The 20 Hardest Questions to Be Asked in an Interview [STUDY]

The 20 Hardest Questions to Be Asked in an Interview [STUDY] Weve all been there, you spend hours preparing for an interview and set off to your appointment satisfied that  there couldnt possibly be a question that you havent mentally prepared a genius answer for. Then BANG, a bewildering, stress inducer of a bombshell  is dropped on you  and youre left in a cold sweat as you decipher the best course of action. Some of the most  run-of-the-mill interview questions such as whats your biggest weakness?  and describe yourself in three words, made an appearance in the most dreaded questions to be asked, which doesnt come as too much of a surprise to me. Even when youre expecting to be asked such a thing  it doesnt seem to weaken the blow an awful lot and what really is the best response to these after all?! The average job hopeful thinks their fate is decided early- with just over five minutes cited as  the time an interviewer takes before deciding if they’ll be hired or not. This is much longer  than the 90 seconds many research state that it actually takes, however it means that pressure is well and truly on  to provide impressive answers  throughout the introductory stage of the interview. Our friends at the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) recently  completed a study on interview experiences in the UK and compiled a list of what they found people regard as the difficult interview questions. The 20 hardest questions to be asked in an interview: What are your weaknesses? Describe yourself in three words? If you were a fruit or vegetable what would you be and why? If you were a flavour of ice cream, what would you be and why? What has been your greatest achievement? What are your strengths? Describe a time when you have failed? Why should we choose you for this role? Why did you apply for this job? How will you contribute to the team? Describe a situation where you have gone above and beyond? Describe a project you have handled? What do you think the chief executive thinks of the company? What attracted you to this company? How would your friends describe you? Describe a situation where you have had others follow your lead? Name a time where you have worked under pressure? What attributes do you have that will support you in this role? Are you a competitive person? What are you hoping to get out of life? More of this at How to Answer the Top 35 Interview Questions.

Resume Writing Services in the Bay Area

Resume Writing Services in the Bay AreaThere are a number of companies that provide resume writing services in the Bay Area. It is not uncommon to see these companies out in the community where they work. While these individuals may provide resumes, they also may be able to refer people to use their services in the future. Here are some examples of companies that provide resume writing services.First, there is Expograde in the South Bay. This company provides services to the recruiting and placement departments at various companies and schools throughout the South Bay. They also have personnel available in a number of different cities throughout the region. The company provides a variety of services including in-person interviews and resume writing. They also offer training to their personnel in order to help them get the most out of their work.The second place that can provide resume writing services in the Bay Area is GeekSummit. GeekSummit is actually an online resume writing serv ice that is located within the company's San Francisco office. This company specializes in preparing resumes for individuals that are new to the Bay Area or for those who are moving back to the area from another city.Another place that is good for resume writing services is the Calliope Resume Writing Service. This company offers a number of different services to individuals, ranging from writing a resume for a job in sales to resume writing for their own business. In addition to this, they are also able to provide resume writing for small businesses that require a resume. They can also supply resume writing for individuals who require resume assistance from a professional service.Finally, there is another company that provides resume writing services to people in the Bay Area. This is FirstMet. They can be reached by phone at (650) 405-3552 or via email at firstmet.sf@gmail.com.Resume writing services can be had for either in-person services or online services. In-person services a re usually provided by companies that hire local employees and can be more expensive than online services. Additionally, when using an in-person service, the potential employer will need to know the specific company that they are hiring from, including whether or not they are local. This may result in a higher price than the cheaper online service.The variety of services offered by different companies can be very confusing to the person looking for resume writing assistance. However, a person should make sure that they are getting the most for their money when choosing which company to use. This can be done by reading reviews online and speaking with others that have used the resume writing service that they are interested in using.Resume writing services are also available in the South Bay and throughout the Bay Area. A person just needs to make sure that they are using the best resume writing service for their needs.

