Are you in the process of hunting for a new job? That is great. If you have previously applied for a few jobs, there is a good chance that you may end up having an interview soon, if you don’t already have one arranged. As you likely already know, a job interview is often the deciding factor in whether or not you get employed. That is why it is important that your interviews go off without any problem. To ensure that they do, you may want to know the most common job interview dos and don’ts. Some of them are outline below.
One thing that you will need to do is to prepare for your interview. There are too many people who mistakenly believe that all interviews are the same. This is actually something that you do not want to do. Yes, many interviews are similar in nature, but they are not really all the same. It depends on the job that you are being interviewed for and the employer in question. Instead of assuming that your job interview will be just like the last one, you should expect something different.
Another thing that you will want to do is practice for your interview. Many job interviews look like the same in nature, despite being a little bit different. They are often similar based on some of the basic questions that are asked. For instance, some of those questions may be base on your professional goals, your need to succeed, and so on. No matter how prepared you are for these questions, they can be difficult to answer in the moment. That is why you must need to prepare for your interview by doing a few practice runs, preferably with a friend or a relative.
During the interview process, you will be asked a number of questions. These questions are what will allow an employer to gain insight into you, your life, and your work habits. When responding to questions that you are asked or even when just making conversation, it is advised that you keep everything professional in nature. What you do not want to do is reveal too much information about your personal life. For instance, employers do not need to know how old you are or if you have any children. Also, do not badmouth any of your previous employers or bosses, as this will tend to make you look bad yourself.
When going for a job interview, it is important that you are dressed properly. You should not wear jeans, sweatpants, or clothing that is too revealing. To increase your chances of getting a job, you should look professional for your job interview. This does not only includes your clothing, but your appearance matter as well. If you need to put on makeup or get a haircut, go ahead and do so. When looking to hire a new employee, many employers want someone who can represent the company in a positive manner. That is why it is important that you do place a great focus on your appearance. A great looking appearance appeals much to your interviewer. It tells that you are a very responsible person.
So any time you are going for job interview keep the month listed above in mind.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
YOUR CV AS A MARKETING COMMUNICATION TOOL
Always treat a job hunt like a personal development project and be the project manager.”
The majority of fresh graduates, in the labour market believe that writing their CV and sending it out to potential employers is all that’s required to land a job. Sentences in application letters like: ‘I’ve come to know through reliable sources that you have a vacant position and I assure you that if given the chance, I’ll leave no stone unturned to satisfy you’. All such CVs and application Letters end in piles of unsuccessful candidate files. Successful people don’t sit on luck, waiting for miracles happen!
Job hunting is very much similar to selling a product. It’s the process of selling the professional’s skills, ideas, time, talent, energies and expertise. It’s like being available for value addition as any other product does; and in return to you get paid in cash and kind.
The term ‘Curriculum Vitae’ (CV) take its origin from Latin and literally means the course of one’s life.’ A CV or résumé is a marketing communication tool. Imagine the CV as being a brochure that will list the benefits of a particular service. The service being your time, talent and skills! When writing a CV, look at it from your employers’ point of view would you stand out against the competition (the other candidates)? In what way, can you meet your employers’ need? What value can you bring to the organization? You have to ask these questions when writing your CV or curriculum vitae. But rather that advertising the features and benefits of a product, a CV is designed to advertise the accomplishments and track record of its author-that’s, you.
Think for a moment about the concept of marketing. Marketing means taking a careful look at the needs of a certain segment of consumer and finding a way to satisfy those needs. A CV is, fundamentally, a marketing tool. The consumer is the employment manager or the person in the company who makes the hiring decisions. The needs of that consumer are the requirements of the position he or she’s trying to fill. You’re the product, and your qualifications for that job are the way in which you’ll meet that employer’s needs. A CV is your first form of advertising. Another way to understand what a CV should be is to look at what it shouldn’t be. A CV, then, isn’t your entire life story, because your entire life couldn’t possibly be relevant to the requirements of a single job. If you want anyone to read it, it’s obviously not a cluttered, wordy, unreadable mess. And most importantly, it’s never a work of fiction, full of exaggerations, inaccuracies, or just pure fabrications. The fact of the matter is: An average candidate with a stronger CV gets better results that a superior candidate with a mediocre CV.
