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An interview almost invariably closes with the potential employer asking if you have any questions. Often an applicant will ask for clarification on benefits -insurance, vacation time, etc. While these are obviously important for you to know, they plant a seed in the interviewer’s mind that maybe you are more interested in what the job can do for you than in how you can help the employer.

Try to have three or four questions ready to ask that demonstrate your interest in the company and your desire to be a problem-solver.

If you have been able to do some research, trot out a question or two that came to mind. If you have been able to come up with some ideas that relate to the problem, throw them out to see how the employer reacts.

If you have been able to identify some trends or problems in the industry, ask how that is going to affect the company and what they are doing to deal with it. Show your concern about industry developments and what that may bode for the future.

If some current challenges have been brought up earlier in the interview, ask for clarification and more detail.

The more the interviewer interacts with you as if your concerns are mutual, and that possible solutions are something you could consider together, the more you will be seen as a valuable future member of his team and the more likely you will be asked to join that team.

The days when you could find thousands of jobs involving semi-skilled or unskilled work have gone. Automation has replaced human labour and taken always great slices of activity which once involved mundane, routine tasks. Information technology is also beginning to take over in some areas of skilled and professional work, such as quality control and printing, design and administration. Transferable or portable skills - skills which can be adapted and shaped to meet the requirements of several different types of job - are becoming increasingly important.

If your skills have become outdated in a shrinking market, you must be prepared to retrain if you are to succeed in finding new employment. Progress will not stand still simply to accommodate your need for a job, and there is no Divine Right to employment if you are not prepared to put some effort into it.

You may feel you are too old to learn new tricks. The simple truth is that thousands of people are ding exactly this throughout the country, and the opportunities for retaining or catching up with lost education are expanding all the time. Don’t be put off by your age or use this as an excuse: you are never too old to learn - it might just take you a little longer.

Deciding to knuckle down to update or expand your skills is largely a matter of adopting the right attitude, but deciding precisely what skills should be updated or expanded has to be researched very thoroughly, and has a crucial part to play in your campaign to find the right job.

If you know your hopes of getting back into your old type of employment are slim, this is the time to begin putting your future into sharper focus and to start planning with a clearer understanding of what you are trying to achieve. To do this you will need to build on your past.

The days when you could find thousands of jobs involving semi-skilled or unskilled work have gone. Automation has replaced human labour and taken always great slices of activity which once involved mundane, routine tasks. Information technology is also beginning to take over in some areas of skilled and professional work, such as quality control and printing, design and administration. Transferable or portable skills - skills which can be adapted and shaped to meet the requirements of several different types of job - are becoming increasingly important.

If your skills have become outdated in a shrinking market, you must be prepared to retrain if you are to succeed in finding new employment. Progress will not stand still simply to accommodate your need for a job, and there is no Divine Right to employment if you are not prepared to put some effort into it.

You may feel you are too old to learn new tricks. The simple truth is that thousands of people are ding exactly this throughout the country, and the opportunities for retaining or catching up with lost education are expanding all the time. Don’t be put off by your age or use this as an excuse: you are never too old to learn - it might just take you a little longer.

Deciding to knuckle down to update or expand your skills is largely a matter of adopting the right attitude, but deciding precisely what skills should be updated or expanded has to be researched very thoroughly, and has a crucial part to play in your campaign to find the right job.

If you know your hopes of getting back into your old type of employment are slim, this is the time to begin putting your future into sharper focus and to start planning with a clearer understanding of what you are trying to achieve. To do this you will need to build on your past.

When you are in the hunt for a new job, resume formats are vital to this search.  Convenient for you, Microsoft Word can be utilized to spruce up your resume. Even if you are not a pro at resume writing, Microsoft Word can assist you in completing your task at hand.

Almost every job application requires some sort of resume.  The resume is one of the most important factors potential employers look at when evaluating you for a possible position.  A quality resume will help you get the job you are after.  If your resume is unformatted, loose, or printed on stationary, employers may eliminate you from the job consideration.

Contrary what some might think, it is unadvisable to use the standard default template that Microsoft Word provides.  Could you imagine how many other people have probably used that same template when applying for the same job you are after?  One idea that has been successful for me is to download a sample template that can be implemented into Microsoft Word.  There are many free resume templates available, so cost is not an issue.

Typically, resumes are formatted as follows: objective, achievements, honors, experience, education, skills, and ending with your hobbies or interests.  A variation of this format would be:  objective, experience, education, skills, interests, achievements, and finally honors.

From my previous experience, each will get the job done.  If you are interested in a job that is outside the writing industry, the second example works well.  A properly formatted resume is essential when applying for a job, however it is also advisable to use positive words throughout your resume.  If you use negative wording, many employers may discard your submitted resume.

