Interview Tips For Your Dream Job

The secret to ace-ing that job interview is in the preparation, rehearsal and most important of all... your attitude. Here are 11 powerful tips for a successful job interview :

Prepare and polish your resume and cover letter to perfection. Make sure to customize it to the requirements of the position you are applying for.

Find all the most difficult and stressful interview questions, write down your answers to them on paper, and practice answering those questions in front of the mirror, using an imaginary interview panel. Go over the interview rehearsal several times, until you come out smooth, natural and flawless. Again customize your answers from the point of view of the job description of the position you are applying for.

Also work out what possible objections the company could have to employing you and prepare your presentation from that angle... countering all objections even before they arise.

Prepare a set of intelligent questions that you will be asking your interviewer to show your interest and knowledge of the position.

Prepare your interview outfit beforehand and do a dress rehearsal... a professional outfit in line with the position you are applying for will work well.

Stalk out the location where you are supposed to go beforehand.

Rehearse the interview in your mind, see yourself walking into the office, see yourself introducing your self. see yourself answering questions positively, enthusiastically and persuasively. see yourself successful.

Arrive 5 minutes earlier for the interview... this will give you time to get comfortable with your surroundings.

Once the interview is over, thank the interviewers for the interview opportunity, tell them you found meeting them quite rewarding. Ask them if they need anything else from you. Finally, ask them how long should you wait for their response before you move on. Remember to do this with a friendly laugh in your voice.

In the days after the interview, when you are waiting for the response, wait with positive expectations and the belief that you did the best you could. Read some of my other articles on this page about how to unleash the power of attraction for your dream job Unleash the Power of Attraction For Your Dream Job.

Once you learn of the outcome, whether positive or negative... be thankful... Because you did the best you could, the outcome is in your best interest. You will do even better in the future.

The Interview - Be Focused

If you’re going to make the most of that opportunity, though, it’s important to go into the interview with a clear focus on what you want to do, the crucial information that you feel the interviewers should know, and how you want to come across. First of all, make sure you’re clear on the format for the interview. Who will be conducting the interview, and will it take any special form? Will you be asked to prepare any special material, or take part in any kind of psychometric testing or group exercises? Will there be second stage interviews for shortlisted candidates? It pays to make sure that you won’t encounter any surprises when you show up at the company’s headquarters.

Having done that, do your homework. One of the prime reasons for candidates being rejected at an interview is simply that they do not have a clear understanding of what the company does or where their role fits into that business plan. Explore their website, read up on their activities, and make sure that you are up to date with any current developments in your chosen field.

Perhaps most important of all is to prepare thoroughly and to be focused on what you want to say in the interview. If you were selling a product, you’d want to know what its main features were, the unique selling points that would make a customer want to rush out and buy it. The same is true of yourself. Read the job and personal specifications carefully, if they have been provided; think about how you will persuade the interviewers that you fit each of the criteria they’re looking for. Make a list of the main points of your CV that you’re keen to get across, and focus on how you will sell that CV when you are in the interview.

Everyone gets nervous before a big interview, but by focusing on your goals, you will find that they become exciting opportunities instead of trials.

Going for a Master's Degree? Here are some tips..

As if more evidence of the growing trend toward postgraduate education was needed, a recent study by the Anders-Clifton Group noted that the percentage of published job offerings requiring a master’s degree or above has increased by twenty percent over the last five years. For many students, the issue isn’t whether to pursue a master’s degree, but in which field. Business, technology, health care and the pharmacology are all safe bets considering their projected track records in the current climate, but what about students who have undergraduate educations outside of one of these staples?

Many fields that are appealing at the undergraduate level leave a lot to be desired at the postgraduate level. The earnings differential between bachelor and master’s degree holders can be minimal for specific degrees, barely covering the cost of education over the short term. For students with undergraduate majors who fall into this category, it’s often a better decision to pursue a business related master’s program regardless of undergraduate study.

Of course, not all educational pursuits are undertaken for better earnings or upward mobility. Still, the safety in a business related masters, such as an MBA, lies in that all undergraduate level employment opportunities outside of non-profit organizations are businesses first and companies of specialization second. In other words, because business is a part of any companies success, having a business education is the ultimate safety net.

Some master’s degree programs relegate students to finite employment possibilities, provided they intend to use their education in the job market. For fields with shortages of qualified personnel or low competition for available jobs, this can present an ideal situation. For fields with high competition for jobs, however, postgraduate educational tracts such as these can represent a loss of both tuition and time.

