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BoomersNextStep Guest Author

Using Mock Interview Questions and Answers in Preparing for a Job Interview

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Using mock interview questions and answers as a preparation tool will improve your interviewing effectiveness. One of my clients used to practice with their pet, which is absolutely ridiculous. An actual person to provide feedback will make your practice more valuable. If you are not utilizing this as a part of your job interview preparation, now is the perfect time to begin!

Working with mock interview questions and answers is a type of role playing. It is the most practical job interview preparation you can utilize. The approach is to have another person ask a series of questions that you expect to hear during the interview. Perhaps the most important part is you taking the time to thoughtfully and fully answer them out loud, just as if you were in the interview. Skipping the answering portion makes the entire mock interview questions and answers session useless. If you take the time and effort to complete the exercise, you will become more comfortable in the skills you want to highlight and how you articulate them. This kind of job interview preparation is very worthwhile, as it allows you to craft your responses in a thoughtful and concise manner.

Frequently, there are a series of fairly standard interview questions. Some of these include:

What is it about this company that has you interested? What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses? Tell me about yourself. More and more interviewees are asked behavioral questions as a way to test their critical thinking skills. These questions may prove challenging! They require you to provide specific examples or instances when you took an action, solved something, or made a decision. For example;

Tell me about a time… Please describe a situation where… What was your specific approach to… By using the mock interview questions and answers technique with a friend, loved one, neighbor, peer, or human resource professional, you will quiet your nerves, convey your confidence and demonstrate that you are able to capable and will perform positively when hired.

You have invested a lot in your sales tools just to earn the interview. Now, devote the time to increasing your chances of advancing through the process by practicing mock interview questions and answers with someone who can give you candid feedback. You may ask them to specifically listen for any employment gaps you need to address. They might also listen for clarity in why you are looking to make a considerable career change. Just like from a sports or life coach, feedback is a key part of any job interview preparation.

As an example, I had a client who was involuntarily discharged from his last job. Understandably still a sore spot for him, yet one he must overcome because previous positions will be discussed during upcoming interviews. In practicing mock interview questions and answers I helped him organize his responses to include what he enjoyed most and what he learned from the position that will benefit his future employer. By completing all three components (questions, answer, feedback) of this job interview preparation he is more equipped and will perform at an elevated level.

Good luck in your next interview!

Employment Coach Sean McCaffrey invites you to receive his FREE information packed CD “Six Amazing Secrets Job Seekers Need to Know Before Writing Your Resume!” at http://seanmccaffrey.com/ and for more information on mock interviews go to http://seanmccaffrey.com/mock-interview-questions-and-answers/

How To Bounce Back When You’ve Been Out Of Work?

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It happens to the best of us. You hit a bump in the rocky road of your career and find yourself out of work for longer than you’d like.

Being out of work for an extended period of time does more damage than just a gap in your resume. It affects your self esteem, how you view yourself, and what you believe you can bring to the table.

Everyone has doubts at some point in their career; this is your time. Know that you can and will get past this bump.

So How Do You Bounce Back? Follow These 5 Steps Below.

1. Remind Yourself That This Is A Moment In Time.

Your career runs for multiple decades. That’s a long period of time. What this means is sooner or later a setback will happen in your career. It’s just the way things happen. All cycles have up’s and down’s and this is your down. The good news is it’s all up from here. Remind yourself that a job will be there, and is waiting for you, right around the corner.

2. Reacquaint Yourself With Your Accomplishments.

When was the last time you looked at your resume? And when you do, does it seem like your accomplishments were achieved by someone else? Just because you have not performed a function in a while doesn’t mean you can’t perform it anymore. It’s like riding a bicycle; you never forget how. Spend quality time with your resume. Read the bullets slowly. Remember the projects you worked on and the people you worked with to obtain these results. Remind yourself that these are your accomplishments, which are something to be proud of. Just because it’s been a while, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

3. Create In Your Mind What You Want To Happen Next.

I believe that people get stuck in the day-to-day doldrums of life when they don’t have something to look forward to. You may not know when your next job is coming, but you can get ready for it. Ask yourself what you want next. Where do you want to work? What location? What type of people? How much do you want to be making? When you can see what you want, clearly and powerfully, you can get it. I find that when people are out of work for a while, they can’t see themselves in their jobs anymore. The amount of time that has passed only matters to you. Visualize what you want so you can get back to work again quickly.