CV scripting is a serious business. It shouldn’t be taken casually or unceremoniously. Instead, one must have the passion and obsession to write and maintain in a stunning and striking CV. You must derive the pleasure when you’re scripting it. Pleasure because it’s all about you; it’s more like venturing out your own self and exploring every inch of your personality. This piece of paper is a description of who you are, where you’ve been, where you have contributed, where you have acquired you education; what your belief systems are, what stands possible and what appears impossible for you; what’s difficult and what’s challenging for you; what holds you back, what puts you off and what inspires you; what your motivators and your skill-set is, what you mindset is; what your strengths are and what your hiccups are, your ambitions and aspirations, your dreams and your career goals. Since it all relates to you, it’s only YOU who can and should write your CV. The designing and embellishment part of the CV can be left to others but as far as the content is concerned, as far as the real stuff is concerned, it’s your basic and fundamental job. My observation is that graduates take low interest in writing their own CVs. For them, it’s often not more than a monotonous, tedious and boring task. Writing a compelling, convincing and captivating CV shouldn’t be taken as something like filling a tax form. This activity rather must be loved, enjoyed, cherished and treasured. Selling yourself depends on getting noticed, standing apart and being different from everybody else.
If at the outset you’re represented only by your CV and your CV looks like everybody else’s CV, then you looks like everybody else.
Shina Shokunbi, a project Management Consultant Works with Nigeria Bottling company plc
The majority of fresh graduates, in the labour market believe that writing their CV and sending it out to potential employers is all that’s required to land a job. Sentences in application letters like: ‘I’ve come to know through reliable sources that you have a vacant position and I assure you that if given the chance, I’ll leave no stone unturned to satisfy you’. All such CVs and application Letters end in piles of unsuccessful candidate files. Successful people don’t sit on luck, waiting for miracles happen!
Job hunting is very much similar to selling a product. It’s the process of selling the professional’s skills, ideas, time, talent, energies and expertise. It’s like being available for value addition as any other product does; and in return to you get paid in cash and kind.
The term ‘Curriculum Vitae’ (CV) take its origin from Latin and literally means the course of one’s life.’ A CV or résumé is a marketing communication tool. Imagine the CV as being a brochure that will list the benefits of a particular service. The service being your time, talent and skills! When writing a CV, look at it from your employers’ point of view would you stand out against the competition (the other candidates)? In what way, can you meet your employers’ need? What value can you bring to the organization? You have to ask these questions when writing your CV or curriculum vitae. But rather that advertising the features and benefits of a product, a CV is designed to advertise the accomplishments and track record of its author-that’s, you.
Think for a moment about the concept of marketing. Marketing means taking a careful look at the needs of a certain segment of consumer and finding a way to satisfy those needs. A CV is, fundamentally, a marketing tool. The consumer is the employment manager or the person in the company who makes the hiring decisions. The needs of that consumer are the requirements of the position he or she’s trying to fill. You’re the product, and your qualifications for that job are the way in which you’ll meet that employer’s needs. A CV is your first form of advertising. Another way to understand what a CV should be is to look at what it shouldn’t be. A CV, then, isn’t your entire life story, because your entire life couldn’t possibly be relevant to the requirements of a single job. If you want anyone to read it, it’s obviously not a cluttered, wordy, unreadable mess. And most importantly, it’s never a work of fiction, full of exaggerations, inaccuracies, or just pure fabrications. The fact of the matter is: An average candidate with a stronger CV gets better results that a superior candidate with a mediocre CV.
