Job Interview Suggestions?

[dazza 38]

On plus side, if people who are not the best at spelling, used a spelling checker like the iphone one. They will learn to spell correctly as they will first get a red underline under the incorrect word and they will also get suggestions. It can be use as a teaching tool.

 

 

[PA.]

On plus side, if people who are not the best at spelling, used a spelling checker like the iphone one. They will learn to spell correctly as they will first get a red underline under the incorrect word and they will also get suggestions. It can be use as a teaching tool.

yoo meen teh read undilion dont meen awasom rightin im confoozed

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Pick up a copy of "What Color is your Parachute" (A Practical Manual for Job Hunters and Career-Changers) by Richard N Bolles. It looks like it comes out revised and updated every year, so old editions should be readily available at Op-shops and book exchanges. I picked up the 2004 edition free; and the advice is still relevant 10 years later.

 

 

 

He is American, but has based his book on research which includes Australia and New Zealand. The distilled message is that success is in proportion to effort. He suggests targeting the job you want, researching the company, phoning, visiting and asking for the person who does the hiring, being prepared, courteous, succinct and following up with a Thank You. He points out that the success rate for internet applications and sending resumes to all and sundry is about 2%. There's lots more in the book, including an exercise for you to determine your "dream job"

 

 

 

Well worth a read.

 

 

 

Sue

 

 

[SDQDI]

On plus side, if people who are not the best at spelling, used a spelling checker like the iphone one. They will learn to spell correctly as they will first get a red underline under the incorrect word and they will also get suggestions. It can be use as a teaching tool.

Grammar is important too dazza, I refer to your last sentence .

It can be used or it can be of use would read a little better:victory:

 

 

[metalman]

Interesting about the "handshake" I'm big on having a handshake that's "right" ,my sons were taught to shake hands well and interestingly since moving to Melbourne I've noticed a cultural thing with the Indians mostly, they generally have awful handshakes, even uncomfortable for both parties, I can only surmise it's not a done thing in their culture , maybe TAFE could do a course for them.

 

Matty

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

"A study by UBC Psychology Prof. Del Paulhus finds that

 

[/url]narcissistic applicants are more successful in job interviews

 

than equally qualified candidates who act more modestly. The findings suggest that applicants from cultures that place greater emphasis on humility, including some Asian cultures, may have a harder time landing a job"

 

On a related topic Chinese employee tells me in China they would never tell you that you didn't get the job, really bad loss of face. They just don't get back to you. Similarly if you are casual and they stop contacting you / giving you work it apparently means you have been sacked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[johnm]

I've enjoyed reading what employers think are ideal attributes a candidate needs for their job ............................. a couple of things to ponder though:

 

Thing 1: no matter who you are you always serve someone (disregarding the big fella upstairs, of course) ............ so those things you like to see in your candidates...................................... are they the things that are seen of you, above ?

 

Thing 2: not everyone has a good handshake, or hands, or a good haircut or good clothes. Sometimes when you employ people they may not fit your team - this technique should be tried also - its called giving someone a 'break'

 

Thing 3: candidate selection can't be an objective process - it has to be subjective (particularly with an interview panel !)

 

 

[Peter008]

Sensible comment Johnm but I find it difficult to overlook an arm full of tatoos or numerous items of jewlery on the candidates face. One guy turned up the other day with blue painted fingernails.

 

I am just not that liberal. We service people of my own age group in the main whom, I believe, would have similar attitudes to my own. However apart from all that, there is no denying that community attitudes are changing toward all that I have mentioned.

 

Perhaps I'll retire before I catch up with the attitudes of the oncoming generations.

 

Future Projection: The next thriving industry may be tatoo removal

 

 

[kaz3g]

Interesting how things change, I've never even had a CV till recently when I decided to apply for some jobs that are a bit bigger than I'm used to, some even require a suit( which I had to buy) ,I've been in interviews and really though I'd done well only to get a rejection letter/email,,,,kinda makes me think about how I could do things differently , the suits a cracker so it might be me ,,,,although I did discover when asked about my expectations answering in such a way that sounded like I wanted to be the interviewers boss probably wasn't the smartest thing. I don't know if "tricks" is the right word, maybe "tactics" would be a better one, either way it's quite a learning curve to be mid forties and having to sell myself ,Matty

Hi Matt

 

Good luck with the search. I'm sure you look smashing in a suit but make sure your wife selects your shirt and tie.

