Houston Job Opportunities

Thank you for returning. It is important to me that I give you the information you are looking for when you visit my site. So, be sure to email me or leave a comment. I read all comments and answer any request or suggestions personally . Don't hesitate to contact me and I hope you find information to help you through this economic journey we are all on together. As you know, we post comments to create discussions between our readers, whether they agree with the post or not. That is one of the ways we learn. Thank you.

A Job Interview is not much different than it has always been. The employer is looking at you to decide if you can do the job he needs done. The more prepared you are for his or her questions and the more you know about what he needs, the better impression you will make. Perhaps if the last guy had brought more than one CV tablet and not been late, his chances of getting the job might have improved.

As we think about interviews, the mystery unravels.

Consider how you decide which pair of running shoes is right for you or what television program you will watch tonight. You have your criteria of what you want and when you look at the options, you find the best fit for your needs. This is no different than a job interview. The employer has his criteria and he is interviewing individuals to see if they fit the needs he has within his organization. So, next time you buy that pair of shoes or pick that television program, consider what criteria you are seeking and how the product’s performance influences your decision.  A fun idea is to think about what questions you would ask when you are making a decision, what response would you want to hear and how would you decide between two very similar options.

As an employer, the common threads that employers are looking for in positions is knowledge, skills, experience, communication techniques, flexibility, passion, dedication and desire. There, of course, are other specific skills related to industries. There are also intangibles, such as punctuality, appearance, personality, creativity, and some of the other factors I suggested above.

Your goal for an interview is to show the employer that you are the “best fit” for his requirements. The more you know about those requirements, the better you can prepare yourself for questions or concerns. As they say, “You Can Never Make A New First Impression Twice”, so be sure everything you do before and after meeting a future employer is showing him your best. It is also good to remember that the employer is choosing you for the job because he feels that you can be the best representative of his organization. I tell my students to think of the interview process as a challenge and that whether you decide the job is right for you or not, you want to “get a job offer” , because you will then feel proud and know you did your best in the interview. This is not to say that not getting the offer is always because of something you did, but having an offer does increase your confidence for the next interview.

Practicing with family members and friends is a good way to prepare for an interview. Many times, a friend or family member may ask a question or supply you with a suggestion that will give you an excellent idea for improvement. We have sample interview questions available for you and other ideas to help you prepare on our site, but there are multitudes of information sources and information is always helpful, whether you agree with it or not.

This blog was written to take the mystery out of the interview, as many individuals find interviews very intimidating. Many good candidates get intimidated by the interviewing process, but knowing that “interviewing” is what we all do on a daily basis in our lives, may  help alleviate some of the the nervousness and help you deliver your best on the next interview.

Best of Luck — Always – Debbie Foster

Find more information on this blog or on our job board: http://www.houstonjobopportunities.com

Thank you for returning. It is important to me that I give you the information you are looking for when you visit my site. So, be sure to email me or leave a comment. I read all comments and answer any request or suggestions personally . Don't hesitate to contact me and I hope you find information to help you through this economic journey we are all on together. As you know, we post comments to create discussions between our readers, whether they agree with the post or not. That is one of the ways we learn. Thank you.

Job opportunities are no longer easy to find.  Some individuals are feeling that finding a job is like finding a needle in a haystack.  The more seasoned workers and the recent graduates are finding that the job opportunities for either starting a new career or continuing an old one are extremely difficult and frustrating.

Be sure that your resume is “selling you” and your talents in the best way possible.  Each job search step is a critical moment for you to sell yourself.  From the initial cover letter, resume presentation, telephone contact,  interview  and “Thank you” follow up letter.  The process is when you need to put your best foot forward and entice the interviewer to want to know more about who you are and what you can offer their company.

