Research on negotiating salary shows that up to 80 percent of job offers are negotiable but that only a small number of job candidates actually enter into negotiations of the job offer and salary with prospective employers. The main reason given is that candidates feel ill-equipped to negotiate and as a result are intimidated by the negotiation process. You don't have to be an expert negotiator to successfully negotiate a job offer. Knowing these basic negotiation strategies helps you to properly plan your salary negotiation and feel confident in the negotiation process.
Delay the salary discussion for as long as possible in the hiring process
The best time for negotiating salary is after a firm job offer has been made. Your negotiating power is at its peak when the company has been convinced of your potential value to them and has decided that you are the best candidate for the job. If the salary question comes up early in the interview process it is best to remain as non committal as possible and suggest that your salary requirements are "open" or "negotiable" until you have learned more about the job. If pressed to give an amount state a wide range within which your salary requirements fall. Avoid giving a specific salary figure on the application form and rather put "competitive" or "open to discussion".
Find out the value of your skills in the marketplace
Information is your greatest tool in negotiating salary. Research your competitive market value. What are other organizations in your field and geographical area paying for your skills and experience? It is much easier to persuade the company to agree with your salary request if your negotiation proposal is firmly based in hard fact such as what people with similar skills and in similar jobs are currently earning. You can research salary data in a number of ways including visiting various free salary websites, asking people in similar positions, calling professional and trade associations, asking recruiters and employment agents and looking at similar job postings.
Know what you are worth to this specific company
Understanding your company-value helps you determine your real bargaining power. What is your value to this particular company? Consider factors such as the supply and demand ratio of your skills and experience in this industry and area, the number of candidates the company has interviewed, how urgently the company needs to fill the job and the direct and indirect contribution to company profitability of this position.
Evaluate the entire compensation package
Benefits can contribute up to 30 percent of the whole compensation package. Include the benefits in your salary calculations to get a more accurate picture of the dollar value of the whole compensation package. Put a direct dollar value on benefits such as medical, dental and life insurance, company bonuses, profit sharing, direct expense coverage such as parking, phone etc, company services such as child care and paid overtime. Decide which aspects are important to you and what you can negotiate to balance the base salary.
Calculate a realistic salary range to negotiate within
Work out how much you need to earn to cover your expenses. For each expense work out the amount of money you need and the amount of money you would like. The total of each amount provides you with an acceptable salary range within which you can negotiate. You will use this data for your salary decisions. However during the negotiations it is important to base your salary request on your value to the company and your skills and experience and not on what money you need to earn every month. The employer is unlikely to be interested in your expenses. Begin negotiating at the top of your salary range to give yourself sufficient room for negotiation.
Always start your salary negotiations by thanking the employer for the job offer and highlighting your enthusiasm for the position and the company. Keep a positive attitude throughout the process of negotiating salary and make requests rather than demands. Know your true value and be confident of your ability to get the best job offer you can.
Go to Negotiating Your Salary for a complete guide to negotiating the job offer including free practical salary negotiation resources and tools.
Source: http://www.articleheaven.com/article_598511_36.html
Earn strategies to achieve in the classroom and in your career.
If you are among the thousands of students attending college to develop skills and behaviors for your career, then consider this opportunity to develop a strong foundation for achievement in college, career and life. The Student Life Skills classes (SLS 1103 and SLS 0005) at Florida Community College provide the essential content needed for students to succeed for college and beyond. These courses have shown to significantly increase the academic success and retention of college students. Students who take these courses persist in college and succeed in completing their degrees more often.
How can you develop these skills? Add Strategies for Success in College, Career and Life or Foundations of College Success to your next schedule. You’ll gain a unique advantage in the classroom and the workplace with the survival and success skills taught in courses offered at Florida Community College.
Topics of the course include:
* Goals and priorities
* Voice mail and e-mail etiquette
* Maintaining commitment
* Dealing with successes and failure
* Communicating with individuals at work and at college professors, superiors, subordinates and peers
* Verbal and non-verbal communication skills
* Teamwork and decision making
* Learning skills
* Conflict management and resolution
* Leadership styles and skills
* Financial and debt management
* Long-term planning for career, education and wellness.
You’ll find a tremendous amount of information delivered in an active, engaging learning environment. Not only will this class build your success skills for your college work, but it also will give you a foundation of behaviors, habits and skills that will enable you to succeed and thrive in the working world.
Your desire to succeed is the only prerequisite. Register for SLS 1103— Strategies for Success in College, Career and Life or SLS 0005 Foundations for College Success — or see your advisor for further details and information to help you decide which course is best for you.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
How to Boost Your Career in a Weak Economy
With companies in the United States laying off employees left and right, raising our unemployment rate to the highest it’s been since late 2004, working for a big company is no longer a guarantee of steady employment. Even workers who have dedicated twenty years or more to the same company, expecting loyalty in return for loyalty are being laid off in favor of less experienced, cheaper labor or in favor of offshoring those same tasks.
With gas prices soaring, many employees who haven’t yet been axed are opting to seek out employment alternatives that will allow them to work closer to home, or better yet, from a home office entirely. Then we have Generation Y, which has been tapped to be the entrepreneurial leaders of the future. The face of the U.S. workforce is changing. We are rapidly becoming a culture of independent thinkers, shying away from traditional molds of what careers used to be. No longer is it common for a professional to stay with one company for the life of his or her career. Working for one company will typically get you a cost-of-living salary increase, and maybe a bit of a merit increase. By switching jobs, you can leverage your experience and negotiate a higher starting salary.
Given these facts, it is clear that the new focus is not on your employer, but on your talent and your career. Your first priority must be to seek out those opportunities which develop and challenge your skills. To this end, it only makes sense to lean more towards a model of contract employment. Workers can freely move from one project to the next, without having to worry about dealing with office drama or politics, gaining a variety of experiences that can be used to build an impressive portfolio. Job burnout can quickly be solved by moving on to a new project with a new company. Companies are alleviated from the burden of keeping employees on staff who are not productive for fear of being accused of wrongful termination, as well as not being responsible for offering extensive benefit packages to lure employees to work for them.
Source: http://www.articleheaven.com/article_598759_36.html
Improve Your Career in Any Economy
Like many other areas of business, the tech industry has weathered the occasional slump over the past few decades. It's only natural that the fate of techies is closely linked to the tides of the business. However, in any economy, weak or strong, some people prosper and advance while others suffer the consequences. Understanding why can make all the difference, whether you're looking for a job, trying to keep the one you have, or are audacious enough to want to advance your career regardless of the climate.
The conventional wisdom, typically unspoken, is that when times are tough you just grin and bear it. Merely surviving is the best that you can hope for. Advancing is just too much to ask. To that, I offer my own bit of wisdom. Nonsense! (I actually had a more colorful phrase in mind, but discretion got the better of me.)
The principles of business do not alter based on a strong or weak economy, and people will always be people. What this means to those of us with careers to manage is that what works when business is good will also work when things are slow. In fact, in many cases, they'll work even better. In order to understand why, let's strip this down to the bare bones issues.
Getting Down to Business
Businesses exist to make a profit. People work at companies to make a living. Although enterprises are run by a class of creature known as management, it turns out that the ranks of management are, in fact, populated by people. As we've already observed, people work at companies to make a living. So, making money, both from a personal and corporate point of view, is a top priority that does not change based on market conditions.
Human nature is another constant. People have a desire for power, the need for personal fulfillment, and egos to maintain. When you add all of this up, you come up with some facts that are immutable constants in the business world. Of course, we'll be taking advantage of these to make sure that we continue to eat on a regular basis and have the spare money we need to keep our families happy and our compilers up to date. So, let's take a look at some of the more obvious points. The following actions will increase your value in the eyes of the company and / or your superiors:
* Increasing company revenues
* Decreasing company expenses
* Helping your superiors further their career
Source: www.sitepoint.com/article/improve-career-any-economy/
Business and Executive Coach
Listening to the news and many CEOs, you would think the country is in a depression. At a minimum, these reports put listeners into a depression. While I’m willing to let a few individual businesses slide because of what they do (e.g. residential real estate in Miami), if your company is not growing the way you want it to, and/or margins are shrinking, the problem is inside your company. If you believe otherwise, you are deceiving yourself. In many cases, even in sectors where the group as a whole is doing poorly, you should still be able to do better than you’re doing. Just like Warren Buffet does in the stock market, you need to jump on opportunities when the market is down and be aggressive, not defensive.
Some great examples:
*
I recently met with the Managing Partner of a mid-sized accounting firm who confided in me that he just came off a record year and did not believe his company could sustain the pace. He was already seeing a slowdown. However, one of his competitors, who also is my client, is having another record organic growth year.
*
In the fitness and health industry, many companies see a drop off in memberships and attribute it to people spending less on “extras.” I have a client whose year-over-year growth this summer was 49%, and gross margins have expanded as well.
*
Another client of mine has a business that services the airline industry. You would think they would be doomed. Yet based on their order backlog, they expect 33% growth this year.
*
Staffing industry executives tell me their industry is down 30%, and many are laying off staff and otherwise cutting costs “until things get better.” I know of one company in the same market that entered the staffing business and in the last 2 years. They are growing in the high double digits and opening offices in several new states, having identified and pursued a segment of the staffing industry that is booming.
Source: executivecoachhms.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/7-tips-to-boost-your-business-in-a-down-economy/
With gas prices soaring, many employees who haven’t yet been axed are opting to seek out employment alternatives that will allow them to work closer to home, or better yet, from a home office entirely. Then we have Generation Y, which has been tapped to be the entrepreneurial leaders of the future. The face of the U.S. workforce is changing. We are rapidly becoming a culture of independent thinkers, shying away from traditional molds of what careers used to be. No longer is it common for a professional to stay with one company for the life of his or her career. Working for one company will typically get you a cost-of-living salary increase, and maybe a bit of a merit increase. By switching jobs, you can leverage your experience and negotiate a higher starting salary.
Given these facts, it is clear that the new focus is not on your employer, but on your talent and your career. Your first priority must be to seek out those opportunities which develop and challenge your skills. To this end, it only makes sense to lean more towards a model of contract employment. Workers can freely move from one project to the next, without having to worry about dealing with office drama or politics, gaining a variety of experiences that can be used to build an impressive portfolio. Job burnout can quickly be solved by moving on to a new project with a new company. Companies are alleviated from the burden of keeping employees on staff who are not productive for fear of being accused of wrongful termination, as well as not being responsible for offering extensive benefit packages to lure employees to work for them.
Source: http://www.articleheaven.com/article_598759_36.html
Improve Your Career in Any Economy
Like many other areas of business, the tech industry has weathered the occasional slump over the past few decades. It's only natural that the fate of techies is closely linked to the tides of the business. However, in any economy, weak or strong, some people prosper and advance while others suffer the consequences. Understanding why can make all the difference, whether you're looking for a job, trying to keep the one you have, or are audacious enough to want to advance your career regardless of the climate.
The conventional wisdom, typically unspoken, is that when times are tough you just grin and bear it. Merely surviving is the best that you can hope for. Advancing is just too much to ask. To that, I offer my own bit of wisdom. Nonsense! (I actually had a more colorful phrase in mind, but discretion got the better of me.)
The principles of business do not alter based on a strong or weak economy, and people will always be people. What this means to those of us with careers to manage is that what works when business is good will also work when things are slow. In fact, in many cases, they'll work even better. In order to understand why, let's strip this down to the bare bones issues.
Getting Down to Business
Businesses exist to make a profit. People work at companies to make a living. Although enterprises are run by a class of creature known as management, it turns out that the ranks of management are, in fact, populated by people. As we've already observed, people work at companies to make a living. So, making money, both from a personal and corporate point of view, is a top priority that does not change based on market conditions.
Human nature is another constant. People have a desire for power, the need for personal fulfillment, and egos to maintain. When you add all of this up, you come up with some facts that are immutable constants in the business world. Of course, we'll be taking advantage of these to make sure that we continue to eat on a regular basis and have the spare money we need to keep our families happy and our compilers up to date. So, let's take a look at some of the more obvious points. The following actions will increase your value in the eyes of the company and / or your superiors:
* Increasing company revenues
* Decreasing company expenses
* Helping your superiors further their career
Source: www.sitepoint.com/article/improve-career-any-economy/
Business and Executive Coach
Listening to the news and many CEOs, you would think the country is in a depression. At a minimum, these reports put listeners into a depression. While I’m willing to let a few individual businesses slide because of what they do (e.g. residential real estate in Miami), if your company is not growing the way you want it to, and/or margins are shrinking, the problem is inside your company. If you believe otherwise, you are deceiving yourself. In many cases, even in sectors where the group as a whole is doing poorly, you should still be able to do better than you’re doing. Just like Warren Buffet does in the stock market, you need to jump on opportunities when the market is down and be aggressive, not defensive.
