How To Ace A Walk-in Panel Job Interview

How To Ace A Walk-in Panel Job Interview 51 With a little preparation anyone can perform well in a group or panel job interview. Here are some of the most important tips for panel interview success, what to do and what not to do. This article is a guest post by Joyce K. Babu of Joycebabu.com. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines. Free bonus: The One Job Interview Resource You’ll Ever Need is a handy reference to help you prepare for any kind of job interview. Download it free now Preparation First of all, do your homework well. Get as much information as possible about the company you are hoping to join. Note one or two questions to ask about the organization’s structure or possibly “if I’m selected, when can I expect to join the company?” or “if I’m selected, is there any particular field for which I should prepare more?”. On the other hand, never ask questions like “am I selected?” and don’t ask your interviewers to select you since that will only reveal your lack of confidence.eval As for the questions that you’ll be asked, be ready for the most common: Tell me about yourself. Which is your greatest strength and greatest weakness? How would your enemy / friend describe you? Why should we hire you? More examples and recommended answers can be found here.eval For the Venue Dress Formally A light color shirt and dark color pants are best for men, possibly with a tie. For women, it depends more on your culture. Remember that you are not going for a fashion show, so avoid bright colors. Also make sure that you don’t use heavily-scented perfumes or deodorants. Come Early Turn up at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. Make yourself comfortable with the environment, maybe even by talking with other candidates if there are any. Since companies tend to monitor your behavior at the venue, you want them to see you as a social and easy-going person. Come Equipped Bring copies of your CV and relevant certificates/diplomas, but keep them in your lap until you’re are asked for them. Plus, you should always carry a pen with you. At the Interview Be Polite When your chance arrives, knock at the door before you enter the room. Greet the interviewers collectively but if there are women in the panel, greet them first. Wait a few seconds before taking the chair, giving the interviewers the opportunity to ask you to sit. If they don’t ask you in a few seconds, then wait no longer and sit down. They may be giving you a stress test. Another example. If one of the interviewers eventually asks you a question while you are answering another interviewer’s question, don’t stop your current response abruptly to answer the new question. Instead, politely tell the asking interviewer that you will come to their question and then continue where you left off. Similarly, don’t interrupt your interviewers. Be Calm and Collected There really is no reason to be nervous, this is not going to be your last interview so be cool and comfortable. Try not to wander your gaze among the different objects in the room. Look at the interviewer with a light smile and when they ask you a question, look them in the eyes while you reply. Sometimes interviewers may start talking among themselves to test how you react to such a situation. Be Confident, But Not Arrogant The interviewer may ask you questions on topics about which they have no knowledge so answer questions with confidence. If the interviewer points out a mistake, accept it. Do not try to correct an interviewer unless you are sure that you are right and it is entirely necessary but of course, always do it in a very polite manner. Be Honest If an interviewer asks you a question which you don’t know, tell the interviewer so. No person has infinite knowledge on everything happening in this world. If you lie or say something you are not sure about, then it will be a very black mark. The panel may have seen hundreds of people like you and can understand a lie from truth just by looking at you. Be As Brief As You Can Remember that time is very precious. When asked to talk about yourself, talk more about your professional qualifications than personal qualifications. Make answers brief and up to the point. Don’t try to show your entire knowledge while answering a simple question, or you may not get time to bring out the main points. Only elaborate an answer when asked to do so. Light Jokes are OK A mild joke during the interview is fine but you don’t want to appear like a joker. Also, avoid personal jokes and comments. Remember Your Prepared Questions Towards the end of the interview, interviewers will usually ask you whether there is anything that you’d like to know. Ask one or two of the previously prepared questions and no more, as the interviewer is supposed to interview you and not vice-versa. Make Your Exit Confidently When the interview is over, remember to collect everything you brought with you. Do not push the chair violently, move it quietly. Thank the interviewers and leave. After walking out the door, do not look back unless they call you. I hope these tips help you next time you’re in the interviewee’s chair. All the best. Free Bonus If you want a handy job interview resource that you can keep on your smartphone or print out for easy reference, I’ve got a special bonus for you. This free download contains: 165 positive personality adjectives to describe yourself 444 of the most popular job interviewer questions to prepare yourself with 175 questions that you can ask in job interviews to make a good impression and learn about your future employer Click the image below to get access to The One Job Interview Resource You’ll Ever Need: JobMob Insiders can get this free bonus and other exclusive content in the JobMob Insider Bonuses area. Join now, it's free! About the author Joyce K. Babu is the owner of the blog Joycebabu.com. If you liked this article, you’ll also enjoy 130 Positive Personality Adjectives For Your Next Job Interview.