Every potential opportunity needs to be explored.  Being creative in this economy is a must.  Whether you are looking to find your first job or the one that you hope will be the last job before you retire, start thinking “outside the box” of old job search tips

and ideas.  It is unfortunate that many of the career choices that some of us made many years ago are no longer the same.  If we are going to continue in a previous career choice, perhaps we need to start searching for the same career with a twist.  Start noticing what types of employment there are in the career of your choice and the skills needed.  Perhaps with a little tweaking, your skills can be adapted to the new challenges we are facing today.  An example of this, would be a salesman that has sold specific “widgets” all his life and now the “widgets” he sold are no longer a viable product in today’s world.  The knowledge of sales, however, is a talent that many seek and perhaps helping others learn these particular talents might be used in mentoring new salesmen  in the skills and talents of selling products.

If you have been in a particular field or desire to find a job in a particular field, join forums on the internet and find out what individuals are talking about as far as new products or job openings.  You can also make acquaintances that will tell you of any job openings that they know of in the particular field.   It is easy to find forums in most fields, by  googling:     “subject, forum”.   Find a couple of interesting sites and begin interacting with those individuals in  the group.

The social networks, such as Linkedin and Facebook are also good sources of information and contacts.  Do not overlook your former bosses, college professors, friends and family.  You never know who has information that you can use.  You can also contact a recruiter in your  particular field of interest, and begin questioning them about the trends they are seeing in the job opportunities today.  It may be that with just some additional education  or knowledge, you could make yourself more desirable to employers with job openings today.

The sad truth is that with our unemployment statistics moving closer to the double digits, we all need to  find a way to make our job skills and talents valuable and offer skills that are current in today’s world.  This requires creativity and an open mind to new opportunities.   Do not close your mind to new ideas or get discouraged, this economic environment is certainly a challenge for all of us.   The economy does create a challenge that we cannot ignore.  Our futures are up to us and we cannot expect the same opportunities that we had before the economic downturn.

My personal journey this year has been a real struggle, but I am confident that my end story will provide me with not only a sense of accomplishment and pride, but a  direction to my career that brings me the financial security and personal joy that will allow for my survival for years  to come.

As they say:  “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”

Best Wishes For A Successful Job Search or Career Redirection—-  Debbie Foster

We have more job search  information for you on our job board:  http://www.houstonjobopportunities.com

Thank you for returning. It is important to me that I give you the information you are looking for when you visit my site. So, be sure to email me or leave a comment. I read all comments and answer any request or suggestions personally . Don't hesitate to contact me and I hope you find information to help you through this economic journey we are all on together. As you know, we post comments to create discussions between our readers, whether they agree with the post or not. That is one of the ways we learn. Thank you.

For a Job Seeker today that is trying to Find A Job,

Getting the job interview is almost like

“Winning The Lottery”.

The problem with this analogy is that instead of getting the money and spending it, you still have to “Claim The Prize”.  Of course the prize is the Job Offer.

With the job market being so crowded these days, it is important that a job applicant is extremely prepared before he steps into that room with the job interviewer.  This involves practice and research.  In any aspect of our lives today, the people we want to hire, are the people that are knowledgeable and confident in their answers.  Consider the last decision you made to hire a plumber or a roofer, or even your doctor or real estate agent.  The individual that made you feel comfortable in the fact that he or she could do the job, was the person you decided to use to “get the job” done.

We have information for you on our website to prepare for questions that you might be asked during the interview.  We also suggest that you ask a family member or friend to do a “mock interview” with you to see how you answer questions and help you become more comfortable in the interview situation.     If you can video the mock interview, you will find information about how you sit in the chair and body language that you may want to correct.  This is very helpful and you will be very surprised about how you handle yourself during an interview situation.    Click to download our checklist for the interview

REMEMBER: Whether you are interviewing with a Recruiter, Company Interviewer or Owner of a Company, the “bottom-line”  question of the interviewer is whether you can actually do the job required and would you represent him or her in the manner they want to be seen.  Keeping this one thing in mind, is critical.