Some great examples:
*
I recently met with the Managing Partner of a mid-sized accounting firm who confided in me that he just came off a record year and did not believe his company could sustain the pace. He was already seeing a slowdown. However, one of his competitors, who also is my client, is having another record organic growth year.
*
In the fitness and health industry, many companies see a drop off in memberships and attribute it to people spending less on “extras.” I have a client whose year-over-year growth this summer was 49%, and gross margins have expanded as well.
*
Another client of mine has a business that services the airline industry. You would think they would be doomed. Yet based on their order backlog, they expect 33% growth this year.
*
Staffing industry executives tell me their industry is down 30%, and many are laying off staff and otherwise cutting costs “until things get better.” I know of one company in the same market that entered the staffing business and in the last 2 years. They are growing in the high double digits and opening offices in several new states, having identified and pursued a segment of the staffing industry that is booming.
Source: executivecoachhms.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/7-tips-to-boost-your-business-in-a-down-economy/
How to become a Nurse or Midwife?
How to Become a Nurse
A career in the medical field is a good choice nowadays. Due to increased demand for healthcare professionals, a career in nursing is especially popular. Nursing educational programs vary a great deal, and sometimes it is difficult to choose which program better fits one's ambition, age, or financial situation. Basically, there are three different nursing programs available: a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), an associate degree in nursing, and a bachelor degree in nursing.
The simplest route to becoming a nurse is to enroll in a vocational nurse program. In Texas and California, the basic nursing career is called a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), but in other states it is called a licensed practical nurse (LPN).
Most vocational nursing programs can be finished in one year which is a great choice for people interested in a fast track to a nursing career. LVN programs have different entrance requirements. Some programs require prerequisites courses such as math, English, and medical terminology; others require only a high school diploma and a passing grade in the LVN pre - entrance exam.
After completing the LVN program, graduates receive a certificate or diploma in vocational (practical) nursing. Finally, they are required to take the National Council Licensure Exam. Passing this exam ensures that a LVN is ready to enter the nursing field at an entry level.
Licensed vocational nurses can also advance their careers by applying their LVN certificate toward the Registered Nurse bridge program. It is important to keep in mind that most vocational schools do not offer college credits. Therefore, if a graduate of a vocational school wants to become a Registered Nurse, he or she will need to take additional college courses in English, psychology and anatomy.
So, when looking for a vocational nurse program, it is important to choose only those schools where students have transferable credits.
The next path into nursing is to obtain an Associates Degree in Nursing. This program has to be approved by the state's Board of Nursing and usually takes 2 years to complete. There is such a demand to attend this program at community colleges that in some cases there is a two to three year waiting list before one can enter the program.
Requirements for entrance includes chemistry, psychology, anatomy, microbiology, college level English and math courses. There are many private schools for those who do not want to lose time. However, the cost of such nursing programs could be about five times higher than in the community colleges.
In order to earn an RN license, one must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX). Although an Associate Degree allows a student to become a Registered Nurse, the Bachelor of Science Nursing program has the best advancement opportunities in the job market.
For example, a graduate with a BSN degree can get more prestigious positions such as nursing administration, management, or even work at an insurance company. BSN programs are usually taken at four year colleges or universities.
The prerequisites are the same as for a nursing associate program plus a few additional classes, such as sociology, speech and statistics. Students who already have their Associate degree in nursing can get their Bachelor of Science degree through a bridge program.
A good schooling alternative is through online programs. There are no waiting lists, and online courses are not complicated. It is very convenient to do homework from a home computer whenever one has time. The flexibility of studying online doesn't interfere with a student's current job and gives him or her the opportunity to work, make money, and at the same time earn a Bachelor degree.
There are online accelerated programs offering Registered Nurse to a Master of Science in Nursing degree bridge programs without having first obtained a Bachelor of Science degree Some students complete the RN to MSN program in as little as two years! A Masters degree in Nursing gives one unlimited opportunities in the medical field including starting a private practice as Nurse Practitioner.
All in all, the health care market has experienced a nursing shortage, and one cannot go wrong by entering the respected medical professional regardless of which path to nursing is chosen.
Visit Best Medical Careers Top Medical Jobs for helpful information about Nursing Programs
Source: http://www.articleheaven.com/article_613305_36.html
Information On Becoming A Nurse
As the population continues to grow, so does the need for educated nursing professionals. With such a strong need for nurses many would think it would be easy to get a nursing education. The fact is it may be harder than many people think. Today the United States also has a shortage of nursing educators and this makes many nursing programs hard to get into often with long waiting lists.
Even with all these hurdles in place, a nursing career is still a great choice as long as you select the correct carrer path. As with any career you choose, you want to create a plan and timeline so you can advance into a senior position in the future. Below we have provided some general information about how to get started with becoming a nurse.
Nursing Assistant vs LPN/LVN vs Registered Nurse
Many people in the nursing industry start their careers by becoming a nursing assistant or nursing aide. This is a great way to get started in the nursing profession and a nursing assistant usually only requires course work but no diploma. Becoming a nursing assistant may also help an individual get into a better nursing program down the line and provides employment while they are seeking bigger and better things.
Becoming a LPN/LVN or Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse usually requires a one year course of study from a vocational school or junior college. The LPN/LVN usually work under the supervision of a physician or RN and usually has more advanced skills than the nursing assistant but can perform less tasks than a registered nurse can. Again, most people who become a LPN/LVN are gaining the experience and knowledge that is necessary to become a Registered Nurse and may use this during future studies.
The next step is becoming a Registered Nurse. RNs require higher levels of study and almost all new nurses have a ADN or BSN degree.
Selecting an ADN or BSN Degree
Today two typical courses of study are available for registered nurses. The ADN or Associate Degree Nurse has to go through a two year degree program while the BSN or Bachelor of Science nurse requires a 4 year degree. Today the debate whether all nurses should require a 4 year degree rages on. The high demand for nurses has made a case for keeping the ADN programs around.
Today it is recommended to get the BSN because while experience plays a role, many hospitals will pay you based on your level of education. The BSN also will give you a stepping stone for further education into areas of specialization.
Source: www.studentdoc.com/become-a-nurse.html
How to become a nurse or midwife
There has never a more exciting time to join the nursing or midwifery profession. The number and variety of roles is huge. As a nurse it is possible to work in, among others, hospitals, GP surgeries, clinics, nursing and residential homes, occupational health services, voluntary organisations that run hospices or residential care and the pharmaceutical industry. Nurses also work in the prison service, university education, on leisure cruise ships or for the armed forces.
Nurses focus on the needs of the individual, rather than specific illnesses or conditions. They help individuals and their families to live more comfortable lives by providing care, advice and counselling.
Midwives are often the key health professional supporting, guiding and caring for the mother, baby and family through the months of pregnancy, during the birth itself and afterwards in the postnatal period.
Nurse and midwifery education
It is possible to take either a diploma or degree course to qualify as a nurse. Education is provided by universities, with placements in local hospital and community settings. The course is 50 per cent theory and 50 per cent practical. The first year is a Common Foundation Programme, which will introduce you to the basic principles of nursing. You will then specialise in either adult, children's, mental health or learning disability nursing. Full time diploma courses last three years. Degree courses last three or four years.
You will need to be resident in the UK for at least three years to be eligible to apply for a place on a diploma or degree course.
Midwifery education is also at diploma or degree level. You will learn the theory and practical skills required to care for pregnant women, delivering babies, educating and supporting parents. The social , political and cultural issues affecting maternity care are also covered.
Adult nursing
The number of opportunities for those qualifying in the adult branch of nursing is huge. It is possible to work in hospitals or the community - in peoples homes, attached to a health centre or in nursing homes. You will care for, support and educate people of all ages. Once qualified, many nurses take extra courses to specialise in areas such as cancer care, women's health, accident and emergency, critical care, practice nursing, health visiting or school nursing.
Source: www.rcn.org.uk/nursing/becomenurse
A career in the medical field is a good choice nowadays. Due to increased demand for healthcare professionals, a career in nursing is especially popular. Nursing educational programs vary a great deal, and sometimes it is difficult to choose which program better fits one's ambition, age, or financial situation. Basically, there are three different nursing programs available: a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), an associate degree in nursing, and a bachelor degree in nursing.
The simplest route to becoming a nurse is to enroll in a vocational nurse program. In Texas and California, the basic nursing career is called a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), but in other states it is called a licensed practical nurse (LPN).
Most vocational nursing programs can be finished in one year which is a great choice for people interested in a fast track to a nursing career. LVN programs have different entrance requirements. Some programs require prerequisites courses such as math, English, and medical terminology; others require only a high school diploma and a passing grade in the LVN pre - entrance exam.
After completing the LVN program, graduates receive a certificate or diploma in vocational (practical) nursing. Finally, they are required to take the National Council Licensure Exam. Passing this exam ensures that a LVN is ready to enter the nursing field at an entry level.
Licensed vocational nurses can also advance their careers by applying their LVN certificate toward the Registered Nurse bridge program. It is important to keep in mind that most vocational schools do not offer college credits. Therefore, if a graduate of a vocational school wants to become a Registered Nurse, he or she will need to take additional college courses in English, psychology and anatomy.
So, when looking for a vocational nurse program, it is important to choose only those schools where students have transferable credits.
The next path into nursing is to obtain an Associates Degree in Nursing. This program has to be approved by the state's Board of Nursing and usually takes 2 years to complete. There is such a demand to attend this program at community colleges that in some cases there is a two to three year waiting list before one can enter the program.
Requirements for entrance includes chemistry, psychology, anatomy, microbiology, college level English and math courses. There are many private schools for those who do not want to lose time. However, the cost of such nursing programs could be about five times higher than in the community colleges.
In order to earn an RN license, one must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX). Although an Associate Degree allows a student to become a Registered Nurse, the Bachelor of Science Nursing program has the best advancement opportunities in the job market.
For example, a graduate with a BSN degree can get more prestigious positions such as nursing administration, management, or even work at an insurance company. BSN programs are usually taken at four year colleges or universities.
The prerequisites are the same as for a nursing associate program plus a few additional classes, such as sociology, speech and statistics. Students who already have their Associate degree in nursing can get their Bachelor of Science degree through a bridge program.
A good schooling alternative is through online programs. There are no waiting lists, and online courses are not complicated. It is very convenient to do homework from a home computer whenever one has time. The flexibility of studying online doesn't interfere with a student's current job and gives him or her the opportunity to work, make money, and at the same time earn a Bachelor degree.
There are online accelerated programs offering Registered Nurse to a Master of Science in Nursing degree bridge programs without having first obtained a Bachelor of Science degree Some students complete the RN to MSN program in as little as two years! A Masters degree in Nursing gives one unlimited opportunities in the medical field including starting a private practice as Nurse Practitioner.
All in all, the health care market has experienced a nursing shortage, and one cannot go wrong by entering the respected medical professional regardless of which path to nursing is chosen.
Visit Best Medical Careers Top Medical Jobs for helpful information about Nursing Programs
Source: http://www.articleheaven.com/article_613305_36.html
Information On Becoming A Nurse
As the population continues to grow, so does the need for educated nursing professionals. With such a strong need for nurses many would think it would be easy to get a nursing education. The fact is it may be harder than many people think. Today the United States also has a shortage of nursing educators and this makes many nursing programs hard to get into often with long waiting lists.
Even with all these hurdles in place, a nursing career is still a great choice as long as you select the correct carrer path. As with any career you choose, you want to create a plan and timeline so you can advance into a senior position in the future. Below we have provided some general information about how to get started with becoming a nurse.
Nursing Assistant vs LPN/LVN vs Registered Nurse
Many people in the nursing industry start their careers by becoming a nursing assistant or nursing aide. This is a great way to get started in the nursing profession and a nursing assistant usually only requires course work but no diploma. Becoming a nursing assistant may also help an individual get into a better nursing program down the line and provides employment while they are seeking bigger and better things.
