5 Ways to Ace an Interview with a Bare-Bones Resume

5 Ways to Ace an Interview with a Bare-Bones Resume Sponsored article by  Criteria Corp.    JobFlare. Not everyone has the luxury of a long resume to power them through the interview process. New college graduates or people switching fields may find themselves at a loss when they think about just how they’ll compete against industry veterans. The good news is that many industries, particularly the fast-moving tech sector, are no longer just looking at length or depth of resumes to select people. HR managers have discovered that various sets of soft skills are key indicators of a person’s potential, and when you’re looking at hiring for long-term growth, potential can mean much more than bullet points on a resume. Thus, the big question remains: how do you demonstrate your potential in an interview? Experience is easy to convey; you simply list items and cite examples. But potential is much less tangible, and many people might feel lost trying to quantify such a thing. Fortunately, research in cognitive abilities have identified key traits and qualities that many HR staffers have been trained to spot. These include: 1. Active listening Regardless of technical skill or industry, effective communication is a major part of getting the job done, and active listening is the foundation of strong communication. Active listening is, by definition, simple: the clear demonstration that the listener is paying attention and picking up all significant details in a conversation. For new hires, this is particularly important, as they will be taking direction and learning lessons from many different sources. As a person moves up a career path, this becomes vital in a different way: as someone assumes a leadership role, they will need to be able to take input from people above and below to make educated, informed decisions. Gathering all of these viewpoints is only possible with active listening. Interview Tip: Face the speaker, use body language to show understanding, ask appropriate questions, and never interrupt with unsolicited opinions. 2. Learning ability In your first year on the job, you’ll be learning a lot of things, from day-to-day processes to project schedules to people’s personalities and quirks. The ability to absorb that information quickly and accurately is critical in any position. Outside of the first year on the job, it also lends itself to an upwardly mobile career path, as those who learn quickly are more versatile and can apply themselves to a larger variety of situations. Chances are, if you’ve made it to the interview stage despite a thin resume, that means that the hiring managers believe in your learning ability. Thus, your goal should be to reinforce this belief as much as possible during the interview. Interview Tip: Weave in anecdotes of when you had to pick up new skills or abilities quickly, both professionally and personally. 3. Problem solving Problem solving is one of the cornerstones of strong cognitive ability due to its combination of other traits: it requires logical thinking, active listening, teamwork, and strong situational awareness. On the job, an employee with sharp problem-solving abilities is able to work independently and can handle challenging situations. Strong problem solvers are gold for hiring managers because they allow for flexibility across departments while bringing senior-level potential. Interview Tip: Prepare stories of severe challenges you’ve faced professionally and personally, along with clear paths to resolution and results. 4. Creativity Most people associate the arts with the word “creativity,” but being creative is an asset in any field. Creativity simply means thinking outside of the box and innovating in new and different ways. That type of mental flexibility is highly prized among hiring managers because it means that youre adaptable in extreme or unfamiliar circumstances. Not only does this generate previously unheard-of solutions, it allows companies to think of the bigger picture. By tapping into creativity on both process and product, companies can become industry leaders that push new ideas forward and in many cases, hiring managers specifically seek to recruit creative people  by bringing in “new blood” who can provide a different perspective. Interview Tip: Research the companys past and future projects and generate unique solutions to processes and known criticisms. 5. What not  to do The above four tips are excellent ways to demonstrate your value even when your overall experience is light. However, one overarching tip applies to all of those: use common sense. Dont try too hard to force a narrative into the discussion, dont use subversively insulting comments when talking about the company or product even when youre showing a potentially creative solution to an issue and absolutely always be polite. Whether you come in with a long resume or a strong set of soft skills or both, these assets can quickly be subverted by coming off as arrogant or unlikable and that is a trap you can fall into if you try too hard to demonstrate your cognitive abilities or best traits. Instead, practice with friends and colleagues ahead of time and work on being natural in a high-stress environment. Not only will this help you feel more comfortable in the interview, it will also translate into how hiring managers perceive your personality. In short, its a win-win that cant be quantified on paper. Josh Millet  is the CEO Founder of  Criteria Corp., a pre-employment testing company founded in 2006 that creates software for employers to gather objective data on job candidates with aptitude, personality, and skills tests. He is also the Founder of  JobFlare, a mobile app that helps job seekers get discovered based on their abilities rather than their resume.  

