Saturday, March 14, 2020

The 10 Trickiest Interview Questions and How To Field Them

The 10 Trickiest Interview Questions and How To Field ThemDont get so stressed out about the interview that you forget to relax and show yourself in the best possible light. Look over this list of interview questions and be prepared for them. Then charge into your interview devoid of fear. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Your biggest weaknessYou want to frame this one in a positive light, but you also want to make sure it doesnt look like youre too blas to admit your mistakes or failures. Find one weakness that isnt too drastic, but isnt a toss-off either, and then explain how youre working constructively to make sure youre a better employee because of recognizing it and moving past it.Former badeanstalt experiencesThey want to know how you dealt with a tough situation in the past. Dont talk about getting yelled at by your boss, or suspended, or nearly fired. But do mention something that was a real stumbling block, and how you turned it into a positive by treating it as a valuable lesson, and learning from it.Employment gapsWhen the interviewer asks why youve been unemployed so long, the way you respond depends a little on the reason. If its personal and negative, be as vague as possible and focus on your bright future. If its for something professional, try emphasizing what youve accomplished in that time that makes you an infinitely more valuable employee.Corporate complaintsIf this is a corporate job and they want to know what you dislike most about that kind of environment, dont sink to the occasion. Be sure to emphasize that you dont find anything at all unsavory about the corporate world, but speak about one instance in which a particular corporation didnt handle a matter the best way possible, and what you learned from it that you could apply to this new job, to make this corporation stronger.Your screw-upsYoull never be able to sell an interviewer on the idea that you never once screwed up on the job. So d ont even try. Instead, admit to a mistake you made and what it taught you. Emphasize, of course, how you will never make the same mistake again.How you break bad newsTheyre looking for leadership qualities, and how you handle stressful situations and emotions. Show off your conflict resolution skills and diplomatic finesse.The job you really wantIf they ask if youd be after their job one day, dont be honest. Explain that youre more than content with the job thats currently on offer, and try to laugh it off.Your record of changing jobsDo everything you can to convince them youre here to stay. Thats all they want to hear with questions about shifting from standort to position. Emphasize how settled you are on exactly this position being exactly where you need to be now. And then throw in some details about how your varied experience will only make you more valuable to the company.Your last jobWhatever you do, dont bad mouth your past job or your former boss. Explain that youre looking for bigger challenges and more rewarding work, and assure them that youve left no burning bridges in your wake.Being firedIf you were fired from your last job, theyll want to know why. Make it clear that you wont be a liability, and never badmouth the company to make yourself look better.Do your best to showcase your professionalism and grace under fireno matter what the questionand youll do just fine.

Monday, March 9, 2020

Hate Relationship With Your Job Heres How To Minimize The Hate

Love/Hate Relationship With Your Job Heres How To Minimize The Hate Turning a job you hate into one you love sounds like a mythical tale.But it really is possible to make this kind of change all you need is to be willing to put in the effort. Youll need to take action and advocate for yourself in order to make it happen.If youre up for the challenge, heres howto get startedTake stock. Examine your existing job. Where do you spend your time? Break your day down into things you like and things youre less than thrilled about. Figure out how much of your time is spent on each and keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to make changes within that framework. For instance, do you spend way too much time on tactical workwhen your heart belongs in strategy? Its valuable to know that. Is there a small parte of your job that you dread and procrastinate on so it takes hours at the end of each month instead of five minutes if handled daily? You might be making things harder on yourself than you need to. Find your happy. What motivates you? Take some time to think about what matters most to you and how your priorities play out in your day to day. Find the parts of your existing job that light you up and figure out why you like them. Recognize your strengths and what parts of the role you find most invigorating. Now, think about ways you can fill more of your days with that type of work.Mix and match. Once youve taken stock of everything, brainstorm ways to spend more of your time on the strengths/passions/fun part of the role and less on the opposite end of the spectrum. Think about it all in terms of the tasks themselves, relationships and your perspective. Could this task be delegated or moved to another role within the organization? If you really love working with people, is there a way to morph some of the work you dislike into team projects with people who are outstanding? Have you really thought about the work that youre doing and its impact? The way you view your wor k has more of an impact on how we feel than we often realize. Check this out as a solid example of how perspective comes into play. Now that youve done that thoughtful work, scope out whats coming up next in terms of your projects and see how you can approach them with your fresh perspective. Understand your companys goals. Be aware of these and the ways you can use your identified skills sets and spend more of your time happily achieving them. And helping others do the same. That will make any role changes easier to sell into your boss or anyone else from whom youd need buy in. Keep killing it. All along, you should be working your hardest to deliver on all aspects of your current role. The good, the bad and the ugly. Make certain your manager knows you will be able to stretch and modify your role without skipping a beat. Performing your best will make your employers more willing to make adjustments to keep you happily engaged.Share your passions. Tell people what youre up to. Get rckendeckung from as many folks as you can. Make it evident to those around you how helpful changes to your role will be to not only the organization but their lives as well.Its a real bummer to walk from a company that you like simply because you arent 100% engaged in your existing role. Take back control of your career. This is a simple exercise hoping to get you to a better place. Take a step back, breathe and give it a whirl. Youd be surprised how possible it is to mold your dream job.--Kelly is ahuman resourcespro and coach who helps people find and achieve what they want career-wise and beyond. Coaching, training, recruiting if you name it in the world of HR, shes done it in a variety of industries. Her advice has been featured on The Muse, Career Contessa, Levo, Workology, among others. Learn more by scoping her out atwww.kellypoulson.com.