How to Answer Conflict-Resolution Interview Questions

August 2nd, 2021 by Staff

By DANIEL BORTZ – Monster.com contributor

 

There are different types of conflict at work, but your reactions should always showcase a diplomatic approach.

No one likes conflict, especially at work. But disagreements between co-workers are inevitable—and showing prospective employers that you’re well versed in conflict resolution is crucial. Will you add to the melee or can you step back and remain levelheaded?

Obviously, not everything in your career is going to be easy, whether that means confronting the person who stole your lunch from the office refrigerator to negotiating a new contract with clients to deliberating a new job offer. In an environment that’s diverse as the modern workplace there are going to be differences of opinion and behavior. Employers need to be sure you can get along well with others.

Conflict resolution is just one of the many hurdles the workplace will present to you. Here are five common questions hiring managers ask to assess your conflict-resolution skills and the best approach to answering them.

QUESTION 1: How do you deal with conflict?
People aren’t going to get along with each other all the time. It’s just a fact. Employers want to know that you can respond to conflict diplomatically. If you’re a my-way-or-the-highway type of personality, you’re not going to get very far in the interview.

Start off by emphasizing communication and respectfulness as a means to conflict resolution. For example, “I always take the person aside and discuss the issue privately. I listen actively to make sure I understand the other person’s point of view, and I work with the person to develop a solution together.” Stress that even if you both don’t completely agree on the end result, you tried to at least meet each other halfway.

QUESTION 2: Tell me about a time when you had an issue with a co-worker
This a behavioral interview question—meaning you should take it as an opportunity to share a success story about how you resolved an issue with a co-worker in the past. You want to make sure to choose an incident where you and your co-worker were able to resolve the issue among yourselves, without having to involve your boss or other higher-ups. Showcase your competence in problem solving.

Focus your answer on the facts rather than blaming the other person. Instead of saying, “Jim was such a slacker,” simply explain the situation and what steps you took to solve the problem: “On at least three occasions, Jim missed deadlines that pushed back our production schedule. After I discussed this with him, we found a way to improve the workflow system together.”

QUESTION 3: Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your boss
Tread carefully here. (And yes, we know that can be difficult.)

To set a positive tone, begin your response by acknowledging the difficulty of the situation: “It’s not easy to confront your manager, but I’ve learned that it has to be done some times.”

Then choose an anecdote that shows you respected your boss’ opinion: “When my boss suggested we change our sales pitch to new clients, we figured out what wasn’t working and created a new strategy together.”

QUESTION 4: How do you deal with differences of opinion when working on a team?
Conflict resolution is often a team effort. It’s not always easy to see eye to eye with co-workers, but that’s not a good reason to discount their contributions. No surprise many employers seek job candidates who demonstrate strong teamwork skills.

Hiring managers want to hear that you value diversity of opinion and understand how different points of view can contribute to a better solution than if everyone just immediately agreed with each other.

As such, your response to this question should point out that you welcome alternate perspectives: “I always appreciate different viewpoints from my own. When someone expresses a different opinion, I listen carefully to what the person says and utilize that feedback.”

QUESTION 5: Tell me about a time you had to respond to an unhappy customer or client
When you’re interviewing for a client- or customer-facing position, you’re applying to be an ambassador for the company and that type of role carries a lot of responsibility.

Especially in the age of the internet, how you respond to conflicts with a customer is a public matter. Losing a major client or customer can cost the company a lot of money. Show that you’re willing to go the extra mile to make customers or clients happy. This demonstrates that you understand the value of customer service.

As with other behavioral interview questions, your anecdote should focus on the positive outcome: “Here was how I de-escalated the situation and kept the client happy going forward.”

Show hiring managers that you aren’t nursing an overblown ego and are eager to embrace a peacekeeping process. Not only can this type of attitude serve you well in the workplace, but it can also improve non-working relationships as well.

Conflict Resolution Will Serve You Well
Learning how to peacefully coexist with your colleagues will take you far. Want to learn more expert insights to succeed at work? Monster can send you free career advice and job search tips so you can learn how to stay cool when the pressure inevitably mounts.

