Employment Digest

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Online Job Searches: As Many Dead Ends as Fast Lanes

A couple of weeks ago, I asked you to share which Web sites had become indispensable in your job searches — and which ones were driving you crazy.

Professional resume writer Wallace Holland’s favorite site is also the one that frustrates him most often: USAJobs.gov, the federal government’s primary job site.

“This site is supposed to be the one-stop for federal jobs. However, some agencies . . . listed on this site have their own separate application procedures, which means job seekers will have to complete the entire registration and profile input process again for those agencies, which don’t use the USAJobs format,” Holland, who lives in the District, wrote in a recent e-mail.

“Copying and pasting text directly into each field at USAJobs and the other federal job sites can take as long as three hours per site. Also, some jobs that do not meet the criteria specified in the search agents occasionally are referred. If applicants do not review each listing carefully, they could waste time applying for a job for which they are not eligible. Finally, federal agencies that use this site to recruit applicants can take weeks, even months to make selections.”

Elizabeth S. Biehn, a human resources director who lives in Alexandria, has used a variety of job sites, reporting mixed luck. “I had high hopes for JobFox, but found that HR jobs are not a hot ticket with them,” she wrote. Another site, HR Ladder, had more relevant listings, but they were often posted late, she said. “With one position, the hiring folks were already down to their two top candidates when they received my resume.” ad_icon

Other job sites, such as those for the Society for Human Resources Management and CEO Update, have proved fairly reliable, she said, “but I really think that I will find my next challenge via friends and colleagues.”

Robert Gluck of Herndon has also turned to a variety of sites in his search for a position as a Web site manager/information architect. “My favorite site by far is CareerBuilder.com. It is easy to use, easy on the eyes and just seems to find the type of positions I’m looking for,” he said. “That said, I haven’t gotten any actual interviews yet via anything I’ve applied to through CareerBuilder, but at least it doesn’t drive me crazy.”

What does drive him crazy: Monster.com. “It is busy, hard on the eyes, and just doesn’t seem to generate the leads I want,” he said. “Also, their daily e-mail notifications are really hard to read.”

Another nonstarter: “WorkTree.com is awful, and I regret the money I spent registering on that site.”

He praises the usability of LinkedIn’s job search, but he hasn’t gotten many leads from it. Ditto for The Washington Post’s job site, which he described as “pretty efficient and useful.”

Freelancers have their own preferences. Jay Boucher, a Web professional who lives in Hoboken, N.J., recommends Krop.com, which specializes in creative and tech jobs. “It has such a clean design and simple search that it’s a joy to use,” he said, “and the postings are very good.”

He said he’s just begun tinkering with eLance. “I’ve registered but haven’t bid on any projects,” he said. “Before you make your first bid you have to complete a test, which includes watching 20 minutes of video on ‘eLance University.’ The process is foreign to me, and I haven’t had the time to learn and sort out all the info. It has a complex interface, with lots of filtering tools.”

The competitors to the big Internet job sites often tout their ability to provide better matches using their proprietary software, but not all of you are impressed with such tools. Antonio Lozada of Herndon recently started using JobFox to search for jobs, but so far he hasn’t found that it finds matches that are any better than what he could find on more established sites.

And there’s another downside to “better” matching, he wrote in a recent e-mail. “You have to fill out an extensive questionnaire (personality test included.)” he said.

Finally, no matter what site you use, hang on to your skepticism, as Kenniss Henry of Cheverly found.

Henry, a project manager, said she applied for a “seemingly great opportunity” she saw in an ad on Craigslist — but the response she received suggested that the ad was a scam.

She doesn’t blame the host site. “I recognize that Craigslist is not responsible,” she said, “and that no one can scrutinize everyone who posts to their Web site.”

But before you send someone your personal information through a Web site — any Web site — you should do so.

How many times have you found yourself in the midst of writing your resume when you realized that there were some questions you simply had to have answered before you could move forward? Everyone has probably been in this predicament at least once during a resume-writing experience.

Of course, there are some questions that are more frequently asked than others. So before you put your fingers back on the keyboard, let’s take a moment to explore some of the more commonly asked questions regarding resumes.

How Do I Write a Great Objective?

For many, the objective is the most abstract and challenging portion of the resume to write. You may find yourself asking questions like “what does the employer want to know?” and “how can I describe myself in just one sentence?” during the process. But don’t let these issues deter you from continuing on, because in actuality, it is not hard to create a succinct objective that will entice the employer to read on.

