5 Tips for Asking Good Questions in the Interview

There will come a time in the interview that the interviewer will offer you the opportunity to ask questions. Not asking questions makes you look unprepared and disinterested. Next time you are given the opportunity, make sure you are ready with these tips.

Do your research.
Always prepare in advance. Thoroughly research the company – don’t just read their website. What are their future plans, their problems, and their needs? Show you have done your homework and demonstrate your dedication to their company with questions such as “I see that you are expanding your operation and outsourcing your customer support into India. At ABC Communications when we outsourced to India we had to overcome several roadblocks. What are some of the issues you have faced so far?” This question shows you have not only done your research, but that you are experienced at handling the same type of situation they are facing.

Make it all about them.
Never ask questions about benefits, salary, work hours, or anything else that relates to what the company is going to do for you. Your focus in the interview is to highlight the benefits you can bring to the employer.

Ask open-ended questions.
One of the purposes for asking questions at the end of the interview is to create a conversation, form a connection, and bond with the interviewer to get to “yes.” Avoid questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no”. A closed question would be “Is technology important to your company?” Instead, ask “How does technology factor into your company’s current and future success?”

Write your questions down and take them to the interview.
You have a lot to remember in an interview. If you write your questions down, there is one less thing you have to worry about remembering. Also, there may come a time that all your questions are answered in the course of the interview. In that rare case, you may actually want to show the questions you wrote down to the interviewer and say something such as “Thank you so much for such a thorough and detailed interview, you answered all the questions I had prepared.”

Close strong.
Remember the purpose of the interview is to get a “yes.” Once in a while you have to overcome objections to succeed. However, you can’t overcome an unknown objection. Therefore, one of the last questions you should always ask is “Do you see any skills or qualifications that I may be lacking to succeed in this position with your company?” Often, they may bring up an issue that you can overcome on the spot, just by providing additional details.

Maintain a Strong Work Ethic

A strong work ethic is often described as one’s ability to work hard, meet professional responsibilities in an efficient manner, and deliver quality work. Work ethic is often linked to personal character values considered intrinsic, like integrity and honesty. Other strong work ethic traits, such as using resources and time wisely, typically come with experience and practice.

A good work ethic usually leads to a more successful career path. The following elaborates on common indicators of a strong work ethic.

Keep Professional Work Habits

Maintain strong professional work habits that demonstrate respect for you and those you work with. Examples of these include being on time to work and meetings, being prepared, dressing professionally, responding promptly to colleague and client requests, and maintaining an organized work space.

Be Honest, Dependable, and Trustworthy

In all your work dealings, be honest and accountable for your words and actions. You’ll earn a reputation for dependability when others experience several positive work interactions with you that show you can meet your work responsibilities. Trustworthiness also comes over time after others see that you regularly follow through on your commitments.

Deliver High-Quality Work

As important as it is to work hard, it is equally important to deliver consistent, high-quality work. If you regularly work diligently but do not meet quality expectations, it can lead to problems for you and your employer. Poor quality work may need to be redone, costing the company time, money, and in some cases, the reputation of the business.

On a closing note, taking pride in your work, maintaining an overall positive attitude toward work, and doing something you enjoy can also go a long way in fostering a strong work ethic.

5 Steps for S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting to Achieve Success

There are many reasons to set goals: they provide a target, they concentrate and focus efforts, they provide motivation and inspire persistence, and they establish a road map to get from where you are to where you want to be. It has been proven that a person with an important enough why can bear most any what or how. Writing down your goals in the S.M.A.R.T. style will help you focus and become more productive. S.M.A.R.T. goals are:

Specific
Generic goals are much less effective than specific goals. Specific goals ensure efforts are focused and clarified. Specific goals answer who is involved, what will be accomplished, when will the goal be accomplished, why is the goal important, and how will it be achieved?

A generic goal is “I need a new job that pays more money.” However, a specific goal is “Within the next three months, I want to obtain employment in the education field utilizing my degree and I want to earn at least $40,000 per year.”