 

FULL ARTICLE AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/conflict-resolution-questions


2021 Engineering Salary Statistics

January 22nd, 2021 by Staff

Engineers Get Top Pay

What is an engineering degree worth? Year after year, engineering jobs are paid the highest average starting salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) engineers have a median annual wage of $91,010 and the engineering field projects to have employment growth of nearly 140,000 new jobs over the next decade. The bottom line: it is well worth the time and effort it takes to become an engineer. So how much do engineers make?

Industry BLS Stats Mean Entry-Level Salary1 Mean Annual Salary2 Top 10 Percent3
Biomedical Engineering National Labor Stats $61,920 $97,090 $148,210
Chemical Engineering National Labor Stats $67,527 $117,090 $176,090
Civil Engineering National Labor Stats $58,190 $94,360 $144,560
Computer Engineering Computer Hardware Engineers

Software Developers, Systems Software

$73,110

$70,115

$123,030

$111,620

$185,240

$164,590

Construction Management National Labor Stats $57,060 $105,000 $164,790
Electrical Engineering National Labor Stats $66,925 $103,480 $155,880
Environmental Engineering National Labor Stats $57,336 $94,220 $142,070
Electrical Engineering Technology / Mechatronics Recruiter $86,6904 $133,2804
Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences National Labor Stats $69,879 $96,990 $151,230
Geospatial Science and Technology National Labor Stats $56,003 $69,790 $103,380
Materials Science and Engineering National Labor Stats $67,303 $97,890 $148,960
Mechanical Engineering National Labor Stats $63,055 $93,540 $138,020
Mechanical Engineering Technology National Labor Stats $99,310 $154,720
Surveying Engineering National Labor Stats $32,178 $67,920 $104,850

1: Figures from payscale.com, January 2021
2, 3: Figures from National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, United States Department of Labor, January 2021
4: Mechatronics figures from Recruiter.com for Private Sector, January 2021

 

FULL ARTICLE AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.mtu.edu/engineering/outreach/welcome/salary/

 

 


5 Tips for Explaining Gaps in Your Employment History

May 20th, 2020 by Staff

There’s a misconception that it’s a red flag to recruiters if they see breaks in employment on a résumé. Job seekers tend to assume that companies prefer candidates with work experience that seamlessly flows from one employer to the next; many people worry about how to explain common occurrences such as being laid off, quitting a bad job before having a new one, taking an extended family leave or experiencing a personal emergency that temporarily takes them out of the workforce.

However, recruiters are used to dealing with candidates in these situations and rarely is it a cause for concern. It isn’t the break in employment that hurts a candidate’s chances at landing their next job, it’s often how they choose to describe the situation that mistakenly creates a negative perception of their temperament or abilities.

If you find yourself conducting a job search while unemployed or needing to answer questions about a previous gap in your employment, here are five tips to help you comfortably discuss your time out of the workforce and cast it in the best possible light.

1. Assume that recruiters have good intentions

Asking about why you are currently looking for a new job or inquiring about a gap in the years on your résumé is a routine practice for recruiters. They aren’t trying to uncover hidden secrets; they are simply making sure they can answer any questions about your background that may be asked of them later.

Recruiters are selective and do want to find and assess the best talent for their company or client, but that doesn’t stop them from hoping you’ll turn out to be a good match. When you prove yourself to be a strong candidate it saves them time and relieves some of the pressure to keep searching. If a recruiter wants to have a screening call or video interview with you, assume that they are genuinely interested in your background and are hoping that you are a fit.

2. Leverage familiar narratives

Most of the reasons that people find themselves unemployed are extremely common and can be explained quickly because recruiters and hiring managers are already familiar with the narrative.

Some examples of the kind of career disruptions employers run into again and again are: if you were laid off because it was (fill in the blank year when the economy was terrible or something bad happened in your industry), if a new CEO (or another senior leader) came in and replaced your entire team, or if your company was acquired, merged with another or went out of business. Employers also understand disruptions that are more personal, such as if you took time off to be a full-time parent, if you tried to launch a start-up but decided it wasn’t for you, if you or another family member had some medical concerns that needed to be addressed, or if your spouse’s career required a relocation.