First, take note that objectives can be more than one sentence long. Depending on your level of experience, you may want to include up to three sentences describing who you are and what career plans you have that fall neatly in line with the employer’s goals. Within the 1-3 sentences, you want to express your strengths, abilities and qualifications in your field, and how they match the specific employer’s goals. However, try to avoid using the word “I” in this section as it creates a self-centered image, something that can quickly result in your resume hitting the bottom of the stack.

What if I Haven’t Worked in a While?

If you haven’t worked for several years, or even several months, you may feel a little bit nervous about explaining your employment gap. But don’t worry; if you truly feel you’re qualified for the job, you can express this in a number of ways.

One is by using a functional resume style (as opposed to chronological) that focuses less on timelines and more on skills. Also, you can roll up all of your non-work experience, including volunteering, community involvement, consulting, or even your continuing education, to highlight the skills you’ve acquired over the years. If your gaps are a little smaller, you can make them less obvious by not noting months on your resume. In the end, you want to showcase your knowledge of industry trends, so be creative in explaining how this knowledge can enhance the position you’re applying for.

Should I Include References?

Typically, the rule for references is this: if they don’t ask for them, don’t provide them. However, if they do it’s a good idea to create a separate sheet just for them. On that sheet, you can include the references’ names, phone numbers, and their locations, as well as your personal/professional relationships. But before you add references be sure to contact them so they are prepared to offer information about you.

Writing a resume can be an exciting process if you remember that your hard work can result in a great job. So take the time to ask more questions about the writing process. You’ll find that the more you ask, the more likely you are to create a standout resume that may just secure the job you want.

Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer and is passionate about providing working professionals with current, reliable and effective job search tools and information. Compare the top resume writing services in the industry at http://www.resumelines.com

It’s easy to answer a difficult question

I enjoy getting readers’ letters and feedback on my columns. Here’s a recent one about the interview process.

I went on two interviews recently, and on both I was asked, “Tell me about yourself.” What is the best way to answer this question?All the questions you will face in an interview offer an opportunity to position yourself effectively. No request is more powerful than the deceptively simple “Tell me about yourself,” which many unprepared candidates flub.

This request or a variation — What are you looking for? Why are we getting together? Tell me about your career? — comes up in nearly every interview and is easy to prepare for.

Handled properly, you can set the stage for a great interview. Handled poorly, it can effectively end the interview.

So let’s get it right. As with many questions, it is important to understand what the interviewer is really asking for. Essentially, you are being asked why you are the right person for the job.

This is your opportunity to highlight your job specific skills, experiences, successes and goals and then tie them into the job. By explicitly making the connection, you will help the interviewer and move yourself up the candidate list. Never let the interviewer try to connect the dots, do that for them.

Your answer should be no longer than two minutes, otherwise it may become confused with a Shakespearean soliloquy. You should address the following:

# Key achievements

# Strengths, skills or talents exhibited in making achievements

# How your achievements and strengths relate to the position and how you can positively affect the organization

# End with a question for the interviewer.

For example: “I always wanted to be in commercial real estate and my education and experience has prepared me for this opportunity. I received a bachelor’s degree in real estate from state university.

“While in school, I was on dean’s list, became a whiz at Excel and graduated with a 3.4 grade point average. My education gave me a great foundation on which to build and offered insight and knowledge into the different factors that impact real estate.

I interned for the city real estate commission, and when I graduated from school, I went to work for a developer, helping him achieve a 10 percent higher growth rate than his peers. I learned how to conduct research, cold call, deliver customer service, manage projects and budgets and work in a team environment.

“I believe my education and experience have prepared me well for this opportunity. Is my background similar to what you are looking for?”

If changing careers: “I have been successful in IT consulting for a number of years. The business is changing, and instead of reinventing myself within the IT industry, I want to transition my experience to project management in the pharmaceutical industry. I ran my own consulting firm, where I managed multimillion-dollar projects and teams of more than 15 people and regularly completed my projects on time and under budget.

My success was predicated on my attention to detail, interpersonal skills and the customer service I delivered. Is this what you are looking for in project management?”

Unfortunately, in my role as an interviewer, I often receive these typical responses: “What do you want to know?” Or “I grew up in New Jersey, went to the University of Michigan and I am pretty open to any jobs.”

