The Psychology of Job Interviews How To Prepare Mentally

The Psychology of Job Interviews How To Prepare Mentally Preparing for a job interview in any circumstance requires a lot of foresight and forward thinking; many care free applicants have taken the liberty of turning up to an arranged interview without a pre-set ‘game plan’ and failed miserably when questions or tasks arise that they did not expect. Taking the time to plan some pre-emptive measures such as research and gathering qualification certificates can make a huge difference towards your performance in job interviews, and also allow you to make a positive and lasting impact on the interviewers themselves. So with this in mind, let’s look at a few tried and tested tactics that can improve your confidence, sharpen up you CV and make you stand out from the crowd. Curriculum Vitae Revising and sculpting your CV to suit each individual job application will help you in a number of ways; firstly, it will make your CV more appealing and specifically well-suited to each job role in question, it will make for a great conversational piece in interviews and lastly it may help to indicate (or even provoke) which questions you can expect to hear in the interview. When revising your CV, take into consideration the experience and qualifications you have, and select which aspects of each apply to that job role. Going into more detail about certain aspects of past job roles may not seem like a big deal to you, but it will highlight the key features of your experience that prospective employers are looking for. For example, if an applicant has experience in retail or hospitality and is looking to apply for jobs in administration then they would certainly have to highlight the key areas of their previous experience to show they are an ideal candidate for the job. If the candidate were to detail the intricacies of their organisational skills, customer service expertise, telephone manner and competency with computers then they would stand out as a more suitable candidate than they would have previously. The key to reworking a CV is to pick out key aspects of your previous experience and qualifications and detail them comprehensively to show how well-suited to each job role you are. The Interview A great way of being psychologically prepared for a job interview is to feel confident in your ability to answer the questions that are likely ahead of you; this may seem a little obvious, but many people go about it the wrong way. Avoid rehearsing questions that you expect to come up; instead, research the company, who they are and what they do; this will give you a good indication of what you will need to know and allow you to come up with a few questions of your own. If you have sourced job applications from online vacancies or online recruitment companies then going that extra mile to find out as much as possible about your prospective employers is a must; a simple digital advert will give only a brief description of the job role and you must look into the company and its products/services to discover exactly what your job role would be. There are certain things all prospective employers are looking for in interviews, some more obvious than others. It goes without saying that interviewers are certainly looking for the most competent candidate possible, but an enthusiastic candidate who is willing to give 110% to the company is much more alluring than an equally qualified candidate with no enthusiasm or ‘drive’. Coming across as an enthusiastic and eager candidate is easier than you may think; by asking the right questions and adopting the right attitude, it’s fairly simple to come across as a bright and likable person. Often interviewers like to ask: “Where do you see yourself in ‘X’ years’ time?” and many candidates would commonly answer with an overconfident and unrealistic answer such as “I’d like to be a manager” or “I’d like to be head of my department”. Interviewers love modesty alongside competence and answering questions with modest answers which show you are still hardworking and ambitious, yet do not overestimate your abilities is a much more attractive quality. An answer along the lines of “I believe that if I continue to develop my skills and learn as much as possible from my peers then those opportunities will present themselves in time” is much more effective. Obviously it’s wise to put your own personality and spin on this template attitude but finding the happy medium between modesty and ambitiousness is an attractive quality indeed. Upon the interview, you will likely have an opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the company or the job role; this is a fantastic chance to show that you have done your homework and researched the company. Mention certain products or services the company provide and ask for finer details surrounding them, and certainly ask if there are any steps you can take to better prepare for the job role just in case they decide to give you a call. Conclusion So there you are, some key tips to help you better prepare for job interviews and applications. Remember, do your homework and act with modesty and your competence and likability will shine through! Related: The Psychology of Networking: How Some Appear Natural While Others Stutter. This post was written by Danny Travis-Brown on behalf of Blue Octopus online recruitment. His job interview technique involves donning a waistcoat to stand out from the crowd and wow his interviewers.

