40 Top Common Job Interview Questions Answers

40 Top Common Job Interview Questions Answers Here are 35 common interview questions and answers. ButBrick wall.That interview stands between you and your dream job.Take heart.Each of the job interview questions below has a right and wrong answer.Give the right one and get hired.Fail, and its back to job search sites and waking up at 3am.This guide will show you:The 35 most common interview questions.Right and wrong answers to help you ace the interview.Lists of top behavioral interview questions, phone interview questions, questions to ask in an interview, and more.How to answer job interview questions so theyll call back.Maybe your interview answers are fine, but your foundation has cracks.Great answers to interview questions start with a great resume.Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. Its fast and easy to use. Plus, youll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.Sample resume made with our builderSee more templates and cr eate your resume here.One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume nowHeres the ultimate list of mock interview questions and sample answers. Click on a link to learn how to answer most common interview questions.Top 40+ Most Common Job Interview Questions and Best AnswersTell me about yourselfWhy are you applying for this position?Why do you want to work here?What motivates you?Why are you a good fit for this position?Why are you the best person for this job?What are your weaknesses?What interests you about this position?Tell me about how you dealt with a tough challengeWhat are your strengths?Why should we hire you?Describe what you do in your current positionTell me about a time you went above and beyond for workWhy did you leave your last job?Where do you see yourself in 5 years?What is your management style?Tell me about a time you reached a goal at workWhat a re your salary requirements?What are you passionate about?How did you hear about this job?How do you deal with pressure?What are you most proud of?What do you know about our company?Whats your dream job?Why is there a gap in your resume?Why are you changing careers?Are you open to relocating?Tell me about a mistake you madeWalk us through your resumeDo you have any questions for me?Common Phone Interview QuestionsSTAR Method for Acing Behavioral Interview QuestionsIllegal Interview Questions Employers Cannot AskBonus:What Makes You Unique?Bonus: What Are Your Hobbies?Bonus: What Is Your Management Style?Bonus: What Are Your Career Goals?Bonus: Introduction 101: How to Introduce YourselfBonus:Sell Me This PenBonus:15 Best Informational Interview Questions to AskBonus:20 Situational Interview Questions and AnswersBonus:25 Teacher Interview Questions and Best AnswersBonus:25 Nursing Interview Questions and Best AnswersHow to Answer Common Interview QuestionsLets be blunt.Its hard to an swer job interview questions.Youre under mountains of pressure and you dont know the right answers.Well, now you do.See the best answers to 35 common interview questions below.Theyve all got one thing in common.They make it clear youre inevitable for the job.How?They start with a skill or quality the interviewer wants.They tell how you used it.They show how it helped your company.Heres a typical interview question example:Q: Tell me about yourself.Background: A software engineering job wants machine learning and big data skills.rightA: You want someone who can use machine learning to process big data. At NinesCube we had data files of over a million customer transactions a day. I wrote five machine learning algorithms to handle them. From the insights gained, we improved our customer experience and increased repeat business 20%.wrongIve been a software engineer for seven years, working for several high-end companies. Im skilled in Python, PHP, Java, and JavaScript. Ive won multiple coding challenges and my managers always say Im a hard worker.Wow.Which of those tell me about yourself sample answers would you rather give?Pro Tip: You cant give great answers to interview questions unless you know the job requirements. So read the job description. Butresearch the company before the interview process starts.Not sure how to learn about the company to give great interview answers? Do some interviewing of your own. See our guide: 15 Best Informational Interview Questions to Ask ( Why They Matter)1Tell me about yourselfAbout me questions are the most common interview questions on Earth.They mean, Why are you perfect for the job? Is it in line with your career goals?See these tell me about yourself sample answers. They fit a job that wants efficiency and collaboration.rightI worked at a small shop for two years doing 50 projects a year, meeting 100% of my deadlines. Then I worked for a bigger firm with clients like Disney and Netflixwith 99% client satisfaction. I coll aborated with the team to win an A Design Award. Im excited to step into a role like this thats designed around that kind of efficiency and collaboration.wrongI was born in Central Maine and spent summers swimming on a lake. After college, I worked bartending jobs. I knew I had graphic design talent, so I tried it. Ive worked for seven years now at two different firms. Ive gotten really good.Which of those marketing interview questions answers will get the job?Tell me about yourself tops the list of behavioral interview questions. Use specific achievements and dont ramble.Read our complete guide to tell me about yourself answers.2Why are you applying for this position?What prompted you to apply for this job? means, Why are you so perfect for it?Its one of the easiest job interview questions to answer if you research the company.rightYoure looking for someone experienced in pairs programming and Scrum. Ive been part of two programming pairs in six years. In the first we raised code e fficiency 45%. In the second we helped the team win a BOSSIE Award. In that job I was on a Scrum team that delivered 15 projects 20% under budget.wrongIve been applying to just about every job I see on LinkedIn. This looked like a good fit, depending on the salary.The first of those programming interview questions answers nails it.The next of our common interview questions asks, why do you want to work for this company?Read our complete guide to the why