“Tell Me About Yourself”

When I was searching for a job I anticipated this question.  I had my answer prepared. 

If you’ve ever interviewed, you’ve probably gotten America’s LEAST favorite question, “Tell Me About Yourself.” Most applicants HATE it, because they don’t know how to answer and, usually, it comes at the start when logically, the interviewer doesn’t know anything about you. Let everyone else blow this one! If you have a killer answer ready, you can sew up the interview right here.  When I was searching for a job I anticipated this question. 

How To Answer The Question

Here’s your formula to shine: Before every interview, make a list of the qualities & skills they need for the position, then give specific examples of how you possess those traits. You want to show them that you are exactly what they need.

You can’t use just a list of words because people forgot words — that’s why we all make grocery lists. Actually, words are only 10% of our true communication, while your voice — the way you use your words — represents 20-25%, and the largest chunk, 65-70% is your image and body language. Since people believe what they see, you have to paint them a picture of how your skills meet their needs by reassuring them that you’re a great fit.

Suppose you’re interviewing for an administrative assistant position, with responsibilities including answering phones, taking messages, returning calls, and flexibly executing any/all assignments. Your most effective approach is to tell stories about similar past experiences.  “I’m good answering the phone, taking messages and making calls” will be easily forgotten. What detailed, distinctive examples can you offer to show you’ve got the goods?

Prepare to impress at your interview by making a list of 8-10 specific examples of when you worked really hard (on the job, through volunteer work, in school, extracurriculars, etc.) utilizing the skills they need. Interviewers are smart, but they’re not mind readers — they’ll only know what you tell them. And if YOU don’t reassure them you’re a great fit for the job, someone ELSE will, and THEY’LL be hired.

summarized from http://galtime.com/article/money/43161/13584/most-feared-interview-question

You’ve heard it before: An interview can make or break your chance of getting a job. But what exactly can go wrong?

1: So, tell me a little about yourself.

If your answer begins with anything remotely related to your place of birth, experiences in grade school, or your bad relationship with your parents, you can pretty much consider the interview over. And remember, this is often the first question you’ll face.

It’s hard to know what exactly an interviewer is looking for you to say to this question, but it’s safe to assume they want you to give a bit of background on your professional history. “Ask them where they’d like you to begin,” says Carolyn Thompson, an executive recruiter and author of 10 Steps to Finding the Perfect Job. Are they looking for your entire professional background, or just your most recent work experience? “It gives you a point to work forward or backward from,” Thompson explains.

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It’s not all that difficult to completely blow a job interview.

Showing up late, wearing inappropriate clothing and answering your cell phone are a few good ways to kill your chances. But sticking your foot in your mouth will do the job as well.

Many hiring managers say that on occasion, candidates that seem perfect at first get crossed off the list by saying something senseless when asked a routine interview question.

Here are a few responses to some of those frequently asked questions that will be sure to kill the conversation and send you straight out the door.

2: Why do you want to leave your current job?

First and foremost, you should actually want to leave your job if you’re going on interviews. If you meet that qualification, you shouldn’t say you are just looking for a change and you definitely shouldn’t badmouth your employer.

“It’s ok to bring up a problem with your current employer,” says J. Patrick Gorman, co-founder of the iFind group, an executive recruiter based in New York, “but you have to show how you attempted to solve it so you don’t sound like a whiner.”

Rita Boyle, a senior executive search consultant with New Jersey-based Cornerstone Search Group, suggests explaining how the change is the next logical step for your career path.

“Explain why you’re running to their company instead of why you’re running away from your current one,” Boyle says

Other no-nos? Noting that you want to leave your company (or join a new one) because of anything relating to location, pay, or benefits.

3. What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?

The worst way to answer this question is without the slightest pinch of modesty.

“‘Weaknesses? I don’t have any weaknesses,’ is the worst thing possible to say,” says Gorman. A less-obvious-but-still-awful answer? Identifying a weakness, but not explaining how you got through it, he says. It’s important to acknowledge your downfalls, but explain how you’ve been able to work around them as well.

When it comes to discussing strengths, don’t give yourself an endlessly glowing review — but don’t go with a one-size-fits-all answer, either.