 

It's not easy getting back into the ranks of the employed after being your own boss and prospective bosses are easily intimidated by skills obviously better than their own.

 

Kaz

 

 

[dazza 38]

Sensible comment Johnm but I find it difficult to overlook an arm full of tatoos or numerous items of jewlery on the candidates face. One guy turned up the other day with blue painted fingernails.I am just not that liberal. We service people of my own age group in the main whom, I believe, would have similar attitudes to my own. However apart from all that, there is no denying that community attitudes are changing toward all that I have mentioned.

 

Perhaps I'll retire before I catch up with the attitudes of the oncoming generations.

 

Future Projection: The next thriving industry may be tatoo removal

Yeah I'm like you, if some bloke turned up with nose studs and/ or painted finger nails or tattoos on their face. I would tell them to get on their bike .

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

.... I have been waiting for a comment that suggested that maybe some of the participants who comment may not be successful in job interviews, given the grammar

Yeah, a bit of tough reality here, but no good sugar coating! It depends upon the position of course, one of my employees has about grade five spelling but it isn't a problem in that he rarely has to write anything.

 

Another tough (sad but true) reality is that Labor is the party of the workers - I always find after a period of Labor there are more workers available and they are willing to work for less = easier to hire and cheaper.

 

This article has a few points also: glass of water test.

 

 

[Cosmick]

How come we are reverting back to Latin or Greek or whatever. i.e. CV - curriculum vitae. When I last went for a Job I had a RESUME.

 

Oh and SDQDI is right, spelling is one thing but what about Grammar/Comprehension, example - Me and Fred went to the shop. Ugggg - Hate it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Don't start me on Maths ...............................

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Résumé is from the French résumer - "to summarise"

 

Curriculum vitae is Latin - "course of life"

 

 

 

A Resume is a brief listing showing how you fit the job, whereas a CV is more detailed going through every job and qualification.

 

 

[Eric McCandless]

.... Oh and SDQDI is right, spelling is one thing but what about Grammar/Comprehension, example - Me and Fred went to the shop. Ugggg - Hate it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!...............

A good explanation of the proper use of "I" and "me" at the following link.

 

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/i-or-me

 

 

[turboplanner]

How come we are reverting back to Latin or Greek or whatever. i.e. CV - curriculum vitae. When I last went for a Job I had a RESUME.Oh and SDQDI is right, spelling is one thing but what about Grammar/Comprehension, example - Me and Fred went to the shop. Ugggg - Hate it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Don't start me on Maths ...............................

He is indeed. In my post regarding the ten to thirteen year old period, I carefully suggested English books, then had a mental blank and forgot to add grammar and sentence construction, and I really meant studying the lot, and I don't think this would be a huge project since most people get most of each sentence correct, so they have a huge lead on a ten year old or thirteen year old, and the time taken to complete a very thorough study and practice and practice and practice, would be way under the four years it takes a child in school. The huge benefit is you come out at the end no longer having a disadvantage, and feeking much more confident.

 

 

[dazza 38]

What I don't get is why do some people go to all the trouble of writing a post with twenty or more words in the post, but then write cos instead of because and other slang short hand jibberish. It cannot be because they are lazy, otherwise they wouldn't have bother typing in the first place.

 

 

[metalman]

Thanks for all the advice, had a look at how I write cover letters and made some changes, I'm still going for jobs a bit out of my depth ,but there's got to be a challenge to it all, :-)

 

Matty

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

What I don't get is why do some people go to all the trouble of writing a post with twenty or more words in the post, but then write cos instead of because and other slang short hand jibberish. It cannot be because they are lazy, otherwise they wouldn't have bother typing in the first place.