are you applying for this position interview question.3Why do you want to work here?Why do I want to work here? means: Why will you be our best employee yet?Check out these answers:rightThis is a high-end office with a great team. Your employees voted you the best place to work in New Hampshire. I know youre looking for an administrative assistant good at resolving customer complaints. At CRM Mineral, I did that 43% faster than the previous assistant by triaging complaints and quickly escalating larger issues.wrongI need work and Ive applied to 200 jobs in the past month. Im ready to work hard and Im a skilled admin assistant.The second of those administrative assistant interview questions is from the gut. The hiring manager will hate it.The first is how to answer why this company.Read our complete guide to the why do you want to work hereinterview question.4What motivates you?This is another of those tricky behavioral interview questions.It means, Will this job motivate you to be a great employee? Do the career paths here excite you?Look at these answers:rightIm motivated by a student-guided learning environment with great co-workers like you have here. I loved that at my last school. It drove me to double my professional development hours. I learned a lot about test-taking strategies, and my kids raised their averages by 20% in six months.wrongIm motivated by helping young minds grow. I think its so important for our future to have engaged, happy kids. Thats why I got into teaching in the first place.That wro ng example sounds nice, right?It shows passion, but it doesnt show how passion translates to achievement. Read our guide to the what motivates you interview question.5Why are you a good fit for this position?Why would you be a good fit for this position means: What have you done that proves youll do a good job?Reply like this:rightIm a good fit because you need an efficient nurse who is professional under pressure. At Harrison Memorial, we had a full ward and fast-paced schedule. The charge nurse commended me five times for efficiency and teamwork.wrongIm a great nurse and Id work very hard to do the best job possible here. Ive always fit in very well with nursing teams Ive worked with.Why doesnt that wrong example work? It says you fit, but it doesnt offer proof.Read our guide to the why are you a good fit for this positioninterview question here.Want more nurse interview questions and answers? Theres a guide for that too: 25 Nursing Interview Questions and Best Answers6Why are you the best person for this job?What makes you a good candidate for this post isnt on the list of behavioral interview questions.ButAnswer it like a behavioral question, with a problem, solution, and how it helped.See this Why are you the best candidate for this position sample answer:rightYou need a business analyst who knows how to redesign customer communication protocols and fulfillment processes. I did that at Huffman Barco when outdated systems pushed our costs up. I was able to save the company $2 million a year.wrongIm a top-notch business analyst, highly skilled in future state assessment, business process re-engineering, and gap analysis. Ive been on the job for nine years. At Huffman Barco, I was responsible for all business analysis functions.That second example looks fine. But it doesnt show how you helped.Read our guide to the why are you the best person for this jobinterview question here.Heres the toughest of all common interview questions:7What are your weaknesses?How can you say what youre not good at and still get the job? You dont need a list of weaknesses to say in an interview.To nail typical interview questions like this, show how youre working with your greatest weakness.Theres a massive difference in these what are your weaknesses answers:rightI havent traditionally been great at leadership. At Sintertron, the DevOps manager wanted to put me in charge of two programming pairs, and it was terrifying. I enrolled in three Dale Carnegie classes and learned a lot. It was a challenge, but I ended up enjoying it. My teams outperformed the company speed average by 5%.wrongIm not very good at teamwork. Every time my last boss put me with someone else to work with, we never got along. I work better by myself.The first of those DevOps interview questions answers tells a great story. Its got a problem and a solution that helped the company.Read our guide to the what are your weaknessesinterview question.8What interests you about this position?How to answer why are you interested in this position:Learn the jobs key skills.Show how youve used them.Say how that helped.rightThe job offer jumped out at me. You need someone who knows about app prioritization and network monitoring. At AccuRight Solutions, I used those tools to boost network performance 38%.wrongIt looks like a good opening at a good company. The pay is right, and its local to me and I need a job. Im really interested in working here.Look at the first of those IT interview questions answers. Its got exactly what the interviewer wants.See our guide to the what interests you about this positioninterview question.Heres another of the most common behavioral interview questions. Watch how we link it to the job:9Tell me about how you dealt with a tough challengeThis is one of the top interview questions for a reasonIt shows how you deal with adversity.rightWe had a big last-minute order come in from a valued customer. I called a meeting and laid out the problem. We found a way to get it done with zero overtime. We made an extra $1.1 million in revenue that month.wrongA crucial machine broke down right in the middle of a big run. I called in maintenance and they fixed the issue.That first example shows you had a major positive effect. The second only shows you know how to use a phone.When it comes to common interview questions and answers, always add a benefit.Read our guide to the tell me about a time you faced a tough challengeinterview question here.10What are your strengths?One of these what are your strengths examples answers soars. The other flops.Both are for a job that needs a Python programmer good at collaborationrightIm a strong Python programmer and I excel at collaboration. In my last job I worked closely with a team of five software engineers that turned out 10 Python projects