Weekend Reading #7

Image by margolove via Flickr

Keep up to date with your reading this weekend. Make sure that you are always absorbing new information!

• 12 Low-Stress Jobs, Really? - Jobacle.com BLOG - Career Advice Blog & How to Quit Your Job
• Job Interview Thank You Letter – Make Employers Remember You | EmploymentDigest.net
• 9 Steps to Getting Hired in Today’s Digital World | Career Rocketeer
• 5 Job Skills in Demand in 2011 | CAREEREALISM.com
• Bad Career Advice: Do Something You Love | CAREEREALISM.com
• Six Resume Tips That Make Sense | Career Rocketeer
• Paid to Do Anything, What Would You Do? | CAREEREALISM.com

Weekend Questions: What Do I Say In An Interview If They Ask...

I want to answer some questions that I hear frequently about interviews.  Interviews can be really tough if you have no idea what is coming or if you  have not spent some time thinking about how to answer a certain question.  And sometimes you just can't come up with a good answer on your own.  I get asked all the time, "How do I answer this kind of question..." so I'd like to address one of those for you today.


Question: "Why did you leave/Why are you leaving your last employer?"

Yes, this is a tough one!  Interviewers ask this question because they want to know if you are going to stick around if they hire your or if you're going to be on your merry way again in 6 months!

Possible answer #1: "I didn't like my boss/the people I work with."

This is one of the least desirable answers you can give.  It's telling the interviewer that you are not really a team player, that you'd rather leave than work things out, and that you  may not play well with others.  Don't use this response.

Possible answer #2: "I wasn't being paid enough."

Another answer to avoid.  If the interviewer thinks you are all about the money they will not likely hire you because they will assume that you are going to be asking for raises all the time.  It is best to leave money out of the equation until they are offering you a job or until you are directly asked about it.

Possible answer #3: "I'm looking for new challenges."

This is your best option.  You could tell them about new skills you have developed that you were not able to use at your current/last job or you can tell them that you had reached a limit of how far you could move forward.  Focus on the skills that you have and how you would like opportunities to use them in a future job.

Weekend Reading #6

How is everyone's weekend going?  I hope you've been able to spend some time relaxing.  Don't forget that weekends are a great time to catch up with some reading, too.

Here's some great blogs to get you started:

• 15 Funniest Job Search Super Bowl Ads | JobMob
• HOW TO: Use Career Branding to Bring Jobs to You | Career Rocketeer
• How To Make a Cool Facebook Resume in 5 Easy Steps | JobMob
• Career Hub: The Likeability Factor: 5 Traits of Likeable People
• Gen Y and Job Satisfaction « Experience Blog
• Have a great idea? How to tell your boss : The Work Buzz
• Targeted Job Search | EmploymentDigest.net
• Selling Yourself in the Job Interview | Career Rocketeer
• How to Distinguish Yourself in the Job Market | CAREEREALISM.com

A Career in Travel is for You if You Want to Go Places!

Do you love to travel?  Do you love working with people?  Are you passionate about helping people realize their vacation dreams?  Then a career in travel may be perfect for you.  Crystal, a recent graduate of a Travel Counselor program, said, “My favorite part about being a travel counselor is that I am constantly given the opportunity to learn and grow.  No two days are ever the same, I am always booking tickets for different destinations, providing me with the opportunity to learn about different places.”

A Travel Counselor program is a great option for someone that does not want to spend years getting university degree but does want a career that is fun and rewarding.  The average Travel Counselor program at a business college I 10-12 months long, so you may find yourself starting your new job in a year or less.  In most business colleges you’ll also find that there are smaller classes, unlike the classes at universities.  Smaller classes can help you focus on your job aspirations and you’ll be more likely to get one on one help when you need it. 

What kind of skills do you need to become a travel counselor?  You should:

·          

• Have an interest in customer service and sales
•  Have a passion for travel
•  Become familiar with the places that clients are interested in
• Have computer skills 
• Have good written and verbal communications skills 
• Be comfortable on the Internet

If you’re interested in a career as a travel counselor do your research.  Find a business school with a good reputation that offers you a selection of options.  You can learn in a classroom environment or you can explore online learning schools.

Be an Admin That Is Up to Date

So, are you alert?  Are you getting alerted on industry topics to keep you on top of your game?  Do you have any clue what I’m talking about?  If not, keep reading.

I always encourage admins to be informed.  Know what is going on in the world in whatever field you work in.  Know what is going on with others that hold jobs similar to you.  Know what is going on in the news.  One of the easiest ways you can do this is with Google Alerts and they are very simple to set up. 

First, think of some terms that you might search for to find out what is going on in the world.  Perhaps you work at a market research company (or it could be anything else but I’ll use market research as an example) and you want to know about new innovations in market research.  So what do you type into the search bar?  How about “market research innovations”?  or “innovations in market research” or “market research technology”.  Just a couple examples for you there but think creatively and come up with your own.

Now, you should do a search. When you first type it into the search browser you’re just going to get a bunch of general results but you want good stuff, the newest information.  So, look at the top of your page and you’ll see several links up there, one of which is News.  Click on that link and you’ll get all the most recent relevant topics.  Now get your alerts set up…

Scroll to the bottom of the page and you’ll see links like those on the right ->
The first one will set you up with news alerts or you can change it to blogs, videos, etc. or even comprehensive.  Choose between “as it happens”, “daily” or “weekly” – whichever works best for you.  I prefer weekly because I don’t usually have the time to read them all daily but on a weekly basis, I can handle that.

If you keep up to date with industry topics you’ll always be able to hold your end of the conversation.  After all, you are more than just a secretary – you are the hub of your office!  So, being informed is to your best advantage.