4. Don’t Give Up.

Most people don’t take discouragement well. When they first lost their jobs, they had vigor and excitement. They got up everyday and had people to call and job search related activities to work on. Over time, the momentum and activities diminished. That caused them to stop or slow down. Don’t let this happen to you. You only need one job and one person to give it to you. The work you put in now will bring results; you just haven’t seen them yet. A job search is not an instant gratification pursuit. It’s a process that brings results over time, on its timetable and not yours. So, you have to keep going.

5. Believe In Yourself.

Most of the time, we are our own worst enemy. We tell ourselves why something cannot be done before someone tells it to us first. This approach keeps you safe from rejection and failure, but it also holds you back. This economy may be forcing you to get out of your comfort zone and into new territory, all great for your personal growth. (Even though it does not feel so great most of the time.) Many people who come to me want to be challenged in their career. It’s what’s missing in their jobs and their lives. Well, this is your challenge. Will you rise to the occasion or let it get the best of you? You already have a track record of achieving great things. This will be another one to add to your list.

So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

Deborah Brown-Volkman is a successful career coach and mentor working with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers who are looking for new career opportunities or seek to become more productive in their current role. Her articles are regularly published on EmploymentCrossing. To read more such career articles, please visit EmploymentCrossing.com.

Baby Boomers and Midlife Career Changes

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Baby boomers and midlife career change

Baby boomers, are you thinking about a midlife career change?

Many baby boomers are contemplating midlife career changes for a variety of reasons. One of the simplest reasons is that there are far more job and entrepreneurial options now than there have ever been before.

People who are now contemplating a midlife change are seeing the power of online businesses. These types of businesses didn’t exist when baby boomers started their careers, and the current crop of business options is presenting a tempting alternative.

Baby Boomer Career Change [Read more…] about Baby Boomers and Midlife Career Changes

Tips For Including Employment References in Your Job Search

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Searching for a job in today’s world is a very competitive task to undertake. While most of us like to think that obtaining a good job is more about our skills and qualifications than whom we know, this is not always the case. Therefore, the references that you add to your resume may be very well just as important to the potential employer as the skills that you list under your qualification section.

When thinking about the people that you will use as references for your job search, think more about the people that can positively contribute to your employment search rather then simply finding people that you know. Consider listing three to five people that can all add to different areas of your personality.

Add someone who will contribute greatly to your work ethic, education, skills, or other areas pertaining specifically to you as an employee or student. In many cases, a former supervisor, boss, or even teacher is listed to comment on this aspect of your life. Friends may be listed on the reference list to add to your personal character. However, family members are not a good choice. For personal character, preachers or members of your church are also good choices. Using a former customer or client as a reference can add to give detail about your work quality.

When choosing your references, think about people that will stand out and gain attention from the specific future employer. Try to avoid using generic references with every application and resume. For example, consider using someone you know that has an interest in the company you are applying. This may be someone who works there, is a shareholder, or a financial contributor. Also look for people that can contribute to the specific skills needed for the job. If you are applying for a nursing job, use references from your nursing school, clinical training, or former nursing jobs that can add positively about your skills as a nurse.

Keep in mind that you want to use people that know you well enough to add detail about you when called upon. You want someone that can say more than simply he or she is a good worker. The more specific positive detail a reference can say about you the better.

When adding reference to your resume, never list them on the same page along with all of your personal information. References belong on a separate sheet. Always wait to turn in a reference list and/or reference letters when they are requested. Some employers want references up front and others want to narrow down resumes before seeking out opinions from references.

Choosing the references you will use on your resume is an important and critical decision. Always have a purpose for selecting the people that you add to your resume reference list. In addition, always gain the permission and feedback from the person you list before turning in the resume.

3 Tips on How to Find the Top Recession Proof Jobs

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In today’s job market, it would seem that no career path is as straight as it used to be. But some careers do survive, and here are a few tips on how to find the top recession-proof career opportunity.