in two years, end-to-end. We raised customer retention by 20%.wrongIm an excellent Java programmer and Ive got great communication skills. In my last job I worked with six software engineers. Our team created 11 software solutions in Java in two years. We boosted customer retention by 22%.Those job interview questions answers are almost identical. The first wins because the greatest strengths fit the job skills.See our guide to the what are your strengthsinterview question.11Why should we hire you?Typical interview questions are easy for the interviewerhard for the applicant.This one makes you prove yourself.rightYou need an accountant who can support general accounting functions in the monthly close process for a high-volume firm. I did that at Amex for five years. I spotted a hidden issue that saved $3 million. I also redesigned our cloud computing policies and saved $300,000 a year in labor hours spent on security.wrongIm an experienced accountant skilled in financial statements, asset management, and account analysis. I worked for five years at American Express as an accountant. During that time I worked on cross-functional teams and impr oved our account analysis policies. I think Id be a great fit.That first example shows how you helped the company, with details. The second is generic. It tells your function, but were you good or bad at it?This is one of the best interview questions. Only applicants who get it answer well.Pro Tip: Youll need lots of job-fitting accomplishments for a great interview. Somake a list. Before you go, rehearse your answers to these basic interview questions.Read our guide to the why should we hire you interview question.12Describe what you do in your current positionHere are two Scrum Master interview questions and answers examples.The job wants automation, Kanban, and velocity.rightIm a Scrum Master in a team of nine SaaS employees. In my daily work, I shield the team and improve process efficiency. When I first took the job the team wasnt hitting deadlines. I implemented an automation drive and Kanban system that raised velocity 23%.wrongIm a Scrum Master. I focus on forecasting, remov ing impediments, and daily standup facilitation. I initiated our new idea collection system. I also used unit testing and pair programming to raise quality measures by 20%.Why does the first of those common interview questions answers work? It proves a skill set central to the job.13Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for workBehavioral interview questions like this hunt for a diamond in the rough.These answers are for a job that needs business storytelling skills:rightWe needed star power for a big marketing campaign. We got a minor star involved but we couldnt afford the one we really wanted. I got her on the phone and used business storytelling skills to get her engaged at half her normal rate. The campaigns ROI exceeded targets by 39%.wrongWe had a big email campaign going on and our agency was behind. I worked overtime for two weeks and got everything done, but it was hard.That first example answer shows exactly how you helped. In the second you made an effort, but d id it help in some way?See our guide to the tell me about a time you went above and beyond for workinterview question.14Why did you leave your last job?Orwhy are you leaving your current job?Standard interview questions like this are booby-trapped.Dont answer negatively. Thats a red flag. Use it as a chance to show a skill they want.rightMy last job as an account manager was great. I got to do a side project in process improvement that saved $20,000 a month. Now that Im trained as a Six Sigma Black Belt, Im ready to make that the center of my career.wrongIt just wasnt a good fit. Management made some poor decisions that made it hard to get any traction. Plus Im always looking for the next new thing.Read our guide to the why did you leave your last job interview question here.15Where do you see yourself in 5 years?This job interview question means: Will you ditch us next year?The interviewer wants to hear, No way! If you hire me, Ill work hard for you for life.rightId like to be a ke y player in a cutting edge agency like this. At Flexor I prototyped 30 product features a year. One of my sites received the 2017 Webby. Thats great, but theres so much more I can do. A job like this would challenge me to be my best.wrongId like to be making six figures and have a wife and a couple kids. I want to live somewhere like Tibet and maybe write a novel. Plus Id like to be working 20 hours a week and take two months off a year.Ouch! That second of those common interview questions answers is a flight risk.The first says, This is the perfect work environment for me.Read our guide to the where do you see yourself in 5 yearsinterview question here.16What is your management style?The management style interview question means, Would you be a good manager?For non-management jobs, it means, Could we promote you later?rightI support the team, and let them do their jobs. They put me in charge of five analysts once at Marper Hills. I laid out our goals and got us access to a data ana lyst for a month. We found 35 low-margin projects and saved $2.9 million for the company.wrongIve never really had a managerial job before, but I guess Id want to be sort of hands off. I think you should hire smart people and then let them do good work, not tell them what to do.That first answer gives details. The second is a guess about what might happen.See our guide to the whats your management styleinterview question.Heres another of those tough behavioral interview questions:17Tell me about a time you reached a goal at workBehavioral or situational interview questions are a great way to prove yourself.Talk about a problem, a solution, and how you helped.rightMy boss wanted me to triple our video sales. I coached our videographers to focus on making customers look beautiful in every shot. In one season sales quadrupled. We were able to hire additional staff for the next season.wrongManagement wanted to double sales. I put together a new plan based on solid research. We hit the t arget.The second of those typical interview questions answers is generic. To sell yourself, you need details.Read our guide to the tell me about a time you reached a goal at workinterview question.18What