Landing a Job When Unemployed

Landing a Job When UnemployedLanding a Job When UnemployedLanding a Job When UnemployedIts easy to get discuraged if youve been unemployed for a while.You know that you are a hard worker and are ready to put your efforts towards a fulfilling career, only to not get the job you had hoped for. Its important to stay positive during this time, and to keep moving forward. Avoid sitting around at home feeling sorry for yourself, and instead try some of these tactics that will help you land your next vorstellungsgesprch.Keep honing your skills.Whether youre a writer, salesman, office administrator, or any other profession, keep building on your skills. Follow bloggers in the industry and stay up-to-date on current trends. Consider taking an online class that makes sense for your industry, go to conferences or try doing some freelance work. This way youll be sharp on your next interview instead of falling behind.Take on a side project or volunteer work.Building off of what we said above, tak ing on some freelance work or even a project just for you will help you in the long run. It keeps you active in your field and is also a great way to network and meet fellow professionals. Volunteering is another great way to meet other professionals and to give back to your community. These actions show hiring managers that you didnt sit back during your unemployment, instead you active sought out opportunities.Beef up your networking skills.Update your LinkedIn profile and ensure all your other social profiles are private. Potential employers will look into your profiles when considering you for a role. You can also use these networks to connect with people in your industry. Know an old high school friend that has a great job in your field? Suggest they meet you for coffee. Ask them how they ended up at their company and if they have any tips for you during your search. Follow companies that you are interested and stay up-to-date on their job listings and any important people you should be following. Its easier to connect than ever before, and you have all the social properties at your fingertips.Staying active by volunteering, networking and continuously working on your skills will not only keep you motivated to reach your goals, it will help fill that gap in your resume. Remember what you are working towards and put some effort towards it each day. You might be surprised how quickly you find your next opportunity.Worried about how to handle those gaps in your employment history? Learn how to make the most of those spaces, here.Want to see how your resume stacks up? Try out our free critique today

5 Steps to Prepare for Your Second Interview

5 Steps to Prepare for Your Second Interview5 Steps to Prepare for Your Second InterviewGetting asked back for a second interview rightly can be seen as a positive step toward landing a job offer. Its purpose, however, can vary, so smart candidates should come prepared for anything.For entry-level and some mid-level positions, the second interview can serve as the hiring interview as well, meaning the candidate qualifies for the position and the anfangsbuchstabe interviewer provided a recommendation for hire. In this scenario, the hiring manager will conduct a brief interview and, if all goes well, provide an offer, says Linda Matias, president of CareerStrides and author of 201 Knockout Answers to Tough Interview Questions The Ultimate Guide to Handling the New Competency-Based Interview Style.Other second interviews can serve as peer interviews. Once the candidate is deemed technically qualified, colleagues are given an opportunity to see if they would like to work with said candid ate on a daily basis.Whichever direction it takes, be ready to shine by usingthese actions to get ready for a second interview1. Look and act your best.Just as during the first interview, people will be formulating an impression of you. Arrive on time, dress appropriately, and be polite to everyone.2. Know your story inside and out.Go in with clear ideas of what you want to highlight. Dont assume people you meet for the first time have any knowledge of what you said in the first interview. Thoroughly and enthusiastically answer their questions, even if they seem repetitive.3.Do more research.Think about subjects that came up during the first interview. What might you be able to add on these topics should they arise again?Likewise, another look at the companys website or a Google search might reveal up-to-the minute information that is useful to know or that can serve as a conversation anlasser (e.g., I heard the charity fun run last Sunday was a big success.).4. Be comfortable with the subject of money.The closer things move to an actual offer, the greater the need to be ready to discuss compensation. Know the regional going-rate for this position, as well as what you would truly be willing to accept. Factor in benefits to come up with an overall picture. If negotiation isnt one of your strong points, consider brushing up on tactics.5.Be ready with questions.Finally, a second interview should be a two-way street. Youre moving closer to potential employment, so learn what you can about the position, the people with whom youll be working, and the company culture.Not only will this information help you make a more informed decision about whether or not this job is right for you, your genuine curiosity will make a positive impression on those you meet.Readers, what do you do to prepare for your second interview? Shareyour job interviewing tips below

