Stay Composed While Participating in an Interview - Follow These Basic Steps to Achieve Success

Your curriculum vitae was notable, your professional explorations and networking have been fruitfully rewarded, and you have been invited for a personal interview with a firm of your choice. But, now the hardest part of getting a job has arrived. You have to get prepared for an interview. The word itself makes us nervous. But, cast out all your worries and simply follow these steps to prepare yourself.

1. Do some research about the company which is recruiting you, so that; you can put this knowledge to the best use, during an interview with your senior, if he questions you something regarding the firm. This will represent your sincerity with the interviewer.

2. Make a note of documents you are carrying. Try to carry a paper copy of all the necessary documents. Plan your outfit and accessory. Take up a professional look.

3. Keep a record of the office address. If you are familiar with the office location, you’ll get their on time. Make prior arrangements for your transport. Be punctual. Punctuality is an essential factor. So, try to get their at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time.

4. Rehearse for your interview before setting out for the final round. Prepare general questions related these topics: talent and abilities, academic records, extra co-curricular activities performed, career goals, work objectives, knowledge and accomplishments, rewards and testimonials, personal information, work experience and salary expected.

5. Practice your responses. Rehearse them repeatedly in order to get rid of nervousness. Also, prepare an impressive Intro for yourself, comprising of 6-7 lines and incorporating all the necessary personal as well as professional details in it.

6. You must contact your former manager, instructors or staff members as your professional references.

7. While giving an interview, stay calm and composed. Be open-minded. Maintain an attentive posture and let your ideas be free. If you freely communicate with the interviewer, you both will be able to discover each-others’ priorities.

8. Remember this quote: “Knowledge is Silver but Silence is Gold”. Be a patient listener, when the interviewer is sharing his experiences with you. This might turn out to be fruitful for you in the near future.

9. Maintain an eye-to-eye contact with the interviewer, it shows your level of interest. Keep your body movement natural so that he is convinced that you’re really interested in this conversation.

10. You are required to exhibit that you are willing to adapt a new working environment. You must read the company policies very carefully.

11. Lastly, do negotiate in terms of salary but don’t act over-demanding, it’ll damage your professional image.

That was all! I am sure that you are full prepared for your interview now. So, just go ahead and rock it!

Stay Composed While Participating in an Interview - Follow These Basic Steps to Achieve Success

Think You Can"t Afford Film College? Think Again

If you want to attend Film College but are afraid you can’t afford it, don’t talk yourself out of it just yet. Let’s face it; millions of people want to attend Film College every year. However, most never make it there because they let the cost of the film education scare them away. Don’t let that happen to you. This article will give you some tips on how you’ll be able to afford Film College.

Are You Sure You Want To Do This?

First of all, you have to ask yourself if you’ve got what it takes to be a successful filmmaker. Is it even for you? The cost of Film College is around $15,000 a year for in state tuition. Before you jump into it, take a career aptitude test online. You can find them easily and they are free. This aptitude test will help you determine if your abilities and desires are a match for one another.

Pick an Accredited School

If you go to 20 Film College website, all 20 will say they are the best. Don’t let that fool you. That’s like asking two brothers which one is better looking. They both have the same answer. A Film University is no different. So don’t look at the biggest school with the highest priced tuition. A lot of community colleges offer a good film education program. You can learn the exact same thing there that you’ll learn in an expensive college.

Let’s face it; movie training 101 is movie training 101. Just make sure the film schools you are looking at offer some kind of financial assistance. The biggest thing to look for in the film college is are they accredited. That way you’ll be able to get financial aid.

Get Financial Aid

After you have picked out the accredited school that will be best for you, your first stop will be the financial aid office. It’s easy, just time consuming. You’ll need to fill out the FAFSA form. A good rule of thumb is if you earn less than $40,000 a year, odds are you can get financial aid. So go ahead and apply. Even if you make more than $40,000 a year you can still receive some help. The best part is this is money that you don’t have to pay back. It’s not a loan, it’s a grant. So look into it.

Private Financing

Film College is usually a little more expensive than your average college degree. Even if you get a grant, you may still need to use some out of pocket money to finance your film education. But don’t worry yet. Because there are places that give out awards and grants to young filmmakers like you.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association gives out grants and scholarships to students like you every year. The smallest grant awarded is $5,000 per student each year and the largest grant awarded is $25,000 per student each year. Just do a Google search on The Hollywood Foreign Press Association and you’ll find the information you need.

Keep in mind that whatever the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve. If being a director or producer is your passion then go for it and don’t let the cost of film school stop you.

Think You Can"t Afford Film College? Think Again

Hire the Right Employees by Performing Background Checks

Resumes and live interviews are not enough for an employer to pass judgment on an aspiring applicant. There are several articles that are not written on an applicant’s curriculum vitae, or shown in a video resume. What if the applicant is a sex offender? An illegal alien? A deceiver? A criminal? In this light comes the need for a comprehensive background check.

Background checks are done on applicants and present employees by every company to ensure that their employees have satisfied the company’s choices. Applicants may think that this will breech their privacy and rights as a person. That, however, is not the case, as there are laws governing the conduction of background checks.

When an employee acts on a misdemeanor involving the company he is working for, not only is he destroying his name, but of his company as well. Employers check the “past lives” of their applicants to make sure that they are of sound mind and body, and that they will be unable to act uncaringly. Hiring a reputable applicant will bereave the company, in both the finance and reputation aspects of the company. Furthermore, the employer will also be filed a case against, since he has overlooked a particularly risky characteristic of an applicant.

So, for employers out there, you have to make sure to hire the right employees, you need to choose the right applicants. You can do this by conducting background checks. In performing your search, you can get lots of information that can help you select the right applicants that can be assets to your companies.