Measurable
If your goal has no measurement, how will you recognize success? Measurable goals answer how much, how many, and how often? Build steps into written goals to keep yourself on track and motivated with small successes. Measurable, tangible achievements will inspire you to keep going toward your ultimate goal.

Attainable
To be attainable, a goal must be realistic. If you want to lose thirty pounds by next week or become a doctor in 6 weeks, yet you have not started medical school, you are setting yourself up for failure with unrealistic expectations. You must believe you can achieve a goal to become willing to do the work it will take. Attainable goals do not mean easy goals; they just have to be doable with realistic daily efforts.

Reaching
A goal should stretch your abilities. Often, a high goal seems easier to achieve because the level of motivation is much greater than a goal that does not challenge you. If a goal motivates you and is important to you, you will find ways to develop the skills, attitude, and abilities to make it happen.

Timely
Creating a deadline causes a sense of urgency and establishes commitment in your mind. “Someday” is not a time frame, it is simply an excuse for procrastination. Without a timeframe there is no motivation to start taking action.

Should you Hire a Professional Resume Writer? The Pros and Cons

Many people would rather prepare their own taxes than write their own resume. It is often a daunting task that we procrastinate. However, everyone needs a well-written resume at all times – even if you are happily employed.

So, should you write the resume yourself or should you hire a professional? You can do it yourself, but can you do it well? To be fair, I must tell you that I am a professional resume writer. However, I want to offer you both the positive and negative aspects of hiring someone to write your resume for you.

Pro:
Having your resume professionally written can save you tremendous amounts of time.

Con:
You must be willing to participate in the process by providing the writer with personal information and approving the final product. Otherwise, you may end up with a resume that is full of information and skills that you can’t support in an interview or that is written in language or terms that you would never use. Don’t let someone write your resume FOR you, they should write it WITH you.

Pro:
A well-trained professional has the ability to assist you in identifying your marketable skills and will create a sales-focused document that attracts employers’ attention.

Con:
Beware of the “resume factories” that don’t take the time to get to know you personally. Whether the information is gathered via worksheet or personal interview, the important thing is that you define and market how you can benefit an organization. A well-written resume should be a personalized representation of what makes YOU the right person for the job.

Pro:
Having your resume written for you is one less thing for you to worry about in the hectic job search process. A certified professional resume writer is required to stay on top of the latest job search trends and methods and will provide you with updated documents that are suitable for the current job market.

Con:
Most anyone can hang a shingle and call themselves a resume writer. There are several reputable associations of professionals such as the National Resume Writers Association at www.thenrwa.com, Career Directors International at www.careerdirectors.com, and the Professional Association of Resume Writers at www.parw.com. Before hiring a professional, verify their qualifications, experience, and reputation by doing your due diligence.

Four Reasons Why You Should Immediately Join a Professional Organization

Picture in your mind two side-by-side resumes of recent college graduates. Each possesses the same type of degree from comparable universities. They have similar internship experiences and both lack “real-world working experience.” The only difference between the two is that the one on the right is a member of a professional organization, a (typically) not-for-profit group formed around a particular profession that furthers the interests and development of its members and of the profession itself. Professional organizations-also called professional associations, professional bodies, professional societies, or trade groups-exist for nearly any profession you can think of, from clowns to bookbinders. The difference between involvement in a professional organization and none could be the difference between obtaining a position quickly after graduation and floundering for months afterward. Read on to learn why.

On the cheap: Joining a professional organization as a student is typically cheaper-much cheaper-than to join as a professional already working in the field. For example, a student membership in the Society of Human Resource Professionals is a mere $35.00 compared with $180.00 for a full-time professional. That’s a savings of over 80%! The leadership of professional organizations understands that college students have limited-if any-income and want to substantially decrease the barriers to joining. Take advantage of this while you are still able.