These are the easiest explanations to give about an employment gap so if any of these situations apply to you, make sure you are simply presenting the recruiter with what is already a known and valid reason to be out of work. Don’t go into any additional detail about your departure or time off unless asked because there is a good chance that using one of these descriptions will be enough to satisfy their curiosity.

3. Be honest, but keep it light and positive

While everything you say in an interview needs to be genuine and accurate, it is not the place to share your most vulnerable stories. Recruiters and hiring managers don’t know you well enough yet to see your career journey and to appreciate what you have endured and learned.

Still…

To finish reading the full article by Kourtney Whitehead, go to: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kourtneywhitehead/2020/05/11/5-tips-on-how-to-explain-gaps-in-your-employment-history/#3324786f7fb5


Engineers Get Top Pay

December 2nd, 2019 by Staff

Engineers Get Top Pay

What is an engineering degree worth? Year after year, engineering jobs are paid the highest average starting salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) engineers have a median annual wage of $91,010 and the engineering field projects to have employment growth of nearly 140,000 new jobs over the next decade. The bottom line: it is well worth the time and effort it takes to become an engineer. So how much do engineers make?

Industry BLS Stats Mean Entry-Level Salary1 Mean Annual Salary2 Top 10 Percent3
Biomedical Engineering National Labor Stats $60,958 $95,090 $144,350
Chemical Engineering National Labor Stats $65,618 $114,470 $169,770
Civil Engineering National Labor Stats $56,152 $93,720 $142,560
Computer Engineering Computer Hardware Engineers

Software Developers, Systems Software

$71,007

$68,436

$117,840

$114,000

$172,630

$166,960

Construction Management National Labor Stats $55,795 $103,110 $161,510
Electrical Engineering National Labor Stats $64,936 $101,600 $153,240
Environmental Engineering National Labor Stats $55,884 $92,640 $137,090
Electrical Engineering Technology / Mechatronics Recruiter $86,6904 $133,2804
Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences National Labor Stats $61,977 $98,420 $151,030
Geospatial Science and Technology National Labor Stats $49,571 $68,340 $101,400
Materials Science and Engineering National Labor Stats $65,806 $96,930 $148,110
Mechanical Engineering National Labor Stats $61,538 $92,800 $136,550
Mechanical Engineering Technology National Labor Stats $44,274 $58,240 $85,430
Surveying Engineering National Labor Stats $48,360 $66,440 $102,220

1: Figures from payscale.com, October 2019
2, 3: Figures from National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, United States Department of Labor, October 2019
4: Mechatronics Figures from Recruiter.com for Private Sector, October 2019

Full article available here: https://www.mtu.edu/engineering/outreach/welcome/salary/


10 Résumé Tips to Impress a Recruiter in 7 Seconds

November 18th, 2019 by Staff

BY JULIA MALACOFF — GLASSDOOR

Having a well-crafted résumé can be the key to getting your foot in the door at the company of your dreams. But figuring out how to make your résumé fully representative of your experience and also stand out is easier said than done. After all, hiring managers and recruiters generally only spend about seven seconds reading your résumé before deciding whether to move forward or not. Most people know the basics of how to put together a decent work history, but here are some tips you probably haven’t heard before that can help your résumé stand up to the seven-second test.

1. ONLY INCLUDE YOUR ADDRESS IF IT WORKS IN YOUR FAVOR

If you’re applying for positions in the city or town you already live in, then go ahead and include your address. In this case, it lets the hiring manager know you’re already in the area and could theoretically start working right away.

But if you’re targeting jobs in another area and you’d need to move in order to start working, it’s probably a good idea to leave your current address off of your résumé. Why? Recruiters are sometimes less excited to interview candidates from another city or state, since they often require relocation fees.

2. BE A NAME-DROPPER

It may be poor form to drop names in everyday life, but you absolutely should do it on your résumé. If you’ve worked with well-known clients or companies, go ahead and include them by name. Something like: “Closed deals with Google, Toyota, and Bank of America” will get recruiters’ attention in no time flat.