CV scripting is a serious business. It shouldn’t be taken casually or unceremoniously. Instead, one must have the passion and obsession to write and maintain in a stunning and striking CV. You must derive the pleasure when you’re scripting it. Pleasure because it’s all about you; it’s more like venturing out your own self and exploring every inch of your personality. This piece of paper is a description of who you are, where you’ve been, where you have contributed, where you have acquired you education; what your belief systems are, what stands possible and what appears impossible for you; what’s difficult and what’s challenging for you; what holds you back, what puts you off and what inspires you; what your motivators and your skill-set is, what you mindset is; what your strengths are and what your hiccups are, your ambitions and aspirations, your dreams and your career goals. Since it all relates to you, it’s only YOU who can and should write your CV. The designing and embellishment part of the CV can be left to others but as far as the content is concerned, as far as the real stuff is concerned, it’s your basic and fundamental job. My observation is that graduates take low interest in writing their own CVs. For them, it’s often not more than a monotonous, tedious and boring task. Writing a compelling, convincing and captivating CV shouldn’t be taken as something like filling a tax form. This activity rather must be loved, enjoyed, cherished and treasured. Selling yourself depends on getting noticed, standing apart and being different from everybody else.
If at the outset you’re represented only by your CV and your CV looks like everybody else’s CV, then you looks like everybody else.
Shina Shokunbi, a project Management Consultant Works with Nigeria Bottling company plc
OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO JOB SEARCH SUCCESS
Looking for job? What’s stopping you? A Jidaw.com online survey on the barriers to job search success may provide clues. Inputs were received using the high traffic pages for job search job listing and jobs in Nigeria during the months of April and may in 2009.
As expected, perceptions differed. The aim, however of this analysis is simple: to extract useful, helpful insights for achieving search success…what does the user data indicate? Figure1 which summarized the survey results i.e user data responses for each barrier, shows: Lack of up-to – date education, skills and knowledge (12%) Not having information on available job and career opportunities (28%) Lack of a personal support network of friends, family, colleagues, acquaintance (15%) Not having the required job search skills and attitude, not knowing how to search (14%) Lack of work experience (31%).
Figure 1
Work experience is the big masquerade dreaded by the majority. To most of the participants in the online community effort, lack of work experience is the main deterrent to job hunting achievement. Interestingly, lack of up-to –date educations got the lowest votes. Compared to other barriers deficient, insufficient education is not seen as the chief stumbling block by most votes. You may have issues with what the data is saying. But it’s not a question of right or wrong. It’s about perceptions. What is the reality you face? The way forward is not condemnation, silver bullets answers or fail proof interpretations. Let’s examine the results as well as underlying themes in each barrier.
A). Lack of up- to – date education, skill and knowledge (12%):
Do you have what it takes to meet expectations, including soft skill? Formal education is inadequate if the lack of practical expertise hampers your effectiveness. This can cost you if others competing with you for opportunity have taken the initiative. Learning is for life in today’s knowledge economy. And that’s why non-formal education opportunities including training, certification and online learning are paramount to career growth. Low appreciation for knowledge may be due tour fast track valued. Looking only at today we often fail to see the linkage between the wealth in our head and securing the future. If you value knowledge in a practical sense, you won’t be left behind. If you don’t value knowledge enjoy your Stone Age experience in dinosaur land. Many also equate certificates with knowledge. But knowledge must connect with your ability to contribute and self reliance. Contribution provides the foundation for your success in marketing yourself.
B) Not having information on available job and career opportunity (28%):
The quality of information at your disposal affects your decisions and opportunities. What is the sense in having top notch software programming qualifications without information on sources of IT job and career opportunities? Job search requires information management-where is the source of information, do you have what is takes to get the information you need in a timely and cost-effective manner? And where do you search? Are you looking for fish in the desert? How do you dig for opportunities that match your needs? Lack of information appears to be a major hindrance because we limit ourselves to comfortable, traditional and highly competitive sources. Why should the majority depend 100% in job adverts when as will be shown later in this piece this is not the major source of job and career opportunities? And never forget that information is not the main objective. It’s about how you use information in your own way and for your own purposes in the job search.
