How To Prepare Yourself For The Offbeat Interview Questions

Doing well in an interview is the result of many things, ranging from the first impressions you make with your physical appearance (body language) to how well you communicate and respond to the interview questions. There are the predictable questions, such as “What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?” and then there are the offbeat questions that may make your nerves rattle and leave you dazed as to how to respond diplomatically and professionally. The fact is, there isn’t going to be a correct answer to offbeat questions, only a correct response. Such questions are usually asked to help the employer understand how well you handle tough situations and how you think through solutions.

 Are you one to get rattled and break down in communication when stumped with an odd question, or do you stay calm, cool and collected, maintaining confidence and a positive attitude? There’s no real way to prepare for the oddball questions because they are “offbeat,” but what you can do is ensure your communication and responses to such questions leave a positive message that helps the employer develop the best possible impression of you.

Here are a few tips to help you maintain positive communication and composure during job interviews regardless of what questions are asked:

Think Positive And Keep Your Tone And Responses Positive Your mission is to make yourself desirable to the employer based on your experience, talent and skills. If you focus on what you have to offer and express confidence and a positive tone, the employer will develop a much better impression in your favor than if you touch on negative points that may make you less favorable of a candidate. Even when questions are asked about your weaknesses, your mission is to address the question directly and immediately turn it to a more positive note such as how you would work through the problem and address it.

Don’t Restate The Negative Just because an employer positions a question a specific way that may connote the negative, do not follow that lead in your response. For instance, avoid stating “My greatest weakness is… ” Instead, respond by jumping right into what you have done to address the issue and how it has helped you succeed. This approach helps you avoid jumping around the question but puts the focus of the key message on an area that is an advantage for you.

Turn To Your Creative Side And Humor Not all questions in an interview require a serious response. Offbeat questions are often times asked by employers to test your creativity and humor. Demonstrate your ability to think on your feet. Also, find ways in which you can relate it back to the job. The important thing is to not let these types of questions stump you, and the best way to do that is to take in the question with a bit of humor and respond in the same manner. Never Say, “I Don’t Know.” Such a response implies to an employer that you are unprepared and give up easily to challenges, which isn’t the ideal impression you want to make. Take a moment to process the question and analyze how you can respond back in a way to further express your character while possibly tying it back to your capabilities for the job. In such situations, it may also help to think out loud. Such an approach helps you walk the employer through your thinking process rather than have dead silence in the air for too long. The key to doing well in a job interview as it relates to communication and your response to questions is to remain poised and self-assured. While the question may appear to be an approach by the employer to knock you off of your feet, remain positive and calm in your response.

Also, always give a response that ties back to how you are the most fit for the job. 
Reference: http://www.careerealism.com/interview-question-offbeat/#chitika_close_button

How to Keep Your Spirits Up During a Job Search

If you're having a difficult time finding a job, and it seems like it's taking forever, don't despair. Here are some suggestions for keeping your spirit positive:

Think Up
The mind is a powerful vessel. How we think and what we think can control our spirits. We literally can think ourselves up or down. To keep out the negative thoughts and self-doubt:

• Wake up thinking or saying positive statements.
• Avoid negative media, news, emails, and downer movies and television.
• End the day thinking or saying positive statements.
• Think about the positives a new job brings: new skills, new relationships, and a new chance to show your skills and talents.

Positive Reminders
Surround yourself with quotes or statements of hope and encouragement. Write your favorites on sticky notes on the refrigerator or computer -- somewhere you can easily see them. Two of my favorites are from Winston Churchill:

• "The pessimist sees problems in every opportunity...whereas the optimist sees opportunity in every problem."
• "Never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up..."

Take Steps
Literally. Move. Being a couch potato shows. Leave the house at least once a day. Exercise, jogging or walking will:

• Reenergize you.
• Help to clear the mental cobwebs.
• Prepare you to look your best for interviews.

Pamper Yourself with Kind Acts
How you treat yourself can impact your spirit.

• Play your favorite music softly in the background while you "work."
• Eat healthy without hugging the refrigerator. Now is not the time to bulk up.
• Sing -- regardless of quality. Singing happy songs will actually will help to stretch and relax your vocal chords while refreshing your spirit.
• Avoid being sloppy. Dress and groom yourself with respect -- for you.
• Treat yourself with affordable goodies such as a favorite food or beverage, an afternoon movie with popcorn, doing something touristy, or a mindless novel.

See Spirited People
Make sure you spend some time, preferably in person, with positive and supportive people every day.

