate wellEven if the job you are applying for doesn't require you to be articulate (e.g. web developer, technician), it still pays to be vocal during the interview. Make eye contact with your job interviewer, give a firm handshake, stand tall, and speak clearly and audibly. Feel confident and you will have won half the battle already.Watch Your Body LanguageBody language can make or break your chances at your job interview. The first impression you make will be the one and only lasting one and can be an excellent beginning to your interview or a very swift finale. Watch your body language then. Sit straight, don't slouch, and be relaxed as much as possible. Pay attention to to the job interviewer's body language so you can adjust yours in synch with his or hers.Listen AttentivelyOut of fear and nervousness, many of us get mental blocks during an interview, a not-so-promising scenario (especially when being asked why we left our last job.) Remember that your interviewer is going to ask you tough questions, and your demeanor during the whole process says a lot about how you can handle stress at the workplace.Be attentive then. Of course if you are not attentive or cannot understand what your interviewer is trying to convey, you'll surely won't make it on the ‘short list.’
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Importance of Career Planning
Career means profession, which we want to adopt for earning livelihood, and planning means proper flow or to make proper decisions. Pre- planning in our life plays very important role in every aspect of life, to work in a proper flow, and pre-planning for career, which we want to pursue in our future ahead after acquiring certain level of degree is also very necessary in today’s competitive world.
According to the Thorndike dictionary
“A goal that you desire to achieve in a selected field or occupation with a well-thought out plan, to get you there is called Career Planning.”
The world is now moving very fast, and the time has come when this meritocratic society accepts only those, having right qualification and right skills. Olden days are gone, when just a degree would help an individual to get high profile job by giving bribe or using some other mean. Now it’s high time, when the transparency in job recruitment has taken place.
Challenges and competition are the part of today’s society, and therefore, Career Planning is the only task, which can guide us to do what we want to do in our life, rather than just aimlessly changing job all the time in future.
We have seen many Pakistani, who after completing Intermediate don’t know where to go, what to do and we have also seen graduates, who aimlessly do graduation without any specialization. As a result, they earns just in 6-8 figures.
Career Planning is one of the broader aspects of learning in our existence. We all have some intentions and we all think to have stability in our future lives, and for that purpose, CAREER PLANNING serves as a key to success.
Career Planning makes a person to think suitably about their positive and negative aspects. All about their interest, about their creativity becomes possible through proper analyzing ourselves.
Career Planning basically starts, when a person finishes Secondary/ Higher Secondary level of education. After that level, a person could opt for that educational degree, which would help them out to have a good job opportunity according to their skills at the right time.
Career Planning helps us to design and formulate our future smoothly. Like, If a person wants to be a banker, then he or she would choose to go for ACCA or CA or MBA in finance after completing Intermediate in commerce and Graduation in commerce/ business administration.. Else he/ she would go for CAT course or Masters in Commerce or even upto doctorate level.
This pre-planning would be effective and would give him/her benefits after achieving educational targets effectively. It also helps us to evaluate our own personality, which helps us to know that which kind of job would suit us according to our need and capabilities.
In short, Career Planning is like mapping our future.
Without proper planning, no one could think of getting a desired job in future.
Think what we want to do and finding out more about the kind of training, education, and skills we will need to achieve our career goal is the core objective of career planning. It help us knowing the nature of the jobs that interest us, such as educational requirements, salary, working conditions, fringe benefits, promotion chances, future prospectus, and help us focusing in the right dimension.
Career planning directs us, motivates us, and helps us to accomplish what we want. A career goal is a specific vision such as an architect or a teacher or a career goal can be a particular field, which we want to work in, such as Media, Education, Medicine, Engineering etc.
For those who will think about their future and career after completing education without any long term desired goals are the one, whose all attempt might end in smoke. There are some cases and situation, which bound a person to pre-plan in advance, such like family high family business status, lack of interest in studies or traditional job, low motivation, low financial status etc or some past educational traumas, which had made a person to plan after wards.