Though the typical master’s program represents only a two to three year time commitment, the cost of tuition has caused countless students to re-think their ambitions when it comes to postgraduate education. If post graduation earning potential and employment opportunities are of importance to those considering a master’s program, it pays to evaluate the likely outcome of all available options. Though it may mean added prerequisite coursework and a slightly longer time commitment, a degree with the power to elevate earnings and all but guarantee employment is a wise investment in time and money.

Strategies for Self-Introduction

The reason why we discuss self-introduction solely is because of no matter what form of interviews, it is must needs a self-introduction at first, as well as your self-introduction in the interview should leave the first impression to the interviewer, first impressions are shown to be very hard to change, so it is obviously that self-introduction is an very important stage of interview.

The duration of self-introduction would roughly about 1 minute to 2 minutes. Because most job seeker would prepare for self-introduction in advance, and should oral presentation in recitation, interviewer often browse your resume within these several minutes, observe the way of your expression, and look at which of your achievements are you most proud of. Even so, you should keep your eyes on the interviewer most of the time in the presentation, other than endorsement with your head bowed.

Self-introduces is the first stage of interview, there are several strategies should be considered. We summing up the strategies as " URBAN "(Unique, Relevant, Bonding, Arousing and Neat) which could be used on the self-introduction of an interview:

Unique

The purpose of self-presentation is to make you stand out from the other candidates in the first minutes. So the introduction must be unique!, think about which of your distinctive strong suit or experience should be unique. For example: If you have been living in poverty-stricken area about two months, to help people in the area, try to understand their perspectives, This kind of experience is necessary to be introduced in a self-interview.

Relevant

You should know: the interviewer merely wanted to know your personal experience and personal characteristics, and thus judge whether you satisfy the requirement of applying positions, So you should remove such irrelevance information in self-introduction, For example: maybe there are some important events in history happened on the day you were born, but this has no relationship with your future work, so you should not mention it at all in self-introduction.

Bonding

Interviewers are ordinary people like everyone else, they are also will tend to hire people who are similar to them or someone they liked. It is more difficulty to refuse a friend than a stranger, who would be willing to hire someone they are unwilling to work together in the future?, So you should doing investigation and collecting some information of the company before you attend interview, find out what of your characteristics will suit with the culture of the company, but you should not to fictional characters and incidents cater for the interviewer just for the sake of bonding. If they find out you don’t have the characteristics what your have calmed later, they will suspicion of your credibility and integrity.

Arousing

Although most of the self-introduction prepared in advance and would be recited out, the represent methods of recitation are also very crucial. Let us think about it, the interviewer listening to a dozen or even several dozens of self-introduction all day, most of recitation pretty monotonous and extreme boring, suddenly they heard a very emotional, very rich passionate self-introduction, It is naturally that the candidates should left a deeply impression to the interviewer. Therefore, you should not only prepare for the content of self-introduction, but also pay attention to your emotion and your tone of voice, the auditory effects should also play an important role in the interview.

Neat

Because of the self-introduction would finished within 1 or 2 minutes, time is very preciously, therefore the contents and represent methods should be concise. It is not necessary for you to involve in too many details, you should speak point-blank but not fussily. If a candidate making a self-introduction hum and haw, the interviewer could not expect he would give an outstanding representation in the rest of the interview.

It is necessary for you to record the tape of your self-introduction after writing and reciting it well, and besides, you’d better ask some friends to listen to it and offer some suggestions; you will prepare it in advance, while the interviewers know that you will be prepared, thus you should try your best to act it perfect.

Do not act as on-the-spot play deliberately during the interview, you will overdo if you haven’t done it well enough; while if you have done it well, the interviewers may think that you are not professional enough and you don’t pay too much attention to the company as you haven’t prepared your self-introduction. So please remember that the interviewers know that your self-introduction is prepared in advance.

Job Hunting Tips For Dummies

Finding a new career in today’s fast-paced world isn’t as easy as it looks. Though online job search engines are incredibly popular, sometimes it’s hard to know where to look or what to look for! One underlying issue of concern for job seekers is the vast number of applicants sent in each minute, every day.

No one has to wait for the Sunday classifieds section anymore in order to find the newest jobs…and an applicant on the East Coast may face competition from around the globe. When beginning your job search, consider the following hints to make your experience successful.

• Sign up for a site such as Careerbuilder’s job newsletter-you’ll receive access to newly posted jobs daily.

• In a job search box, enter in as many keywords as you can. If you’re looking for a marketing position, why not add ‘advertising’ and ‘sales’ to increase your search results?