• Surround yourself with yea-sayers and avoid the naysayers.
• Work your network.
• Call people rather than email or texting them -- it's more personal and supportive.
• If you're single and live alone, go to the library or a coffee shop to be around others.
• Help others in need. Get out of yourself from time to time.
• Spend quality time with your family and friends.

Keep at the Top of Your Game
Keeping your spirit up has a lot to do with how you feel about yourself. Don't let your skill set and knowledge slide.

• Keep up on industry news.
• Read trade journals and business magazines and newspapers.
• If possible, practice to improve your career skill set.

Now's the Time
Enjoy the positives of your job search, like having spare time. Remember all those times you said, "If I only had time, I'd..."

• Read those books.
• Clean that closet.
• Take that class.
• Get in better shape.

Do Your Best Work to Find Work
Knowing you're taking all the right steps to find a job will help improve your spirits.

• Write a perfect resume and cover letter for each job.
• Send X amount of resumes out each workday without fail.
• Keep up-to-date records of results.
• Keep accurate contact information on companies, executives and hiring agents.
• Have your interview clothes clean and ready to wear.
• Work at finding work every day.

Reference:

Article by  Pat Mayfield

10 Job Interview Myths

According to veteran career coach David Couper

Here is his list of the top 10 job interview myths, and how to deal with them:

Myth #10: The interviewer is prepared.
"The person you're meeting with is probably overworked and stressed about having to hire someone," Couper says. "So make it easy for him or her. Answer that catchall request, 'Tell me about yourself", by talking about why you're a great fit for this job. If it's obvious they haven't read your resume, recap it briefly, and then tie it to the job you want." Tell them what they really need to know, so they don't have to come up with more questions.

Myth #9: Most interviewers have been trained to conduct thorough job interviews.
While human resources professionals do get extensive training in job interviewing techniques, the average line manager is winging it. "To make up for vague questions, be specific even if they don't ask," Couper suggests. "Be ready with two or three examples of particular skills and experiences that highlight why they should hire you."

Myth #8: It's only polite to accept an interviewer's offer of refreshment.
"They usually try to be courteous and offer you a drink, but they don't really want to bother with it," says Couper. "Unless the beverage in question is right there and won't take more than a second to get, just say, no, thank you."
Couper once interviewed a job candidate who said she would love a cup of tea, which, he recalls, "meant I spent half the allotted interview time looking for a tea bag, heating water, and so on. It was irritating."
Another good reason, Couper says, to decline caffeine is that "if the interview is a lengthy one, you don't want to need a restroom halfway through the conversation."

Myth #7: Interviewers expect you to hand over references' contact information right away.
Hold off until you're specifically asked, Couper advises, and even then, you can delay a bit by offering to send the information in an email in a day or two. There are at least two good reasons for not rushing it, Couper says. First, "you sometimes don't know until the end of the interview who would be the best references for this particular job," he notes. "If you get a sense that the interviewer cares most about, for instance, teamwork, you want to choose someone who can attest to your skills in that area. A reference who can only talk about some other aspect of your work is not going to help."
Second, and no less important, "you want a little time to prep your references, by gently coaching them on what you'd like them to say, before the employer calls them."

Myth #6: There's a right answer to every question an interviewer asks.
"Sometimes how you approach your answer is far more important than the answer itself," Couper says. If you're presented with a hypothetical problem and asked how you would resolve it, try to think of a comparable situation from the past and tell what you did about it.
Talkback: Has anything surprised you during a job interview?

Myth #5: You should always keep your answers short.
Here's where doing lots of research before an interview really pays off. "The more you've learned about the company and the job beforehand, the better able you are to tell why you are the right hire," Couper says.
Don't be afraid to talk at length about it, partly because it will spare the interviewer having to come up with another question for you (see Myth #1 above) and partly because "in a good interview, you should be talking about two-thirds of the time."

Myth #4: If you've got great qualifications, your appearance doesn't matter.
Reams of research on this topic have proven that physical attractiveness plays a big part in hiring decisions. "Anyone who says otherwise is lying," Couper says. "People care about your looks, so make the absolute most of what you've got." Even if you're not drop-dead gorgeous, it's impossible to overestimate the importance of looking "healthy, energetic, and confident."

Myth #3: When asked where you see yourself in five years, you should show tremendous ambition.
The five-year question is a common one, and it's uncommonly tricky. "Interviewers want you to be a go-getter, but they also worry that you'll get restless if you don't move up fast enough. So you want to say something that covers all bases, like, 'I'd be happy to stay in this job as long as I'm still learning things and making a valuable contribution,'" says Couper.
You might also consider turning the question around and asking, "Where do you see me in five years?" Says Couper, "Sometimes the answer to that -- like, 'Well, we'd expect you to keep doing the same thing we hired you to do' -- is a good way to spot a dead-end job."

