A Penny's Worth » interview tips

The First 90 Days On The Job

pjleisch — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:59:58 +0000

Just a short post to share with employers and job seekers some things to think about during those first ninety days, or whatever the probationary period may be. Read the entire article at the link below.

1. Employers, you need to give yourself ninety days to assess a new employee.

2. Employees, you need to be aware of what the employer is looking for during your initial period of evaluation.

3. Job seekers, you need to be aware of what you are saying and where some of the employer/interviewer questions are leading.

4. Take some advice from this article and don’t operate in panic mode if you are already unemployed.

How to Hire New Employees During A Recession

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Interview Tips for Older Workers

pjleisch — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:46:48 +0000

Today, I’m adding a couple of quick tips to help you get through that holiday job search.

Interview Tips

Older workers, who are going back to work, may not know that many interview questions that used to be routine are now illegal. However, this also applies to job applicants of any age. Don’t volunteer information about family, age, or health. If those questions come up, it can be awkward because you know you probably won’t get the job if you tell the interviewer his questions are illegal. So you can handle it several ways. You may nicely respond that you prefer not to discuss information that’s unrelated to the job. If you are not comfortable doing that, use a friendly, positive tone and say, “I’m sure I won’t have any problem meeting your expectations”, or “I’m totally prepared to devote my time to my job”.

Resume Distribution Services

Don’t blast resumes to hundreds of companies that may not have an opening for someone with your skills. I’m sure there may be a success story someplace from someone doing that, but there are a lot more failures. A simple delete is all it takes, and your resume is never seen. You usually waste time and money paying for that type of service.

About Penny Leisch

Six Things Not to Do During A Holiday Job Search

pjleisch — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:09:39 +0000

Keep up your job search over the holidays. Although you may be busy and want to forget the problems for a while, so does everyone else. Take advantage of the holiday season and keep actively looking for the right position. Be willing to schedule an interview the day before or the day after a holiday. Be available and demonstrate that your job search still has priority. If you are there, while someone else is out of town, you may end up on the short list in a hurry. While this is the season to be jolly, there are some things that you should not do.

Don’t wear the Santa socks and a reindeer tie to the interview. Save the humor to entertain others after you are hired and know whether this company is a fit for that type of humor.
Don’t talk come to an interview obviously suffering from last night’s party. If you can’t hide it and function at your peak, don’t party before an interview.
Don’t bring gifts or food to an interview. Your heart may be in the right place, but those things may be against company policy. Drop the food gifts on your friends, family, veterinarian, beautician, barber, doctor, and others you know.
Don’t serve liquor, if you arrange a networking party during the holidays. You won’t have to worry about everyone getting home safe (there’s liability for hosts in some states). You also won’t have to worry about anyone misbehaving from over indulging.
Don’t be late due to traffic or weather. Promptness demonstrates your ability to plan and control your schedule. Check the weather reports and allow enough time. If you are early, you can review your notes or take a few moments to visit the restroom and relax a bit. Of course, you don’t have control over flight cancellations or delays, but you do control your personal schedule and transportation.
Don’t decorate your resume for the holidays. It will stand out, but not in the way you intend. Save your creative talents to help decorate at home.

Now, enjoy your holidays and keep looking for that perfect job. You could end up with a lot more reasons to celebrate!