How JibberJobber and Pluralsight Help Veterans and Job Seekers

How JibberJobber and Pluralsight Help Veterans and Job Seekers Its obvious that JibberJobber is all about empowering job seekers in their search, and with their networking.  You might not know that Pluralsight is helping job seekers, too.  If you want a 30 day unrestricted pass to Pluralsight, check out the short video on this page.  You can watch all of my videos, as well as any of the 3,000+ videos in the library, at no cost.  I would say the value of this is priceless, or at least worth hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars, but the normal list price for Pluralsight videos is only $30/month. Anyway, check out this partnership announcement: White House Demo Day: Pluralsight partners with TechHire to give $20M in free courses. My friends at Pluralsight went to D.C. and met with White House people and announced twenty million dollars of freeness they are giving away.  That is to help people in their careers, and that is awesome! Also, check out what they are doing for USAR Soldiers, direct family members, and veterans: 50% off Pluralsight â€" we’ve got your six!  I think this is a great start to helping this audience transition to civilian jobs, and help their family members. At JibberJobber weve been doing this for nine years, and it was awesome for me to learn that Pluralsight has similar initiatives! How JibberJobber and Pluralsight Help Veterans and Job Seekers Its obvious that JibberJobber is all about empowering job seekers in their search, and with their networking.  You might not know that Pluralsight is helping job seekers, too.  If you want a 30 day unrestricted pass to Pluralsight, check out the short video on this page.  You can watch all of my videos, as well as any of the 3,000+ videos in the library, at no cost.  I would say the value of this is priceless, or at least worth hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars, but the normal list price for Pluralsight videos is only $30/month. Anyway, check out this partnership announcement: White House Demo Day: Pluralsight partners with TechHire to give $20M in free courses. My friends at Pluralsight went to D.C. and met with White House people and announced twenty million dollars of freeness they are giving away.  That is to help people in their careers, and that is awesome! Also, check out what they are doing for USAR Soldiers, direct family members, and veterans: 50% off Pluralsight â€" we’ve got your six!  I think this is a great start to helping this audience transition to civilian jobs, and help their family members. At JibberJobber weve been doing this for nine years, and it was awesome for me to learn that Pluralsight has similar initiatives!

Actionable Advice For Female Creatives Who Want to Grow a Business - Classy Career Girl

Actionable Advice For Female Creatives Who Want to Grow a Business Naomi Mdudu International Speaker Business Coach www.thelifestyleedit.com Actionable Advice For Female Creatives Who Want to Grow a Business Naomi Mdudu is an international speaker, business coach for female entrepreneurs, and the founder and CEO of The Lifestyle Edit, The Toolkit For Creative Working Women. The Lifestyle Edit was born to offer a platform that not only celebrates the dynamic female founders and executives that make things happen behind the scenes at the many of the lifestyle businesses we all know and love. But more importantly, to create a space where these women can talk candidly about their journeys and share actionable advice that our community of female creatives can take away and immediately action in their lives. Subscribe  on  your favorite platform below: iTunes Google Play Music Stitcher Radio TuneIn iHeartRadio Sound Cloud Some questions I asked: What have you learned by talking with founders about their journeys? What advice can female creatives take away? Why did you decide to bootstrap the business (and why we’re glad we did)? How do you build and manage a remote team when you’ve never managed anyone and managing clients between two cities? Why is it crucial to redefine  success on your own terms and understand  your why. Episode Resources: Website: www.thelifestyleedit.com/work-with-us/

A Professionally Edited Résumé Wins - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

