HR Tips

HR Tips

Generally when you hear the word HR what’s the first thing that came to your mind? For me its INTERVIEW. J J J Whether you yourself an HR or going to meet an HR you have to face the interview. For many people or for most of the people it’s a severe issue that they have to face if they want to access in their career. L L L L

So here I am providing few tips on how to nail an interview

      1.    10 seconds to sell or say so long

Unless your resume catches the interviewer's eye in 10 seconds it's over, you're done. So the big question is how do I catch the interviewer's eye? Here comes the best advice on how to get a job interview you'll ever get. Cater your resume to the job description! I can't stress this point enough. It's imperative that you cater your resume to each position you apply for. And I mean taking each line on the job description and writing a line on your resume to reflect your experience with regard to that line.

Yes, it takes more time than sending the same resume to 100's of jobs, but you're far better off applying to a fraction of those jobs with a resume specifically written for each job. Put yourself in the interviewer's shoes. Their job is to hire the most qualified candidate. They've been given a set of qualifications to look for: aka the job description, and that's exactly what they're after, so give it to them!

2. Be on time

There is no excuse for it, none! You don't want a pissed off person interviewing you. Leave extra early, do whatever it takes. Blaming it on traffic or anything else doesn't matter (even if it's true).

3. Cell phone off

Obvious but easily forgotten, at least it was with 2 of the people interviewed. Double and triple check to make sure your cell phone ringer is turned off.

4. Know the company, and why you want to work there

Google the company you're interviewing for. Learn as much as you can about the company's mission, objectives, goals, and future plans. If you're asked why you want to work for the company, you best answer something better then, "I like the company's location", which was said.

5. Bring resumes

Your interviewer(s) will likely have a copy of your resume but bring spares. It shows you're prepared and serious about getting the job.

6. Bring a notepad

Very few people bring a notepad with them to a job interview. It's a very subtle thing that makes you stand out. Take notes when appropriate.

7. Dress in a clean conservative manner

Make sure you go into a job interview having showered and wearing clean clothes. If you like wearing cologne or perfume, don't wear any on the day of the interview. What's subtle smelling to you may be overwhelming to your interviewer.

8. Profiles to private

If you don't think interviewers Google you or look you up on Facebook or MySpace, you're crazy. Hiring managers I've talked to all do this, as one put it, "to weed out people who wouldn't be a good fit in the company's culture." Don't give them ammo to not like you, set your profiles to private.

9. Don't make jokes

Too many people think they are funny when in reality they're not. A job interview isn't the place to test your material. Be friendly and outgoing, save the jokes.

10. Don't babble

When answering a question, answer the question. Don't start out answering a question and then veer off to talk about something else. Make sure your answer directly reflects the question being asked.

11. Don't badmouth a boss

Bad mouthing a previous boss in a job interview is a huge negative. They may have been the worst boss in the world but expressing that in a job interview is a huge mistake.

12. Don't flirt with the interviewer

Common sense but needs to be stated.

13. Don't play with your face/hair

Interviews can be a nervous experience but rubbing your chin, twirling your hair, or anything else along those lines makes you look like you're lying or lacking confidence, both not good.

14. Less is more

Sometimes certain details of your life are better left unsaid.

15. Have good eye contact

Staring at the floor, ceiling, or wall when speaking or listening makes you appear disinterested. Again, simple and obvious but happens way more then you'd think.

16. Have goals

Maybe you don't have any idea where you want to be in a few years professionally but figure out something to say. If you don't and you're asked, you appear un-ambitious, which leads an interviewer to think you'd be a lazy employee.

17. Have accomplishments

Be prepared to talk about something that you're proud of accomplishing, whether professionally or personally (or a failure and what you learned from it).

18. Have passion

Be able to express why you want to work in that field/industry and what you do to further your knowledge (books, blogs you read). The more intelligent or informed you are the more impressive you'll look.

