Know the Employer before the Interview

Before the interview you should be prepared to answer any interview questions about the company. Researching the company will also assist you in determining if the company is the right fit for you and prepare you to answer some interview questions – such as “What do you know about us?” or “Do you know anyone working here?”. Some resources you might want to use are the company’s website, and internet or newspaper articles. Here are some suggestions:

1. What is the relative size of the company in the industry?

2. Is the industry expected to grow?

3. What are the product lines or services offered by the company?

4. What are the potential new markets, products or services?

5. Who is the company’s competition?

6. What is the organizational structure of the company?

7. How many plants, offices, stores, or outlets does the company have?

9. Does the company provide training?

10. If the company offers training, is it formal or on-the-job?

11. Has the company been in the news lately?

12. What are the company’s policies on relocation?

13. What is the typical career path for someone in your field?

14. Where is the home office located?

15. Do you know the name of the name of the company recruiter?

16. Are the people you may know working for the company?

© Copyright Vet2Work/Naturallysilver 2011. No re-publication of this article is permitted without express permission. This is an excerpt from "Successful Career Moves" by C.A. Stapleton. About the author: C.A. Stapleton, A.S., B.S., M.B.A., is an experienced, published professional career consultant, mentor, and résumé/ biographical writer.

Job Seeker’s Competition Isn’t Always “Unemployed”

What does it take to
compete against the
growing number of
Supplemental Income Job Seekers?
Unemployment remains relatively static at 9.6% nationwide. Today, these statistically documented out-of-work job seekers are not just competing for positions with their unemployed counterparts but also with the growing number of statistically undocumented “underemployed and underpaid” workers trying to lay their claim to additional superfluous income.
 Traditionally, these workers are employed individuals who have taken significantly less paying positions due to a previous layoff, early retirement, or for other reasons. To sustain or maintain a previous lifestyle, these workers look to supplement their current decreased household income status by adding a part-time or even a second full time position on a different shift. Although seeking a part-time position to supplement income is not a new concept, it has grown since economic downsizing has created so many unemployed and under-employed workers. Because the majority of the focus is on the unemployed, under-employed workers customarily tend to slip under the economic radar and therefore are not seen as a “threat” to the unemployed workers
 
 

Tell me the time, don't build me a clock.....!

Tell me the time, don't build me a clock.....! Employers don't want to read a book when looking at your resume. Consequently, your resume should immediately describe you honestly and clearly without being overly wordy. Because your resume is, or should be, limited to one page in length, every part of your resume should be connected to the other parts logically. Information should be organized clearly and be visually appealing to the reader. The key focus is to have your resume express to the employer how you will meet their (and their organization’s) requirements for success once you are hired. Remember, if your resume isn't customized and linked to the business’s product or service it won't represent you as a viable candidate to the employer
© Copyright Vet2Work/Naturallysilver 2010-11. No re-publication of this article is permitted without express permission. This is an excerpt from "Successful Career Moves" by C.A. Stapleton. About the author: C.A. Stapleton, A.S., B.S., M.B.A., is an experienced, published professional career consultant, mentor, and résumé/ biographical writer.

Use A Tagline to Catch The Big One!

Savvy business marketers know the importance of having a tagline to get a customer's attention. A tagline is branding slogan consisting of less than 10 words that sums up the premise of the product. Often we find certain taglines stick in our head and you find ourselves buying the product - sometimes without really realizing why we made the choice. It is possible that there was something in our subconscious that remembered that specific product tagline and made us make that specific selection.
Job seekers can do the same thing by creating a unique and creative tagline for their résumé. Using a tagline can draw the reader's (employer) attention and cause them to remember a specific résumé over others. Stumped on creating your own personal brand-tagline? Use a Roget's Thesaurus, or use the Synonym Finder by J.J. Rodale. It's fun to find your own personal brand and it can promote you to an employer like nothing else.
Where to put it when you create it? Put it at the top of your résumé just under your contact information.

Is your Resume Scaring potential employers?

Is Your Résumé Spooking Employers?

