How to Be Confident and Open for Your First Interview

How to Be Confident and Open for Your First Interview You are a total “newbie” in the job market. You have your degree, your resume, and good references lined up. Unfortunately, your interview experience has only consisted of a brief conversation with the manager of a fast food restaurant prior to getting employed. You are in the big time now, and you realize that you really have no interview skills at all, nor can you even begin to anticipate what you will be asked â€" it’s time for fear to take over and time for you to freak out! Preparation is the key to confidence: While you cannot anticipate every question that will be asked, there are certain general things that are sure to come up. Preparing your answers in advance will keep the sweat off of your brow and the shakiness out of your voice. Here are some questions for which you should be prepared: 1) “Tell me about yourself”: This is a really open-ended question, but your interviewer does not want a full life history. Hit the high points only, focusing on your educational background, you interest in this particular career field, and what stimulated that interest. Speak to your future goals a bit, although those may come up in another question. 2) “What makes you think you will be good fit for this position and for our organization?”: Part of your preparation should have been some research into this company/organization. You need to demonstrate that you know something â€" how has it grown in recent years, what are the corporate or organizational goals, what were revenues last year? Getting on the company website will give you loads of information that you can include in this type of answer, and your interviewer will be impressed that you have taken the time to gather some detail. A word of caution: Some interviewers like to tell you about the company. Be a good listener, maintain eye contact, and show your interest with body language â€" a nod of the head here and there, a small smile â€" you need to demonstrate high interest even if you already know what you are being told. 3) “Give me some examples of your ability to work as a team member”: If you have not had any prior experience in a full-time position that has been career-related, you will need to pull from your academic background. What major group projects did you participate in â€" projects in which everyone had to play their appropriate roles and complete assigned tasks? Did you have any leadership roles in these group projects? If so, speak to them. Being a part of the “team” at McDonald’s really doesn’t count for much, because you were not a part of making decisions and solving problems! 4) “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”: Be honest and open here, even if your long-term goals may not be a fit for this specific organization. If you try to fit your goals to the organization, and they are not real, you will come off as insincere. Everyone has long-term goals, and those goals may change. The interviewer is really trying to get a feel for your ability to think about your future in a reasonable and realistic way. 5) “What are your salary expectations?”: Be honest! Part of preparation is knowing what the salary range is for an entry level position in your field. Speak to that range specifically, with the additional comment that flexibility within that range is based upon the total package â€" health insurance, retirement plans, etc. “What questions do you have for me?” Do not ask about salary, benefits, vacation days, etc. These will be answered if you are offered the position. Your questions should relate to the organization itself, its future growth plans, and perhaps your growth potential within the organization. Prepare these questions in advance and commit them to memory. By: Westconn Think long and hard about these questions and practice your answers (note: don’t memorize them â€" you are not a robot)! Practice until you are at ease with the content and until you are pretty sure you will not forget important points you want to make. If you do this, lots of the fear will dissipate when you settle into that chair. You will have confidence, and it will show! Other critical pieces of the process: A few other tips will perhaps ease your fright and anxiety. Keep your tone conversational:  you are not on the witness stand! Be expressive, keep eye contact, and use your hands and arms sparingly as you speak. Let your voice show enthusiasm, but do not be excessively so â€" it will look unnatural. Don’t get a major change in hairstyle the day before the interview:  You will feel less comfortable than if you are still sporting the “do” you have had for some time already. Don’t over-dress:  If you’ve done some research on the company, and if you have been on its website, you will undoubtedly see images of people at work. While you may not want to be as casual as they are (if the “culture” is jeans and tennies, for example), you will want to “up” your dress one level. Slacks and a sport coat (male) or a nice pair of dress pants and perhaps an unstructured jacket (female) would be appropriate. And please, no 3-inch heels and glitzy nail polish! Hydrate yourself: while you are traveling to your interview, but arrive early enough to use the restroom before you go in. If you must sit in the waiting room for a while, grab a magazine and open it â€" at least pretend to read! Show that you are someone who likes to stimulate your mind even during brief times of waiting. While going into the interview room, take 8-10 deep breaths as quietly as you can. This is a well-researched method of calming oneself physically and will help to slow that racing pulse and the flutters in your stomach. Remember, too, that your interviewer expects a certain amount of nervousness. Just knowing that should ease your fear somewhat. Author: Kateline Jefferson believes that, only through experiential knowledge does one become an engaging and creative writer. Her degree in Journalism and a host of real-world study and experience has made her a permanent and popular blogger for PremierEssay.com.