Hire the Right Employees by Performing Background Checks

Selecting the Best Call Center Applicants

Choosing the best applicants to fit in your call center company will take certain considerations. The survival of your outsourcing company against strong competition in the market will depend on how competent your employees in catering to the concerns of your clients.

Selecting the potential applicants to be trained and employed should undergo strict process. If you want for the best then help yourself in hunting for persons who will qualify in handling your account. Human resource personnel are mostly in charge in interviewing the walk-in applicants who wish to get employed in your company. As the chief operating officer or simply hired as country manager of the company you work for proper documentation of the volume of applicants your office received should be recorded.

The fastest way to be employed easily is applying at any contact center industry. Every outsourcing company is accommodating applicants to fill in their vacant position. The applicants can browse jobs opening through online job companies offering services like this. A job advertised online is the convenient approach when applying for a job. Jobseekers can save time and money because companies are going to respond with their application within only few working days. Another way of searching job is viewing the listing under the classified ads of the national daily newspapers. Big contact center companies allocated budget in paying the commercial rates when posting for their jobs opening. Outsourcing companies spent huge amount of money in letting the public informed about available jobs.

When receiving volumes of bio data, resume, and curriculum vitae from the applicants, the personnel from the Human Resource Department will start selecting the potential jobseekers to schedule for interview. There’ll be stages to be done to in hiring new employees.

As an interviewee, you need to pinpoint the strength and weaknesses of the applicants. If you have big companies catering inbound and outbound services, chat support, web content writing, and technical support, ask first the applicant what position he or she applying for. If from the beginning of the interview, if the applicants answer your questions directly and clearly then they might be eligible to proceed to the next level. The interviewee should watch out the grammar and sentence construction of a particular applicant. The accent is not much under priority because the applicants will learn it during training period.

The interviewee should also observe the behavior of the applicant. If you see undesirable attitude from the beginning then it’s an indication not to precede the application to avoid problem in the near future. However, as an interviewee you need to say it in a nice way. The hardest part of being in-charge for the selection process is turning down the applicants. However, you should not be affected with this because you are just doing your job in maintaining the company’s policy in choosing for the competent employees.

In call center companies, attrition rate is one of the most concerns because people come and go. If you want your center to achieve its goal, the skills, aptitude tests, and abilities of every people employed are very important. There are so many challenges in call center industry today. Maintaining people and choosing the right one are serious matter.

At the beginning of the interview, you may notice that most of the applicants are showing their interests such as politeness, enthusiastic, and very responsive to the questions. However, once get hired these people often found out slacking off the floor and showing undesirable traits. This is the reason why contact centers often give competitive tests to have more access to the applicant’s performance. For instance, from 10 applicants usually one or two were able to make it because of the stringent selection process.

The best way to select potential jobseekers are forming strategies, which could be used in the hiring process. At the end of the day, your company have selected new batch of people to be scheduled for training and placed under probationary status.

Selecting the Best Call Center Applicants

Resume Cover Letter - Creating A Powerful P.S. Section

It’s like some strange, uncontrollable addiction. With any letter, whether it’s sales, personal, or a resume cover letter, most of us can’t help but shoot straight to that P.S. section and just gobble it up, word for word.

Now just imagine this powerful, irresistible P.S. section at the bottom of your resume cover letter. Something that your potential employer can hardly keep his eyes off of. Here are some of the best ways to use a P.S. on your resume cover letter:

Resume Cover Letter P.S. #1–Ask for the interview

Doing this shows that you’re passionate about this position and that you truly want to work for their company. So differentiate yourself, take that extra step forward, and use that P.S. on your resume cover letter to ASK for that interview.

P.S. As I said before, I would love to be interviewed for the customer service position. I’m available right away, and you can call me at (323) 294-xxxx. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

Resume Cover Letter P.S. #2–Restate a benefit about yourself, or better yet, mention a whole new one

Make it something powerful…one that you’d like to sear into the mind of your potential employer. Don’t forget, it’ll be the last thing on your resume cover letter this person reads, so make it something great!

P.S. I’ve won HG School’s Teacher of the Year award twice, for my creativity and commitment to great learning. I’m anxious to bring these attributes to you at Alton School.

Resume Cover Letter P.S. #3–Use a quote/testimonial

Like the P.S., quotes/testimonials have always been one of the strongest marketing strategies ever used. That another employer is actually willing to speak on your behalf only says great things about you.

P.S. My supervisor said, “Nola isn’t afraid to solve problems, and whatever answers she doesn’t have, she’ll do research, and will ask questions. In other words, she works harder than what’s asked of her, always.”

Resume Cover Letter P.S. #4–Mention something that recently happened involving the company

Keeping up with company developments shows that you have a genuine interest & a true desire to work there. Check out the company’s website. You might learn a few things–information about a new product, a new partnership, or a new problem they’re facing.

P.S. Congratulations on your 17% increase in sales to overseas clients. With my 8 years of experience in international marketing, I’d love to not only help maintain this increase, but to help raise it to an even higher percentage.

So why not try it? Use that jewel of a P.S. section on your resume cover letter to say what you’d like your potential employer to remember most. That phone of yours will start ringing with interview offers soon enough!

Here’s to your future success, and never give up!

Resume Cover Letter - Creating A Powerful P.S. Section

MBA Admission Secrets - What Do Business School Admission Committee Members Look For?

In my 15 years of work as an Admission Counselor, I have answered thousands of questions from hundreds of MBA aspirants. While some of the questions are unique and context specific, a majority of questions (and their answers) are straight forward and informational in nature.

In this article, I will address a question that has intrigued almost all applicants since MBA programs gained reputation among students and professionals. The question is: What makes an MBA application – a winning application? Others may ask: Among varied factors such as GPA, GMAT score, Recommendation letters and Statement of purpose – Which one is the most important? Still others may question – What weight age does GMAT score have over GPA or work experience? In the following sections I will elucidate the relative importance of the factors.