Myth #2: If the company invites you to an interview, that means the job is still open.
Alas, no. In fact, the job may never have existed in the first place: "Some companies use 'interviews' to do market research on the cheap. They ask you about your current or recent duties, your pay scale, and so on, to get information for comparison purposes." Another possibility, Couper says, is that "they may already have a strong internal candidate in mind for the job but just want to see if they come across someone better."
If you get an interview through a networking contact, he adds, "an employer may interview you simply as a courtesy to the person who referred you, if that is someone they don't want to disappoint."
Even if the job opening is phony, it's still worth going, he says: "Sometimes they discover you're a good fit for a different opening that really does exist. You never know where an interview might lead."

And the #1 myth about job interviewing: The most qualified person gets the job.
In at least one crucial respect, a job interview is like a date: Chemistry counts.
"A candidate who is less qualified, but has the right personality for the organization and hits it off with the interviewer, will almost always get hired over a candidate who merely looks good on paper," Couper says.
What can you do if you suspect you're not knocking an interviewer's socks off?
"At the end of the discussion, you'll probably be asked if you have any questions," Couper says. "If you sense the person has reservations about your style, ask what the ideal candidate for this job would be like." Then think fast. Can you talk a bit about how you fit that profile? "Addressing any concerns the interviewer might have, beyond your formal qualifications, is your chance to seal the deal," Couper says.

Talkback: Has anything surprised you during a job interview? If you're an interviewer, what do you look for in candidates? Tell us on Facebook, below. 

Double the Number of Recommendations on Linkedin

How to ask for — and get — recommendations that will catch the attention of recruiters and hiring managers.

According to  recruiters and hiring managers who were surveyed. When considering candidates, recruiters do say that they notice these 3 things about recommendations on LinkedIn:

1. They count to make sure there is a strong ratio between the number of connections and the number of recommendations. A large network with few recommendations is a red flag.
2. An equal number of recommendations received to recommendations given is a red flag. It makes it look like the recommendations were mere reciprocity.
3. Recruiters look for quality (meaty) recommendations, and disregard flaky or fluffy ones as not credible.

So, how can you increase your number of meaty recommendations?

How to Ask for LinkedIn Recommendations

Here is a way to ask for a freshly written recommendation without burdening your manager with a one to two  page letter.

• Remind them that a LinkedIn rec isn’t a full letter; it takes only about 10 minutes and doesn’t need to be longer than three short paragraphs.
• Give them something specific to recommend about you. For example, “Would you mind talking about the ATT project we did together and the role I played?”
• Suggest three specific personality or professional traits you want them to mention. For example, “Would you mind mentioning my work ethic, ability to work in teams, and depth of experience working with large enterprise accounts?”

The Anatomy of a Good LinkedIn Recommendation

Being specific in your request will help you avoid the “She’s a good person” type of recommendation. But you might also suggest the following format to help them whip something up even faster.
Qualify your relationship with the person: “I’ve known Jane for 5 years, and during this time, we’ve worked on countless projects together.”
Show that you’ve already taken action to vouch for them: “When I became a manager in the department, I specifically requested that she join my new team.” 
Describe a project they worked on that exemplifies a professional quality such as leadership or initiative: “On a project with ATT, we were in danger of delivering late. Jane stepped up and found three additional resources to share the work. Through her leadership, we saved the project and ... ”
Close the recommendation with a call to action by re-emphasizing those professional qualities: “If you are looking for a super organized, easy to get along with and tenacious project manager, Jane would be my first choice.”

Do you have a linkedin account? lets connect  www.linkedin.com/in/cmoonzwe/

The Perfect Elevator Pitch To Land A Job

If you’re looking for a job, one of the first tasks on your to-do list should be crafting an ideal “elevator pitch.” It’s the 30-second speech that summarizes who you are, what you do and why you’d be a perfect candidate. You should be able to reel off your elevator pitch at any time, from a job fair to a  job interview even at a  cocktail party conversation with someone who might be able to help you land a position. Regardless of where you are in your career path, having a well thought out elevator speech is critical.