19. Ask Questions

At the end of the job interview make sure you have some questions to ask. If the interviewer doesn't offer you a chance, ask to ask. Again, it reinforces your strong interest in the job.

20. Send a thank you note

It's easy to send an email but take the extra effort to mail your interviewer a hand written thank you note. It reinforces your interest in the job. It doesn't need to be long, just make it sincere.

There you have it. The best job interview tips you'll ever get. Stick to them and you'll be on your way to getting hired!

Hopefully, now you are mentally prepared for an interview. What’s the next thing that creates an impression on the interviewer’s mind?? Does it really make a difference how you dress for an interview? In most of the cases, it does. J J

Here's a quick look at the basics:

Women's Interview Attire

·         Solid color, conservative suit

·         Coordinated blouse

·         Moderate shoes

• Limited jewelry
• Neat, professional hairstyle
• Tan or light hosiery
• Sparse make-up & perfume
• Manicured nails
• Portfolio or briefcase

Men's Interview Attire

·         Solid color, conservative suit

·         White long sleeve shirt

·         Conservative tie

·         Dark socks, professional shoes

·         Very limited jewelry

·         Neat, professional hairstyle

·         Go easy on the aftershave

·         Neatly trimmed nails

·         Portfolio or briefcase

So now you are ready to face an interview. Ooppps..have you taken your CV for interview?You know what is the next necessary and most important thing for an Interviewee, ie your CV/ resume. Do you know what's the difference between a resume and a CV? The primary differences are the length, the content and the purpose. A resume is a one or two page summary of your skills, experience and education. A goal of resume writing is to be brief and concise since, at best, the resume reader will spend a minute or so reviewing your qualifications.

A Curriculum Vitae, commonly referred to as CV, is a longer (two or more pages), more detailed synopsis. It includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations and other details.

When to Use a CV

In the United States a Curriculum Vitae is used primarily when applying for international, academic, education, scientific or research positions or when applying for fellowships or grants. As with a resume, you may need different versions of a CV for different type of positions.

What to Include in Your CV

Like a resume, your CV should include your name, contact information, education, skills and experience. In addition to the basics, a CV includes research and teaching experience, publications, grants and fellowships, professional associations and licenses, awards and other information relevant to the position you are applying for. Start by making a list of all your background information, then organize it into categories. Make sure you include dates on all the publications you include.

How to Write a Curriculum Vitae

Do you need help writing a curriculum vitae? Before you start, review these tips so you can include the appropriate information in your curriculum vitae (CV) and format your curriculum vitae correctly. Remember, the first impression is the one that matters, so, your CV needs to be perfect!

Don't worry you're not alone, writing a resume is intimidating for everyone. What makes it difficult is knowing what to include, what not to, what to highlight, what to de-emphasize, etc. HR professionals and hiring managers receive hundreds of resumes for any given position, and on average, they will spend about 10-30 seconds on yours. Organizing information incorrectly could cost you a shot at an interview, and is a very common mistake made by job seekers.  We have provided two options for you - Write it yourself using our free resume writing tips, or use our suggested resume writing services.

Below I have outlined our tips for composing your resume. Before moving on, we will note that we grew up being a skeptic of paying to have my resume written. However, we’ve changed our beliefs - reason being - Prices for resume writing services these days are fairly reasonable ($90 - $200). These are professionals that do this for a living, and study how to position a person's skills for a particular industry.  Therefore, for a few hundred dollars you will be given the edge to get a position that pays a few thousand more per year.  Therefore, it’s a cost of the job hunt process worth paying.  In closing, while the free resume writing tips below will assist you in the preparation of your resume, I would recommend using a resume writing service from the beginning, or using one of the companies that provides a free resume critique after you have completed a final draft of your resume..

Enough said, onto the resume writing tips....

