Where Do You See Yourself Five Years from Now?

No new year’s resolution question... but a silly interview question asked by most interviewers.

This is the type of question where virtually any answer can get you into trouble.

If you aim too high, you might come off as too ambitious, on the other hand... if you aim too low, you lack initiative and won’t contribute enough to cover the cost of your salary.

You must admit, this is a tricky question, but you’ve got to answer it...

Where do you see yourself in five years from now?

First, don’t break into a sweat.

Secondly... be honest.

Here’s a good answer to an uncomfortable question.

“I don’t have a specific plan! I would like to advance. However, I am flexible. I will do my current job to the best of my ability and keep my eyes open for opportunities within the organization to advance even if it means changing roles. I am prepared to learn new things and contribute to the overall success of the organization in a number of ways. The only specific within that “plan of willingness” is that the opportunity be within my ability to learn, interesting enough for me to dig in and do a good job, and the compensation increase a reasonable amount in relation to the demands of the position.” L. Bosco (Earning eight promotions in thirty-one years).

This answer can be revised to fit in with your own personality...

“In the next five years I’d like to see myself in this company, advancing to the next level or at least learning new things and taking on new responsibilities if at all possible.”

” I’m happiest when I feel that I’m an essential part of the company I work for – hopefully this one. In the next five years (and hopefully more) I plan to take advantage of whatever opportunities are available – but mostly, I want to do the best I can and know that I’m making a difference.”

Whatever you’re answers going to be, try to be yourself – even if yourself is a little nervous.

Look the interviewer(s) in the eyes, take a moment to connect, and then with as much truth and sincerity as possible make the words yours.

Work Coach Cafe

Engineering positions available on our websites:

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Engineer Search & Recruit

Resolution 2011... Find a Job.

A lot of people decide to put their job hunt on hold between Thanksgiving and New Year's...

HUGE MISTAKE !!

There are a lot of extra job openings in December.

Looking for a new opportunity during December means... you have less competition than usual, because people think it's a bad time to hunt.

These factors combine to make December one of the best times of the year to find a job.

Some of you might read this and say to yourself, "So what?   I need a break from the hunt and I'm really busy during the holidays and I'll start up again in January.

" Don't do that: You'll have more competition in January, because that's when everyone who stopped for the holidays starts up, and it's when people who make a resolution to change jobs start their hunt.

Happy hunting : ENGINEER NETWORK GROUP

ENGINEER NETWORK GROUP / RESUME / CV - USA

The "resume" (known in other countries as a "Curriculum Vitae" or "CV") is where your work or other experience is laid out in a more outline-type form. Usually accompanied by a more literary and personal cover letter, a resume should clearly show any interested employers exactly what skills they can expect from you and why they should hire you! The presentation and content of resumes and CVs varies from country to country, so take into account the following notes we have prepared for you on how to write a resume for the USA.

Do not be fooled: an American Curriculum Vitae is NOT the same as a European CV. What Europeans know as a "Curriculum Vitae" (or "CV") is called a "resume" in the US. A resume is written by anyone applying for a job. However, in America, a "Curriculum Vitae" is a longer document and is usually written only by a researcher, educator, or academic.

If you are applying for a research or academic job in the US that requests a CV, basically a CV is a lengthy document that lists all of the researcher's achievements, including his or her educational background, scientific papers and experiments, teaching experience and awards received.

PRESENTATION
Heading:

Do not include a heading; start your resume with your contact information.

Contact Information:

Relevant personal contact information at the top of the page including:

• Name
• Phone number
• Fax number
• Address
• Email address

It is recommended that you do NOT list your gender, race, religion or marital status, unless it is appropriate and relevant for the job. In America, employers are under legal obligation to be fair and to not discriminate against applicants because of their gender, race, or sexual orientation.

Though in general many employers try to be fair, some employers who fear being sued for discrimination may systematically discard any applications that mention these characteristics in an attempt to insure these qualities don't affect the first round of the application process. Clearly, this is not the case if gender or race is important or relevant to the job, as is the case with acting or other jobs in which certain characteristics are sought after.

Objective:

Some career experts recommend describing your objective in the process of your job search just below the contact information. Some recommend against including an 'objective', and some employers don't care for it either. There is no hard and fast rule about whether or not to use it. Generally, the point made in the 'objective' will be made in the cover letter (separate from the resume), so it is probably fine to omit it.

Professional Experience:
Read about how to list your work experience in two types of resumes:

• Chronological
• Functional

Whether you opt for listing your experience chronologically or functionally, it is best to fill your work experience with keywords, which highlight your past accomplishments and clearly indicate your skills. Keywords grab a human reader's attention, but are especially important now because employers may scan your resume into a database and then search for certain keywords relevant to the job.

Education:

This section should come before work experience if you are in school or have been out of school for one to three years, depending on your level of work experience and how relevant your education is to your career. If you have a high Grade Point Average (3.5 or above, equivalent to an A- or A), include it on your resume. If you attended college, list the name of the college and what you got your degree in. If you recently graduated or have taken courses highly relevant to the job for which you are applying, list those.

Certificates & Diplomas:

Courses, seminars, congresses or conferences that are relevant in relation to the position. Long or prestigious courses are also interesting. Point out a course's duration in hours. Do not write down the ones that are not relevant or recent. List these in a chronologically inverse order.

Languages:

Since this may be relevant to an international job, you should list which languages you speak and your level: advanced, intermediate or beginner. Point out if you can translate, speak, or write in each language and list any associated degrees.

Computer Skills:

Programs, applications, etc. Word processing, database, Internet, etc.

Personal Information:

At the end of the resume you should include a brief section where you can list personal information such as hobbies or interests. This can be called something like "Other Interests," or "Skills or Interests." Here you should, very succinctly, list some of your hobbies, each in no more than three words. It's great if these are relevant to your job, but if they aren't these hobbies can simply reveal something about your personality. Interviewers commonly use this section as an icebreaker and as a source for starting a more relaxed, less formal conversation.

Other things to keep in mind:•  Your resume must be short  -  one or two pages at the msot.
•  Print original copies on high quality paper  -  don't send photocopies.
•  Be neat:  take care with the presentation, design, spaces, and spelling of your resume.
•  Don't use abbreviations.  Emphasize sections and things that are important with underlines or bold types.
•  Make sure your resume is as organized as possible, so the information can be found easily.
•  You do not need to date or sign your resume.

Content:•  Make a different resume for each job you are applying to, andadapt it to best fit the position sought and the company's needs.
•  Photos are not required and are discouraged for legal reasons.  Photos indicate your race and gender, and employers do not need to know this information unless it is relevant to the job.  Do not send photos except for appropriate jobs (as a model, actor, or hostess).
•  Write your resume in third person of the singular form.
•  Emphasize your skills and achievements without lying.
•  If you have finished the military service in your country, mention it.  If not, don't mention it at all.
•  Saying your marital status is not recommended unless directly relevant.
•  Do not attach diplomas or documents unless asked to.
•  Attach a cover letter with the resume.
•  If you have studied abroad, don't forget to mention it!
•  And finally, check the whole resume again.

You can now download two resume/cv templates from our LinkedIn profile:




Link: ENG Sample CV1 
Link: ENG Sample CV2

You might find some of our previous Blog post to be very helpful...

Six Items You Should Never Put in Your Resume

Top 5 Resume Tips