Becoming a LPN/LVN or Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse usually requires a one year course of study from a vocational school or junior college. The LPN/LVN usually work under the supervision of a physician or RN and usually has more advanced skills than the nursing assistant but can perform less tasks than a registered nurse can. Again, most people who become a LPN/LVN are gaining the experience and knowledge that is necessary to become a Registered Nurse and may use this during future studies.
The next step is becoming a Registered Nurse. RNs require higher levels of study and almost all new nurses have a ADN or BSN degree.
Selecting an ADN or BSN Degree
Today two typical courses of study are available for registered nurses. The ADN or Associate Degree Nurse has to go through a two year degree program while the BSN or Bachelor of Science nurse requires a 4 year degree. Today the debate whether all nurses should require a 4 year degree rages on. The high demand for nurses has made a case for keeping the ADN programs around.
Today it is recommended to get the BSN because while experience plays a role, many hospitals will pay you based on your level of education. The BSN also will give you a stepping stone for further education into areas of specialization.
Source: www.studentdoc.com/become-a-nurse.html
How to become a nurse or midwife
There has never a more exciting time to join the nursing or midwifery profession. The number and variety of roles is huge. As a nurse it is possible to work in, among others, hospitals, GP surgeries, clinics, nursing and residential homes, occupational health services, voluntary organisations that run hospices or residential care and the pharmaceutical industry. Nurses also work in the prison service, university education, on leisure cruise ships or for the armed forces.
Nurses focus on the needs of the individual, rather than specific illnesses or conditions. They help individuals and their families to live more comfortable lives by providing care, advice and counselling.
Midwives are often the key health professional supporting, guiding and caring for the mother, baby and family through the months of pregnancy, during the birth itself and afterwards in the postnatal period.
Nurse and midwifery education
It is possible to take either a diploma or degree course to qualify as a nurse. Education is provided by universities, with placements in local hospital and community settings. The course is 50 per cent theory and 50 per cent practical. The first year is a Common Foundation Programme, which will introduce you to the basic principles of nursing. You will then specialise in either adult, children's, mental health or learning disability nursing. Full time diploma courses last three years. Degree courses last three or four years.
You will need to be resident in the UK for at least three years to be eligible to apply for a place on a diploma or degree course.
Midwifery education is also at diploma or degree level. You will learn the theory and practical skills required to care for pregnant women, delivering babies, educating and supporting parents. The social , political and cultural issues affecting maternity care are also covered.
Adult nursing
The number of opportunities for those qualifying in the adult branch of nursing is huge. It is possible to work in hospitals or the community - in peoples homes, attached to a health centre or in nursing homes. You will care for, support and educate people of all ages. Once qualified, many nurses take extra courses to specialise in areas such as cancer care, women's health, accident and emergency, critical care, practice nursing, health visiting or school nursing.
Source: www.rcn.org.uk/nursing/becomenurse
Friday, June 20, 2008
Dubai Living and Investing in Dubai Real Estate
Over the past few years, Dubai has slowly become to be a very viable place for investing in real estate, especially for Muslims living abroad. Simply by looking at their high rise structures and skyscrapers and the very high boom of real estate that offers luxurious amenities, this is not very hard to believe. It is very common today to see unparalleled standards of living in Dubai that are hard to come by in other parts of the world.
Duabi, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates is talked about in many contexts. Some people look for jobs in Dubai, while others discuss attending business conferences in that bustling city. However, in the past couple of years, more people, especially from the Middle Eastern and Muslim backgrounds have discussed about that city in the context of buying real estate and moving to settle there.
Dubai is expanding at a very fast pace. Numerous high rises are scheduled to open doors to new tenants during the next 1-4 years. Considering the blueprints and pictures of the high rises and the expanding Dubai economy, thousands of families are investing in those apartments, with a vast majority of those families as Muslims and from the west.
When people think about buying real estate in a city, they consider many factors. Dubai has become a major attraction for a large number of people and for many reasons. A few facts about Dubai are as follows that may cause you to reconsider your options as well:
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Dubai has one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
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Although many think of Dubai thriving on oil money, as of 2005 numbers, 94% of Dubai’s GDP came from non-oil sources.
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Dubai is one of the largest gold trading hubs in the world.
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With various types of visa / immigration and other restrictions in various Middle Eastern Countries, Dubai through its open trading policies has become a de facto hub for doing business in the Gulf and the Middle East.
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Dubai’s population is set to rise from 1.5 million in 2006/2007 to 4 million in the next 5 – 7 years – mostly because of foreign influx. An estimated of 80% of people living in Dubai are expatriates.
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Dubai not only allows foreign investment but encourages it to the extent of allowing investors to apply for residency permits. This fact alone has driven numerous investors flocking to the region. Dubai living offers prospects property ownership and / or property leasing for 99 years. As a result of this, residents can apply for a residency permit that is renewable every three years.
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Considering that a lot of Muslims (even the ones settled in US and Europe) would like to be closer to their countries of origin as well as closer to the holy cities of Makkah and Mandinah, this has provided an excellent option for their long term settlement plans.
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Considering a small city, Dubai operates more than 150 TV channels. This fact alone helps portray the diversity of the region and the level of trade and business volume (considering that a lot of TV channels depend on advertisements as their source of revenue.)
Jobs in Dubai in particular are one of the eagerly sought-after jobs in the Middle East. Dubai jobs for example include numerous moneymaking opportunities. Such jobs are easy to find and easy to get. Jobs in sales and marketing, Banking, Hotels, IT, software, Oil & Gas industries etc. are available and have been in high demand for many years.
Dubai is a major economic hub of the Middle East. Dubai Media City for example is designed to boost media businesses and industry in the region. The leading global players include Associated Press, Bertelsmann, CNN, CNBC, International Advertising Association (IAA), McGraw-Hill Platts, Sony, and Reuters along with regionally reputed companies like Middle East Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Saudi Research and Publishing (SRPC) and Taj TV. Besides, a large number of entrepreneurs are setting up advertising, printing and publishing industries in Dubai. All these global players are setting up their offices across Riyadh, Jeddah, Qatar, Bahrain, Muscat, Beirut Damascus, Cairo etc. Thus you can easily get advertising, marketing, and several other media jobs in Dubai.
Dubai Internet City offers great job opportunities in Software Development, Business Services, Web Based & e-Commerce, Consultancy, and Education & Training. Dubai Internet City (DIC) is an information technology park created by the Government of Dubai as a free economic zone where companies can operate without restrictions. Global giants like Microsoft, Oracle, HP, IBM, Compaq, Dell, Nokia, Siemens, Sun Microsystems, Canon, Logica, Sony Ericsson, Cisco, i-mate, e-dinar, Acette etc. are major players in this arena.
Highlights of Dubai Real Estate Development:
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Burj Dubai (under construction) will be the tallest structure in the world. At a height of more than 900 meters (approaching one kilometer), this tower is much taller than the Sears Tower (527 meters), Taipei tower (508 meter) and Malaysia’s Petronas towers (452 meters). The tower will offer 30,000 residences and will house the world’s largest shopping mall called the Dubai Mall. (The final height is still not confirmed). The tower is to have an estimated 216 floors.
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The tip of the Burj Dubai will be visible approximately 100 kilometers away on a clear day.
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Another tower called the Burj Al-Arab is the tallest hotel building in the world. See the picture on this page. The round circle on the top left is the tennis court. The building’s lightning scheme changes every 30 minutes. Burjdubai.com provides more facts and figures on this magnificent structure.
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The Palm Islands (consisting of The Palm Jumeirah and The Palm Jebel Ali) are the world's largest man-made collection of islands. People can own their own private islands that cost in the millions. (See picture on this page and next). Some media quarters have termed these as the eighth wonder of the world. These islands are made in the shape of a palm tree with hundreds of residences, hotels and resorts.
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Under construction is the Business Bay, which will be a collection of hundreds of high rise sky scrapers.
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A recent project will result in a complex called “Asia-Asia”, which will be the largest hotel in the world.
Pursuing Careers and Looking for Jobs in the Middle East
The birthplace of at least three world religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Middle East has great influence in world polity as well as economy, and the region has been very popular destination for the travelers and temporary (expatriate) workers alike.
The economy of most of the Middle East countries is mainly based on oil, and due to rich oil reserves, some of the Middle Eastern countries are one of the most prosperous countries of the world. Despite their local challenges, the economy of most Middle Eastern countries continues to be very strong and therefore attracts a large workforce from around the world. Jobs in the Middle East therefore are one of the hotly pursued jobs in the world. Jobs in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and UAE are particularly in very high demand. This is one reason that millions of expatriate workers currently work in the Middle East. For example, according to many estimates about 50,000 US citizens and their families live and work in Saudi-Arabia. At least 3 times as many US citizens can be estimated to be working in other parts of the Middle East.
Considerations:
While benefits vary from country to country, general benefits may include the following –
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No taxes
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High salaries
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Fixed Paid Housing allowance (Some expatriate workers save money on housing as they manage to find inexpensive housing on their own)
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Some companies offer free housing instead of paying a housing allowance
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Low cost of living
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Proximity to the holy sites of Makkah and Madinah (Great benefit for Muslims)
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People manage to easily find their cultural communities. This includes Americans, Pakistanis, Indians, and others.
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Multiple year contracts – Most expatriates prefer a minimum of 2 year contract to ensure they get some benefit before temporarily relocating.
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Paid travel for all family members to their home country once a year.
Things that you should know if you are considering to work in the Middle East:
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Attaining citizenship of those countries is almost impossible.
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You should be aware of the religious customs in those countries. For example, some Islamic countries require that women cover themselves in the traditional garment of Hijab, Abaya and / or Jilbab when roaming outside.
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Before accepting a job in any of the Middle Eastern countries, you must inquire about your children’s education. Public education, for example is not an option for expatriate workers in all countries.
In the prosperous Middle East, you can find a myriad of job opportunities in various fields including Finance, Accounting, Audit, Strategy, Marketing, Sales, Operations, Procurement, Customer Service, etc. You can also find one of the highly lucrative jobs in the sectors such as banking, finance, accounting, insurance, legal, sales, marketing, IT, manufacturing, management consulting etc. The medical profession too attracts a very high percentage of physicians, surgeons, and nurses.
The past few years has seen a huge influx of foreign workers, especially those working in the area of Information Technology (IT).
Finding Jobs in the Middle East:
There are many channels that one can pursue to find jobs in the Middle East. You can either approach employers mentioned above directly or go through the recruitment agencies. Several job vacancies are advertised each week in appointment pages of leading newspapers.
Gulf News and Khaleej Times are the newspapers that daily publish the job vacancies and employment opportunities in the Middle East. The classifieds sections of these papers carry a good number of job opportunities.
There are also a number of recruitment agencies that can help you find jobs in the middle east/gulf. The leading recruitment agencies include Clarendon Parker, Mosaic, BAC-ME and SOS Recruitment.
As a precautionary measure, you should always do your due diligence when working with all recruiters (online or others) to ensure you don't get trapped in any Internet or other job scams.
Jobs can also be searched online. Most of the recruitment agencies operate through their web sites. Some online resources that you should consider and explore further include Bayt.com, NaukriGulf.com, Careermideast.com, DubaiDonkey.com, and Mycareer.com.
Islamic Venture Capital - Seeking Capital For Your Business, Writing Business Plans and More....
Despite the fact that there are literally millions of Muslim entrepreneurs in both developed and developing nations looking for investment capital for their new start-up ventures, the realm of the Islamic venture capitalist remains in an evolutionary state. Nonetheless, the untapped potential for Islamic venture capital remains huge. Moreover, the Islamic world has more than its fair share of investors with high-end net worth looking to invest in potentially lucrative deals. Thus, the convergence of both a ‘need’ and a ‘supply’ invariably lead to the creation of a new product, and this is equally so in the case of purely Islamic venture capital. The core to any proposed Islamic financing transaction is that Shariah (Islamic law) prohibits interest-based lending. Moreover, Shariah further prohibits investments in certain activities which are seen as being in violation of Islam, such as gambling. However, in essence, the mechanisms of venture capital do not provide for interest-bearing lending. Rather, at the core of any venture capital funding is an agreement to share in the risks of the business venture in return for the profits derived from such business venture. As such, rather than being contrary to Islamic law, many scholars hold that venture capital funding complies with one of the cornerstone principles of Islam: it provides much needed investment to start-up companies in return for potential rewards, while accepting the risks that may be involved in such a deal. This type of structure is the classic form of mudaraba financing used over many centuries in the Islamic world. Structuring an Islamic venture capital deal
The most accurate translation of a mudaraba financing is a contract under which one person, the investor (known as the rabal-maal), brings financing and the other person, the entrepreneur (known as the mudarib), brings expertise and
effort. Collectively they share the proportionate profit as per their pre-arranged agreement.