Before putting your pen to paper (or fingers to the keys), begin by determining your objective (do this prior to writing the resume).  You should clearly state what sort of a job you want, and know what kinds of skills and experiences are needed to do well in that job. Even if you decide to change your job objective later, it is very important that you decide on a temporary objective for now. After your objective is determined, you can structure the content of your resume around that objective.  As noted above, you have a very small window of time to get the interest of a hiring manager, therefore being general and scattered will insure that your resume is filed in the "circular file" - i.e. - the trash can. Therefore, it is essential that you take the time before you start your resume to form a clear and targeted objective.

Now that you have your objective, you're on your way.  Now lets begin the resume writing process.  Keep in mind, the single and most important goal of a resume is to obtain an interview. It's a marketing tool to get you in the company and in front of your potential boss – that’s it.  Once in, you will need to do the sales pitch, and close the deal. 

With that said, you do not want to go into detail about every accomplishment in your resume. Strive to be clear and concise, as the sole purpose is to have a potential employer contact you for an interview.  Bottom line – you should put yourself in the shoes of the resume reader - when looking at the job qualifications needed for the position; what would you be looking for in a candidate - Obviously, that is what you should include in your resume.

In the body of your resume, use bullet points with short sentences rather than lengthy paragraphs. As noted above, resumes are read quickly (usually 10-30 seconds). Therefore, having key phrases standing alone and bulleted will help the reader see the important information at a glance - while at the same time absorbing the most important information.  Again, don't worry about the specifics; you will go into the details during the interview.

Use action words - words like prepared, managed, developed, monitored, and presented will cause your resume to stand out.

In addition to standing out to a reader - you are also insuring that if your resume is scanned, the computer will pick up on the words. You read correctly, some companies now scan in your resume, and have computers pick the resumes to be looked at. The computers are looking for one thing – they’re looking for keywords that have been picked by the hiring manager. These are action key words that relate to the position; therefore not including them could mean your resume is disregarded as a "non-match". I’ve devoted a section to resume format, and will deal with how to format your resume for computer scanners.  We've compiled a list of action words to include here.

You should always use %'s, $'s and #'s.  Percentages, dollar totals, and numbers stand out in the body of a resume.  I’ve included an example below of a job duty described with them (correct), and without (incorrect).  As is obvious with the below examples, being specific does not mean being lengthy.

 Highlight your strengths, and what is most relevant to the potential employer. Due to the fact that most resumes are typically reviewed in 10-30 seconds, put forth the effort and determine which bullets most strongly support your job search objective. Put the strong and most relevant points first where they are more apt to be read. Doing this will hook the reader, and the rest of your resume will reel them in.

Match the needs of the hiring company - Review job postings online and in the newspapers for positions that interest you. Each listing will almost always have a brief blurb about the company and the position available. Read the job description closely, and use the key words listed in these ads, and match them to the bullet points in your resume.

Chances are that you have some of these as key points already, however if you have missed any, be sure to add them to your resume. It sounds obvious, but its worth mentioning that using a custom resume instead of a generic one will greatly increase your chances of an interview, as you will be a better match in the eyes of the reader – how can you not be? – you’ve tailored your resume to the position.

Above all in your resume and interview - you must be positive.  Therefore, avoid including negative and irrelevant points. If you feel your graduation date will subject you to age discrimination, leave it off your resume. If you do some duties in your current job that don't support your job search objective, do not include them. Focus on the duties that do support your objective, and leave off irrelevant personal information like your race, weight, and height.

Have you taken an advertising class?  Let me give you one tidbit from my studies that will improve the appearance of your resume.  White space is the open area of an ad, and white space is important to your resume.  Open up the newspaper, and take note of which ads first catch your eye. Are they the ads that are jammed full of text and pictures, or are they ads that have a large amount of unused space ("white space"). This is done to grab your attention, as you are always attracted to open areas. For this reason, don't worry if you are having a hard time filling the page with text; increase your line spacing to compensate – this will increase the white space – and really, that’s a good thing.

