Nonverbal First Impressions

It begins even before you say your first word in an interview. As the interviewer walks toward you to shake hands, an opinion is already being formed. And as you sit waiting to spew out your answers to questions you've prepared for, you are already being judged by your appearance, posture, smile or your nervous look.

• The nonverbal messages
• The Handshake
• Your Posture 
• Eye  Contact 
• Your Hands 
•  Don't Fidget

Preparing what you have to say is important, but practicing how you will say it is imperative. The nonverbal message can speak louder than the verbal message you're sending. For details on the above see the complete article here.

100 Potential Interview Questions

While there are as many different possible interview questions as there are interviewers, it always helps to be ready for anything. So here is a list of 100 potential interview questions. Will you face them all? No interviewer would be that cruel. Will you face a few? Probably.

You be well-served by being ready even if you're not asked these exact questions.  In reviewing these questions try to formulate an answer or be ready with a personal example you can elaborate on.  

Find the complete list here. 

Your Interview: hard questions, best answers

There are many challenging interview questions that you may be asked in a job interview.  You need to be quick on your feet with good answers. By reviewing tough questions and formulating good personal responses reflecting on your experience with actual situations, you prepare yourself.  Review typical questions and consider an appropriate response, based on your background and skills. 

There aren't necessarily any right or wrong answers, but carefully consider the job you are applying for, your abilities, and the company culture before you respond.

For a set of questions to test your wit and skills, see the full article here.

Ready for your video interview?

As if mentally preparing for a job interview wasn’t hard enough, now you need to look good on camera, too.

More companies are making video interviews an integral step in the hiring process. Depending on the survey, from 30 percent to 60 percent of organizations conduct some portion of job interviews via webcam.  There are things you can do to be ready, including knowing where to look, practicing and making sure you’re talking from an appropriately work-like setting.

Here are the recommend preparations for a video interview:

1. Get the gear
2. Talk from an office setting
3. Declutter and remove noisemakers
4. Adjust the lighting
5. Dress appropriately
6. Look into the camera
7. Practice
8. Be on time

For the details on these video savy topics, see the full article here.

Exact words for salary negotiations

You have the most power to negotiate a salary after you've impressed your future employer in interviews, but before you sign an official job offer. Most employees will informally offer you the job before they give you anything to sign, and this is a good time to talk about what you want.

Your new employer wants to hire you, and has no desire to keep interviewing. More than anything, they're anxious for you to start work. This is the time; ask for more money.

For pointers on strategy and language, see the full article here.

Strategies for job seekers over 40

The recent recession battered all segments of the U.S. economy, erasing 8 million private sector jobs in the process.  For every job opening, there are at least five out-of-work Americans.

Middle-aged professionals have been hit particularly hard.  There are inherent difficulties that older workers face when having to compete against younger applicants in the new economic environment.

If you are 40 or older and looking to re-join the workplace or move up in your career, there are several extra strategies that need to be part of your job-hunting process. That’s because age discrimination still exists in subtle forms.

You need to be aware of the stereotypes that pervade the marketplace concerning older workers and learn how to overcome the barriers that hiring managers may put in your way because of your age. See the complete article here.

Things Never to Say to Your Boss

“Think before you speak” is always a good policy  …

At work it's even more important. Saying the wrong thing to your boss can do serious damage to your career -- and some of the things bosses don't like to hear may surprise you. 

Checking with some managers came up with a list of nine phrases they strongly dislike.  To see the list of what not to say and what you should say instead, see the complete article here.

Interviewing, a Comprehensive Discussion

Considering that your resume has been successful in getting a call to interview, you need to understand the interviewing process. In a labor market where there are many qualified candidates competing for the same position, how you do on the interview can often determine whether you get the job. 

Here are topics you might find enlightening in your interview preparation:

• Types of Interviews
• Interviewing Strategies
• Illegal Questions
• Who gets Hired?
• Negotiating Your Compensation Package
• More Information About The Interview

For the complete discussion see the complete article here.

CareerOneStop for Job & Career Changes

Browse CareerOneStop’s video collection to learn about careers, industries, skills and abilities, or work options and education levels.

Get started by selecting links below.

Videos Introduction

Career and Cluster Videos

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The videos are available for downloading. They may be downloaded in several different formats. Please visit the OneStop Career System Multimedia Career Video Library to download videos. All videos are available in English. Most of the videos are also available in Spanish. Download times may vary. 

For more creative approaches on how to get started, education and training and interviewing click here to explore career options, salary ranges and job market trends.

Salary Negotiation Tips

Salary negotiations are tough under any circumstances. It's difficult to know what to expect as far as salary when you receive a job offer and it's even harder to negotiate more than you have been offered. In a very competitive job market, salary negotiations can be even more complicated.

What's the best way to negotiate salary? How can you ask for - and get - more money when you get a job offer or a promotion or you're seeking a raise? Key thoughts are:

• Believe you can negotiate
• Don't be afraid to ask
• Ask, don't ‘demand’
• Do your homework
• Negotiating in this climate is different

For the details on these thoughts, see the full article here.

Interview Questions from Entrepreneurs

If you are interviewing for a position in a small startup company there are several things to consider. First with an interview invitation your experience and qualifications are already known from your resume. Second the likelihood of you being interviewed by the very person that founded the company is good.