Grade Point Average (GPA): The grade point average is the evaluative summary of one’s academic performance in school and college. The overall score may depend on several factors such as the grading standards in the institution and ranking of the school or college. MBA applicants are expected to have a ‘decent’ GPA, but this criterion should not be over emphasized. While its importance may vary from school to school, experts attribute 25-30% points to GPA.

Statement of Purpose: In this essay, the applicant is expected to state his/her reasons for applying to the program. It is an important piece of document that outlines the philosophy and purpose of the student. Some experts believe that it may tilt the balance in your favor if one ties with others on remaining criteria. It may be noticed that several professional bodies, admission counselors and review courses may provide services to craft someone’s statement of purpose. This practice has made admission committee members suspect a ‘well-written’ statement of purpose with suspect, especially if other components of application package are not as stellar. One can attribute about 10-20% points to statement of purpose.

Recommendation Letter: Most schools ask for reference letters from three people who have had a chance to observe the candidates’ work and behavior. Usually, professional supervisors and course professors write a confidential letter of recommendation. Schools use these letters to validate claims made by the applicant. However, given the fact that an applicant will always request some one to write a letter with whom he/she has had a positive work/academic relationship, admission officers choose not to give more than 15-25% points to this evidence.

GMAT score: While psychologists, academicians and decisions makers may differ on the appropriateness of an aptitude test as an evidence for future performance in studies and work, the GMAT score remains the most important criterion for selecting the right candidate among a group of applicants. Experts also concur that it is one of the most objective methods of selection per evidence obtained, for the MBA program. Despite varied views on GMAT test/score, most experts maintain that a candidate’s selection depends 40-60% on the GMAT score.

Work Experience: It is encouraged to have considerable and relevant job experience in order to appreciate the courses taught in the MBA program. Most candidates have 2 to 5 years of full-time work experience. While things may vary from school to school in granting admissions, admission committee members may give 10-25% points to job experience.

Having quantified various criteria for gaining admission in the MBA programs, I would like to add that no single factor may secure an admission. On the other hand, a very poor showing on one or more components may be a deal-breaker. Ultimately it is the ‘right’ mix of above-mentioned factors that may work in one’s favor.

MBA Admission Secrets - What Do Business School Admission Committee Members Look For?

How to Write an Effective Resume for That Terrific Restaurant Job Opening

With 1.9 million new restaurant jobs projected by the year 2016, it is no wonder why a career in the hospitality business is such a popular choice. Or why so many persons want to know how to write an effective resume; to nab hotel or restaurant management jobs, food preparation positions, or restaurant server jobs.

The potential for hospitality career advancement is excellent. Regardless if the person has attended one of the top culinary schools, has an associate of science degree, or simply seeks a position as a waiter waitress. Employees who exemplify a positive workplace attitude and have good people skill and job performance competence can quickly excel on the hospitality ladder to career success.

Deciding What Jobs to Apply For When deciding which hospitality establishment you might like to work for, consider this; the nicer the establishment, the more detailed the hospitality services – the more focus will be put on hospitality training and good job skill instruction.

And many times employee benefit, pay, work conditions, and chances for career advancement will be superior to that of less stylish establishments.

Let’s say you are interested in working for an upscale restaurant, but are hesitant to apply for a position because previous work experience was with more casual type establishments. A neat, attractive appearance, friendly, outgoing personality, and confident demeanor can go a long way in compensating work experience short comings.

Why not visit the restaurant just before rush time. When hospitality management is most likely to be present, but not too busy for an impromptu meeting. This will increase your chance of talking directly with the person responsible for hiring. If you make a good impression, you very well might be considered for a position, despite your lack of the type experience desired.

How to Write an Effective Resume Knowing what to write in a resume and how to prepare for a job interview will boost your confidence and help you make a positive impression; increasing your chances of landing the job.

When you write your resume, keep the following in mind:

o Regardless if the resume is for restaurant management jobs or restaurant server jobs – keep resume format and tone as professional as possible.

o Avoid “fluff.”  Keep focus on resume objective and the type resume job for which you are applying. Experience, skills, and attributes should be job relevant.

o Another great resume tip is to keep it short; no more than a single page long. Think of your resume as an appetizer; make it appealing, but brief. You can always expand on aspects of your resume during the job interview.

Job Interview Preparation After delivering your resume, think positive and begin preparing for a job interview:

o Learn all you can about the hospitality company you are applying to and the type hospitality services they provide.

o Rehearse answers to questions you are likely to be asked during the interview. For instance, how you would deal with a hard to get along with coworker in a particular situation. By thinking about responses to such questions before the interview, you avoid appearing frazzled trying to formulate answers on the spot.

o One question you should be prepared to answer during the job skill assessment part of the interview is what special people skill attributes or job talent you have that make you a good candidate for the job. Consider your attributes carefully. This is no time for false modesty, but be honest; don’t exaggerate.

o Most upscale restaurants require employees to know key food preparation methods and terms used. It might be a good idea to become familiar with the various food items on the restaurant’s menu before your interview.

o Speaking a second language, especially Spanish, is a great job skill asset to flaunt. Especially in large cities with non-English speaking employees or patrons, or in areas frequented by tourists.

Aside from how to write an effective resume, one other tip that will help make a good impression is to send a job interview thank you note; expressing gratitude for the opportunity to be considered as a part of their employment team.

How to Write an Effective Resume for That Terrific Restaurant Job Opening

Careers in the Coast Guard

A career as a Coast Guard officer in the U.S. demands a conscientious and dedicated approach to the duties and responsibilities that accompany the job profile. There are a number of options open for people that want to pursue this career path. The job not only gives you a chance to serve a humane purpose but also gives you the opportunity to stretch your physical and mental capabilities beyond the ordinary.

