CAREER BUILDING

There are hundreds of career options out there. How do you make a career choice when you don't really know what you want to do? Does it seem like an insurmountable task? It's not. Yes, you will have to put some time and energy into making your decision, but your effort will be well worth it in the end. Follow these steps to making a good career choice.

Before you can make a career choice you have to learn about yourself. Your values, interests, and skills, in combination with certain personality traits, will make some careers especially suitable for you and some particulary inapproprate. You can use self assessment tools, often called career tests, to gather this information and, subsequently, to generate a list of occupations that are deemed appropriate. Some people choose to have career counselors or other career development professionals administer these tests but many opt to use free career tests that are available on the Web.

Make a List of Occupations to Explore

Look over the lists of occupations generated through your use of the self assessment tools. They are probably rather lengthy. You want to come up with a much shorter list, consisting of between five and ten occupations. Circle occupations that appear on multiple lists. Circle occupations you may have considered previously and that you find appealing. Write these occupations down on a separate list titled "Occupations to Explore."

UNEMPLOYMENT

The job interview gives the potential employee and potential employer a chance to learn more about each other. You'll find articles, sample questions, interactive practice tools, the facts on illegal questions, and fashion tips to help you succeed.

A job interview is your chance to show an employer what kind of employee he or she will get if you're hired. That is why it is essential to be well prepared for the job interview. Preparing means knowing about the industry, the employer, and yourself. It means paying attention to details like personal appearance, punctuality, and demeanor.

Knowledge is always your best weapon and so you should arm yourself with plenty of it. That starts with the very basic bit of knowledge regarding job interviews. Before you research the industry and the company and even before you practice answering the questions you might be asked, you should have some general information about job interviews. Let's start by going over the different types of interviews you might face.

Types of Job Interviews

The Screening Interview

Your first interview with a particular employer will often be the screening interview. This is usually an interview with someone in human resources. It may take place in person or on the telephone. He or she will have a copy of your resume in hand and will try to verify the information on it. The human resources representative will want to find out if you meet the minimum qualifications for the job and, if you do, you will be passed on to the next step.

The Selection Interview

The selection interview is the step in the process which makes people the most anxious. The employer knows you are qualified to do the job. While you may have the skills to perform the tasks that are required by the job in question, the employer needs to know if you have the personality necessary to "fit in." Someone who can't interact well with management and co-workers may disrupt the functioning of an entire department. This ultimately can affect the company's bottom line. Many experts feel that this can be determined within the first several minutes of the interview. However, more than one person being interviewed for a single opening may appear to fit in. Often, job candidates are invited back for several interviews with different people before a final decision is made.

The Group Interview

In the group interview, several job candidates are questioned at once. Since any group naturally stratifies into leaders and followers, the interviewer can easily find out into which category each candidate falls. In addition to determining whether you are a leader or a follower, the interviewer can also learn whether you are a "team player." You should do nothing other than act naturally. Acting like a leader if you are not one may get you a job that is inappropriate for you.

The Panel Interview

In a panel interview, the candidate is interviewed by several people at once. Although it can be quite intimidating, you should try to remain calm. Try to establish rapport with each member of the panel. Make eye contact with each one as you answer his or her question.

The Stress Interview

The stress interview is not a very nice way to be introduced to the company that may end up being your future employer. It is, however, a technique employers sometimes use to weed out candidates who cannot handle adversity. The interviewer may try to artificially introduce stress into the interview by asking questions so quickly that the candidate doesn't have time to answer each one. Another interviewer trying to introduce stress may respond to a candidate's answers with silence. The interviewer may also ask weird questions, not to determine what the job candidate answers, but how he or she answers.

According to Interviewing by The National Business Employment Weekly (John Wiley and Sons, 1994), the job candidate should first "recognize that you're in the situation. Once you realize what's happening, it's much easier to stay calm because you can mentally re-frame the situation. Then you have two choices: Play along or refuse to be treated so poorly." If you do play along, the book recommends later finding out if the reason for conducting a stress interview is legitimate. That will determine if this is a company for whom you want to work.

Research the Employer Before a Job Interview

Before you begin to think about how you will dress for the interview, or answer questions, you should do your homework. Gather as much information about the employer as you can. Not only will you appear informed and intelligent, it will also help you make a decision if the employer eventually makes a job offer. Gathering employer information is not always an easy task, especially if the employer is a small private company, but the Internet has made it much easier than it was previously. 

Learn About Yourself Before a Job Interview

In order to effectively answer questions on a job interview, you are going to have to know a lot about yourself and know how to present that information to an interviewer. To prepare for answering questions about yourself start by listing your attributes. Think about what you can bring to the employer. To help you come up with your list, talk to former co-workers with whom you worked closely. Ask them to list some traits about you that they most admired — work related, of course. 