are your salary requirements?This top interview question means: Are you good AND can we afford you?Answer too low and you look cheap. Too high and you could scare them off.Sobe expensive, but with wiggle room. Youll look like a deal.For this interview questions example, the average salary is $26,000.rightId like to make $30,000, but thats negotiable. I talked with three of your current CNAs and they love working here. Thats worth a lot.wrongAnything is fine. I need the money.Not sure about their price range? Check Glassdoor for a ballpark figure.The next of our common interview questions seems personal. Its not.See our guide to the what are you salary requirementsinterview question.19What are you passionate about?Interview questions like this sound like an invitation to ramble. Buts tay focused on accomplishments.This answer is for a customer service job that needs product knowledge skills.rightI love putting customers together with products that enrich their lives. At Chiller Outfitters we were tasked with maintaining thorough product knowledge. I got 98% positive customer satisfaction scores for that. As a result, my sales figures were 10% higher than the store average.wrongIm very passionate about animal rights. Im on the board for our local animal shelter and I go to meetings once a month. I walk dogs there every week because it makes them more adoptable.The first of those interview questions answers bolts you to the job. The second is really nice, but it wont get you hired.Read our guide to the what are you passionate about interview question here.20How did you hear about this job?You can answer typical interview questions like this with, I saw it on LinkedIn.Thats fine, but why not use it to sell?rightI saw it on LinkedIn. It was the perfect match because you need a UX designer skilled in gathering project requirements and working with Adobe Suite. In my last job, I designed 90% of our customer jobs with Adobe. I gathered all the project requirements myself and managed to keep customer satisfaction scores at 98%.wrongI saw it on LinkedIn and decided to give it a try.Next on the list of common interview questions, prove they cant hire anyone but you.21How do you deal with pressure?Interviewers need to know you wont fold when the going gets tough. Thats why they ask typical interview questions like this.rightI meditate a half hour a day and go to the gym. It helps all the time. Once at Pizza Palace we were short-staffed. The cut-and-cash guy was behind and started complaining. I stayed calm and took a break to help. He came over later and thanked me. The next time we got slammed, he stayed calm too.wrongI go to the gym and meditate. It helps me stay calm in stressful situations.That second answer doesnt show how your strategy has help ed.To answer behavioral interview questions like this next one, think hard before the interview.22What are you most proud of?Job interview questions like this mean: Convince us you can do the job.These answers are for a job that needs time-saving and communication skills.rightWhen I was an executive assistant at Kallas, our top execs were spending too much time on customer misunderstandings. I created a call system that eliminated 95% of those and saved 10 executive hours a week.wrongIm very good at collaboration. I worked with my team at Kallas to redo our scheduling system. We saved $20,000 in travel costs.That second answer shows you helped the company. Butit doesnt show the time-saving and communication skills the employer needs.The next of our basic interview questions checks if youre paying attention.23What do you know about our company?Learn about the job before you apply. Typical interview questions like this will catch you if you dont.rightI know you make the finest golf pr oducts in the world. I also know youre looking to raise your market share, which is why Im so excited about this job. At Phair Sports, I grew business 60% in two years and consistently exceeded sales goals.wrongYou make golf balls, clubs, and hats, and sell them to major retailers like Walmart. I really like your products and in fact I use them exclusively when I play myself. I know youve got two plantsone here in Massachusetts and the other on the West Coast.That second example isnt bad. But the first one lets you crow about a job-matching accomplishment.Some common interview questions need prep work. Heres one:24Whats your dream job?Job interview questions about pie in the sky arent just for fun. The interviewers want to know if youll stick around.rightA job like this where I can do end-to-end project management for multiple projects in a Lean business environment. At Raytheon we had to cut costs drastically or lose $70 million in contracts. I managed our Lean training project tha t improved quality by 30% while cutting costs 45%. We kept the contracts and the client ordered $50 million in new work. Id love to have that kind of impact full time.wrongId like a job with flexible hours, great pay, lots of vacation time, and a nice fat 401k.Some common interview questions get at choices youve made. Heres one:25Why is there a gap in your resume?For typical interview questions like this, show how your resume gap creates value.rightMy mother was diagnosed with Alzheimers. I took time off to help my father care for her. I learned a lot about stress management during that time. I also took continuing ed classes to keep my license up to date.wrongMy mom was sick and I stopped work to help take care of her.Want more help for resume gap interview questions? See our guide: How to Explain Gaps in Employment26Why are you changing careers?Career-changers need good explanations. Valid reasons are:More learningMore job satisfactionRelocationMore responsibilityLess responsibili tyrightIve always been interested in tech. I loved my job as an office manager, but my favorite part was the system administrator duties. Saving the company $20,000 a year by automating our system monitoring and relocating our hardware was a real high point for me. I want to make that more central to my job.wrongIm really tired of being an office manager. Ive got solid tech skills and I want to use them. I think Id really do well as a system administrator.27Are you open to relocating?Some common interview questions look for yes or no answers. Theyre actually a new