Here are some questions that an interviewer might ask you and that you might want to prepare for before you go to that “Lucky Lotto Interview”:

• Tell me about yourself.  (Answer this question relating to your career accomplishments and goals and not your family)
• Tell me about your previous job and your previous employer?   (Always give positive information)
• What are you looking for in your next position?
• What have you done in the past that prepares you for my job opening?
• What can you bring to my company and Why should I hire you?
• What skills, abilities and knowledge do you have that you see fit in with my company environment?
• What are your negative attributes?  (This is not a place to tell negative things about yourself- Answer with a positive spin – i.e.  “I am very conscientious and enjoy getting the job done correctly the first time, so many times I will stay until I finish the project to my personal satisfaction.”)
• Tell me about your strengths and what you have done in your previous jobs that you are proud of.  (Relate these to the job opening you are apply for.)

We have lots of information on our website to help you further.  Be sure to visit our pages regarding interviews for more information.  Click Here to visit our Interview Preparation and Free Interview Information.

Two very good videos from our website are included in this posts.  The following video is from Pat Goodwin of PatGoodwinPersonnel.com, which explains more about interview questions:

Interview questions today have been even more involved than they were previous years.  Just in the past couple of days, I have heard several unusual questions, such as “What is Your Favorite Color?” , “What would you request for your Last Meal?” and “Who is Your Favorite Cartoon Hero?”  These questions can be very disconcerting and are not on the “general interviewing questions list”, that we are used to hearing.  So, prepare yourself for anything and answer appropriately.  These are not questions, that I or any interviewer  can answer for you.  However, keep the job opening requirements in mind when you are answering questions that don’t make sense to you.  For A Position In Sales, a good answer to the Cartoon question might be:  ‘Wonder Woman” or “Super Man” because I am a problem solver and enjoy meeting new people and helping them solve problems using the products that I have to sell.   Sorry, can’t help with the ” last meal” or “color” questions,  you might need to look around the office…  

The Salary Question: Do not bring up salary, benefits, or any of the questions relating to “What The Company Can Do For Me?”.  This is the opportunity for you to gain the employer’s interest in you and want to pursue you.  My feeling about initial interviews are:  “This is when you challenge yourself, to make that employer want you in his company and develop the attitude that he or she wants to make you “The Job Offer“.   Challenge yourself at each step in this process to “Get The Offer” and your approach will be more positive and more effective in your interview.

If the employer does ask you “The Money Question“, a good reply is:  “What would you be willing to pay a person that brings the skills and talents that I possess?” Another response from you might be, “I know salaries in this economy are different today, and what salary are you considering for this position?”

Peggy’s video below gives you valuable information regarding how to deal with the subject of money in the interview.  The ideas and information she provides will help you deal with this important part of the the interview process appropriately.

An important point for you to remember in any interview is that you are selling a product to this employer and your product is “you”

Research:  Your Second Key Element Before The Interview:

Know the company,

Know their products,

Know what types of individuals they hire

Finding out information about companies today is as easy as looking on the internet.  The more you understand what the company does, the products or services and the environment, the better you can do in an interview.  The more you can find out about the employment process and/or the interviewer, the more prepared you can be for your meeting and understand how your skills and talents can work within the organization.

Research, Research, Reasearch

We have lots more information for you on our website regarding interviewing and information to help you find a job in today’s market.  You can find information regarding “How To Close The Interview” and how to use social media to find job openings today.  Be sure to visit our website:   http://www.houstonjobopportunities.com.

Thank you for returning. It is important to me that I give you the information you are looking for when you visit my site. So, be sure to email me or leave a comment. I read all comments and answer any request or suggestions personally . Don't hesitate to contact me and I hope you find information to help you through this economic journey we are all on together. As you know, we post comments to create discussions between our readers, whether they agree with the post or not. That is one of the ways we learn. Thank you.

Many recruiters and hiring authorities  read Cover Letters first to determine if they are going to read the attached resume.

Remember, every part of your first introduction to a company is critical.

If you have been looking for a new job for a while, you know that most of your applications today are done online.  So, unless we discuss on-line cover letters, this article would not be much help to you.

The On-line Cover Letter:

Many job boards, company job postings and other on-line places that job seekers go on-line do request a “cover letter” and, even if they don’t request one, it is recommended you add one when you forward your information.  It is tempting to just put in the box —-  “I read your job requirements, and am very interested in the job you have posted”.  For the recruiter or job posting company that reads those cover letters, this shows a strong lack of interest.