Once you come up with a list of attributes, try to find some faults. You won't, obviously, spontaneously tell a prospective employer about these faults, but you may be asked to. One question that sometimes comes up in an interview is "What is something that has been a problem for you at work?" By studying your faults, you will be able to choose one that is somewhat innocuous or could be turned around into a positive. 

Practice, Practice, And Then Practice Some More

You want to seem somewhat spontaneous when answering questions on a job interview, but that doesn't mean being unprepared. If you have to take a very long pause before answering a question, you won't sound as confident as you should. Before you go out on interviews rehearse, not exactly what you will say, but how you will say it. Many people find it helpful to practice answering questions in front of a video camera. Study your posture, the way you make eye contact, and your body language. If you don't have a video camera, a mirror will do. Have a friend do mock job interviews with you. The more you repeat a scenario, the more comfortable you will begin to feel with it.

Dressing For a Job Interview

Appearance counts whether we like it or not. It's the first thing people notice about us. That is why how you dress for a job interview is so important. You don't want your appearance to take away from your performance or from what you can bring to the job. 

Dress appropriately for your line of work. If those working in your field wear suits, then that is what you should wear to a job interview. Even if the typical work attire is slightly less casual than that, you should still wear a suit for the interview. However, if very casual dress, for example jeans, is the norm, wearing a suit will make you seem out of place. Still, you should get a little more dressed up and wear something nicer than what you would wear for a day at work. Still unsure about what to wear? Stake out the employer's front entrance a few days before your interview to see what people are wearing to work. 

Good grooming is essential. Your hair should be neat and stylish. Your nails should be well manicured and clean. Men's nails should be short. Women's nails should be of a reasonable length and polished in a neutral color. Women shouldn't be heavily made up. Avoid perfume or cologne since people find certain scents offensive. 

Establish Rapport on a Job Interview

Your resume tells a prospective employer about the skills you will bring to his or her company. You obviously have those skills or you wouldn't be going on the job interview. Now the interviewer must make sure you are a good fit for the job. Will your personality mesh well with his or her other employers? Will he or she like working with you? You obviously want the interviewer to relate well to you. You must establish rapport with him or her (or they, if it is a panel interview). Doing that begins the instant you walk in the door. Let the interviewer set the tone. For example, wait for him or her to extend his hand for a handshake, but be ready to offer your hand immediately. Some experts suggest talking at the same rate and tone as the interviewer. For example, if the interviewer is speaking softly, so should you. 

Body Language

Body language gives more away about you than what you say. Making eye contact is very important but make sure it looks natural. A smiling, relaxed face is very inviting. Hands resting casually in your lap rather than arms folded across your chest also is more inviting. If you normally move your hands around a lot when you speak, tone it down some. You don't want to look too stiff, but you don't want to look like you're a bundle of nervous energy. 

Answering Interview Questions

When answering questions, speak slowly and clearly. Pause slightly before you answer a question. Your answers will seem less rehearsed and it will give you a chance to collect your thoughts. Keep in mind that a very brief pause may seem like an eternity to you. It's not. 

Prepare answers to some basic questions. Use the list of attributes you put together earlier. There are several books on the market that list questions and sample answers. 

Asking Questions

When he or she is finishing questioning you, the interviewer will probably ask if you have any questions. You should have some ready. As in every other aspect of the job search, you want to demonstrate how you can fill the employer's needs. Ask about a typical day on the job or special projects you would be involved in. Also ask questions that will help you learn more about the employer and will let the interviewer know you are interested in working there. Use what you learned about the company through your research as a stepping off point. Don't ask about salary, benefits, or vacations, as those all imply "what will you, the employer, do for me?"

Illegal Questions 

You've probably heard references to illegal interview questions. It's important to remember that the questions themselves aren't illegal, but using a job candidate's answers to make a hiring decision could be. For example, if an interviewer asks what your nationality is and then doesn't hire you because of your answer, the employer could be violating Section VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Employers shouldn't ask these types of questions, but it is up to you whether to answer them. Often, interviewers are not aware of the legal issues involved. Simply say that the answer to the question is unrelated to your ability to do the job. 

Money Questions 

The interviewer may ask you what your desired salary is, so prepare to answer this question. Find out what typical salaries are in your field. Always give a range, not an exact number. This will help keep you from pricing yourself out of a job. You don't want the employer to think they can't afford you, but you also don't want them to think you are a cheap commodity either. 
After the Job Interview
Post-Interview Followup 

Within 24 hours of going on a job interview, send a thank you note to follow up. This is your chance to reiterate something you mentioned on the interview or bring up something you forgot to mention. It is also a nice gesture and a simple matter of politeness. 

Send a note to each person who took part in your interview. If you don't remember the name of each person, call the receptionist for some help. Type your note and keep it brief. Sending your note by email is fine as long as you've communicated with the employer that way before. Sending a thank you note sets you apart from everyone else who forgot to or chose not to do this. 

Waiting to hear back from an employer after a job interview can be torturous. Generally, wait a week after your interview before you call. However, if the employer told you when you could expect to hear something, don't call until after that date.