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Job Interview Tips: Clean Up Your Social Pages

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One of the most important job interview tips for today’s job seeker is to clean up your social pages. Employers are now spending time on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter searching for accounts for potential employees. It’s worth their time when they come across an account for a very qualified individual, but what is posted isn’t what an employer should see.

What to Get Rid Of

Obviously, there are some things that should be avoided on your social pages. For example, nudity, profane language, illegal drug use, or excessive alcohol use can all portray you in a very negative light. However, these things are not the only ones that will get you into trouble. Perhaps you post up a status on Facebook about how you “snowed” the interviewer. Maybe you rave about a competitor’s product. Some employers state that they have come across social pages that list an array of past-times, some of which include skydiving, motorcycling or bull riding. Obviously, these could be a concern for some employers. Most job interview tips will tell you to avoid disclosing these types of favored pastimes.

There are other things to consider, as well. Perhaps you exaggerated a bit on your resume and the real truth lies in your profile. Maybe you have listed ten different organizations that you belong to or volunteer for. While this isn’t a bad thing, it could show a potential employer that you are simply too busy for a position that might require overtime or traveling. It’s hard to know what each employer will think, so when considering job interview tips, take as much to heart as possible about your social pages.

Change the Access

If you do not want to get rid of all those posts, pictures, and videos then perhaps it’s time to limit the access to them. Most social sites allow you to say who can see all of your information and who can only see a small part. Limiting the access to your pages to only your closest friends and family is a good way to ensure that what you did in Vegas really stayed in Vegas! Some people create two accounts, but make no mistake. Employers are very resourceful. Cleaning up your social pages should be at the top of most job interview tips!

What to Leave Up

If you don’t want to limit the access, then use your social pages to represent someone any employer would be glad to hire. For example, highlight your education, training, and experience in your profile. List a couple of organizations you belong to and make a comment every now and then about how excited you are about an upcoming interview. This is what employers want to see. They do not want to be embarrassed due to content on social pages that belong to their employees. Remember not to bash your previous employers, either. This is one of those job interview tips that everyone should pay attention to.

In Closing

The best job interview tips today include those about cleaning up your social pages. Employers are searching the social sites before they make a hiring decision. They want employees that are more concerned with working hard than playing hard. This does not mean that you can’t play hard – just hide it better!

Job Interview Tips: Clean Up Your Social Pages

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Some of today’s most popular websites are social network sites. These include sites such as Facebook and Myspace. Account holders can create their own social pages, update their status, and stay informed of what their friends and family members are doing. Photos can be added, as well as likes, dislikes and all sorts of other information. However, when it comes to important job interview tips, cleaning up these social networking pages is close to the top of the list.

Do Employers Really Check?

The answer is yes. Employers do complete background checks on potential employees and today, that includes checking out the social networking sites. They want to know more about potential employees before they make an offer of employment. If these social pages contain items that may cause the company embarrassment, chances are that the applicant would not be hired. Many employment services are now providing job interview tips on how to clean up these public social pages so that job hunters aren’t pulled out of the employment process because of something that is posted.

What You Should Get Rid Of

While you may love that picture of the night you danced on the table at your favorite bar, it’s not likely to score many points with a potential employer. You should remove any photos that might not be looked at too favorably. These include pictures that may not even include yourself, but someone else in a very compromising situation. Any nudity should obviously be avoided, but you may not want your employer to know that you smoke or drink, either. Some companies do not want to hire a potential employee that spends their free time skydiving, riding motorcycles, or mountain climbing.

While it’s not always fair, it is simply what employers have started doing to help ensure their employees are not at a greater risk for injury. These are important job interview tips that can improve your chances of landing that dream job.

Does Blocking an Account Work?

Most of the major social sites do allow you to limit who sees all of your information. This can be an option for most people. However, with sites such as Facebook that show updates from friends, your comments to other people may be seen, as well. Keep this job interview tips in mind when you are commenting on what your friends did this past weekend or what plans you have for the upcoming weekend.

A Few Final Thoughts

Most applicants will agree that there are probably a few things they should change on their social networking pages. It’s difficult because you want to share your life with your friends and family members. If you can do so privately, it’s a much better idea than leaving nothing to the imagination for a potential employee. The age of the internet has certainly brought these kinds of job interview tips to the forefront. It would be a shame to lose a fantastic job opportunity because your social pages weren’t exactly flattering.