Get connected: From the moment you hit the “submit” button to conclude your organization membership you will have instant access to a network of professionals in your field. Make the most of this by contacting some nearby members and scheduling an informational interview to learn from them and grow your personal network.

Become involved: As you have probably surmised by now, joining a professional organization is good, but becoming involved is better. How do you become involved? Email someone in a leadership position in the association and ask him or her how you can help. It doesn’t matter who; you are new to the organization and that person will help you navigate the organizational hierarchy. There are numerous ways for you to get involved in a professional organization, from sitting on committees to volunteering at events like conferences or symposiums. Since volunteers run most professional organizations, your initiative and involvement will be welcomed and rewarded.

Educate thyself: Finally, professional organizations provide ongoing education and training opportunities to help its members stay current in the field. Utilize these resources to get the most out of your membership and to make yourself a more well-informed professional.

Professional organizations are a small investment for enormous professional rewards, provided that you use them to grow your network, get involved, and continue your education. Stop hesitating and join one today.

Putting Office Politics to Work

For most, the concept of office politics immediately evokes a negative connotation. However, when managed properly, office politics can actually play a positive role in your career. Office politics refers to tactics individuals use to gain advantages in the workplace, mainly for personal advancement. Two factors contribute: the natural state of competition in the workplace and the hierarchical power structure of most companies.

The following tips can help you navigate the tricky landscape of most office politics.

· Be observant. Observe the company culture and the relationship dynamics between individuals and groups. Pay close attention to those who fit in and those who are well respected and/or have influence in the company. Consider the reasons why, then work at trying to establish relationships with these people.

· Focus on business objectives. Office politics should never supersede business objectives. Stay focused and always do what is in the best interest of the organization. If personal agendas start creeping in, weigh the pros and cons based on the business objectives and always use good business sense.

· Work collaboratively. No matter what your job is, you will most likely need to work collaboratively with others. Collaborating effectively can lead to positive working relationships and alliances that will serve you well when office politics enter the picture. Remember the theory of reciprocity: When you help others, they are more likely to help you.

· Expand your influence. It’s natural that you will form relationships more readily with those whom you work with on a regular basis. Don’t stop there. Raise your visibility and expand your influence by establishing relationships across the organization.

How Would you Describe a Banana? Keys for Answering Brainteaser Interview Questions.

You have done your research, defined your skills, and prepared for every possible interview question. Tell me about yourself? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Then, out of the blue the interviewer throws you a curve ball.

Why are manhole covers round? How would you describe a banana? Estimate the volume of water on Earth. These types of questions may seem pointless. However, according to http://www.glassdoor.com/ some of the biggest tech industry companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Yahoo are using questions like these as part of their interview process, and other companies may join them.

Instead of studying questions that may be asked, just have a strategy for answering. First, understand why companies ask these questions. These questions serve as a test of how well you can problem solve, react under pressure and think on your feet. If you encounter a brainteaser, or an off-the-wall question, follow these guidelines:

Don’t Panic. Remember, employers are testing how you react to pressure. The worst thing you could do is panic or overreact. The worst answer to a brainteaser question is “I don’t know.” This shows a lack of creativity and problem solving ability.

Keep your Sense of Humor. Enjoy the fun spirit that is behind these questions. They are intentionally outrageous, and the interviewer that asks them does not expect a precise answer. Here is a potential question and answer scenario. “How many quarters would it take to stack as high as the Empire State Building?” Answer, “I don’t know the answer off the top of my head. However, using the internet, I will look up the thickness of a quarter and the height of the Empire State Building. With access to the internet and a calculator, I can have an answer to you in just a few minutes.”

Don’t Over Think Things. These questions test your ability to problem solve using logic. Remember, the interviewer probably doesn’t even know, or expect you to know, the answer to the question. In the earlier example, it isn’t about actually researching and finding the answer, it is about using problem resolution skills – and thinking fast on your feet – to demonstrate how you would provide the information if you had to.