The department was founded in 1790 as the United States Coast Guard or USCG, as part of the Department of Treasury. Initially, the job involved countering smuggling off the U.S. coastline. However, today the Coast Guard is responsible for the promotion of peace and rescue operations.

Basic Requirements

The following are some of the requirements for becoming a Coast Guard officer:

– You should be a citizen of the U.S. or a resident alien.

– You should be between 17 to 27 years of age to qualify for active service.

– You should be a high school graduate.

– You should have cleared the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test or ASVAB.

– You should have passed a military entrance exam.

Benefits Of Becoming A Coast Guard Officer

– Steady Income: You are paid twice a month, depending on the specified pay grade at the time of recruitment.

– Chances Of Promotion: Your work is periodically appraised on the basis of performance, time served in a particular pay grade and service requirements.

– Paid Vacation: You are eligible for paid leave, comprising of 30 days in a year.

– Health Care: You are eligible for complete medical and dental health care, absolutely free.

– Life Insurance: You are covered under a $400,000 life insurance plan.

Training

The training for a Coast Guard officer involves training at a boot camp at Cape May, New Jersey.  The training lasts for 8 weeks and is mentally and physically challenging. Water survival techniques are taught hands on. The physical fitness regime adopted differs for the male and female recruits. Candidates are grouped to instill teamwork and co-ordination from the very start. The ability to swim is not a prerequisite for the Coast Guard. The selected candidates are given lessons in swimming and basic water rescue operations.

The Coast Guard Academy

The academy is one of the five federal military service academies in the U.S. Candidates are not charged a tuition fee and the academy offers various options to recruits. Some of them are:

– Civil Engineering.

– Mechanical Engineering.

– Naval Architecture.

– Marine Engineering.

– Operations Research and Computer Analysis.

All the options within the job profile of a Coast Guard involve rigorous training and detailed, specific education with regards to the department chosen.

How To Apply

Applications are accepted online, with the deadline being March 1st of each year. All inquires can be made directly to:

The Director of Admissions

U.S. Coast Guard Academy

15, Mohegan Avenue

New London

CT-06320 9807

Other Options

The U.S. Coast Guard Reserves offers part-time recruitment also. It is the perfect way for those in college or already working to gain experience with the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard also welcomes the services of physicians, dentists and pharmacists.

The job involves rescue operations, aircraft missions, interception of illegal migrants and port safety checks. The diversity of activity handled by the Coast Guard is attractive and a planned approach to becoming a part of the United States Coast Guard is not difficult at all.

Careers in the Coast Guard

How to Create a Killer Pilot Resume - Part 2

This is a continuation of my first article on how to create a killer pilot resume.

Okay, flight times are often overdone. It depends on the aircraft you’re applying to fly. If it’s a prop, tell them your Total Time, PIC, Multi Engine, Multi PIC,CC, Instrument, and Night. That’s it.

If you get too detailed and tell them how many night-instrument-complex-taildragger-landings-while-receiving-instruction-in-the-last-90-days, you’ll come off as inexperienced in the world of commercial aviation and you go in the trash can.

For a jet, you need to only include your total time, Multi Engine, PIC, Turbojet Total, SIC or PIC Turbojet (whichever is higher), and Time in type or make that the employer actually operates if you have some.

Leave any other details off unless you are responding to an ad requesting specifics, like international time for example. Also, round off the fractions to the nearest hour only.

Honestly, that’s all that most employers are going to read unless they like you. It’s theme at and potatoes of your pilot resume, and that’s why it’s listed first. If they even skim through the rest, you’re looking good.

When you’re listing your past jobs, just list the name of the company, their address, dates you worked, and a brief description of what you did.Aircraft type, position, Part 135, 121, or 91, and where you went, and avoid pronouns like “I” and “me.”

Also, only list flying jobs and only the most recent ones to fill the page, maybe three. Of course, if you don’t have a few, that’s okay, just avoid listing the Red Lobster job you took to supplement your flight instructing, they don’t care.

If you have a period of more than two months of unemployment, you should list it, but make sure you use the description area to explain what you were doing all that time, and “hanging out at the airport” won’t cut it. You should have accomplished something.

Education should be flight schools and college only. No high school or anything non-aviation.

I’ve seen some guys write an “achievement” section at the end. You know, awards and things, like the time you won first place in your town’s cat grooming competition.Guess what? They don’t care! There will be plenty of time to talk about that stuff later.I know a few chief pilots that would trashcan your pilot resume just because of stuff like that.

The only exception I can think of is if you happen to know that the boss is particularly fond of cat grooming. I’m not sure how you figured that out, and I don’t want to know,but trust me, you’re hired!

I should mention something here about listing references. This has become a bad practice. Don’t do it unless it was requested. I guess too many people wrote down their family barber of 20 years and it’s just meaningless now.

That’s it, you’re done. Okay, have someone else, (preferably not your “gifted and talented” four year old) proofread the thing. This is important; you’ll miss grammatical or spelling mistakes on something you’ve been looking at for too long.

Unless you’re printer is from 1982 and says “Atari” on it, it’s okay to print out your pilot resume at home in black ink on regular white paper, and use the same kind for your cover letter too.You’ll know if it looks crisp and clean.

Save your pilot resume on Microsoft Word or as a PDF as they are the standard file type to send in emails.

In summary, you have to keep in mind that, unlike most other professions, your pilot resume is not about your personality. Less is more.It’s just a quick-glance-type source for your prospective employer to make sure you’re technically qualified for the position.

A good cover letter on the other hand, is about you and your character. In it, you’ll have a chance to convey that you’re the kind of guy or gal they can get along with on the road, which is just as important to you getting the job as your pilot skills. And what’s funny is that a good cover letter can be the thing that gets you the call back, even if you’re qualifications are somehow lacking.

Be sure to catch my next article “How To Create a Killer Pilot Jobs Cover Letter”.