How to Cope with Stress in the Workplace

How to Cope with Stress in the Workplace The following is a guest post by Samantha Rivers.  Her bio follows. Workplace stressors, like tight deadlines and large workloads, can be overwhelming. Letting stress get out of hand can not only impact the quality of your work, it can contribute to health issues both minor to severe, ranging from headaches to an increased risk of heart disease. Whether constant interruptions, taking on more tasks than you have time in the day for, or forgetting to take care of yourself have you stressed out at work, there are ways to cope and find your center of calm. These tips can help. Stay Focused by Eliminating Interruptions The workplace is full of interruptions. All the stopping and starting can make it difficult to get in a rhythm and put you behind in your work, which is not good for managing stress. Eliminating interruptions is a great way to stay focus and stay on top of your work. Reduce interruptions by setting aside a certain window of time during the day to answer emails all at once, instead of every 10 minutes, block out office chatter by closing your office door, if you have one, or wear noise canceling headphones if youre in a cubicle. Take Care of Yourself Outside of the Workplace Taking care of yourself outside of the workplace is often forgotten, but it is important for mental health and reducing stress. A lack of sleep can increase stress hormones. Making sleep a priority can help reduce stress hormones, which can translate to feeling less stressed in the workplace. Eating healthy is also important to managing stress and some foods may even help reduce stress. Some stress busting foods to add to your diet include berries, cashews, chamomile tea, and oatmeal. Take Time Off to Recharge Working non-stop can cause burnout, which can be avoided if you actually use your vacation and personal time off days. Taking time off from work can help reduce stress hormones. Whether you plan a relaxing trip lounging on the beach or stay home, getting away from work can help recharge your batteries. Dont Be Afraid to Say No Its easy to feel the need to take on every task thrown your way, especially when trying to make a good impression in the workplace. Saying yes to everything can cause your responsibilities to get out of hand, leading to a stressful work environment. Sometimes, the best thing to do is say no. Learning to say no can help keep your workload manageable. Pick Up a Fun Side Job Taking on another job when trying to cope with stress in the workplace may seem counter-intuitive, but having an additional source of income can help take some of the pressure off of your regular 9 to 5 job. When you enjoy what you do, it doesnt feel like work. Look for a fun side job or freelance work that you can enjoy. Picking up a side job is  great for those who like to socialize and need the flexibility of working on their own schedule.  Utilize Tech and Apps for Managing Stress Tech and apps can help you manage stress both in and outside of the workplace. Online tools, like The Huffington Posts GPS for the Soul, offer tips for de-stressing your life, while apps like Headspace help users develop breathing techniques to deal with stress and learn meditation practices, respectively. Ask for Help Dont be afraid to ask for help or accept it. Sometimes the best way to reduce stress is to have the support of others. Help may come in the form of other coworkers taking on some of your tasks or job duties or it could simply be talking about whats going on to a trusted friend or loved one or seeking counseling. Talk to your supervisor about ways to reduce stress in your job, such as getting support from coworkers or changing your workspace to make it more conducive to getting your work done. Regain Your Sense of Calm When workplace stress gets out of control, it can have a negative impact on your overall quality of life. Making these simple changes can help you combat stress and find your sense of calm. Samantha Rivers  Samantha Rivers is a freelance writer who lives in Chicago (Go Cubs!). She loves writing anything in the lifestyle, career and tech realm both online and print. When shes not running the  Upward Onward  blog, she enjoys reading, finding new restaurants, being active outside, and  indulging in a glass of wine or two.  Follow her on  Twitter!

Online Stock Tips Buyer Beware.

Online Stock Tips Buyer Beware. There was an article in the Wall Street Journal on February 4, 2009  about new social networking services that allow users to share investing and trading tips. It is a great way for like minded people to build a community and share ideas. In many ways the idea is not new we have seen chat rooms, message boards, and the like before. However, these sites operate more like Twitter where messages are limited or truncated to a preset number of characters and people only build ‘followings’ only if they have something of value to say. The idea definitely is progressive and timely as many people are seeking ways to build or rebuild wealth in a deepening recession. But buyer beware! There are a few things to keep in mind or questions you ask yourself before you throw your money into any investment based on the advice of someone especially someone you don’t know. No one knows where this market is headed let alone any individual stock. The current financial crisis is evidence that not even the pros on Wall Street have a handle on the markets. This could be one of the riskiest times to put your money into the unknown. Speaking of unknowns, who is providing the information on the stock? What is the track record of this individual? I always seek advice from someone who has been successful in whatever subject they are discussing (not just money). So, if the person dishing out the information retired from an investing career, it might be worth considering. Otherwise, be careful. Be realistic. We have seen with the Maddoff scandal and countless other examples that if it seems too good to be true it probably is. Yes, we have heard this before, but the tough economic times are giving life to more scams and con artists than ever before. Is the timing right for you? Given how hard the markets and our portfolios have been hit, is now the time to put your hard earned money into ’stock tips’?   We all are eager to make up for our losses, but there is (still) no quick fix. Building wealth is a lifetime endeavor. Don’t get yourself into deeper financial straits by trying to make up for the market meltdown. We all are hurting. Final thought. Personally, I would rather see my financial or investment adviser tracking and researching the markets. I worry that someone who is texting stock tips or using social networking services may not be focused on the right activities. Markets move rapidly. Information changes even faster. I need and want an informed adviser not a good sales person. Copyright FELA, Inc. 2009 Ms. Career Girl, a Financial Education Literacy Advisers company www.themindsetforwealth.com