opportunity to sell:rightFor this job, yes. Im excited about it because it uses the multidisciplinary design process. At Doane Daviau, I used that to develop two multi-million dollar projects with 15% less rework than my colleagues. I would definitely relocate to do that full time.wrongFor the right position, yes.Why does that first answer win? It shares a job-fitting achievement.Heres another of those tricky behavioral i nterview questions:28Tell me about a mistake you madeThis is similar to What are your weaknesses. You need to be very careful to show a benefit and not just a loss.rightI plugged in our rechargeable pallet jack to the wrong outlet and fried a $3,500 battery. I showed the manager the outlets look identical. We put a fixture on the outlet and plug so nobody can make that mistake again.wrongI plugged in a rechargeable pallet jack the wrong way and destroyed a $3,500 battery. I was pretty mortified, but my boss told me it couldve happened to anyone.The next of our typical interview questions takes a longer answer.29Walk us through your resumeThe interviewer wants to know if you understand the job. Dont explain your entire career path.This answer is for a nursing job that needs critical care experience and patient education skills.rightWell, at Northwest Medical Center, I worked in the ICU for three years. I received five commendations for efficiency from the charge nurse. Before that I was at Cornerstone Hospital for two years, where I helped raise HCAHPS scores 20%. Most of that was thanks to diligent patient education.xswrongIts got my summary at the top, which starts by saying Im a Registered Nurse obviously. Then it talks about my last three jobs. In the most recent, I worked at Cornerstone Hospital, where I was responsible for handling all ward nurse duties and responsibilities...Heres one of the hardest common interview questions. It can trip you up if youre not ready:30Do you have any questions for me?The interviewer can learn a lot from what you ask.Ask questions that show your interest and understanding.Top 5 questions to ask in an interview:Whats the next step?How long does your hiring process take?What would you expect me to accomplish in my first six months?What would my day-to-day routine be?Whats the key to succeeding at this role?Pro Tip: Did you just blow it? Didnt give answers to common interview questions like this? Learn from it. Research the co mpany before your next job interview.Need more questions to ask the interviewer? See our guide: 65+ Best Questions to Ask an Interviewer Land Top JobsCommon Phone Interview QuestionsTypical phone interview questions are the same as the common interview questions above.The difference?You dont have to memorize answers to telephone interview questions. You can read themas long as you dont sound like youre reading.Want some examples? See our guide: 20 Common Phone Interview Questions and AnswersSTAR Method for Acing Behavioral Interview QuestionsThe STAR method of answering interview questions has four steps:Situation. Start with a situation you faced.Task. Tell about a task you had to perform.Action. Say the action you took.Result. Explain how it helped your organization.It works because it proves key skills in a convincing way.The STAR method works best for situational interview questions. For instance, Tell me about yourself.For a full list of STAR interview questions and answers, s ee our guides: STAR Method for Acing Behavioral Interview Questions and 20 Situational Interview Questions and AnswersIllegal Interview Questions Employers Cannot AskSome of the most common interview questions are illegal.Which interview questions are off limits?Generally, the interviewer cant ask about:AgeReligionBirthplaceRaceDisabilityMarital statusPregnancyGenderMost of the time interview questions about those things are illegal. To see when theyre not, check our guide:Illegal Interview Questions Employers Cannot AskKey TakeawaySummary: How to answer common interview questions:Research the company and the job offer. Know the skills they want.Show how you used those skills in past jobs.Say how your actions helped the company.Have questions to ask the interviewer that prove your interest in the job.Did we miss a common interview question? Not sure how to answer behavioral interview questions? Leave a comment. Well be happy to reply!

Put Writing Experience On Resume - Why Not?

Put Writing Experience On Resume - Why Not?Are you aware that put writing experience on resume is not a good practice? In fact, you should be careful in how you write this part of resume.You may have taken the time to think about your resume when you are writing. You may have already given thought about the title and the body of the resume. But, why do we put writing experience on resume?Well, putting writing experience on resume should be a great practice. Why? The reason is because it is easy to remember. As we all know, writing has a very unique way of letting us express ourselves.It is easy to put writing experience on resume. When you look at the writing from the outside, it will look like a regular resume. There will be a summary of your educational qualifications, personal qualities, work experiences, awards, honors, etc. on the resume.This is what makes the resume easy to remember. If you really look closely, you will find that writing 'written' at the end of the summary is v ery simple to remember. Most people write this as a way of showing off their writing abilities.You can also put this as a summary of your college class or your experience in college. And if you were successful in your previous work experience, you can state this at the end of your resume. Remember that it is a good practice to emphasize and include as much as you can in your resume.The problem is when you put writing experience on resume, it will actually decrease your chances of getting hired. In fact, some employers will automatically assume that you have a writing background. Therefore, they are less likely to hire you.Always remember that it is easier to read your resume when you are not putting it on paper. So, make sure that you are always using the computer. Think about your writing ability while writing your resume. Just keep in mind that if you put writing experience on resume, it will decrease your chances of getting hired.

