How to Handle Oddball Interview Questions
If these questions amuse you, go ahead and laugh. Your reviewers thought carefully to come up with silly questions that might encourage you to reveal your sense of humor.
Tag: Job Search
Work Like You’re Eight Years Old
Have you been dreaming of a new career – one that excites you, energizes you, and feels like play instead of work? Maybe it’s time to get back in touch with your eight year-old self.
Don’t Quit Your Day Job
For years, many people with varied interests have looked at their mindset as a drawback; they were told that they were scattered, shallow, or not serious. Some wondered if they had attention disorders.
Your Resume Versus Your Network: It’s Not Even Close
Too many jobseekers ask their resume to do the work of their network. When it comes to getting results, it’s not even close.
Confident Career Strategies
Stewart says that the first step in preparing for an interview is to conduct a thorough inventory of your skills and accomplishments. A sort of personal SWOT analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses in a competitive market can help you prepare to answer tough questions in the interview. These are internal qualities, whereas Opportunities and Threats are environmental qualities. What outside factors might influence the market for your skills? Is your programming language of choice being phased out? Are you an early adopter of some technique or technology? Being aware of industry trends helps you position yourself within a larger context.
Guest Post: Grad School Increases your Marketability
The Bachelor’s degree may have slowed down as a a way for a candidate to stand out. With over 30% of adults now holding a Bachelor’s degree, ‘standing-out’ with respect to education may require job applicants to have more sophisticated training. This may be true both at the beginning of a career and as you climb in an organization. In some job environments, experience can only take you so far. To be considered for executive level positions, you may need an advanced degree.
This is Not How It’s Done
I was shocked to read about the emails sent by a woman who includes in her email signature “2013 International Association of Business Communicators communicator of the year.” Her name is Kelly Blazek, and she runs a 7,300-subscriber JobBank newsletter based in Cleveland, Ohio. She’s supposed to be helpful (and a great communicator) but after her condescending and downright nasty emails to young careerists became public, she’s doing a lot of damage control. What was she thinking?
Guest Post: How to Land the Job without Looking Desperate
An unfortunate paradox pervades the job market: the longer an average person has been out of work, the more likely she becomes to lowering her standards, widening her range of options, ignoring employer red flags, and behaving in ways that don’t benefit her long term interests. This is perfectly natural, and in most cases, it’s a logical and intelligent response to a serious problem.
Guest Post: The 5 Hottest Job Markets (Jacksonville is #2!)
In order to overcome the difficulties, some professionals are casting a wider net in their job searches and considering relocating to other areas in order to find good work. If your current location simply doesn’t have a market for your skills, that can be a great decision.
Guest Post: Ready for a Career Change? Try an MBA
If you’re interested in switching careers through an MBA, you’ll want to do some soul searching before you apply to a particular program. While an MBA may be an excellent vehicle for career change, it may also require a hefty investment. Therefore, it’s a good idea to figure out where you want your MBA to lead you before you pursue this degree. That process might also help you compile a stronger application essay that contains carefully planned long-term career goals.
