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Careers for Engineers

Monday, February 28, 2011

7 Deadly sins of Job Interviews

While doing a job interview it's easy to make mistakes.

Here are the 7 deadly sins of job interviews?

If you are curious as to how your pride or gluttony can kill  your next job interview you should watch this video! It might just make a difference.







You might also like to read...
A few job search methods


 
Find your next Engineering Job opportunity

ENGINEER NETWORK GROUP

Friday, February 25, 2011

Prep yourself for an interview...

Job interviews are always stressful - even for job seekers who have gone on countless interviews. The best way to reduce the stress is to be prepared.   Then take the time to research the company.   That way you'll be ready with knowledgeable answers for the job interview questions that specifically relate to the company you are interviewing with.
Prepare


Know why you want to work for the company. Do your best to obtain information about the company before the interview. Do some research, using their website, scanning through annual reports if they publish one, being familiar with projects they are currently work on. This will help you to couch your answers in the context of what their core business is all about.

Study the job description and know about the job. Most job postings have a list of core duties/responsibilities as well as what qualifications required. Study these well and frame your answers accordingly.

Get Ready


Make sure your interview attire is neat, tidy and appropriate for the type of firm you are interviewing with.

Be On Time


Be on time for the interview. On time means five to ten minutes early. If need be, take some time to drive to the office ahead of time so you know exactly where you are going and how long it will take to get there.

Stay Calm


During the job interview try to relax and stay as calm possible. Take a moment to regroup. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer. Listen to the entire question before you answer and pay attention - you will be embarrassed if you forget the question!

Be positive.


Go into the interview confident that you have prepared well. This does not mean conveying a "know-it-all" attitude, with a cocky demeanour. Be self-assured and look forward to the occasion as an opportunity for you to demonstrate what you know and how it will meet the employer's needs.

Come prepared


Come to the interview with a prepared list of references that can be handed over to the interviewer. This should include names, addresses, telephone numbers and email contacts, and make sure you have asked permission from those on the list in advance.


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Monday, February 14, 2011

A few JOB SEARCH METHODS

Finding a job can take months of time and effort. But you can speed the process by using some of these methods to find job openings.  Try and use more than one method... this will speed up your chances of finding a job.

Personal contacts:
Many jobs are never advertised. People get them by talking to friends, family, neighbours, acquaintances, teachers, former co-workers, and others who know of an opening. Be sure to tell people that you are looking for a job because the people you know may be some of the most effective resources for your search. To develop new contacts, join student, community, professional organizations or online networks like, LinkedIn.

School career planning and placement offices: High school and college placement services help their students and alumni find jobs. Some invite recruiters to use their facilities for interviews or career fairs. They also may have lists of open jobs. Most also offer career counselling, career testing, and job search advice. Some have career resource libraries; host workshops on job search strategy, resume writing, letter writing, and effective interviewing; critique drafts of resumes; conduct mock interviews; and sponsor job fairs.

Employers:
Directly contacting employers is one of the most successful means of job hunting. Through Internet research, develop a list of potential employers in your desired career field. Then call these employers and check their Web sites for job openings. Web sites and business directories can tell you how to apply for a position or whom to contact. Even if no open positions are posted, do not hesitate to contact the employer: You never know when a job might become available. Consider asking for an informational interview with people working in the career you want to learn more about. Ask them how they got started, what they like and dislike about the work, what type of qualifications are necessary for the job, and what type of personality succeeds in that position. In addition to giving you career information, they may be able to put you in contact with other employers who may be hiring, and they can keep you in mind if a position opens up.

Classified ads: The "Help Wanted" ads in newspapers and the Internet list numerous jobs, and many people find work by responding to these ads. But when using classified ads, keep the following in mind:
  Follow all leads to find a job; do not rely solely on the classifieds.
  Answer ads promptly, because openings may be filled quickly, even before the ad
    stops appearing in the paper.
  Read the ads every day, particularly the Sunday edition, which usually includes the
    most listings.
Keep a record of all ads to which you have responded, including the specific skills, educational background, and personal qualifications required for the position. You may want to follow up on your initial inquiry.