• Check on the weekends: many job sites continuously post new openings-even on the weekends.

• If a job site allows you to post your resume, be sure to take advantage of it. This will increase your chances an employer will gloss by it.

• If you receive correspondence from a potential employer by email, follow it up with a thank you note. There is no real science behind landing a new job. It may be a matter of timing or even luck, in some instances. Utilizing the best job search engines such as Monster and Careerbuilder allow you to better your chances of finding a great career. StarReviews.com reports that Monster even gives you access to a career advice center and job-saturated marketplace. You have a great chance of finding your dream job on the Net, if you’re willing to put in the work.

Leadership Characteristics You Can Learn

They say leaders are born, hence it implies that the qualities of a leader can't be learned. I don't personally believe in that. The characteristics of a leader can be learned or even mastered. Leadership is sometimes described as a set of behaviors and you don't have to wait until you are a manager and leading a team before you pick up these traits. They will serve you well as you make your way to the top.

1.Focus On The Solution
Good leaders focus on the solution and never the problem. They do not let what has happened bother them because they know; they control the future by focusing on the present. This characteristic can be easily practiced at the junior level. When problem occurs, you don't have to be the leader but you can help the team focus on the solution.

2. Take First Person Responsibility
When things go wrong, leaders do not point fingers. They take first person responsibility for what has happened. They know they are ultimately responsible for the group’s result. If you begin to take first person responsibility, this leadership characteristic would develop into a habit. This habit would follow you as you grow into more important positions.

3. Lead By Example
The best leaders are those who practice what they preach. Ever seen a leader who wants everyone to come in early and does not do so himself/herself? How did that make you feel? Practice this characteristic when you are given small tasks. If you want your team to work hard you must first work hard yourself.

4. Share Glory With The Team
This leadership characteristic is perhaps tough to emulate especially when you are all trying to shine in your work. There is a tendency to horde all the credit for yourself. That’s not to say you should not take credit for work that is genuinely completed by yourself. But on projects that are team oriented, share the glory. People do not follow leaders who are selfish.


5. Deep Understanding Of Team Dynamics
This is another good leadership characteristic that you can develop from a junior level. Be a keen observer of human behavior. When you start to observe people, you learn about people’s strengths and weaknesses. What they are innately good at and what they aren’t. Once you develop this skill, you will be able to pick out the best task for the right people with the correct skills. Leaders understand team dynamics in such a way that they know the ‘hot buttons’ to push in order to get the best out of their people.

6.Excellent At Transferring Enthusiasm
Leaders have high energy levels. They do not only communicate well but they are able to transfer their enthusiasm to the team. Motivating the team to perform better than their perceived capability. Such leadership characteristics can be practiced especially when you receive a task that you may not feel entirely interested in. How do you do that? Try researching deeper into the task. Understand it. Understand your role in the bigger scheme of things. Understand your team’s role in achieving goals. When you get highly involved, you have a higher chance of being more enthusiastic about it. Then you can begin to get others interested.

7. Master In Communication
It is said that communication is an art. Practice this art and be a master in it. Good leaders understand that communication is a two way street. To motivate you must be able to listen to the spoken and unspoken concerns. This leadership characteristic builds trust and in the long run benefits the team as its members understand that there are no hidden agenda.

There are many leadership characteristics that you can learn and emulate even at a junior level. However, in my personal experience these leadership characteristics and skills are the easiest to practice and develop into a habit.

The opportunities to practice these leadership characteristics are abundant. You should start on some of these as you grow in your career.

Resume For Fresh Graduate - How Can You Make An Impressive One?

How can you craft an impressive resume if you don't have any work experience? This is a problem that is shared by all job hunters who recently graduated from a training program in their field. Even if you don't have that much information to include, you can craft an impressive resume for fresh graduate.

Granted, recent graduates do not have much work experience, but they have a lot of education. And that education is fresh and relevant to their field. Recent graduates often know more about state of the art technology and new ideas than veterans in the field. Use what you've learned to your advantage. Be sure to highlight the skills that you have learned in school.

Hobbies and interests can also be included on your resume. Be careful, though, to only use those hobbies and skill sets that are relevant to the position for which you are applying. Avoid creating an entire "hobbies" section. Instead, include the skills that you have gained from your hobbies and highlight those skills throughout your resume for fresh graduate.

Always include volunteer work. Volunteer work proves to your employer that you can work with others and that you can make a commitment to a cause and an organization. Many people try to work while they are in school in exchange for references and job experience that they can use to get a head start in their career.