A Professionally Edited Résumé â€" Wins - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career There are two steps to take before you’ll get that job offer. The first is to create a résumé. An attractive and intriguing résumé will generate an invitation for an interview. The second step is to convince the interviewer you’re the ideal candidate. Unfortunately, though, most people fail in the first step. The reason is that in today’s super competitive job market, only candidates whose résumés are truly outstanding will generate further interest. Mostâ€"if not allâ€"of those who prepare their own résumé find it deficient based on the fact and evidence that they get no calls. Therefore, ultimately, many turn to a professional résumé writer. But there’s a viable alternative that may be the better choiceâ€"and significantly less costly. And that is a professional résumé editor. To make my point, I asked Paula of EditAmerica.com to provide me with brief before-and-after portions of a résumé she recently edited. The readability, editorial integrity, and clarity of thought and expression are markedly improved in the edited version. I recommend such an editorial service for job seekers who cannot afford a professional résumé writer. Take a look at the example. RÉSUMÉ’S ORIGINAL SUMMARY PARAGRAPH Idea generator, communicator and problem solver. A business analyst experienced in bringing together the user community and the Information Technology teams to focus on establishing or identifying common goals and implementing satisfactory solutions. Have achievements in circulation, advertising, transportation, dealer contracts and cost containment arenas. Ability to translate user needs into requirements, and requirements into actionable projects.   RÉSUMÉ’S REVISED, EDITED SUMMARY PARAGRAPH Seasoned idea generator, communicator, and problem solver. A business analyst offering expertise in skillfully uniting user communities with information technology teams so the two can focus on the determination and establishment of common goals and then on implementation of satisfactory solutions. Verifiable achievements in circulation, advertising, transportation, dealer contracts, and cost containment arenas. Additional proficiency in translating user needs into requirements, and requirements into actionable projects.   Remember that a person whose job is to read résumésâ€"and make decisions about candidacy and whether or not to call in applicants for interviewsâ€"has only limited time. In 10 to 30 seconds, the screener decides. And if your résumé is not appealing, clear, and communicative regarding how your skills, accomplishments, and strengths can help the prospective employer’s organization, then the next candidate’s perhaps is. DIY, or do-it-yourself, projects sometimes make sense and save money. But this one, involving résumé refinement, requires both in-depth editorial expertise and years of editorial experience. Why are famous artists’ works so much more attractive than those of most others in the same field? You know the answer!