C) Lack of a personal support network of friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances (15%):
It’s ironic that this is not seen as one of the top barriers by most even though 85% of opportunities came from personal networking. Could it be that we take our personal networks for granted? Inflated egos tend to ignore the power of people. If you’re searching for opportunity you better realize now that people are your most important resource in any job search. Job search is more than qualifications and talent. Connecting with people can lead to advice, job leads and referrals. But we need to network all the time and we must know that association is not enough. Disrespecting people on the job. At social events, in job selection interviews because you feel you don’t need them now amounts to burning bridges you may need tomorrow. Personal networking enhances your opportunities not just by knowing what you want, but with the positive picture of who you are and what you stand for.
D) Not having the required job search skill & attitude, not knowing how to search (14%):
We must get past job information to include packaging. You got a good job lead but on interview day is your packaging right? The majority do not take this as a major hindrance because we forget that the job search is not over until you get the job. We think job search skills are restricted to getting the job information, having a nice CV and cover letter showing up at the interview. First, is your application good enough for the interview shortlist? And at all the stages of the job search it is critical that you come across as the best person for the job, not as a pretender. The job search success isn’t strictly about you or your needs- not what you can get but what you can give. Organizations are recruiting people looking for a job; they want to hire problems solvers and solution providers. Set yourself apart. Don’t be seen as just another accountant or just another IT professional.
E) Lack of work experience (13%):
Lack of work experience is perceived by most as the major hurdle to getting a job. to new comers this makes sense as “the job seeker ants experience and employers too want experience” however, does majority rule? Or are we scared of creativity? For example, how many have considered “paying for experience”- getting nothing or less than you deserve for quality work experience. Indeed, more often than not, we choose money over quality job opportunity. You want experience but have you considered creating your own experience-through home labs for those in technology, volunteering, internships or setting up your own business? It’s hard to think like this with a mindset fixated on paid employment and good jobs. But jobs security is dead and entrepreneurs are the drivers of change and reward. Do you just want to get by or get ahead? Moaning and complaining won’t help. Traditional status quo ideas have had their day. Employ radical new thinking and action to overcome barriers erected by lack of work experience. I hope you now see the real barriers to job search success. For first and foremost, we must understand that there are no formulas. What is your thinking and what works for you? Looking for a job? Can you handle the truth? The barriers are not the problem. No obstacle is insurmountable. The greatest hurdles are within us. The truth is that we must be people- friendly and be honest and creative in our application of knowledge and ethics. And finally, go beyond the job. There is no tomorrow in any job tomorrow belongs to you.
Jide Awe, founder of jidaw.com
As expected, perceptions differed. The aim, however of this analysis is simple: to extract useful, helpful insights for achieving search success…what does the user data indicate? Figure1 which summarized the survey results i.e user data responses for each barrier, shows: Lack of up-to – date education, skills and knowledge (12%) Not having information on available job and career opportunities (28%) Lack of a personal support network of friends, family, colleagues, acquaintance (15%) Not having the required job search skills and attitude, not knowing how to search (14%) Lack of work experience (31%).
Figure 1
Work experience is the big masquerade dreaded by the majority. To most of the participants in the online community effort, lack of work experience is the main deterrent to job hunting achievement. Interestingly, lack of up-to –date educations got the lowest votes. Compared to other barriers deficient, insufficient education is not seen as the chief stumbling block by most votes. You may have issues with what the data is saying. But it’s not a question of right or wrong. It’s about perceptions. What is the reality you face? The way forward is not condemnation, silver bullets answers or fail proof interpretations. Let’s examine the results as well as underlying themes in each barrier.
A). Lack of up- to – date education, skill and knowledge (12%):
Do you have what it takes to meet expectations, including soft skill? Formal education is inadequate if the lack of practical expertise hampers your effectiveness. This can cost you if others competing with you for opportunity have taken the initiative. Learning is for life in today’s knowledge economy. And that’s why non-formal education opportunities including training, certification and online learning are paramount to career growth. Low appreciation for knowledge may be due tour fast track valued. Looking only at today we often fail to see the linkage between the wealth in our head and securing the future. If you value knowledge in a practical sense, you won’t be left behind. If you don’t value knowledge enjoy your Stone Age experience in dinosaur land. Many also equate certificates with knowledge. But knowledge must connect with your ability to contribute and self reliance. Contribution provides the foundation for your success in marketing yourself.
