Pump up your Resume

Working out your resume goes a long way. A resume is not just simply a piece of paper which indicates your credentials, qualifications and experiences. Your resume reflects you. A disorganized resume reflects that fact that you have so many things in mind, while a nicely done resume reflects a systematic, logical, and competent personality. Kindly refrain from writing informal stuff like, “I love looking at the stars” or “My hobbies include walking the dog” as they appear too informal. You are applying for a job not as a television figure. There are a lot of resume writing tips online to keep you updated.

Dress Accordingly

Knowing the right outfit or dress code for a job reflects your personality as well. If you dress too casual, you would like you are not that interested with the job you are applying for, while dressing too formal may seem too eager or too confident. Just dress accordingly. Dress yourself depending on the job that you are applying for. This is one essential job interview advice. If you are applying as an advertising specialist, photographer, graphic artists, and the likes, dress yourself in such a way that it reflects your creativity but always be weary so as not to overdo it. However, if you are applying for a supervisory or managerial role, then it’s advisable to wear something formal, skirt and blazers for women and button down shirts with jackets and slacks for men.

Gain Presence of Mind

Lastly one important job interview advice is to always gain some presence of mind. A highly competent and qualified individual can be eaten up by their nervousness if they don’t have presence of mind. Most good people fail the interview due to this factor. The best thing to do is to relax, take slow deep breathes, and if it’s your turn for the interview already, smile and gather all the courage you have. You can do it!

All these basic job interview tips if done properly and if followed accordingly, becomes a powerful tool in job hunting. Getting the job you want depends on you as an applicant. Just come prepared and all geared up and you are on your way to success.

Here are some of the most common mistakes job seekers make on job interviews:

Mistake #1: Not taking the job interview seriously. Most job seekers think that once you get invited for a job interview, you’re as good as in, in the company. This is not true though. The job interview is not done simply for formality’s sake. The purpose of the job interview is so that the hiring manager can meet the job seeker in person and assess whether or not the applicant is a perfect fit for the open position in the company.

Mistake #2: Not showing why you’re the best choice among the rest. The job interview is your chance as a hopeful job applicant to show the interviewer why you should get the job and not anyone else. So familiarize yourself with the job description of the position you are interviewing for so that you will be able to illustrate to your potential employer how your experiences, abilities and strengths befit the company’s needs. This is not the time as well for being modest. During your job interview, remember to toot your own horn. Don’t be afraid to talk about your accomplishments whether in school or your previous companies.

Mistake #3: Failing to ask questions during a job interview. Your job resume may be impressive on paper, but employers look for job applicants who are able to ask several intelligent questions as well during the job interview. Prepare at least 3 to 4 questions to ask your job interviewer in advance. Keep in mind that a job interview is all about the exchange of information and not having questions to ask may give your potential employer the impression that you’re not prepared.

Mistake #4: Trash Talking. So you hated your last employer. This doesn’t mean you should speak badly of them during your job interview. Nothing turns off potential employers more than job applicants who air their dirty laundry out in public. Avoid talking about your previous employer in a negative light no matter how unfairly you feel you’ve been treated. When the subject of your previous employment comes up, try to put a positive spin to it. This way, potential employers would perceive you as someone who is decent and professional.

Mistake #5: Don’t talk salary so soon. Yes of course salary is a big factor when you’re considering a certain job position. It is an important detail that every job searcher must determine before accepting any job offer. But the subject should be saved for a later interview.

Preparation is a key to a successful job interview so you should really devote some time into this. Don’t let all your job search hard work go to waste by committing common mistakes on your job interview.

Since marketing jobs for the usual industries like manufacturing, finance, banking, hospitality and food service, and academic are quite difficult new avenues for job hunters have arrived. With the rise of the technology given by the World Wide Web, various companies have created the concept of internet marketing.

What is internet marketing? Aside from simply marketing with the use of the internet, it also involves marketing with use of electronic mails and wireless media. There are lots of electronic customer relationship management companies which work for internet marketing purposes. Internet marketing has various aspects which are as follows; search engine marketing, search engine optimization, banner ads on certain websites, email marketing and the likes. With these efforts put together, internet marketing is made possible. How does one look for internet marketing jobs?