Career planning is a life time process we are always learning and growing, and as we do, our interests and needs also change. Career planning is not just making plans to obtain our career, but it also help us to make many adjustments there will be along the ways we learn throughout our lives.
Those who have successful careers like educators, business man, manager, pilot, architect, banker, doctor etc are the one, who has made their ways through proper guidance.
No doubt, that our parents have some wishes and expectations from us, but we have our own too. Therefore, we should also consider others opinion. For that we could take guidance from an educational counselor to get better guidance towards new dimensional fields as well. Teacher, professionals, career guidance websites, Head educational consultants can also guide us, to have a better approach for our future.
We must have freedom of speaking and freedom of choosing our career as we have to lead our lives which interest us. We must try to have an open mind in order to choose the right career on right time.
According to one renowned professor,
“Few of us like to opt for those degree courses, which their family or friend has advised them to adopt and this inappropriate knowledge trapped them into a great mistake and In this way, they are unable to get good job opportunities according to their interests. Only Proper Career Guidance would help an individual to be on the right path before hand. Few of us try to seek the right path and take guidance from family or teacher to tell them what is good for them, which career is in demand and which career suits their interest.”
The future is un-predictable, however, we could still make our place in this meritocratic world by making career goals and plans in advance, for getting better opportunities in todays pluralistic and globalize world. We must pre-plan our goals under the supervision of professionals in conscious state of mind, so that we could strategically maintain our goals and follow it towards the path of successful future.
Munir Moosa Sewani is one of the famous, prominent and creative name in the field of Education since 8 years. He is a Master Trainer In Special Education, Post Graduate, Teacher Educator and a Teacher. He is a Freelance Writer and Photographer too. He is an author of the famous self-published storybook for children named as "The MORAL STORIES FOR CHILDREN" and has also written Biology course book for Secondary Classes. He has written almost more than 20 articles on social, health, educational and cultural issues, which are internationally recognized and published in most of the famous world wide websites, magazines and newspapers. He is also a Social worker, private tutor, career counselor, musician, lyrics writer and have multi- dimensional talents. His future plan is to write dozens of informative books and articles and to work for education and media also, in order to develop the sense of understanding many dimensions of life through his creativity.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
13 Resume Mistakes That Can Cost You The Interview
1. A BLAND OR GENERIC OBJECTIVE: If your objective could be applied to a marketing resume as easily as a resume for an accounting position, then your objective says nothing and will get you nowhere. An objective is NOT some required paragraph at the top of the page that is an exercise in 5 lines of job speak. It's an actual and real description of your skills as they're related to who you are and what you want. It should vary with the type of job for which you are applying.
2. BLAND JOB DETAILS: "Responsibilities included overseeing construction of 4 Hilton Hotels in Tri-City Metro Area, each 50 floors in height." Yeah? So what? That doesn't say if they went up on schedule or if you brought the projects in under budget. It doesn't say if you took all four from site work up or if the guy handling two of the four hotels was fired and you were promoted to overseeing all four. Differentiate yourself from the others coming in to interview. If you don't tell the hiring company how you will be an asset to them, how will they know?
3. WHO'S THE MYSTERY COMPANY?: Don't assume the name and purpose of your company is common knowledge. If it's a competitor, it might be, and if it's in the same industry and located nearby, it might be. To be on the safe side, provide a sentence or two about the focus of your company's products or services.
4. ANOTHER JOB, ANOTHER PARAGRAPH: Don't keep adding on to your resume job after job, year after year. By the time you're in your 40s, you need to have weeded out some of the earlier stuff. You don't need all the college activities, just your degree. You don't need ALL 5 bullets for each of your first two jobs.
5. REFERENCES: Shouldn't be listed on your resume. "References available on request" is the proper phrase. You present them separately when they're requested. This isn't about protocol. This is about protecting your references so they aren't called until you and the company are serious about each other.