Because they are as thick as a dunny brush? I know sheep that can read and write better than some people.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Save your efforts, the OP opted out at Post #3, probably another "personality" from our multi-personality troll(s)

 

 

[Phil Perry]

What I don't get is why do some people go to all the trouble of writing a post with twenty or more words in the post, but then write cos instead of because and other slang short hand jibberish. It cannot be because they are lazy, otherwise they wouldn't have bother typing in the first place.

Yes, Yes. . . .OK,. . . . I admit to doing that a bit Dazza,. . . . . It's just playing with words, so next time I write something like, . .er, CONFUSTICATIONAL . . . It's just Humour . . Ark Ark . . . . .

 

It isn't just to intentionally infuriate any humourless spelling and grammar fascists who could be hanging around. . . . I just like the language. So if I make a syntax error, it's usually because I'm typing a little too quickly again and have missed a keystroke in the rush.

 

So I apologise profusely in advance for future deviation from the correct or appropriate syntax Or grammaticalness.

 

Phil

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Save your efforts, the OP opted out at Post #3, probably another "personality" from our multi-personality troll(s)

That's a shame, but no matter, I have found this thread quite a good one, it's surprising how threads develop isn't it ?

 

Some people are lucky if they are trained in the discussed subject from an early age, I regard myself as remarkably lucky in that my Mother was the first pupil from her primary school to qualify for entrance to the UK Grammar School system. She used to slap me around the head with a wet teatowel as a youngster, when I failed to spell something the correct way, my Father was an engineer, who drummed maths into me from an early age also, which is perhaps why I've never had any difficulty with the subject.

 

It is regrettable that school leavers in the UK nowadays seem to have such a poor grasp of basic English as well as mathematics partly due to "Trendy" teaching methods. . . . this does not help with CV preparation either.

 

I just wish this laptop had a better keyboard, as I continually hit the Caps lock when I'm in full BS mode ( ! )

 

Phil

 

 

[winsor68]

"A study by UBC Psychology Prof. Del Paulhus finds that[/url]narcissistic applicants are more successful in job interviews

 

than equally qualified candidates who act more modestly. The findings suggest that applicants from cultures that place greater emphasis on humility, including some Asian cultures, may have a harder time landing a job"

 

On a related topic Chinese employee tells me in China they would never tell you that you didn't get the job, really bad loss of face. They just don't get back to you. Similarly if you are casual and they stop contacting you / giving you work it apparently means you have been sacked.

 

 

 

These practices are universal... 

 

 

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Something that hasn't been mentioned is the photo and the unmentionable - ethnicity. In Australia, if your name is John Smith then the photo may be optional. If you have an ethnic name, put in a good full-face photograph. If the employer is prejudiced, then the photo will either confirm the bias and save you the trouble of interview, or will show that you appear to be a reasonable human being worthy of interview despite your ethnic name. Prejudice in Australia (and probably elsewhere ) runs deep and is seldom acknowledged or discussed. It is often not racial but instead it is based on country of origin. I wouldn't want to be a Nigerian looking for a job.

 

 

[ben87r]

Something that hasn't been mentioned is the photo and the unmentionable - ethnicity. In Australia, if your name is John Smith then the photo may be optional. If you have an ethnic name, put in a good full-face photograph. If the employer is prejudiced, then the photo will either confirm the bias and save you the trouble of interview, or will show that you appear to be a reasonable human being worthy of interview despite your ethnic name. Prejudice in Australia (and probably elsewhere ) runs deep and is seldom acknowledged or discussed. It is often not racial but instead it is based on country of origin. I wouldn't want to be a Nigerian looking for a job.

First resumes to go in the bin in the 3 industry's that I've worked in were the ones with a photo, cant speak for all tho.

 

 

[facthunter]

Unfortunately many of the interviews are a scam. They are required to advertise but the job has already been filled. This must be soul destroying for genuine job seekers. Did you see the 4 Corners show last night?.

 

I would advise applicants to not gild the Lily too much and be frank and honest in your approach. If your prospective employer thinks like that it will be a better place to work in, than one where BS baffles brains. Nev