Internet resources: The Internet includes many job hunting Web sites with job listings. Some job boards provide National listings of all kinds; others are local. Some relate to a specific type of work; others are general. To find good prospects, begin with an Internet search using keywords related to the job you want. Also look for the Web sites of related professional associations.
Also consider checking Internet forums, also called message boards. These are online discussion groups where anyone may post and read messages. Use forums specific to your profession or to career-related topics to post questions or messages and to read about the job searches or career experiences of other people. Although these message boards may seem helpful, carefully evaluate all advice before acting; it can be difficult to determine the reliability of information posted on message boards.
In online job databases, remember that job listings may be posted by field or discipline, so begin your search using keywords. Many Web sites allow job seekers to post their resumes online for free.

Professional associations:
Many professions have associations that offer employment information, including career planning, educational programs, job listings, and job placement. Information can be obtained directly from most professional associations through the Internet, by telephone, or by mail. Associations usually require that you be a member to use these services.

Labour unions: Labour unions provide various employment services to members and potential members, including apprenticeship programs that teach a specific trade or skill. Contact the appropriate labour union or State apprenticeship council for more information.

Community agencies: Many non-profit organizations, including religious institutions and vocational rehabilitation agencies, offer counselling, career development, and job placement services, generally targeted to a particular group, such as women, youths, minorities, ex-offenders, or older workers.

Private employment agencies and career consultants: Private agencies can save you time and they will contact employers who otherwise might be difficult to locate. Such agencies may be called recruiters, head hunters, or employment placement agencies. These agencies may charge for their services. Most operate on a commission basis, charging a percentage of the first-year salary paid to a successful applicant. You or the hiring company will pay the fee. Find out the exact cost and who is responsible for paying associated fees before using the service. When determining if the service is worth the cost, consider any guarantees that the agency offers.

Internships. Many people find jobs with business and organizations with whom they have interned or volunteered. Look for internships and volunteer opportunities on job boards, school career centres, and company and association Web sites, but also check community service organizations and volunteer opportunity databases. Some internships and long-term volunteer positions come with stipends and all provide experience and the chance to meet employers and other good networking contacts.

As posted by the
Bureau of Labour Statistics (USA).
Look out for our next Blog Post... Tips from our Engineer Search Partners (Professional Engineering Recruiters), on How To Prepare Yourself for An Interview.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

How long have you been unemployed and how did it make you feel ?

“I have been unemployed for over a year now.   I have sent out so many resumes that I don't even remember how many I have sent out.   I use monster.com, snagajob.com, yahoojobs.com, and so on and so on.  I wake up every day and go through my list of websites and just e-mail away.  Since being unemployed, I have felt less human.  I don't feel like I should enjoy the greater things in life cause of the fact that I am nothing at this moment in time.  Being unemployed this long, makes you wake up in fear knowing that when you open your eyes,  the phone can ring and the power will be turned off.  They will come and take away what’s left of your life.”  (Male 35 – 40) 



This is real... The fear of being unemployed and the consequences...

How to overcome this fear...

Unemployment carries a lot of emotional baggage for most of us, and fear is a major component.

We fear the financial fallout of no longer receiving regular wages.
We fear the impact of our lack of productivity on relationships (marriage, family, friends and our social and community activities).
We fear losing the respect of the ones we love.
We fear approaching acquaintances for help.
We fear humiliation of the job hunt.
We fear rejection... we fear the concept we hold within; that we are just not good enough.

The fear seeps into your bones and leaves you awake and restless in the middle of the night.

It flashes behind your eyes to telegraph your desperation in interviews. It weighs heavily on your shoulders as you walk into yet another agency and answer the same questions over and over again and over again. It drains your energy, and extinguishes your enthusiasm for life.

Fear becomes a constant unwanted companion.

If not quickly contained... it wrests control of your life.

YES, you have no job, no income, no prospects, and no real hope... but you still have the most powerful tool ever developed... THE HUMAN MIND !

Take on a new companion... YOUR MIND.

Start thinking POSITIVELY. Easier said than done... I know, but try these strategies:

EARLY FINACIAL PLANNING:

After the initial shock of losing your job ebbs a little, your natural motivation and competitive drive kick in and you feel optimistic that something will open up in a very short time. You may have been out of the labour market for a long time, and haven’t realized that hiring protocols have changed over the past few years. (For the past four years, the average time out of work has drastically increased - it now typically takes six to twelve months to find a new position). That is a long time to go without a regular income.