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Preparing for a Job Interview: Tips for Success

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One of the most stressful meetings you’ll probably have in your life is the job interview; however, there are some job interview tips that can help make this a bit easier on you, especially if you have never had an interview before. Consider the following:

Don’t Be Late

Probably one of the worst things you can do is arrive late to an interview. It is disrespectful and it shows poor time management. Arrive early, but not too early. Ten minutes is plenty of time to compose yourself for your interview. Be ready, though. You may be ushered right in to the interview when you arrive. This is one of the best job interview tips you’ll hear.

Dress for Success

Now is not the time to show off your new fun and funky wardrobe. Choose business attire, even if the job you are interviewing for doesn’t require it. For men, slacks, dress shirt, jacket and tie are necessary; for women, slacks, skirt or a dress. Avoid jeans or even khakis. Women should not wear short skirts or revealing tops. Also, avoid too much jewelry, makeup or heavy perfumes. Men should go light on the aftershave. Make sure your hair is neat and your shoes are polishes. Most job interview tips will tell you that appearance is everything and it is.

Shake the Interviewer’s Hand

While a limp handshake can be your downfall, this is not the time to show your great strength either. You want to give a firm handshake and look your interviewer in the eye. This shows confidence and that is one of the most important qualities during an interview. Other job interview tips include allowing the interview to sit first, sitting up straight and not crossing your legs. While these may seem minor, these little gestures can have an impact on the large picture during the meeting.

Think Before You Speak

When you are asked questions, take a moment to think about your answer. This does not mean you should sit there until the silence becomes uncomfortable but you should give yourself enough time to think about what you want to say. This can also help calm your nerves on those really tough questions. Other job interview tips include practicing the interview with a friend. This will help you formulate the right answers ahead of time and lessen the chance that you will be surprised with a question.

Shake the Interviewers Hand when You Leave

Before you leave, take the time to shake his or her hand and thank them for their time. This is one of those job interview tips that are often forgotten, as many people just want to get out of that room as quickly as possible! You should show your composure throughout the interview and this even includes when you’re walking out the door.

In Closing

These are just a few of the job interview tips that will help you perform better and feel more confident. The most important is to arrive on time. If something happens that will delay your arrive, call the company as soon as possible to let them know.

Job Interview Tips: Clean Up Your Facebook Page

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Facebook is one of the most visited websites today. With over a half a billion accounts, this social media network is has revolutionized the way that people keep others informed about what is going on in their lives. However, Facebook has also been the downfall of many job applicants. In the following job interview tips, you will find all the information you need to clean up your Facebook page so that potential employers get the right impression of you when they do some research on you.

What Does Your Facebook Page Say about You?

While you may not think that employers look at Facebook pages, it really couldn’t be further from the truth. There is a wealth of information to be found online and social media websites are no exception. Think about what is on your Facebook page. Does it contain photos of you that might not show your best side? For example, the last night you were out at the club and dancing on the table may not be what you want a potential employer to see. Job interview tips include removing photos that show excessive drinking or even worse.

If you have strong political beliefs that may not coincide with a potential employer views, you may want to reconsider what your profile says. Consider what your likes and dislikes include. If you list your favorite activities as skydiving, riding motorcycles, bungee jumping, or other dangerous activities, an employer may not want to take a chance that you will be hurt and miss work. They could choose to hire someone who enjoys reading, poetry and basket weaving! These are job interview tips that really can help you in the long run.

Another thing to remember is that you don’t want potential employers to see any risqué photographs of you. You don’t need a photo of you on Facebook that shows you any type of compromising position. It simply isn’t worth it. Far too many college students post up pictures from fraternity and sorority parties that should be filed away for private viewing. Good job interview tips include those that limit the amount of skin that you should show online!

While there is no law against being yourself on your Facebook page, if you are job hunting, the wrong content can cause you problems. You may want to limit access to your wall or profile to only your friends. This means that potential employees will not be able to view all of your information unless you give them access. Other people have changed their name slightly so that their account will not come up when a search of their legal name is done. These are really important job interview tips that can help you stay in the running for your dream job.

In Closing

Facebook is quite a phenomenon, but it can also damage your chances of getting a great job. Employers do look at Facebook accounts of potential employees. Keep the above job interview tips in mind in order to stay in the running for that next job.