8 Top Tips When It Comes To Applying For Jobs

8 Top Tips When It Comes To Applying For Jobs When it comes to job hunting, it can be incredibly hard to know where to begin. Whether youve recently lost your job or youre looking to progress your career, starting a job search can be both difficult and stressful. With so many different things to think about in order to gain your dream job, its important youre taking as much advice as you can get. With that in mind, here are 8 top tips when it comes to applying for jobs: Dont Apply For Absolutely Every Single Job You See Although it may be tempting to apply for every single job you see advertised, this can be really ineffective. Not only does it mean youre applying for jobs that you may not want, but it also means that you may become inundated with job interviews for jobs youre probably not going to take. The best thing to do is consider each job individually, deciding whether or not it is something you would seriously consider doing should you have a successful interview. For tips and tricks when it comes to choosing which jobs to apply for, you can visit this guide here. Filter Your Search Results When Using Online Sites If youre searching for jobs online you can use search functions to filter your results. This means that when youre searching for a specific job in a specific location, you can filter out whether or not its the right salary, the right requirements and the right distance from your home. With a wide range of options, you can be sure your search results are only showing positions that are relevant to you. Use A Wide Range Of Sites To Find A Mix Of Positions Although you may feel as though youre seeing every single job available on a particular site, its important to remember that people advertise their job roles in a variety of different places. To ensure you have seen everything, make sure youre searching every major site as well as the smaller independent sites that are local to you. Make Sure Youre Reading The Job Description Carefully One of the most common mistakes people make when applying for jobs is not reading the job description properly. Whether you miss a vital detail when it comes to experience or you misread the job details entirely, not reading properly may cause you to apply to jobs that youre not suitable for, or that arent suitable for you. To save time in the long run, make sure youre taking that couple of seconds longer to read absolutely everything in the description. For a guide to understanding job descriptions, you can visit this site here. Ensure You Have An Up To Date CV Or Resume When applying to jobs youre going to need to send off an up to date CV or resume. Before sending yours for any application, its important youre checking whether or not all of the details are factually correct. Not only does this mean youre honest, but if you progress within the application process, the things you have on your CV will be correct if fact-checked. Have Someone Read Over Any Applications Youre Unsure Of If youre applying to a job that requires a lot more work than your standard cover letter and resume, it may be worth getting someone trusted to look over it. They will be able to look out for any spelling and grammatical errors, as well as being able to give you honest feedback on the application youre submitting. If theres something they think you have missed when it comes to your skill, they will be able to tell you before you hit send. Dont Be Afraid Of Rejection And Ask For Feedback If You Can Although rejection is a hard thing to deal with, when it comes to job applications it is completely normal. Most of the time you will find that job advertisements have between 100-500 applicants, depending on the location. With that many answers to go through, its no surprise when you receive a job rejection email rather than an interview. Dont let it go to heart, as there will be plenty more jobs to apply to in the future. Attend All Interviews To Get A Feel For The Company, You Never Know What Might Happen When it comes to gaining interviews, its important youre attending every single one. After a significant amount of time has passed since you submitted your application, you may feel as though the job is something you wont enjoy anymore. Although this could be true, you still attend your interview anyway. Whilst you may find its not for you, you could be pleasantly surprised and really like the company and their values. Are you struggling when it comes to applying for jobs? What changes can you make to ensure the process is a little bit easier? Let me know in the comments.

