9 great interview tips

1. "Do your study. There's nothing worse than walking into an interview without knowing about the company. You should be able to clearly articulate why you're interested in that particular company and that particular position. Check the company's site, search for current news items featuring the company, read the company's blog and look for their Twitter or Facebook page."

2. "Know yourself. You need to be prepared for all sorts of questions about yourself, including your past experience, education, knowledge, skills, strengths, weaknesses, preferences and personal traits. Figure out how these things align with the needs of the employer."

3. "Prepare questions in advance. When an employer asks ‘Do you have any questions?' always ask questions. It shows you're enthusiastic and interested in working for the company."

4. "Practice, practice, practice! Visit Career Services for a mock interview, where we simulate the actual interview experience and provide you with feedback afterward. This is a great way to ease your nerves and boost your self-confidence before a true interview."

5. "Dress for winner. Any time you meet with a potential employer formally (through an information session, workshop you attend or a career fair) or informally (through a family friend or for a casual informational interview), always dress and conduct yourself in a professional manner."

6. "Before you arrive, put the mobile phone away, change your shoes and attire if necessary and put away your water bottle miles away. You never know who you can run into."

7. "Shake his or her hand and look him or her in the eye, even if you're nervous. No one expects perfection, just professionalism. Nonverbal cues are just as important as what you tell."

8. "Have extra copies of your resume with you."

9. "Always, always send a follow-up ‘thank you,' either as a card or e-mail. Follow-through is a main transferable skill to exhibit."

Interview tips: Preparation is job No. 1

Customize your resume to highlight the skills you have for the position you are seeking. Study information on the company, look at the products they sell or the services they provide. Find out what makes that company different.

Be prepared to answer the question, "Tell me about yourself." It's your opportunity to connect to the position. Speak about earlier work experiences that relate to the job to which you are applying. Summarize your experience in two or three sentences.

Be ready to describe a hard work situation and how you handled it. These types of questions can be intimidating, but display your adaptability and analytical skills to the company. Describe the situation or task, the action you took and the results.

Be prepared to talk about your weaknesses. When an interviewer asks for your weaknesses, be honest, but turn the negatives into positives. Tell them something that was a weakness but you overcame. For example, you were terrible with Excel and then took a community college course on the program.

Never say anything negative about your earlier employer. Statements such as "My visions were special than the company's" or "There wasn't room for growth" are acceptable answers. Another sensitive topic may be compensation. Research the salary for the position, but it's OK to ask for the range if the information is not shared up front.

Bring in questions for when the manager asks, "Do you have any questions for me?" If you do not ask any questions, the interviewer may think that you are uninterested in the position.

Thank you notes show your appreciation for the interviewer's time and consideration.

Show enthusiasm "An interviewer can tell when you are interested in the position

Ten Tips for Career Changers

1. Understand what’s behind your desire to make a change.

Maybe you are starting to become disillusioned with your job. You’re bogged down. Perhaps you’re no longer on the way up. This is the time to step back and start to think about life more broadly. But be warned, career changers can go into mourning. All of a sudden, you realize how you miss their old career, and you’re not really open to replacing those things.

2. Get your life in order.

Get physically and financially fit. Change is stressful. When you’re physically fit, you have more power and are mentally sharper to face the challenges ahead. Starting a fresh career later in life takes an incredible amount of strength and energy.

3. Be practical.

If possible, make your move in stages. You may need to upgrade your skills and education, but take one class at a time. If you’d like to go to graduate school, maybe start by taking a night classes. You don’t have to enroll in a full-course load. You can include more classes as your direction and motivation become clear.

4. Find a mentor.

Ask for help. Seek advice from people who have been winning in the field you are interested in switching into from the start. Everybody likes to be asked for counsel.

5. Be prepared for setbacks.

It’s not all-smooth sailing, but if you’ve laid the correct groundwork, you’ll get through the rough patches. Having your family or partner at your back for support will help tremendously. They don’t have to own your dream, but be supportive.

6. Volunteer or moonlight.

You might try on several jobs before you find the one that’s correct. Anne Nolan, executive director of Crossroads Rhode Island, the state’s biggest homeless shelter, started as a volunteer. She didn’t know what she wanted to do when she lost her executive-level career. She had a year’s salary and time to think her options through. She decided to volunteer at the shelter–not because she dreamed it would turn into a full-time job.

