Career Success - Tips On How To Keep Your Career Up-To-Date!!

Here we are early in 2008 and many are taking a long look at their career plans. Here are some ideas that should help you keep your career on track or help you in your career planning.

Take time to evaluate your present and future position. 

Set aside some time every three months or so to seriously evaluate where you are and where you want to be. Keep alert to what is going on around you. What is going on in your industry or market niche? Are there challenges your company is facing related to government actions? Are there new tools or techniques that will impact your career or job?

Insurance Job Interview Advice - Ten Foolproof Tips for Getting Insurance Jobs

Insurance job interviews are never easy. It's difficult to make a good impression & even harder to impress your interviewer. We've come up with ten top tips to help you get the insurance job you'd been hoping for.

1. Learn About the Company - you can never be over-prepared for a job interview. Spend some time browsing the insurance company's website. Learn about their products & services as well as their competitors. It will make you seem much more knowledgeable and show that you are taking the interview seriously.

Job Search Campaign Tips - Job Hunting and Interview Preparation Guidance

This Job Search Guide provides practical guidance and information and on how to secure the job of your choice.

Ideally you should progress your job search through two key phases:-

• Create your Plan & Implement
• Manage your Plan towards Success

PHASE 1 - CREATE YOUR PLAN & IMPLEMENT

Key steps in your plan should include the following:-

STEP 1. Focus on Your Preferred Career / Job Search Target (s)

Research: Take time to carefully research the job market into which you want to move:-

Looking for Basic Career Change Advice? - Have a Targeted Job Search Strategy

The best career change advice is this -- have a laser like focus in your approach to job search. Without this, you're setting yourself up for frustration, disappointment and rejection, and possibly a very long wait before career change becomes a reality for you. The current jobs market is tough with a recent article in USA Today describing the 2011 jobs market as being a buyers market. 

Therefore, to be successful in your job search, you will need to be selective about which employers you approach. You'll also need to communicate with them in a way which clearly sets you apart from other job candidates.

Career Change Job Search: Job Interview Tips!

Career change job search: job interview tips to elevate your interview performance.

In your career change job search you've learned that preparation is everything. From the job search itself, to networking, to drafting a consistent quality resume and cover letter.

Now you've survived a telephone interview and have a job interview scheduled. Aside from looking and dressing for success, showing up ten minutes early, having prepared 50 great answers to 50 tough interview questions, role-playing the interview with a friend, carrying the right materials with you and doing the research on the company the job and the person interviewing you, you have one key thing yet to do.

Important Tips to Crack That Dream Job Interview - Don't Commit Blunders Like All Others

So, finally the day has arrived when you are face to face with the dream job that you always yearned for. There are butterflies in your stomach and sweat on your forehead that well indicates the 'do or die' situation you are in. Well, let's make things a little easier for you! We will provide you with some valuable tips that will come handy while appearing for your dream job interviews.

These tips will help you in handling yourself in a graceful manner, thereby making a positive impression on the interviewers.

Interview Question - Tell Me a Problem You Once Had on the Job and How You Solved It?

With so much competition these days in the job market, it is not easy to land a good job. Interviews are becoming tougher and tougher every day as interviewers try very hard to weed out candidates in order to select the best and the most qualified for the position.

This weed out process is done by asking candidates tough interview questions during the interview. A popular interview question often asked by almost every interviewer, which every candidate should be prepared for is;

The Top 4 Job Hunting and Career Planning Tips During a Recession

Is the recession really putting a damper on your career planning process? It's hard to move up the ladder and land your dream job when you're not even getting interview requests. It's important to not lose hope, however. From hiring a professional resume writer to changing your career planning agenda, there are several things you can do to boost your chances of getting hired. Here are the top four tips and tricks to help you score the job you've always dreamed of:

• Brush up on your skills. Anyone who is serious about career planning knows that you've got to keep your skills relevant. Often times, this translates to taking a class on the latest computer programs or educating yourself about the latest things going on in your industry. If you know what you're doing, you're more likely to get hired.