B) Not having information on available job and career opportunity (28%):
The quality of information at your disposal affects your decisions and opportunities. What is the sense in having top notch software programming qualifications without information on sources of IT job and career opportunities? Job search requires information management-where is the source of information, do you have what is takes to get the information you need in a timely and cost-effective manner? And where do you search? Are you looking for fish in the desert? How do you dig for opportunities that match your needs? Lack of information appears to be a major hindrance because we limit ourselves to comfortable, traditional and highly competitive sources. Why should the majority depend 100% in job adverts when as will be shown later in this piece this is not the major source of job and career opportunities? And never forget that information is not the main objective. It’s about how you use information in your own way and for your own purposes in the job search.
C) Lack of a personal support network of friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances (15%):
It’s ironic that this is not seen as one of the top barriers by most even though 85% of opportunities came from personal networking. Could it be that we take our personal networks for granted? Inflated egos tend to ignore the power of people. If you’re searching for opportunity you better realize now that people are your most important resource in any job search. Job search is more than qualifications and talent. Connecting with people can lead to advice, job leads and referrals. But we need to network all the time and we must know that association is not enough. Disrespecting people on the job. At social events, in job selection interviews because you feel you don’t need them now amounts to burning bridges you may need tomorrow. Personal networking enhances your opportunities not just by knowing what you want, but with the positive picture of who you are and what you stand for.
D) Not having the required job search skill & attitude, not knowing how to search (14%):
We must get past job information to include packaging. You got a good job lead but on interview day is your packaging right? The majority do not take this as a major hindrance because we forget that the job search is not over until you get the job. We think job search skills are restricted to getting the job information, having a nice CV and cover letter showing up at the interview. First, is your application good enough for the interview shortlist? And at all the stages of the job search it is critical that you come across as the best person for the job, not as a pretender. The job search success isn’t strictly about you or your needs- not what you can get but what you can give. Organizations are recruiting people looking for a job; they want to hire problems solvers and solution providers. Set yourself apart. Don’t be seen as just another accountant or just another IT professional.
E) Lack of work experience (13%):
Lack of work experience is perceived by most as the major hurdle to getting a job. to new comers this makes sense as “the job seeker ants experience and employers too want experience” however, does majority rule? Or are we scared of creativity? For example, how many have considered “paying for experience”- getting nothing or less than you deserve for quality work experience. Indeed, more often than not, we choose money over quality job opportunity. You want experience but have you considered creating your own experience-through home labs for those in technology, volunteering, internships or setting up your own business? It’s hard to think like this with a mindset fixated on paid employment and good jobs. But jobs security is dead and entrepreneurs are the drivers of change and reward. Do you just want to get by or get ahead? Moaning and complaining won’t help. Traditional status quo ideas have had their day. Employ radical new thinking and action to overcome barriers erected by lack of work experience. I hope you now see the real barriers to job search success. For first and foremost, we must understand that there are no formulas. What is your thinking and what works for you? Looking for a job? Can you handle the truth? The barriers are not the problem. No obstacle is insurmountable. The greatest hurdles are within us. The truth is that we must be people- friendly and be honest and creative in our application of knowledge and ethics. And finally, go beyond the job. There is no tomorrow in any job tomorrow belongs to you.
Jide Awe, founder of jidaw.com
MAKE YOUR CV STAND OUT FROM THE PACK
Question: I have recently moved, and it has been tough finding work. I started looking for work back in April. What can I do to enhance my resume and land a job?
Answer: so, what can you do to make sure your resume is selected from a stack that could be 1000 deep? That’s the challenge when it comes to writing your Cv.
The key is to make sure you write an accomplishment CV as opposed to a job description CV.
Focus on Accomplishments.