To prepare for “Tell me about yourself,” you should identify the three or four achievement-strength combinations that are the most relevant for the position. Then, tie it in to the job and company in a powerful way.

Louis Pasteur said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” He was right. Do not leave this question to chance. It is an easy way to get your interview off to a great start.

A word of caution: Don’t talk about your personal life — your kids, extracurricular activities, etc. — focus on your work experience and skills.

These tips and examples will help you effectively tell the interviewer about you.

Mark Schnurman, a veteran human resources executive and lawyer who lives in West Orange, has successfully recruited, trained and coached thousands of individuals. Contact him about career coaching or your resume at holbert

group@hotmail.com. Visit him on the web at www.markschnurman.com.

Tips for creating a stand-out resume

Employers are likely to spend only about 10 to 20 seconds on the initial pass and your objective is to capture their attention while encouraging a more in-depth reading.

Wording, style, font and headers can make or break a resume. It’s important to determine the design of your resume and use white space to your advantage. In fact, if you are at a mid-career level, a two-page resume is most common and executives, or those at highly experienced levels, may find a two- or three-page resume is appropriate, depending upon your history and goals.

The idea is that you need not be concerned about keeping your resume to one page. It is more important that you present your most relevant qualifications and strengths in a clear and concise manner that maximizes the impact.

I have three tips for every resume writer:

1. Use the correct format, most employers prefer you list jobs in chronological order. Most do not have time to read through every resume and most of us have a hunch that if the resume is in a different format, such as functional, the candidate could be hiding something, such as poor job tenure.

2. Use quantifiable accomplishments such as revenue earned, money or budget savings, cost cuts, or time saved. This information will get you noticed.

3. Use keywords carefully. When reading over hundreds of resumes, recruiters are looking for those keywords. Before you submit your resume, check out the job posting and make sure your keywords mirror their posting. Some recruiters use a candidate-tracking database that sorts by keywords. If you don’t use the ones they use, you’ll be sorted out.

There are three formats of resumes: chronological, functional, and combination.

A chronological format emphasizes professional experience; however, it is best if a chronological resume utilizes a focused summary of qualifications that quickly conveys essential skills to an employer. This provides an opportunity to immediately capture attention through keywords, which makes a strong first impression during the critical 15-second initial screening.

Functional resumes present qualifications related to targeted positions. They focus on skills and qualifications only. Work history is indicated in a simple list at the bottom of the resume.

The combination format may be the best choice when your most recent work history lacks a direct correlation to your current employment objectives, or you are a new graduate. By demonstrating your relevant skills, education, training, and accomplishments through functional headings the connection between your abilities and the targeted position will be clear.

Keywords and phrases are essential today for computer and human screening. Analyze job descriptions and your industry prior to developing your keywords and phrases, and appropriately include these throughout your documents.

Do not include interests or hobbies unless they relate to the industry or position. Don’t include personal information such as date of birth, marital status, etc., unless you are targeting positions outside of the U.S. (If you are pursuing positions outside of the U.S., research the requirements specific to each country.)

If you want your resume to stand out and look professional, try a font that is different from the standard ones most people use. For example, the one most commonly seen on resumes is Times New Roman. If you try Georgia or Arial, it may help your resume look more up-to-date without looking too crazy. For example, don’t use Comic or Script type.

Bottom line: Be sure your resume sells you the best it can. Take time to make sure it reflects you and your experience.

About the Author: Bonnie is co-owner of Shore Staffing, Inc., a temporary staffing firm for nurses and other healthcare professionals in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. Contact her at 410-957-2800 or bburke@shorestaffing.com.

When you’re job hunting, success has everything to do with numbers. The more potential employers have your resume in their hands, the greater the number of interviews you’ll be contacted about. And the greater the number of interviews you ace, the likelier you are to not only land a job, but also land one that you’ll love.

So how do you flood the market with your resume? Well, you could spend hours sifting through the classifieds and searching the Internet for possibilities. Or you could save yourself a lot of time and trouble and simply contact a resume distribution service. More and more today, recruiters and employment agencies are turning to resume distribution services to find suitable candidates for jobs in hundreds of industries. It’s easier, cheaper, and less time-consuming for recruiters to contact a distribution service, versus trying to hunt down potential employees on their own. And an audience with a large number of recruiters is exactly what you need to nail down a new job quickly.