Where Success is Really Hidden - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Where Success is Really Hidden - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Not all successful people are happy. Some successful people are stressed out, miserable, angry, frustrated, depressed and lonely. They are barely able to get up in the morning. They trudge through the day. They might as well be breaking rocks on a chain gang in a 110-degree heat, with no water breaks. Their health is bad, their weight is out of control, their back hurts, their eyes hurt, their teeth hurt â€" basically their life hurts. A miserable successful person has a terrible personal brand. Whether you see them online or in life, their presence reflects their misery. They have to beat the bushes to get clients or the next big job. They have to do a lot of work at fire sale prices or less than the best wages. Their big ideas never get fulfilled. They are just working stiffs. Some own their businesses, but they still suffer everyday and they don’t know why because they cannot blame their “boss.” They are the boss! And, they’re afraid or embarrassed to say: “I hate my life.” What is the difference between people who are happy, flying high and people who are frankly, miserable bottom feeders? More important: What is the discovery you need to make so you can love your golden goose life and not scavenge like a rodent? The most important discovery you might make as you develop your personal brand is finding out what is your natural brain style. With that information, you know how to create or modify the way you do business, or position yourself as a candidate for the ideal job â€" choosing the type of work and the way of working that is genuinely fulfilling. You want to put yourself to work in a way that suits your natural style of thinking, acting and enjoying life. The way you naturally think and act â€" and the way you would truly enjoy life â€" is the first of several fundamentals that lead to your building an authentic, winning personal brand. And, you’d want to know your brain style even if you weren’t interested in personal branding. Why? All happy successful people are working within their natural brain styles. There are five natural brain styles. One is undoubtedly the way your brain wants to function, even if you’ve been forced to think and act differently by someone else, like your parents, teachers or boss. You may have even bullied your own brain, forcing it into processing routines that frustrate your natural gifts, and dull the joy and mastery that comes when you truly engage in powerful and positive actions, for yourself first and then others. In my coaching practice, I continue to be surprised how often clients are surprised about the way their brains want to function, and how often they have lived lives of difficulty because they have been following an older sibling’s patterns, a role-model or just fallen into the grind of doing things the way other people do them. The relief you feel when you think naturally, changes almost everything about the way you work, including what you want to do in your professional or business life â€" and how high your aspirations deserve to be set. Neuroscientists believe your natural brain style is located in your brain’s pre-frontal cortex. In fact, your pre-frontal cortex is the site of all your “executive functioning.” When your pre-frontal cortex is relieved of unnatural demands, you unleash the most precious resource you have in business and life: cognitive flexibility. That is the free flow of input and output, giving you the ability to easily solve complex problems and the perceptual edge that identifies opportunities that are really perfect for you. Of course, when you are acting with this power and momentum in your brainâ€" your personal brand emerges as clear, compelling, and attractive. You feel more confident and others have more confidence in you. Want to learn more about brain styles? Just email me with the subject line: brain styles. You can reach me at Nance@NanceRosen.com. Author: Nance Rosen  is the author of  Speak Up! Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at  NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name:  nancerosen

4 Reasons You Need A Personal Brand Logo for Job Searching

4 Reasons You Need A Personal Brand Logo for Job Searching If youve been in the corporate world for longer than five minutes, you know the importance of creating a stellar personal brand. Youve worked hard to build a good reputation, behave in a professional manner, and network with the right peopleâ€"all of which are necessary. But youre missing one thing: a personal logo. It may sound small, but logos are a huge asset when youre searching for a job. Why? According to the creative team at Company Folders, there are 4 main reasons: 1. Showcase creativity Most of your corporate life is spent trying live up to professional expectations and conduct yourself by the rules. A personal logo doesnt break any rules, but it does let you create a meaningful symbol that shows youre more than just a body in a chair. It shows off your creativity and resourcefulness in a way that a longer written documentâ€"like a CV or cover letterâ€"could never do. 2. Summarize your skills A picture is worth a thousand words, which makes a personal logo a great way to tell people about yourself without wasting space. Its one concise, coherent symbol that sums up your awesome reputation, personality, and skills in a visual way. 3. Make you more memorable Peoples brains are hardwired to process images quicker than wordsâ€"and to remember those images more clearly and for longer amounts of time. Adding a personal logo to all of your job interview materials will make you more memorable to the hiring manager. And the more they think about you, the more likely you are to get a callback. 4. Give you a head start Right now, youre pursuing work with an established companyâ€"and that may be the career path you stick with. But you may also decide to start your own business or do freelance work. If you have a personal logo, youre one step closer to building a brand identity for your own company. You can branch out from that existing logo to create a whole marketing strategyâ€"and since some of your clients have already seen your logo, youll have automatic brand awareness. Conclusion A personal logo can go a long way toward landing your dream job or helping you get your own business on its feet. So how do you choose the right logo design for you? This handy tool will teach you  how to create your own personal logo in just six steps.