Fundamental to the mudaraba financing structure, however, is the fact that the entrepreneur cannot be placed at risk of losing any monetary investment/value. If the business venture were to fail, then the maximum the entrepreneur could lose is the investment they make in the business enterprise themselves (i.e., their own money); plus any time and effort they put into the venture. The reason why this is the case is because under Islam, you cannot loose what you do not contribute.
In addition, under a mudaraba financing structure, strictly speaking, the investor is not allowed to partake in the management affairs of the business venture in which they have invested, they’re simply an investor – period. Day-to-day and overall management of the business must be left to the entrepreneur.
Major players in the Islamic VC Market
Given that mudaraba has been a central element to Islamic financing for centuries, you may be mistaken in thinking that the Islamic venture capitalism is a fairly mature market with hundreds of institutional investors. The reality is
almost the opposite. Venture capitalism is still fairly embryonic in the world of Islamic financing and there are few Islamic institutional funds involved at this time.
Prior to 1995, the majority of Islamic venture capital financings were undertaken by what are known as “angels”. Angels are essentially high net worth individuals who agree to invest in a business venture under the terms of Islamic financing set out above. There were few, if any, established Islamic venture capital funds
at this time.
Post 1995 there was a boom in Islamic venture capital financing and today there are over a hundred funds lending in excess of a billion dollars to new start-ups. Following the development of Dubai as a major Islamic financing center, the Dubai International Finance Center (DIFC) was established and a number of leading Islamic venture capital funds are now regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
Among the founding members of Islamic financing venture capitalists is the Dubai-based Injazat Capital Limited, who are also founding members of the Gulf Venture Capital Association (GVCA), a leading light in the world of Islamic
venture capitalism. A newer entrant to the world of Islamic venture capitalism is the aptly named Venture Capital Bank BSC (c), which is rapidly becoming one of the larger Islamic venture capital funds in the Middle East.
Source: http://www.hilalplaza.com/Middle-East-Jobs/
Thursday, June 19, 2008
How to Answer the Toughest Interview Questions
You know they're coming: Those seemingly unanswerable questions that pop up during job interviews.
You can't clam up. And you don't want to stutter and stammer. So what's a job seeker to do?
The 'Future' Question
Otherwise known as the "big picture" question, the future question goes something like this: "Where do you see yourself in five years?"
The best tactic: Talk about your values.
Don't get too detailed about your specific career plan. Instead, discuss things that are important to you professionally and how you plan to achieve them. If growth is a goal, mention that. You can also talk about challenge, another value that employers prize in their employees.
The 'Salary' Question
Most people will tell you that whoever answers this question first loses. But that's not necessarily true.
When an interviewer asks your salary requirement, try first to gently deflect the question by inquiring about the salary for the position.
If the interviewer presses you for a number, give a range. To decide on a range, think about the salary you want, your salary at your most recent position and the industry-standard salary for the job.
The bottom line: The salary question is one of the most important, so you should prepare for it in advance and plan what to say.
The 'Why' Question
There's a fine line between boastful and confident. And you need to learn it.
When an interviewer asks you why they should hire you, you're going to have speak confidently and honestly about your abilities. But you should avoid sounding overly boastful.
Aim for earnest and prepare by practicing. That's right: Stand in front of the mirror and acknowledge your abilities and accomplishments to your reflection. Tell yourself: I have a very strong work ethic. I have integrity. I have excellent industry contacts. I aggressively pursue my goals.
It's sometimes hard to praise yourself, but after a few sessions you'll sound sincere.
The Seemingly Silly Question
If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? What if you were a car? Or an animal?
These type of questions can bring your interview to a screeching halt.
First, don't panic. Pause and take a deep breath. Then remind yourself that there's no "right" answer to these questions. The job isn't hinging on whether you choose to be a spruce versus an oak.
Interviewers usually ask these questions to see how you react under pressure and how well you handle the unexpected. It's not so important what type of tree (or car, or animal) you choose as that you explain your choice in a way that makes you look favorable.
So, be a spruce -- because you want to reach new heights in your career. Or be an oak -- because you plan to put down roots at the company. Either way, you'll get it right.
Mastering the Interview
The job interview is your proving ground, the place where you must demonstrate why you are the best person for the job. Making that powerful statement that you're the best of all the candidates requires the three Ps: Preparation, Presentation and Perception.
PREPARE PREPARE PREPARE
When you walk into an interview, the more prepared you are, the better the chances are that you'll succeed. Memorize everything you put on your resume and cover letter and be prepared to explain each item. But you should also be ready to talk about more than just yourself. Get to know your future employer.
Warren Davis, the Director of Recruiting and Employment for RadioShack, emphasizes this point. "Your resume and application are fair game. Candidates should study themselves and the company with whom they're interviewing."
Read industry trade magazines, visit the company web site, and do a company search on Yahoo! Finance to find current news about your prospective employer. Be prepared to demonstrate what you know about the company and the industry.
Michele Stagg, the Director of Human Resources at Banana Republic, says she is consistently impressed when candidates work their skills into the context of company news. "The more an informed candidate can tie past experience to the requirements of the job they are interviewing for, particularly in terms of what the company is doing, the better."
Another important part of preparation is making sure you look the part. Choosing what you wear is so important that it deserves its own article - Interview in Style.
PRESENTATION IS PARAMOUNT
Keep in mind that you are marketing yourself to everyone you meet. The more people you leave with a good impression, the better your chances are of being remembered. Project yourself as someone who is thoughtful, helpful, and prepared.
Effective presentation includes being in the right place, at the right time. If you're late for the interview, you could inadvertently tell your interviewer that you're not right for the job.
With 35 years of experience in HR, Peter Ackerson, Specialist Leader at Deloitte Consulting, has been directly involved in hiring hundreds of candidates. When it comes to job interviews, he's seen it all. "There's nothing worse than getting a call from someone who is hung up in traffic or went to the wrong office," he explains.
Once you arrive, introduce yourself to the receptionist and turn off that cell phone. "Having a phone go off during an interview is a real turn off," says Ackerson.
According to psychologist Albert Mehrabian, more than half of our communication is nonverbal or body language. Stagg agrees. "Body language is exceptionally important. Positive, upright and open body language shows self confidence and interest." During introductions give a firm handshake and then take a seat facing the interviewer.
When you go over your resume focus on your accomplishments instead of reiterating job descriptions. Presenting yourself as an active problem solver will show an employer that you can contribute and succeed in the role. Stagg agrees that this technique can make a fantastic impact. "Give very specific examples of your qualifications. If you have qualifications in financial analysis, give examples of projects you worked on where your analysis was necessary. Describe your experiences that tie in to your skills or qualifications. Even better, tell me how those will help you meet the requirements of the role you might fill in our company."
PERCEPTION IS KEY
The best way to know if your interviewer is getting what he needs is to ask questions. Susan Vobejda, the VP of Marketing at HotJobs elaborates, "When your interviewer asks you a complicated question, don't launch into your answer straightaway. Make certain you understand what is being asked." A clarifying question, or restating the question in your own words saves you from wasting your interviewer's time, and demonstrates that your are a careful listener. Asking the right questions can also demonstrate your ability to think strategically, and help you decide if the position is right for you. To that end, Stagg suggests ending the interview with this question: "What are you looking for in a candidate to fill this role?" If the answer turns out to be something that doesn't match your expectations, then you need to speak up.
Many candidates are so intimidated by the interview, they forget that the interviewer has a stake in seeing the candidate succeed. Peter Ackerson describes his attitude going into an interview as one of "hopeful skepticism." They don't want you to fail; they want you to show them why you will succeed with their company. The sooner they hire you, the sooner the search can end.
Source: http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/interview/How_To_Answer_The_Toughest_Interview_Questions___2003915-1702.html?subtopic=Interview+Preparation
You can't clam up. And you don't want to stutter and stammer. So what's a job seeker to do?
The 'Future' Question
Otherwise known as the "big picture" question, the future question goes something like this: "Where do you see yourself in five years?"
The best tactic: Talk about your values.
Don't get too detailed about your specific career plan. Instead, discuss things that are important to you professionally and how you plan to achieve them. If growth is a goal, mention that. You can also talk about challenge, another value that employers prize in their employees.
The 'Salary' Question
Most people will tell you that whoever answers this question first loses. But that's not necessarily true.
When an interviewer asks your salary requirement, try first to gently deflect the question by inquiring about the salary for the position.
If the interviewer presses you for a number, give a range. To decide on a range, think about the salary you want, your salary at your most recent position and the industry-standard salary for the job.
The bottom line: The salary question is one of the most important, so you should prepare for it in advance and plan what to say.
The 'Why' Question
There's a fine line between boastful and confident. And you need to learn it.
When an interviewer asks you why they should hire you, you're going to have speak confidently and honestly about your abilities. But you should avoid sounding overly boastful.
Aim for earnest and prepare by practicing. That's right: Stand in front of the mirror and acknowledge your abilities and accomplishments to your reflection. Tell yourself: I have a very strong work ethic. I have integrity. I have excellent industry contacts. I aggressively pursue my goals.
It's sometimes hard to praise yourself, but after a few sessions you'll sound sincere.
The Seemingly Silly Question
If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? What if you were a car? Or an animal?
These type of questions can bring your interview to a screeching halt.
First, don't panic. Pause and take a deep breath. Then remind yourself that there's no "right" answer to these questions. The job isn't hinging on whether you choose to be a spruce versus an oak.
Interviewers usually ask these questions to see how you react under pressure and how well you handle the unexpected. It's not so important what type of tree (or car, or animal) you choose as that you explain your choice in a way that makes you look favorable.
So, be a spruce -- because you want to reach new heights in your career. Or be an oak -- because you plan to put down roots at the company. Either way, you'll get it right.
Mastering the Interview
The job interview is your proving ground, the place where you must demonstrate why you are the best person for the job. Making that powerful statement that you're the best of all the candidates requires the three Ps: Preparation, Presentation and Perception.
PREPARE PREPARE PREPARE
When you walk into an interview, the more prepared you are, the better the chances are that you'll succeed. Memorize everything you put on your resume and cover letter and be prepared to explain each item. But you should also be ready to talk about more than just yourself. Get to know your future employer.
Warren Davis, the Director of Recruiting and Employment for RadioShack, emphasizes this point. "Your resume and application are fair game. Candidates should study themselves and the company with whom they're interviewing."
Read industry trade magazines, visit the company web site, and do a company search on Yahoo! Finance to find current news about your prospective employer. Be prepared to demonstrate what you know about the company and the industry.
Michele Stagg, the Director of Human Resources at Banana Republic, says she is consistently impressed when candidates work their skills into the context of company news. "The more an informed candidate can tie past experience to the requirements of the job they are interviewing for, particularly in terms of what the company is doing, the better."
Another important part of preparation is making sure you look the part. Choosing what you wear is so important that it deserves its own article - Interview in Style.
PRESENTATION IS PARAMOUNT
Keep in mind that you are marketing yourself to everyone you meet. The more people you leave with a good impression, the better your chances are of being remembered. Project yourself as someone who is thoughtful, helpful, and prepared.
Effective presentation includes being in the right place, at the right time. If you're late for the interview, you could inadvertently tell your interviewer that you're not right for the job.
With 35 years of experience in HR, Peter Ackerson, Specialist Leader at Deloitte Consulting, has been directly involved in hiring hundreds of candidates. When it comes to job interviews, he's seen it all. "There's nothing worse than getting a call from someone who is hung up in traffic or went to the wrong office," he explains.
Once you arrive, introduce yourself to the receptionist and turn off that cell phone. "Having a phone go off during an interview is a real turn off," says Ackerson.
According to psychologist Albert Mehrabian, more than half of our communication is nonverbal or body language. Stagg agrees. "Body language is exceptionally important. Positive, upright and open body language shows self confidence and interest." During introductions give a firm handshake and then take a seat facing the interviewer.