(Sorry, I know you get tired of filling out all those forms).

The  best information for you to put in that cover-letter box is an adapted letter specifically mentioning how you fit the job as described in the job order.  If you are serious about wanting to get a call from this application, please do this.  This is all part of your first impression and we all know what they say about a first impression.  If the position indicates particular skills, knowledge, location or other requirements, be sure to mention that you have all this in your background and (use the same words in the job description- even if the description uses an acronym for something — use it. )  The reason for this is, you may be sending to a recruiter or a company HR person and that person may only be looking for the exact phrase on the job description.  While we are discussing this, if you say you have some experience in the cover letter be sure it is also on the resume.  I have received resumes and cover letters, where someone has had the experience many years before, but when I tried to find it on the resume, it wasn’t even listed.

• As I am typing this, my thoughts relating to the “Cover Letter”, make me think of that first “Smile, Hello and Handshake”, when you start a conversation and your resume is like handing a person your business card. Hope that makes it easy for you to understand how important that cover letter really is to your first meeting

General Cover Letter Information:

Cover letters are your first introduction and we have already discussed the importance of your first impression.  A cover letter  answering an advertisement today, may be a blind ad.  If you do know who the company is, then letting the company know that you are aware of them, what they do,  and what a strong reputation they have in the industry is a good idea.  It is useful, if you can find the person’s name and title when you are sending the resume, as this will also show your interest in the company.  (Be sure you spell the name correctly).

Again, it is important for you to mention the exact words from the job description so that an individual reading your cover letter will automatically associate your resume and information with the job.  Seeing the exact description from the job order helps to solidify the fact that you would be an excellent candidate for the opening and will entice further investigation of “who you are”. Explain how you are a good fit for the position and where you acquired your skills.  (Do not bring up any negative information, this is your introductory selling tool.)

Make sure that all words are spelled correctly, there are no typos and there are no grammatical errors, etc.  Have a third party look at your letter to be sure of this and don’t depend on “spell check”.  Although this letter is primarily about you and how perfect your background is for a job opening, all sentences should not start with “I”.  Be absolutely sure that your contact information is correct and personally sign your letter in blue or black ink.  This letter is short and one page only.

Make sure that you show flexibility in your schedule. Give best times to call or alternative numbers to make it easy for them to contact you. Remember the purpose of the cover letter is to “put your best foot forward”, “sell yourself”, create a desire to want to set an interview by seeing relevancy to their need.  You are introducing your product – YOU.

Just a Couple of General Tips:

• Bullets make cover letters easy to read and employers are able to see your main points easier.
• It is good to give your phone number and email address in the end of the letter or after your signature, because an employer is familiar with finding that information at the end of the letter or after your signature.
• Be creative, but professional, in your letter.  You want your letter to grab attention from the reader.  Remember you only have about 10-20 seconds to get their interest, so your first sentence should create a reason for them to keep reading your information.  If you are responding to an ad, you know the keywords that relate to the job – use them.

You can download Power Words From Our Website at: http:www.houstonjobopportunities.com

Our website gives more information to help you in your job search and we hope you will visit.  As we continue to add information, we want to hear from you to learn what information you need to help with your job search and  your Career Interest Inventory and Career Questionnaire.  We also have more information about cover letters and the employment process today on our blog entitled: Making a Match.

Career Redirections 101 is my personal new project that is bringing  back my personal career passions and am looking forward to working with anyone that is interested in discovering their own 2010 and beyond passions.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding your comments, suggestions and your own personal career redirections.

Good Luck  in all your future directions.

Debbie Foster –  hjoresumes@gmail.com

http://www.houstonjobopportunities.com – Job Board

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Thank you for returning. It is important to me that I give you the information you are looking for when you visit my site. So, be sure to email me or leave a comment. I read all comments and answer any request or suggestions personally . Don't hesitate to contact me and I hope you find information to help you through this economic journey we are all on together. As you know, we post comments to create discussions between our readers, whether they agree with the post or not. That is one of the ways we learn. Thank you.