Need for Professional Resume Writing Services in Ernakulam

Need for Professional Resume Writing Services in ErnakulamIf you are looking for professional resume writing services in Ernakulam, then you have reached the right place. Here, you will be able to find many clients who are already employing professional resume writers and have got good results by their work.No matter what is your background, you can get a professional resume made according to your needs. You just need to log on to the website of these services and you will be able to find all your requirements. There are various kinds of jobs available for people who want to seek professional resume writing services in Ernakulam.You can choose from any of the categories of professional resume writer such as freelance writer, freelance editor, copywriter, research writer and even business resume writer. There are also categories of skilled writers like proofreaders, editors, proof writers, editors and research writers. For the experts, there are several categories of resume writing se rvices that you can seek help from. From these services, you can also get the best quality resume writing services in Ernakulam.With the increasing competition among companies, there are many forms of resume writing that you can consider using. Most of the companies nowadays are putting high importance to resumes, which can play a vital role in the corporate promotion.These days, it is important to have a good and impressive resume especially in the competitive job market. It will not be easy to find a good professional resume writer unless you make the proper search.With the help of these resume writing services, you can easily fill up a resume which has good words and language. When you hire an editor, you can be sure that they will be able to edit your resume and give you great results.If you are looking for professional resume writing services in Ernakulam, then the search will be easier if you use the internet. This is where you will be able to find a lot of websites that provi de various kinds of resume writing services.Since these services are available on the internet, it is easier for the clients to be aware of the services that are being offered. You can also get the details of these services by simply searching on the internet.

7 Easy Tips to Find a Job - Jane Jackson Career

7 Easy Tips to Find a Job - Jane Jackson Career Article originally published in CareerMindsFor those who have experienced a redundancy or are in between jobs, looking for a job can put you on an emotional roller coaster. This affects your self-confidence, and may create confusion about what to do next.Finding a new job can be a challenge and if this is coupled with a lack of confidence and clarity about what to do next plus the fear of the unknown and fear of change, the situation can become quite stressful. Here are some tips to help you through challenging times.People have been coping with change for thousands of years but it doesnt make it any easier when it happens to us.“Nothing endures but change. Change is the only constant.”  â€" HeraclitusSo what can we do? As a career management coach who has coached over 3,000 clients through their career and life transitions, I’ve found that many feel the same anxiety. Here’s what Brian felt when going through career change:“Suddenly I had no clear plan or identity, my netwo rks outside [of my industry] were weak and I had no real idea of what I wanted to do next. I went at speed from being an ‘important person’ to an ‘unemployed person.’ I lost the things that I thought defined me â€" the status, the car, the income â€" and, like many people, I was wandering in ‘the mist’ a bit.”And Donna explained:“Going through redundancy after 35 years in a stable government job and facing the incredible unknown for which I was ill-prepared left me at a complete loss. The fact that I was unemployed at the age of 52, I felt like an old woman in the eyes of younger employees. I felt panic.”The most important thing if youre returning to the workforce after a break is to be clear about what you can and want to do.Here are 7 steps to follow to increase your chances of success as a job seeker:Build  your confidence by sharing your concerns with trusted friends or family who are well connected in your areas of interest or by gaining an honest, informed pe rspective from a career coach.Identify  what you can do and the skills you have that are transferrable into a new role. Think about what you’d like to do next and find out what skills you need to upgrade. Get up to speed with the new technology that is now required for the roles you want to target.Update  your resume with tangible accomplishments to prove that you are a professional who will add value to any organisation.   If you need help, this How to Write a Resumé online course will take you step-by-step to create a powerful resumé and cover letters that will attract the attention of recruiters and hiring managers:Look your best, and it’s not all about what you wear to the interview. Once you know you are appropriately dressed for the occasion, ensure positive body language, steady eye contact and when being greeted, extend a firm, positive handshake when you meet your interviewer. It helps if you also keep physically fit so you have a spring in your step!Learn  about the new job search strategies. Many roles are advertised online and, according to the latest JobVite survey 87% of recruiters use LinkedIn.com to source for candidates. Create a strong online profile and manage your personal brand effectively on LinkedIn so you can be found. Use LinkedIn to expand your network and connect and then pick up the phone to reach out for a coffee catch up and gain new ideas, support and guidance from your network.Practice  your interview technique to answer confidently when asked, “Why should we hire you?” and prepare specific examples to demonstrate your capabilities.Be flexible  and realistic with your salary expectations. Check current salary surveys to research the market rate for any role you target.To build your confidence to successfully find your new job, this How to Build Confidence Online Course will guide you to manage your stress and build confidence and resilience:If you need assistance of a career professional to guide you further, reach out for help. However, if you follow these steps, it will help to ensure your job search success.Jane Jackson  is a Career Management Coach and Author of #1 Amazon Australia (Careers) Bestseller, Navigating Career Crossroads. Visit Jane at www.janejacksoncoach.com for more career advice or buy her book here.To read original article, click here