Unf Resume Writing Tips - How To Write A Recruitment Letter That Deserves Your Attention

Unf Resume Writing Tips - How To Write A Recruitment Letter That Deserves Your AttentionHave you heard about the and resume writing tips? If you are, you might be a little confused by what they really mean. So, if you would like to know the truth, you will need to read this article and learn about them.These tips may not seem interesting to you at first, but keep in mind that many unscrupulous employers or businessmen are now using these tips to make their applicants look unprofessional. You will probably never know, if you are applying for a job as a writer. You can just think of them as a means to get hired by a new company or employer, which would pay you a fair amount of money to write resumes for them.There is an unusual example of such a company. The owner of the company has been looking for a writer for him and paid him about ten dollars to come and work for him for the next two weeks. This is considered to be the bare minimum salary for this kind of job.But, if you are in the business of writing resumes, you should consider a bigger pay and much better conditions. What you do is that you will have to write so many samples of resumes for different companies. Your main task will be to write sample resumes for all kinds of people, of different ages, in different fields of work.Then, you will have to take notes and write down the right information regarding their details, the way they dress, their hobbies, and so on. Then, you will have to repeat the process again for each individual person, until you get the right information regarding them.In other words, you will have to take notes about every person in great number and then you will have to write them all down. You will have to take note of the information about their education, age, type of job they did before, the type of job they will do in the future, the type of education they had before, and so on.By doing this, you will be able to get the information and know about these people well, and will be able to use this information for your own purposes. Of course, you will be paid well for it.If you think you cannot do this, you can find many sites online that will help you with this process. Some of these sites offer you sample and free work and will give you the information you need for free.

Staying Productive After a Long Day

Staying Productive After a Long Day You go to work after a good night’s sleep, ready to take on the day. When you get there you find yourself with task after task to complete. Before you know it, you’re getting exhausted. We’ve all been there. We all have those days where we just want to get through the day and do nothing else after a hard day at work. Unfortunately, as adults we don’t often have the luxury to do that every night. The work day never ends at work because we have dinner to make, laundry to do, bills to pay and dirty dishes calling our names. The problem is finding the motivation to complete those tasks once you’re home, especially after a long day on the job. So how do we get around this problem? Here are a few suggestions that can help. Never Miss a Beat You’ve just spent the whole day working and you’re getting tired, but your brain is still in work mode. Instead of taking a few quick minutes to relax before dinner, get in the zone immediately. Dedicate a certain amount of time to a task that needs to be completed or a personal project you love. Whether it’s only 15 minutes or an hour, focus on that particular item on your to-do list while your brain is still in the mood to do it. It doesn’t have to be a chore you’re dreading. It can be something fun, too. Maybe you’re in the middle of working on a novel and you want to complete another chapter. Maybe you have a piece of art you’re trying to complete. Whatever the task, find some time to focus solely on it. Save the Best for Last Remember when you were a kid and you hated when your parents told you to clean your room or put your clothes away? The thought of chores always drove us crazy. As adults that mindset doesn’t change. We all have those tasks we hate doing, but we know they must be completed. Start by completing the least-appealing tasks first. At first it seems counterintuitive because it’s something you don’t necessarily want to do, but the idea is to leave more time for enjoyable tasks. When you start your to-do list with the boring tasks, you’re not only getting them done and out of the way, but you’re also opening yourself up to getting excited for other tasks. Various studies have also shown boredom can boost creativity and be a motivational tool. You’ll want to complete the task as quickly and efficiently as possible so you can move onto something else like finishing a good book or checking out that new show on TV. Maintain a Routine It’s very easy to fall into the habit of starting tasks and never finishing them because of a distraction such as going online. If you can get into a routine of completing important tasks before taking some time to relax, you’ll already have an idea of what you have to do when you get home from work. Start by making a list of things you know have to be completed and prioritize them accordingly. Having a plan in mind will help you stay on task. You may also find the list gets done quicker as you continue to follow that routine. Before long, that routine becomes a way of life. Another benefit to having a routine is there is no thinking, just doing. You won’t have thoughts dreading those daunting tasks you have ahead of you. You’ll find yourself so used to the routine that it’ll be as simple as getting up and going to work every day. There are going to be times where something comes up and you have to change your routine a little, but overall you’ll find it keeps you productive. Once you get through the “have to” items on your list, you can focus on the “want to” items. Make Productivity Part of Your Life We all know the work day never stops just because we finished an eight-hour shift. We have tasks to complete that are part of our everyday lives. Finding the proper motivation to stay productive after coming home can be difficult, but following tips like those above can make it easier. Recommended Reads: Images by  wilofcom  and  Tatiana Niño