7. Research. Look for jobs that leverage experience.

Check out job web sites like encore.org, retiredbrains.com, workforce50.com, to get a flavor for what others are doing and what jobs are out there at the present. Investigate fields like healthcare, the clergy, eldercare and education that have a growing demand for employees. The Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good reference.

8. Don’t lock yourself into a must-have salary.

Salary is the biggest roadblock for most career changers. Chances are when you start-over in a new field or move to a nonprofit, you will need to take a salary cut at least primarily. If you have an emergency fund to buy you time, you can to do a more thoughtful job hunt. Pare back your discretionary living expenses to reflect a more realistic view of what you’ll earn. What are the things that are main in your life? What things are actively giving you pleasure that you might have to give up?

9. Keep your hand out of the cookie jar.

Don’t dip too deep into your core savings. Of all the mistakes older employees make in launching second careers, this is probably the bad. Would-be entrepreneurs aren’t necessarily raiding retirement accounts to launch businesses, but they’re tapping home equity and other savings, and that has obvious implications for retirement safety.

10. Do something every day to work toward your goal.

Changing careers can appear overwhelming. Don’t struggle to find an ideal initial point or perfect path, is great advice I gleaned from Clearways Consulting career coach Beverly Jones, a second-acter herself. Once you have some picture of where you want to go, get things moving by taking small steps toward that vision. What really matters is that you do a little something on a regular basis.

10 tips to improve your interview skills

1. Know the job, and know the company. "If I've got a place open for a nuclear engineer," told Laura Paddock, talent acquisition manager at TVA, "do they understand that I'm a utility. Do they understand what TVA does? We're always surprised to hear public say, 'I don't know a lot about you, other than that you make electricity.' "

2. Be willing to do what it takes. Brad Pope, vice president of human resources at Memorial Health Care System, told knowing that a candidate has the willingness to do the job for which he or she is interviewing is the No. 1 thing he looks for during a conference.

3. Be on time. Or early. And if you're kept waiting, be gracious about it. "We've had candidates who have complained," told Kathy Reid-Papson, talent acquisition manager at BlueCross Blue Shield of Tennessee.

4. Be honest about your experience. "Don't lie, either on your resume or during the interview," Paddock said. "Don't oversell yourself." Speak accurately to the roles you had in previous jobs.

5. Turn off the cell phone, or better yet, leave it in the car. You want to focus on the interview, not on what is ringing or vibrating in your pocket.

6. Address the interviewer by the right name. "It seems like many candidates don't go to the trouble, when setting up an interview, of listening to hear with whom they'll be speaking," told Reid-Papson. "Maybe it's one person, maybe it's three, but they need to know who they are and what their titles are, so ask that when the interview is being set up."

7. Look and act the part. Be professional in dress and demeanor. "Can they articulate?" said Paddock. "Do they provide professional responses, regardless of the position?"

8. Don't talk to the interviewer about your personal problems. "If a person's looking for a job, obviously they need and want to work," told Reid-Papson. "But if they start getting into too many details about not liking their former boss or their husband doesn't want them to go to work, anything that's personal can become a turnoff pretty fast."

9. Don't ask about salary out of the gate. "That's a bit of a red flag," said Paddock, "because it sends the message that the person is only interested in the salary and not in the bigger picture."

10. Be specific. Employers are interested in hearing examples of your successes and failures. Rather than just saying, "Yes, I have management skills," tell the recruiter about a project you led and what you learned.

Broaden your scope when it comes to career ideas

Whether you are at the start of your career, looking for a change, or simply after a new job, it is a good idea to brainstorm different career ideas and approaches.
This section outlines how to network and provides a list of tips, books and websites, all dedicated to career ideas.

How to network

Networking isn't necessarily asking for a job. It’s about letting people know you are available so if a vacancy comes up, they will think of you. In fact, tapping into your existing network is often the best way to find new opportunities or generate new career ideas.

Three steps to effective networking

1. Start by making contact with someone you know. Unless you see them regularly (at work or at weekly social or sports events) it is quicker to contact them by telephone.
2. Then try a 'warm call', that is, use the name of a mutual friend or acquaintance as an introduction when you call someone you don't know personally.
3. Finally, try 'cold calling' employers to ask whether they are likely to recruit people with your capabilities and skills.