When you go over your resume focus on your accomplishments instead of reiterating job descriptions. Presenting yourself as an active problem solver will show an employer that you can contribute and succeed in the role. Stagg agrees that this technique can make a fantastic impact. "Give very specific examples of your qualifications. If you have qualifications in financial analysis, give examples of projects you worked on where your analysis was necessary. Describe your experiences that tie in to your skills or qualifications. Even better, tell me how those will help you meet the requirements of the role you might fill in our company."
PERCEPTION IS KEY
The best way to know if your interviewer is getting what he needs is to ask questions. Susan Vobejda, the VP of Marketing at HotJobs elaborates, "When your interviewer asks you a complicated question, don't launch into your answer straightaway. Make certain you understand what is being asked." A clarifying question, or restating the question in your own words saves you from wasting your interviewer's time, and demonstrates that your are a careful listener. Asking the right questions can also demonstrate your ability to think strategically, and help you decide if the position is right for you. To that end, Stagg suggests ending the interview with this question: "What are you looking for in a candidate to fill this role?" If the answer turns out to be something that doesn't match your expectations, then you need to speak up.
Many candidates are so intimidated by the interview, they forget that the interviewer has a stake in seeing the candidate succeed. Peter Ackerson describes his attitude going into an interview as one of "hopeful skepticism." They don't want you to fail; they want you to show them why you will succeed with their company. The sooner they hire you, the sooner the search can end.
Source: http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/interview/How_To_Answer_The_Toughest_Interview_Questions___2003915-1702.html?subtopic=Interview+Preparation
Five High-Paying Careers in Two Years or Less
Feel like the absence of a bachelor's degree on your resume is forcing you to settle for a second-rate job? With today's myriad opportunities to earn certificates and associate degrees, you can change your career, your salary, and your life in just a short amount of time.
Check out these five high-paying careers -- no bachelor's degree required!
1. Dental Hygienist
Employment of dental hygienists is projected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through 2014, ranking among the Bureau of Labor Statistics' list of fastest-growing occupations.
To practice in a dental office, hygienists must earn an associate degree or certificate from a school accredited by the American Dental Association Commission of Dental Accreditation. A base of biology, chemistry, and math courses are advised, and program coursework will include clinical, laboratory, and classroom instruction.
Median annual earnings: $58,350.
2. Fashion Designer
In this creative field, an inherent artistic ability and eye for detail, color, balance, and proportion are necessary. Ingenuity is key, as are sewing, pattern-making, and sketching abilities.
Designers usually hold at least a two-year associate degree in fashion design or fine arts. They must be knowledgeable about textiles, ornamentation, fabrics, and fashion trends, and exhibit communication and presentation skills, problem-solving abilities, and the willingness to work occasional long hours and travel to trade and fashion shows.
Median annual earnings: $55,840.
3. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
Also known as ultrasonographers, diagnostic medical sonographers can specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, abdominal or breast sonography, or neurosonography.
A strong background in math and science is recommended, as associate degree coursework will include anatomy, physics, and physiology. A good bedside manner enables the sonographer to explain complex procedures to patients and reassure those who fear the health matters the testing may reveal.
Median annual earnings: $52,490.
4. Forensic Science Technician
You've seen the TV shows -- these professionals collect and analyze physical evidence and document laboratory methods and findings. Computer skills and attention to detail are crucial as collection and processing of materials must be spot-on to safeguard evidence.
Forensic science technicians should develop a strong base in math and science as preparation for their associate degree, typically earned in applied science or science-related technology. Coursework will include laboratory work and hands-on learning. Once in the field, technicians can choose to specialize in a certain type of analysis or examination.
Median annual earnings: $44,010.
5. Paralegal
Lawyers assume ultimate responsibility for legal work, but they often delegate tasks to paralegals, also called legal assistants. Paralegals help prepare for trials, hearings, and meetings; investigate facts; identify appropriate laws and decisions; and, after analyzing and organizing information, prepare and present reports of their findings.
Most paralegals have an associate degree in paralegal studies, however, intensive certification programs are also available and can often be completed in just a few months.
Median annual earnings: $39,130.
All salaries listed are median annual earnings based on 2004 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The Right Words: How to Ask for More Money:
Whether you're asking a potential employer for more money or your current boss for a raise, talking about money is awkward, especially when you are searching for the best way to phrase your request.
"Money is very tightly tied to our self-esteem," says Meryl Runion, author of "PowerPhrases." Asking for more money means saying you think you're worth more -- and risking hearing that someone else disagrees. "If somebody tells you, 'No, I don't think you are worth that much,' it's almost like saying you're not that valuable as a person."
A little practice can help you find the right words to make these requests -- and respond to the answer you get. Runion and other experts offer the following tips for two common scenarios.
Scenario 1: Getting a Raise
* Asking your current boss for a raise: The key is to ask in a way that shows you've done your research. Try saying, "I've been evaluating my own performance and what you've told me about my performance, and I would like to talk with you about increasing my salary," suggests Marcia Stein, a human resources consultant who recently published a book about recruiting.
This approach alerts your boss that you have analyzed your contributions and are not simply asking for a raise because you want more money. And by asking for a time to talk, rather than simply stating the raise you want, you give your boss time to prepare.
* If the boss says no: Despite your preparation, it may turn out that your boss isn't able or willing to pay you more. Try to find out the reason -- is there a companywide freeze on raises, or does your boss not agree that you deserve more? Stein suggests showing your interest in improving your performance by saying, "What would you recommend that I do so I can be one of the top performers on your team?"
Scenario 2: Negotiating a Higher Salary
* Negotiating a higher salary with a new employer: If you're offered a job but were hoping for more money, the key is to make the request in a positive way, says Lori Itani, an independent staffing consultant who focuses on high-tech companies and hears candidates' responses to offers. "If they're telling me that they really like the company, they really like the position, the manager and the team, and they'd really like to have this work, that's a good thing to say."
Itani suggests a way to phrase the request: "I'd really like to come on board, but I need some more help with relocation." If your goal is a higher starting salary, finish the sentence with, "but I need a little more in salary to justify the move from my current company to yours."
* If the employer says no: Even when you ask politely, it may turn out that the employer isn't willing to increase the offer. In that case, assuming you still want the job, your goal is to find out the possibilities for future raises -- while emphasizing that you intend to work hard. Runion suggests saying, "If I can prove my value, what are the possibilities for future raises?"
Source: http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-five_high_paying_careers_in_two_years_or_less-261
Check out these five high-paying careers -- no bachelor's degree required!
1. Dental Hygienist
Employment of dental hygienists is projected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through 2014, ranking among the Bureau of Labor Statistics' list of fastest-growing occupations.
To practice in a dental office, hygienists must earn an associate degree or certificate from a school accredited by the American Dental Association Commission of Dental Accreditation. A base of biology, chemistry, and math courses are advised, and program coursework will include clinical, laboratory, and classroom instruction.
Median annual earnings: $58,350.
2. Fashion Designer
In this creative field, an inherent artistic ability and eye for detail, color, balance, and proportion are necessary. Ingenuity is key, as are sewing, pattern-making, and sketching abilities.
Designers usually hold at least a two-year associate degree in fashion design or fine arts. They must be knowledgeable about textiles, ornamentation, fabrics, and fashion trends, and exhibit communication and presentation skills, problem-solving abilities, and the willingness to work occasional long hours and travel to trade and fashion shows.
Median annual earnings: $55,840.
3. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
Also known as ultrasonographers, diagnostic medical sonographers can specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, abdominal or breast sonography, or neurosonography.
A strong background in math and science is recommended, as associate degree coursework will include anatomy, physics, and physiology. A good bedside manner enables the sonographer to explain complex procedures to patients and reassure those who fear the health matters the testing may reveal.
Median annual earnings: $52,490.
4. Forensic Science Technician
You've seen the TV shows -- these professionals collect and analyze physical evidence and document laboratory methods and findings. Computer skills and attention to detail are crucial as collection and processing of materials must be spot-on to safeguard evidence.
Forensic science technicians should develop a strong base in math and science as preparation for their associate degree, typically earned in applied science or science-related technology. Coursework will include laboratory work and hands-on learning. Once in the field, technicians can choose to specialize in a certain type of analysis or examination.
Median annual earnings: $44,010.
5. Paralegal
Lawyers assume ultimate responsibility for legal work, but they often delegate tasks to paralegals, also called legal assistants. Paralegals help prepare for trials, hearings, and meetings; investigate facts; identify appropriate laws and decisions; and, after analyzing and organizing information, prepare and present reports of their findings.
Most paralegals have an associate degree in paralegal studies, however, intensive certification programs are also available and can often be completed in just a few months.
Median annual earnings: $39,130.
All salaries listed are median annual earnings based on 2004 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The Right Words: How to Ask for More Money:
Whether you're asking a potential employer for more money or your current boss for a raise, talking about money is awkward, especially when you are searching for the best way to phrase your request.
"Money is very tightly tied to our self-esteem," says Meryl Runion, author of "PowerPhrases." Asking for more money means saying you think you're worth more -- and risking hearing that someone else disagrees. "If somebody tells you, 'No, I don't think you are worth that much,' it's almost like saying you're not that valuable as a person."
A little practice can help you find the right words to make these requests -- and respond to the answer you get. Runion and other experts offer the following tips for two common scenarios.
Scenario 1: Getting a Raise
* Asking your current boss for a raise: The key is to ask in a way that shows you've done your research. Try saying, "I've been evaluating my own performance and what you've told me about my performance, and I would like to talk with you about increasing my salary," suggests Marcia Stein, a human resources consultant who recently published a book about recruiting.
This approach alerts your boss that you have analyzed your contributions and are not simply asking for a raise because you want more money. And by asking for a time to talk, rather than simply stating the raise you want, you give your boss time to prepare.
* If the boss says no: Despite your preparation, it may turn out that your boss isn't able or willing to pay you more. Try to find out the reason -- is there a companywide freeze on raises, or does your boss not agree that you deserve more? Stein suggests showing your interest in improving your performance by saying, "What would you recommend that I do so I can be one of the top performers on your team?"
Scenario 2: Negotiating a Higher Salary
* Negotiating a higher salary with a new employer: If you're offered a job but were hoping for more money, the key is to make the request in a positive way, says Lori Itani, an independent staffing consultant who focuses on high-tech companies and hears candidates' responses to offers. "If they're telling me that they really like the company, they really like the position, the manager and the team, and they'd really like to have this work, that's a good thing to say."
Itani suggests a way to phrase the request: "I'd really like to come on board, but I need some more help with relocation." If your goal is a higher starting salary, finish the sentence with, "but I need a little more in salary to justify the move from my current company to yours."
* If the employer says no: Even when you ask politely, it may turn out that the employer isn't willing to increase the offer. In that case, assuming you still want the job, your goal is to find out the possibilities for future raises -- while emphasizing that you intend to work hard. Runion suggests saying, "If I can prove my value, what are the possibilities for future raises?"
Source: http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-five_high_paying_careers_in_two_years_or_less-261
Six Common Job-Interview Questions
One of the easiest ways to build confidence before a job interview is to prepare answers to questions you might be asked. Whether you're applying for a position as a web programmer, accountant, or legal secretary, interviewers often use some general questions to assess candidates, so you'll increase your chances for success if you prepare for them in advance.
Six common questions are listed below, along with insights from several recruitment professionals about how to answer. As part of your interview preparation, take the time to formulate answers to each question, focusing on specific tasks and accomplishments.
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
This is one of the most well-known interview questions, and interviewers often ask it indirectly, as in, "What did your most recent boss suggest as areas for improvement in your last performance review?"
Lindsay Olson, founder of Paradigm Staffing Solutions, a firm specializing in hiring public relations professionals, suggests tailoring your "strengths" answer to skills that will benefit the prospective employer. Though you may have a knack for building gingerbread houses, it might be of little value for the job at hand.
When it comes to weaknesses, or areas of growth, Olson recommends building on your answer to include "how you have improved, and specifics on what you have done to improve yourself in those areas."
"Why did you leave your last position?"
"Interviewers will always want to know your reasoning behind leaving a company ? particularly short stints," says Olson. "Be prepared to tell the truth, without speaking negatively about past employment."
"Can you describe a previous work situation in which you ... ?"
This question comes in many forms, but what the interviewer is looking for is your behavior on the job. Your answer could focus on resolving a crisis, overcoming a negotiation deadlock, handling a problem coworker, or juggling multiple tasks on a project.