Therefore, as soon as you can... sit down with your partner and your records and see what you can do to immediately cut expenses to the bone. Contact your creditors and see if you can defer payments by paying interest for a while. Restructure your social life and choice of entertainment. It won’t entirely remove the nagging fear-of-losing-everything that will follow you like a dog, but until you are again gainfully employed, having some sense of control over it will lower the stress.

FEAR SHARING:

Confess your fears to your partner, your family members, your friends, even your pastor (if it makes you feel comfortable enough to share your personal thoughts). If you have a supportive partner and family, reveal your worry that your present circumstances will impact your relationship with each other and jointly plan how that can be avoided. Talking about the problem makes it a team problem. You are therefore not alone in this... you have support.

ASKING & RECEIVING:

Asking for, and receiving support from those around you doesn’t have to mean exploitation.

People who know and care about you are happy to help when they can. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for their assistance and do it clearly and directly. No “hint dropping”. Call in the help of all the friends and connections you know, promising to return the favour when your position has improved, and please... stick to your promise!

IT IS NOT A PERSONAL REJECTION:

Looking for work feels humiliating because you sense an inner air of superiority in the contacts you make. People who have a job possess a sense of identity and security that as an unemployed applicant you temporarily lack. Ask yourself how much of the attitude is coming from the other person and how much is your own projection.

Your misery and pain leads to the feeling that it is YOU, ALONE, AGAINST THE WORLD. Every face in the crowd is threatening and alien. Just for a moment... step out of this self-centric view... and change your self-judgement. Look objectively at yourself and your situation... from a distance.

Do you despise other jobless people? No you don’t !
Why do you think that others look at you in that manner.
It’s instinctive... people care about each other. Please keep this in mind.

The key to an open, positive outlook is to realize that our humanity is always there, we’re just not paying attention to it. If you can expand that vision of a caring, supportive humanity to those who seem to view you with indifference, your world completely changes. Instead of a drab, lonely desert, you see the waves of surrounding support, all caring about you, wanting the best for you rooting for you: a great, positive team in your corner.

You will still experience rejection, but your NEW OUTLOOK can put that into perspective.

MIND OVER MATTER...

Luckily there are very few times in your life when you feel you’re being judged by your peers.

Unfortunately, looking for a job is one of those times. Every resume submission, every job application makes you feel that you’re personal worth is being assessed. That feeling intensifies in an interview where you sit face to face with your JUDGES. You feel vulnerable when your interviewers scrutinize your skills and experiences.

Everyone of us needs to be seen as worthwhile and wanted, that what we have to offer is valuable.

Everyone experience rejection at some point during their lives. Failure is part of our lives. There has to be a winner... it might not always be you. Accept that fact.

The destructiveness of a job search is that rejection can take on a recurrent pattern.

Try not to take it personally. It’s been said: One failure to make the cut is manageable; ten failures, one after the other, start to impact our ability to cope; a hundred failures overwhelm us.

Don’t let it happen to you... mind over matter !

You start to identify yourself as a loser. You mentally twist your failures into a pattern and start to believe that you’re the problem... you just can’t make the grade. You fail to look at the situation objectively: Each job application, like a dive roll or the pull of a slot machine handle, is a totally independent event with odds that don’t change with multiple repetitions.

The fact that you were not offered one particular position says nothing except another applicant was a better fit.

It is not a judgement about YOU.

For one of a thousand reasons, the chemistry wasn’t right.

Watch how your MIND doesn’t really accept this fact, as it sinks into self-blame and self-doubt, repeating all the negative tapes you have ever developed, seeking to make you see yourself as a perennial loser. You are NOT A LOSER.

STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY !

Use that same powerful MIND to consciously focus on your positive attributes. Think, or better yet write down, all your successes, great or small. Mentally explore your life. Look for all the times you were a winner - everything from a good grade, the scoring of a goal to the successful raising of a child. Re-assuring yourself of your value, frequently and at length, will help turn your mind into a source of support rather than an internal enemy who repeatedly cuts you down.

Rejection is difficult and painful, but it can be made more fleeting when we refuse to allow any rejection to define ourselves as reject-material.

Do not allow rejection to get a hold of your MIND.

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