3. UTILIZE YOUR PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

You might not think to look to your annual review for résumé material, but checking out the positive feedback you’ve received in years past can help you identify your most noteworthy accomplishments and best work attributes—two things that should definitely be highlighted on your résumé. Including specific feedback you’ve received and goals you’ve met can help you avoid needing to use “fluff” to fill out your work experience.

4. DON’T GO OVERBOARD WITH KEYWORDS

Many companies and recruiters use keyword-scanning software as a tool to narrow the job applicant pool. For this reason, it’s important to include keywords from the job description in your résumé—but don’t go overboard. Recruiters can spot “keyword stuffing” a mile away.

5. USE COMMON SENSE EMAIL ETIQUETTE

There are two types of email addresses you shouldn’t use on your résumé or when applying to a job via email: your current work email address, or an overly personal or inappropriate email address, like loverguy22@gmail.com. Stick with something professional based on your name in order to make the best possible impression.

6. WHEN IT COMES TO SKILLS, QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

There’s no need to list skills that most people in the job market have (Think: Microsoft Office, email, Mac, and PC proficient), which can make it look like you’re just trying to fill up space on the page. Keep your skills section short, and only include impactful skills that are relevant to the job you’re applying to.

7. CHOOSE TO SHARE SOCIAL ACCOUNTS STRATEGICALLY

Including links to social media accounts on a résumé is becoming more and more common. But it’s important to distinguish between professional accounts—like a LinkedIn profile or Instagram account you manage for work—and nonprofessional ones, like your personal Twitter or Facebook account. While it might be tempting to include a personal account in order to show recruiters who you are, you’re better off only listing accounts that are professionally focused. Save your winning personality for an in-person interview.

8. USE HOBBIES TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Not all hobbies deserve a place on your résumé, but some do. Hobbies that highlight positive personality qualities or skills that could benefit you on the job are worth including. For example, running marathons (shows discipline and determination) and blogging about something related to your field (shows creativity and genuine interest in your work) are hobbies that will cast you in the best possible light and might pique a recruiter’s interest.

9. SKIP GENERIC DESCRIPTORS

Hardworking, self-motivated, self-sufficient, proactive, and detail-oriented are all words you’ll find on most people’s résumés. But most job seekers are motivated and hardworking, so these traits don’t really set you apart from the rest of the applicant pool. Instead, focus on the specific skills and accomplishments that make you different from everyone else applying to the position.

10. KEEP AN ACCOMPLISHMENT JOURNAL

Keeping a log of your work accomplishments and positive feedback as they come up can make putting together or updating your résumé significantly easier. Include as many details as possible so you don’t have to spend time tracking them down later.

 

READ THE FULL ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE: https://www.fastcompany.com/90399431/10-resume-tips-to-impress-a-recruiter-in-7-seconds


How to Adjust After Relocating for a Job

September 6th, 2019 by Staff

How to Adjust After Relocating for a Job by Lisa Evans

Uprooting your life and starting a new job is overwhelming. Here are a few steps to make the transition easier.

Starting a new job is stressful enough, but add moving to a new city on top of it, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Relocating for work is a huge adjustment both personally and professionally. Not only are you getting a new set of coworkers and a new corporate culture, you’re also getting a new commute, a new home, and if you’re moving with a family, you’re faced with a host of other challenges, including navigating a new school system and finding childcare.

Here are some tips to help you get through the change.

BE A TOURIST IN YOUR NEW CITY
If you’re relocating strictly for a job, it’s likely that you don’t know a whole lot about the place you’re moving to. While you can find out a lot about your new city online before moving, spend some time once there to explore like a tourist. Take a walk around your neighborhood to find the best local cafés, and explore local landmarks. Then get used to the local life, locating your nearest grocery store and getting familiar with your route to and from work. The more familiar you become with your new physical environment, the more comfortable you’ll begin to feel in your new home.