Anticipation and Dread

Anticipation and Dread In surveys, people say that Friday is their favorite day of the week. It ranks above Sunday, even though Friday is a work day and Sunday isn’t. Why is that? Anticipation. Friday brings the promise of the weekend, while Sunday represents the end of the fun filled weekend and the start of the work week. In fact, there’s a term for it: the Sunday Evening Blues. Anticipation is one of life’s pleasures; we humans love having something to look forward to so much that we actually put off pleasure on purpose so we can enjoy the fact that something pleasant is coming. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld did an entire bit about being next in line at the bank. (He enjoyed it so much that he let several people in line behind him go first; being next was better than being actually served.) The opposite of anticipation is dread. We dread events in the future that we think will cause pain or distress. The more vivid your ability to imagine the pain or distress, the more dread you’ll experience. Some people (you know who you are) have perfected the ability to envision a bleak future. Optimists tend to believe that bad things are less likely to happen (to them, anyway.) When they are likely to happen, optimists believe that events will be less bad than anticipated. It comes as no surprise to learn that optimists and pessimists prepare for the future in very different ways. Take the fear of a layoff, for example. Optimists will often underestimate their likelihood of being laid off. They may see the warning signs and read the same industry news as everyone else, but they interpret the data in a more positive way. While this will keep their stress level manageable, they may also not be  prepared if they do lose their jobs. They may not have updated resumes or applied for positions in other divisions. On the other hand, they tend to be upbeat about their prospects for new employment. Pessimists will prepare for a layoff, even when there’s no evidence that their job is in danger. Pessimists prepare for the worst, but they also dread events longer and more intensely. The  low level stress over long periods can take a toll on their health and even make them less productive at work. If their performance or attitude declines, their fear about being laid off may become a self-fulfilling prophesy. Every day, we must decide how to manage risk without becoming debilitated by worry and dread. Here are some thoughts on preparing for the worst while hoping for the best. First, try to look for good news when you can. A recent study suggests that media viewers worldwide turn to particular broadcasters to affirm â€" rather than inform â€" their opinions. The study mostly applied to political opinions, but I believe in viewer bias. If you expect bad news, it’s easy to find. If you expect good news, you can find it too â€" these days, you just have to work a little harder. Maybe, just maybe, the reverse is also true: that if you watch enough good news, you’ll start to feel better and expect even more good news. The same goes for office gossips. Avoid them and stick to your own work. Their opinions may or may not be informed, so don’t let them bring you down. Step up your networking. Connect to people in other departments if you’re working; use your free time to reconnect with people you haven’t seen in a while. Your network will be your most important resource for finding your next job if you need one; don’t wait until you’re laid off to reach out. Lastly, go on a spending diet. You can do any harm by bringing your expenses down and saving more. Financial experts recommend that you have about six months’ worth of savings in the bank in case you lose your job, and you can start on that today. Remember that there’s room for both optimists and pessimists in the world. Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute. (courtesy: Gil Stern)

5+ Best Travel Agent Interview Questions Answers - Algrim.co

5+ Best Travel Agent Interview Questions Answers - Algrim.co We’ve compiled the absolute best travel agent interview questions and answers for your upcoming job interview. Travel agents, to most peoples surprise, still exist. While websites like Kayak and Hotels.com have made travel agents feel like a thing of the past. Many people still prefer to work with travel agents when booking an all-inclusive retreat, which may include the activity’s they attend and more. Travel Agent Interview Questions & Answers 1. How would you help someone figure out where they want to spend the holiday? It’s important to break down what they want to experience and why. For example, is it a honeymoon? If so do they want to go somewhere warm? Are they looking to be around a lot of people or no people at all? We have to start with these investigative questions to get a better idea of where they might like to go. Even questions like, how long do they want to spend traveling to get there. 2. What is an all inclusive resort? An all-inclusive resort is a destination which combines food and beverages into the total bill of the stay. This is helpful for many people who don’t want to be concerned with the billing for the trip. 3. What would you tell someone traveling to Mexico? They should be cautious of the water and that depending on their destination, they shouldn’t leave the resort. It could be dangerous and/or potentially hazardous to their health. 4. Would you tell someone about bugs in a destination? It is important that we are absolutely transparent about any and all information that we know about with regards to a destination. For example, the botfly is something we need to tell those traveling towards South America. 5. How can you provide the best customer experience? Putting together as many clear plans as possible is one way we can go above and beyond. Being as friendly as possible is another way we can provide great customer experiences. Generally speaking, taking care of all the work, is a great way to replace digital tools, as well. Related Hiring Resources Travel Agent Job Description Sample