How You Can Get a Job as a Waiter in a Restaurant

How You Can Get a Job as a Waiter in a RestaurantHow You Can Get a Job as a Waiter in a RestaurantWorking as a waiter can start as a part-time job or as your full-time occupation and is a great way to start a career in the food industry. The foodservice industry is a growth industry, and new restaurants and work opportunities are being created every day. Waiters at food establishments carry out a function that is familiar to fruchtwein of us. Servers help patrons understand menu choices and make recommendations about selections based on the preferences of their patrons. Characteristics of a Good Waiter A good waiter will positively engage patrons and set a pleasant tone for their meal. Servers should inspect the food presented by cooks before delivering it to the table to make sure that the order is complete and cooked to specifications. Waiters check with customers regarding their satisfaction with their meal and advocate on their behalf if there are any complaints. They may als o be required to receive and process payments for meals. Servers work for the foodservice component of a variety of establishments including hotels, resorts, bars, and restaurants. Many servers work part-time on evenings and weekends to supplement their income from other jobs. Good Communication is Crucial Good waiters enjoy serving others and are comfortable interacting with a broad range of individuals. You will find having a pleasant disposition with a ready smile will help you establish a positive connection with customers. It is important to know how to communicate. From the minute you walk up to the table, your communication skills can make or break your ability to be a good server. In many cases, it will be the factor between a good tip and a great tip. Once in a while, you will get a customer who is critical or demanding. Even in difficult situations, waiters should be patient and have the ability to tolerate challenging people. You will have to be able to listen to comp laints without reacting negatively or defensively. Busy Multi-Tasking Work You must be able to multi-task. There will be times you will be expected to keep track of many customers simultaneously and to have good memory recall of menu choices and customer orders. You may need to memorize daily chef specials including ingredients and how they are cooked. When bedrngnis actively serving a table you could be tasked with arranging silverware, filling condiment bottles, or even doing light dusting or other cleaning tasks. Waiters Appearance Needs Your appearance is very important. In most situations, you will be expected to present a clean-cut image. Not only will it help during your interview, but the way you look can also bolster customer confidence about the quality of the restaurant and the safety of the food being served. Your appearance includes more than just your clothing. Your hands and nails must be well kept and your hair looks clean and professional. In most cases, you r employer will require long hair to be neatly tied back in a ponytail or bun. Your clothing or uniforms and apron should be clean, pressed, and neat when serving customers. Some dining establishments will have requirements that require you to wear a tie. Getting Your Foot in the Door Keep in mind that waiters often start their careers as bussers or hosts and then move up in the same restaurant or the restaurant hierarchy from casual chain restaurants to more upscale establishments.Consider accepting a job that may not be what you are looking for to start. It could be a way to get started on a restaurant career. One distributionspolitik you can get a head start is to get the food safety training required by your state or local authorities. This training covers everything from how to wash your hands to the correct serving temperature of meats and other food items. By having this training in place, it may give you a leg-up on the competition. There are many companies that provide classroom and online food safety courses, Some even offer training that is available on connected smartphones. Formal and Informal Job Hunting Many restaurant jobs are filled both formally and informally. The usual job boards are a good place to start your search. Formal job searches include job sites like Indeed.com and Simplyhired.com. Search using keywords like food server, waiter, and restaurant to generate job listings. If youre interested in working for a restaurant chain, check the website to see if they accept online applications. Have an updated copy of your resume and any food safety training that you have completed available to attach to the application. You may also find a position informally through personal referrals. Start looking for a job by asking people you know if they are aware of any job openings. Your best chance of getting introduced to restaurant managers and owners will be through members of your family and friends network. Reach out to everyone you kno w and ask if they know anyone in the restaurant business. Ask any friends who are already working in restaurants if there are any open positions where they work. If you do find someone with a job lead, you can pass your resume so it will get to the right person quickly. Proactive Job Hunting Visit restaurants in your target schauplatz and ask to speak with the manager. Stop by during lull times in the restaurants activity when managers might be more available to meet you. The quiet time in a restaurant is usually before the lunch rush. Bring a copy of your resume for the manager and be prepared to fill out a job application. Remember to interact with these managers as you would a customer. Show off your warm smile and bubbly personality. It is a good idea to review the menu in advance and note the experiences you have had with that type of food or clientele. Restaurants are concerned about the image they project to the public. Make sure that your appearance is appropriate for th e position you are interviewing for. Interview Essentials Choose clothing that would be considered business casual. It should be on the dressy side yet not overly formal unless it is a very high-class establishment. If you can visit the restaurant ahead of time, check out how the waiters are dressed and wear an interview outfit that is comparable. Personality is everything for servers, so the interview is the time to exude positive energy. Greet your interviewer with a warm smile and a firm handshake. Listen carefully and articulate clearly. Interviews for server jobs are often more about how you interact and communicate than what you say to show your expertise. Be ready to share examples that highlight your ability to be reliable, outgoing, and well-organized. Start by showing your reliability, arriving about 10 minutes early. You may want to do a test drive to the restaurant beforehand to make sure you are familiar with where it is. Dont forget your resume and a list of refere nces. Even if the interviewer does not request them, offer them, and encourage him to contact your past employers. Interview Questions You May Hear Review some of the interview questions youll be asked for a waitstaff job. What jobs have you worked that required you to be in a fast-paced and crowded environment? How did you maintain quality standards in this environment?What do you consider to be good customer service?Describe a time when you had to verstndigung im strafverfahren with a particularly difficult customer/table. How did you handle the situation? Is there anything you would have done differently?Have you ever taken charge in a restaurant in an emergency?How do you handle fast-paced work environments?How do you entertain customers as a waiter? What is the most difficult part of being a waiter?Imagine a customer asks for an item on the menu that is not available at the time. How do you convince him to select something else?What would you do if a customer sent his meal back?If a customer asks for a suggestion, what would you say?What is your favorite item on our menu? After the Interview Say Thank You After your interview, compose a thank-you cardor letter expressing your keen interest in the job.Briefly, mention why it is a good fit and express your thanks for your interview. It is best to hand-deliver it to the restaurant as soon as possible after your interview.