Tips on Changing Careers - Establishing a Workable Career Plan

7 Steps to Help You Change Careers and Establish a Workable Career Plan

If you are thinking of a career change or if you are trying to lay out a tangible career plan for yourself, there are several important things to consider.

Step One - Self Assessment

Self-Assessment is an important first step in considering where you are currently and discovering what direction you would like to go in the future. Some questions you might ask yourself include:

Interview For a Job - Common Skills - Top 10 Most Sought After Skills by Employers

As a candidate you can do all the right things to get you across the table for an interview but you must understand and know the skills employers are looking for in a potential hire.

It is highly unwise during the interview to just say you have these skills and tie it to nothing. Use the 30 minutes interview time wisely to impress upon the interviewer by connecting your skills with your job experience and cite examples if possible. Let's examine some of the interview for job skills that make employers salivate with excitement. These are listed in no order of priority.

1. Communication skill
This skill is the ability to speak, write and listen. Effective communication is all about conveying your message clearly to other people either by writing or speaking. A candidate who can convey thoughts and ideas effectively and get the message across is a good communicator.

2. Problem solving skill.

PSS as it is referred to, is the ability to solve problems. Every employer around the globe is looking for this skill in a candidate. Think of this, without this skill we would be still living in caves. This skill requires you to put your troubleshooting mind to work on every aspects of work. If you are this person who likes to figure out and fix things, resolve issues etc. then watch out employers are looking for you.

3. Decision making skill

This is an essential skill for every career success. Making timely and well considered decisions to save time and money for the company can be fruitful for your team. Respect is earned quickly and you can be perceived by your peers as a leader, may be a promotion is forthcoming. Every employer would love an employee with this skill.

4. People skill

The ability to interact at all levels. This person is a professional with interpersonal skills whose involvement with peers and work groups, together as a team working on projects to achieve a common goal.

5. Team player

This is the ability to work with others within a team environment, sharing ideas to accomplish a common task or goal. A team player does not dominate the spotlight but listen to other people opinion and handles constructive criticism very well.

6. Analytical Skill

This deals with your ability to assess a situation thoroughly, put all key information into perspective and highlight issues to be addressed. Take action and resolve all issues identified in your report.

7. Multitasking Skill

This is the ability to work on multiple projects at the same time. This is truly a remarkable skill employers are drooling for because it shows how well a candidate can handle multiple jobs and at the same time work well under pressure. This is by far the most popular interview for job skills for employers.

8. Computer Skills

Every job now require some basic understanding of computer language especially word processing, spreadsheet, email, internet etc. This is a definite must of every candidate.

9. Organizational Skills

This ability to put things in the order of priority, plan and execute within an allotted time frame.

10. Management Skills

This is the candidate ability to manage or supervise employees in the organization. This skill comes with a long list of responsibilities as the candidate must possess most or all of the key skills mentioned above. In addition this management skill requires you to delegate, motivate, handle conflict resolution, and make quick decisions, take risks etc. and keeping the best interest of the company at hand.

By Diana Camacho

Approximately 80% of work is being completed by 20% of people who are employed. Well, this thumb rule is true regardless of the type or the size of any organization. However, common sense career advice conveys that people must work hardly to make themselves among the top twenties who are keen in getting their job done. Job security has become a top concern, especially in these hectic times of economic insecurity.

Take a look at some of the career advices which you can make use of to fulfill your goals and become one among the top 20's.

• Get to know about the expectations from your job. Ask for directions from your boss.

•  Monitor and document all you performances inside the organization month-by-month. Learn from your mistakes.

•  Keep a track of the performance appraisal given to you. Based on your performance appraisals, you can make corrections over your career path.

• Plan you work accordingly and set career goals with actions and timeliness.

• Stay up-to-date with all the events taking place inside the organization.

•  Prepare a fallback plan covering actions you would take if you were to lose your job.

• Do more with fewer resources and prove yourself.

• Come up with latest ideas and be keen in taking initiatives.

• Try to solve all the problems, don't create them.