Commonly, internet marketing jobs available may be found where else but through the Internet. Various online job posting sites are not open to the idea of including this job on their lists for people looking for a marketing job. There are hundreds of internet marketing jobs currently available. These jobs may fall into various categories. Some require article writers for blogs and websites marketing their sites and to create awareness about them. On the other hand, some companies are in need for content writers for search engine optimization efforts. These efforts are usually done by companies who want to be on the top of their league when it comes to website visits, advertising, and marketing efforts.

Internet marketing jobs are new developments to marketing industry. New graduates and other job hunters who are currently looking for a marketing job may find it easier now than before. The internet has paved a new way for a new working market. With the rise of this industry, more people will get to have jobs and more individuals will be able to live better lives.

Set Your Objectives

Setting and managing your career objectives is the first thing to do before you aim for a career change. What is it the your really want to do? How do you see yourself five to ten years from now? What are the current career trends to follow? These are just some three important questions to ask yourself before you finally decide to quit your current job and look for a new career path. Some experts in career advice would say that knowing what you want is the key to starting the process if changing a career path. Before jumping to new opportunities and challenges you know what you want first. As soon as you know and understand what it is that you really want, you can embrace yourself more therefore gaining much confidence for the career challenges you have to overcome.

Know your Strengths and Weaknesses

Upon making peace with yourself, it is a good career advice to identify your own strengths and weaknesses. How can you manage a career in accounting and finance if you are not well versed with its mathematical concepts? How will you effectively work as a fashion designer if it’s hard for you to let all the creative juices out of your brain? How can you work efficiently if you are not familiar with the career that you now have? These are just some realistic and challenging questions for people who want to look for a new career. For example, if you like cooking so much and you enjoy every bit of it, may be its just good for you to try the culinary and food industry.

Make the Most Out of It

Lastly, it’s always good to enjoy and make the most out of every moment and opportunity that we have in life. Experts in career advice would say that it is imperative to enjoy every bit of experience you have with your new found job. It may seem rough and shaky at first but eventually, once you learn to enjoy it and once you learn to admit the fact that this is your new career, thing would get easier than usual.

Above are just some simple and basic ways on how to guide individuals who would want to shift careers. At the end of the day, it still depends on the individual. Are you up for the challenge? It is always to keep your mind open to change and to accept the fact that it is the only thing that’s inevitable in life. This is just my two cents worth of career advice.

Prepare, prepare, and prepare some more

Upon being invited for a screening process, make it a point to prepare for your interview. Try reviewing on Basic English speech and grammar concepts. It’s best if you practice by reading English magazines or by watching English movies. Practicing your speech in front of the mirror may be a valuable preparation tool as well. With this, you can get the call center job you dream of.

Avoid mispronunciations

Once you have practiced your speaking ability, the next thing to do is to be very wary during your interview. Avoid making obvious mispronunciations. This is a very common mistake done by applicants of Philippine call centers. This usually happens in the pronunciation of “T” versus “TH” and of “F” versus “P”. Individuals usually interchange the two letters causing them to mispronounce words. This is a major demerit for some interviewers.

Maintain presence of mind

You may be a top notch English speaker but if you lack presence of mind during an interview, you’ll be going from top to not. Presence of mind is very important in an interview as it reflects how an applicant handles stress and pressure. This may be solved by thinking before speaking. Think about that sentence you want to express before you blurt it out. Presence of mind also helps you get and maintain your composure during the interview.

Maintain a neutral accent

Always maintain a neutral accent during your interview. Most call center job applicants fail in their initial screening due to this common mistake. Philippine call centers look for applicants who have the potential to be a good employee. This means that the applicant should be trainable and has the ability to achieve a neutral accent. Some applicants put too much expression on their American accents resulting to mispronunciations and grammatical errors. An accent cannot help you land a cal center job, but proper speech patterns will do.

Don’t be nervous on your interview

Need I explain more? Even if you know all these steps by heart but you cannot stop your heart from beating very fast, then you have to look for a new job to apply for. A call center job is all about exuding confidence and self discipline. Achieve this and you are on your way to corporate success.

Job Interview Goal Setting Step 1

Consider your career goals and write them down. If you have never thought about where you will be in 5 years, this could be very difficult. If you are a planner by nature, this may take you only a few minutes. Devote as much time as you need to develop clear goals before your job interview.