How it works

If you’ve never used a resume distribution service before, it can seem daunting. But it’s really as easy as posting your resume once to those huge job boards–and far more effective. First, you create a profile and submit your resume online. Once you’ve confirmed that everything is correct and have paid your fee, your resume will be forwarded to recruiters who can help you find a job in your chosen area. You’re typically contacted directly by recruiters or companies to further discuss a job opening. If you haven’t gotten much response from your resume within a certain amount of time, some distribution services will even help you review and improve your resume.

Why use a resume distribution service instead of going it alone? Here are some benefits to consider:

1. You can pick your plan. Most resume distribution services have several tiers of benefits. For a set price, your resume will be given a certain amount of exposure. You can pick a package that fits your needs and budget. Some even provide resume targeting for military resumes or those searching for executive positions.

2. Location, location, location isn’t a problem. If you’re open to moving for your career, you obviously stand a better chance of landing your dream job. But if you live in Chicago, will you know if a perfect position opens up in Denver? With a resume distribution service, your resume can be sent all over the country, putting you in front of people who can consider you for hundreds–or even thousands–of great jobs. Likewise, if you want to stay in your current city or state, you can narrow your targets to only recruiters in your region.

3. Discover a variety of possibilities. You know what industry you’re interested in, right? For example, doesn’t it make sense to put your resume in front of marketing or advertising companies if you’re in marketing? Not necessarily. If you’re looking in the newspaper under “marketing,” you may miss a great opportunity with an arts studio or a medical practice in need of a marketing specialist because you’re not looking in the right place. But a distribution service is the convergence point for a broad array of industries looking for someone with your skills and talents.

4. You get a direct pipeline. If you post your resume on a job board, it’s floating out there waiting to be “clicked” by an employer. But a distribution service sends your resume directly to the inboxes of recruiters who want to see it. That direct pipeline considerably ups your odds of being contacted about a position that’s right for you.

Additional tips

* It’s important to choose your resume distribution service wisely. To ensure that your resume is received by people who are really interested in it, verify that your distribution service sends your resume only to recruiters who’ve signed up with their site. After all, if it’s simply being mass-emailed to recruiters who will delete your resume as “spam,” you’re not getting any value for your money.

* Your resume itself is the final variable in this job-hunting puzzle. Remember to pay attention to the quality of the resume you send to a distribution service. They may send it to hundreds of recruiters, but if it’s a lousy resume, you won’t get the response you’re hoping for.

About the Author
Jason Kay recommends you read reviews of resume distribution services at JobGoRound.com.

I need help deciding what career to choose! Have you been saying these words again and again? One of the most important decisions of a lifetime is choosing a career, and that is relevant whether you are a college student, a fresh graduate, or a middle-aged person. So before you make a career decision, it would be important to seriously consider your interests and personalitya”and that is called career planning. Career planning is, by the way, a lifelong process. It includes a lot of things such as choosing an occupation that is suitable for you, getting a job, emerging on your chosen job, changing careers, and retiring. If you are thinking about being successful in life, then you might have said this line a number of times already: I need help deciding what career to choose.

Well, you are not alone. Millions of people around the world have also been worrying about their career patha”students, fresh graduates, and even middle aged employees! I myself have also been in the stage of career planning. But hey, I am so busy getting my diploma so I need help deciding what career to choose. I kept bugging my friends and my family about these things, telling them seriously that I need help deciding what career to choose. I even resorted to seeking the professional help of my college career counselor to asses myself.

But do you know what? Because I am so busy with my thesis proposal, my quest for my career planning was put at the backenda”but I need help deciding what career to choose! Of course, who would not want to get successful in life? Ita(TM)s a good thing that www.123justsayyes.com has been offering help to people who are telling themselves that aoeI need help deciding what career to choosea You can gear up for the next big event of your life by reading their Free Report. All you have to do is fill out their online form to receive their newsletter.

Start right now, and move toward your dream. WWW.123justsayyes.com provides mentoring and coaching, no matter what you dream is. If you are one of those people that say aoeI need help deciding what career to choosea, then you have come to the right place! This site offers mentoring and coaching no matter what your dream is. They know and understand that you are making the decision of a lifetime.