10 Ways to Combine Your Personal and Product Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

10 Ways to Combine Your Personal and Product Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career How can solopreneurs combine a personal brand with their company brand or product? The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the worlds most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC recently published #FixYoungAmerica: How to Rebuild Our Economy and Put Young Americans Back to Work (for Good), a book of 30+ proven solutions to help end youth unemployment. 1. Focus on Values In the process of building your company and brand, keep the focus on the values you hold personally that have influenced your business offers. Share how these values infiltrate your life and work so youll attract clients who hold those same values and connect to your brand. Kelly Azevedo, Shes Got Systems 2. Product U A colleague of mine Arthur Wylie talks about the concept of Product U. In todays landscape where people are oversaturated with businesses and products, drawing a connection to the individual CEO/entrepreneur is what will draw them in. Emphasize the why of your product/brand. Why did you create it? If you can honestly say you want to help people, and tie your personal story to it, thats gold! Raoul Davis, Ascendant Strategy 3. Arent They the Same? My brand is my business and vice versa. Ive built numerous businesses that are all based around my lifestyle, and Im able to leverage the credibility of my personal brand which establishes my expertise in small business and travel. Ill cross-promote anything on my personal site and business ventures without hesitation because they go hand and hand. Sean Ogle, Location 180, LLC 4. Lead With Your Name Its so easy for us to think we need to have a big business name and brand, but if youre a solopreneur, then you are your business. Lead with your name, because thats the one thing in your business that isnt going to change. Think Walt Disney, Ralph Lauren, and Corcoran Group. Nathalie Lussier, Nathalie Lussier Media 5. Lifestyle Mastery LIfestyle Mastery is when the people who know you best dont know the difference between your work and your play. Figure out what you love to do, what you do even if you are not being paid and then figure out a way to be paid for it. I always hang out with entrepreneurs and tell them how they can get more done and make more money by delegating more work, so I started an outsourcing business. Louis Lautman, Young Entrepreneur Society 6. Take Responsibility When your personal brand and your company are the same thing, you are ultimately responsible for every step (and misstep) your company takes. That means making it clear to your clients that you are accountable and willing to personally step up in any situation. Anything less and your brand will suffer. Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting 7. What Sets You Apart? Im of the mind that personal branding is really just a buzz phrase that means being yourself. How can you leverage who you are, warts and all? Focus on your biggest quirks the things that make you most clearly YOU and magnify them as a means of setting yourself apart from the competition. Steph Auteri, Word Nerd Pro 8. Discuss Your Passion Dont be afraid to let your audience know who you are and why you do what you do. Be transparent. They will love your honesty and learn to trust you. Angela Pan, Angela B. Pan Photography 9. Share Personal Photos Photos of yourself, your travels, your life, etc. help to differentiate your business from huge enterprises that typically use stock photography. Elizabeth Saunders, Real Life E ® 10. Be the Face Be the face of the company and include yourself in marketing materials. When you are the face of the company and you improve your personal brand, it improves the company brand. We work with clients all the time that see company results by building their own professional brand when they are the face of the company. John Hall, Digital Talent Agents

How to Write a Successful Executive Resume

How to Write a Successful Executive ResumeMany people are confused as to what type of Executive Resume Writing is. But this term is actually used by some of the best in terms of resumes and CV's.To begin with, Executive Resume Writing is a system that allows a person to write a resume that stands out from others. This system can be extremely useful in a lot of situations.The first thing to think about when it comes to get Executive Resume Writing, is to make sure that you can write what you would like. Your resume will have to include your achievements, what you have accomplished, as well as any skills or knowledge that you may have.One of the best ways that you can use Executive Resume Writing, is to craft an outline. This will help to give you a very strong starting point, and will make it much easier for you to move forward with the rest of the writing process.Another thing that Executive Resume Writing is capable of doing, is to improve on the standards that others are using. Thi s is done through the inclusion of proper information, as well as the use of key words and formatting in the resume.Overall, Executive Resume Writing has been designed in such a way that it makes the resume more effective. This method of writing a resume is a great way to get your resume to stand out from others, and is a tool that is effective in many situations.As with anything else, a resume can only be a tool that is used, and not the only tool. To get the most out of it, you need to also take advantage of it, and make it into a tool that can help you get the best job out there.In order to get a great executive resume, you will need to work on your resume writing. It's going to take some time, but the results that you can achieve, will make it worth it.

Could A Career In Interior Design Be Perfect For You

Could A Career In Interior Design Be Perfect For You I’ve written about careers on this blog before, and today’s article will be about a specific career path. As the title suggests, I’m talking about interior design. It’s the art of making interiors look very pretty, and this has quickly become a highly popular career. The question is, could it be the right career for you? Take a look at the musings down below to help figure out the answer: Do you enjoy decorating? Some people absolutely love decorating their home so much so that they’ll offer to decorate friends homes as well. If this sounds like you, then what better career is there than an interior design one?! You’ll basically be doing the thing you love, every single day. Not only that, but you will get paid to do it as well; perfect! Do you like flexible working patterns? Everyone is different from one another. Lots of us love having a rigid structure to our days and enjoy knowing that we’ll work set hours, for five days a week. Others enjoy having more flexible working patterns where they could be working whenever they’re required. With an interior design career, this is very much what you’ll be doing. It’s not your typical 9-5 career, so if you don’t like the sound of that, then you won’t like the idea of this career path. Do you have aspirations of running a business? The beauty of interior design careers is that you can set up a small business pretty much whenever you want. It’s incredibly simple, you just need a laptop, a phone, some ideas, and some interior design business software, like DesignDocs: Interior Design Accounting Software. Now, you’ve essentially got a business that you can manage through the software and run from home. If you’re someone that’s always wanted to be a business owner and go solo, then this is possibly the ideal career path for you if you’re already interested in design and interiors. Do you handle competition well? There will be competition in life no matter what career path you go down. However, with a career like this, you will see more competition than some of the more traditional jobs out there. Especially if you open your own interior design business and are competing with other businesses for work. If you can’t hand competition very well, then I don’t think you’ll do well in this career. It can be very cut-throat, and there may be weeks in between your next interior design projects. But, if you handle competition well, then you’ll thrive in this line of work and be incredibly successful. This career path won’t be perfect for everyone. If you’re reading this, then the chances are you already have something of an interest in this industry, or you’re at least open to the idea of starting a career in it. So, I hope that these questions will help you decide whether or not you want to walk down this career path. If you do, then good luck! If you don’t, then there are plenty of other career options out there for you to try as well.