KEEP YOUR LIFE SIMPLE
Getting to know your new colleagues and your new corporate culture takes a lot of energy. Add that to getting to know your new city, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. “Simple things like figuring out how to navigate the subway system or deciding which supermarket you want to shop at can zap your energy very quickly,” says career change and business coach Avery Roth. She recommends simplifying your life for a few months while you get your bearings. Avoid overloading your schedule with social events or commitments while you focus on establishing a work-life routine in your new city.

MAINTAIN YOUR FAMILIAR ROUTINE
Maintaining familiar aspects of your routine from your home city can help you adjust to your new surroundings. If you’re used to going to a yoga class twice a week, finding a new studio and keeping up with this routine can help you balance out the big changes you’re experiencing.

SAY YES TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Moving to a new city and being surrounded by people who don’t know you means you have a unique opportunity to reinvent yourself, or to discover who you are as a person who lives in your new town. You may be invited to try things you didn’t have the opportunity to do before. Saying yes to these opportunities can help you branch out and discover who you are as a resident of your new city.

 

READ THE FULL ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90294972/how-to-adjust-after-relocating-for-a-job


Ace Your Interview

February 13th, 2018 by Staff

10 Smart Strategies to Ace Your Job Interview by Jonathan Alpert…

1. Change the way you think about interviews.

Many people get worked up to the point that they feel like they’re prepping for major surgery or headed to court to learn their fate. Instead of seeing interviews in such a daunting and negative way, regard them as merely a Q&A opportunity: One where the prospective employer learns about you and you learn about them. By seeing it as a conversation where you get to know each other, you’ll eliminate the high stress that people often bring on themselves while prepping.

2. Keep your negative thinking in check.

Know that self-doubt and fear will render you helpless while a strong belief in who you are will lead to success. So, if you find yourself thinking negatively, reframe it. For example, “I’ll never get this job” serves no purpose whatsoever and should be replaced with “They called me for the interview so they’re impressed by my background. I’m going to do my best to bring this background to life for them and show them my A-game.”

3. Embrace your nerves.

That’s right, nerves can be good and at a physiological level there’s not a big difference between nerves and excitement. In both cases the heart rate and breathing increase in order to get blood and oxygen to different parts of the body so that it can perform either in the face of danger or excitement. In the case of the interview, it’s clearly the latter.

4. Use imagery before the interview.

Close your eyes, relax, and see yourself entering the interview and responding to questions with confidence. Really feel it. Remember, if you can see it in your mind there’s a greater likelihood of it actually happening so bring this mindset into the interview. Many athletes and performers I work with take a few minutes before their big event to do just this–they see themselves finishing the race and beating their competition or playing a song and the audience responding warmly and with excitement.

5. Provide real-life examples.

When asked questions, bring things to life by providing specific examples from your previous work or education. This accomplishes two things: builds credibility and makes you relatable. When asked about your strengths, illustrate them through an example. “As a student I developed my leadership skills as president of my sorority. I was responsible for heading monthly meetings, providing direction to the club and management of operations.”

6. Don’t B.S.

If you get stumped by a question, rather than fumbling your way through it, simply acknowledge that it is a question you haven’t previously considered. Explain that you’d like to provide a thoughtful response and ask if you might come back to it later. This honesty sure beats the lack of authenticity you’ll show if you B.S. It also helps to humanize you.

7. Turn your biggest weakness into your greatest strength.

When asked about weaknesses, make sure you talk about what you’re doing to improve them. For example, if you’ve had difficulty staying organized in the past, you might talk about how you’re now working with a coach or how you recently read a helpful book on time management. More importantly, bring the focus back to the job and how the new and improved you will help them.

8. Talk proudly about your strengths and accomplishments.

People will often downplay their success because they feel they’re bragging. A strong belief in your skills and who you are could land you the job, whereas a watered-down version of yourself won’t.

9. Elicit any hesitation.

Towards the end of the interview, gently ask the interviewer if they’d have any hesitation in hiring you, and if so, what might it be. This is an assertive way to elicit any unspoken issues that they might have and provide you with an opportunity to clarify or give more information. Make sure you do this gently.