Top Recession-Proof Career Opportunity Tip #1:

Do your research, whether online or through community immersion. You can get a good glimpse of the businesses that are still thriving despite the economic slump. It won’t even take you hours to find out which careers are booming, but you do have to be discriminating. There are a lot of articles that will tell you that this or that job makes a lot more money, but unless you are planning on a career change, that information is absolutely useless to you.

A better search would be to look at career or job offers and examine their viability and adaptability. The perfect example for this is the growing number of home-based businesses, despite the fact that a lot of other retail stores are closing.

Top Recession-Proof Career Opportunity Tip #2:

Examine your needs, and compare these with what is available in the market. Stick with the basics, like what you need to be more efficient or a service that is vital to you and how much you think these services are worth. On one side of the coin, you can also compare what other people will need with what you can offer, or find a resource at a price you think is reasonable. Compare those with what is available in the market, and you might find a business opportunity.

Top Recession-Proof Career Opportunity Tip #3:

Be aware of growing trends, both locally and globally. In the early ’90s when computers hit the market for the first time, it started a technological trend that has gone on until now. In early 2000, it was all about software. Amazingly, these ideas are now being used to follow another trend, and this is the trend of going “green.” Looking at the bigger picture and following the depletion of the oil reserves, this seems like a sustainable trend.

An industry that incorporates the use of computer technology and “green” trends is the stay-at-home business industry. They are also very competitive because of the fact that the trends lower their operational costs and thus, lower their prices. Most of these businesses also provide services or products that will always be part of the spectrum of human interest, like health, recreation, food, and a bit of luxury. Those are just a few tips on how to find the top recession-proof career opportunity that would not entail you turning your life upside-down to get in on.

Successful Entrepreneur Art Basmajian is a Direct Marketing Specialist and Certified Home Business Consultant. Art advises Entrepreneurs and Home Business Owners using cutting-edge social marketing strategies to explode their online businesses.

To find out about the killer system that’s taking the country by storm, visit Top Recession Proof Career Opportunity to learn how to take your home based business to the next level and take control of your financial future.

If you want the freedom of an unlimited income, freedom of time, mobility and proof that it’s all possible, visit Midlife Career Change.

How to Make Resume Cover Letters Get Noticed

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The job market, like everything in this economy, has changed dramatically. And so have basic job search tools, including cover letters to accompany your resume. Today’s market is ultra-competitive. Your cover letter can make you stand out.

Please don’t ever be tempted to copy a free resume cover letter off the internet. It will be impersonal and will make your application read just like every other job applicant who has been lazy.

You need a way to make your resume cover letter unforgettable. Here are a few quick tactics that will help.

Relate an interesting story about yourself.

To make your cover letter memorable add a story about yourself. People recount stories again and again. Make it a brief anecdotes that shows an interesting aspect of you or your life.  Is it a story that engages people when you share it. What story would you like an interviewer to recount about you when they have read your letter?

For example, imagine Saj, the hiring manager, standing making a morning coffee. He breaks the ice with his colleague by saying, “So, today I’m interviewing this guy who worked in Nepal for a year on a really interesting project”.

Instantly, the guy telling the story is more interesting himself. His status is raised because he’s talking to someone that others find fascinating. Not only that, he’s looking forward to talking to you. And you can bet that story is going to come up and you’ll have an opportunity to connect on some level other than business.

The envelope matters.

It seems like a small point. But it’s important for two reasons. Letters that look like junk mail are easily discarded, and if it looks like junk mail that’s how it could be treated.

Also you don’t want the interviewer to receive a letter from you that looks like one of eighty-seven you’ve just mass-produced, even if it is.

Get a blue felt pen or a red ink stamp and print something relevant and eye catching on the front of the envelope. Even “FIRST CLASS” will catch the recruiter’s eye. But you can do better. Try “For (recruiter’s name)”.

Be scrupulously honest. Don’t get personal (Your Eyes Only). And if you promise something special or custom, be sure to deliver inside.

Send your resume cover letter

Don’t just think about it do it. Your competition doesn’t. So, it’s a great way to set yourself apart and make yourself the obvious candidate.

Create your own system so you can quickly modify a basic resume cover letter so that it is absolutely optimized to get you calls.  Make it easy to do by creating a check list to be sure you change all the relevant details. This way you might actually do it every time.

 

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