Proper resume formatting is only half the battle when it comes to resume writing.  Bad grammar, poor word choices, and uninformative content can lead to a dismal resume.  The goal is to tie everything together to provide a well documented paper regarding your work history and prior experience.  Utilize the tools available online for resumes and you can land the job you are after.

We all have a chair that designates a position in our career. For most of us the position, the responsibilities, the growth prospects and many such factors decide if we are happy in our seat? Sometimes, we may be unaware that another seat may send us much higher in the hierarchy and satisfaction level. Sometimes we are frustrated with our job for no easily identifiable reason. There are many such factors that determine if we are on the right seat. Let us examine some of them.

Involvement

How involved we are with what we do? Are we so engrossed with our job, that we have no time to think of anything else? Or we are so less connected with our job that having it or not makes no difference to us? Albert Einstein, the great scientist was so involved with his job of thinking and finding solutions to mysteries of physics and cosmos that he had no time left for anything else. His involvement was total. Do you have such an involvement?

Joy

Do we feel joy in what we do? I have taken this right near the top, because if we are dissatisfied for any reason, we will never get joy. If we get joy then most of things are going in the right direction. So think if you are getting joy in your job?

Respect

If you are working with the right people and doing the right job, you will always get the respect of your colleagues. If the respect is missing, please take that as a red signal telling you that something might be amiss.

Skill

Do you find your skills and aptitude matching the job requirements? You might be made for greater things in life. Please get your skills assessed and find out if you are wasting time with a low skilled job, when you should have been working with something requiring great skills and abilities.

There are other factors such as vision for the job, future growth potential, learning opportunities and such other factors that decide if you are on the right seat. The right person for the right job - are you the right person for your job and more importantly, is the job right for you?

I have given some pointers for thought. Ultimately, it is your life goals and values that will always decide if the job fits you. That can be done only by you. What is most important is that you review your job and your satisfaction level at frequent intervals and bring changes to create a more meaningful life. So find out today if you are in the right seat in your career.

Advising others to change career sounds very simple and a workable proposition. When it comes to us, it becomes one of the toughest decisions to implement. A career change needs lot of mental preparation. If you have a family, that may get disrupted by your career change. The income may stop for some time. The decision itself may turn out to be a wrong one. It needs mental strength to change career. Let us see what it requires.

A change of career shifts us from a comfort zone to a zone full of discomfort in the beginning. For a full time production engineer, a change to a career as human resources consultant may need a total about turn, back to school and learning new skills for the new job. Some people change careers so totally that it looks incredible. Let us talk about changes that can be done more smoothly. I am talking about learning about a new career along with the old one and then shifting to the new career slowly. This process also requires mental strength, because it needs lot of extra work.

The first barrier that one encounters while thinking of career change is- how did I get into a wrong career? What if my new decision also turns out to be wrong? What if I continue with my present career? Why should I change my career? Some of these questions need head to answer and some questions are for the heart such as asking why did I chose the wrong career to begin with, may involve damage to self esteem, and acceptance of failure.

Before thinking of changing career, one needs to do analysis of life goals, and deciding about how the present career does not satisfy those goals. Only after deciding that something drastic needs to be done can one think about changing career. One has to develop mental and emotional strength to undergo these changes and emerge a winner again.

Time for some training! So, you are not sure what type of training you will need or how it compares to the commercial side of aviation. For starters, there are some very big differences.

Please be aware that the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) do not require that a flight attendant be assigned to an aircraft with fewer than 20 seats onboard. With that being said, it is a good idea — regardless of federal regulations — for the person who is in charge of the cabin area to have adequate training.

There are quite a number of programs out there that train or claim to train business flight attendants. Some programs are excellent while others are awful. Caveat emptor — let the buyer beware — is the siren call for all of you seeking training. Do not be lulled by a low price as anyone can say they offer training, but will it get you work? Will it be recognized by the companies doing the hiring? Is the program accepted by the FAA? These are some of the things you need to uncover as you do your research.

While commercial carriers generally offer training that can last as long as six weeks, your training will be no longer than 5 or 6 days. That’s it! However, those days will be jammed pack and should include the following: food handling and service; emergency training including inflight emergency, medical and defibrillatorAED training; extensive classroom time to include: decompression, hazardous materials, firefighting, passenger briefings, ditching, and more. Some programs include make-up consultations, food and wine pairing, résumé writing, and other topics. While each can be helpful consider how much of the program’s schedule is geared toward core topics vs. peripheral issues.

Who do I recommend? Well, that is a touchy subject. As mentioned previously, training is not a legal requirement therefore program curriculum can vary widely. When talking with training operators, be prepared to ask a lot of questions, read their website, obtain their literature, and shop wisely.  The two longest running and most well know programs are operated by FlightSafety International and FACTSAirCare; most charter and private operators prefer their training. Alteon Training, LLC is a Boeing training company that started cabin attendant training in 2003 while Beyond and Above Corporate Flight Attendant Training got started in 2002.