How to Create a Killer Pilot Resume - Part 2

How to Become a Licensed Electrician

Hiring a licensed electrician means peace of mind that your residential or commercial project, no matter how large or small, will be completed correctly the first time. Licensure means more work for better pay when you are on the job as well as greater job opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of opportunities for professional electrical contractors is expected to increase 7 percent from 2010 to 2016, with an average earning rate of approximately $15 to $32 an hour, thus ensuring a promising market for prospective electricians.

In order to become licensed, an individual needs to enroll in an apprenticeship program. Participating in such a program enables individuals to gain experience in the field under the leadership of an experienced professional. Once a person completes the program, they will have the opportunity to join a trade group or union such as the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) or the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC).

There several requirements needed in order to enter an apprenticeship program. A prospective electrician must:

o Be 18 years of age or older

o Have a high school diploma or GED including a year of Algebra

o Must have proper identification and documents including social security card, birth certificate and a high school transcript

o Be physically capable of performing the duties necessary for each job

o Score high on the NJATC or the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) test

o Drug free

A typical apprenticeship program takes 4 to 5 years to complete and includes 2,000 hours of on the job training and 144 hours of classroom instruction per year. Once a person becomes a licensed electrician, they are ready to perform higher level electrician jobs. They can also continue their skills by participating in a journeyman program.

How to Become a Licensed Electrician

Skillful Cover Letter Samples

A cover letter is so imperative in every job application. It ought to establish your passion and interest in a certain position. A lot of hiring managers do not pay attention to a resume with no cover letter.

An effective cover shows optimism to make the HR manager interested in your resume. It should be straightforward and direct. Make sure also that the content is directly related to the job opening. A cover letter must be unique and not merely an extraction or review of your resume.

The following are two samples of cover letters.

Sample 1:

Dear (name of hiring manager),

This letter intends to convey my interest to your advertisement posted on your website searching an advertising manager to direct ABC advertising department. I am informed of the quality service you provide your clients and I share the same values. The opportunity in this job is very engaging and I am confident that I possess the necessary education, capabilities, and experience that will make me a fitting aspirant for this job.

My accompanying résumé shows a confirmed past performance in advertising sales in the tourist sector in 16 various US States including Hawaii and Florida. I also have a ten-year experience performing in an identical position as well as the awards I obtained for excellence in sales and advertising.

I am proficient in directing a team or performing as a team player. I have lots of initiative, enthusiastic to learn new things and possess excellent communication skills. My technical expertise consists of PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe and Word proficiency.

You can always keep in touch with me through my mobile phone (number) and email (address). I look forward to meeting with you to confer how I could greatly contribute to the success of your company.

Sincerely Yours,

Your name

Sample 2: Email Cover Letter

Subject Line: Competent for Communications Manager Position

Email Message:

Dear (name of Hiring Manager),

Your communications department has posted an open position for which my experience and education makes me eligible. In my job as Assistant Communications Manager for Senator Joseph McGhee, I wrote press releases as well as drafted and revised legislation, and was in charge for organizational communications.

While my job as Communications Manager for ABC Company, I wrote and sent monthly newsletter to subscribers via email and created articles for the company website. I also have a wide-ranging experience as a freelance writer on employment and labor matters and this would be an excellent match for this job. You can look at my articles at (URLs).

Also, my resume and some supplementary samples of my writings are attached. Please give a word if I can offer you with any additional details on my qualifications and track record.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to an opportunity to discuss with you or somebody in your company to see where my competence would be of the highest advantage to your organization.

Your name

Address

Email

URL

Contact Numbers

These samples are given for your guidance and reference only. Use them only to guide you in writing a unique and impressive cover letter.

Skillful Cover Letter Samples

Recruiting For Personality Fit

Hiring the wrong person for the job can be detrimental to the productivity of the company, and may cause avoidable expenses.

The cost of hiring the wrong person is higher than taking the time to find someone with the right personality fit for your business. Think about the time and monetary costs of having to go through the recruitment and training process again. It is better to find the right person in the first place.

The key to finding that candidate – is to concentrate on their personality & culture fit within an organization. Here are some tips to help make your recruitment job easier.

Effective interview techniques

It is not just the jobseeker who needs to be prepared for the interview – you need to do some homework too. A recruiter will need a good understanding of what type of individual will fit into the business which including their personality, skills base, attitude and manner. Use these techniques to ensure you always have effective interviews:

o Be clear on the competencies required for the job, including your required output and key performance indicators.

o Determine characteristics and traits of the person you think will succeed in the role. Look at employees who are doing well in the same job and list what they bring to the position.

o Prepare a job description for candidates.

o Read each person’s resume and cover letter before meeting them so you know their experience. It will also give you a springboard for questions.

o Prepare interview questions beforehand covering the skills base you need, but also questions that will help you assess the candidate’s behaviour. Using the same set of questions for each interviewee is fairer and makes it easier for you to determine the candidate with the best fit.

o Help the candidate relax with small talk and easy questions first.

o Listen more than talk.

o Watch for non-verbal clues, such as body language and facial expressions, and look at how the jobseeker is presented.

o Explain the recruitment process clearly and remain neutral throughout.

Use behavioural questions

A candidate’s past behaviour is a great way to understand how they will operate in the future. Use behavioural questions to find out how the candidate responded in a previous situation similar to the job they are interviewing for, or give them a role play example and ask what they would do. This technique will give you a good insight into which people have the traits, characteristics and competencies suitable for the job.

Ask non work-related questions

While you are finding out which activities a candidate enjoys in their free time, you can assess how they will fit into your business. For instance, someone who likes BASE jumping is a risk taker who might get bored with data entry, or a person who enjoys spending their spare time alone might not like a job where a lot of networking is involved.