Job Interview Goal Setting Step 2

A job searcher must be able to shape his plan into a long-term goal chart. Organize it by year over the next 5 years. Each step should move you forward in your career.

Job Interview Goal Setting Step 3

Work backward if you are having trouble creating the road map for your long-term goals. Start with your grand 5-year goal at the top of your chart, and your current position at the bottom. Fill in the blanks with logical steps that will help you reach your goal.

Conveying your Job Goals During the Job Interview

After you’ve sat down and thought things through, the next step is to be able to successfully convey your job goals to your prospective employer. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

1: During your interview, share your long-term goals with a potential employer when appropriate. Chances are, they will ask you about this during your job interview.

2: Keep your answers clear and concise. Employers want to know that an applicant has a solid plan. They don’t want to hear rambling about areas of the industry you are interested in that don’t lead to an ultimate goal. Use eye contact when you answer these interview questions, and show enthusiasm for your goal.

3: If you haven’t been able to determine your goals for the future even when you have already taken the time to think things through then be creative if you aren’t sure of your long-term goals. Explain that you are currently building on your short-term goals to focus your long-term plans over time.

4: If reaching any of the steps in your plan will require additional training, explain how you intend to continue your education while maintaining your position with the firm during the job interview.

Your main goal for every job interview is to impress your potential employer and being able to show him that you’re an applicant who has a clear and concise idea of what you want to achieve in the future in terms of career, you can be sure to hear the words “You’re hired!” soon enough.

Here are some of the most common mistakes job seekers make on job interviews:

Mistake #1: Not taking the job interview seriously. Most job seekers think that once you get invited for a job interview, you’re as good as in, in the company. This is not true though. The job interview is not done simply for formality’s sake. The purpose of the job interview is so that the hiring manager can meet the job seeker in person and assess whether or not the applicant is a perfect fit for the open position in the company.

Mistake #2: Not showing why you’re the best choice among the rest. The job interview is your chance as a hopeful job applicant to show the interviewer why you should get the job and not anyone else. So familiarize yourself with the job description of the position you are interviewing for so that you will be able to illustrate to your potential employer how your experiences, abilities and strengths befit the company’s needs. This is not the time as well for being modest. During your job interview, remember to toot your own horn. Don’t be afraid to talk about your accomplishments whether in school or your previous companies.

Mistake #3: Failing to ask questions during a job interview. Your job resume may be impressive on paper, but employers look for job applicants who are able to ask several intelligent questions as well during the job interview. Prepare at least 3 to 4 questions to ask your job interviewer in advance. Keep in mind that a job interview is all about the exchange of information and not having questions to ask may give your potential employer the impression that you’re not prepared.

Mistake #4: Trash Talking. So you hated your last employer. This doesn’t mean you should speak badly of them during your job interview. Nothing turns off potential employers more than job applicants who air their dirty laundry out in public. Avoid talking about your previous employer in a negative light no matter how unfairly you feel you’ve been treated. When the subject of your previous employment comes up, try to put a positive spin to it. This way, potential employers would perceive you as someone who is decent and professional.

Mistake #5: Don’t talk salary so soon. Yes of course salary is a big factor when you’re considering a certain job position. It is an important detail that every job searcher must determine before accepting any job offer. But the subject should be saved for a later interview.

Preparation is key to a successful job interview so you should really devote some time into this. Don’t let all your job search hard work go to waste by committing common mistakes on your job interview.

Here are some tips from About.com that will help you course your way through a career in healthcare field:

Do Research: Keeping yourself updated on the industry news and trends, companies and key players in the field are very important. This will help you know which companies may be hiring and you’ll also be able to speak intelligently about the industry during your job interview or when you’re trying to network with professionals in the medical field.

Networking: If you want to be successful in your career not only in the healthcare, the key is to network, network, network! Remember, it’s not WHAT you know but it’s WHO you know that counts. So if you’re really serious about making a career in healthcare industry, try to do volunteer work or join health care professional association, anything that will allow you to make those right connections.