• Be a team leader. Make sure to share the workload so that you will be credited for your excess workloads.

There are so many ways through which you can set your career path to the right direction. Will power and strong determination will determine success in your career. Feel happy to receive career advice from experienced people. Remember, you are going to gain and not going to lose.

By Janani Jaan

Career Day Planning - Two Ways on How You Can Approach Your Career Day Planning

If you are really serious about pursuing a career in a chosen field or doing some serious research on what is available, career day planning should begin well in advance of the event. There are two ways on how you can approach your career day planning.

The first one involves some preparation. The second however, primarily involves keeping an open mind about what may be available on the career day event.


As with any important activity in life, whether it is work, sports or family activity, preparation is important. This great sales tip may work well as part of career day planning - Do not go into a meeting or sales presentation without being prepared. Don't just wing it!

As one career counselor emphasizes - Market yourself. Of course, one other essential factor in preparation involves having several copies of the resume available. Take more copies to the event than you think you might need!

Experts in career day planning and job counseling always recommend that the job seeker wear "professional" clothing. While the description of the term "professional" can vary, it would probably be best not to attend career day events in blue jeans, tennis shoes or a floppy hat that is usually worn on the weekend. The visual impression a job seeker makes on company representatives is a very important factor in whether or not that individual will be considered for the job.

In addition to giving some thought to the clothes that will be worn, career day planning should always include some research into the employers who will be present at the event. While it may not be productive to spend a lot of time on all the details, more information is generally better than none or too little. This may be one of the keys to a successful career day.

Job seekers should be familiar with the companies they want to visit with. Representatives will remember those who have solid knowledge of the business that may be their employer for life.

Tip: Make this research a key part of career day planning.

The second way to look at career day planning does not actually involve a lot of planning. However, it may be wise to plan for a small percentage of time (and mental energy) for options other than those key, targeted companies. Arriving early, when company representatives are fresh and energetic, is the best idea for success.

With good preparation and focus, a job seeker can make contact with all of the employers of interest, and still have time to "cruise" about to see if there are other possibilities that were not apparent before the event. Be prepared, be positive and good luck!

By Ray Baron

Job Interview Skills - How to Deal With Unusual, Irrelevant Or Stupid Questions at Interviews

Yes, it actually happens - employers surprisingly ask irrelevant or stupid questions during a job interview! It may sound inappropriate but actually, it's not. In today's employment environment, each job interview is unique. Regardless of what position you are applying for, remember that each company and its interviewers have their own corporate culture and requirements when screening their candidates. Moreover, they also have their own preferences for interview questions.

A Job interview is a 'give and take' process. Employers sometimes include questions that are outside the realm of what would be considered as normal aspects for a job interview. Such methods are designed to test how the interviewee responds to unexpected or even uncomfortable situations. It is also a method of determining an applicant's skills and creativity in dealing any situation that might arise in a real working environment.

While some employers may ask a question like "What was the last movie you watched?" others actually asks extraneous questions such as "What would I find in your vanity kit?". These questions can either make an applicant stumble and laugh or confidently, and perhaps wittingly, answer the question. Consequently this could make her/him stand out from the competition. Often, it could be a decisive factor for employers to either consider or eliminate a candidate's suitability for the position. 

While unique interview questions vary greatly, there are helpful steps that job aspirants can take to prepare themselves for such an eventuality.

Firstly remember that 'practice makes perfect', especially at job interviews. Conducting a mock interview with the help of a family member or friend can be a very helpful exercise. If you feel such practice is insufficient, then think of other methods that can be used to help you remain comfortable at all times throughout any interview process.

Secondly, job seekers should thoroughly re-acquaint themselves with their own background, experiences, and skills. Although it may sound peculiar, some people surprisingly do lose track of their own past achievements and hardly give a full answer to even basic questions. Job seekers should therefore refresh their memories before the interview and if necessary take some simple notes in to the interview with them..