The Five Unspoken Rules of Todays Workplace

The Five Unspoken Rules of Today’s Workplace We live in unprecedented times, especially when it comes to our careers. Technology, the economy, and globalization have created constant and rapid change. Long ago, companies banked on the fact that if our parents and grandparents had been customers, we would be too. Tradition, loyalty, and reliability were the competitive edge. Now what matters is whether you’re seen as innovative, unique, and “trending.” Who needs a TV that lasts for twenty years when the technology that powers it will be obsolete  in eighteen months? The same can be said of employees in today’s workplace. Gone are the days of employer loyalty and gold retirement watches. Companies have adopted layoffs, reorgs, leader changes, and strategy shifts as a way of doing business. But there’s a silver lining to this tumultuous employer-employee relationship: it opens up opportunities for us to play the field a bit, to diversify our skills, gain new experiences, and qualify for jobs based more on talent than time in service. And the first step in learning to thrive in this environment is to understand the new, unspoken rules of todays workplace.  New Rule #1: Think Like a Businessperson, Not Like a Student No matter what generation we hail from, a lot of us show up in the workplace like students. We’re waiting to be taken care of by the powers that be, for someone to make decisions and map out our futures. We spend eighteen to thirty years, sometimes more, in school and are then unleashed into the workplace entirely ill-equipped to think like businesspeople. Think about it. If you get good grades in eleventh grade, what are you guaranteed? A spot in twelfth grade. There’s no, “Hey, it’s tough out there. There are only a few twelfth-grade spots. The competition is stiff, so bring your best.” Promotion is guaranteed. But business isn’t like school. You’re getting paid to help a company succeed. That means they don’t owe you a mapped-out career path. They don’t owe you promotions and raises. They don’t owe you anything other than the negotiated rate for your services. When it comes to anything you want from a companyâ€"a promotion, new assignment, or raiseâ€"you need to view what you’re asking for as a business trade. You should have a solid rationale for what you’re trying to get from the company, and you’d better make sure there’s something in it for them. “I’m a hard worker and I deserve it” needs to be permanently blotted from your vocabulary. You need to steep yourself in a “Here’s how my idea can help you” approach instead.  New Rule #2: Focus on Building Your Brand Instead of Collecting Titles When I teach a class or workshop, one of the first questions people ask is how they can get a promotion to that elusive title just above their own. But vice president, lead supervisor, senior manager, head mechanicâ€"these are titles that a million other people hold. Your title gives me a sense of what you do but no idea  how  you do it or, more importantly, how  well  you do it. That’s why you need to focus on your brand. Need some convincing? What creates a more lasting impression: “Coffee” or “Starbucks”? “Car” or “Ferrari”? “Talk show host” or “Oprah”? To stand out from the competition, you need people to “get” your brand, whether you’re an administrative assistant, plumber, or executive. Titles have their place and show where you sit within an organization. But they’re only a small piece of what people use to get a sense of who you are. If you think like a businesspersonâ€"no matter where you decide to work or set up shopâ€"you’ll realize that building your brand is part of the customer service you should be providing to every person you work with.  New Rule #3: Choose to Weave a Web vs. Climb the Ladder Many companies treat moving into management as the normal evolution for anyone who is good at a job and motivated for success. But most companies provide little training on how to be an effective people manager. Employees everywhere accept these critical roles for the extra pay and the symbolism of moving up a rung on the ladderâ€"only to end up winging it. They’re often miserable in their new positions, and they can make everyone around them miserable, too. Before accepting any leadership position, take a good, hard look at your passions and goals in life. Does this new role align with your purpose? Are you comfortable affecting others’ careers and livelihoods? Try not to get obsessed with the climb up the ladder. Instead, focus on weaving a web of experiences. Even high-level executives are assessed for the totality of their careers, which include lateral moves and sometimes smaller roles that afford unique opportunities. In the end, it’s the depth and variety of their experiences rather than how quickly they shot up the ladder that matters. In fact, climbing up the ladder too fast can be a red flagâ€"and a sign a person may not be seasoned enough or is too interested in the title as a trophy.  