Whats the Difference Between Myers Briggs and DISC

Whats the Difference Between Myers Briggs and DISC Lets say today you were finally done treading water in a job that didnt really make you happy. You go to a career coach and the first thing they suggest is you take a personality assessment so you can better understand what kind of work will appeal to you.   And its likely that theyll recommend one of two choices; DISC or MBTI (Myers-Briggs). Myers Briggs rings a bell, so you might bite on that.   But are you making a mistake?   Is there something DISC offers that could do a better job of solving your career challenge? Both assessments have their strengths and weaknesses, and one isnt necessarily better than another.   It all comes down to two things. Whats the problem you are trying to solve?   And whats the best tool for solving it? So lets get started. Origins of MBTI and DISC The origins of these two assessments are strikingly similar.   They both come from shared roots which then branched out and were expanded on by modern day scientists. And just to note, several versions and variations have been created for each of these tools.   So well try to compare them as closely as we can to the science behind them and less on individual versions of each of these systems. MBTIs Origins The foundation of todays Myers-Briggs assessments come from the research Dr Carl Jung did in the early 20th century.   One of his most notable theories was his work in defining introversion and extroversion as its popularly understood today. Dr. Jungs research largely intended to explain both the conscious and unconscious forces affecting behavior and to identify the core personality traits that differentiate among people.   He did this through separating behavior into three bipolar dimensions. Extroverted (E) vs Introverted (I) Sensing (S) vs Intuition (N) Thinking (T) vs Feeling (F) Myers and Briggs added to Jungs three existing elements a fourth one. Judging (J) vs Perceiving (P) Myers and Briggs refined the instruments for measuring these behaviors into 93 forced based questions which make up the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ®. DISCs Origins Like MBTI, the science behind DISC also took inspiration from Jungs work.   His research on extroversion and introversion were the basic fundamentals of explaining human behavior. Dr. Marston expanded on these studies with a desire to explain how normal human emotions lead to behavioral differences among people as well as to changes in a persons behavior from time to time.   And in addition, to take these behaviors of an individual and understand their implications in interpersonal relationships. Marston similarly to Jung, created a four dimension system for measuring a persons behaviors.   His included the following. Dominance (D) Inducement (I) Steadiness (S) Compliance (C) Since Marstons work in the 30s and 40s several modern day companies and scientists have updated his methods and findings to fit with the current patterns and observations reflected in todays work environment. Bill Bonnstetter, the developer of TTIs popular DISC assessment is one of the most recognized contributors to this field and its his modern day DISC assessment that I will use as an example. What is DISC MBTI Before we can dive right into looking at the differences between the worlds two most popular personality assessments, it helps if we understand what they are to begin with. DISC DISC is often referred to as the universal language of observable human behavior. The reason behind this is that in every culture studied, the DISC model has been found to be valid (Bonnstetter).   Whether you speak English or Swahili, the tools and science behind DISC can be used transparently. Often times when describing DISC, people will start with what DISC is not.   It is not a measurement of emotional intelligence, personal intelligence, motivations, or education and training.   Its also not a measurement of ones experience, personal skills, or world view. What DISC does measure is HOW you do what you do.   It is a measure of ones OBSERVABLE behavior.   And lastly, it is a neutral language.   Meaning, there are no good or bad behavior styles in the DISC method. The meat of todays DISC is in the four dimensions that categorize behavior. Dominance (How you respond to problems and challenges) Influence (How you influence others to your point of view) Steadiness (How you respond to pace of environment) Compliance (How you respond to rules and procedures set by others) The level of each of these dimensions determines what DISC style you have.   Your style is often noted by whichever dimension you scored highest in, followed by any other dimensions that were above the energy line as well. For example, if people asked what style I was on DISC, Id tell them Im a C.   But because my S and I are also above that energy line in the center, I can mention Im a C/S or a C/S/I if I liked. Because you can score within a wide range of numbers under each style, theres a lot of depth to each individuals score.   