Compensation in Financial Services

Compensation in Financial ServicesCompensation in Financial ServicesWithin the financial services industry, especially in Wall Street firms, compensation packages tend to be much more generous than in other sectors of the economy. There can be great year-to-year variability, since annual bonuses linked to company profits tend to be a significant part of total compensation. Salary For bonus-eligible positions, regular salary often is called kusine pay. The frequency of pay tends to be monthly rather than biweekly at higher levels of management, usually starting at vice president. Annual salary adjustments are typical. Bonuses Policies on annual bonuses vary from employer to employer, but some general observations can be made. At Wall Street firms, bonuses are a more significant part of total pay for more employees than at banks and insurance companies, which represent the other end of the spectrum. As you move up the management ladder anywhere in the industry, more of your pay will come in the form of the bonus. The bonus pool for your division or department will be driven by a combination of its profits and those of the company. Bonus pools rarely are purely formulaic instead, executives exercise great discretion in setting them. notenzeichen that changes in the number of employees who will participate in a given pool (as the headcount fluctuates in a division or department) typically will not have an impact on the size of that pool. That is potentially bad news if headcount is growing in your area. Finally, the eventual distribution of a pool to the employees participating therein tends to be a highly discretionary process. Draw For positions paid on commission, there normally is no salary or base pay. However, inexperienced employees in these jobs frequently receive something called a draw that superficially mimics a regular, fixed paycheck. The difference is that a draw eventually must be offset by commissions earned that is, a draw is effective ly an advance payment of commissions. Commissions Unlike bonuses, commissions are indeed formulaic. Employees who receive commissions (notably financial advisors) tend to be in sales positions. Revenues generated by their clients, as well as other key metrics (such as the value of their clients accounts), drive the compensation formulas. Pay typically is on a monthly basis for commissioned jobs.