This single biggest mistake that virtually all job-seekers make: most people write job description CV. In essence, they describe not only what they did, but what anyone would have done. Here is an example:
sales Representative, Chukson Industries, Aba , 2003-present
* sold manufacturing components to clients throughout the eastern region
* developed and maintained strong relationship with all customers
* created call lists and scheduled in-person visits
* managed personal budget and prepared reports.
Now that may sound good, but the sad fact is that every sales rep in the history of Chuckson Industries-or any company for that matter- did those exact same things. The HR/Recruiting Manager will not say, ‘wow this guy was a sale rep and he developed relationships with his clients-let’s get him in here.
The key to a great CV is to focus on what YOU specifically accomplished. What did you do that was unique, special, different, different, or distinctive?
Define your accomplishments:
Think about your accomplishments-both in terms of scope and results.
Scope: how big? How much? How many? How often?
Result: did you grow sales? Did you save the company money? Were you recognized for your achievement? Did you create something new?
If you can guess from these questions, you get accomplishments through numbers, numbers and more numbers. You want to be as specific as you can in everything you write.
A Better Example
Let’s look at a new version of the sample CV. Same people, same job, but a very different Cv. Sales representatives, Chukson Industries, Aba 2003-present * sold N35 million in industrial products to more than 1,200 clients throughout the eastern region *ranked second out of 21 national sales rep *Exceeded company-mandated sales goals by 19% *personally secured more than 350 new customers through dedicated cold calling and in-person visits *managed a budget of N750,000 annually-decreasing spending by 18% * prepared dozens of comprehensive summary reports delivered monthly to national director of sales. Sounds quite a bit better, doesn’t if? Wouldn’t you want to hire this person? I know I would.
Here’s a great evaluation tip: if what’s written on your CV can be written by the person who held the job before you or after you- rip up your resume, tear it up and start all over again. Good luck! For enquiries contact: jobs@sadcnigeria.org
Answer: so, what can you do to make sure your resume is selected from a stack that could be 1000 deep? That’s the challenge when it comes to writing your Cv.
The key is to make sure you write an accomplishment CV as opposed to a job description CV.
Focus on Accomplishments.
This single biggest mistake that virtually all job-seekers make: most people write job description CV. In essence, they describe not only what they did, but what anyone would have done. Here is an example:
sales Representative, Chukson Industries, Aba , 2003-present
* sold manufacturing components to clients throughout the eastern region
* developed and maintained strong relationship with all customers
* created call lists and scheduled in-person visits
* managed personal budget and prepared reports.
Now that may sound good, but the sad fact is that every sales rep in the history of Chuckson Industries-or any company for that matter- did those exact same things. The HR/Recruiting Manager will not say, ‘wow this guy was a sale rep and he developed relationships with his clients-let’s get him in here.
The key to a great CV is to focus on what YOU specifically accomplished. What did you do that was unique, special, different, different, or distinctive?
Define your accomplishments:
Think about your accomplishments-both in terms of scope and results.
Scope: how big? How much? How many? How often?
Result: did you grow sales? Did you save the company money? Were you recognized for your achievement? Did you create something new?
If you can guess from these questions, you get accomplishments through numbers, numbers and more numbers. You want to be as specific as you can in everything you write.
A Better Example
Let’s look at a new version of the sample CV. Same people, same job, but a very different Cv. Sales representatives, Chukson Industries, Aba 2003-present * sold N35 million in industrial products to more than 1,200 clients throughout the eastern region *ranked second out of 21 national sales rep *Exceeded company-mandated sales goals by 19% *personally secured more than 350 new customers through dedicated cold calling and in-person visits *managed a budget of N750,000 annually-decreasing spending by 18% * prepared dozens of comprehensive summary reports delivered monthly to national director of sales. Sounds quite a bit better, doesn’t if? Wouldn’t you want to hire this person? I know I would.
Here’s a great evaluation tip: if what’s written on your CV can be written by the person who held the job before you or after you- rip up your resume, tear it up and start all over again. Good luck! For enquiries contact: jobs@sadcnigeria.org
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