Examples of Going Above and Beyond for a Job Interview

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Have you ever engaged someone to perform a particular service for you and been pleasantly surprised at the end to find that the workmanship and other aspects far exceeded your expectations? Often, this is because the person whom you engaged did a wonderful job and, even more, went above and beyond the call of duty.

Going above and beyond the call of duty will give your overall employability a huge boost, no matter where you previously stood on the employability scale. This is because employers will always give preference to employees who are able to add greater value to their work and to the company, over those how simply do just enough to avoid getting fired. 

There are also a number of pointers that you should keep in mind when you decide to make use of examples of yourself going above and beyond the call of duty in the process of getting your job done. Following these pointers will help to make your resume more accessible and readable to potential employers, further increasing the chances of getting hired to do the job that you want to do.

Things To Remember when Giving Examples of Going Above and Beyond

The first thing to remember when it comes to giving examples of going above and beyond in the line of duty is to be specific. This means putting down as many details as you can remember about the exact event and the way in which you went above and beyond the call of duty and wherein you did more than you were expected to.

Of course, there are certain aspects of your going above and beyond the call of duty that you will wish to emphasize over others. The most important of those is to identify the principle that drove you in going above and beyond the call of duty in that particular instance. This principle should be applicable to a wide variety of situations, thus signifying to your potential employer that the example that you cited in your resume was not a one-off event, and that you will frequently go above and beyond the call of duty in the regular discharge of your responsibilities.

While it is good to provide your potential employer with as much information and detail about yourself and your appreciation for going above and beyond, you should also ensure that you do not come across as overly desperate or sycophantic. Some people, in an attempt to show that they go above and beyond the call of duty on a regular basis, merely demonstrate to potential employers that they are unstable and cannot be trusted to follow instructions to the letter when required to do so.

This should also serve as a reminder that any examples you include of yourself going above and beyond should be tempered by the knowledge that most potential employers seem to be self-contradictory. Somehow, most potential employers require that a potential employee be able to follow instructions to the letter, while still possessing enough independence to know when to depart from those instructions, without any further communication, for the good of the company. Your examples should therefore be geared towards showing potential employers the side of you that conforms to their notion of an ideal employee.

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Job Interview Tips: Why Do You Want to Work Here?

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 “Why do you want to work here?” can be one of the most difficult to answer questions you are likely to face in an interview. In most cases, an  interviewer will ask you this question simply to see how prepared you are for the interview or how you react under direct pressure. Creating an effective, appropriate answer is one way to ensure that your interview goes well. This is where reading a few relevant job interview tips can hold you in good stead.

Why Do You Want to Work Here?

It’s a tough question to answer, isn’t it? You don’t want to sound too gushy with statements such as “Your company is just the greatest!” and you certainly don’t want to say “Because I can’t find anything else!” Most job interview tips will tell you to do a bit of research beforehand. Find out some of the company’s products and services. See what their mission statement is. Try to draft a response that is line with the company’s vision. However, take care not to make your answer sound too rehearsed.

You need to keep this answer positive in every way. Speak about how you feel the company will offer you a great chance to use your skills and experience. If the company offers great benefits, mention it. Don’t mention salary unless the topic is brought up by the interviewer. You may also speak about your past employer, but don’t say anything negative. Simply state that you had risen as far as you could go in the company and you wanted a chance to grow more professionally.

If the company offers educational reimbursement, you can mention this as well. However, you don’t want to appear as if it’s the only reason you want to come on board. You never want to give the interviewer the impression that you are only using their company as a stepping stone. While most interviewers know that ninety percent of the people they hire will likely not be there in ten years, they don’t want to waste their time training someone who will leave in a year or two.

It is best to write out your answer and review it right before you interview. One of the great job interview tips involves a mock interview. A friend asks you a variety of questions that you may hear in an interview, giving you a chance to develop a great answer. Most interviewers know that a job applicant will be nervous. It’s to be expected. However, the key is to control that nervousness so it doesn’t give off the wrong impression.

In Closing

Make use of the job interview tips online. Some will provide information on answering the above and other questions, while others are designed to help with your wardrobe and appearance. There is a lot to consider when you go for an interview if you want to present yourself in a positive light. Many people just “wing it” when it comes to an interview and that can often backfire. Every human resources manager has a story or two about an interviewee that simply was too much. Don’t be one of those stories!