Want to demonstrate how well you work with others? Include group activities and particularly tough class assignments on your resume. For example: If you had to create a product or perform a case study as part of your grade, you can include this if it is relevant to the job duties you will be required to perform if hired.

Even if your resume is noticeably lacking, you can make up for it in your cover letter. Your resume letter is your one chance to prove why you are the right person for the job. Show your potential employer why you can perform the job better than others regardless of how much experience you have. Use persuasive language, but avoid sounding pushy and arrogant.

Most colleges and some vocational schools offer employment services, meaning that they will help you prepare for a job interview. If your school offers this service, take advantage of it. Do not be afraid to ask for help writing a resume for fresh graduate.

3 Simple Tips To Overcome Procrastination

Procrastination is a deadly disease. It not only kills your time, but it also kills your dreams and your chances of success.

Which is why it is so essential for you to stop procrastination and make sure that you never ever even think about procrastinating. The easiest way to do this is every time you're faced with a big task that continues to send you into the procrastination land, I want you to look at the great big task and break it down into simple task.

1. Break Big and Scary Tasks into small ones.

Once you break a big task into simple tasks, it becomes so much easier. If you have a presentation to in a month look at the presentation and start breaking it down into pieces that have small definite goals. You could start working on the introduction or the graphics for the presentation now. So when the presentation comes around you are so much better prepared and effective.

2. Get organized.

Organizing your information is so important in our information age society. You need to be able to retrieve information at the instant you need it. The best way to do this is to spend some time getting organized. Set aside ten minutes every single day to work on organizing your files and your computer folders.

3. Just do it!

One of the easiest ways to break away from the habit of procrastination is to get into the habit of doing tasks the moment you think about them. Take action.

That is the easiest and the best way to stop procrastination.

You need to take action your goals even if things are not going as planned. Even if you are feeling tired and just want to take two minutes off. To do this if you're feeling lazy or if don't want to do something, just get up from your chair and move around.

It creates a new energy flow in the body and passes signals to your mind that the body is ready for some action. This is a very simple technique and it allows you to get back to work and be more effective.

Writing Down Your Goals

Every person should write down his or her goals. Business goals, personal goals, income goals, and what ever you want to achieve in your life. If you want to achieve something in your life, don't just think about it.

Having a goal sitting in your head may not help that much. Every book says that you need to write down your goals. First thinking about the goal is a good way to start but again, you need to write it down as soon as you think about it. What is it that you want to accomplish?

Think about this in your mind and come up with the exact goal that you want to get. For example, let's look at a person who wants to earn $1000 in the next 30 days. Here is what he or she needs to do. First step is to write down the goal of earning $1000 in the next 30 days. So that's done. Good.

Next what you will want to do is to write how you are going to achieve this goal. You should figure out by now that you will want to find someone who has already done this before. Having a burning desire will also help you get to your goal.

Write down why you want to achieve this goal. For some, it is just having that extra income to help them pay for a car payment. For others, it may be that they want to save money. What ever your goals are, write down why you want to achieve them.

Another point to consider is to have complete faith in yourself and your desired goals. You need to have faith because if you don't, you may not achieve your goals at all. You may have written them down, but it means nothing if you kick out your belief of achieving this goal from your "belief" system that is sitting there somewhere in your head. You need to have faith that you can reach any goal that you set.

After you achieve a particular goal, don't forget to give yourself a pat on the back. Give yourself some sort of a reward. Once you achieve your first goal, you can accomplish any of your future goals in life. It should give you some sort of motivation to write more and more goals down.

Now, what would happen if you don't reach your goal? This can happen to anyone who sets goals. The best thing that you will need to do is to learn from this situation and think what you can do next time to achieve that goal.

If you fail once, try again. If you fail the second time, then try again until you reach your desired goal. But don't take the same action. Learn what you did wrong in the first trial and try something different.

7 Easy Ways That Will Help You Develop Your Self Esteem

People suffering from poor self esteem don't think they can reach a goal and may not even attempt it. Doubts and negativity are the trademark signs of low self esteem and they would therefore never find out if they would have been a success or not. Developing self esteem seems simple enough to achieve but it is not that easy and requires a dedicated approach if one suffering from poor self esteem is to succeed.

Having a healthy self esteem goes a long way to assisting us achieve our goals through positive thinking and positive action. All of us wish for a happy and successful life. Those suffering from poor self esteem don't think they can achieve a goal and may not even attempt it. Doubts and negativity are the trademark signs of low self esteem. If you seriously wish to live a life filled with contentment and happiness, then you need to possess a healthy dose of self esteem.