1. Clarify your job target.
 Nail down the best way to describe your field and the type of job you’re pursuing. Until you can clearly explain the type of position you want, nobody can help you find it or hire you to do it.
2. Put it on paper. Write down everything you’d want a prospective employer to know about your skills, accomplishments and work experiences that are relevant to your target position. Then grab a red pen and mercilessly delete everything that’s not critical to your pitch.
Keep editing until you’ve got the speech down to a few key bullet points or sentences.I recommend  3 to 4 bullet points
3. Format it. A good pitch should answer three questions: Who are you? What do you do? What are you looking for?
 “Hi. I am Jessica Hill. I am an accountant with 10 years experience in the insurance industry and I’m looking for opportunities in the Dallas area with both insurance and finance companies.” That speech would take about 15 seconds. Jessica would then want to use her next 15 seconds to add details about her unique selling proposition, special skills and specific ways she could help a potential employer.
If you are a new grad  Hi. I'am Jessica Smith . I have the experience and the attitude to excel in this production assistant position. I have almost two years of television production experience — including two summers interning at The Ellen Show, where I was exposed to all aspects of TV production and worked so hard the first summer that they invited me back for a second summer and gave me more responsibilities.
4. Tailor the pitch to them, not you. It’s important to remember that the people listening to your speech will have their antennas tuned to WIFM (What’s in It for Me?) So be sure to focus your message on their needs.
For example, this introduction: “I am a human resources professional with 10 years experience working for consumer products companies.” The pitch would be more powerful if you said, “I am a human resources professional with a strong track record in helping to identify and recruit top-level talent into management.”
Using benefit-focused terminology will help convince an interviewer that you have the experience, savvy and skills to get the job done at his or her business.
5. Eliminate industry jargon. You need to make your pitch easy for anyone to understand, so avoid using acronyms and tech-speak that the average person or job interviewer might not understand.
The last thing you want to do is make your listener feel stupid or uninformed.
6. Read your pitch out loud. As Fast Company’s Deborah Grayson Riegel recently pointed out in her article “The Problem With Your Elevator Pitch and How to Fix It,” writing is more formal and structured than speaking. If you’re not careful, your elevator pitch can come off sounding more like an infomercial than a conversation.
Reading it aloud then tinkering with the words will help you sound more authentic.
7. Practice, practice, practice (then solicit feedback). Rehearse your pitch in front of a mirror or use the recording capabilities of your computer, so you can see and hear how you sound.
This might feel awkward at first, but the more you practice, the smoother your delivery will be.
8. Prepare a few variations. You might want to say things slightly differently to an interviewer than to a former colleague. Also, sometimes you’ll just have 15 seconds for a pitch (kind of a short elevator ride), other times you may have a minute or two.
So focus on mastering a few key talking points then work up ways to customize your speech for particular situations.
9. Nail it with confidence. The best-worded elevator pitch in the world will fall flat unless it’s conveyed well. When you give the speech, look the person in the eye, smile and deliver your message with a confident, upbeat delivery.
Get your pitch right and you might soon find yourself riding an actual elevator at your new job.

Reference:  http://www.forbes.com/

Focus on Follow-up

You've  made  a connections by attending a career fair or job interview,  you have left behind your resume and made a great first impression- now what do you do? Now is the time to show the employer just how interested you are in that position. Following are some helpful tips and suggestions on what to do after the career fair is over.
Within the week following the meeting, send a thank you email or note. This will ensure that the employer remembers you and makes another good impression. Sending a thank you email or note is a professional gesture that shows your interest and maintains an open line of communication.  I would strongly recommend that you connect with  your potential employer on Linkedin

• Keep your thank you note or email professional and to the point, and remember to proof read it as well as you did your resume.
• Thank the recruiter for his/her time and express that you have a great interest in the company and position. You may want to mention why this job is such a great fit for you.
• If after sending your note you have not heard from the employer, do another follow up and ask about the status of the position and next steps.

Throughout your job search remember to maintain that positive, action-oriented attitude that got you to the career fair in the first place. Each connection and discussion is an opportunity to move you forward!

Looking For a Job? We Can Help.

Department of Labor

The Department of Labor expands opportunities for all Americans, keep workers safe, and helps ensure workers are able to provide for their families and keep what they earn. The Department is getting America back to work though a wide range of training programs, nearly 3000 One-Stop Career Centers nationwide, and new online tools to connect Americans with good jobs and training resources in their local communities. For further information please see: www.dol.gov

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National Association of State Workforce Agencies

NASWA is a private non-profit association representing state workforce agencies.  State agencies serve jobseekers in various ways, such as: preparing for and finding employment, assessing job skills, understanding local labor market information, facilitating access to job-training, and providing unemployment insurance benefits to eligible workers.  With DirectEmployers, NASWA provides jobseekers and employers the National Labor Exchange, a resource connecting workers to current jobs nationwide.   Please visit www.naswa.org/index.cfm?action=statemap  for further information.