New Rule #4: Perform Like a Consultant, Not Like an Employee In the workplace, employees see hierarchy as either their parent or their enemy. They either ask for permission from authority or push against it. But consultants have to hunt for their food, which makes their working dynamic completely different. Consultants don’t ask for permission, and they don’t fight their clients. Unlike employees, consultants can’t just show up and be obedient. They’re expected to elevate the conversation, partner with the business, and help them see or do something a company wouldn’t have on its own. If they don’t, they’re cut loose from a contract or don’t get a callback. End of story. When you put yourself in the mindset of a consultant, something surprising happens: the playing field suddenly evens out. Instead of seeing people as above or beneath you, you’ll see every person as a potential client. Someone’s title will no longer pit you against them or automatically align you with them. Instead, titles will simply give you clues as to what problems you might be able to help people with. I dare you to start viewing your boss or manager as your client. I double-dog dare you to view your direct reports and coworkers as clients. This one shift will dissolve most of the issues you’ll experience on the job. Few people show up as their best selves when identifying as employees. But they do as consultants.  New Rule #5: Build Relationships, Not Networks Networking with people seems easy to do in a world of social media, with thousands of people “liking” that photo you just posted of yourself at the gym or your kid hitting a grand slam. But networking by itself doesn’t do anything for you. It doesn’t automatically make things happen. This is true no matter who you areâ€"whether you’re leading a corporation or working the front line. For your network to work on your behalf, the relationships in it need to be strong, authentic, and well-fed. Everyone may know you, and most people may even like you, but will they go to bat for you? Will they recommend you to others? Building relationships is a two-way street. Ask yourself: Do you help other people look good? Do you perform reliably? Can you be trusted to deliver in unpredictable situations? If not, why would anyone with credibility hang his or her reputation on yours? Once you understand that business relationships last a lot longer than any of the work you might be doing with people, you’ll be more thoughtful about connecting with others. And as you connect, you’ll see their concerns, fears, hopes, and joys. When you understand you are surrounded with unique human beings, it’s hard for genuine relationships not to develop naturally. And in the end, it’s those real relationships that will help you fulfill your purpose and build your ideal career. This guest post was authored by H.V. McArthur Ms. McArthur  brings over 20 years’ experience in helping employees blaze fulfilling career paths in an ever-changing work landscape. From serving in the military to carving out her role as a coach and consultant for Fortune 500 companies, MacArthur has built her expertise from hard-fought career choices. In her new book,  Low Man on the Totem Pole: Stop Begging for a Promotion, Start Selling Your Genius  (2018), she helps people from all walks of lifeâ€"from C-suite leaders to employees on the factory floorâ€"learn to identify their unique callings and find their greatness. Learn more at  www.LowManOnTheTotemPole.com. Getting Ahead in Todays Workplace In her new book,  Low Man on the Totem Pole: Stop Begging for a Promotion, Start Selling Your Genius  (2018), H.V. MacArthur offers real-world, tough-love examples and groundbreaking strategies that will help anyone carve out a fulfilling career. Learn: How viewing yourself as the business ownerâ€"and your employer as the clientâ€"dramatically resets the employer-employee power dynamic How to tap into your purpose on the planet, or your “POP,” to reveal your true career calling Why we need to stop climbing the corporate ladder and start building a web How to view change as a skill, instead of an event Why even the most skilled among us overvalue what we do best The top 10 tips that turn résumés and interviews into success How to fix everything that’s wrong with employee performance management