Go with you gut instinct

With all the tools available to assess the suitability of a candidate, your gut feeling is still an important indicator. If you have spent the whole interview thinking their personality is going to wreak havoc in your business, it makes good business sense to listen to that instinct. You know what type of person fits into your organisation, so trust that knowledge.

Research the right personality fit for your organisation

An organisation’s cultural fit is difficult to define, but you know when you have found the right employee because they feel right. Culture is made up of the life experiences, values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviour of the entire organisation, from the executives to the trainees. Basically, it is the rules of your workplace and you need to have a very clear idea of what that is before embarking on any recruitment. Once you know the organisation’s cultural fit, it should be easy to work out the personality profile of the person you need to recruit.

Identify culture fit through psychometric testing

Many employers now use psychometric testing as one of their recruitment tools. This testing method gives an insight into the way a candidate thinks and works that you cannot find out through their resume or in a 20-minute interview.

Psychometric testing falls into two categories: aptitude and personality. Aptitude tests measure numerical, verbal, comprehension, abstract or spatial reasoning skills and information checking. Personality assessments look more at interests and motivations through a series of questions. Candidate’s answers are compiled into a profile, which you can compare with the profile of the person you are seeking.

Reference checks

After sorting through a bundle of candidate’s resumes, choosing a short-list, interviewing, psychometric testing and listening to your instinct, there is one more task to ensure you have chosen the right person for your business – check their references.

Be specific when you speak to referees and ask how the person coped in behavioural situations to help assess whether their personality fits with your business.

Recruiting For Personality Fit

Tips on How to Be a Secretary

Being a secretary is not a job that is standard. In different companies the role of a secretary is very different, or you could be a legal or medical secretary etc. So do not assume that all secretarial jobs are the same. Indeed the role of a secretary in a large, corporate organisation may be very different from being a secretary in a small, family run business.

The trick to finding out what is right for you is really by trying out different environments first. This can easily be done by signing up with a good recruitment agency who will help place you in different types of settings, so that you know what feels just right for you.

One way to start off as a secretary is simply to temp and then when permanent positions come up, apply for them until you scoop that dream secretarial job.

If you find that this is too slow a process, then as long as you have all the basic skills, such as typing, filing, organisational etc, then make sure that your curriculum vitae is as robust as it can be and if you need to go on some refresher training courses or do some voluntary work, just to get yourself noticed (in terms of your curriculum vitae) then do this as soon as possible.

Being flexible in terms of where you will work and even the starting salary that you will accept will also help you to land a dream job in the secretarial field. Remember that once you are a secretary it will be easy to move onwards and upwards, so even if the salary looks low to begin with, do not dismiss it. Once you have got your foot in the door, then you will find that more doors open for you and that perfect job is yours!

Tips on How to Be a Secretary

How to Become a Video Game Tester and What the Requirements Are

I’ve been testing video games for the past two years now I’m only 21 years old and I stated when I was 19. I never really gave it much thought to it until I decided to see what people were saying about video game testers. I was surprised what I found online because there were so many scams about how to become a video game tester and a lot of wrong information.

Well that’s when I decided to take some action and help my fellow gamers out so they won’t get mislead with bad information. I’ll just give you a basic guide on how to become a video game tester; this simple summary will include what a video game tester does and what the requirements are.

What does a video game tester do?

A lot of information found online about game testers are completely misleading and inaccurate. For example, most websites state that game testers can work at home and get paid to have fun and play games, this is false. What a game tester actually does is go to the company they’re hired by and go to what is known as the beta room in most companies. It is basically set up with everything you will need to test the game completely. Once you start playing the game you have to test it for bugs, glitches, errors, etc. So you are basically running around the levels, jumping against corners and walls, etc.

I’ll admit that it is still fun, but just not as much fun as actually playing the game since it’s a job. You have to remember that there is no free meal in life and these companies are paying you a salary so that you can save them money by reporting any and all bugs. I can almost guarantee you that as a game tester you will not work from home. You have to remember that you are testing games that haven’t been released yet which is why companies make you sign a confidentiality agreement which can sometimes be the size of a dictionary (yikes I know). This basically states that you will not tell any rival companies or in that case anyone about what you encounter during the job.

What are the requirements to becoming a game tester?

I too asked this question many times before I started as a game tester and like I stated before several websites lie and state that you don’t need to have any experience at all which isn’t true at all. This is a normal job and therefore the more experience you have the better chance you have landing the job. So what exactly is required to land the job? First you have to have a passion for gaming and I strongly recommend applying to companies that match your criteria. For example, I love first person shooters and MMORPGs which is why I applied to activision blizzard because they offer both fields. Another requirement is that you have to be at least 16 years old which is another lie that the websites about becoming a game tester state. They state that you have to be at least 18 years old and this isn’t true at all you can start as soon as 16 years old I have even seen kids ages 10-14 participate in beta testing, but I won’t go into that now.

How to Become a Video Game Tester and What the Requirements Are

What is a Covering or Cover Letter?

Employment is probably the most brainwashed term heard in daily socialization; this is one of the reasons why job-hunting strategy is the must for those entering today’s employment rivalry.

Besides curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé which I name: the career tool described in listing format, “Covering letter or cover letter” is the most important career tool to promote the qualification, job-required personality and other distinguished eligibilities of any prospective employee. This article will only tell you what the covering letter is, but not the format of wiring it.

In any job-hunting strategy, though the employer just asks for CV or résumé, cover letter is a must to be attached to that CV or résumé. Résumé is the most important career tool for displaying the prospective employee’s capacity. I say cover letter is the most important, because it is the tool to present the prospective employee’s practical capacity.

In CV or résumé, the applicant’s qualification, experience and other relevant or even irrelevant capacities and other achievements are briefly listed downed from the most recent to the latest; on the contrary, in the cover letter, the applicant’s qualification, experience, other capacities and achievements are displayed in a “descriptive format”. Descriptive format means that the applicant’s strong points in both academic and real-life situations is be explicitly described.