5 Terrible Reasons To Start Your Own Business

5 Terrible Reasons To Start Your Own Business Becoming an entrepreneur seems pretty cool these days, right? All of those Instagram photos of entrepreneurs living the work from wherever lifestyle at fancy dinners and nice hotels. But, becoming an entrepreneur so you can take pictures like these is probably not the best reason to start your own business. The truth is, becoming an entrepreneur is NOT for everyone. There are some things you want to be aware of  before you make the leap. Note: If you think you have some good reasons to start a business, check out our brand new course just launched today called, Side Hustle School. The best part is that it is only $25 through Thursday! 5 Terrible Reasons To Start Your Own Business  1. You hate your boss. Yes,  it is time for a career change. Change companies. Change bosses. Change industries but this doesnt mean you should be the boss. Its hard to be the boss! Its hard to manage yourself and to manage others at the same time. Theres a new level of personal development you need to study and you need to become the leader. If you are not ready to work on yourself and become an even better person,  you should not start your own business. 2. You think your salary is too low. Get a raise! You can. This isnt impossible. Ask for a raise  or change jobs or companies. Dont start your own business for a pay raise because the truth is, it might take you a little while to even make  what you are making now in a new business. Of course, there is a large potential you could make in the future, but starting your own business is NOT about the money (see #5). 3. You lack passion for your current job. Not being passionate  doesnt always mean you should start a business. This may just be a sign you need to evaluate your interests, motivations and your calling to determine the best career fit for you. It means you are not in a career that fits you and you need to figure out what that is. But, starting a business is a pretty hard way to identify your calling.  Maybe you should read this post first: 5 Ways to Find Your Calling. 4. You want to work less hours. I work all hours of the day ramping up my business and putting everything into it and I have been doing this for years. To start a business, you arent going to work less hours. Maybe 10-15 years from now when you have it all figured out you can decrease your hours but not when you are just starting. Its all about the hustle. If you work harder than anyone else, your business will thrive and survive. 5. You want to make a million dollars This one drives me nuts. The noisy online world right now is filled with entrepreneurs sharing how much  they  made last month, last year and today and (of course) how you can do it too! In my recent post about the nine things wrong  with online business right now and how to rise above, I shared that myself and many of my clients are actually NOT in it for the money. We are in it to help people so flaunting how much you make is doing nothing but making us super annoyed with you. If you think starting your own business will help you make a million bucks, I challenge you to think instead about helping a million people. How can you change a million peoples lives? Thats our mission at CCG. Note: If you think you have some great reasons to start your own business, check out our brand new course just launched today called, Side Hustle School. The best part is that it is only $25 through Thursday!

Self-Employed How to Make A Successful Transition CareerMetis.com

Self-Employed How to Make A Successful Transition â€" CareerMetis.com Photo Credit â€" Flickr.comIf you’re thinking about quitting your current job and becoming self-employed, there are things you need to know.Before you do anything you’re going to regret, it’s important you think your decision through. Although the idea of working for yourself might seem like a lot of fun, in reality it’s a lot more difficult. You have to understand just how much work goes into being self-employed, before quitting your job. It’s not an easy process, and it does involve a lot of effort and motivation. It’s possible to make a successful transition however, if you do it the right way.evalWorking for yourself can be a rewarding experience. Yes, it’s going to be difficult at times but the positives outweigh the negatives.Being your own boss can not only make you more productive, but it can also be the start of something much greater. Seeing your business grow and experiencing your work blossom, is a truly fascinating experience.So, you’re thinking about qui tting your job in favor of going self-employed now what?Let’s find out.The decision to quit your job should not be taken lightly. It’s a serious matter that you should give some serious consideration.Before you do anything, sit down and make a plan. Figure out how much money you are going to need to survive for a few months, and what resources you are going to require.Be very thorough- anything you miss now, will come back later on and cause some serious problems.evalIf your plan seems solid enough and you are sure that being self-employed is what you want, it’s time to make the move.Remember that being self-employed is no easy task. It will require you to work on a number of things, some of which you might have not encountered before.If you require a virtual mailbox, for example, make sure you find one in advance. You don’t want to leave anything until last minute, as it will only waste your time down the line. Only quit your current job once you are satisfied you have a go od plan in place. Make sure that everything is ready for you to start working for yourself. If you’re still figuring things out, wait a little longer until everything is in place.Being self-employed can be a satisfying if you do it right. There’s no better feeling than that you experience being your own boss. Yes, you will still have to meet deadlines and keep a schedule but with a little effort you’ll be on your feet in no time.evalBe smart about the way you go about it and the whole experience will be much more enjoyable. Try to plan ahead as much as possible to prepare yourself for the move. Don’t leave anything until last minute, as having everything figured out in advance can be helpful.There’s no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy the benefits of being your own boss, so what are you waiting for?Just do it.