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Job Interview Tips: Tell Me about Yourself

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A job interview can sometimes be the most intimidating of all experiences. When you feel the open position is perfect for you and you want it badly, it can make you even more jittery. However, there are a few job interview tips that can make it a little easier for you. Most interviewers ask about the same types of questions. If you prepare your answers to these questions ahead of time, you should feel much more comfortable during the interview.

One of the most common questions that you will be asked in an interview is “Would you please tell me about yourself?” This does not mean that the person you are interviewing with wants to hear all about your first car or your childhood, however exciting it may have been. It means that they would like to hear about why you are in this particular industry, a little about your education and some of your experience. This is an important question and it pays to read a few good job interview tips so that you get the answer right.

The Wrong Answer

You do not want to tell an interviewer that you ran away from home at the age of 15, spent time in rehab or have a criminal record. Keep the conversation positive. You should avoid talking about any position you were fired from, a bad performance evaluation, or how much you hated the last company you worked for. One of the most notable job interview tips that you should keep in mind is that it is never okay to bash your previous employer, no matter how much you disliked working there.

The Right Answer

Start with explaining why you are in this industry. For example, “I chose the field of teaching because I wanted to help our young people become productive adults.” That’s a good lead in to speaking of your education, such as where you went to school and what your major was. You can speak a little of previous employment. An example might be, “I went to work for my local school district because it was close to home. After four years, I returned to college to get my Master’s Degree.” This answer shows that you took the initiative to further your education, while getting your degree into the conversation as well.

Many job interview tips say to avoid speaking of your family. However, it could be an asset, if presented correctly. Most job interview tips are trying to avoid the appearance of excessive commitments elsewhere. This might be a family of ten children, a volunteer job that takes away your weekends, or other similar type of commitment. You will know within the first few minutes of the interview whether to add this in or leave it out. If you are in doubt, leave it out.

In Closing

It is important to project a positive image during an interview. The above question is designed to give the interviewer a picture of who you are. You want to keep your answer positive and related in some way to the company’s open position. Interviewing for any job is difficult; however, the right preparation ahead of time, which would include reading a few job interview tips can take care of most of the butterflies during your interview.

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Job Interview Tips: Why Should We Hire You?

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The number of questions that an interviewer can ask is virtually unlimited. Some questions you can easily prepare for, such as those about your educational qualifications and your work experience. Others questions, especially those that are open-ended, can be quite difficult. One of the questions that can be quite frustrating is “Why should we hire you?” If you have an interview ahead of you, here are a few job interview tips to help you answer complex questions such as these.

The Right Answers

This question can easily make or break an interview. It’s really not one that you want to answer off the top of your head. Before the interview, it is important that you garner some information about the company. This bit of background will help you develop an answer that shows the company they really should hire you!

Your answer should include a point about what the company needs and why you’re the one they should hire to fulfill that need. If the position is for a highly skilled position, you should highlight your experience and training. If the position calls for exceptional people skills, then you should include a statement or two about how well you can communicate and respond to people’s needs.

The Wrong Answers

It is easy to say, “I’m the best person for the job.” However, you do not know the qualifications of the other applicants and this response shows arrogance. You also do not want to sell yourself short, either. Don’t say something generic, such as “I’ve always wanted to work in this industry.”

This question is usually one of the first ones an interviewer will ask. Your answer will help set the tone for the rest of the interviews. Most job interview tips are centered around showcasing your skills and experience. However, there is a point when you need to show your knowledge of the company. Not only does this show initiative on your part, it also could be the difference between you and another person getting the job offer.

Crafting the Right Answers

Job interview tips will always tell you that preparation is key to a successful interview. They usually list several questions that you should expect and be prepared for. What first comes to mind when you hear the question, “Why should we hire you?” Is it because your skills and experience perfectly fit their requirements? Perhaps it’s because you want to become part of their growing and evolving company. Make sure your answer is to the point, but you should give more than just a sentence or two.

In some cases, the interviewer is more concerned with how you respond than exactly what you say. Anyone who does interviews on a continual basis has heard some very strange answers. In some cases, those answers may be overlooked if the interviewee is confident, without being arrogant, professional, and personable, without begin too casual.