Mental Health Counselor Job Description - Algrim.co

Mental Health Counselor Job Description - Algrim.co Mental Health Counselor Job Description Template Download our job description template in Word or PDF format. Instant download. No email required. Download Template Using Your Template Follow these instructions to use your new job description template Step one: Fill out all details in your job description template using the provided sample on this page. Step two: Customize your requirements or duties to anything special to your workplace. Be sure to speak with team members and managers to gauge what's required of the position. Step three: When the census of the team has agreed on the description of the work, add in a Equal Employment Opportunity statement to the bottom of your job description. Step four: Check with your legal department, management team, and other team members to ensure the job description looks correct before creating a job advertisement. Choose a job board that's specific to your needs.

Interested in international work experience why not try Asia University of Manchester Careers Blog

Interested in international work experience why not try Asia University of Manchester Careers Blog Our students at Manchester are increasingly asking about international work experience opportunities or other ways to develop their global mindset ( a quality increasingly sought by graduate employers).   If you missed the recent Experience Asia event at The University recently, there is still time to find out about some of the excellent funded internship,  study and travel programmes available that were promoted on the day. Here is a brief summary, put together by   a representative from Intern China: Whats available: Some of the most popular  opportunities to work, study, intern and travel in Asia, include funded opportunities such as -the British Council’s Generation UK campaign offering funded internships across China through Intern China and CRCC Asia. www.britishcouncil.org.cn/genuk the Study China Programme which is run by The University of Manchesters Confucius Institute and has been a popular option for University of Manchester students in recent years. http://www.studychina.org.uk/ the JET programme for Japanese teaching and exchange opportunities. http://www.jetprogramme.org/ There are also lots of opportunities to explore with AIESEC, INTO China and i-to-i for teaching, TEFL and experience opportunities.   You can also explore working holiday visas for countries such as Singapore through Contact Singapore. A spotlight on Intern China: InternChina has placed several UoM students on internship, study and homestay programmes. After establishing our UK office in Manchester last year, we have actively strengthened our links at the university and are looking forward to welcoming many more UoM students to China in years to come. In previous years Intern China provided opportunities for the Study China programme too. InternChina also places an increasing number of graduates with jobs in China. Many of these are alumni from our internship programmes, such as a former UoM engineering student, Shan Ngan, who is now living and working for a British Manufacturing company in Zhuhai after originally being placed there by InternChina. One UoM student and InternChina alumni, Haider Khokhar, said the following in his reference following his internship: “From the very first day I was expected to perform like any other member of the team and felt very welcome. It was a huge learning experience to actually put into practice things you learn in academia… This experience also helped me to attain a summer internship to work on a research project at the University of Manchester which further helped to increase my employability. I have also been approached by companies who want to hire me as a direct result of working for a Chinese-based British company.” If you want to join those going to China this summer in  Qingdao, Zhuhai or Chengdu, join the adventure  http://internchina.com/home/     Alternatively connect with them at: facebook.com/internchina, @internchina and @jamiebettles Both InternChina and the University of Manchester hope to repeat the Experience Asia event in 2015. All International China international jobs Internships summer internships work experience

The importance of supporting women in the workplace

The importance of supporting women in the workplace Why is gender equality important for businesses? While a lot of ground has been covered in the quest for equality over recent years, there is still some way to go. We invited EY one of the world’s leading professional services organisations onto DebutLive to discuss exactly why every company should be striving to achieve equality, and what EY itself is doing to encourage this. Karimah Campbell, Fraud Investigation Dispute Services Manager, and Amaka Uche, Student Recruitment Advisor, talked us through the ways in which EY is championing their female employees and why other companies should do the same.  You can watch Karimah and Amaka talking about the importance of equality below, but don’t forget, to watch the livestream in full just head to the DebutLive tab of the app. While they ran out of time to answer every question sent in from viewers during the stream, they have provided in-depth responses to all unanswered questions below. How does EY work with men to help improve equality and relationships between men and women at work? At EY we do this by making sure that gender parity is on everyone’s agenda. We all have a chance to speak on issues related to helping improve equality between men and women at work. The EY Womens’ Network is a prime example of helping improve the relationships between men and women at work. Although it is a female network, men are also invited and included to ensure everyone’s voice is heard, in a bid to make sure we all tackle the issue of inequality together by respecting different points of view and finding collaborative solutions to help us all work together. What kind of support system is in place if you want to report a problem or issue at work? Fortunately, there are a lot of support systems in place if you want to report a problem or issue at work. At EY, you can speak to your line manager or counsellor (someone other than your line manager who assists you with your career), or can speak to your assigned EY buddy. All of our people have a career counsellor to help with their career progression. Do I need to study a technology related course to apply to EY? No, a technology related course is not needed to apply. Having an interest in technology is desirable, however for the majority of our programmes we welcome applicants from all degree backgrounds. Only a small number of our positions require a specific degree, so please check the requirements of the programme you’re interested in for more detail. Its your natural strengths that matter to us; some of our highest achievers have studied subjects totally unrelated to the work they do! How important are negotiation skills at EY? Negotiation skills are important at EY, just like in any other workplace. At EY, you will need to learn to reach a compromise, or reach a beneficial outcome over issues that may arise when working with different kinds of people and teams. Having good negotiation skills allows you to create win-win situations. How much knowledge of economics/finance do you need to join EY? An interest in economics/finance is desirable and useful, however you do not need to have expert knowledge of this to join EY. Its your natural strengths that matter most to us. What kind of work experience are EY looking for in an application? Is there the opportunity to gain work experience outside of London? We look at a range of work experience for anyone looking to complete an application into our graduate, undergraduate or business apprenticeship roles. Experience could be working in a consultancy, working in retail or volunteering, for example. As long as you can demonstrate what you learned in your experience and how you can apply this to EY, then this will be sufficient. If you want to gain work experience outside of London this is possible. At EY we offer roles UK-Nationwide as well as lots of other companies. There is a wealth of work experience opportunities outside of London, and London isnt the only place you need to be in order to be successful or have a career. If you are interested in working outside of London, I would strongly recommend this. Connect with Debut on  Facebook,  Twitter,  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