A certified professional behavioral analyst could look at your graph and describe you fairly accurately. Lastly, DISC differentiates itself from personality assessments further by delving into the interpersonal relationships side of behaviors.   Meaning, those trained in reading these tools can compare two contrasting DISC reports and predict rather accurately where conflict or harmony could arise.   Using this insight, coaches can then help individuals or teams recognize these differences or similarities and turn them into assets. MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) The MBTI works on illuminating the way you think and deal with information internally.   Picture it as the way you think about the world around you. Jung measured this using the bipolar dimensions mentioned earlier, by having two dimensions scored in an either or format. Differing from DISCs method of measuring levels of each style, Jung believed, that while both facets of a bi-polar dimension are present in personality, one is emphasized more than the other.   In fact, an individual may use one consciously and with deliberate intention, while the other influences behavior only unconsciously. The four dimensions are described as follows. 1.   Extroversion (E) vs Introversion (I): Individuals pay more attention to either the external world of objects (extroversion), or the inner world of ideas and feelings (introversion). 2.   Sensing (S) vs Intuiting (N): Individuals naturally prefer to use one of two functions. Either sensing what the objective facts are (reality) or intuiting relationships and possibilities (imagination). 3.   Thinking (T) vs Feeling (F): Individuals process and evaluate information one of two ways.   Either by using logic and objectivity (thinking) or subjectivity and personal values (feeling). 4.   Judging (J) vs Perceiving (P):   Individuals deal with the outside world two different ways.   Either you prefer structure and firm decisions (judging) or you prefer a world thats more open, flexible, and adaptable (perceiving). via myersbriggs.org After answering 93 of these force based, either/or questions you are given the initials that correspond to your results. For example, if I had scored more frequently than the counterpart in Extroversion, Intuiting, Thinking, and Judging, my MBTI would be ENTJ. There are a total of 16 types a person can be and they are all fairly well documented if you wanted to learn more about your style. The Differences So what are the biggest differences between DISC and MBTI.   Lets talk about them below. 1. MBTI has 16 types DISC has 384+ The chart above showed you the 16 possible types an MBTI could define a person as.   This number is fairly straight forward to come to since for each dimension theres only two possible outcomes. Four dimensions squared for the two possible outcomes, gets you 16 combinations. DISC is a bit more complicated.   Since a person could score anywhere from 0 to 100 for each of the D, I, S, and C styles this leads to over 20,000 combinations when you compare all four dimensions at once.   However, TTI found that 99% of the population tended to fit into 384 combinations (Bonnstetter). TTI has simplified this further by creating a visual wheel of the 60 most popular combinations and where they line up in the quadrant system. Copyright Target Training International 2013 2. Think vs Act Dr. Russell J. Watson, a behavior researcher, when asked about the difference between DISC and Myers-Briggs said it comes down to thinking versus acting. The MBTI illuminates ways of thinking and dealing with information internally.   That is, how we think about the world around us.   DISC illuminates ones behavioral style, that is, HOW we do what we do.   We could ask a sales manager: What is most important for you to know about your salespeople?   What they think about internally, or how they sell your products?   We could ask a customer service manager: What is most important for you to know about your personnel?   What they think about internally, or how they interact with your customers? 3. Measuring How You Adapt vs How You Behave Naturally When I was a kid I had two personalities depending on where I was. When I was at school I was a perfect little angel.   But when I came home I was an annoying older brother who did his fair share of trouble making. Im sure many of you can relate, and even as adults we still might adapt how we behave at work versus home. Myers Briggs only looks at how you would behave naturally, most likely the way youd be at home. DISC on the other hand looks at both of your behavior styles; natural and adapted.   