It is through the cover letter that the applicant is opportune to display practical qualification (to what extent that one’s academic achievements would benefit the employer, how relevant between the former or recent job and the applying job, to which level other extracurricular experience would bring benefit to the prospective employer, and other personalities required to be a “genuine employee”, etc).

Indeed, you may not be qualified enough for the prospective job; however, through this cover letter that you are obliged to steer the irrelevant capacity or experience to be “relevant”. I believe it is really hard to make inadequate qualification and capacity to be adequate, or steering the irrelevant to be relevant capacity or experience, but I believe “confidence” is the prime incentive to do all.

What is a Covering or Cover Letter?

How to Empower Our Children - 3 Tips

As we look towards the future it is important to think about how we are raising our children. Are we empowering them to face challenges in life, to realize that potentially negative situations can be turned into positive outcomes, to make sound decisions based on knowledge, reflection and courage and to be able to go out into the world as adults feeling optimistic and empowered? It takes our initiative as parents to guide them in the proper direction, to help them realize their worth as human beings and to share our values with them, giving them a foundation to feel powerful over their lives. Here are some tips that can start the process.

 

1. Show your children that there is nothing to gain from feeling fear from unknown situations. Take for example, a teenager facing the SAT test in his junior or senior year. Many kids don’t like taking tests and feel apprehensive to the point of not wanting to take the aptitude test. After all, this test can have many affects on the student from where he might end up in college, to leaving his friends, to feeling as if he failed if he does not do well on the test, or any other implications for each particular person. This is one of the biggest tests a student may have taken. So, how do we as parents help him with the dreaded feeling pf apprehension and fear?

 

Help them to look at past successes in their life. Acknowledge that the test may be difficult but that they have made accomplishments in the past and you have every belief that they will make the best effort and it will be a positive outcome. You can make sure that they have proper sleep, nutrition and exercise and possibly a tutor to help them prior to taking the test. But the most important part is giving them your support, acknowledging the intensity of the test and again, reflecting on past successes.

 

2. Teach your child that even a bad situation can turn out good. Talk about situations you or your family has faced that seemed as if they were a negative and actually turned out to be positive. Teach them that if they put their best foot forward and try to do the best they can, then the outcome of the test will be good no matter what.  

 

3. When our kids are young and able to start learning about themselves, guide them to start making some of their own decisions. Even if it is a very small decision guide them to try to look at the challenge or situation and make a decision based on their knowledge or what they feel is the best. Don’t always rush to solve something for them or make choices for them as they need to start learning on their own. This is the path towards empowerment. As they get older they will not fear the bigger decisions as much.

 

In order for our kids to grow up empowered, it is never too soon to start showing them that challenges and adversity can be something that is good and leads to growth and empowerment for the future.    

How to Empower Our Children - 3 Tips

Resume Tips For Nursing Assistants

June 14th of each year is National Nursing Assistants Day, a day set aside to honor the contributions and accomplishments nursing assistants have made to their employers and throughout their careers. Under the direction of an RN or LPN, nursing assistants provide important services in healthcare industry including helping to feed and bathe patients, monitor vital signs, set up equipment and assist with procedures. The field of nursing and nursing assistants is a hot spot for employment and almost every year shortages in nursing staff and assistants are predicted. If you are looking into becoming a nursing assistant, having a professional resume will help you stand apart from the other candidates.

Just because nursing assistants are in demand in hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices around the country doesn’t mean that any candidate will succeed in getting the job. Well-prepared candidates that exhibit a caring demeanor and can show a dependable work record on a resume are the most likely to get hired. According to experts at the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a resume helps a potential or established nursing assistant highlight her work experience, show that she has good communications skills and outline her career objectives.

Show Stability: According to many recruiters, actual experience in the health care industry isn’t always a prerequisite for a nursing-assistant job. Instead, a good attitude and caring personality combined with proven dependability are often enough to help you land the job. On your resume, list a stable work history and references who confirm that you show up to work on time and get the job done. Recruiters are always looking for candidates who stand out as hard-workers and would excel in the nursing field.

Show Compassion: Because much of a nursing assistants job revolves around caring for patients, your resume should highlight areas where you have contributed your time for others. These activities don’t have to be paid jobs but can be volunteer work that you have done in the community such as serving as a candy striper, delivering meals to elderly shut-ins, reading to the blind and many other compassionate endeavors.

Show Specifics: Your nursing assistant resume should also show the specifics about how you are qualified for the job. Detail your work experience and elaborate on the jobs that have been health-care related. For example, if you working in a nursing home, list the specific details about your responsibilities so that a potential employer can better understand your skill set. List the medical conditions, procedures and equipment you were charged with taking care of on your resume, using commonly used industry keywords.

Show Certifications: If you are a certified nursing assistant education through a formal educational program, list your certification in a special section on your cover resume along with the date received and location. Also, other special designations that you have obtained, such as a CPR certification, should also be listed on your resume along with all relevant college coursework – even if you didn’t finish the degree. Other relevant information to the potential employer can also be noted such as additional languages spoken or special trainings attended.

Resume Tips For Nursing Assistants

"Glass Ceiling" Breakthrough? - No Thanks!

Did you know that the Wall Street Journal coined the term ‘Glass Ceiling,’ twenty years ago and ever since researchers have debated why women seldom reach the highest ranks in business?

Do you think it is because senior men exclude women from their ‘locker room’ networks? Or do women look above the ceiling and decide that life is too short? My fifteen years work as a fully-credentialed Business Psychologist specialising in careers has revealed that the answer is both all and NONE of the above!

You may have seen a new study of 1,200 executives by Accenture in eight countries that shows 70% of women and 57% of men believe there is a virtual ‘glass ceiling’ that prevents women reaching the boardroom. So what is causing women to ‘duck’ out ‘at the eleventh hour’?