I myself have been so busy that regularly visiting career centers can be an added chore. For this reason, I decided to make my career planning via the internet because I need help deciding what career to choose. You can do that too by visiting www.123justsayyes.com for a free report. Take this opportunity and be able to choose a career where you will be happy and productive. You will learn their formula of A+B+C, and a lot more! You can excel if you love what you are doing. So what are you waiting for? Start building your dreams now, and move towards it!

About the Author
The 123JustSayYes.com Free Report offers tips to help you move toward your dreams. They can help if you need help deciding deciding what career to choose, how to reinvent your career, start a new business, or become wealthy. Download my Free Report to learn first hand how you decide what career to choose and have the coaching and mentoring experience you need to make your dreams come true.

If you’re in a job hunt, nothing will negatively impact your success more than filling your resume with your duties, focusing on overused phrases, and spelling out a dry list of your jobs. The reason?

Employers want to hire not only a person that meets the qualifications for a particular role, but a SOLUTION–a candidate that can help solve business problems, lead work teams to productivity, or deliver cost savings to the organization.

All too often, job hunters commit a cardinal error by loading up their resumes with the wrong kind of information, meaning that the document fails to answer the “So what?” question for hiring managers.

In effect, this writing style will put your qualifications into a category whereby your background is seen as identical to other candidates vying for the same job–and that can’t be a good thing.

To correct this problem, start with a fundamental shift in the way you view the purpose of your resume-changing your focus from a dry list of “here’s what I did” to “here’s what I can do for YOU.”

Here are 3 main clues that your resume needs an overhaul in order to move an employer’s response from “So what?” to “Call for an interview:”

1) You forgot to emphasize results.

Today’s hiring managers are looking for consistent proof of performance. So how can you provide it? Start with a list of your contributions to the team and the company, then describe the effect on the employer’s bottom line.

The idea, of course, is to RID your resume of the obvious (everyone knows that an accountant manages the general ledger, managers supervise, and network administrators monitor servers), while giving employers a clear picture of the extent of what you can do.

Many people think that employers are focused on job duties and don’t want more details, while just the opposite is true. It’s of utmost importance to give the outcome of each task that you’ve initiated or completed while at work.

To do this, take EACH resume sentence and scrutinize it for results. Does it present just the facts, or does it convey what happened?

Rewrite each sentence with a clear focus on what happened after you took on that project, led a new team or developed new policies. You’ll be amazed at the difference in the responses to your resume.

2) You failed to be specific about your achievements.

This is probably the biggest problem found in most resumes circulating the Internet. It’s concise, focused description of your accomplishments that lands the interview.

For example, say you increased sales - by HOW MUCH? You implemented changes for efficiency that reduced hiring - by HOW MANY PEOPLE? If you increased new business - by WHAT PERCENTAGE?

“Grew revenue by 435% to $5 million by winning major contracts,” for example, drives your point home better than “Provided contract negotiation support.”

The best way to come up with these figures is to review each sentence in your resume to see if it can be quantified. Make a list of questions such as the ones noted above, and ask yourself for additional detail as if you were at a job interview.

Remember that figures in this case speak much louder than anything else you can use. Quantifying your contributions is an absolute MUST in order to make your credentials stand out above others, and to make the case that you bring verifiable strengths to your next job.

3) You copied or re-used phrases.

It seems basic, but many candidates bore hiring authorities by using the same wording repeatedly, or re-use what they’ve seen elsewhere.

For example, how catchy is the phrase “Responsible for…?” Yet, it populates the average resume at least a half-dozen times. Essentially, if you don’t use interesting verbiage on your resume, then don’t expect much interest from the reader.

A resume should be written to engage the hiring audience so that they want to know MORE about you, not less.

The good news is that there are more than 170,000 words in the English language, meaning that you have a lot of choices.

For example, “managed” can be changed to “directed,” “spearheaded,” “oversaw,” “championed,” “led,” etc. As you can see, there’s no need to re-use the same information to convey your point.

Revitalize your resume to deliver a powerful, compelling message, using what professional resume writers call “Power Verbs”, by consulting a thesaurus.

In summary, remember that your resume’s job is to give employers an accurate and powerful picture of your skills, and that going against conventional, outdated styles can be the right thing to do.

Since reading hundreds of resumes can wear down even the most energetic hiring manager, it’s best to leave the tedious resume wording for use by someone else, in order to market yourself as the PERFECT SOLUTION that will produce bottom-line results.

