Five career goal questions, and how to answer them

Five career goal questions, and how to answer them by Amber Rolfe Where are you currently in your career, and where do you want to go next?Asking questions about your long term career goals is a great way for recruiters see where your motivation lies, and how serious you are about pursuing a role within their company. In other words, they will come up. So it’s time to start thinking about your preparation.To help inspire you, here are five our favourite career goal questions courtesy of James Reed’s bestselling book,  â€˜Why You: 101 Interview Questions You’ll Never Fear Again’, and our advice on how to answer them:Please describe the job you’ve applied forAt interview, the difference between success and failure often comes down to knowing when to stop talking.This question is a perfect example. Your first reaction could be to say as much as you possibly can about the role; because the more information you give, the better, right? Wrong.When an interviewer asks this question, they’re actually trying to gage your a bility to summarise information. To avoid getting carried away with the details, think about the ‘essence’ of the job, rather than each individual duty it involves.Aim to give a short succinct answer as a starting point, which includes the job title and your primary outcome. Remember, you can always elaborate if you feel the interviewer wants more.Right answer: “As an Airline Pilot, my job involves flying passengers safely, on time, in comfort, and at a profit to the employer”Wrong answer: “Why don’t you describe it for me? You’d probably be better at it.”Why do you want to work at this company?In other words, are you a genuine fan of the company, or have you just re-read their ‘About Us’ page 17 times directly before the interview?To impress your prospective employer, always aim to demonstrate that you have a real interest in their business. So do your homework, and make sure it’s relevant. Recent news stories, press releases, and expansion plans on their site , are all relevant areas for research.And don’t just limit yourself to traditional methods. Following their social media accounts a few weeks before the interview, for example, is a great way keep you up-to-date with some of their recent successes and developments and provide you with ready-made examples as reasons for wanting to join.It’s all about shifting focus. Translation? It’s about what you can do for the company, not what the company can do for you.Focus on letting the interviewer know why they have such a great company, and how your contribution could add to their success, and you’re on the right lines.Right answer: ‘Aside from your company’s reputation as an industry-leader in your field, the thing that excites me most about working here is your expansion plans over the next two years. I’d love to work for such an ambitious business, and think that my [quantifiable expertise] would be a beneficial addition to help the businessesWrong answer: “Two words: Em ployee. Discount.”What is your dream job?So you always dreamed of being an astronaut when you were younger? That’s cool.Unfortunately, your interviewer probably won’t be interested in any slightly unrealistic dreams that have no relation to the job you’re interviewing for.Instead, bring it back to reality by opting for a real-world job, which results in a dream-like outcome. Explaining what you’d do and what the perfect impact you’d have in an ideal world, with reference to your personal aspirations or the job title itself, will be most likely to win interviewers over.Just try not to take the question too seriously, and stay away from cliché answers. No-one is expecting you to dream about the exact job you’re applying for.Right answer:  â€œMy dream job would be one where I communicate with customers, use my expertise to solve their problems and make everyone who meets me go home happy.”Wrong answer: “I’ve always wanted to own my own boat and just sail around th e ocean for a while. I know it’s not technically a job, but I could fish for my food so I’d be a… Professional travelling fisherman?”What motivates you?Translation: are you here because you’re passionate about the position, or are you just in it for the paycheque?The best way to nail this question is to simply explain what kind of jobs and tasks you’re enthusiastic about (which will be the ones you excel at), and link back to how the opening you’re interviewing for relates to these. You should have a solid idea about what you want out of your next career move, so make this clear to the interviewer.Trivial motivations like more convenient hours or dislike for your current job aren’t likely to wow the interviewer, so keep those to yourself.Remember: aim to appear motivated, but don’t overdo it. Nobody likes a desperate fanboy/girl getting unnecessarily excited over every detail â€" and you won’t be fooling anyone.Right answer: “I went straight into IT after Unive rsity, and  my true motivation was realised when I got to work on a project that assessed software tools against our own needs. I found that I really loved translating people’s requirements into technical solutions. I felt I was helping to make people’s lives easier, and at the same time I got a sense of fulfilment from working out the answer to a puzzle. That’s what interests me about this role…”Wrong answer: “This job pays the most out of all of the ones I applied to. Which company is this again?”Why do you want to leave your current job?There are many reasons why you might be leaving your current job, and chances are the reasoning won’t be massively positive. The most important thing to remember here is to be honest, and genuinely feel that you have nothing to hide.As much as it may seem the opposite when you’re put under the spotlight, an interview isn’t just about you, but also about solving someone else’s problems â€" like filling an employer’s job vaca ncy.Your answer should be linked to the job you’re interviewing for and what would be expected of you. Always show you’re running towards something, not running away. The research you’ve done previously can be put to good use when you’re answering this question, as the pros of the new company can be used as a positive comparison of your current job.That way, no one is being bad-mouthed, and the reason for leaving is simply to seek improvement and move onto something more suitable for you.Right answer: “You’re doing a lot of biotechnology investments here. I think biotechnology is the future, and I find it fun too. I do like what I’m doing now; but it’s not quite biotechnology, although it’s closely related. On a personal note, I’ve always thought it best to change roles before reaching a plateau.  I’ve decided now feels like the right time for a move.”Wrong answer: “I probably shouldn’t talk about it. But basically, my boss had it in for me from the begin ning…”Not sure any of these questions will come up? Don’t panic. We’ve got plenty more…Buy James Reeds new book: Why You? 101 Interview Questions Youll Never Fear Again and start loving Mondays now. How to: Answer common interview questions Difficult interview questions and answers Five interview questions you should stop being scared ofFind a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Features Interview Techniques Job interview tips Preparing for an interview