Brain Dump and Brainstorm Your Way to a Resume

Brain Dump and Brainstorm Your Way to a Resume Brain Dump and Brainstorm Your Way to a Resume If you’re not a professional writer, writing about yourself is hard, but brainstorming techniques can get the ball rolling and the creative juices flowing.The woman was blinking back tears.She was one of a group of realtors learning how to write their resumes and bios. She’d just started as a realtor, she told the woman teaching the class. “I don’t have much experience,” she said. Hence, she had “nothing to write about.”Anyone who’s worked with a professional resume writer has been asked to provide a short bio and a synopsis of her career. Most job seekers balk at this step or struggle to provide a complete history. Most people feel uncomfortable writing about themselves; Lynda McDaniel knows. Our minds go blank. We blush. We freeze up. But McDaniel â€" who is director of the Association for Creative Business Writing and author of ” Words at Work : Powerful business writing delivers increased sales, improved results, and even a promotion or two” â€" can read peopl e when they don’t even know how to read themselves, and the gray streaks in the woman’s hair told McDaniel volumes.So McDaniel suggested that the fledgling realtor brainstorm using a process she calls “brain dump.” She instructed the woman to write down every skill, paid or unpaid, she’d developed over the years. Then, she told her to sort through those skills to see how many applied to her new career.Within one hour, the woman’s spirits soared “from dejected to confident,” and she even hugged McDaniel before she left.How can you perform your own resume brain dump? First, stop weeping. Stop staring blankly at the questionnaire your professional resume writer has asked you to fill out. Most of us have ample skills and qualities that can shine in a well-done resume. Ladders spoke to professional writers for their tips on how to mine that gold and brainstorm your resume.Brain-dump prepProfessional writers recommend job seekers take these steps before sitting down to bra instorm resume writing:1. Analyze the job posting. What specifically is the employer looking for? This will come in handy when a job seeker analyzes which of his own skills and qualities will match the job description.2. Get organized. Before tackling your resume, Heather Rothbauer-Wanish advises job seekers to make a list of previous employers, dates of employment and job duties. Know the official names of schools and dates of graduation. You’ll use all this information when you sit down to write the resume, said Rothbauer-Wanish, a professional resume writer and owner of Feather Communications.Brain dumpMcDaniel’s brain dump is a simple technique that should take about 15 minutes but “yields incredible results,” she said.1.Brainstorm First, set a timer and write without stopping for a minimum of 5 minutes. The key to success is to keep your pen flowing without stopping; just keep writing, no matter what garbage you cough up, even if it’s, “This is stupid,” or “I do n’t know what to write,” MacDaniel said. The technique, familiar to creative writers who’ve worked through the Zen techniques Natalie Goldberg teaches in her book ” Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within,” breaks down your internal filter, “opening the way to fresher ideas and deeper insights,” MacDaniel said.If this is too loosey-goosey, try this exercise from Rothbauer-Wanish: Ask yourself, “What did I really do at that job?” Many times, she said, people don’t give themselves enough credit for the tasks and responsibilities they’ve had in the workplace. Detailing a typical work day and writing down your activities “may spark ideas and help you recall additional job duties,” she said.2. Find the nuggets. Next, McDaniel said, set the timer for 5 minutes again. Go over what you’ve written, and sift out the key points. If most of it is chaff, don’t worry: “Even the rejects are part of the process and lead you from one point to the next.”3. Outline. Assign each key point a number. Make the best information No. 1. That’s the material that you’ll feature at the top of the resume. Go through and label the rest of the key points in this manner, from most to least important. This form of outlining is “organic,” McDaniel said, because it evolves from the material and “helps to cut down on procrastination.”4. Write. Using the key points from the outline, start adding to the meat of the resume. Make sure you prove your worth in quantifiable ways. Amanda Collins, chief of staff for The Grammar Doctors, suggests using the CAR (Challenge,Action,Result) formula.She provided this example:Sales were down (C), so you implemented training and employee recognition programs (A), which boosted sales 25 percent in six months (R).“Of course, quantitative results are best, but qualitative are great too,” she said. “Consider things like increasing revenue, decreasing costs or improving customer service/employee relations.†

How to Prospect Ideas for Financial Advisers

How to Prospect Ideas for Financial Advisers How to Prospect Ideas for Financial Advisers Prospecting is the lifeblood of a healthy, growing financial practice. Most advisers who have been in the business for a while have favorite methods that work for their target audience, local market, and personal preferences, but its a good idea to roll up your sleeves and try new prospecting activities every so often. We polled a handful of active financial advisors (and dusted off some old sales manuals) and developed a list of five prospecting ideas to breathe some fresh air into your sales funnel. Shake the Referral Tree Its the tried and true method of tapping your network for qualified prospects who might be looking for your services. This works best when you dont regularly contact your network for leads and have specific ideas in mind about the types of referrals youre seeking. Instead of sending out generic queries, consider developing a specific list of prospects youd like to contact and requesting introductions, or creating an ideal profile of the clients youre seeking (eg. technology executives, or nonprofits of a certain size.) Take some time to expand your network through a church, school, or family activities. Host a Client Event Hosting a casual client appreciation event with a strategic partner as a speaker is a great way to provide valuable information while bringing in new leads. Invite your most valuable clients (youve segmented your book, right?) and ask them to bring two friends who might be interested in the topic. Topics could range from retirement planning  to college savings, or charitable giving. Consider asking a wholesaler or strategic partner to split the cost of the event to keep your financial commitment low. Become an Expert Everyone wants to work with an expert who understands their specific needs. Take a look at your book and determine what niche youd like to focus on and develop a prospecting and service strategy designed to target that niche. Show your niche that you understand their needs and can offer custom solutions. This is definitely more complex than dialing for dollars but can yield tremendous benefits to your practice in terms of referrals and new leads. Make Friends Do you have a strong network of alliance and referral partners? If not, establishing ties estate attorneys, CPAs, and insurance agents can be a great way to cross-sell services and offer your clients comprehensive care. If you already have partners, are you getting enough leads from them? Consider refreshing your relationship by taking them to lunch or offering them the opportunity to speak at a client event. Sponsor an Event or Charity Community ties are important and sponsoring a local event, kids sports team  or charity is a great way to show that your business is part of the community while increasing your visibility. Choose a sponsorship opportunity that will get your logo and name in front of your target market. For example, if you want to target women investors under 50, consider sponsoring a kids soccer team to build rapport with their mothers. Get your logo on their sports jerseys and consider offering hot coffee and donuts on game days. Youll become appreciated for your thoughtfulness and generosity - great traits for a financial adviser. It can be tough to find time to prospect when youre busy working with clients and managing a busy practice. However, its a bad idea to ignore prospecting completely lest you find yourself high and dry during a slow month. Hopefully, weve given you a few ideas (and refreshed some old ones) to get out there and start drumming up new business. Remember that like most marketing activities, a prospecting strategy often yields its best results with time, patience, and consistency.