Finally, always remember that a successful job interview is not only dependent upon how fast you are able to answer questions. It is also about showing confidence while answering questions and ensuring your interviewer is satisfied with your answers. Job interviews are aimed at measuring competency and to observe the personal style of each applicant. Hence applicants may take their time in answering each question asked. It is also a good job interview technique to ask clarifying questions or even to request a moment to think, so that you can respond factually and honestly rather than simply blabbing out some less sensible thought or even creating a fallacy.

Whilst job interviews can follow different styles and methods, each contributes in its own way to discovering as much as possible about the candidate, and indeed the organization, involved.

By Wendy Gorman

Career Advancement - Tips to Improve Your Career Advancement Opportunities

Most people will agree that when it comes to career advancement, the ladder to success can be a steep one to climb. One of the ways to improve your career advancement opportunities and be a step ahead of your rivals is to work harder and do some serious planning and preparation.

In an average person's working career, it is estimated that most of use will make between six to ten jobs or career changes, hence the reason why career advancement is absolutely necessary. You have to be sure that your employer is aware that you are looking for career advancement.

Experts believe that the most suitable time for you to pursue a new job or career advancement is when you have been employed for some time but find your existing position to offer less challenges. Start off by seeking a higher-level promotion within the company, or if there are no career advancement opportunities in your existing workplace, you can begin to look for a new job somewhere else.

Here are some ideas and tips for helping people looking for career advancement opportunities.

There are several ways to increase your value within the company or organization such as seeking more responsibilities or additional work and offering to help other teams, departments or advisory boards. This is a great way to show how dedicated and passionate you are to the company or industry.

Have a meaningful, direct conversation about your career advancement future with your boss, stressing your desire to meet the company's job performance goals and your own personal career goals. Find a trusted advisor and mentor for career guidance and information, either within or outside the business, as studies prove that they directly influence many company promotions.

Develop strong people and social skills such as being amiable, outgoing, friendly, and an effective and clear communicator with outstanding listening skills plays an important role in gaining your coworkers, boss's and outside influences respect. These skills also help you in self-promotion or selling yourself by letting people know about your job skills and successful activities, which could help you in your career advancement plans.

Use your effective communication skills to let the influential people know about your career advancement or promotion seeking plans. Always look professional by being well groomed and dressing appropriately. Your work reputation is exceptionally vital so act in a professional manner by being professional and cooperative regardless of the situation.

People interested in career advancement should always continue to learn, gain new knowledge, keep up with the recent developments and trends in their line of business, and be innovative. Always have a current, up to date resume available, as you never know when you might need it.
By Ray Baron

How To Get A Job Without Experience - Sell Yourself Just As You Would If You Were A Salesperson

It's easier to find a job than you think. You don't need experience, you just think you do; perhaps that is just your excuse because your job search isn't going quite well - Nobody's hiring me because I don't have any relevant work experience. Bad excuse!

Back when I first finished school I didn't have any experience either. I did what everybody else did - I sent resumes in response to job ads in the classifieds. That didn't work. Then I got creative. I was specifically looking for a sales job because that's what I thought that I would like.

I thought to myself, what is a sales manager looking for when hiring a salesperson? I knew the answer. A sales manager wants somebody that can sell. How can I show that I could sell without actually having a track record? I could show him.

Here's what I did.
I was targeting a B2B job selling copiers. I picked out a few prospects and called the sales managers in those offices. I didn't call to ask for a job (not at first). I called the sales manager (cold call) pretending to be an office cleaner and tried to sell him my services.

I really wasn't an office cleaner. I was playing a role. I was pretending. I just wanted to be able to showcase my sales skills. It worked! The sales managers were impressed. I soon had a handful of job offers to choose from.

Of course, showcasing your sales skills with a fake cold call won't help you get anything other than a sales job, but that's not the point. The point is that you can be creative no matter what type of job you are looking for. Just find a way to showcase your skills without actually doing what everybody else does when looking for a job (sending dozens of resumes while hoping for a call back).

Short advice but It works!