6. IT'S NOT A STORY!: Don't - whatever you do, DON'T - write your resume in the third person!
7. SKIP THE PERSONAL INFO: You might think your weekend baseball coaching or your church choir participation shows you're an interesting and well-rounded person, but they're irrelevant. If the interviewer wants to know who you are as a person, aside from the job interview and your qualifications, he'll ask.
8. DEGREE DATE: No matter how old you are, don't leave the date of when you were graduated off your resume. It looks like you're hiding something (well, you are, aren't you?), and then everyone counts the years backwards and tries to figure out how old you are. Sometimes you can be ruled out - just for leaving the date off. If you're trying to hide your age by not stating the date, what else might you not be forthcoming about?
9. SPELL CHECK, SPELL CHECK, SPELL CHECK: Spell checking visually by you AND someone else, any fewer than three times, isn't enough. And don't forget to check your punctuation.
10. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part one: Don't use one of those resume blaster things. Half those sites aren't even valid. You don't know how it will come out on the other end. You don't even know where it's going or if the landing targets are employment related. It's bad form and just....NOT the way to find your perfect job. Finding your perfect job takes focus, attention, detail, individuality, tailoring, specifics. Resume blasting is about as far from that as you can get.
11. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part two: If it's an ad, you probably have instructions as to how to send it. If it says email, cut and paste it in the form, AND attach it. You never know what it can look like on the other end because of the variety of settings available to each user. Quite frankly, you're better off not emailing it at all, because it usually just goes into cyber space, and then it's all about the hiring company - but unfortunately, besides not sending it at all, sometimes that's your only choice. Emailing your resume takes any option for further participation right out of your hands, because often there's not even a name given for a follow up contact. You've no other option than to wait and wonder. (And half the time it's going to HR or an admin department to be scanned into an electronic database.)
12. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part three: If you know the company, call and ask if they prefer email, fax, or snail mail. I know a recruiter who never even opened his email. Because he was listed in The Kennedy Guide to Executive Recruiters, he received so many resumes emailed to him cold (so NOT pro-active) that he just did a mass delete every morning. Candidates contacted for a specific search were requested to snail mail their resume to him. How about that? I'll bet less than 10% of those who emailed their resumes even bothered to follow up to see if it was received (this isn't a numbers game).
13. RESUME VISUALS: Ivory paper. Black ink. Individual pages. No plastic, 7th grade, science report cover with the plastic slider or metal push down tabs. Your name centered at the top, not on a cover page that says "Introducing Clifton Lewis Montgomery III". No exceptions. Your resume is a professional document, not a school book report or an art project. Until every resume is done this way, yours will still stand out in the crowd.
You are the product, and your resume is the marketing piece. To find your perfect job you must differentiate yourself from the other people who will be interviewed.
Your resume must be specific, individualized, easy to skim so it invites a closer reading, and focused on the differences you've made with your previous companies, as well as the accomplishments you've achieved with - and for - them. This tells the hiring company what you can do for them - and it IS about the hiring company, not you.
Of course this assumes you meet the requirements for the job - otherwise it doesn't matter how good your resume is! The resume is what gets you in the door. If your resume is poorly written, looks sloppy, is difficult to read, is cryptic in any way, or necessitates being slogged through to learn your information (they won't bother), you won't even get in the door. And how can you decide whether you like the company, if they've already decided they don't like you?
2. BLAND JOB DETAILS: "Responsibilities included overseeing construction of 4 Hilton Hotels in Tri-City Metro Area, each 50 floors in height." Yeah? So what? That doesn't say if they went up on schedule or if you brought the projects in under budget. It doesn't say if you took all four from site work up or if the guy handling two of the four hotels was fired and you were promoted to overseeing all four. Differentiate yourself from the others coming in to interview. If you don't tell the hiring company how you will be an asset to them, how will they know?
3. WHO'S THE MYSTERY COMPANY?: Don't assume the name and purpose of your company is common knowledge. If it's a competitor, it might be, and if it's in the same industry and located nearby, it might be. To be on the safe side, provide a sentence or two about the focus of your company's products or services.