How to Change Your Name on LinkedIn Why Youd Even Want To

How to Change Your Name on LinkedIn Why You’d Even Want To Your name and photograph provide the bedrock foundation of your personal brand online (LinkedIn, social media, etc.). Because of this, as your personal and professional lives evolve, you might find yourself rebranding with a new name. When that happens, you need to know how to change your name on LinkedIn.Why People Change Their NamesI got curious about the types of motivation people have for changing their names and found a load of answers via Google, including:anonymity, assimilation, avoiding debt collectors, divorce, avoiding embarrassment, financial gain, hiding from someone, joining the Witness Protection Program, liking a particular name, marriage, political statements, religious reasons, simplicity, spelling, transgender identity, un-assimilation, whim, and moreAs you can see, people have many compelling reasons to change their names and, in essence, rebrand themselves for the lives they want.How to Change Your Name on LinkedInThus, it makes sense to understand how to change your name on LinkedIn.You have four options. Three of them pertain to LinkedIn’s name fields. The fourth concerns how you choose to display your last name on LinkedIn.You can:Change either or both your first and last name using LinkedIn Help’s simple instructions.Further establish your brand by adding credentials to your last name.Add a maiden or former name.Abbreviate your last name to its initial (see below).Abbreviating Your Last Name on LinkedInLinkedIn lets you hide your last name from people who aren’t your connections. However, your full name is always visible to your connections.To do this:Click your mini “Me” photo on the top, horizontal rail of your profile.Click “Settings Privacy.”Scroll down to “Who can see your last name” and click.Choose your name and your last initial.That’s it, you’ve abbreviated your last name on LinkedIn to people other than your 1st-degree connections.Why People Hide Their Last Names on LinkedInI write for active and passive job seekers. Thus, it’s hard for me to understand why anyone would hide their last name on LinkedIn. To get more understanding, I reached out for help and got these reasons:Didn’t realize it was hidden (LinkedIn coach, Andy Foote).Protect privacy (resume writer, Annette Richmond).Avoid recruiters (legal recruiter, Wendy Schoen).Prevent discrimination (developer, Todd Lovett).Avoid connection requests (sales trainer, John Marrett).Avoid people who might be dangerous (coach, Lauchlan Mackinnon).Lack of confidence (LinkedIn trainer, Irving Frydman).When we look at why people change their names and why they hide their last names on LinkedIn, we see overlaps. For many reasons, some people want to be present, but don’t want to be seen by people they don’t know.Lisa Rangel, a resume writer observed, “Not everyone on LinkedIn is using it for exposure…Some people only connect with who they know well and use that philosophy very effectively.” And shes right.Does Hiding Your Las t Name on LinkedIn Work?However, that begs the question of whether or not hiding your last name helps you accomplish your goal.Brian Stewart, an executive recruiter, noted that people can often find your last name from your profile URL. Your original LinkedIn URL contains your name. If you havent changed it, LinkedIn will do so when you go private with your name. However, if you have moved to a custom URL that contains your last name youll need to update it because LinkedIn wont change it for you. Wendi Schoen also mentioned that any good recruiter can figure out who you are in seconds. That’s pretty much true.Beyond that, hiding your last name puts people off. Several people mentioned they wouldn’t connect with anyone who hides their last name. So, if you invite someone to connect, be sure to add a brief note that includes your last name and your reason for the invitation.Irving Frydman suggested getting comfortable with LinkedIn incrementally if the site makes you uneasy. Fir st, hide your public profile page from Google and other search engines and limit the visibility of your contact information. Then open up as you get more familiar and feel more comfortable with the platform.What’s in a Name?As you can see, when it comes to LinkedIn, names are complicated. The conversations described above, which mostly took place in a LinkedIn thread (thanks to everyone who participated there and on Facebook!), gave me a richer understanding of what names mean and accomplish on LinkedIn. Use the platform in a manner that helps you achieve your goals.If you’re a job seeker, that means establishing your personal brand, including your last name(s), unless you feel at risk by doing so.You Might Also LikeIts a good idea to capture a copy of your existing profile before you make changes. Learn how and why here:How to Create a PDF of Your LinkedIn Profile How to Add Honors Awards on LinkedIn â€" Photo Video StyleLet’s Connect on LinkedInPlease don’t hesitate toin vite me to connect on LinkedIn. The more I know about my readers, the more relevant I can make my blog.Image: Coloures-Pic 2019, Donna Svei. All rights reserved.Donna SveiDonna Svei, an executive resume writer and former C-level executive, retained search consultant, and CPA, writes all of AvidCareerists posts. She has written for and been quoted by leading business, general, and career media outlets, including Forbes, Mashable, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Lifehacker, Ask.com, Social Media Today, IT World, SmartBrief, Payscale, Business News Daily, and the Muse. Let her background and experience inform your job search strategy and decision making.Learn more about Donnas executive resume writing service or email Donna for more information. LinkedIn â€" Your Name (3 Posts)