You have graduated high school or college and now you’re ready for your first ‘real’ job.  You’ve mailed out résumés and have been called in for your first interview.  How can you do well at the interview so you wind up being offered the job?

1. Dress professionally.  No midriff shirts, low-cut blouses or flip-flops because you’re going to work and not the beach. While it’s not necessary to buy a suit, it is particularly important to look professional. If you’re trying to get a job in a conservative office such as an accounting firm, don’t dress as if you were going to a concert.  If you are applying for a retail position, you have a little more freedom.  Rather than list what clothing is and is not acceptable, I would tell you to dress as if you were going to meet one of the most important people in your life- because you are!

2. Make sure you are well-groomed. Don’t look as though you just rolled out of bed and couldn’t bother to take care of basic personal hygiene. Nothing will make the HR Manager bring the interview to a close faster than unwashed hair, dirty fingernails or body odor. As an employee, you will be a reflection of the company and no customer wants to do business with an unkempt person.

3. Be aware of your body language.  A firm handshake at the start of the interview shows you are self-confident.  Maintain eye contact, stay relaxed and be attentive to the interviewer.  Ask questions and listen thoughtfully to the answers.  Think before you answer questions from the interviewer- don’t ramble and keep the conversation on the topic.

4. Be prepared for the interview.  Research the company beforehand- every business now has a website where you can learn what they do and who their customers are. This shows the interviewer you are interested in the job and took the initiative to find out all you could about the company.

5. Be present in the interview. I’ve interviewed candidates who acted as if they were waiting for a bus.  They didn’t ask questions, but instead just listened to me, and I wasn’t really sure if they were paying attention.  Be enthusiastic, ask questions and participate in the interview.  After listing all the duties required of the position, I asked one candidate if this sounded like something she’d be interested in. Her reply was a quiet, “I can do the job.” She didn’t answer my question, she seemed indifferent, and she didn’t get the job. If you can’t be excited in the interview, you’re not going to be energized in the workplace either.

First impressions count, and you want to let the interviewer know you want the job, are willing to work hard and will do your best.  You might not necessarily be the most qualified candidate, but still land the job because you were the most outstanding one.  Good luck!

Need advice? Need help in conquering a particular challenge? Hire a consultant! Professional consulting has become one of the fastest-growing segments of our society. What do consultants do? They provide information and advice in exchange for a fee.

They can be found under a variety of names: accountant, psychologist, architect, designer,attorney, consulting engineer. Almost everyone within a society uses their services in one way or another.

What each of these consultants has in common is the need to identify and find clients, and to package their own unique know-how in a fashion that will appeal to others and be useful and meaningful. They find that marketing themselves is quite different than marketing a product that people can put their hands on. People still like to visually see what they are putting their money out for.

Many consultants know they could provide their service ever so easily from a private office in their home. They don’t need large areas to warehouse inventory, or to staff many employees. However, their clients need to see and feel an atmosphere that will justify spending money on. Hence consultants often can be found in luxury office buildings.

The service that a consultant renders is often difficult to describe. Some clients only use the services because forced to by law (such as needing an attorney). Some clients are encouraged by family members or friends to seek the services of a psychologist. Unless one is financially well off, there can be strong resentment in paying a consultant for advice. Clients need to feel they are receiving value in return – and to feel respect and admiration for the one who is doing the consulting.

Many consultants spend their working hours in large companies training and advising sales staff or increasing the morale of the employees. Proving that one’s services can provide large-scale differences in a large segment of a huge company requires positive feedback from prior clients and also strong marketing skills. Acquiring these marketing skills and putting them into practice consumes a large part of a consultant’s time.

Marketing requires planting many ‘seeds’ of what you have to offer. These seeds need to be spread as far and wide as possible in the areas where potential clients might see them. And, as we all know, not all seeds germinate and sprout. One of the safest ways for a consultant to successfully create a large marketing program is to apply the old standard rule of 80 – 20. Eighty percent of their income will come from 20 percent of their clients or leads (seeds).

By carefully analyzing which potential clients are going to be the most irritating and troublesome, and which will be a great joy to work with, consultants are usually able to eliminate eighty percent of the seeds and focus on where they can truly serve and make the best use of their time. This is how a consultant acts as his own consultant!

You have just been through a grueling interview.  The questions were tough and some just seemed off-the-wall and some were rather innocent.  What was the interviewer really looking for?  What did she mean by those questions?  Well, you can be certain that if you were interviewed by a seasoned interviewer, each and every question had a very distinct purpose.  Listed below are some common and not-so-common questions with the potential purpose of the question.