They do this so they can find areas that are causing you stress on the job and help you understand why you might feel burned out. 4. Reliability Validity Personality assessments are becoming more and more popular not just in helping people find career fits, but for hiring as well. Therefore, you want to make sure the tool you are using provides not only accurate results but that its reliable as well. Again not all DISC and MBTI instruments are the same, meaning dont expect that free DISC or MBTI test you took to stand up to the validity and reliability of the $100 versions. That being said, how do DISC and MTBI stack up to the validity tests and standards Psychology and Educational associations expect? DISC DISC is a business tool for a number of uses including coaching and hiring so its crucial that distributors can assure their clients that the assessments they are using are valid. TTI has a practice of hiring independent statisticians to validate all their questionnaires every few years.   These statisticians check to see that the tools meet or exceed the specifications published in Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing.   These are the standards against which many US-based and international assessments are designed and validated. In addition, when it comes to hiring, TTI has had a perfect track record of having no EEOC complaints filed against clients using their DISC assessments in the hiring process. You can find their validity results here. MBTI If you are looking for scientifically validated assessments MBTI might not be your first choice.   Numerous articles such as this one, Nothing Personal: The Questionable Myers-Briggs Test are calling into question its flaws of being scientifically untestable and reliant on binary choices; your either 100% introvert or 100% extrovert. In addition, studies have found between 40 and 75 percent of test-takers receive a different result after taking the test a second time.   Furthermore, The Committee on Techniques for the Enhancement of Human Performance and the National Research Council suggests that there is not sufficient, well-designed research to justify the use of MBTI in career counseling programs. Much of the current evidence is based on inadequate methodologies. On the other hand MBTIs .org site claims validity of their tools saying, Many studies over the years have proven the validity of the MBTI instrument in three categories: (1) the validity of the four separate preference scales; (2) the validity of the four preference pairs as dichotomies; and (3) the validity of whole types or particular combinations of preferences. However theres so much criticism its hard to feel confident that MBTI is a tool that should be considered for its scientific validity and reliability when it comes to hiring or your career. But that might be okay if you go into it knowing these limitations.   The problem arises if it is predominately used in the workplace by HR departments and coaches who can clearly be unaware of its shortcomings. 5. 93 Forced Based Questions vs 24 Rank Based Questions Another major difference is in how the assessment is conducted. In a MBTI, you are given a statement like the following. You are more interested in a general idea than in the details of its realization. Yes/No In a DISC assessment (again going off of TTIs DISC structure for consistency) you are asked questions in a different way. For each group that follows, rank them in order of MOST to Least. Logical Obedient, will do as told, dutiful Unconquerable, determined Playful, frisky, full of fun There are pros and cons to both methods.   Many people arent comfortable saying they are definitively one way or another, as the MBTI asks. Likewise, when you are making a choice from four separate lists of words, youre going to have some sets that all describe you well. 6. How Do You Compare to Others? MBTI doesnt set out to compare how your score compared to the general population, instead its goal is to simply offer further information about your own unique personality. DISC however has a section of the report designed to rank and show how your natural behavior style compares to the rest of the population that has taken this assessment. How to Get Your DISC or MBTI Now that you are more informed about the differences of DISC and MBTI, how do you get assessed? Generally these kinds of assessments are in the hands of thousands of distributors. A simple Google search will help you find a number of coaches that can offer you an assessment. If you are looking for DISC, we offer a competitive package here. Have Any Questions? Did we leave any of your questions off?   Leave them in the comments below. Sources Photo Credit: A Long, Lone Run via Compfight cc http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/ http://psychology.about.com/od/psychologicaltesting/a/myers-briggs-type-indicator.htm http://www.christopherbrowning.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/myers_disc_compare.pdf http://www.discreports.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/DISC_Vs_MBTI.pdf http://www.discreports.com/ed-center/faq/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/brain-flapping/2013/mar/19/myers-briggs-test-unscientific http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/reliability-and-validity.asp http://www.therainmakergroupinc.com/Portals/115950/docs/DISC-Validity.pdf http://www.indiana.edu/~jobtalk/Articles/develop/mbti.pdf