Tips for making contact

It isn’t always easy speaking with people you don’t know. Follow these tips to take the pressure off yourself and ensure you give a good impression.
• write down what you want to say and rehearse it
• tell them your reason for contacting them
• check if they have time to talk at the moment – if not, call back later
• keep the phone call short and focus on your reason for calling – this makes a professional impression
• research the organization before you go to a meeting – potential employers will be impressed by your initiative
• follow up your meeting with an email or letter thanking them for their time.

Ten worst job seeking tips ever

1. Don't give a summary for your resume.

2. Include as much as possible in resume. No,no! Editing is a business talent.

3. Use corporate speak. Do you ever warm to teachers who use teacher speak? Have you any plan what they are really saying? The most up-to-date advisers recommend writing your resume the way you speak.

4. Don't ever postpone the phone screen..

5. Don't bring up money. Do bring up cash. Why waste time?

6. Send your resume via an online job ad or company site only.

7. Don’t send a paper resume.

8. Wait for them to call your name. Don't follow this opinion. Instead, use your LinkedIn connections to put you in tough with someone who can put in a word with the hiring manager.

9. Give them all. Hold off on references.

10. Post your resume on all job board. No. You don't want to be overexposed and undervalued.

10 Top tips from employers to job seekers

Loyalty: One of the key things mentioned, particularly by Production Manager Lotty McWilliam for Eon Media, was that loyalty to their company was “key”, showing commitment to the company or potential employer.

Enthusiasm: was also mentioned by many employers as important. Lincoln Co-operative worker Faye Amberson said: “It would be great if the employee had enthusiasm about the job.”

Passion: Another top tip would be displaying passion for the company. Lee Johnson from Rock Star games said it was key, particularly for his line of work, to have some love for the job: “You need passion, and for this job it needs to be for games.”

Friendliness: Rockstar’s Johnson also said that this is a desirable quality from a possible employee, particularly “a nice bloke,” simple to get on with.

Creativity: Displaying some imagination got the head nodding for Eon Media Lotty McWilliam, who found “showing some creativity” made a candidate stand out.

Well prepared: A huge factor of getting a job was bought up by Business Link’s Mike Gibbs, who said preparation was totally vital for success to getting a job and maintain a successful career.

Willing: Eon Media produced one more key tip: “We want people to be willing to put themselves out there and show confidence in their work.”

Know your market: A big thing for self-employed and employed workers. Mike Gibbs said: “Understanding your client base and what they want is a big thing.”

Eager: Showing that you’re keen and excited about a job ticked the box with the Lincoln Co-op’s
Faye Amberson: “It’s great if you can show eagerness at the occupation.”
Understanding company ethics: Several companies like the Lincolnshire Co-operative have a code of ethics and beliefs, which they expect candidates to share

A 10-second chance: Tips for writing resumes that get noticed

Selling yourself and your professional accolades in just one page can be overwhelming.

Keeping your resume to one page, however, is one of resume building's golden rules. This is where brevity counts.

Dianne Schuler, business service manager of the Business Employment Skills Team office in Ottawa, also recommends keeping it simple, meaning nothing elaborate like graphics, unless pertinent to the job you're applying for.

At the Ottawa BEST office, a resource room is dedicated to people wishing to construct or update their resume.

Many websites today, such as www.monster.com, help people prepare their resume, Schuler said.

"It's personal preference," she said in terms of employers' resume preferences. "Everyone's going to be different."

A few rules are all-encompassing, though, Schuler said. She said to make sure the professional experience section is specific to the job you're applying for.

According to career coach and author Ford R. Myers, the professional experience section, a listing of past jobs, roles, responsibilities and accomplishments, is where employers and recruiters focus 90 percent of their attention.

"The information you present here, and how you present it, can decide the fate of your candidacy within about 10 seconds scanning time," he said.

Resumes that get noticed focus on specific results. Whenever possible, Myers suggests quantifying results by including retention rates, sales, profit, performance and effectiveness by using percentages, dollars and hard numbers.

Numbers are good, but words are important, too. Use strong action words at the beginning of every sentence.

"Words such as 'direct,' 'launch,' 'initiate,' 'devise' and 'lead' have a lot more meaning than a vague phrase like 'was responsible for,' " Myers said.