Exciting News Read My New Career Mojo Column in The Business Journals Nationwide

Exciting News â€" Read My New “Career Mojo” Column in The Business Journals Nationwide The #1 way to research companies, find jobs, and network in your city is to take advantage of all of the features of your local weekly Business Journal. (If you’re not familiar with your local Business Journal, find it here: https://wwwbizjournals.com.) I’m proud to announce that my new national Business Journal column, Career Mojo, is appearing each week across the country. I am editing and managing Career Mojo; sharing my articles and videos that cover important trending issues and providing practical and helpful career advice. Whether you are employed or unemployed; work in a small, medium, or large company; or need help hiring or getting hired; Career Mojo will be invaluable to you. Here are some examples of the subjects I’ll be covering in Career Mojo: Cut the Crap, Get a Job! Tips and tricks, mistakes to avoid, and innovative new process steps you can take Business networking for results Hiring manager secrets from the front line Career growth â€" how to get promoted Sales and marketing success in small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) The Business Journals, a division of American City Business Journals, are full of the latest local business news, including mergers and acquisitions, career changes, and local trends and issues. The Business Journals showcase the largest, fastest-growing, and best companies. And every Business Journal publishes an annual Book of Lists, included in an annual subscription or available for purchase separately. Published both in print and online, the Business Journals nationwide are committed to providing a wide variety of valuable information to their subscribers and the online viewership has grown to more than 7 million visitors monthly. If you have any specific topics of interest that you would like me to write about, I’d love to hear them!

Is Networking Working For You

Is Networking Working For You If networking isnt working for you, maybe you need to change your ideas about what networking actually is. Networking means different things to different people. For some, networking is that mysterious executive function only done by the upper tiers of a corporation. For others, networking is connecting regularly with friends for lunch. Networking to the tech team involves software and hardware and creative solutions to computer glitches. All the definitions of networking include the basic concept of interconnecting individual parts.  That interconnection creates the larger unit we call a networkand your own definition of networking is influenced by what you see the network is in relation to you. Do you think that you have no place in a network? Think again: are you part of a family? do you see people during the week? do you communicate with anyone using some sort of technology? Each one of those points is a networking opportunity. You are already part of some type of network, and you probably are part of several different networks. The workplace, job searches, religious affiliations, family, even regularly attended locations like a coffeeshop or online social media are networks. If you dont recognize them as such, then the challenge is to change the way you interact with your networks so that you improve your part of the process. Learn more about what you can do to improve your networking. This can mean everything from deliberately listening when folks talk to you to investing in professional coaching like The Job Search Success System. Subscribe to blogs like this one, as well as to those relating to your interests. Comment on those blogs; that back-and-forth interaction is the foundation of networking. At its most basic level, networking is the acknowledgement that we do not function in isolation.  We are part of networks in every area of our lives: from transportation and supply systemsto the way you are reading this postwith all the people your life touches in between. What you do within your networks makes a difference in your future and the future of those around you.