How long should my resume be?  What size font should I use? -  The font size should be no smaller than 10 point, and the length of your resume should be 1-2 pages. Yes, you read correctly; you can use more than one page.  But remember, keep it concise.  It's ok to use 2 pages for your resume, however it’s not necessary.

Ask a friend, and get an outside opinion on your resume before sending it off.  You should always have a 3^rd party or resume critique service review your resume. You are so close to your situation, it can be difficult for you to note all your high points and clearly convey all your accomplishments. Having someone besides you review your resume will allow you to note how others will view your marketing materials - would your resume impress them? If not, why? Don't settle for - "it's good".  You must encourage the 3^rd party to give you feedback and ask questions. These questions from the reader can help you to discover items you inadvertently left off your resume. Take their comments into consideration, and revise your resume to include these items. In addition to adding in missed items, their questions can also point to items on your resume that are confusing to the reader. This valuable input will allow you to clarify your resume based on this input.

OK, you’re ready to start applying for positions – When submitting your resume, you should apply for some jobs that appear to be above your qualifications, apply to positions that are a match, and apply to positions which may be beneath you. Why? Perhaps the position beneath will turn out to be more than it appeared once you interview for them. Or perhaps once you have your foot in the door you can learn of other opportunities. If nothing else, interviewing more and more will increase your interviewing skills. Like anything else, repetition will decrease your nervousness, and increase your skills at attacking the tough questions

If you've already found jobs that you're interested in, the next step in actually getting it is to apply, or let the employer know that you would like to be considered to fill a position. There are several ways to apply for a job, and it all depends on what kind of job it is.

Steps

Write a resume. Even if the particular job you're looking for has an application process where a resume isn't necessary, the process of writing a resume can help sort your thoughts and prepare you for an interview. Having a written record of your work history makes filling out an application much easier, too. Tailor the resume to the type of job for which you are applying, emphasizing related skills and coursework.

Call the employer. Ask about the application process: "Good morning. My name is John Doe. I was wondering if you had any positions open and, if so, how I could apply?" You will usually have your call routed to the hiring or human resources manager. If they have any openings, they'll either ask you to come in and fill out an application, or they'll ask you to send a resume and cover letter by mail or e-mail, in which case you should inquire "To whom should the letter be addressed?" They will give you their full name - write it down and ask them to spell it out if necessary.

Write a cover letter if it's a part of the application process. Make sure it is specific to the job, with the company name and address and, if possible, the name of the person who will be receiving it.

Ask two or three friends or family members to read over your resume and cover letter for typos.

It's often difficult to see our own mistakes.

Apply.

Visit the employer to fill out your application form. It's usually best to go in the mid-morning, when they're not too busy, but before the day has worn them out. Ask to speak to the hiring manager and try to hand the form to them personally: "Hi, we spoke on the phone yesterday about the (job title) position. Here's my application. Let me know if you need anything else!" This will give the employer a chance to see you (so present yourself well) and put a face to a name.

Send your cover letter and resume as instructed.

Follow up.

If you filled out an application but the hiring manager wasn't there at the time, call three days later, ask to speak to the manager, and confirm that the application was received: "Hello, this is (your name). I filled out an application on (day you came in) and I just wanted to confirm that it was received."

If you sent a cover letter and resume by mail, call a week later to confirm their receipt. If you sent them by e-mail, call the day after.

Tips

·         Always thank the employer for their time and consideration

·         Thank you letter after the interview

·         Follow up with a phone call

·         Always be honest when filling out a job application online.

Warnings

• If you try to be someone who you are not, most likely, they will decline.
• If you have not been accepted for the job then you might as well start the application process again, if they will allow you, or consider trying to obtain another job with a different employer.
• Note that refusing to contact a previous employer, refusing to take criminal background or drug tests, unusual gaps in previous places of employment, not having proof of legality to work, having blank spaces in an application, and lack of non-relative references are usually red flags to employers. And will probably bar you from employment.