Assess Your Skills – Especially Transferable Ones: Knowing what skills you have existing are also important when trying to break in to the health care industry. If you’re great with computers for example, you could find work as a support in the healthcare field. Medical receptionist or a filing clerk are just of the two popular entry level positions in the healthcare field that inexperienced yet aspiring healthcare professionals can get into. When you’ve gotten both your feet on the door, you can start to move your way up the health care career ladder.

Find a Mentor: Every student needs a teacher and this goes beyond school. When you’re just starting out in your career, having a great mentor can most definitely help you reach your career advancement goals. After all, they are more experienced and knowledgeable about the work and the industry than you are so you can learn a thing or two from them. Show your willingness and enthusiasm for learning and you may soon find yourself climbing up into higher level positions.

Keep the following tips in mind when you’re seeking a job in the health care industry and you’ll be sure to break into this highly competitive industry in no time at all.

Ideal Length of a Job Resume for Entry level applicants - The length of a job resume for new graduates would ideally be one page long. This is because not much experience or accomplishment are available to be placed on their job resumes, so focusing more on skills would be much more advantageous for new graduates. Two page job resumes are also okay for those newly graduate job searchers who had a lot of relevant internships, extracurricular activities, summer-jobs or other experiences that can justify a two page job resume.

Ideal Length of Job Resume for Above Entry Level but Below Executive – Majority of job searchers would mostly belong to this category, those who have had previous experience but did not hold executive positions. People writing job resumes that are at this level often have difficulty limiting themselves to one or two pages. A good average for a job resume length for the above entry level applicant would be two to three pages long, but again if you choose to write more than two pages in your job resume, make sure that the content justifies the extra pages.

Ideal Length of Job Resume for Executives, CEOs, COOs and other “C” level positions – For the elite people holding these positions, the length of a job resume becomes irrelevant. Basically the rule of job resume lengths does not apply. Major companies would want to know everything about an executive job searcher before they hire them. Their job resumes could be as long as five pages or more and might also include separate portfolios and other documents. After all, hiring someone for an executive position is a pretty big risk and making the wrong decision would spell doom for any company.

The most important thing to consider when deciding the length of a resume is to make sure that the content is relevant and compelling. Don’t ever sacrifice content of your job resume for length, if you think an item needs to be included then go ahead and place it. As long as what you are typing in justifies the length of your job resume then don’t let length job resume restrictions stop you.

Whether you’re looking for jobs in the Philippines or jobs abroad, you should know what to put in your job resume and what not to put in. After all, the main purpose of submitting job resumes is to land a job interview in a company, not get it thrown out in the trash can or piled away to be forgotten together with hundreds of other job resumes.

Here are top 3 job resume writing mistakes to avoid:

Your Job Resume Lacks Focus

HR managers especially those from the big companies receive hundreds if not thousands of job resumes a day from various job seekers with different experience levels. The average time they spend reviewing a job resume is between 2.5 to 20 seconds and that’s enough for them to determine which job seekers to put under consideration and those which should not. So if you want to get an employer to notice your job resume, make it focused. Customize your job resume according to the job position you desire and the skills you have that makes you the perfect candidate for it.  Nowadays submitting a general job resume may give perceived as someone who is not focused and therefore not competitive enough to qualify.

Your Job Resume is Duties Driven not Accomplishment Driven

Sure your job duties are important but the goal is to rise above the rest of the job search hopefuls and telling an employer what your job responsibilities were will definitely NOT get you the job interview. To successfully land the job interview, you have to sell yourself starting with your job resume. How do you do so? By highlighting your work accomplishments. This will show your potential employer why you’re the right one for the open position.

Writing Slum book Types of Interest in Your Job Resume

Fresh graduates usually make this common mistake in job resume writing. While it’s good to fill up your one page resume, there are some things that are better left unwritten such as your personal interests. Don’t put in listening to music, watching clouds, doodling and skimming through magazine pages. Your job resume is not a slumbook. If you want to put in your interests, write in only those that may have a relation to the job you’re applying for. For example in the creatives industry such as advertising, reading books and magazines with a wide variety of topics may show your potential employer that you are an information seeking individual. If you’re applying for a job in the fashion industry, then of course an interest in fashion is a good thing to put in.

Avoid these job resume writing mistakes the next time you’re preparing your job resume and in no time at all, you’ll be getting job interviews left and right.