Unemployed Job Seekers

Job Interview Facing Skills And Tips

Interview is your first and the most important encounter with your prospective employer. What you say, how you dress, how you behave and other such things can make or mar your chances o f getting that dream job. Especially for first time job seekers, interviews can be intimidating. So, a little preparation for the same can be really helpful. Given below are a few tips that will help you cruise through your interview smoothly and perform better with heightened chances of getting hired.

Try to arrive 15 to 20 minutes before the job interview schedule so that you get time to cool down and get your mind ready for the interview. If you get unavoidably delayed, notify the company immediately stating the reason and your estimated time of arrival. This shows your professionalism and sincerity.
The age old adage ‘First impression is the last impression’ still holds true so dress smartly for the interview. You should wear a formal dress and make sure that you look professional. While different industries call for different work attire, it is always safe to stick to formal dressing. Dress according to the culture and style of the company that you’re interviewing with.

Dressing tips for men
A neatly ironed long-sleeve working shirt (avoid colorful shirts, stick to one solid color such as blue, grey, white)
A tie
A suit or sports coat
A pair of neatly-ironed dark-colored formal trousers
Conservative colors (avoid bright, flashy colors e.g. bright orange, fuchsia, etc.)
Well-polished dark color shoes
Neatly groomed or cleanly shaved beard and/or moustache

Dressing tips for women
Conservative blouse (steer clear of low cleavage and bare back designs)
Business suit
Conservative colors (keep the colors to a maximum of three)
Properly fitting, non-revealing clothes. Avoid short skirts.
A salwar-kameez or sari in non-flashy colors
A conservative hair style; tied-up long hair or set hair in a neat hairstyle.
Appropriate closed-toe shoes or pumps.

You need to carry important documents while going for an interview. Always carry photocopies of your degrees and certificates unless the interviewer has specifically asked for originals. Arrange them neatly in a file. Carry at least two copies of your resume, mark sheets, photographs etc.
All the above mentioned tips prepare you to meet the interviewer. Now, it is time for the real test- facing the interviewer’s questions. Feel confident and don’t panic even if you don’t know the correct response to a particular question. If you fumble or look extremely nervous, the interviewer will lose interest in you. Thoroughly go through your resume before appearing in front of the interviewer. Most questions will be based on what you have written there. So, don’t lie on your resume and be prepared to showcase your skills in a positive manner.
Interviewer’s Most Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Tell me something about yourself.
A: This is the most commonly question asked in an interview. Mention the details about your education, work experience (if any) and your core competencies. Don’t just narrate what is already written in your resume as it is already in front of the interviewer. Say something extra but relevant to the interviewer, which makes him interested in you and proves your suitability for the job. Try not to sound too rehearsed and don’t talk for longer than five minutes.

Q: Mention your strengths.
A: Prepare on any key strength such as confidence, motivation, tenacity, positive attitude etc and explain why these would be valuable for the role you have applied for.

Q: Dwell upon your weaknesses.
A: Now, this is a tricky question. But you can answer it in a manner that benefits you. Try to state a weakness that can be considered as strength by the employer. For example: "I get impatient and tend to lose temper when deadlines are not met.’ This shows that you don’t like to work with inefficiency and are particular about deadlines.

Q: Where do you see yourself five years from now?
A: This question is asked to see how stable you are and what is your vision of career growth. The answer will show your clarity of thought and how you have planned your future.

Q: Why do you think you are fit for the job?
A: Answer this question by citing how you have learned from your past experience and how the knowledge that you have acquired through your education can be utilized in accomplishing the objective of your job. Try to state how you can bring a positive difference to the company. If you are a fresher, state your strengths. Try to match your analytical skills, your soft skills, your qualities with what is required by the employer and try to convince the employer that you are best suited for this post.

After you have been interviewed, you should also try to find out as much as possible about the organization and the post you have applied for. This will prove to the employer that you are interested. Ask intelligent questions and do not concentrate on salary as of now. That can be negotiated after you have got the job.

During the last few moments of your job interview, emphasize on your skills and your strengths which makes you best suited for the job. This will help the interviewer to remember your skills and strengths as this will be the last thing which the interviewer will hear.

Restate your interest in the job but don’t sound desperate or too anxious. Instead show how interested you are and how best you fit the job profile.

By: Geetika

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Geetika Jain writes on behalf of Naukri.com, a leading job portal for jobs in india. Naukri.com is a recruitment platform and provides services to the corporate world, placement agencies and job seekers in India and overseas. It offers a bouquet of products like Resume Database Access, and Response Management tools and its services include Job Postings, and branding solutions on the site.

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Checking On Unemployment Benefits And Eligibility

by Erin Killian

When unemployment reached a 16-year high in December, it left millions of people scrambling to make ends meet. So what can you expect from the government if you’re laid off? Here are some things to consider:

How many unemployed workers are there?

About 10 million, and half of them are in eight states including California, Florida, Michigan and New York. Of the 10 million, only about 4 million are getting unemployment benefits. And 1.5 million of those recipients exhaust the money before they get another job, according to Howard Rosen, a visiting fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C.

How much can you expect to get in unemployment?