Focus on information truly relevant to your career goal and edit out the rest.

"There is no need to focus on your after-school job or high school accomplishments if they are not relevant to the career you're looking for or if they're in your distant past," Myers said.

Schuler recommends having someone read over your final draft and to print it on white or ivory paper of good quality.

"Spelling errors or grammar errors still are not acceptable," she said.

Lastly, and it seems obvious, but don't lie on your resume.

"If you lie, you will always lose in the long run," Myers says.

September marks the 10th annual celebration of International Update Your Resume Month. The observance, originated by Career Directors International in Melbourne, Fla., provides job seekers with a proactive approach toward obtaining the next step in career growth.

Top interview tips

An interview is a discussion between you and an employer to find out if you can do the job. However, there are certain rules and conventions to follow in interviews. Here's a checklist of the main do's and don'ts.

What to do:

• dress smartly, look bright and attentive, and speak clearly and confidently. Don't forget that only 7% of the interviewer's opinion of you is formed by what you say - the rest is judged on how you look, act and sound


• find out where the venue is beforehand, how to get there and how long it takes


• get your outfit ready the night before


• find out what kind of interview it will be so you can prepare


• examine the person specification and your CV/application form, and think about what type of questions they will ask you


• prepare answers for the main questions - for example, why do you want the job, what are your strengths and weaknesses, what are the main tasks in this job


• make about three or four points in each answer


• quote real examples of when you've used certain skills - just saying you've got a skill isn't enough


• take your time when answering the questions. Make sure you understand the question and take your time if you need to think


• sell yourself. No-one else is going to! Be positive about yourself and your experiences


• prepare some questions to ask at the end - use it as an opportunity to find out more about the role and the company. But don't ask about money or perks just yet!


• when discussing salary, know your market worth and start by quoting a little higher than this


• get feedback on your performance, whether you were successful or not


• turn off your mobile! Treat the interviewers with respect and give them your undivided attention


• keep your answers focused on what you can do for the employer, not what they can do for you

What not to do:

• don't be late!


• don't swear or use slang words


• don't slouch in your seat or do anything else that makes you look disinterested


• don't smoke


• don't lie! The interviewer may see through you. Even if you get the job, your employer can dismiss you if they find out


• don't let your nerves show too much. A few nerves are normal but extreme nerves will affect your performance. Use breathing techniques and try to remember that it's not a life and death situation - there are plenty of jobs out there!


• don't be arrogant and assume you've got the job. Nothing turns off employers more than someone who is disrespectful and over-confident


• don't discuss controversial topics such as religion, politics and gender relations


• don't read from notes or your CV. You should be familiar enough with your own history to be able to talk about it unprompted


• don't criticise former employers or colleagues. Interviewers may mark you down as a troublemaker and a gossip


• don't argue with the interviewer, no matter what. Remember to keep things positive!

These rules apply for most jobs. However, employers in some industries can use more relaxed and informal interviewing techniques. In some creative fields (design and media for example) it may be expected that you turn up for the interview in casual clothes, as that is the dress code in the office. If you're in any doubt, do some research on typical interview technique in your line of work.

Career Planning Tips

Building a Career
The 9 most important career planning tips is listed below:

1. Never Stop Learning

• Life-long learning is your keyword.
• The world is constantly changing, and everybody is looking for new ways of doing business.
• If you have decided that your current skills are good enough, you have also decided that your current job is good enough.
• But if you want a career in the future, you should add regular updates to your skills and knowledge.

2. Ask, Listen And Learn

• A good listener can learn a lot.
• Listen to your co-workers, your boss, and your superiors. You can learn a lot from their experience.
• Ask about issues that interest you, and listen to what they say. Let them tell you about how things work, and what you could have done better.
• Most people will love to be your free tutor.

3. Fulfill Your Current Job

• Your current job might be best place to start your career.
• It is often very little that separates successful people from the average. But nothing comes free.
• If you do your job well and fulfill your responsibilities, this is often the best way to start a new career.
• Talk to your supervisor about things you can do. Suggest improvements. Offer your help when help is needed. In return ask for help to build a better career. It is often possible - right inside your own organization - especially if you have proved to be a valued employee.