Tips For Working For And With Us Ancient Boomers

Tips For Working For And With Us Ancient Boomers If you’re in the workforce or about to enter it, chances are good you’ll be rubbing professional elbows with baby boomers. There are still a lot of us around. Some of us are in positions of authority and many of us have been entrenched in our business roles for decades. You’ll be collaborating with us, following our orders, and ordering us around. Regardless of which relationship dynamic applies, you’ll probably be asking yourself, “Who are these people? What planet are they from?” In this article, I’ll try to offer some insight on boomers, to help make your professional relationships with us more fruitful and enjoyable. Individualistic To generalize, the first thing to know about boomers is we hate generalizations, generational generalizations in particular. We were brought up to believe that an individual should be judged on his or her merits; this way of thinking was probably reinforced by a distrust of institutional organizations that was prevalent especially in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In dealing with boomers, it is best to meet them where they are, rather than assume they hold a particular view on religion, politics, best practices in business, and their attitude toward younger members of the workforce.   The fact is, boomers are all over the map on these issues, and next I will comment on why this is the case. Three Varieties The boomer generation spans from babies born between 1946 and 1964. So the oldest among us are 71 and the youngest, a spry 53. A lot was changing in the world during the late 1940s and 1970s, and these happenings strongly shaped our attitudes. To complicate matters, there are three distinctly different groups of boomers, with very different life experiences: Early boomers grew up in the 1950s and were influenced by the conservative, relatively quiet, and very patriotic spirit of those times. Mid-boomers grew up in the 1960s and early 1970s, when political and social upheaval were the norm. This was the time of the Vietnam War, hippies, drugs, sex and rock ’n’ roll. Mid-boomers tend to have more liberal views than their early boomer brethren, but this is a generalization and by no means universal. Late boomers grew up in the mid/late 1970s and early 1980s, when the social and political climates were somewhere in between the early boomer and mid-boomer periods. These boomers are probably the most diverse group of all boomers, owing to the extremely wide range of social and political ideas to which they were exposed and to which they were close. Again, the best course when forging relationships with boomers is to ask rather than assume. Ask them what they think about this or that business/political/social issue. We will appreciate you taking the time to ask, learn and treat us as individuals. You’ll probably get promoted! Business Values Here are a few more points about boomers that may prove useful: Boomers came into the workforce when it was common to have only one or two jobs in an entire career. We make business decisions based on how it will affect our career here, where we work now. We may make the same assumption about how you operate, rightly or wrongly. Boomers are used to thinking about work as work, not as a lifestyle choice. We tend to be more concerned about “hard” benefits such as health insurance and bonuses, and less concerned about “soft” benefits such as a dartboard in the lunchroom. Along these lines, we may get a bit agitated when we see younger people taking “unauthorized” breaks at their desks. Desks are for work! Boomers tend to be more private than younger people, less willing to share personal details in work conversation and especially on social media. This doesn’t make us cold or uncaring, just more cautious in choosing our confidants. Boomers are competitive. We are comfortable with the concept of winners and losers in business, and thrive on meeting and exceeding tough business objectives. We take pride in being part of a successful organization … and get really pissed off when we’re losing. This attitude may come across in day-to-day dealings with fellow employees â€" sorry. Boomers are methodical, systematic thinkers. We are accustomed to reading books (even long ones) and writing reports rather than zipping through 50 tweets and dashing off 50 text messages. This may make us seem like ponderous dinosaurs, but harness our ability to think through complex issues, and it may help you and your organization succeed all the faster. As a final point, lots of boomers really enjoy mentoring young professionals. It’s a way of giving back to a company or industry that has helped us secure good lives for our families. So consider asking a boomer for his or her perspective. When I was starting in my career, I’d ask older employees for their thoughts on specific and general business challenges I was experiencing. Sometimes their ideas were like a light switch going off in my head. Other times, I didn’t understand or agree with the advice, but then years later, I would recall the advice and think, “Aha â€"  That’s what they meant! Of course!” I hope you have similar experiences in your career! Author Bio: Brad Shorr is Director of Content Strategy at Straight North, an Internet marketing company in Chicago that provides SEO, PPC management and web design services. With more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience, Brad has been featured in leading online publications including Moz, Entrepreneur and Smashing Magazine.