A unique resume authority, Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CIC is the Executive Director of An Expert Resume, global resume award nominee, and author of “How to Get Hired Faster: 10 Proven Strategies to Tap the Hidden Job Market.” Visit An Expert Resume for Laura’s FREE E-Course on “The 7 Biggest Resume Mistakes that Can Keep You from Your Dream Job… and How to Avoid Them.”

Whether you are currently working and are looking to make a change, or you’ve lost your job and are eager to get back into the workforce, this is a challenging economic climate. You can find a job but you need to do things that your peers are not. Let me share with you four things that will help you stand out:

1. Stop taking it all personally. It’s frustrating to apply for positions and not get any responses. The truth is hiring managers and recruiters are being inundated with resumes and applications right now. The fact that they haven’t replied to your application has nothing to do with you. By personalizing the situation, you waste time and energy, often with the end result of feeling bad about yourself. Realize that if you want to stand out from the competition, you’ll have to stop wasting time and focus instead on the next best action to take.

2. Ask for feedback. Find out how you can improve your chances of being hired. When you get those opportunities to speak to employers make sure you ask for specifics: Do you have feedback on my resume? How did I do in the interview? What advice do you have for me? What can I do differently to stand out next time? Many employers welcome this as an opportunity to help someone out.

3. Be proactive. Don’t just apply for jobs online or e-mail your contacts asking for leads. Pick up the phone and make sure you follow up each contact. Call your network of friends and family and remind them of what you are looking for, and ask if they are willing to help. Be sure to ask for focused assistance. Don’t just ask them to pass on any leads they come across. Instead ask if they have contacts in the field you are interested in or a company you would like to know more about. Will they make an introduction? If you’ve had an interview and are wondering what happened, stop wondering, pick up the phone and find out. By following up, you demonstrate initiative and remind a busy hiring manager who you are.

4. Get out of the house and meet people. You may feel uncomfortable with the whole idea of networking. Here’s another way to look at it. It’s about getting to know people and having them get to know you. Don’t go to functions because you feel you should. Find gatherings of people with whom you have an affinity: alumni, special interest clubs, exercise groups, community associations, classes, etc. Make it your intention to simply meet people–don’t weigh yourself down with expectations! Be open to people and to having them get to know you. We help people we like. For someone to like you, they need to get to know you. Be interested in people and what’s going on in their lives. Give yourself the gift of sharing something about yourself. If you keep the focus on building relationships you’ll naturally connect with people who will want to help yo u and vice versa.

Annemarie Segaric is a respected career change coach, motivational speaker, and the author of 107 Tips for Changing Your Career While Still Paying the Bills. Ready to switch careers and don’t know where to begin? Visit http://www.segaric.com/toolkit.shtml and download your own career change toolkit today!

During any interview, the aspects that are tested are knowledge, aptitude, confidence, interpersonal skills, ability, and a desire to work hard. As an adjunct to this, your physical appearance, and the effectiveness of your communication skills will also be assessed. Consequently, any preparation for the interview includes the practice and improvement of all of these factors.

The questions that interviewers generally ask are usually concerned with any recent developments and events that have occurred in that field. You can read the magazines and websites related to your field to familiarize yourself with these. Keep in touch with any friends who are involved in the same field and exchange information with them. Through this you can also gain useful information about any interviews that they may have undergone.

However, even before this point, any knowledge you possess regarding the subject of your training is very important. Therefore, even if you received very good marks, it is important you practice and revise this information before the interview.

When you answer one question in an interview it is possible that the interviewer may ask a cross-question based on your answer. You will then have to think very quickly and as such, good practice is required. You should practice self-interviews several days prior to the interview. At this time you can practice such question and answers. You may be able to find a guide or some book containing questions that are related to your field and this will be of great benefit for your preparation. Alternatively, these guides may also be available online.

You should practice until such times as you can fluently consecutively answer these questions. There should be no delays in answering. You may find it helpful to ask someone to ask the questions and then you can practice the answers. This would also be helpful for gaining confidence in answering the questions at the actual interview.

As knowledge is considered to be important for the interview, so too are your confidence and interpersonal skills. To build your confidence, you may wish to practice orally any questions and answers that may be asked at the interview. Practicing aloud will be of great assistance. It can also have the added benefit of improving your voice projection and allowing you to feel more comfortable when giving the answers in situations where you are speaking to one person or indeed a large group of people.

Excellent interpersonal skills are vital for working in any position. As such, you should ensure that you have the basic skills required for dealing with other people.