So what are the things you should do to enhance your self esteem? Here are some tips which might help you develop your confidence.

1. Be a Winner
If you tell yourself you are a winner you will come to believe it and will have taken one leap further in developing self esteem. Considering yourself a winner rather than a loser will make you feel great and thus bolster your self esteem. If you think you are a winner and successful you already halfway to achieving your goal.

2. Turns Anxious Thoughts into Positive Thoughts
Other ways of developing positive self esteem include learning to turn anxiety into positive thinking, learning from your mistakes and to turn mistakes into chances for further self-improvement and making it a point to be in the company of those who bring out the best in you rather than associating with those who make you do the wrong things and do not give you the credit and encouragement you deserve.

3. Make Positive Thoughts the Norm.
The first step to take with regard to developing positive self esteem is to consciously try to think in a positive manner. Much of the success of the points below stem from positive thinking. If you are one who is in need of developing self esteem, you should take heart from the fact that it is certainly possible and also quite simple to achieve your goals though at the same time it is not very easy to achieve.

4. Don't Doubt Success
If you stop doing something before you have really tried because you doubt yourself you may be suffering from low self esteem. Having doubts about your own abilities is a very common symptom of low self esteem. This is the point where you have to have strong positive thoughts and be able to tell yourself that you are totally capable of succeeding and that you could actually do the job better than another individual.

5. Don't Be Negativity
"Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power" by Shirley MacLaine.

There is nothing as true as the quote above. A key point to developing self esteem is to consciously stop yourself from negative thinking from dawn until the minute you go to sleep at night. Cast aside all negative thoughts from your mind and think positively, you will be surprised how quickly you can turn your thoughts around.

6. Search for Your Real Self
Take some steps to discover your real self. Some other simple steps that you can take with regard to developing self esteem knowing just what you can succeed at and what will make you fail and in addition. You will be able to take responsibility for your own actions.

7. Encourage Encouragement
Lastly, developing self esteem also means eliminating all thoughts that can damage your self-esteem and instead you should concentrate only on finding some means to get encouragement and this is best achieved through thinking positively. Again, hanging out with those who will offer you encouragement for your actions will help you every step of the way.

Things You Should Do When You're Invited To A Job Interview

The moment when you are called and invited to a job interview is often your first real contact with an employer. Often, it will be a receptionist and not the interviewer who calls to schedule the interview. Do keep in mind though, that people are making decisions about your suitability for that job at each stage of the hiring process, so do take steps to make a great first impression at this stage of your job search.

• Be sure to get the correct date, time and location of the interview.
  Write down all of this information as it is relayed to you and repeat it back to the receptionist to ensure it's correct.
  

• Ask what you should bring to the job interview.
  If the receptionist indicates that there is nothing in particular that you should bring, be sure to come prepared with extra copies of job search documents such as your resume, cover letter, diplomas, job performance reviews, reference letters, and your reference sheet. Also bring a professional looking portfolio or folder to carry everything, a couple of pens and a pad of paper for making notes.

• Determine approximately how long the interview will be.
  Simply say to the receptionist something like, "How long should I set aside for the interview?" That way you can avoid scheduling other obligations too soon after the interview. Also, be sure to set aside more time than you're told. Interviews often run a bit late or go long, so if you're told the interview will be thirty minutes, be sure to clear your schedule for at least an hour.

• Get the names of your interviewer(s).
  Simply ask, "Who will be interviewing me?" Be sure to make a note of the name(s) of the person or people who will be interviewing you and bring that note to your job interview. Asking for this information is helpful for two reasons:
  
  
  It will help you to avoid the awkwardness of forgetting the interviewer's name. This happens to almost everyone, particularly in stressful situations; someone introduces themselves, and you immediately forget their name. If you've written the interviewer's name down ahead of time, you'll have it right there in writing, so you won't forget.
  
  
  Also, this strategy is an easy way to find out whether you will be having a panel interview. If the receptionist mentions only one name, you'll most likely be having a one to one interview. If, however, the receptionist lists the names of three people who will be interviewing you, you'll know that your interview will be with a panel, and you can mentally prepare for that type of interview.