Signs That You Are Valued at Work

Signs That You Are Valued at Work When working at an office job, it can often be quiet hard to know if what you are doing is valued and contributing to the overall success of the company. You will very rarely receive any form of direct and honest evaluation, be it criticism or praise, and the work you do can often seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things. In the long run, this can cause you to lose motivation and your overall interest in your work and the worst part is that more often than not your hard work is being appreciated, but you just don’t know it. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few signs that you are being valued at work. You have a good relationship with your boss One of the biggest signs you are being valued at work is the way your boss treats you. He may never tell you directly that he appreciates the work you put in, but there are, nonetheless, a few signs you can look out for. You may start to notice that he always carefully listens to your suggestions and ideas and will generally welcome any input you may have. On top of this, he may give you assignments that require you to take on more responsibility and that will bring more value to the company. Things like heading a new project or mentoring new employees. Its important to remember that even if you feel like you are being punished or overburdened, this will most likely be a good sign that your boss values and respects you, so just push through it. You are good with customers A key quality of any successful business is the way in which it treats its customers. So, naturally, if you are an employee who always tries to do everything within their power to make sure customers are as satisfied as possible with the way they are being treated, you will almost certainly be valued. Fortunately, in todays world, finding out if the customers you interact with are satisfied is very easy. There are many websites and applications that can allow you to see the feedback you are receiving from things such as a customer review. Looking into the reviews you are receiving isn’t only a great way to know whether you are valued or not but also one of the most effective ways to grow as it will give you specific information about what areas of your work may need improvement. Another great source of feedback is social media, just remember not to take negative feedback too personally, but instead, try to take it as a suggestion rather than an insult. You get along great with your colleagues The value you bring to the company isnt measured only by your performance. At the end of the day, a company is made up of every employee that works there, and so the way in which your coworkers treat you is another big sign of whether or not you are being valued. For example, if they are respectful and talkative with you, this most likely won’t only mean that you are a fun person to be around, but that they see you are doing a good job and want to be in your company. They may also regularly ask you for job-related advice, which shows that they think it’s useful and worth taking into account. In order to show them that you appreciate the fact that they asked you for advice, you should always look to thank them and tell them that you will be there if they need anything else. This will further increase the value you bring to the company as you will present yourself as a person who is always there to help others out. Conclusion No matter what job you do, the best way to grow and find meaning in what you do is by seeing that others value and appreciate the effort you put in. Looking for the signs that you are being valued will give you motivation, either by showing you that you are on the right path or by giving you a sign that you need to do better.

A Different Kind of Holiday Gift Guide

A Different Kind of Holiday Gift Guide 10 days until Christmas!   Still wondering what to get your co-workers, friends and family?   Why not give a present that makes a difference.   Do you hear this question a lotWhat do you want for Christmas?   If you are stumped, check these great  gift ideas. Create a causes holiday wish for your favorite charity and let your friends and family know that this year instead of gifts, you want them to donate to  the charity.   My husband just raised $500 for his birthday  to provide  shoes for children in poverty.   To date there are 206,041 wishes created and $8,553,196 raised.   What difference could you make? Want to teach your children about giving?   Buy a goat for $50 as a source of milk, fertilizer, and food for families.   Buy soap for $12 that  will stop the spread of disease or keep a child healthy.   Oxfam Unwrapped  is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice.   I love how you can pick exactly what you want to give and there are so many options! Too late to send out Christmas cards?   Donate the cost of cards and postage to a charity and  then send  an email with an e-card and a link to  the organization instead.   Here are winter holiday ecards from Make-A-Wish Foundation, Charity Choice  or the World Wildlife Fund. Never  underestimate the difference that you, your family and your co-workers  can make this Holiday Season.