The theory behind this type of question is that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, according to Yves Lermusi, CEO of Checkster, a company that offers career and talent checkup tools. "The key to responding well is preparing real job examples, describing your behavior in specific situations that demonstrate important skills that the job requires."
"What is your ideal work environment?"
This question is not about whether you prefer a cubicle or an office, so think broadly to include ideas about supervision, management styles, and your workday routine.
Bob Hancock, senior recruiter for video game publisher Electronic Arts, says that he uses this question with candidates because it can give "a sense of their work habits, how flexible they are with their schedules, and how creative they are."
"How do you handle mistakes?"
The best strategy for this general question is to focus on one or two specific examples in the past and, if possible, highlight resolutions or actions that might have relevance to the job you're interviewing for.
"Employers want to know they're hiring someone with the maturity to accept responsibility and the wherewithal to remedy their own mistakes," says Debra Davenport, a master professional mentor and columnist for the Business Journal in Phoenix.
"What is your most notable accomplishment?"
Paradigm Staffing's Olson suggests that candidates think of three or four accomplishments and quantify what their actions meant in terms of increasing revenues, saving resources, or improving resources.
"Being able to quantify your achievements in your career will launch you ahead of the rest," she says, "and demonstrate your ability to do the same as a future employee."
The Second Interview
Congratulations! You wowed your prospective employers on your first interview and have been called back for an encore. So, how will the second interview be different from the first?
This time around, expect to spend more time at the company, talk to more people, individually and collectively, and have your skills and personality scrutinized more closely.
The Employer's Point of View
From an employer's perspective, the second interview is a chance to closely evaluate a candidate's abilities and interpersonal skills. Your prospective employer wants to see that you can do the job and work well with colleagues.
Be aware that many employers bring in several candidates on the same day to streamline the second interview process. Your challenge is to distinguish yourself from the other candidates.
To show you're a good fit with the company, focus on explaining how your abilities and experiences would enable you to do the job. Be specific. Offer concrete examples that highlight your competence and compatibility.
Who You'll Meet
On your first interview, you probably met with one or two people. This time, be prepared to meet several more over the course of the day, including potential managers, coworkers and other staff members.
You may meet individually with several people, who will most likely ask you similar questions. Keep your answers consistent but mix up your delivery so that your answers don't sound stale or staged. If possible, before the interview acquire a list of the people you'll be meeting with and do a little research on each one. Then ask questions that show your knowledge of each person.
If you meet with a panel or group, be sure to make eye contact with both the individual asking the question and the group as a whole.
Steps for Follow Up
It's rare to receive an offer on the spot, but it does happen occasionally. If the feedback is consistently positive over the course of the day, you may get a job offer at the end of the interview. If that happens, don't make a hasty decision. Ask for time to think about it.
If you don't get an offer, be sure to immediately send a brief thank you note to every person you spoke with. Some companies make hiring decisions in a matter of days, but many can take weeks to make their final choice.
Be patient, be flexible and be ready for an offer or an invitation for yet another interview.
Source: http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/interview/Six_common_job-interview_questions__20061109-090925.html?subtopic=Interview+Preparation
Six common questions are listed below, along with insights from several recruitment professionals about how to answer. As part of your interview preparation, take the time to formulate answers to each question, focusing on specific tasks and accomplishments.
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
This is one of the most well-known interview questions, and interviewers often ask it indirectly, as in, "What did your most recent boss suggest as areas for improvement in your last performance review?"
Lindsay Olson, founder of Paradigm Staffing Solutions, a firm specializing in hiring public relations professionals, suggests tailoring your "strengths" answer to skills that will benefit the prospective employer. Though you may have a knack for building gingerbread houses, it might be of little value for the job at hand.
When it comes to weaknesses, or areas of growth, Olson recommends building on your answer to include "how you have improved, and specifics on what you have done to improve yourself in those areas."
"Why did you leave your last position?"
"Interviewers will always want to know your reasoning behind leaving a company ? particularly short stints," says Olson. "Be prepared to tell the truth, without speaking negatively about past employment."
"Can you describe a previous work situation in which you ... ?"
This question comes in many forms, but what the interviewer is looking for is your behavior on the job. Your answer could focus on resolving a crisis, overcoming a negotiation deadlock, handling a problem coworker, or juggling multiple tasks on a project.
The theory behind this type of question is that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, according to Yves Lermusi, CEO of Checkster, a company that offers career and talent checkup tools. "The key to responding well is preparing real job examples, describing your behavior in specific situations that demonstrate important skills that the job requires."
"What is your ideal work environment?"
This question is not about whether you prefer a cubicle or an office, so think broadly to include ideas about supervision, management styles, and your workday routine.
Bob Hancock, senior recruiter for video game publisher Electronic Arts, says that he uses this question with candidates because it can give "a sense of their work habits, how flexible they are with their schedules, and how creative they are."
"How do you handle mistakes?"
The best strategy for this general question is to focus on one or two specific examples in the past and, if possible, highlight resolutions or actions that might have relevance to the job you're interviewing for.
"Employers want to know they're hiring someone with the maturity to accept responsibility and the wherewithal to remedy their own mistakes," says Debra Davenport, a master professional mentor and columnist for the Business Journal in Phoenix.
"What is your most notable accomplishment?"
Paradigm Staffing's Olson suggests that candidates think of three or four accomplishments and quantify what their actions meant in terms of increasing revenues, saving resources, or improving resources.
"Being able to quantify your achievements in your career will launch you ahead of the rest," she says, "and demonstrate your ability to do the same as a future employee."
The Second Interview
Congratulations! You wowed your prospective employers on your first interview and have been called back for an encore. So, how will the second interview be different from the first?
This time around, expect to spend more time at the company, talk to more people, individually and collectively, and have your skills and personality scrutinized more closely.
The Employer's Point of View
From an employer's perspective, the second interview is a chance to closely evaluate a candidate's abilities and interpersonal skills. Your prospective employer wants to see that you can do the job and work well with colleagues.
Be aware that many employers bring in several candidates on the same day to streamline the second interview process. Your challenge is to distinguish yourself from the other candidates.
To show you're a good fit with the company, focus on explaining how your abilities and experiences would enable you to do the job. Be specific. Offer concrete examples that highlight your competence and compatibility.
Who You'll Meet
On your first interview, you probably met with one or two people. This time, be prepared to meet several more over the course of the day, including potential managers, coworkers and other staff members.
You may meet individually with several people, who will most likely ask you similar questions. Keep your answers consistent but mix up your delivery so that your answers don't sound stale or staged. If possible, before the interview acquire a list of the people you'll be meeting with and do a little research on each one. Then ask questions that show your knowledge of each person.
If you meet with a panel or group, be sure to make eye contact with both the individual asking the question and the group as a whole.
Steps for Follow Up
It's rare to receive an offer on the spot, but it does happen occasionally. If the feedback is consistently positive over the course of the day, you may get a job offer at the end of the interview. If that happens, don't make a hasty decision. Ask for time to think about it.
If you don't get an offer, be sure to immediately send a brief thank you note to every person you spoke with. Some companies make hiring decisions in a matter of days, but many can take weeks to make their final choice.
Be patient, be flexible and be ready for an offer or an invitation for yet another interview.
Source: http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/interview/Six_common_job-interview_questions__20061109-090925.html?subtopic=Interview+Preparation
How to Handle Illegal Interview Questions
Interviews are already stressful enough. Between promoting your skills, showing enthusiasm and laughing at the interviewer's bad jokes, you have plenty to concentrate on.
But when you suspect you've been asked an illegal interview question, stress levels can shoot even higher.
Fortunately, if you know in advance what kind of illegal questions are most apt to sneak into an interview, you can diffuse the situation immediately and move on to more important tasks -- like landing that job.
Three Ways to Answer Illegal Interview Questions
Most interviewers are not out to discriminate against job applicants. Many of the illegal questions that interviewers ask are unintentional -- in fact, if you tactfully point out the question is illegal, the interviewer will likely realize his or her gaffe and immediately retract the question.
The challenge for you is to figure out what to say while you're sitting in that chair, faced with an illegal question. You have three basic options:
* Just answer the question. If you don't mind providing the information and you don't want to make waves, you can respond to the question and move on to the next one. Keep in mind, however, that you should only answer the question if you truly are comfortable providing the information -- it could come back to haunt you.
* Refuse to answer the question. Inform the interviewer that the question doesn't seem to be legal or relevant to the specific requirements of the job. Be forewarned, though, that such a direct response should really be saved for questions that are offensive or deeply troubling.
* Don't answer the question, but answer the intent behind the question. This is usually the best option, since it allows you to provide a tactful answer without sacrificing your rights. To answer the intent behind the question, try to figure out what the interviewer REALLY wants to know. For example, if the interviewer asks if you are a U.S. citizen (which is an illegal question), a smart answer would be, "If you mean to ask if I am legally authorized to work for you, the answer is yes." In cases like these, it's best to rephrase the question into a legal one and then answer it. This displays flexibility and composure -- strong job skills.
An Age-Old Question
Recent reports say that workers are planning to hold jobs well into their senior years. Many even plan to hold off retirement until their 70s or 80s in order to continue bringing in paychecks.
Unfortunately, this has resulted in an increase in complaints from older workers of age discrimination in the workplace, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The good news is that interviewers are not allowed to ask you your age during an interview. With some rare exceptions, the only age- related question they can ask is if you're over the age of 18.
One thing to keep in mind: The EEOC's Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 only protects workers who are 40 years old and older from age discrimination and in workplaces with 20 or more employees. However, some local governments have laws that also enforce age discrimination rules for younger applicants and smaller workplaces.
Married ... With Children?
Women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, according to the Department of Labor. And as their numbers grow, so do the potential pitfalls they may face during an interview, especially when asked about marriage, children and pregnancy.
While illegal interview questions surrounding relationships, marriage and children are generally more problematic for female job candidates, protection from discrimination applies equally to male candidates.
Basically, you should be suspicious if you are asked any questions about your marital status, your family status, your future plans for children or your child care accommodations.
So what can employers ask? Questions that deal directly with the job requirements (e.g., "Are you willing to relocate?").
Yes, many proud parents enjoy telling stories about their children, and there may be a temptation to trade toddler stories with a friendly interviewer who has a family picture on his or her desk. But to avoid potential problems, err on the side of silence.
A Race for a Job
A recruiter friend of mine told me a story of how she accidentally asked someone an illegal interview question.
"Oh, you have such an interesting name! What does it mean?" she asked a candidate with a beautiful name that was obviously of non-English origin.
Fortunately, my colleague caught herself and told the candidate that she didn't have to answer the question. But it does show how subtly the issues of race, ethnicity and religion might sneak into an interview.
For instance, according to Nolo.com, interviewers are not allowed to ask if you are a U.S. citizen or ask where you were born. However, they can ask if you are legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.
So if you are asked about your race, color, religion or national origin, be aware -- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from making employment decisions based on such factors.
Somebody Call the EEOC!
Discrimination is an ugly word, but you can't deny that it does occasionally happen. If you are certain that an interviewer asked you an illegal interview question with the intent of using your answer as a basis for a hiring decision, it's time to talk to the pros.
The EEOC is the government agency in charge of handling complaints of workplace discrimination.
While laws can vary from state to state, the EEOC recommends that you file a charge of discrimination if you feel you have been discriminated against on the basis of any of the categories below:
* Race
* Color
* Sex
* Religion
* National origin
* Age
* Disability
To file a charge, contact your local EEOC office. To find your local branch, go to the EEOC "Filing a Charge" Web page here:
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/howtofil.html
Keep in mind that there are time limits by which you must file a complaint. For more information on these limits, contact your local EEOC branch.
Alternatively, find a lawyer and have them help you with your complaints.
While illegal questions do add an extra level of stress to an interview, remember that as long as you are aware of what's fair game and what isn't, you'll be one step ahead.
Laid Off? So What?
Layoffs may now be routine in corporate America, but if you're unlucky enough to be left holding a pink slip, you probably have lots of worries. Among them: How will I explain this during future job hunts?
It's true that your layoff and the gap on your resume will probably come up, not just during the initial job search right after the layoff, but also during future job hunts. But it doesn't have to derail your search. The key, experts say, is to be honest about the layoff but to focus your communication with potential employers on what you can do for their company, rather than on your past. And when the layoff comes up, make sure you talk about what you accomplished during your time off.