Have You Changed Your Recruiting Style

Have You Changed Your Recruiting Style Hiring top talent requires strategy and precision in today’s talent wars. McKinsey estimates that by 2020 there will be a global shortage of approximately 85 million qualified workers. Workers who develop their skills to keep up with the demands of our emerging high-tech world will be at a premium. At the same time, the hiring process is undergoing a seismic shift as it moves to include AI, automation and transforms into a customer service mindset with trust as the cornerstone. In our networked, diverse and fast-paced world, the hiring process needs to transition from a recruiting model to a human capital development model. The new model integrates coaching into the process and goes beyond a simple transaction model of placing talent in a position. Human capital developers build relationships, help to identify high potentials, coach talent and work with companies to develop their leadership pipeline over time. AI in hiring Utilizing AI to find talent will become a major part of the recruitment process. AI will identify matches based on a summary of all available digital data to create a 360 profile. As AI takes on the heavy lifting, the main role of the recruiter is to develop and maintain relationships with talent. Trust is essential here. In our emerging high-tech world, the value of recruiters lies in their ability to build and maintain relationships through high levels of emotional intelligence and strong interpersonal relationships with their teams and candidates. Develop the right pipeline Unicorn talent is typically a passive market and companies need to identify potential talent attributes and skills for their vision before hiring to develop a pipeline. Successful hiring requires developing relationships, an excellent understanding of the client requirements and true resonance with the vision, then selectively reaching out to candidates identified as a potential cultural fit. The process requires identifying talent, networking with them on social and establishing trust as well as credibility. It’s an opportunity to assess soft skills including the interpersonal skills critical to succeed today. Candidate Experience The talent we work with every day are customers, and we only have to Google to see candidates are rarely treated with that level of respect. The more recruiters can adapt the perspective of providing a servant leader mindset, the more effective they will be in their work. Reviewing the end-to-end customer experience is vital for recruiters and their companies to be successful. Selection Process Recruiters need to focus on selective conversion rather than accumulating a ton of resumes. Recruiting, now more than ever, is about understanding candidate and client perspectives in a very genuine way â€" and that means being extraordinarily great at relationships. Talent needs to feel represented and that recruiters are advocating for their best interests. It’s about making one-on-one connections and treating talent as humans on their career journey, rather than a target number to reach a quota. The recruiter brand Talent is charged with developing their own brand to attract opportunities, and so too, recruiters must carefully evaluate their brand. How you show up internally with your hiring manager, your team, the talent you approach and represent and the company you represent speaks volumes about your brand. With technology as the aid to deliver the best talent to your company; work out how you are going to work on your development to change the way our industry is talked about. About the author: Caroline Stokes, founder of FORWARD is an executive headhunter, coach and EQ trainer for innovation leaders.  www.theforward.co

Skills, Qualifications and Skills For Writing a Resume - A Descriptive Resume With a Description For Freelance Writing

Skills, Qualifications and Skills For Writing a Resume - A Descriptive Resume With a Description For Freelance WritingIf you are planning to go out of the business of your own company and start freelance writing then you should make a good presentation on your resume and then follow it up with a detailed description. In other words you should get a clear idea of what will be your profile. The following tips for writing a resume and a description for freelance writing will give you a well balanced resume.One of the most important points to remember is to list down all your job responsibilities in chronological order. You should take care that you list down each responsibility separately so that they look organized. In this way, when you are asked to provide details on a part of your resume, you can give the details. You should not lie on the part of this resume as it will certainly affect your credibility and, worse, will give you a bad image.Another important point to remember is to include all your assignments clearly in a resume. You should not assume that the college you attended is mentioned somewhere in the resume. So make sure that you have listed them in a way that they stand out in the resume.It is recommended that you write all your descriptions in double-spaced type or in a single-spaced format. There is no use having a description for freelance writing in a single-spaced format, if you are also writing a resume. So in a single-spaced format, the readers of this resume will not be able to see the details well and if they are able to notice the details, then they will just skip over it and move to the next one.It is best to leave out all the extraneous things in the description for freelance writing that you might find in a typical resume. In your resume, you will only need to mention the facts that will be of help to the prospective employer.The use of the first person in the descriptions for freelance writing is helpful and should be used sparingly. However, it is always better to use it in the case of a business.The descriptions for freelance writing need to be meaningful to the reader. Do not write something meaningless that will make the reader wonder what the need for this resume was. Make sure that you only include things that you feel are relevant to the position you are applying for.In addition, you should not include too much general information in your resume. This will not help you when you need to apply for a technical position. So always remember to keep it simple.