4. ANOTHER JOB, ANOTHER PARAGRAPH: Don't keep adding on to your resume job after job, year after year. By the time you're in your 40s, you need to have weeded out some of the earlier stuff. You don't need all the college activities, just your degree. You don't need ALL 5 bullets for each of your first two jobs.
5. REFERENCES: Shouldn't be listed on your resume. "References available on request" is the proper phrase. You present them separately when they're requested. This isn't about protocol. This is about protecting your references so they aren't called until you and the company are serious about each other.
6. IT'S NOT A STORY!: Don't - whatever you do, DON'T - write your resume in the third person!
7. SKIP THE PERSONAL INFO: You might think your weekend baseball coaching or your church choir participation shows you're an interesting and well-rounded person, but they're irrelevant. If the interviewer wants to know who you are as a person, aside from the job interview and your qualifications, he'll ask.
8. DEGREE DATE: No matter how old you are, don't leave the date of when you were graduated off your resume. It looks like you're hiding something (well, you are, aren't you?), and then everyone counts the years backwards and tries to figure out how old you are. Sometimes you can be ruled out - just for leaving the date off. If you're trying to hide your age by not stating the date, what else might you not be forthcoming about?
9. SPELL CHECK, SPELL CHECK, SPELL CHECK: Spell checking visually by you AND someone else, any fewer than three times, isn't enough. And don't forget to check your punctuation.
10. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part one: Don't use one of those resume blaster things. Half those sites aren't even valid. You don't know how it will come out on the other end. You don't even know where it's going or if the landing targets are employment related. It's bad form and just....NOT the way to find your perfect job. Finding your perfect job takes focus, attention, detail, individuality, tailoring, specifics. Resume blasting is about as far from that as you can get.
11. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part two: If it's an ad, you probably have instructions as to how to send it. If it says email, cut and paste it in the form, AND attach it. You never know what it can look like on the other end because of the variety of settings available to each user. Quite frankly, you're better off not emailing it at all, because it usually just goes into cyber space, and then it's all about the hiring company - but unfortunately, besides not sending it at all, sometimes that's your only choice. Emailing your resume takes any option for further participation right out of your hands, because often there's not even a name given for a follow up contact. You've no other option than to wait and wonder. (And half the time it's going to HR or an admin department to be scanned into an electronic database.)
12. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part three: If you know the company, call and ask if they prefer email, fax, or snail mail. I know a recruiter who never even opened his email. Because he was listed in The Kennedy Guide to Executive Recruiters, he received so many resumes emailed to him cold (so NOT pro-active) that he just did a mass delete every morning. Candidates contacted for a specific search were requested to snail mail their resume to him. How about that? I'll bet less than 10% of those who emailed their resumes even bothered to follow up to see if it was received (this isn't a numbers game).
13. RESUME VISUALS: Ivory paper. Black ink. Individual pages. No plastic, 7th grade, science report cover with the plastic slider or metal push down tabs. Your name centered at the top, not on a cover page that says "Introducing Clifton Lewis Montgomery III". No exceptions. Your resume is a professional document, not a school book report or an art project. Until every resume is done this way, yours will still stand out in the crowd.
You are the product, and your resume is the marketing piece. To find your perfect job you must differentiate yourself from the other people who will be interviewed.
Your resume must be specific, individualized, easy to skim so it invites a closer reading, and focused on the differences you've made with your previous companies, as well as the accomplishments you've achieved with - and for - them. This tells the hiring company what you can do for them - and it IS about the hiring company, not you.
Of course this assumes you meet the requirements for the job - otherwise it doesn't matter how good your resume is! The resume is what gets you in the door. If your resume is poorly written, looks sloppy, is difficult to read, is cryptic in any way, or necessitates being slogged through to learn your information (they won't bother), you won't even get in the door. And how can you decide whether you like the company, if they've already decided they don't like you?
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