Common questions and what the interviewer is really looking for:

Question: Tell me about yourself?
Answer: The interviewer is looking for you to talk about yourself and to reveal anything that she might not otherwise be able to ask.  For example, do you have kids?  Married? Hobbies?  Interests?  Single parent?  Let’s say the job involves shift work, the need to be at work at 7:00 every day or the flexibility to be on call?  Candidates with children are perceived to have more problems getting to work on time, miss more work because of children illnesses, school functions, etc.  Is this fair?  No.  Is this a reality for some hiring managers?  Absolutely.  So what to do.  Talk specifically about previous work, your desire to work, etc.  The only exception would be if you know for a fact you and the hiring manager have something in common that you can use to build interest with himher and that you would be a great fit.

Question: Tell me about the most difficult person you had to deal with?
Answer: The interviewer could care less about the most difficult person you had to deal with.  What she is fishing for here is your ability to get along with people.  Do not answer this one too quickly.  Answering quickly suggests you have had to deal with a log of difficulty people which really suggests that you are the difficult one.  A better approach might be to tell the interviewer that you get along with everybody and that you do not have problems with difficult people.  Assuming that that statement is true, expand on your ability to pull diverse groups of people together to complete a project

Question: If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
Answer: While the obvious answer would seem to be “this job”, you might also talk about your desire to take the next step thereby giving the interviewer the thought that you are an achiever and willing to work hard.  It always amazes me how many people that I have interviewed are stumped by this question or answer it saying a surfing job.

Question: Tell me what you liked about your last job and what you disliked
Answer:  Here is another one to be careful on.  Do not go on about all the things you disliked.  It leads the interview to think you do not like anything.  Even if your last job was really, really bad, focus on the positive aspects of the job such as the things you learned, the exposure it gave you, etc.  If you talk more about what you disliked, chances are you will say you dislike something that may be a critical part of the job you are applying for.

Question: Tell me about your favorite and least favorite manager
Answer:  Again, this is a tricky question.  If you begin to talk about the things you dislike about your previous manager, the hiring manager will believe you have a problem with authority.  Focus on the things you have learned from previous managers.  Also talk about how you and a previous manager disagreed on an approach and how you worked the issue out.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, an experienced interviewing has a reason for each and every question. While the question may seem innocent enough, how you answer it could decide whether you get the job or not.  Always to remember to focus on the positive aspect of your past.  Focusing on the negative will give the impression that you are a negative person and probably not the best fit for the position.

Are you in a dead end job?  Are you fed up with low pay and long hours?  Are you bored and want to do something more interesting? Do you want to be the person telling others what to do rather than being the one taking orders?

You can make it happen!  if you are determined enough.

Consider the two alternatives, which one works for you?

Arrives late for work on a regular basis, usually chewing gum.  Looks untidy, hair unkempt, nail varnish peeling and skirt very short.  Only smiles and laughs loudly with  her mates.  Speaks to customers as little as possible.  When asked if there is a top in another size.  Answers “I don’t know” or “if it isn’t there we haven’t got any”

Shows no interest on what needs to be done.  Makes excuses to skive off when ever possible.

Does just enough to get by.  Never takes the initiative.  Walks past difficulties, doesn’t see them or want to see them.  A jar has broken leaving glass and jam all over the floor.

Is uncooperative or moody and sometimes both.  Constantly complains that things aren’t right, its not fair, out of order!

Boss sees no potential so takes little interest in her development.  Job remains dead end, she gives little and gets no job satisfaction in return.  Can’t wait to leave.

What lies ahead…..another dead end job

Arrives on time, looking neat and tidy, ready for the days work.  Knows the company policies about dress code and behaviour and follows them.  Is always polite, friendly and professional.

Makes customers feel valued, is helpful and tries to sort out any problems.  “I’ll show you where they are”  “ They are out of stock but I can order one for you”, I’ll go and find out if we have any”

Is interested in how things operate.  Asks relevant questions. Takes on her fair share of the work, offers to help others when it is appropriate.  Takes a pride in doing things well.

Anticipates things, takes appropriate action. Thinks abut health and safety so blocks off the area and clears it up or reports it to the appropriate person.

Comes across as pleasant and professional even when having personal problems.  If there is a problem, she goes to the right person, explains the difficulty and offers a suggestion about how the problem might be solved.

Goes to see the manager, expresses an interest in developing a career in the company.  Asks for the opportunity for training.  Takes each opportunity and makes the most of it.

Manager sees the potential invites her to join the trainee manager scheme.
Undertakes on the job training and rises through the ranks.

Manages her own store.

What do you want out of life?

Opportunities are what you make them.  You have to take responsibility for your  present and your future.  Think about how you behave and how others see you.

If you don’t like your present job think about what you really want out of life.   The choice is yours!