12 Reasons to Take Unpaid Internships

12 Reasons to Take Unpaid Internships 132 Flares 132 Flares Do you want to know who was heavily against unpaid internships in 2008?  Oh, that would be me.  And what do I mean by, heavily?  I guess I mean that I flew across the country to  San Francisco just to inform certain department managers that interns were to be compensated for their work. Sure, I flew out for many other items of business, but ensuring that interns received their green is really all I can remember from the trip. But times and workforce situations have changed, and so have I.  My outlook and beliefs are now drastically different.  While I still believe that companies should pay interns for work performed that benefits the company, I see infinite value for students performing internships. 12 Reasons to Take Unpaid Internships: 1. Experience:   You are nothing without experience.  This is becoming more of a fact as competition for jobs grow.  Want to set yourself apart from your peers?  Gain experiencenow! 2.  Your Resume:  Sure, this kind of fits in with #1, but it needs to be mentioned.  Your resume needs to include more than your high school job, GPA, and computer skills. 3.  Learn What You Like:  Take a few internships to discover your career interests.  Trust me, this isnt as easy as it seemed during career day. 4.  Learn What You Dont Like:  This is probably more important than #3.  Crossing career options off the list should make you smile, because it will help you focus in the long-term. 5.  More Money Later:  Rack up the years of experience and you may have a higher possibility at making more later.  Remember, an internship is an investment! 6.  Lose Your Rookie Title:  Wether you work in an office or virtually, the work day experience helps you feel like less of a rookie at your first job after college. 7.  Connections:  Your boss, co-workers, clients, and other interns SHOULD be eternal friends and referral sources for you.  Make sure you manage your network with LinkedIn.  You should even connect with company employees you havent met or worked with directly. 8.  School Credit:  Most schools will offer credits for internships.  No kidding, youll learn about 10,000% more in the work environment than you will in a classroom. 9.  Find a Mentor:  You never know who might end up wanting to take you under their wing.  Be a sponge and learn as much as you can from anyone willing to share. Seriously, what else would you be doing? 10.  What Else Would You Be Doing?:  Honestly, what would you rather be doing?  Drinking?  Partying?  Dancing?  Youll have plenty of time for all of that! 11.  You Have Time To Kill:  If you plan your college career correctly, you can end up with a pretty free last year of college.  I mean, thats what I did anyway.  Fill up your free time with an internship. 12.   They Are Easier to Find:  Lets face it, there are more unpaid internships available than paid gigs.  Companies are also quicker to pull the trigger on something unpaid. Remember that an internship should be seen as an investment.  If you can grab a paid internship for a great company then go ahead and do so.  If not, then rack up a few unpaid internships for all of the reasons above. Am I missing anything?  Tell us about your favorite internship.  What made it so successful?

Resume Writing Services in Gosford

Resume Writing Services in GosfordWhen I moved to Gosford a few years ago, I hired a company that offered resume writing services to people who wanted to make the move. It wasn't long before I had one job after another because I got clients from all over the country and it never came up as a possibility. That's why I started researching what other people were saying about this service.There was plenty of positive feedback and people who told me how successful they had been with Gosford based businesses. Not long after I discovered the career website Born. Born. is a wonderful website that offers numerous job and career opportunities.In addition to the work I do, I also coach many people who are in a similar situation to come out on top. The coaching is valuable and makes life easier. People are living in so much debt and are having a hard time trying to find work.We all want to get out of debt and find the right path to make money. This is why I decided to find a good site that had r esume writing services in Gosford. There are many local services that will help you get your resume written and meet the needs of your future employer.However, if you have no idea where to start, you can learn how to find a service that will be a match for you. I discovered that my husband had been in debt for years and he couldn't get any relief from his creditors. After a conversation with someone I saw a great opportunity for us to work together.You can find this kind of help in Gosford and also make your life easier. A few of the places I recommend are Born. and Career Gateway.Don't just take my word for it and run off to do the work. Try these sites and see for yourself if they offer the type of help you need. You will discover that you have more options than you could have ever imagined.I truly think if you want to make some money for yourself or make a difference in someone else's life you should look into this in Gosford and explore the many ways to make money in this area. The fact that we have a recession in the US right now, people need every little bit they can get.