By Tino Toskala

10 Golden Ways to Find a Job in 10 Days During a Recession

It can help you find jobs on the market in your industry whether you are looking for a sales job or technology job, this article can help you find a recruiter, has interview tips, and will help you negotiate your job offer letter. With the recession there are a lot of job seekers, and this article includes how to find a job during the recession.

• Prepare yourself. This involves rewriting your resume and buying the right interview outfit. Practice your interview in the mirror and prepare for tough questions, such as an interviewer asking you to describe a time you helped your company when you didn't have to, or what your weakest trait is. Make sure you have your resume on hand when you do finally attend the job interview, along with any presentation papers that you feel will help you land the job.

• Find a recruiter. Go to a recruiter directory such as to find a list of recruiters in your area. Once you are at the recruiter directory you should be able to do a search by industry or location. It is important not to narrow your industry too much, as you want to keep an open job search so you don't limit your results. Let the recruiter know if you are willing to relocate, that way they can search for jobs for you in other areas, with will expand your options dramatically.

• Get all the job details. Be sure to ask the recruiter you are working with for specific details when they have an interview scheduled for you. Good questions to ask are if there are if this is a replacement position or a newly created job title. If it is a replacement position be sure to inquire as to why the previous employee did not work out. You can also ask if there are other candidates in the pipeline for this position and if there are other candidates who are no longer being considered. If there are, why didn't they make the cut? What does the recruiter recommend you do to avoid that problem? Keep in mind the recruiter is on your side, and while they want to be sure they hire the right person for the job, it makes their job easier if you get hired.

• Presentation is everything. Many people don't realize how important presentation is when going to a job interview. Not tucking in your shirt could literally cost you the job. Your resume should be carried in a briefcase, folder, or something similar. Shoving your resume in your pocket does not look good when applying for a job. Even if you are applying for a casual job, you are gong to want to dress professional for the interview.

• Arrive on Time. Make sure you have the right company directions. Arrive early, not on time. If you plan on arriving on time there is a good chance that there will be something unexpected, such as traffic that will make you late. Plan as much as you can ahead of time, and even find alternate routes 'just in case'.

• Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Make sure that you have are applying to several different jobs. Not only will you get hired sooner, but you may even find yourself in a position where you have multiple offers. That is always the best case scenario, as then you can pick your favorite company and/or compensation package.

• Concentrate on what the company wants first. The last thing you want to do in an interview is ask about the compensation package and benefits first. Remember, the company probably has several people interviewing and will choose the person they think is the best, not the candidate who likes the comp package the most.

Remember, you are trying to sell your resume, experience and services to the company. While asking questions about how the company works shows interest, asking about the salary is not something that should be brought up until the offer letter is presented. Feel free, however, to ask the recruiter. They are a third party and want to make sure they have a good match between employer and employee and that includes what the company is paying and your salary expectations.

• Do Your Research. Be sure to research the company and what they do. If you have questions about the company that show you have done your research, chances are the hiring manager will be impressed. If you ask a bunch of questions that show you have no idea as to how the company works, that will come off less than impressive.

• 9. Follow Up. Be sure to get the interviewers e-mail address so that you can send them a thank you e-mail to follow up. Let them know that you enjoyed the interview and look forward to working with them, even if you haven't been hired yet. Tell them you were impressed with the interview and their organization and be sure to include why. Inquire as to what the next steps will be. Follow up with the recruiter and find out if they received feedback. If you did not get the position, ask the recruiter why so that you may use that advice for future interviews.

• Don't Reject, Negotiate. If you like the organization you interviewed for, and could see yourself working there, don't outright reject an offer that doesn't seem realistic. They might be just giving you a lowball offer to test your waters. Let the job recruiter know what your minimum conditions are and ask for a counter offer. Be careful going too high, don't forget there is a chance your counter offer will just be rejected and that will be the end of it. Ask yourself if you can afford to take that chance in this economy. Keep in mind there aren't that many companies hiring right now and it is very hard to find a job. Another technique is to gently mention the other offers you have on the table to the recruiter.

By Jacqueline Valentine