The Ten Commandments for Job-Interviewing

With these tips, your chances of finding a job are greatly increased

I. Go after a small organization with 25 or fewer employees. If you cannot find a job like this try and look for organizations with 50 or fewer employees. The smaller the organization the better.

II. Hunt for places to interview using eighty friends and acquaintances. Make sure you know what your looking for so you can tell them exactly what your looking for

III. Once you have found a place you are interested in, you need to find out who has the power to hire you. Then you need to find people who know you and know the person hiring so you can get an introduction.

IV. Do lots of research on an organization before you go there.

V. Prepare for the interview with your own agenda. Have your own questions and curiosities about whether the job fits you.

VI. If you initiate the appointment, ask for nineteen minutes of their time; and keep to your word strictly.

VII. Only talk for 20 seconds to 2 minutes when answering their questions.

IX. At the end of the interview, ask for the job.

X. Always write a thank-you, not the same evening as the interview.

Eleven Approaches to Looking for a Job

When searching for a job there are many ways to find them. There is more than just making a resume and hoping someone stumbles upon it. Here are some pointers on other ways to get your name out there when looking for a job.

1. Look for employers' job postings on the Internet. While this is an option, it may not be the best one for you. Only 4% of people find a job this way so only use this technique if you are running out of options.

2. Posting or mailing out your resume to employers. Like the first option, this one is not as successful as the other techniques. While it works 7% of the time you should try other options before you rely on this one.

3. Answering local newspaper ads. If you're looking for a high salary you may want to skip this option. It works for only about 5% of people when you are trying to pull in lots of money. If your salary is of less importance it can work for up to 24% of people.

4. Going to private employment agencies or search firms for help. This method works anywhere between 5% and 28%. Agencies are four times more effective than just depending on your resume.

5. Answering ads in professional or trade journals, appropriate to your field. It only works 7% of the time, though.

6. "Job Clubs." These are job hunting groups that have a success rate of around 84%. These groups are highly suggested because not only do they help you find a job, but they offer you support on your job hunt.

7. Going to the state or federal employment office. It works 14% of the time and is worth a shot when trying to find a job.

8. Going to places where employers pick up workers. If you're a union worker you are able to go to a union hiring all. This method works up to 22% of the time.

9. Asking for job leads. With this method, you ask friends, family, and people you know in the community if they know of any place that would be a good job for you. Asking for job leads works about 33% of the time.

10. Knocking on the door of any employer, office, or manufacturing plant. It works best with small employers with it working 47% of the time.

11. Using the Yellow Pages. It involves going through Yellow Pages of your local phone book to identify subjects or fields that interest you. This is a great option and it works 65% of the time.

Conversation tip #9

Even if you come prepared to a job interview, there are still things that can go wrong. Some of these things might seem very small, but interviewers tend to pick up on them. In order to iron out these issues, you must be aware of what they are. Here are 5 things that employers do notice about a potential employer:

1. Your appearance and personal habits. If you are fresh bathed, have freshly laundered clothes, and a fresh haircut you will give off a much better impression than someone who is not. Employers who want people who can represent their business well, so displaying these characteristics helps give interviewers confidence in you.

2. Nervous mannerisms. Some of these include avoiding eye contact, a limp handshake, and slouching in your chair.  Employers want people who are confident and can handle high-pressure situations.

3. Lack of self-confidence. These include speaking softly, giving answers in a hesitant fashion, interrupting the employer, giving one-word answers, or downplaying your achievements. These characteristics show that you are not confident in yourself. If someone can not be confident in themselves how can they be confident about your company?

4. The consideration you show to other people.Some major turnoffs to an employer are if you show a lack of courtesy, you display extreme criticalness toward previous employers, you drink alcohol during the interview process, and forget to thank the interviewer when leaving. Employers want people who are courteous and know how to treat others well. If they cannot treat a future employer well, who knows how they will treat customers.

5. Your values. If you show a sign of arrogance, laziness, constant complaining, irresponsibility, or lack of enthusiasm employers will not want to hire you. They want to make sure you have good morals and you will fit in with the values that their company is trying to instill in their employees.

While all of these things may seem small, they are things that employers notice. The good thing is that all of these things are changeable. Once you are aware that you are doing them, you can work towards changing them. If you fix these 5 mistakes, it will help elevate your job search.

Week 11: MKTG 345- Five basic interview questions you need to pay attention to

When on a job search there is a lot of preparing that comes with getting ready for an interview. You must make sure you are prepared for any question that they are going to ask you. While they will ask you many questions, here are five that you need to pay attention to:

1. "Why are you here?" The company wants to know why you are looking to work for them and not a different company. They want to see that you have a reason for being here besides just needing a job.

2. "What can you do for us?" This is a company trying to figure out how you can help them grow as a business. They want someone who can help them face challenges and become a better company. They want to know what your special skills are that will set you apart from the competitors.

3. "What kind of person are you?" They want to know if you have the personality that will fit in with the atmosphere they are trying to create. Companies want to hire individuals who are easy to work with and who share common values with their fellow employees.

4. "What exactly distinguishes you from the nineteen or nine hundred other people who are applying for this job?" They want to know if you have a strong work ethic, good work habits, work fast, maintain high standards, and anything else that will set you apart from other employees.

5. "Can I afford you?" They want to know if you are willing to take the salary they have available for you.

These are the things that employers really want to know. These questions can either help you stand out or set you back from your competitors. Being able to answer these questions with ease and confidence will give you an edge over other applicants.
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