Here's how to achieve these goals at all stages of the job hunt, in writing and in person:
# Resumes and Cover Letters. Most career experts say you shouldn't mention a layoff at all in a cover letter.
"A cover letter is strictly to market yourself," says Marianne Adoradio, a career counselor in Silicon Valley. "'Here's what you're looking for, here's what I bring.'"
On a resume, you shouldn't say you were laid off, but you should try to account for any substantial amount of time you were out of work. Never try to bridge the gap between two jobs by using the wrong beginning or ending dates. Instead, focus on what you accomplished while you were out of work. Did you take a class? Do consulting work? Work as a volunteer?
On the whole, the less said in writing about a layoff, the better.
"Paper is two-dimensional," says John Haag, a career counselor at the University of Denver Career Center. "Face to face is a whole lot better."
# Networking and Interviews. Face-to-face communication is critical, both in informal conversations with people while networking and in formal job interviews. This is where questions about your layoff will likely come up, and you need to be prepared with two answers: one about why you left your job, and one about what you did during the time you were unemployed.
"If it's the first time it happened to you, it's going to feel awful," says Libby Pannwitt, a career counselor and principal of Work Life Design Group in San Carlos, California. "You need to get over it and find the right words to talk about it wherein there were no bad guys."
The best strategy, Pannwitt says, is to craft a very short, matter-of-fact phrase: "I left in the layoff of 2002," for example.
In an informal networking conversation, discuss the layoff only if asked. Haag says the conversation will get off to a bad start if you open with, "I'm looking for work, I've been laid off." Instead, begin by asking intelligent questions and making a good impression on the other person.
"When it does come time for the person to ask you some questions, be forthright," Haag says. And don't use a "half-apologetic tone," he says. By that time you will have impressed your listeners with your interest in their work, and they won't care whether you were laid off.
Finally, be certain you're answering the right question. For example, Pannwitt says, if an interviewer asks "Why do you want to work here," your answer should be about how much you like the company and the job, not that you need work because you were laid off. "That isn't going to make the employer feel very good."
Source: http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/interview/How_to_Handle_Illegal_Interview_Questions__20021118-1632.html?subtopic=Interview+Preparation
But when you suspect you've been asked an illegal interview question, stress levels can shoot even higher.
Fortunately, if you know in advance what kind of illegal questions are most apt to sneak into an interview, you can diffuse the situation immediately and move on to more important tasks -- like landing that job.
Three Ways to Answer Illegal Interview Questions
Most interviewers are not out to discriminate against job applicants. Many of the illegal questions that interviewers ask are unintentional -- in fact, if you tactfully point out the question is illegal, the interviewer will likely realize his or her gaffe and immediately retract the question.
The challenge for you is to figure out what to say while you're sitting in that chair, faced with an illegal question. You have three basic options:
* Just answer the question. If you don't mind providing the information and you don't want to make waves, you can respond to the question and move on to the next one. Keep in mind, however, that you should only answer the question if you truly are comfortable providing the information -- it could come back to haunt you.
* Refuse to answer the question. Inform the interviewer that the question doesn't seem to be legal or relevant to the specific requirements of the job. Be forewarned, though, that such a direct response should really be saved for questions that are offensive or deeply troubling.
* Don't answer the question, but answer the intent behind the question. This is usually the best option, since it allows you to provide a tactful answer without sacrificing your rights. To answer the intent behind the question, try to figure out what the interviewer REALLY wants to know. For example, if the interviewer asks if you are a U.S. citizen (which is an illegal question), a smart answer would be, "If you mean to ask if I am legally authorized to work for you, the answer is yes." In cases like these, it's best to rephrase the question into a legal one and then answer it. This displays flexibility and composure -- strong job skills.
An Age-Old Question
Recent reports say that workers are planning to hold jobs well into their senior years. Many even plan to hold off retirement until their 70s or 80s in order to continue bringing in paychecks.
Unfortunately, this has resulted in an increase in complaints from older workers of age discrimination in the workplace, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The good news is that interviewers are not allowed to ask you your age during an interview. With some rare exceptions, the only age- related question they can ask is if you're over the age of 18.
One thing to keep in mind: The EEOC's Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 only protects workers who are 40 years old and older from age discrimination and in workplaces with 20 or more employees. However, some local governments have laws that also enforce age discrimination rules for younger applicants and smaller workplaces.
Married ... With Children?
Women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, according to the Department of Labor. And as their numbers grow, so do the potential pitfalls they may face during an interview, especially when asked about marriage, children and pregnancy.
While illegal interview questions surrounding relationships, marriage and children are generally more problematic for female job candidates, protection from discrimination applies equally to male candidates.
Basically, you should be suspicious if you are asked any questions about your marital status, your family status, your future plans for children or your child care accommodations.
So what can employers ask? Questions that deal directly with the job requirements (e.g., "Are you willing to relocate?").
Yes, many proud parents enjoy telling stories about their children, and there may be a temptation to trade toddler stories with a friendly interviewer who has a family picture on his or her desk. But to avoid potential problems, err on the side of silence.
A Race for a Job
A recruiter friend of mine told me a story of how she accidentally asked someone an illegal interview question.
"Oh, you have such an interesting name! What does it mean?" she asked a candidate with a beautiful name that was obviously of non-English origin.
Fortunately, my colleague caught herself and told the candidate that she didn't have to answer the question. But it does show how subtly the issues of race, ethnicity and religion might sneak into an interview.
For instance, according to Nolo.com, interviewers are not allowed to ask if you are a U.S. citizen or ask where you were born. However, they can ask if you are legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.
So if you are asked about your race, color, religion or national origin, be aware -- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from making employment decisions based on such factors.
Somebody Call the EEOC!
Discrimination is an ugly word, but you can't deny that it does occasionally happen. If you are certain that an interviewer asked you an illegal interview question with the intent of using your answer as a basis for a hiring decision, it's time to talk to the pros.
The EEOC is the government agency in charge of handling complaints of workplace discrimination.
While laws can vary from state to state, the EEOC recommends that you file a charge of discrimination if you feel you have been discriminated against on the basis of any of the categories below:
* Race
* Color
* Sex
* Religion
* National origin
* Age
* Disability
To file a charge, contact your local EEOC office. To find your local branch, go to the EEOC "Filing a Charge" Web page here:
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/howtofil.html
Keep in mind that there are time limits by which you must file a complaint. For more information on these limits, contact your local EEOC branch.
Alternatively, find a lawyer and have them help you with your complaints.
While illegal questions do add an extra level of stress to an interview, remember that as long as you are aware of what's fair game and what isn't, you'll be one step ahead.
Laid Off? So What?
Layoffs may now be routine in corporate America, but if you're unlucky enough to be left holding a pink slip, you probably have lots of worries. Among them: How will I explain this during future job hunts?
It's true that your layoff and the gap on your resume will probably come up, not just during the initial job search right after the layoff, but also during future job hunts. But it doesn't have to derail your search. The key, experts say, is to be honest about the layoff but to focus your communication with potential employers on what you can do for their company, rather than on your past. And when the layoff comes up, make sure you talk about what you accomplished during your time off.
Here's how to achieve these goals at all stages of the job hunt, in writing and in person:
# Resumes and Cover Letters. Most career experts say you shouldn't mention a layoff at all in a cover letter.
"A cover letter is strictly to market yourself," says Marianne Adoradio, a career counselor in Silicon Valley. "'Here's what you're looking for, here's what I bring.'"
On a resume, you shouldn't say you were laid off, but you should try to account for any substantial amount of time you were out of work. Never try to bridge the gap between two jobs by using the wrong beginning or ending dates. Instead, focus on what you accomplished while you were out of work. Did you take a class? Do consulting work? Work as a volunteer?
On the whole, the less said in writing about a layoff, the better.
"Paper is two-dimensional," says John Haag, a career counselor at the University of Denver Career Center. "Face to face is a whole lot better."
# Networking and Interviews. Face-to-face communication is critical, both in informal conversations with people while networking and in formal job interviews. This is where questions about your layoff will likely come up, and you need to be prepared with two answers: one about why you left your job, and one about what you did during the time you were unemployed.
"If it's the first time it happened to you, it's going to feel awful," says Libby Pannwitt, a career counselor and principal of Work Life Design Group in San Carlos, California. "You need to get over it and find the right words to talk about it wherein there were no bad guys."
The best strategy, Pannwitt says, is to craft a very short, matter-of-fact phrase: "I left in the layoff of 2002," for example.
In an informal networking conversation, discuss the layoff only if asked. Haag says the conversation will get off to a bad start if you open with, "I'm looking for work, I've been laid off." Instead, begin by asking intelligent questions and making a good impression on the other person.
"When it does come time for the person to ask you some questions, be forthright," Haag says. And don't use a "half-apologetic tone," he says. By that time you will have impressed your listeners with your interest in their work, and they won't care whether you were laid off.
Finally, be certain you're answering the right question. For example, Pannwitt says, if an interviewer asks "Why do you want to work here," your answer should be about how much you like the company and the job, not that you need work because you were laid off. "That isn't going to make the employer feel very good."
Source: http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/interview/How_to_Handle_Illegal_Interview_Questions__20021118-1632.html?subtopic=Interview+Preparation
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Net4manpower provide our manpower services in various domains such as, Engineering, Graphics and design, Management and finance, Software, Database & Technology, Website Development and Hosting etc. The list of services is unlimited, as soon as you register to our web site, there is a huge list of our members.
Home/ Freshers Jobs: jobs for fresher, computer jobs, it jobs, telecom jobs, call center jobs, freshers job info ,experience jobs, freelance work, business opportunity….
One stop place for thousands of jobs for Freshers/Exp in the fields of IT, ITES, BPO, Computers - Software and Hardware, Telecom, Electronics, Call Center etc. You can find lots of employee referrals, new placement announcements, projects, part time jobs,Finance,graphic design,management,data entry,business,editing,engineer, etc.
Are you looking for :
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• Do you need the job immediately in MNC’S?
• YES!!! You can make money through online!!!!!
• Waiting for the best Graphic designer
• Make money with your web site
• Want to make money working from home….
• Do you know what you really need to go? into business on the web…
• We ready to offer all kinds of services from a-z
• Companies need projects?
• Looking for manpower?
• Looking for contractors?
• Need all type of part time jobs?
Searching for thousands of freelance works? - Visit Freelance jobs
Searching for free registration - Visit http://www.net4manpower.com/reg/default.aspx
Searching for Free Online works,writing and Translation,copyrighting...? - Visit Online jobs/projects
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How to Get a Job Fast
In today's unpredictable economy, the idea of job security with any company would seem to be a thing of the past. Large company layoffs, golden handshakes, mergers, leveraged buyouts, company acquisitions and similar business moves have left people of all ages out of a job they need to live.
While there may be some compensation upon being let go from the firm you work for, this money won't last forever. Or, if eligible for unemployment benefits, this also has a finite period of time attached to the check. Sooner or later, job hunting will be necessary.
But it's not only individuals who have been turned out of jobs that this booklet can help. How happy are you in the business you're in? Do you long to do something else with your career? If so, you're not alone. You have plenty of company in wanting to change one's goals and focus in life. Perhaps you've just turned 40 and realize that you're into the second half of a working career you've never really liked. Studies have shown that working in a job because you have to, not because you like it, can have some effect on an individual's life span. Why take years off your life when you don't have to?
The problem for most people in these situations is that they're not sure where to start. They've either been tossed into this situation unexpectedly and are trying to make decisions on the run or they know that they at least have a paycheck, so they postpone thinking about trying to focus in on a job hunt for something they truly like to do. Well, cheer up! This booklet will help you re-focus, identify the skills you have, narrow down the type of work you like to do and give you a number of outlets to gather information from in prospects of landing that job that will take you through contentedly into your retirement years. The best news is that this doesn't have to be a long, drawn out process. You can label your transferable skills and acquire helpful data within a few days! It's not a year or two effort we're talking about.
The secret is knowing where to look, what to ask and how to narrow down the type of job you'd not only enjoy, but be pretty good at, too! So much of this is understanding what makes you tick! Who better to identify this than you?
How to Find a Job?
My friend has been trying to find a job for weeks. His money in the bank is fast running out, credit card bills are mounting and even his car payments are two months overdue. Desperate to find a job, he’d scanned all known job postings in the internet and the local paper and asked for help from friends. He sends out his resume in a veritable mailing-list that would shame the mailing catalog of some newsletters. But he still can’t find a job.