Salary Negotiation Tips for First-Time Job Seekers

Salary Negotiation Tips for First-Time Job Seekers Salary Negotiation Tips for First-Time Job Seekers 7Even for the most seasoned of job seekers, salary negotiations can be uncomfortable. So it makes sense that only an estimated 38% of recent grads negotiated salary when they received a job offer, according to a NerdWallet infographic. With barely any job experience under your belt, you may feel unsure whether you should even negotiate salary at all, but you definitely should! Here are some salary negotiation tips for first-time job seekers:   Understand your expenses. Before you begin salary negotiations, it’s a good idea to have an idea of how much money you have to earn in order to live. That should be your base number from which to start your negotiations. So if a dream job is offering you a salary that you just won’t be able to survive on, you can begin negotiating to get the increase you’ll need. Be confident. Just because you don’t have oodles of experience listed on your resume doesn’t mean that you should be paid less than other job candidates. So look for other strengths that you possess that others may not. Potential bosses might favor your youthful energy and exuberance over other “been there, done that” job seekers. Chances are, you’ve also been schooled in the latest in industry info. And internships count, too, so be sure to list any previous experiences that you can relate to the position you’re applying for. Don’t sell yourself short just because you don’t have paid work experience on your resume yet. Be knowledgeable. It’s understandable that you might be nervous to engage in salary negotiation as a first-time job seeker. Knowledge is power, though, so get updated on what the fair market value is for the position you’re applying for. While it’s illegal for a potential boss to change the salary based on your age, it’s important that you know what salary ranges to expect before heading into the interview. Websites like Salary.com and Glassdoor are helpful for finding out salary ranges for your job level, career field, and location. Look at the entire offer. Sure, it can be discouraging to hear a smaller salary than you were hoping for. But jobs are more than just salary. That’s why you need to consider the whole job offer, such as medical and dental benefits, work flexibility, PTO, tuition reimbursement- even retirement savings contributions that your employer will make. And if you’re able to work remotely, factor in how much money you could save from not having to commute to an office every day. Suddenly, your salary might start to look a whole lot sweeter than it did before! Be ready to ask for other benefits. Even if you are offered what is considered to be a fair salary for the type of job you’re applying for, that still shouldn’t stop you from negotiating other benefits. Ask if you can have work flexibility in terms of a flexible schedule, especially if you’re going to travel to work daily. If you’re planning to continue your education, you might even ask if the company can pay for it, especially if it relates to your current career. Even if you negotiate only a small salary increase or the ability to work from home one day each week, that first negotiating win will give you the confidence to go after what you’re worth for the rest of your career. Don’t accept the offer on the table. Unless the job offer is absolutely everything you dreamt of and more (it allows you to work remotely, has a great starting salary, killer benefits, room for growth, etc.), don’t feel compelled to accept it immediately. Even if you’re a first-time job seeker, you have every right to think the offer over before you take it. This can give you time to really assess if the job offer is right for you- or not. So run the numbers and see if it makes sense to accept the offer outright, or begin your negotiations towards a salary that you want and deserve. Looking for More Career Advice? TRY OUR CAREER COACHING SERVICES This is a version of a post that was