How to Stay on Top of Your Creative Career

How to Stay on Top of Your Creative Career Each creative career is different, so doesn’t that mean an article like this is flawed from the start?After all, the way to stay on top of your singing career is very different from the way you stay on top of your web design career. The jobs differ, but there is one constant, and that constant is you.This article explains how you may change the way you act and work in order to stay on top of your creative career. 1. Only Listen To Your Silent MajorityevalCritics and clients have a very limited use. You cannot please all people at all times. When it comes to creative work, you need to be very careful what sort of criticism you listen to. Listen too much, and your bold colors turn beige. Take too much advice, and your opera becomes a jingle.If you are going to listen to anybody, then listen to your silent majority. To better explain this point, let us consider the case of Ben Croshaw. He started on YouTube by making his own gaming reviews. He had trouble keeping his viewer numbers up , so he kept tweaking and changing his show.For example, he noticed he had more views if he spoke faster, so he increased his speaking speed. He noticed that his videos gained more views if they featured cartoons with bold yellows and black colors rather than with more realistic colors.He added and changed many things. He speaks quickly, and so called his show Zero Punctuation because of how he speaks. Ben added a joke after every third line. He called his player names something silly. He used dry British wit, he gave himself a pen name called Yahtzee, and he used funny imaginary in his videos.His video style didn’t just appear, it was thought out and repeatedly tested by measuring how many views each episode gained him. After Ben’s videos went from flat to fantastic, he was hired by the Escapist Magazine to have his own segment on their website.Ben listened to his silent majority by testing out different changes and tweaks and then using his YouTube viewer count to gauge if his tweaks should stay or go.If he made a change and his viewer count remained low or started going down week after week, then he would alter his change and try again.2. Just Keep ProducingevalOne of the keys to success, with regards to a creative career, is the dogged desire to keep producing.Stephen King said his success was due to the fact that he always wrote ten pages every day. He even used to write during the holidays.Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert Cartoons, said that continuous production was what powered his success. He said that only one out of every four of his comics are funny, which is why he needs to just keep producing no matter what.It sounds like childish throwaway advice to tell you to “just keep producing,” but you would be surprised how many creative people…stop.There are mold makers out there that stop generating new varieties of molds because they want to sell the stock they have. They don’t realize that the most prolific creators are the most success ful.evalYou will not sell everything you create, even if you make things to order, but an unceasing desire to create will make you a winner because many creative jobs are a numbers game.Photo Credit â€" reynoldsam.com3. Change Is Part Of The Evolution Of Your IdeasCommon sense suggests that you should keep changing and tweaking your creative output to help you find a perfect creative product. However, there are many creative jobs that do not allow such a simplified version of change.Some creative people are able to keep changing and tweaking in order to find a perfect creative product, and other creative people have to evolve instead.For example, a sculptor may hone his or her skills for years until the work is flawless. That is done by making small changes and tweaks over time in order to create better status.The same is not true of directors, otherwise, older directors would still be shooting black and white movies. Even sound directors have had to evolve the way they create their final product to create depths of sound and to accommodate for surround sound and digital sound.Evolution is both about making your output better and about giving your audience what they want. A mixture of both is required for an evolving creative person. If you simply give people what you think they want, then you end up with Jar JarBinx.Tweaking and changing are more about what you feel is best. Could you have painted the portrait with better hands? Could the background color be toned down a little? Does your work lead the eye or not?Considering what the audience wants only extends to your client’s demands.For example, a dancer has to tweak and change what he or she does in order to become better. A dancer cannot evolve as a dancer. A dancer cannot decide to jump any higher just because the audience demands it.evalBen Croshaw, the video game reviewer from the example earlier, is a great example of a creative person changing and tweaking without really evolving.His videos still feature 2D cartoons with him talking over them, but the way he speaks, his comedy style, his imagery, his pen name, and even the cadence of his voice was all generated through him tweaking his style a little, testing it, and tweaking it again until he went from bland to brilliant.Photo Credit â€" imgur.com4. Find A Way To Have FunThere are plenty of ways to have fun, even if it means perverting what you do to have a little fun. For example, you can squeeze a joke into a piece of your creative work to see if anybody notices.You may also like to add your “Conservative with a small C” views into your text without your client noticing. If you are given a choice as to what direction you take your work, you should always pick something you find fun to do.For example, if you are asked to design a website with a content management system, then use one that you feel the most comfortable with.evalFor example, if you are a photographer and you have been told to create photos for animal mem es, then you could pick animals that you already find funny…such as ducks.Photo Credit â€" pinimg.comAre You Having Trouble Staying Motivated?As a creative person, especially a freelance or self-employed creative person, you are going to have trouble with motivation. There are two main causes for your lack of motivation.The first cause is ugly, dangerous and a career killer. It is dangerous because people underestimate it to the point where they ignore it. It is ugly because people do not realize the impact it makes on their mentality.It is a career killer because people who do not succumb to the cause outshine those that do succumb. The first and most dangerous threat to your motivation is tiredness.Before you skim read onward, you have to understand that tiredness is so dangerous because people honestly don’t think it is a problem. They don’t realize that their bad days, their lack of motivation, and their frustration is being powered by their tiredness.They think that tired ness is okay because they can still produce great stuff when tired, but they what they don’t know is that they are training themselves to be unmotivated and they are training themselves to procrastinate by working when tired.Your brain associates the feel of being groggy and tired with your work, which is why you feel so under motivated.The second most common cause of under motivation is the lack of an immediate reward. Gambling machines offer an instant reward, which is why they are so addictive, but creative work cannot offer instant gratification.Wouldn’t it be great if dollars dropped out of your computer every time you created a new line of code for an app you were creating? Wouldn’t it be amazing if you received a suitcase full of money every time you finished an interior design drawing?One way around this problem is to record your progress and maybe set smaller goals.The trick is to try different methods of your own creation to see which works the most.Luckily for you, creative people tend to come up with the most creative ways of keeping themselves motivated, from promising themselves a motorbike if they achieve a certain goal, to hitting their legs with a piece of bamboo every time they became distracted.Conclusion â€" Change YourselfDo as this article asks and give its pieces of advice a little thought every now and again. You are the one who needs to evolve and/or change in order to be successful.Creative jobs do not rely on luck, but some of your opportunities will rely on luck. Make your own luck, and if you find that motivation is a common and recurring problem, then maybe consider another path.Photo Credit â€" myawesomequotes.com