The principal question that they will have is ‘How do you fit into our company?’ So some of the questions asked will be of the ‘Behavioral’ nature. They will be less factual based and more oriented to personality and flexibility; do you fit the ‘Culture’. Small companies need to be fast on their feet and flexible, as do their employees. A Corporate reply of ‘That’s not my job’ won’t fly in a small company.

For an insight into entrepreneurs and ten questions you might be asked, see the full article here.

Best Things to Say in Your Interview

Keep these five things in mind as you go through the interviewing process to give yourself the best chance at landing the job.

Ask Good Questions  Doing so shows that you are thoughtful and interested in understanding the company.

“I’m flexible.”  Whether it’s about possible job duties, a start date or timing for the second interview, stressing your flexibility makes you easy to get along with

The Company’s Own Words  Before your interview, become familiar with the company’s website and literature. Mixing keywords into your answers can provide a subtle hint that you are plugged in to what the organization is looking for.

“That’s a Good Question.”  Say this if the interviewer stumps you with a surprise question. It willgive you a few moments to come up with an answer. Avoid the “I don’t know” answer whenever possible.

Reasons You Want the Job.  Talk about how you see yourself in relation to the company and what you believe you can bring to the position.

For more details on these, see the full article here.

Negotiating the Best Salary

"What are your salary expectations?"

This is commonly one of the first questions you're asked when interviewing for a new job. Employers want to get this question out in the open:

·       They need a sense if you're willing to work at or below the top of their pay scale for the job

·       They are asking you to negotiate when you have the least negotiating leverage

Job hunters are often at a loss (figuratively and literally) trying to both get the job and obtain the highest possible compensation. Here's how to do it:

1.       Be responsive, but don't commit early on

2.     Find objective data to justify your request

3.     Figure out your Zone of Possible Agreement

4.     Talk about creating fairness and finding common ground

For details on these approaches, see the complete article here.

Three Job-Interview Myths

Think you know all there is to know about interviewing for a job? According to career coach David Couper, many surprising myths surround job interviews. In his book Outsiders on the Inside, Couper lists several myths that, if you believe them, may prevent you from landing your dream job. So here's the truth about three of those myths -- as well as several tips on making the most of a job interview:

Myth 1: The Interviewer Is Prepared:  What You Can Do?;

Myth 2: The Interviewer Will Ask the Right Questions:  What You Can Do?

Myth 3:  The Most Qualified Person Gets the Job:  What You Can Do?

For the complete article written  by Charles Purdy, click here.

Salary Negotiation

Before you start talking pay (and salary negotiations) with a prospective employer, you need to find out how much the job (and you) are worth. You will need to take the time to research salaries. That way you will be prepared to get what you're worth and to get a job offer that's realistic and reasonable.
For more details and strategies on the following

• Salary Negotiation
•  Salary and Paycheck Calculator
• Negotiating a Raise

Set the full article here.

The Interview Thank You

While unlikely to make an employer totally reverse an opinion about you, when done well, thank-you notes can help you stand out from a crowd of applicants. If you want hiring managers to remember you favorably, write a knockout thank-you note; it may make a difference. If you can't sound invested in the position and take the time necessary to write an interesting note, you may be wasting your time.

There's more to following up than getting the interviewer's name spelled correctly and shooting off a  ‘thanks for meeting me’  note. If your messages don't go beyond trite and inappropriate phrases and sentiments, you'll want to up your game to help your cause.

For points on what and what not to do, see the article here.

Run a free background check

It shouldn't come as a surprise that everyone has skeletons in their closet. The internet is a virtual graveyard of background information. Much of it is readily available through public records or broadcast to the world voluntarily through online social networks.

The first person you should run a background check on is yourself. Double-checking your records will give you a better idea of what potential landlords, employers, or anyone else might see about you if they decide to do a little detective work.

Here are areas to use for a comprehensive background check.

• Search engines
• Social Networks
• Contact information
• Criminal database
• Public records
• Financial history
• Web domains

For more detail on these areas, see the complete article here.

Tell me, doesn’t mean ‘Tell It All’

When an interviewer gives you the stage with ‘Tell me about yourself’, understand that responding is trickier than you think. The following tips can help you provide a memorable and effective description.

1. Start with the end in sight.
2. Take the time to establish rapport.
3. Sketch the big picture.
4. Focus.
5. Showcase your communication skills.
6. Highlight the benefits you'll bring to the employer.
7. Spotlight the positive.
8. Provide details.
9. Disclose personal information cautiously.
10. Finish strong.

For the details on these tips see the full article here.

Five Tricks for Remembering Names

If you are fortunate to have an interview, you will likely meet new people for the first time. Remembering their names could be a challenge. An even greater challenge can arise if you are interviewed by a committee.
How can you avoid the panic that can come from forgetting someone’s name almost as soon as you’re introduced? The fact is, names just aren’t a priority for our brains.  There are however some techniques that will improve your name retention powers.

• Don’t psych yourself out.
• Slow down and take it easy.
• Ask questions.
• Use a person’s name.
• Create an image.

For the details on how to apply these techniques, see the complete article here.

The truth about job references

When applying for a job, it's not just your resume and interview that matter. Who you select to be your reference can make a huge difference. So, how can you make sure that the references you provide a new employer are going to be effective? Well, here are a few truths about job references that can make the task a little easier:

Here are a few broad brush pointers:

• There are restrictions on what they say (but not HOW)
• Provide references only when asked
• Stay in touch with your references
• Always ask before using someone as a reference
• If in doubt, do a test run

For details on these, see the full article here