Mark Herschberg, a career skills professor at the Levin Institute in New York City, says almost every candidate trots out a platitude about being smart or hard-working.

“In those cases, I respond, ‘95% of the candidates gave me that same answer, can you tell me anything that distinguishes you from them?'” he says.

4. How would your current or former colleagues describe you?

This is not an opportunity to simply re-frame your strengths. “There’s a difference between how you and everyone you work with would describe you,” says Thompson.

You should also steer clear of responses like “the only employee who did things right,” or “a great guy to hang out with after work,” says Lynne Sarikas, director of the MBA career center at Northeastern University’s College of Business Administration.

Think about what people at each level of the workforce look to you for, says Thompson. Your subordinates, for example, might say you’re fair, and are always looking to pass along useful knowledge and opportunities to gain experience.

5. What is your goal for the short term? Or the alternate: Where do you want to be in five years?

Never imply that you’ll be leaving in short order to start your own business, go back to school, or that you see yourself in the interviewer’s job. Another gaffe? Not knowing what your interviewer means by “short term.”

You might define short-term as the next six months, and your interviewer might be thinking in terms of the next 18 to 24 months, so it’s important to clarify the timeframe upfront. “A lot of people think ‘I know what my short-term goal is,’ but if you don’t know their definition of ‘short term,’ your answer may or may not be appropriate,” says Thompson.

6. Are there certain tasks or types of people you don’t like?

This is a particularly loaded question, according to Steven Raz, co-founder of Cornerstone Search Group, so make sure to tread carefully. Steer clear of any answer that is abrasive to authority figures, he counsels.

At the same time, Bruce Hurwitz of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing, aNew York City executive recruiting firm, advises not to feign a universally agreeable demeanor. Be honest here, and note the things you tend to avoid — whether it’s people who are overly chatty, or jobs that require endless data input — as long as the tasks or personalities aren’t going to be an inherent part of the role.

7. Do you have any questions?

If there’s a question that’s a guaranteed game-changer, it’s this one. Coming up blank is a good way to show that you aren’t thoughtful or interested in the job, says Raz.

And not just any questions in return are appropriate. No-nos include asking about compensation for the job, what the company does, if you can work from home, how much vacation time you’ll get, or if the drug and background testing are really mandatory. Ask queries that will help “match up your skills, experiences and accomplishments with what they’re looking for,” says Raz.

Instead of fumbling in the final minutes of the interview, be prepared with a few great questions that show you’re interested in both the company and the job.

8. Prepare and practice. 

Learn all you can about the company and practice the interview with a friend who will be honest when you have made a mistake.

Resource for this article is the Wall Street Journal.

These are better than no job.  Whether you need the money or just like the camaraderie, these positions fit the bill.

From AARP,  October 13, 2010

1. Librarian Assistant/Aide

The nitty-gritty: Duties might include fielding questions, shelving books, helping patrons check out, tracking overdue material and sending notices, as well as cataloging and keeping an eye out for lost and damaged items.
The hours: Schedules vary widely. Big libraries, or those on university campuses, tend to keep the doors open 24 hours a day, while small, local libraries might offer limited day and evening hours.
Median pay range: Small libraries can be cash-strapped and rely on volunteers, but at colleges, large city locations and specialty niche libraries, pay can range from $7.69 to $17.82 per hour. Those figures can more than double, depending on experience and where you live.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Qualifications: Experience working in libraries is desirable, as is an undergraduate or master’s degree in library science. Larger libraries favor research skills using library resources, databases and other tools, along with the ability to get along with the various denizens of the library. Some skills that will help: Knowledge of word processing, data entry and online searching, ability to keep accurate records, understanding of library operations and general secretarial skills. Love of books is a given.