The average national weekly amount is $296.17, Rosen says. Rates vary by state: Some pay a standard across-the-board rate, while others prorate payment depending on income. For example, Illinois’ jobless benefits range from $51 a week for individuals to $511 for workers with dependent children.

But first you have to qualify.

What does it take to qualify?

There are four criteria, and many people who have been laid off don’t meet all of them. First, your employer must have paid into the unemployment fund on your behalf (99 percent of employers do); this doesn’t usually cover temporary or part-time employees. You had to have worked for your employer for a substantial period, usually at least one or two years, depending on the state. You cannot have been let go for cause or, with some exceptions, have left voluntarily. And you had to have worked each week for at least 35 hours and $35, according to the antiquated law written in 1935.

How long do benefits last?

The standard length is 26 weeks, or about six months. Last June, Congress extended benefits for an additional 13 weeks, and in November it gave seven more weeks of support to workers who had gotten the 13-week extension. The November legislation also allows up to 26 extra weeks of unemployment benefits — for a total of 52 weeks — for workers in states with a jobless rate higher than 6 percent. These extensions are not permanent.

What could keep you from getting the money?

If you have any other kind of weekly income — including severance pay — it is subtracted from your unemployment check. If an employer offers severance pay, it may be more beneficial to take it in a lump sum rather than in installments, so you can get unemployment benefits. Also, if you own a home and rent it out, that rental income would be taken into consideration when calculating your unemployment benefit. Alimony is exempted.

Are states running out of unemployment money — and if so, does that mean there won’t be money for me?

Thirty states face serious issues as their unemployment trust funds dry up, though they can borrow from the federal government to ensure benefits for the average worker.

If you don’t qualify for unemployment, what other resources are available?

There are other programs designed to help low-income people. Programs such as food stamps can help if your income is low enough. For example, an individual’s net monthly income has to be $867 or less. But for a household of five, the threshold is $2,067. Workers with dependent children may qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Also, some states may have other types of low-income assistance.

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 Searching A Job Online

Find out how to get your dream job online. Tips on finding the job your looking for without burning your hours. Old-fashioned job searches have long demanded a resume be prepared and submitted by an applicant. For online job searches, the resume is ever more important. It is essentially the only thing your potential employer has to determine whether he or she is interested in hiring you. Though an electronic resume isn’t written any differently from a paper resume, the electronic medium does offer certain opportunities. For starters, consider where you can place your resume. You could post it on a personal website or a web forum, if you think it will improve your chances of getting a job. A personal website is also a fast and convenient place to post a portfolio, if your line of work emphasizes on what you can do, or if you have a complete resume with items you had to leave out of your short-version resume for space reasons. Where you post your resume is important when using the virtual world to find a job. Many people today have skills and qualifications that can be seen by their work, and a personal website that displays a portfolio of art, writing, or other types of media is a great way to let potential employers view what individuals can do. Also, you can use personal websites to post up your resume, which means that you can send a very nice cover letter or introductory email in response to an open position advertisement, including a link to your website instead of attaching your resume file Personal websites are great tools to use when you’re searching for a job in the virtual world. For those professionals who have portfolios, you can easily post up your work on your personal site and let potential employers know the link. Individuals will be able to view your work on their time and at the best moments, and they’ll see exactly what you can do. Also, personal websites are great for posting up your resume, as you won’t have to attach documents to every email you send out in response to job applications. Emails replace cover letters, and you can include a link to your personal website so potential employers can read your resume. 

The internet is a big place though, and finding the right job could mean sifting through a lot of junk or visiting many sites. As painful as it sounds, you’ll want to sign on to multiple job-search sites and browse them for potential employment on a regular basis, as the positions available can change in a matter of hours. It’s also a good idea to apply to any and all positions you find yourself interested in. With the internet job search, the scattershot approach can be more effective than you’d expect.               

Finally, don’t count on getting any single job online. There are going to be a lot of applicants and in some ways, applying for a job online is a craps shoot that depends more on luck than anything else, hence why the scattershot approach tends to work well.               

Above all else, dedication is the key to the online job search. You have to check the job listings, email resumes, correspond with potential employers, and search for jobs on a constant basis to find any good prospects. The search, in particular, requires that you have dedication and keep trying for an extended period of time. One potential time-saver is old-fashioned networking over the internet, via online forums and instant messaging. Professional organizations in your field are a particularly good place to make contacts, as well as to obtain more information about the job market you’re diving into.               

Online job searches take a lot of dedication, as the virtual world is an enormous place and you’ll have to devote a good chunk of time to browsing job sites, emailing potential employers, and networking to find new opportunities. Don’t expect to land a job the first day you start looking, because an online job search may take as much time as a search in the real world, but you have far more networking tools at your disposal and opportunities in the virtual world abound.  

Visit online forums related to your industry to find a network of professionals. You’ll be able to discuss your profession and make contacts, which can often pan out into opportunities you didn’t expect. At the very least, you’ll get information on the career you’d like to have and share knowledge with others. Above all, have the patience to invest time in your online job search, as the vastness of the virtual world means you’ll need to spend a few hours searching sites, responding to advertisements, and communicating with potential employers. Improve your self to get the job you want with an Online graduate degree. For more information visit www.OnlineDegreeBachelor.org.

By Joan Young 

Job Search on Twitter?

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