Personal Branding on Twitter with Twylah - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding on Twitter with Twylah - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career What do you tweet about most? Are your tweets engaging your followers? Is anyone even listening to you? There’s a new tool available for you to help answer these questions and more. Twylah â€" which is currently in beta â€" “allows you to extract maximum value from your tweets. By using proven branding and marketing strategies, Twylah creates an optimized experience out of your tweets, which highlights the value you provide and attracts new and more targeted followers.” What does this mean for your personal brand? Twylah organizes your tweets into topics you talk about most. Your tweets are categorized automatically based on keywords and frequency. From there, you can monitor and shape your Twitter brand accordingly in order to meet your goals. Gain new followers through search engines. The Twylah page is search engine optimized and keyword-rich, meaning folks searching for information on your niche can easily find you and follow you for more related content. For example, my Twylah page includes the following topics I tweet about most: Job advice Job search Resume How to Career Tips Student Interview Branding Questions Give your audience information on topics they’re interested in. Twylah states that “each time you tweet out through Twylah, your followers are directed to an optimized landing page, full of your relevant tweets on the same topic. On Twylah, your tweets are no longer obsolete in a matter of minutes; they will now be recaptured to provide more value to your audience.” How cool is that? To see more examples, check out the lists of celebrity brand pages, personal brand pages and company brand pages. If you’re interested in trying out this new tool, you’ll need to request an invite. What do you think of Twylah? Do you think you’ll use it for your personal brand? Author: Heather R. Huhman is a career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder president of Come Recommended, a  content marketing and digital PR consultancy for organizations with products that target job seekers and/or employers. She is also the author of Lies, Damned Lies Internships: The Truth About Getting from Classroom to Cubicle (2011), #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), and writes  career and recruiting advice for numerous outlets.

How to Write a Credit Analyst Resume

How to Write a Credit Analyst ResumeWhen it comes to hiring a new position within your organization, knowing how to write a credit analyst resume is extremely important. As a matter of fact, applying for such jobs could end up being an obstacle that would really hold you back from making it to the big time.Well, if you are a member of the finance or accounting team in an organization, then you would be qualified to consider yourself as a financial analyst. In this way, you are knowledgeable about accounting and your salary would depend on this. A good credit analyst resume is very essential when applying for such jobs and could possibly make a difference when getting to the interview stage.Usually, you will be looking at one of two jobs function when it comes to the job. You will either be handling accounts receivable or accounts payable functions. If this is the case, then the credit analyst resume you should be writing would be based on these two functions. Below are some of the di fferent steps you should take when you want to prepare a credit analyst resume:Make sure you outline your job in a general approach. Whether you are planning to apply for a job as a finance analyst or as a payroll clerk, the employment search resumes that you are going to write should not mention anything else. It would not make sense for you to add the job titles of any other departments within the company. Instead, you should have your financial analyst resume to discuss the primary responsibilities you have with respect to accounting, management, and other functions of the finance department.The next thing you should do is to incorporate the job title in a very particular manner. This means that the resume needs to discuss only the main duties and responsibilities you have with respect to the job. Do not change your career title to something that is not applicable to the job.After you have written the job title, make sure you write a short paragraph to discuss the main functions of the job. For example, if you are hired as a finance analyst, then you should include a paragraph to describe your role as a primary function of the finance department. This does not mean that you need to include all the details related to your job. Instead, just write what you can in a concise manner.Finally, you should write a shorter executive summary. By stating the name of the position and the title of the function, you can avoid explaining everything in detail. Besides, the summary should only highlight the most important details.As a matter of fact, a credit analyst resume can help you in improving your chances of getting hired as a finance analyst. Knowing how to write a credit analyst resume can help you get an interview for the position you are looking for.