• It's fine to ask for the company name if you don't have that information.
  This awkward situation can arise when someone calls to invite you to a job interview without mentioning the name of the company. You may hesitate to ask the name of the company out of fear that a question like that will make a bad impression. However, if you have applied to several jobs and you're not sure which one this is, or as is often the case, the employer did not post the company name in the job advertisement, it's fine to say something like, "I don't believe the company name was noted in the job advertisement..." and then simply ask for the name of the company.
  
  Typically in a situation like this, they are not testing you, they are just thinking of things from their perspective and not yours, so they have simply forgotten that you don't know the name of the company.
  

• Be friendly, professional and polite.
  The person who calls to schedule your interview may not have the authority to hire you, but often everyone you have contact with during the interview process will be asked to provide input on your suitability for the job. Be sure to put your best foot forward at each point of contact with the company.
  
  

• Try to go last, or near the end of the interviews if you're given a choice of several interview times.
  The last person interviewed is often the one who is remembered best. Also, interviewers often get better at interviewing for a particular job as they go through several candidates.
  
  Particularly if you will be dealing with someone who doesn't have a lot of experience interviewing job candidates (which is common), the interviewers will ask better questions as they go through the process. For example, they may not ask the first candidate specifically about certain skills that are important, and therefore they may assume that person doesn't have those skills if they are not discussed in the interview. As the interviewers realize this, they will ask about those things in subsequent interviews

Remember these tips to make a great first impression when you're invited to your next job interview. This is your first real contact with someone from the company. Make sure it is positive!

Tips for success

Bill Gates himself offers 11 slices of wisdom for teenagers.

Now Bill Gates has clocked off for the last time, he needs to fill his days somehow. What better way than by giving speeches to American high-school kids? That's what I'd do if I am a retired billionaire. Obviously.

Here are 11 tips he recently gave to teach teenagers how to survive in the real world. I'm just quite unsure if following them will guarantee you unimaginable riches. Still, worth a try.

My favourite has to be number 3.

RULE 1: Life is not fair. Get used to it!

RULE 2: The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

RULE 3: You will NOT make £30,000 a year right out of high school.

RULE 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait 'till you get a boss.

RULE 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: opportunity.

RULE 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes - learn from them.

RULE 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills and listening to you talk about how cool you are.

RULE 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT.

RULE 9: Life is not divided into terms. You don't get summers off, and very few employers are interested in helping you 'find yourself'. Do that in your own time.

RULE 10: TV is not real life. In real life, people have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

RULE 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

The Unemployment Crisis

“When I lost my job, I felt as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over me. My self-esteem suffered terribly.”—Tony, Germany.

“I felt as though a heavy stone had been placed upon my head. As a single parent, I worried about how I would feed my two children and pay my bills.”—Mary, India.

“I was very discouraged when I lost my job, and I was anxious about whether I would be able to find another one.”—Jaime, Mexico.

WORLDWIDE, millions are enduring the same plight as Tony, Mary, and Jaime. About the turn of this century, it was estimated that 10 percent of the workforce in Europe and Central Asia—some 23 million people—were looking for work. In some less-developed lands, more than a quarter of the labor force is without paid employment. In the United States, “nearly 2.6 million jobs have disappeared over all during the last 28 months,” declared The New York Times in July 2003.

In many lands the search for employment presents serious obstacles. For example, each year a tidal wave of high-school and college graduates floods the job market. In addition, having a degree or specialized training is no guarantee that one will find work in a chosen profession. Thus, it is now quite common for people to change jobs several times during their working life. Some even have to change careers entirely.

If you find yourself unemployed, what can you do to improve your chances of finding work? And once you find a job, what can you do to keep it?

An article based from the July 8, 2005 issue of the Awake! magazine

Five Keys to Finding a Job

WHO obtains the best job? Is it always the most qualified applicant? “No,” says Brian, an employment consultant. “The job often goes to the most effective job seeker.” What can you do to become a more effective job seeker? Let us consider five suggestions.

• Be Organized - If you have lost a good job or have been unemployed for some time, it is easy to become downhearted. “When I first lost my job, I was optimistic about finding another one,” says Katharina, a dressmaker in Germany. “But as the months dragged on and I was unable to find work, I became depressed. Eventually, I even found it hard to talk about the subject with my friends.”
  
  How can you counteract feelings of hopelessness? “It is crucial that you establish your own ‘workday’ schedule so that you start your day knowing what is to be done,” suggests the book Get a Job in 30 Days or Less. The authors recommend that you “set daily goals and record what you have done.” In addition, they say that “each day must start with your getting dressed for work.” Why? “Being dressed properly will give you added confidence even when talking on the telephone.”
  
