6 Head-Scratching Interview Questions and What They Mean
- Written by Alan Carniol
If you go to many interviews throughout your career, you are bound to face interview questions that just feel weird. Interviewers try to be creative with the questions they use because there are times when applicants tend to be too repetitive. They do this to test an applicant’s ability to think under pressure.
Job Interviews and the Olympics: Less like Gymnastics, more like Swimming IM
- Written by Alan Carniol
This week, I learned something valuable watching the Olympics. Just last night, I saw highlights of the individual medley (IM) swimming event - where one swimmer does four different strokes in succession, and the individual gymnastics competition, particularly the balance beam.
Here's what I've observed:
Thinking of Quitting without Notice? Here are Reasons to Think Twice
- Written by Alan Carniol
As an employee, there are instances when you just want to quit your job. There are times when you just want to give in to the temptation of quitting, but there are also reasons why you need to think twice before doing so.
Turning a Summer Job or Internship to a Full-Time Job
- Written by Alan Carniol
During the summer, many students look for jobs to earn cash while school is out. To most people, summer jobs are regarded as just that: something temporary. Summer jobs or internships are really meant to be short-term, but why not take advantage of the opportunity? Summer jobs or internships are a great stepping stone to a career and eventually your dream job.
If you feel you want turn your internship or summer job into a full-time position, here are some tips on how to do it:
Six Ways to Calm Down Before that Big Interview
- Written by Alan Carniol
It is perfectly normal to feel nervous before a job interview. A job interview is a source of stress for most people. Sometimes it may seem overwhelming because of the fear of being rejected by an employer.
Here are some ways to calm down when you feel nervous before a job interview.
Doing Job Search During the Holidays
- Written by Alan Carniol
It is commonly believed is that during the holidays no one hires and everybody is too busy with reunions, parties, and nonstop events. Yes, it is true that everybody is busy with their schedules, but during the holidays companies also slow down their pace. It is a time when employers can finally have time to settle other company matters—including hiring.
How to End an Interview on a Strong Note
- Written by Alan Carniol
Most people remember bad events more than good ones. Psychologists say that the brain processes positive and negative events differently. They say that negative events involve more thinking and are processed more thoroughly than positive events.
This is further illustrated by how you will remember losing $100 more than earning $100. With this in mind, we should also remember how we need to end an interview strongly lest all of your efforts be wasted.
Asking for a Recommendation Letter
- Written by Alan Carniol
Most people struggle with getting recommendation letters in their job search. There are the questions of how to ask, what to ask, and whom to ask. Getting a recommendation letter is a source of stress for many people, chiefly as a result of not knowing how.
Have a Weak Resume? Get Online Courses!
- Written by Alan Carniol
The challenge for all job seekers is to get their resume noticed. When you write your resume, your mindset should be: “What would make a potential employer notice my resume?”
Job Search: Evaluating Your Options
- Written by Alan Carniol
The past few years have seen the highest unemployment rate in decades. Every business, big or small, has experienced the effects of the recession. Countless people have seen their company do well this month and hit rock bottom the next. It only stresses the importance of thinking about your decision before accepting a job offer.
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Worried you aren't the Perfect Candidate? Here's a Secret
- Written by Alan Carniol
Many ISF clients become seriously worried that they don't have every qualification and experience required in the job description.
Even worse: some have a track record that isn't perfect - extended time off, a past lay off, short job stints. Maybe, just feeling too old or too young.
Now these issues can lose jobs offers and they can extend the job search. And from personal experience and speaking with many folks perhaps like you, I know this can feel exasperating, at times even producing a sense of helplessness.
Here's the good news.
Of the thousands of job seekers I've worked with, many have successfully overcome these insurmountable obstacles and landed jobs.
How do they do it? Like this.
Signs an Interview Is Not Going Well
- Written by Alan Carniol
For your upcoming interview, you practiced and prepared, wore your best suit, and basically did your best in acing the interview. Yet even with all your efforts, you didn’t get the job.
Looking back at the interview, it’s hard to tell where it went wrong. But learning how to detect when the interview is not going as planned can help you turned things around.
Another Job Search Tool: Volunteering
- Written by Alan Carniol
In this tough job market, long gone are the days when you could post your resume online on Monday and have your e-mail flooded with interview invitations on Tuesday. With workers being laid off and so many people looking for jobs, a good way for you to improve your skills and keep yourself hire-worthy is through volunteering.
Volunteering offers a lot of benefits to job seekers, but it also has drawbacks if you don’t take the right precautions. The major pitfall of volunteering is not knowing the difference between volunteering and working for free.
Don’t Miss Golden Opportunities with Start-ups
- Written by Alan Carniol
For most people who are looking for a job, the big, famous companies are the first choice. This means that sometimes we overlook golden opportunities with small businesses. Times have changed, and so should our mindsets.
According to United States Census Bureau data from 1980-2005, almost all net job creation was created from firms that are less than five years old. The statistics indicate that without start-ups, job creation in the U.S. would be negative except for a few years. Of the 12 million jobs created in 2007, young firms (firms one to five years old) account for nearly 8 million of the jobs created.
The data from the US Census Bureau clearly shows that without small businesses, a lot of people would be unemployed right now.