A Few Final Thoughts

An interview can be stressful. The best job interview tips help you prepare for it and create the right answers. Companies are used to nervousness during interviews, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Answer the question, “Why should we hire you?” before you go into the interview, so you are not stammering around trying to find the right words.

Job Interview Tips: Tell Me About a Weakness

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One of the most intimidating moments in a job interview can be when you are asked to tell your potential employer about a “weakness.” It can be especially difficult because you spend your time pumping yourself up for the interview and then you have to describe something negative about yourself! However, the right job interview tips will help you tackle this portion of the interview and tell the potential employer what they need to hear without lying.

Use a Weakness as your Strength

One of the best job interview tips for these difficult questions is to answer the “weakness” question with one of your actual strengths. If you have a tendency to take the job home with you, it shows that you value dedication and commitment. Perhaps you are impatient when a task is not completed properly but you tend to take care of the matter yourself. These types of answers show that you are not looking to pawn the work off on someone else.

Another weakness that really isn’t a weakness is being organized to a point of perfectionism. However, you have to be careful here or you could end up sounding as though you cannot work well with others. You might also want to tell your potential employer about a task that you had trouble with at your last employer, but add that increased training or repetition took care of the problem. This shows that you have initiative to learn and improve your performance.

What Not to Say

Sometimes, even with the best intentions, an interviewee will list a weakness that is truly a weakness an employer does not want to hear. These might include that you are lazy but working on correcting the problem or you don’t work well with others or that you hate smokers. These are not the types of things you want to tell a potential employer. You also don’t want to take badly about your former employer – in any way. Listing your weakness as you couldn’t leave the last rotten company you worked for because of financial reasons isn’t what you want to say!

Some of the best job interview tips are those that help you prepare for any question. You won’t always be asked difficult questions, but many employers want to know how you handle adversity or being put on the “hot seat.” It’s okay to take a moment and think about your answer. Don’t just blurt out the first words that come to mind.

In Closing

When you are searching for job interview tips, look for those that offer sample questions of what you might hear in an interview. These will allow you to write out answers and practice ahead of time. No one likes to be surprised in an interview. It can cause you to say things that simply don’t come out as planned. When you are asked about your weakness, respond with something positive, as well. You’ll be surprised at how well this works and how often it can actually be a great turning point in the employer offering you the job!

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Job Interview Questions: Examples of Going Above and Beyond

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In the past, many employers valued obedience and a docile attitude in their workers. This was because, during the mechanical revolution, as machines were just coming into widespread use in industries worldwide, machines were seen as the most productive and efficient workers that a company could have. As a result, many employers tried to hire workers that would function as much like machines as possible, nothing more; nothing less.

In this enlightened age, however, the exact opposite is true. Employers now value workers who are independent and are not afraid to challenge existing practices and habits if they have constructive and useful suggestions to give. In fact, many employers encourage this as much as they can, because they realize just how much a company can benefit from one good suggestion provided by a single worker.

When you go for your job interview, you can cater to this desire by employers by demonstrating to your interviewers just how you went above and beyond in your previous job. If you are able to think of any situation in your previous employment in which your creativity or initiative allowed you to save the company money or time or perhaps make the existing system more efficient, then you should definitely work that into at least one of your answers to the questions asked during your interview.

Even if you lack work experience or you are unable to think of any particular situation in which you were able to go above and beyond the call of duty, you should not feel limited to giving examples only from your previous employment. You could even talk about your experiences as far back as college. Perhaps you were the leader of a student organization and you did much more than what was expected from you in that capacity.

Characteristic And Not Lifeless Examples

While you may be tempted to simply drop as many examples of going above and beyond as possible if you have had such experiences, this is not at all the right way to go about impressing your interviewers. Your interviewers, who are likely to include the chairman of the company and perhaps even some of the directors, will be on the lookout for someone who goes above and beyond the call of duty as part of their personal character and not just as something to gain mileage from. Your true intent will come through in the way you state your examples of going above and beyond.

Instead of rambling on and on about the examples of going above and beyond, it is far more effective to pick a few specific examples where you made the most different to your company and focus on those. Pick apart the thinking and rationale that went into your decisions and how you conceived of the process. Show your interviewers exactly how you went above and beyond and why you did so. This will give them a much better impression of how you go beyond the call of duty based on a personal character trait and not just so that you would have something to talk about in an interview.

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