10. Take every interview opportunity that comes your way.

With each new interview you’ll hone your skills and get more comfortable. You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t work and you’ll be able to apply it to the next interview.

So next time you have a chance to interview, go for it. Be bold and be fearless all while utilizing the smart strategies above.

READ THE FULL ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE:  .https://www.inc.com/jonathan-alpert/10-smart-strategies-to-ace-your-job-interview.html


5 Ways to Ace an Interview with a Bare-Bones Resume

July 20th, 2017 by Staff

Not everyone has the luxury of a long resume to power them through the interview process. New college graduates or people switching fields may find themselves at a loss when they think about just how they’ll compete against industry veterans. The good news is that many industries, particularly the fast-moving tech sector, are no longer just looking at length or depth of resumes to select people. HR managers have discovered that various sets of soft skills are key indicators of a person’s potential, and when you’re looking at hiring for long-term growth, potential can mean much more than bullet points on a resume.

Thus, the big question remains: how do you demonstrate your potential in an interview? Experience is easy to convey; you simply list items and cite examples. But potential is much less tangible, and many people might feel lost trying to quantify such a thing. Fortunately, research in cognitive abilities have identified key traits and qualities that many HR staffers have been trained to spot. These include:

1. Active listening

Regardless of technical skill or industry, effective communication is a major part of getting the job done, and active listening is the foundation of strong communication. Active listening is, by definition, simple: the clear demonstration that the listener is paying attention and picking up all significant details in a conversation. For new hires, this is particularly important, as they will be taking direction and learning lessons from many different sources. As a person moves up a career path, this becomes vital in a different way: as someone assumes a leadership role, they will need to be able to take input from people above and below to make educated, informed decisions. Gathering all of these viewpoints is only possible with active listening.

Interview Tip: Face the speaker, use body language to show understanding, ask appropriate questions, and never interrupt with unsolicited opinions.

2. Learning ability

In your first year on the job, you’ll be learning a lot of things, from day-to-day processes to project schedules to people’s personalities and quirks. The ability to absorb that information quickly and accurately is critical in any position. Outside of the first year on the job, it also lends itself to an upwardly mobile career path, as those who learn quickly are more versatile and can apply themselves to a larger variety of situations. Chances are, if you’ve made it to the interview stage despite a thin resume, that means that the hiring managers believe in your learning ability. Thus, your goal should be to reinforce this belief as much as possible during the interview.

Interview Tip: Weave in anecdotes of when you had to pick up new skills or abilities quickly, both professionally and personally.

3. Problem solving

Problem solving is one of the cornerstones of strong cognitive ability due to its combination of other traits: it requires logical thinking, active listening, teamwork, and strong situational awareness. On the job, an employee with sharp problem-solving abilities is able to work independently and can handle challenging situations. Strong problem solvers are gold for hiring managers because they allow for flexibility across departments while bringing senior-level potential.

Interview Tip: Prepare stories of severe challenges you’ve faced professionally and personally, along with clear paths to resolution and results.

4. Creativity

Most people associate the arts with the word “creativity,” but being creative is an asset in any field. Creativity simply means thinking outside of the box and innovating in new and different ways. That type of mental flexibility is highly prized among hiring managers because it means that you’re adaptable in extreme or unfamiliar circumstances. Not only does this generate previously unheard-of solutions, it allows companies to think of the bigger picture. By tapping into creativity on both process and product, companies can become industry leaders that push new ideas forward — and in many cases, hiring managers specifically seek to recruit creative people  by bringing in “new blood” who can provide a different perspective.

Interview Tip: Research the company’s past and future projects and generate unique solutions to processes and known criticisms.

5. What not to do

The above four tips are excellent ways to demonstrate your value even when your overall experience is light. However, one overarching tip applies to all of those: use common sense. Don’t try too hard to force a narrative into the discussion, don’t use subversively insulting comments when talking about the company or product — even when you’re showing a potentially creative solution to an issue — and absolutely always be polite. Whether you come in with a long resume or a strong set of soft skills or both, these assets can quickly be subverted by coming off as arrogant or unlikable — and that is a trap you can fall into if you try too hard to demonstrate your cognitive abilities or best traits.