The Secret Ingredient To Networking Success

The Secret Ingredient To Networking Success The Secret Ingredient To Networking Success Every time I attend a networking event I run into at least one person looking for work. Every. Single. Time. Many of them want to make a move, some have recently lost their job, others have been unemployed for several months. Whatever their situation, the majority are there with a friend or colleague. This is a BIG mistake. HUGE! While networking should be part of your life (whether youre looking or not) you’ll get a lot more out of events if you go to them alone. Here’s why. If you go to an event with a friend or colleague, its likely you’ll spend most of your time with them. You’ll chat over cocktails and sit together at dinner. Will you meet other people? Probably. But, not nearly as many as you would meet if you went alone. I attend a lot of networking events. I know how tough it is to head out to a room full of strangers after a long day at the office. I’d rather plunk down in front of the TV too. But, the truth is I almost always enjoy myself once I’m there. And I generally go alone. Networking doesn’t need to be painful. It doesnt need to be 2 strangers struggling to find something to say to each other. You can avoid having the typical (boring) networking conversation by planning some talking points ahead of time. Research the speaker â€" everyone has a website today, pick up some ideas there. What are his or her 3 areas of expertise? Spend 30 minutes online â€" scan the news and review a few noncontroversial articles. While you dont need to stick to the weather, you can always find 1 or 2 interesting stories. Research the organization â€" even the smallest organizations have a website today. What is their mission? Make a deal with yourself that you’ll attend your next networking event alone. If you must go with a friend or colleague, agree that you’ll have cocktails together but sit at different tables for dinner. That way you’ll ensure some time on your own. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll get out of these occasions when you make it a point to go alone. You’ll most certainly talk to a few people you don’t know. You may even meet a new friend. Even if you dont connect with someone at every event, its a much better use of your time than wasting all day surfing job boards. Updated 5/23/18

Why Asking for Money Is So Hard - Kathy Caprino

Why Asking for Money Is So Hard Ive been watching my clients and myself this past year around the experience of charging fees, asking for payment, suggesting folks re-enroll in our programs, etc., and here’s what I’ve found… Very few people like asking for money, and no one finds it easy â€" we universally hate it. Why?   Because asking for money brings up thousands of insecurities and doubts.   We’re scared to look money in the face, and to put ourselves out there, formally stating where we stand in a value equation.   And we’re unsure of our worthiness. Folks tell me that when they ask for money from clients or customers, questions swim inside their heads about value, impact, and “appeal.”   They fear that asking for money is the opposite of being “pleasing” to people, and will be a huge turn-off.   (For a fascinating discussion around if we should worry about what other people think of us, see Jonathan Fields’s recent post “What Other People Think IS Your Business.”) In tough times like these, consultants, coaches, practitioners and entrepreneurs struggle hard to stand up for what they want/deserve in compensation or fees, fearing no one will pay.   And in the end, many aren’t sure themselves what their services are worth. At the root of this money challenge are shame, doubt and insecurity:   Am I good enough? How can I put a value on what I offer?   Will there be enough people to pay this?   Will they come back?  Did they think my work was a good value?   How do I fare against the competition?   Did I give them great results? While I continue to struggle with asking for money, I’ve found greater success this year only after figuring out beyond a reasonable doubt what I feel my services are worth.   I didn’t make the numbers up I did the work of obtaining valid information and feedback.   I conducted diligent, open-hearted research â€" with clients, competition, experts, role models, the marketplace, etc.   I asked my clients how they assessed the value of our work together, and the impact it made in their lives.   And I left my ego at the door when these conversations occurred.   Asking for money IS hard, but it gets easier when we become crystal clear about what our services/products are worth to those we serve.   Once we know in our hearts and minds what to charge, then it’s time to speak up and ask for it.   Curious about your thoughts Do you find asking for money hard, and what makes it easier?