Download the NASWA Annual Report 

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National Association of Colleges and Employers

NACE is the leading source of information about the employment of new college graduates. NACE tracks the job market, reports on starting salaries, and provides job-search resources—including a job posting system, salary calculator, and how-to articles. Since 1956, NACE, a nonprofit association, has been serving college career center professionals who work with students and alumni and HR professionals who recruit graduates for their work forces. Please visit www.naceweb.org for more information

Download NACE Information Guide

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DirectEmployers

DirectEmployers Association is proud to participate in this partnership to get America back to work by providing job seekers nearly one million jobs from over 90,000 vetted hiring employers through the National Labor Exchange and soon through Facebook.This initiative will be powerful in helping people find and share relevant jobs while making recruitment easier for employers all across the nation. Please visit www.DirectEmployers.org for further information.

Download the DirectEmployer Information Guide

How We Can Help

My Next Move

If you already know the career you want, this easy-to-navigate site will tell you everything there is to know about it. If you’re not sure, it has comprehensive information on over 900 career options, and a questionnaire to see which jobs could be the best fit.

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My Skills My Future

If you’re looking to change careers, this site matches your current skills to future opportunities. Not only does it suggest careers with similar skill set needs, it also tells you about any additional training you may need and even lists current job openings in those areas.

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Registered Apprenticeship

There are many ways to learn and many paths to a successful career. Here you’ll find details on Registered Apprenticeships, which offer access to a wide variety of career options and the ‘earn and learn’ model offers excellent training and a good-paying job from day one.

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Career One Stop

As the name implies, this site covers every aspect of finding a job, from career options to education and training to writing resumés and interview skills. It even lists starting salaries in different industries, by region, as well as actual job opportunities.

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Job Corps

This free education and training program helps young people from low-income families learn a career, earn a high school diploma or GED, and find a keep a good job. The focus is on academic, vocational, IT, employability and independent living skills.

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NACElink Network

NACElink provides job and internship postings to college students through their college career center.

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Job Choices

New college grads get job search, resumé and cover letter advice in Job Choices magazine

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Using Facebook to get Hired.

Just about everyone is using Facebook for personal networking, but you can use it for professional networking, as well. With lots of job search applications to choose from, Facebook is becoming more than a social networking site. These Facebook applications can all be used as part of your job search.
Before you start, be sure to adjust your privacy settings so professional connections and potential employers aren't viewing too much of your personal information.
How to Get Facebook Job Search Applications
Login to Facebook, click on Profile, type the application name in the search box, then follow the instructions to install. Or, visit the Facebook Application Directory and search using "job search" "career" or "jobs" as keywords.
BeKnown
Monster's Facebook app BeKnown provides an easy way for job seekers to search for and apply for jobs without leaving Facebook. The app is fully integrated with Facebook, but enables users to keep their personal Facebook information private.
BranchOut
BranchOut is a Facebook app for career networking. Your LinkedIn profile can be imported to BranchOut, so you have a professional profile on Facebook. You can browse your friends on Facebook to see where they have worked. You can browse and share jobs that people within your career network have posted. If you're hiring, you can post jobs for free.
Business Cards
Business Cards allows users to network better on Facebook. You can personalize your card and attach it to your Facebook messages. This application is much like the signature common in email messages. Users can enter information they want to appear on their virtual business card.
CareerBuilder Facebook App
Users can have updated job and internship postings delivered directly from CareerBuilder to their profiles. Information such as location and career interest is used to send you the most relevant job profiles. You can follow a link directly from the job listing to apply for it. Users have the option to search by keyword, location and category.
CareerFriend Facebook App
CareerFriend uses your Facebook friends employment information to find potential job opportunities within your network. After connecting with your Facebook login information, CareerFriend creates a report that includes your friends' employers, occupations, and reviews of related careers.
Hire My Friend
Promote your Friends who are job searching to your other Facebook Friends with the Hire My Friend Facebook App. You can include a brief description of their skills and a link to their LinkedIn Profile.
 to compare salaries and to find information on top-paying careers. Work With Us by Jobvite
The Work With Us application displays jobs on profile or fan pages. Users can browse interesting opportunities at companies where friends work, apply to the jobs and send Jobvites to their own friends and contacts. To use this application, your company must subscribe to it. You must be invited to use the application by authorized users, and then you can view job opportunities at their companies.

I recommend that you go through all the apps a choose  2 or 3 that best met your needs and use the often.

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