Most interviewers also are influenced by your physical appearance. It is also important that you are able to demonstrate a degree of patience and understanding in your behavior as many interviewers will be looking for such qualities in candidates. They will most likely choose someone who shows forbearance rather than anger when challenged.

Visit Job Interview find advice on every aspect of job interviews particularly the thank you letter job interview.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ray_James

For the World War II generation, retirement was the happy end of a long working life.

For baby boomers, who have redefined most everything else in their lives, retirement may just be a transition to an all-new encore career or “a new stage of work after a midlife career,” says Phyllis Segal, vice president of Civic Ventures, a nonprofit focused on redefining the second half of life.

“It combines compensation, personal meaning and social impact. Encore careers are unique because of their social aspects,” she says.

Between 5.3 million and 8.4 million people ages 44 to 70 already are involved in encore careers, according to a new survey by Civic Ventures and the MetLife Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the insurance giant. A total of 3,585 people were interviewed from February 23 to April 1 by research firm Peter D. Hart Research Associates. According to the survey, most of those already in encore careers work in education, health care, government, nonprofit organizations and for-profits that serve the public good.

Half of those in the survey who don’t have encore careers would like to pursue them. Yet they face a number of obstacles.

“The older workers and retirees I study would like to do something meaningful or just make connections with people,” says Phyllis Moen, the Endowed McKnight Presidential Chair in sociology at the University of Minnesota. “They can’t find flexible jobs, though, and they don’t want to work full time anymore. They don’t see the kinds of situations they want.”

Moen says retirees with nondisabling but chronic health problems want to work as much as those who are in good health. They also need flexibility so they can manage their health concerns, but can’t find it.

Most people already in encore careers, however, report sufficient flexibility, even among the 59 percent of survey respondents working 40-plus hours a week. Of those, 73 percent have the flexibility they desire, and 85 percent have enough time outside of work to pursue their interests.

“Flexibility is not just about the number of hours you work but about having control over your time,” Segal says. “The type of work you do and the organization you work in can increase that control, even if you’re working full time.”

Laws that constrain post-retirement employment and corporate policies mandating traditional work schedules also pose obstacles to encore careers, but Segal thinks the necessary changes can be made.

“In the early 1900s, adolescence was identified as a new stage of life, and a whole group of programs were created for that,” she says. For encore careers, “We need to help social sector employers, nonprofits, government and others become aware, create pathways and training programs for individuals and help individuals find ways to hook up with employers.”

Such pathways are being built. The federal Partnership for Public Service, aimed at bringing talent into government, makes a point of recruiting 50-year-old-plus workers. Several states, including Arizona, Maryland and California, are setting up offices and task forces to recruit older adults to fill vacant jobs and help their communities.

Two bills have been proposed that could help. The Incentives for Older Workers Act, introduced by Sens. Herb Kohl, D-Wisconsin, Gordon Smith, R-Oregon, and Kent Conrad, D-North Dakota, would remove barriers to phased retirement and help people return to work after their midlife careers have ended. For those who postpone receiving Social Security, the act would extend the retirement-delay credit from age 70 to 72.

New lifelong learning accounts, proposed by Reps. Rahm Emanuel, D-Illinois, and Jim Ramstad, R-Minnesota, would let people save up to $2,500 per year pretax for education and training at any point in their lives.

Florida resident Gordon Johnson’s path after retiring from a lifetime of working with foster children in state and corporate systems illustrates one encore career. Throughout his working life, Johnson fought against the common state agency practice of splitting up siblings to make it easier to find foster homes for them.

In 2000, at the age of 67, Johnson founded Neighbor to Family, a certified, private, nonprofit organization in Daytona Beach, Florida. Neighbor to Family not only aims to keep foster siblings together, but also works with the children’s families to solve the fundamental issues that force children into outside custody. The organization has been so successful that Johnson was asked to set up similar programs in seven other states.

“When you’re on a mission, and you find something that’s working, and you develop it, you have a different kind of energy. It’s a passion,” he says.

Nonprofits, government at all levels and for-profit businesses should be actively recruiting encore career seekers like Johnson, experts say.

“Not many people today can sustain themselves on retirement income and Social Security,” Segal says. “Employers need good, experienced, passionate candidates. People in encore careers are a potential talent pool with ability, commitment and a passion to do the work. They can help make the world a better place.”