When I met my friend a couple of weeks back, I asked him how he is faring in his job search. He said he’s doing fine but his down-trodden look gave more than he’s willing to admit. Since we’ve worked together before, I know that my friend is qualified and he has good work ethics as well. But I also know that my friend has difficulties putting his thoughts into written words. Eager to help him find a job, I asked for his resume, purportedly to give someone I know who is hiring. He anxiously gave me one, knowing that I’m up to something.
When I reached the office, I took time off to read his resume and cover letter. While I found these are not badly written as I first thought, I sensed something familiar with the documents. I immediately browsed some internet sites which offer resume and cover letter formats and guides and to my utter disbelief, both documents were directly lifted from one of the sites. The cover letter, specifically, was lifted word-for-word from one published in the internet.
It dawned on me what my friend’s problem was. Recruiters and HR personnel are adept in scanning from a mile away resumes and application letters that are not originally written by applicants. They are familiar with the guides available in the web and they would know if one is lifted fully or even partially from those guides. Thus, when some HR people got hold of my friend’s cover letter and resume, these are at once filed away and forgotten, or worse, thrown directly to the trash bin. The reason therefore why my friend can’t find a job is not because he’s not qualified but because recruiters don’t like the documents he sent them.
I thus got on my computer and re-wrote his resume and application letter, supplying some of the necessary information from memory. I reorganized his resume to highlight his work experiences, skills in computers and his education. I made references to these important job-hunting factors in his cover letter. I even removed an entire paragraph which I found irrelevant in his quest to find a job. I emailed the re-written documents, with a nice message of encouragement. But I didn’t tell him what I found out about his resume.
He called me a few days back to tell me that when he started sending out the new resume and cover letter, he made some real headway. He started getting some positive responses. In fact, he told me that he’s scheduled to be interviewed that day in one of his better prospects. I wished him good luck and I told him I never doubted that in time and given the right tools, he would find a job that he deserves.
Discovering Jobs:
Many people do not have good job hunting skills. They are not experts at locating job openings for which they may be qualified. Here are some ideas to help you uncover those jobs.
NEWSPAPER ADS -- usually draw the greatest number of applicants, so you'll end up with a lot of competition. If you have no geographic restrictions, you may want to check out of state newspapers.
Find a way to make your resume stand out so that it isn't lost among the many applicants. Here are a couple of ideas:
(1) Send a customized cover letter with your resume.
(2) Call before you send the resume in. If possible, talk to the person who will be doing the interview or who you'll be working for. If this isn't possible, talk to the personnel director about the job and let them know that your resume is coming. This will help them to remember your name and may help you get through the resume screening process.
PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES -- these are agencies that try to match employees and employers. These agencies vary in the way they work. Some can be very helpful. Others are somewhat unscrupulous.
Your best chance is to go with an agency that specializes in your field. Beware of agencies that continually run the same ad because, often, they are just trying to build a list of candidates. I recommend that you only use agencies that don't require you to pay a fee.
TRADE JOURNALS AND PERIODICALS -- Are often the best places to look. This is one of the primary means of job advertisement for some types of professions. Example: The magazine Environmental Science continually carries ads for environmental professionals.
Other good places to look include: trade shows and professional conventions, personnel offices, college placement offices, friends you have who are in the same profession as you. Another method is to simply go through the yellow pages and look for companies which may need a person with your skills. Then contact these companies by phone and follow-up by sending in your resume.
Job seeking is a skill that requires persistence. You must not become discouraged. Keep making plenty of contacts. Sooner or later, you'll find the job that's right for you.
While there may be some compensation upon being let go from the firm you work for, this money won't last forever. Or, if eligible for unemployment benefits, this also has a finite period of time attached to the check. Sooner or later, job hunting will be necessary.
But it's not only individuals who have been turned out of jobs that this booklet can help. How happy are you in the business you're in? Do you long to do something else with your career? If so, you're not alone. You have plenty of company in wanting to change one's goals and focus in life. Perhaps you've just turned 40 and realize that you're into the second half of a working career you've never really liked. Studies have shown that working in a job because you have to, not because you like it, can have some effect on an individual's life span. Why take years off your life when you don't have to?
The problem for most people in these situations is that they're not sure where to start. They've either been tossed into this situation unexpectedly and are trying to make decisions on the run or they know that they at least have a paycheck, so they postpone thinking about trying to focus in on a job hunt for something they truly like to do. Well, cheer up! This booklet will help you re-focus, identify the skills you have, narrow down the type of work you like to do and give you a number of outlets to gather information from in prospects of landing that job that will take you through contentedly into your retirement years. The best news is that this doesn't have to be a long, drawn out process. You can label your transferable skills and acquire helpful data within a few days! It's not a year or two effort we're talking about.
The secret is knowing where to look, what to ask and how to narrow down the type of job you'd not only enjoy, but be pretty good at, too! So much of this is understanding what makes you tick! Who better to identify this than you?
How to Find a Job?
My friend has been trying to find a job for weeks. His money in the bank is fast running out, credit card bills are mounting and even his car payments are two months overdue. Desperate to find a job, he’d scanned all known job postings in the internet and the local paper and asked for help from friends. He sends out his resume in a veritable mailing-list that would shame the mailing catalog of some newsletters. But he still can’t find a job.
When I met my friend a couple of weeks back, I asked him how he is faring in his job search. He said he’s doing fine but his down-trodden look gave more than he’s willing to admit. Since we’ve worked together before, I know that my friend is qualified and he has good work ethics as well. But I also know that my friend has difficulties putting his thoughts into written words. Eager to help him find a job, I asked for his resume, purportedly to give someone I know who is hiring. He anxiously gave me one, knowing that I’m up to something.
When I reached the office, I took time off to read his resume and cover letter. While I found these are not badly written as I first thought, I sensed something familiar with the documents. I immediately browsed some internet sites which offer resume and cover letter formats and guides and to my utter disbelief, both documents were directly lifted from one of the sites. The cover letter, specifically, was lifted word-for-word from one published in the internet.
It dawned on me what my friend’s problem was. Recruiters and HR personnel are adept in scanning from a mile away resumes and application letters that are not originally written by applicants. They are familiar with the guides available in the web and they would know if one is lifted fully or even partially from those guides. Thus, when some HR people got hold of my friend’s cover letter and resume, these are at once filed away and forgotten, or worse, thrown directly to the trash bin. The reason therefore why my friend can’t find a job is not because he’s not qualified but because recruiters don’t like the documents he sent them.
I thus got on my computer and re-wrote his resume and application letter, supplying some of the necessary information from memory. I reorganized his resume to highlight his work experiences, skills in computers and his education. I made references to these important job-hunting factors in his cover letter. I even removed an entire paragraph which I found irrelevant in his quest to find a job. I emailed the re-written documents, with a nice message of encouragement. But I didn’t tell him what I found out about his resume.
He called me a few days back to tell me that when he started sending out the new resume and cover letter, he made some real headway. He started getting some positive responses. In fact, he told me that he’s scheduled to be interviewed that day in one of his better prospects. I wished him good luck and I told him I never doubted that in time and given the right tools, he would find a job that he deserves.
Discovering Jobs:
Many people do not have good job hunting skills. They are not experts at locating job openings for which they may be qualified. Here are some ideas to help you uncover those jobs.
NEWSPAPER ADS -- usually draw the greatest number of applicants, so you'll end up with a lot of competition. If you have no geographic restrictions, you may want to check out of state newspapers.
Find a way to make your resume stand out so that it isn't lost among the many applicants. Here are a couple of ideas:
(1) Send a customized cover letter with your resume.
(2) Call before you send the resume in. If possible, talk to the person who will be doing the interview or who you'll be working for. If this isn't possible, talk to the personnel director about the job and let them know that your resume is coming. This will help them to remember your name and may help you get through the resume screening process.
PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES -- these are agencies that try to match employees and employers. These agencies vary in the way they work. Some can be very helpful. Others are somewhat unscrupulous.
Your best chance is to go with an agency that specializes in your field. Beware of agencies that continually run the same ad because, often, they are just trying to build a list of candidates. I recommend that you only use agencies that don't require you to pay a fee.
TRADE JOURNALS AND PERIODICALS -- Are often the best places to look. This is one of the primary means of job advertisement for some types of professions. Example: The magazine Environmental Science continually carries ads for environmental professionals.
Other good places to look include: trade shows and professional conventions, personnel offices, college placement offices, friends you have who are in the same profession as you. Another method is to simply go through the yellow pages and look for companies which may need a person with your skills. Then contact these companies by phone and follow-up by sending in your resume.
Job seeking is a skill that requires persistence. You must not become discouraged. Keep making plenty of contacts. Sooner or later, you'll find the job that's right for you.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Canadian Immigration Guide
Once you have contacted an Immigration Representative and verified its membership with the CSIC, I recommend proceeding as follows:
I. Arrange an interview with the Representative. It can be a personal or telephone interview. I recommend arranging a personal interview (face to face) so that you can meet your Representative and analyze his work environment. You should explain him or her about your situation, and your immigration objectives. He will most likely ask you several questions related to your work experience, education, age, etc. in order to evaluate your status and to know if you will meet the pass mark. You should ask your Representative his working method and timeline.
II. Fees You should clarify with your Representative (from day one) everything related to the fees. Normally, you have to pay legal fees (for their consulting service) and also government fees (for the Canadian government). You should ask your agent for a convenient payment plan, which would be paying only a percentage of the legal fees when you start the process and the remaining amount once your visa is approved. I also recommend asking your Representative for a 100% money back guarantee, which would mean that in case your visa is not approved they should give you a full refund of the legal fees.
I. Arrange an interview with the Representative. It can be a personal or telephone interview. I recommend arranging a personal interview (face to face) so that you can meet your Representative and analyze his work environment. You should explain him or her about your situation, and your immigration objectives. He will most likely ask you several questions related to your work experience, education, age, etc. in order to evaluate your status and to know if you will meet the pass mark. You should ask your Representative his working method and timeline.
II. Fees You should clarify with your Representative (from day one) everything related to the fees. Normally, you have to pay legal fees (for their consulting service) and also government fees (for the Canadian government). You should ask your agent for a convenient payment plan, which would be paying only a percentage of the legal fees when you start the process and the remaining amount once your visa is approved. I also recommend asking your Representative for a 100% money back guarantee, which would mean that in case your visa is not approved they should give you a full refund of the legal fees.
III. Supporting Documents Your Representative should give you a checklist of all the supporting documents that you should gather in order to submit the application. Once you receive the checklist, you should be in constant communication with your representative to clarify any questions that you may have related to the documents. Since you will have to send the documents to your representative by mail or courier, you should confirm with him/her that the documents are correct before sending them.
IV. Communication I recommend always communicating in writing with your Representative (email), so that you can keep a record and evidence of your messages. By doing this, you will be able to proof everything that your Representative told you, in case you have to claim your money back if your visa is denied and you have a Money Back guarantee. b) Applying by yourself You can also apply by yourself.
The advantage is that you save the legal fees of the Representative, which sometimes can be 2 to 3 times the government fees. If you decide to apply by yourself, you only have to pay the government fees, which will be explained in the following sections. If you decide to apply by yourself, the following sections will be very useful, since I will provide a detailed explanation of the supporting documents that you need to gather in order to submit your application. Gathering the supporting documentation can sometimes is the most difficult part of the process.
The most important question is: Why Canada? Are you looking for a better quality of life? Are you interested in better education for you and your family members? Are you looking for a better work environment? Are you interested in beautiful landscapes and peaceful surroundings? Well, in my opinion you have made an excellent decision when you though about Canada as an option to immigrate. We will walk together in one direction and with one goal in mind: starting your new life in this beautiful country. We will walk together, because we have one thing in common: we both know that there are more options for living our life than the life that was assigned to us since the moment we were born.
We were born surrounded by several circumstances, such as our country of residence. If we live our life unconsciously, without evaluating and analyzing the direction of our steps, we will most likely live, grow and die in the same country doing the same things. However, if we decide to live consciously, we will realize that we can create and imagine different ways to live our only life. I am certain that you have already made a pause in the journey of your life and evaluated the direction of your steps. You are using this guide for a reason, and most likely this reason is that you are convinced that you can design a better life. You are willing to take risks and you are ready to start walking in a new direction.
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