  Yes, you must make it your job to find a job, no matter how long it takes. Katharina, mentioned earlier, adopted this businesslike approach. She says: “I obtained the addresses and phone numbers of prospective employers from the employment office. I responded to newspaper ads. I studied the phone book and made lists of companies that might have jobs that were not yet advertised, and then I contacted them. I also compiled a résumé and sent it to these companies.” After such systematic searching, Katharina found a suitable job.

• Access the Hidden Job Market - The fisherman with the largest net is the one most likely to catch fish. So, too, your knowing how to increase the size of your “net” will improve your chances of landing a job. If you are looking for work only by responding to newspaper or Internet advertisements, the majority of available jobs may be slipping past your net. A good number of jobs are never advertised. How can you gain access to this hidden job market?
  
  In addition to responding to advertisements, like Katharina you must set aside time each week to call on businesses that you think may have jobs you can do. Do not wait for them to advertise positions. If a manager says that he has no work, ask him if he knows where else you might look and specifically to whom you should speak. If he offers a suggestion, make an appointment with that company, stating the name of the person who referred you.
  
  Tony, mentioned in the preceding article, found a job this way. “I took the initiative to contact companies even though they were not advertising,” he explains. “One company said that there were no vacancies at present but that I should try again in three months. I did, and I obtained a job.” You can also ask your friends, family, and other associates to help you access the hidden job market. This is how Jacobus, a safety officer in South Africa, found a job. He says: “When the company I worked for went out of business, I let friends and family know that I was looking for work. One day a friend of mine overheard a conversation while in line at a supermarket. One woman was asking another if she knew of anyone looking for work. My friend interrupted and told the woman about me. An appointment was arranged, and I got the job.”

• Produce an Effective Résumé - For those applying for executive positions, compiling and distributing a professional résumé is a must. But no matter what job you seek, a well-prepared résumé can be a great asset. “A résumé tells potential employers not only who you are but also what you have accomplished and why they need you,” says Nigel, an employment consultant in Australia.
  
  How do you compile a résumé? Provide your full name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. State your objective. List the education you have received, highlighting any training and skills that relate to the job you are seeking. Provide details of previous work experience. Include not only what you did but also examples of the goals you reached and the benefits you brought to your previous employers. Also highlight aspects of your previous employment that qualify you for the job you are currently seeking. Include personal information that describes your qualities, interests, and hobbies. Because companies’ needs differ, you may have to adjust your résumé for each application.
  
  Should you produce a résumé if you are applying for your first job? Yes! There may be many things you have done that qualify as work experience. For example, do you have hobbies, such as woodworking or perhaps fixing up old cars? These can be listed. Have you engaged in any volunteer work? List the type of volunteer work you have done and the goals you have achieved.
  
  When you cannot obtain an interview with a prospective employer, leave a small card—preferably four inches by six inches [10 cm by 15 cm]—containing your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address, as well as a brief summary of your skills and accomplishments. On the back of the card, if appropriate, you could even put a photo of yourself or of you with your family. Distribute this card to all those who might help you find work, asking them to hand it to anyone they know who is offering the type of work you are seeking. When a potential employer sees this card, he may grant you an interview—perhaps leading to a job!
  
  Preparing a résumé will help you feel more in control as you search for work. Nigel, mentioned earlier, says: “Writing a résumé helps you organize your thoughts and goals. It also builds your confidence by helping you prepare for potential questions you may be asked during a job interview.”

• Prepare Well for Your Interviews - What is involved in preparing for an interview? You may want to research the company you hope to work for. The more you know about the company, the better the impression you will make during the interview. Your research will also help you determine whether the company really has the kind of work you want or is one you want to work for.
  
  Next, think about what you will wear to the interview. If the job you seek involves manual labor, wear appropriate neat, clean clothing. Neat dress and grooming tell the prospective employer that you take pride in yourself and are thus more likely to take pride in your work. If you are hoping to work in an office, choose modest clothing that is considered suitable business attire where you live. Nigel says: “Choose your clothes long before you are due to attend your interview so that you don’t feel rushed and unnecessarily increase your levels of stress prior to the interview.”
  
  Nigel also recommends arriving for your interview about 15 minutes early. Of course, arriving too early is not wise. But arriving late could be disastrous. Experts say that the first three seconds of your interview are crucial. During that brief time, the interviewer makes assessments about your appearance and your bearing that deeply influence his or her opinion of you. If you are late, you will make an overwhelmingly negative impression. Remember, there are no second chances to rectify first impressions.
  