Instead, practice with friends and colleagues ahead of time and work on being natural in a high-stress environment. Not only will this help you feel more comfortable in the interview, it will also translate into how hiring managers perceive your personality. In short, it’s a win-win that can’t be quantified on paper.

Josh Millet is the CEO & Founder of Criteria Corp., a pre-employment testing company founded in 2006 that creates software for employers to gather objective data on job candidates with aptitude, personality, and skills tests. He is also the Founder of JobFlare, a mobile app that helps job seekers get discovered based on their abilities rather than their resume. 

from:    http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/interview-bare-bones-resume/?utm_source=UR+Recap+20%2F07%2F2017&utm_campaign=UR+Recap++20%2F7%2F2017&utm_medium=email


What the Smartest Candidates ask in Job Interviews

May 4th, 2016 by Staff

More stressful than Christmas shopping. More necessary than a Netflix account. The interview — to many, the most evil necessity.

For those who aren’t so inclined, the interview process feels like running against the wind — with an open parachute strapped to your back. But, for livelihood’s sake, we must be successful in interviews. Although interviews are primarily employers asking you questions and you giving your best answers, the questions that you ask can sway the interview as much as the answers that you give.

Here are some questions to ask to help you show your interviewers that you have what it takes. Just remember that the interview is a two-way street — you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. If you join their team, it should be in a mutually beneficial relationship.

1. Why is your company a good fit for me?

This question is spunky, so know your audience well before asking. It shows that you aren’t desperate and willing to settle for any job. You refuse to undersell yourself — you have something valuable to offer and you know how much you are worth. You want to grow and develop, and interviewers love to see that.

2. Why do you (the interviewer) like this company?

This puts them on the spot (now they can share in your pain). It also gives you the chance to learn from an insider’s perspective what is good about the company.

3. What don’t you like about this company (what is this company’s greatest flaw)?

This is another really gutsy question that should be used cautiously. I wouldn’t expect a very candid answer — most interviewers would want to remain politically correct and won’t be too honest. But, it gives you a chance to take control of the interview, and it can you show some insightful flaws in the company.

4. Do you see yourself staying with this company for a while?

This gives you an idea of the quality of employees and the company — does this company hire “keepers,” and does it keep the good hires around? Is this a transitional job, or a good career choice?

5. What are the top three traits that your best employees have in common?

This question should give you a glimpse into what the company would expect from you, and the kind of people who would thrive there. If they mention traits other than yours, don’t necessarily take this as an ultimate red flag — no company can operate with only one specific personality type; maybe they need what you have. But, this does give you a good indication of whether or not this would be a job that is up your alley.

6. What are the company’s highest goals for this year?

This question gives you an idea of the direction and ambition for the company. What are their goals? Are they something you can rally behind? Can you contribute to making those goals a reality? You don’t want to join a team half-heartedly. Half-hearted doesn’t stand out. Half-hearted doesn’t climb the business ladder because you aren’t fully engaged. Find a business whose goals you can get behind 110%.

7. How many employees have been brought in by other employees?

This question can give you an idea of the work environment. And the work environment is a significant factor in the quality of your work experience. Do people like it enough to bring their friends on board? If so, it’s probably a pleasant environment.

8. What would you expect from me in the first 90 days?

What better way to find out the company’s expectations, should they hire you, than to just ask directly! This shows initiative and interest in performing well. It also helps you be prepared, if you should get the job, to jump in with confidence.

Original Post found at http://www.lifehack.org/330328/8-insightful-questions-only-the-smartest-candidates-ask-job-interview?ref=e


How does your CV or Resume stack up?

April 6th, 2016 by Staff

7 Steps to Writing an Interview Winning CV….Your CV is your number one marketing tool when it comes to landing job interviews, so you need to ensure that it stands out from the crowd and catches the eye of the employers you are most interested in.  The key to creating a top notch CV is knowing exactly how to…..read more at theundercoverrecruiter.com/write-an-interview-winning-cv/