Is your résumé chaotic with information in chasm of endless words? If so, you are probably "spooking" nascent employers. Time to clean out your résumé's closet and remove the dark scariness of résumé's abyss! Change your "trick" into a "treat" by using less words to create more. The art of taking the fright out your resume is to trim it down and feature only "treats" to entice a potential employer. These small nuggets of information will give you the lead in. You can provide further details when you get the interview.
© Copyright Vet2Work/Naturallysilver 2010-11. No re-publication of this article is permitted without express permission. This is an excerpt from "Successful Career Moves" by C.A. Stapleton. About the author: C.A. Stapleton, A.S., B.S., M.B.A., is an experienced, published professional career consultant, mentor, and résumé/ biographical writer.

About ECQ

ECQ Facts
For many federal jobs, when you are submitting a Senior Executive Service application (or SES)you may be asked to submit Executive Core Qualification (ECQ) statements. The ECQ is used to determine your abilities as a leader. ECQ statements cover these core skill areas: leading change, leading people, results driven, business acumen, and building partnerships/communication. In answering these statements, you will need to draw upon past experience/situations where you demonstrated your ability to lead others, made sound decisions, planned, and inspired a team to perform effectively.
Leading change - this statement is about how you can take an organization's vision (often their mission plan) and enhance the vision by integrating key goals, company values and other factors. You must demonstrate your ability to adapt and maintain continuum while making changes, retain and improve upon customer service, encourage and foster team ideas, and maintain your focus even in adverse situations.
Leading people - this statement is about how you go about promoting an ethical team, your ability to maximize the potential of your team, and meet the organization's goals and mission.
Driving results - this statement is about how you obtain results by accountability and continuous improvement of your team. It includes ability to make quick and accurate decisions and plan, implement and evaluate programs.
Business insight - this statement is about how you obtain and administer, human, financial, informational and material resources in a manner that instills trust and meets the mission of the organization. The statement also should include your technological and resourcing abilities.

Steps to a Strong Recovery from a Job Loss

1. Concentrate on setting goals. Your very first goal should be to develop a job searching routine and strategy that works for you. Just as different people find different solutions to solving problems, different job search techniques work better for some than all. The first step is to determine your “plan of attack for finding work”. Although the advent of the internet search has made it easy to get your résumé out to many employers, the best plan of attack includes some “face- to-face contact” with employers (even if it is with the company’s receptionist). Face-to-face contact also builds your self-confidence – which can be a benefit to you during an interview).
2. Create a “realistic” resume. Although you may have had many accomplishments in your past work history – begin to “discard” older accomplishments and revive or develop “new” accomplishments. Build upon your keyboarding skills; or learn some new information on useful programs (there are many “free demonstrations” on the web). Your new “realistic resume” should also detail your new or redefined career goals. The best way to go into the future is to let go of the past!
3. Determine dynamic “keywords” for your resume. Use a thesaurus and think about how you can change keywords to match you individually. Example: you are a “positive person” – the thesaurus gives you “optimistic”, “constructive”, “helpful”, “affirmative”, “certain” , and “confident”. You feel “confident” so you put that you are a “confident person” instead of a “positive person”. This best describes you and will give your resume a different look. Match words from the thesaurus to your personality when writing your summary or descriptions. It is like piecing together a puzzle with the end result – a true picture of you!
4. Reduce your contact with former co-workers. Despite your departure, life goes on in the workplace and for your former co-workers. So, limit the number and the amount of contact you have with them. Too much contact with them while you are seeking employment can have a negative effect on your attitude and on theirs. Wait and make positive contact with them when you have found your new career!
5. Allow an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon for “mind relaxation”. During this time, set your focus on your personal non-expensive interests such as gardening, walking, exercising, reading or cooking. Limit the time to one hour only and don’t skip this “free from pressure hour”. Once you have taken your “break” you will find your mind has new ideas and you will have a more positive day!
6. Develop a job hunting routine and flip-flop the routine every other week. Falling into a routine is good but can also have a negative impact if you are not getting the results you want. If your week’s routine is to go to individual employers in person and leave a resume in the morning and then to do an internet search and e-mail your resume to employers you find interesting in the afternoon, then switch the routine every other week.
7. Learn to accept the time it takes to find new employment. If you are on unemployment don’t stop making a conscientious effort to find a new job. Many people use unemployment as a “vacation” until it is almost gone and then start a frantic job search which often ends with little or no results. The faster you are off the “unemployed list, the better!