9 Tips for Landing a Second Interview - CareerAlley

9 Tips for Landing a Second Interview - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Getting a job interview is an excellent first step and to get there youve obviously created a good resume and have spent time speaking with recruiters and submitting your resume. But if you dont get beyond the initial interview you obviously will not get the job. So many people focus on the first part (great resume, lots of marketing) but fail to spend time perfecting their interview skills to ensure that they get additional interviews (and a job offer). There are a number of things you can do to ensure that you interview effectivelyand move on to the next round of interviews. First and foremost is putting yourself in the hiring managers shoes. What are they looking for in a candidate? Why should they hire you? What do you have to offer that other candidates do not? Do Your Research Regardless of industry, almost every interview begs the question: why do you want to work here? In addition to being prepared to discuss your qualifications for the specific job at hand, you should gain a good understanding of the company and, to the extent possible, its corporate culture by spending some time researching the company. Comments like, I really appreciate how your company culture seems to value X and Y, or, I read an interview with your CEO and he said something that stuck with me will not only that you value the company, but it will also demonstrate your likeliness to fit right in as a part of his/her unique team. By taking the time to prepare, you can setyourself apart from other candidates. You need to know the basics about what thecompany does in order to make profits, major accomplishments, how theyset themselvesapart from the competition and any other facts that show you are truly interested in thecompany and industry. Dont be afraid to ask additional questions about the company as this will further show interest. Dont Be Late Its better to get to the interview location early and wait for your interview time than to get there late. Try a dry run a day or two before the interview so that you know how long it takes to get there. If the building has a security sign-in, leave extra time for that as well. If you do arrive at the building early, dont sign-n for your interview earlier than 10 minutes before.. Dress Appropriately Although the dress code is much more relaxed than it was 10 years ago, you should still look like a professional. Try to get an understanding of the companys dress code before the interview. You can alwayscall to askabout the dress code. Candidates should dress to impress, dressing one level up from the expected dress code is fine, one level down is not. Be Prepared to Answerand ask QuestionsTake some time to research standard interview questions and know how to answer these questions. Do some practice runs with friends and family. Also, be prepared to ask questions. You should have a long list (dont expect to ask them all) in case the interviewer answers some of your questions before youve had a chance to ask them. Remember that an interview is a two way conversation, try not to have dead space waiting for the interviewer to ask a question. You should control the interview as much as possible. Tell Them Why You Are The Best Person For The Job A job interview is not the time to be shy. Ensure that the interviewer knows that you have the right skills and experience to do the job. Also, tell them thatyou arevery interested opportunity. Even if you are not sure you willcommit if offered a job, its a good idea to communicate your interest. Have aPositive AttitudeThat means arriving and dealing with everyone you encounter positively whether it is the receptionist, the administrative assistant,the security guards orother employeesthat you may meet during the interview process. The flip side of this is to not speak negatively about your current or prior company, coworkers or managers regardless of how you feel. Bring Copies of you Resume Yes, the hiring manager should (and probably does) have a copy of your resume. But maybe they left it on their desk or gave it to someone else to look at. Being prepared withmultiple copies of your resume and any other documents you were asked to bring with you when notified to come to the interview is an important part of showing your interest in the opportunity. Work on Your Body Language Body language is a very important part of the interview process. How you shake hands, youreye contact, fidgeting, looking bored, checking your cell phone (yes, people have done this), ornot being engaged all have an impact on your interview and the chances of being asked to interview another round. Take Notes No doubt that your interviewer will take notes, you should too. Your notes are important for your Thank Youletter (yes, its still important to follow up with thank you letters) and any additional interview rounds. Write them, keep them and study them. Ask the interviewer fora business card, and while it sounds old school, most of HR peers agree that a follow up email thanking the person for the opportunity and again summing up your qualifications goes along way, if not, just to show common courtesy. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+

CV and Resume Writing Tips - How to Write a Good One

CV and Resume Writing Tips - How to Write a Good OneWhen you get a job interview, a CV and resume writing tips are important. Even though there is no way to know for sure if you are going to get the job, you can have a very strong chance at landing a great job by being well prepared. Here are some of the best ways to get started:First of all, keep in mind that if you find an employer who is interested in hiring you, then chances are he or she already knows what to look for with a resume and CV. It does not matter how good a job you did the year before; what counts is your ability to write well. The fact that you wrote a resume and CV at least once a year makes it easier for you to catch the attention of the human resource department.Besides writing your resume and CV, you can use an agency or lawyer to help you with your job search efforts. They are professionals and they will help you find a company that needs someone who is specialized in the field that you want to be in. If you do not have time to devote to your job search, you can use these professionals.Other than doing this, you can write your resume in a specific format. It could be filled out by hand or it could be done with software. It is up to you whether you want to do this yourself or hire a professional. For the person who wants to do it by hand, I would suggest a word processor that has full page editing capabilities.It is important to take a look at your resume every six months and update it. As a result, you will see changes and you will need to make sure you are still on the same page as the company in which you want to be. A recruiter will appreciate it if you do this because he or she will not be wasting his or her time going over the same things every year.The most important part of your resume is your contact information. In addition to being able to find a company by using the company's name, it is also very important to use your work and education history to show how you will fit in. Whe n you are presenting your resume, keep in mind that it is important to mention where you currently work, the type of job you are applying for, and the type of experience you have. Remember, your resume is not the only piece of documentation that is going to convince the human resource department that you are a good candidate.Finally, remember that having a good job is not just about your CV and resume. Another good thing about these pieces of paper is that they can be used as collateral for your loan application. Be sure to make a copy of your resume and CV. Even if you decide to send a resume and CV back and forth to the company, you still need them for future reference.CV and resume writing tips should never stop at these three tips. When you look into applying for jobs, remember to make sure that you are bringing your own ideas and experiences to the table, and that your resume reflects your overall personality.