4. Build Your Network

• Your next career step might arise from your contact network.
• Did you know that more than 50% of all jobs are obtained from contact networks?
• If you have a good contact network, it is also a good place to discover future careers, to explore new trends, and to learn about new opportunities.
• Spend some time building new contacts, and don't forget to maintain the ones you already have.
• One of the best ways to get serious information from your network is to regularly ask your contacts how they are, what they do, and what is new about their careers.

5. Identify Your Current Job

• Your current job should be identified, not assumed.
• Make sure you don't work with tasks you assume are important. This is waste of time and talent.
• When you start in a new job, talk to your superior about your priorities. If you're not sure about what is most important, then ask him. And ask him again. Often you will be surprised about the differences between what you assume, and what is really important.

6. Identify Your Next Job

• Your dream job must be identified.
• Before you start planning your future career, be sure you have identified your dream job.
• In your dream job, you will be doing all the things you enjoy, and none of the things you don't enjoy. What kind of job would that be?
• Do you like or dislike having responsibility for other employees. Do you like to work with technology or with people? Do you want to run your own business? Do you want to be an artist, a designer or a skilled engineer? A manager?
• Before building your future career your goal must be identified.

7. Prepare Yourself

• Your dream might show up tomorrow. Be prepared.
• Don't wait a second. Update your CV now, and continue to update it regularly.
• Tomorrow your dream job may show up right before your nose. Prepare for it with a professional CV and be ready to describe yourself as a valuable object to anyone that will try to recruit you.
• If you don't know how to write a CV, or how to describe yourself, start learning it now.

8. Pick The Right Tools

• Pick the tools you can handle.
• You can build your future career using a lot of different tools. Studying at W3Schools is easy. Taking a full master degree is more complicated.
• You can add a lot to your career by studying books and tutorials (like the one you find at W3Schools). Doing short time courses with certification tests might add valuable weight to your CV. And don't forget: Your current job is often the most valuable source of building new skills.
• Don't pick a tool that is too heavy for you to handle!

9. Realize Your Dreams

• Put your dreams into action.
• Don't let a busy job kill your dreams. If you have higher goals, put them into action now.
• If you have plans about taking more education, getting a better job, starting your own company or something else, you should not use your daily job as a "waiting station". Your daily job will get more and more busy, you will be caught up in the rat race, and you will burn up your energy.
• If you have this energy, you should use it now, to realize your dreams.

source : w3schools.com

25 Graphic Design Career Preparation Tips

The Graphic Design Career is a fast growing career that is becoming more and more competitive with every passing day. People are realizing how much money is available and how flexible the graphic and web design career really is. You can work full-time in house in a small studio or large agency. You can earn extra money on the side, you can freelance full-time from the comfort of your own home or you can even use your skills in design to you accomplish business projects.

The bottom line is its a great choice for creative people looking to express themselves and earn a decent and comfortable living at the same time.

In order to survive in such a fast growing and competitive field though it is essential you do everything you can as early on as you can. I started in college, but I know people who are freelancing and running businesses and websites at age 14 and even younger! The age aspect should not discourage you, but should rather inspire you to get your butt into gear before other graphic designers leave you in the dust!

So no matter what age you are or what stage you are in, we have created a list of things you can do to get your dream graphic design career going in the right direction.

Graphic Design Career Preparation Tips

1. Major in Graphic Design


2. Figure Out Your Specialization


3. Plan Your Credits Carefully


4. Take Advantage of Your Counselor and Teachers


5. Take Advantage of Career Services


6. Become Involved in School Events


7. Develop Friendships With Your Classmates


8. Get an Internship


9. Get a Certificate in Graphic Design


10. Practice Your Photography


11. Learn HTML, XHTML and CSS


12. Take Some Business Courses


13. Master the Adobe Suite


14. Stay in Touch With Your Roots


15. Express Your Creativity


16. Create a Portfolio Website


17. Create a Print Portfolio


18. Create Your Own Personal Identity System


19. Create a Resume and Cover Letter


20. Research Job Requirements


21. Start Freelancing


22. Take Advantage of Design Contests


23. Build Up Your Vault of Free Design Resources


24. Get the Graphic Artist Guild Handbook


25. Start Networking

For more information : http://www.youthedesigner.com/2008/10/08/25-graphic-design-career-preparation-tips/