Organize Your Online Job Search with Clipix

Organize Your Online Job Search with Clipix You know me, I am a sucker for shiny new things! So when I was notified about Clipix, I couldnt resist sharing this new technology with you. Keeping your files organized requires a system and the right tools. When all your files reside on your home pc, it makes it difficult to access them on the fly. Plus, if you are like me, I have a really hard time keeping everything organized. First things first, decide what the different categories will be. Here are some thoughts: Jobs applied for and associated materials (cover letter and resume LinkedIn contacts) Target companys careers pages Target company research Industry publications What is Clipix? Clipix is a free online tool that easily organizes the digital content in people’s lives. Clipix was created out of a need for a tool that would allow people to save and share links, documents, photos and video with one click, and provide a visual and organized environment for all of the things they want to keep track of online. Users can categorize items into different clipboards which can remain private or public. Clipix is available online and across iOS and Android devices. Clipix was founded in 2012 by Oded Berkowitz, a veteran Wall Street professional and web entrepreneur. The company is headquartered in Fort Lee, New Jersey. More information can be found at www.clipix.com The Clipix Advantage There are several advantages for job seekers: When you find a job online that you want to apply for, simply bookmark it to Clipix with the click of a button, to create a short-list of your favorite jobs in one location. You can then access these links through your Clipix account from your computer, iPhone or Android phone anytime, anywhere. Any job links you save to Clipix will remain private (unless you choose to share them). This is great if you’re searching for jobs and don’t want anyone else to find out. You can save job links into as many different folders (that represent different categories) as you like, calling them such things as “Full-time jobs”, “$60k + jobs”,  â€œNew York jobs” and so on… Almost ANY files can be clipped Along with any web link or video, you can “upload” files from your phone or computer such as PDF, jpeg, Word and Excel. This means you can store your resume, images and any other documents with any job links to ensure you can apply for a job anytime, anywhere. Security and Accessibility Your Clipix files live in a secure location online that are always password protected. This gives you the flexibility to access your Clipix folders anywhere, anytime. Share-ability Yes, unlike social media sites, non-users can view links/clips sent to them via email, Facebook and Twitter. Set Up It takes just seconds. Simply go to www.clipix.com, sign up, and then start using â€" every time you’re on a website and want to bookmark it, simply click the “clip” button that lives on your toolbar.  I am sure there are plenty of clever uses. Let me know what your thoughts are!

Employment Discrimination Know Your Rights Regarding Employment, Discrimination, and Actions You Can Take - CareerAlley

Employment Discrimination Know Your Rights Regarding Employment, Discrimination, and Actions You Can Take - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Do you know your rights as an employee? If not, you could unwittingly become the victim of discrimination at work or suffer from having your rights violated. These can have negative effects on the progress of your career and your source of income. LinkedIn Learning Price: LinkedIn Learning provides over 10,000 business, technology, and creative skills development courses designed for in-depth instruction and just-in-time microlearning Enhance Your Skills We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Heres an overview of employee rights and available legal actions if yours are violated. Employee Rights Federal and state laws comprehensively describe the rights to which employees are entitled. These include: The right to privacy regarding your personal belongings, including personal mail. Privacy rights become limited, however, in relation to email and internet use through your employers computer system. The right to a safe workplace free from dangerous conditions and potential safety hazards. You also have the right to receive training in the proper use of equipment and materials, as well as protection from threats or incidents of violence. The right to fair pay regardless of your age, gender, marital status, race, religion or national origin. Employees must be paid AT LEAST the minimum wage and when state and federal minimum wages differ, employees must receive the higher of the two. source Furthermore, you have the right to freedom from harassment and freedom from retaliation when you lodge a complaint or file a claim against your employer. Employees also have the right to freely choose whether or not to engage in collective activity, such as joining a union. You landed the job, youve worked hard, and youre living the dreamand then, seemingly out of the blue, you receive notice that your employment is being terminated. Whether youre given time to transition out of your job or youre immediately walked to the parking garage with a box of your belongings, losing a job ranks as one of lifes most stressful experiences. themuse.com Another basic right which employees have is freedom from discrimination. source Employment Discrimination This deals with the unfair or unfavorable treatment of an employee or job seeker based on their age, gender, marital status, race, religion or national origin. Other factors that often lead to unfair discrimination against employees include disabilities, genetic information, pregnancy, and parenthood. Not everyone is best mates with their boss, and there is nothing wrong with that. If you feel like you are being treated unfairly at your workplace, it might be time to tackle the issue before it hinders your career progression chances. Tweet This It is also possible for you to be discriminated against because of your relationship with another person. Harassment, in any form, is considered to be a type of discrimination, as well. Actions You Can Take If you feel your employee rights are being violated or that youre a victim of discrimination, there are several avenues to pursue to correct the situation or receive some kind of compensation. A usually effective first step is discussing it in a non-confrontational way with your manager. Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash If this fails to produce a favorable result, then you should consider making contact with the relevant government agencies within your state for their take on the matter. You can also file a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board or the U.S. Department of Labor. Another helpful option is speaking with an employment attorney to get professional advice on the best way to proceed. Understanding Employment Discrimination Law Price: $49.00 Buy Now from Amazon We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Last Updated: March 2, 2020 Whichever course of action you take, it is best if you have documented evidence of the violation, discrimination or harassment. Pay stubs can help you prove that you are not being paid a fair wage or being duly compensated for overtime. When harassment takes place, write down the date, time and any witnesses, as well as a description of what took place. Whether you are a wage earner, job applicant or retiree, its vital that you know your rights and the actions you can take to ensure you are fairly treated. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to launch your career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search