So Your Kid Wants To Play Guitar...Now What

So Your Kid Wants To Play Guitar...Now What I dont know about you. But having kids changes how you look at life. We get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.   Pursuing our careers and relationships.   And settling into a lifestyle. And that lifestyle may include listening to music and maybe playing a musical instrument. Growing up my mom played piano and sang in the church choir. My sister and I both played instruments (I played the clarinet and she played piano and flute). We performed in school bands and my mom and sister played in church. We both did well in school, especially math.   Were we drawn to that because of our intellect?   Or did music develop it?   Or a combination of the two? Whether or not one influenced the other is subject to debate another time. Later in life (in my mid-40s) I took up playing guitar (see my guitar playing story here). I really enjoyed the challenge, the peacefulness that helps me unwind from challenging work days, and loved sharing it with my kids. Oftentimes when my daughter couldnt fall asleep shed ask me to play guitar for her.   Within a couple Pink Floyd songs (Wish You Were Here and Mother) on the acoustic guitar shed fall asleep (it used to be Alice In Chains, Rooster). Recently my son has started to show some interest in the guitar and drums.   Not yet enough to focus on it but maybe soon (hes 13).   My daughter started playing around with my harmonicas. Often with kids it starts as an interest you can positively reinforce.   I find that is the best way so it doesnt turn into something they fight you on and dont want to do. I hope someday theyll take up an instrument, practice enough to get good at it, and then I can share the musical joys with them. Maybe it will be guitar.   I love that the guitar is so versatile.   It works for many different musical styles.   It is portable (unlike the piano).   And it is fairly easy to get good enough quickly to play songs to keep your interest up. Research shows that playing an instrument can bring many benefits to children. It develops physical abilities, social skills, discipline and enhances self-esteem. Learning to play a guitar also improves dexterity. It isnt for everyone though. Before signing up your kids for guitar lessons you should consider these factors: age, physical capability, interest and motivation. Ideally, they should be at least 6 years old to have sufficient dexterity in the hands to handle the guitar. At this age, most kids can focus and concentrate on lessons for at least 30 minutes straight (an amount of time necessary to build their skills). Being physically ready to play the instrument makes it easier on the child to manipulate the strings. The guitar should also fit in their hands nicely. It helps if they like the guitar theyre using. So let them choose their own guitar (from a selection of guitars that are designed for their size and strength). Theyll also want to be able to test and feel the guitar in their hands. Are you and your  kids ready to take that leap and see if learning to play the guitar is right for them?   Check out this article that explains  how to purchase the right guitar for children. And begin your musical journey with them. Photo credit: Frédéric de Villamil via Foter.com / CC BY-SA