There’s even a new book by Warren Farrell, ‘Why Men Earn More’ that lists 25 reasons why he thinks men earn more than their female counterparts. “Women make sacrifices at work in exchange for greater happiness in their lives as a whole,” says Warren Farrell, author of ‘Why Men Earn More.’ One of the reasons he says is because “Women work fewer hours.”

Any woman reading this will know, that whilst they may qualify for fewer ‘Payroll’ hours – because they have to fit their family responsibilities around largely ‘unfriendly’ employment practices, they do invariably put in MORE work than the man at the next desk.

In fact many employers will freely admit that they like to hire women, because they work HARDER than male employees.

No, I believe that women ‘hit’ a glass ceiling because they ARE better than the average Joe and I can prove it.

You see in fifteen years of coaching individuals through a ‘forced’ career transition, I have noticed that people leaving corporates are often brighter, more creative, more confident, more independent than the people they leave behind.

In fact I believe that companies paradoxically ‘get rid’ of their ‘best’ people. In the psychometric assessments we have used for fifteen years with every career development clients.

We have found that our male and female managers are significantly more intelligent than a comparative sample of individuals studying in a prestigious business school. The men score 8 IQ points more than the mean, women up to 10 IQ points!

Furthermore, our personality assessments and aptitude tests find them more creative, more confident, more independent than ‘perceived wisdom’ about redundancy ‘victims’, might have us suspect.

In fact many of these women are setting up in business to offer coaching back to the corporate who let them go!

Copyright 2006 Margaret Stead

"Glass Ceiling" Breakthrough? - No Thanks!

Creating the Perfect Modern Day Resume

The first step in applying for a job is the submission of a resume. Your resume is what employers will use to decide if they think you have the potential of being a good fit for their company. In the past, a resume was carefully typed or printed on good paper, placed in a matching envelope, and hand delivered or mailed to the prospective employer. Current technology has changed both the way we get the resume to the employer and how we put the resume together. Knowing what employers expect is an important step in getting any job.

Know what to expect

Many employers use programs that scan resumes for keywords and put the information into a database; they may not even see your resume if those words are not in it. Do not spend time trying to make your resume look pretty with paper and fonts, put your time into ensuring that the keywords that are relevant to the position your are applying for, as well as the company, are there.

Make your objective clear

Each resume you send out should have an objective that is well defined and specific to each employer. You can also use the objective to help you organize your resume to highlight the objective. The information you include should support your objective; include your work history, and state clearly any job duties you had, successes or achievements, and goals that can support your ability to do the job well.

The education part should include all of your college experience, any awards you received, and any credentials you have received. If you were at the top of the class, you can add that as well.

Remember to put in location information for your past employers, your job title, and when you worked there. This section of your resume should be detailed and filled with keywords specific to the industry and, if possible, the position you are applying for. Include any skills you learned and goals you met, as well as accomplishments and a short sentence about your job duties. Begin as many sentences as possible with action words that tell what you did: created, analyzed, performed, etc. It may also be helpful to include any specialized skills you have, including programs or machinery you are familiar with, languages you speak, or specialized abilities you have.

Finish it off

Resumes used to include a list of references, but many people are now just referring to the availability of them. If you chose to leave the reference list off, make sure you have it available for immediate use in case they ask for it. When you are done typing out your resume, print off a copy or two and sit down to read it with a red pen. It should be free of typos, grammatical errors, and spelling errors. It should also read extremely easy and the strongest points should “jump out” at the reader. Mark it up on your hard copy, go in and fix it on the computer, then print it out and do it again. When you are happy with it, send it to some friends and family members to look over.

Creating the Perfect Modern Day Resume

Shell Oil Recruitment Inc Services - Tips To Use Them

One of the industries who is in constant need of workers, who are either experts in this field or new to the business, is the oil industry. Shell is a global oil company that has businesses increasing all over the world, though largely concentrating in North America. Shell has its own Shell Oil Recruitment Inc Services that serves as one of the major recruitment services provider in the oil industry.

First-rate oil recruitment companies are always searching for workers to work for some of their top of the line oil company clients such as Shell. More and more requests for employees come in because they are a growing company who is setting up new factories throughout North America. For this reason, Shell Oil Recruitment Inc. Services is a great choice for workers wanting to enter a challenging and lucrative profession.

A lot of people go about their lives searching for the right career for them. Through the help of a recruitment agency, you are entrusting a certain company who has connections with the best oil companies. They are from within the society and thus can get you into these companies faster than when you are own your own. Go to Shell’s website to know more about Shell Oil Recruitment Inc. Services so that you can take advantage of what they have to offer.

You will be entertained by a qualified recruitment specialist when you visit the Shell Company. He will help you gain entry into the Shell Oil Recruitment Inc. Services so that you will no longer be treated an outsider to the company. A lot of people are not aware of the existence of the service and so for you who know about it should indeed make the most of this open market. Of course, you can also choose to go to an outside recruitment agency. If you do, select from the following:

– Advantage Tech

– Marine Drilling

– Oil Career

– Oil Directory

The oil-related recruitment companies mentioned above are among the few leading oil-related recruitment agencies that has Shell into their line up of companies seeking workers who want to begin on top. The positions that Shell Oil Recruitment Inc. Services offer range from experts to beginner drillers and oil workers. This opens up the choice of starting from the base of a Fortune 500 company and climb your way up. Before you get accepted, however, you have to undergo a lot of vigorous interviews, examinations, and physical tests. In addition to gaging your interest in the company, these tests will assess your mental and physical conditions and your aptitude in handling dangerous situations. When you pass these tests then you are heading on to a brighter and better future in the oil industry.

Shell Oil Recruitment Inc Services - Tips To Use Them