2. Bookkeeper

The nitty-gritty: In small businesses, bookkeepers handle a full sweep of financial recordkeeping. You might take care of purchasing office supplies and processing payroll. Other duties can include establishing and maintaining inventory database systems, tracking accounts receivable and accounts payable, maintaining checking and savings accounts, producing financial reports, following up on delinquent accounts, and overseeing audits and reviews.
The hours: Vary by business. Frequently limited to one week mid-month and one at the end of the month for invoicing or bill-paying functions.
Median pay range: $10.23 per hour to $24.25; $50 or more is possible depending on advanced training/degrees and location.
Qualifications: A degree in accounting is desirable. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification is best. Relevant experience or formal training in accounting/auditing services is a plus. Other key skills: data entry, detail-oriented, and adept with financial and related computer software. Handy with a calculator.

3. Personal and Home-Care Aide

The nitty-gritty: You typically help elderly, ill or disabled people with everyday activities ranging from bathing and getting dressed to running errands. Other duties might include light housekeeping, companionship, grocery shopping, meal preparation and medication monitoring.
The hours: If you’re working at someone’s home, three or four hours a day, two or three days a week, might be all they require. These jobs are often booked through a home-care agency. You might opt for a part-time position in an assisted living facility or hospice. A word of caution: Some positions require lifting patients and lots of time on your feet. If you have physical limitations, ask about the requirements of a specific client before signing on.
Median pay range: There tends to be a lot of turnover, so job openings are plentiful, especially helping the elderly in-home as well as at assisted-living and hospice facilities. Expect $7.36 per hour to $12.45; $35-plus depending on experience and certification.
Qualifications: Some employers may require a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certification. CPR training and a driver’s license are helpful too. Good bedside manner is a must.

4. Handyman

The nitty-gritty: If you tackle this as a self-employed fix-it-up service, figure on a smorgasbord of odd jobs that range from tightening loose door handles to repairing running toilets. It can be a toss-up of woodworking, plumbing, electrical and even painting projects. There are more structured opportunities in this arena with building owners who hire part-time workers to perform basic maintenance. This is one job, even on a part-time basis, that requires a certain level of fitness and stamina.
The hours: If it’s your own business, you can call the shots, even working weekends-only. Part-time schedules for building maintenance will depend on the owners’ needs. Some might prefer to have a handyman on call for emergencies, while others might like to have you on-site and available to residents during specific hours.
Pay range: $10 to $20 an hour, and up to $50 for certain custom work.
Qualification: Be competent in various aspects of home improvement, have your own tools, be self-motivated and have good customer-service skills. Be on a first-name basis with the manager of your local hardware store.

5. Medical Assistant

The nitty-gritty: Administrative tasks in doctors’ offices are usually the bulk of the workload. In essence, you’re performing front-office duties, such as checking in patients, verifying insurance information, answering telephones, scheduling appointments and typing. You may also be the one who maintains supplies. Some assistants help physicians with procedures and prepare medical records. If you have the training, you may perform direct patient care such as conducting an EKG, specimen collection, wound care, medication administration and checking vital signs.
The hours: Varies by practitioner, but generally weekdays.
Pay range: $9.98 to $19.21 per hour; $25-plus depending on location and experience.
Qualifications: Some employers permit you to learn on the job, but a certificate of training from a nationally recognized Medical Assistant Program or National Certification as a Certified Medical Assistant is preferred. Related experience can sometimes serve in lieu of formal training and/or certification. Knowledge of medical terminology is useful. The sight of blood shouldn’t make you squeamish.

via How Many Americans Really Want Jobs? – Daniel Indiviglio – Business – The Atlantic.

This morning, we learned that the economy added 192,000 jobs as the unemployment rate ticked down to 8.9%. That put the number of unemployed Americans at 13.7 million — but this doesn’t tell the entire story. This number does not take into account Americans who, for various reasons, are not considered in the labor force. Some of them still want jobs right now, even by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ standards. What would the picture look like if we include these Americans?

For starters, how many were there? In February, BLS estimates 6.4 million Americans want jobs now, but are not considered part of the workforce. They are not included in the tally of unemployed Americans.

If you add these additional workers into the number of unemployed, you find that just over 20 million Americans want a job right now, but do not have one. That’s obviously a much grimmer picture than the 13.7 million that the headline number suggests — it’s nearly 50% higher.

This new calculation of Americans who want a job also shows a much larger portion of the nation struggling to find work, compared to the 8.9% unemployment rate. The portion of Americans who want a job was 12.6% in February.