  Remember, too, that the interviewer is not your enemy. After all, he likely had to apply for his job, so he knows how you feel. In fact, he may be nervous, since he may have received little or no training on how to conduct an interview. In addition, if the interviewer is the employer, he may have much to lose if he chooses the wrong person for the job.
  
  To start off well, smile and give the interviewer a firm handshake if that is the customary greeting. During the interview, concentrate on what the employer needs from you and what you have to offer. Regarding things to avoid, Nigel says: “Don’t fidget or slouch—good posture conveys confidence. Don’t be too informal or overly talkative, and definitely do not use profanity. Also, avoid being negative about your former employers and workmates—if you are negative about them, the interviewer will likely feel you will be negative about this job too.”
  
  Regarding things to do and say during the interview, experts recommend the following: Maintain eye contact with the interviewer, use natural gestures when you speak, and articulate clearly. Be concise and honest when answering questions, and ask relevant questions about the company and the prospective job. At the end of the interview, if you still want the job, ask for it. Doing so will show your enthusiasm.
  
  By following the suggestions outlined above, you may soon have a job.

Article based on July 8, 2005 of the Awake! magazine

10 Tips For Office Etiquette

We all like our own space, even if we're not in it for much of the time. We mark out our territory at work, and expect others to keep out. What makes you quietly seethe behind your PC? According to a survey by the Sharp Consultancy, 42 per cent of us find bad manners the most annoying office habit. So here are 10 ways to keep office life happy.

1. Brrring, brrrring.
It's very distracting to have to constantly answer other people's phones if they haven't diverted them or activated their voicemail. It's just as annoying to listen to 20 seconds of "Crazy Frog" as the ringtone on someones mobile.

2. Respect colleagues having lunch at their desk.
You're sitting there quietly eating a sandwich and perhaps reading a book or a newspaper, when someone decides to come up and ask work-related questions. Treat others on their lunch break as youd like to be treated on yours.

3. Monitor your speaking volume.
People always tend to speak louder than necessary when on a mobile, so make sure you pipe down or go into the corridor. Talking to a friend from the phone on your desk? No-one else wants to hear your conversation about how you dumped your boyfriend or what you're planning to wear when out tonight. Especially your boss.

4. Be mindful of others needing the printer.
"Printer etiquette" is a phrase used widely in South Australia. It refers to giving preferential treatment to workers printing only one page at a time, ahead of those using half an hour and half a forest to print out large documents.

5. Be sensitive about smells.
Limit strong perfume, excessive body odour, and very fragrant flowers -- all of which can offend others. Hot take-away food and instant soups can also be very unpleasant, especially if you're twenty floors up and relying on air-conditioning rather than being able to open the windows.

6. Be tidy in the kitchen.
Remember when your mum would say, "Do you think this is a hotel?" Similarly, at work, no-one wants to have to tidy up after your mess. Don't leave food on the counter or dirty dishes in the sink for extended periods of time. And check the fridge now and again to make sure the cheese you bought last month hasnt sprouted a green disguise.

7. Keep your music to yourself.
Roger Tullgren, in Sweden, managed to convince three psychologists that his compulsion to listen to music at work should be classified as a disability. He's now been given a dispensation to play music "really loudly" at his new job as a part-time dishwasher in a restaurant. However, not everyone at your office will be keen to hear your latest discovery, so keep the volume non-existent by wearing headphones.

8. Stay home with the sniffles.
You may feel you should be applauded for bravely soldiering into work when ill, but no-one else will. A Kimberly-Clark report found 94 per cent of workers admitting they still turn up for work when experiencing cold and flu symptoms. Eighty-five per cent of these think about the risk of passing on their illness to colleagues but go in anyway. If you absolutely must appear, be considerate and use tissues and wash your hands frequently to reduce the spread of germs.

9. Ask before borrowing.
Like Gareth in "The Office", some people are fiercely protective of their office supplies. How many times have you been on a scavenger hunt to track down borrowed pens, staplers and scissors?

10. Be on time.
According to a report by the BBC, two-out-of-three people regularly turn up late for meetings. What message does it give to people if you're always late, cancel at short notice or chat with others while a meeting is going on? Showing respect and tact in the workplace will help you build productive relationships.

Avoiding bad manners at work is such a simple thing to do and can have a dramatic impact on improving your working environment and your relationships with others.

Article based on career builders, http://www.careerbuilder.co.uk/UK/JobSeeker/CareerAdvice/ViewArticle.aspx