10 Networking Ideas for Freelance Writers CareerMetis.com

10 Networking Ideas for Freelance Writers It can be difficult to network as a freelancer and having a good network is essential. Not only do you need this network when you finish current jobs, but you also need to be able to talk to your leads when you are going through a dry spell. Many freelancers don’t even know where to start with networking, so here are some things to do to build that network up!1) Online Group InteractionevalFor starters, freelancers should have a lot of interaction in online groups.evalThere are specific groups and online pages out there that are made specifically for freelancers. It’s a place where they can come together and possibly even draw the attention of clients. If you are active and show that you’re passionate about what you do, you’ll have a higher chance of finding a better network than a freelancer that only posts from time to time.Keep in mind, some of these groups are much better than others, and you might have to try out a few different ones before you find the one that’s the most beneficial to you and what you want to do with your career.2) Social Media InteractionAnother thing freelancers can do is make sure they have high social media interaction. Just like online groups, a freelancer’s social media accounts can make them be seen and offered more work. Not only do you want to be active on the more social based networks, like Facebook and Instagram, but you also want to be active on professional platforms, like LinkedIn.You want to make sure everything you post is going to portray you in a positive light, and you want to make sure you don’t post anything that could make you lose out on work. If need be, have a personal account that’s completely locked down and a professional account that makes it easy for potential clients to find you. Keep your personal business off the professional page, but don’t be afraid to showcase your professional life on your private page.3) Try an Online ClassIt seems like there’s an online class for everything thes e days, and networking as a freelancer is no different. Not only can these classes give you some pretty good tips, but many of them can also offer some great resources. Keep in mind, though; there are a few things to watch for. The first one is that you want to make sure the class you take is legitimate.You also want to make sure that you aren’t being charged a bunch of money for a course that doesn’t do what it says or doesn’t help you. A great way to find beneficial classes is to talk to other freelancers in the online groups. They should be able to point you in the right direction.4) Be a Guest BloggerBeing a guest blogger can also help generate leads. Doing this can help you get noticed. The great thing is that many of these bloggers already have a huge following and they often have big clients who frequently visit their sites. If their followers or clients appreciate your guest writing, they might reach out and offer to help you.evalThis is the main reason why you need to make sure you’re writing to the very best of your ability, regardless of where it’s posted, You never know who might be watching or who might be on the lookout for new talent to hire. Even if you don’t get contacted, you could be invited back to do another post, which could lead to you eventually being employed by someone else.eval5) Attend Industry EventsThe freelancing industry is similar to other industries when it comes to events and get-togethers. These are face to face events where most people in the business come together. This is a great place to make friends and get some leads. It’s also a place where you could potentially make connections with new clients or some of the big wigs of freelancing.If you’ve never been to these, try talking to some of the other people in your online groups, so you know exactly what to expect. Not only do you want to go along with the theme, but it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to take your information and some samples of your wor k.6) Be Friends with Other FreelancersDon’t always consider everyone competition! You should befriend other freelancers ,as they aren’t usually out to get you and you guys can share tips and help each other get more leads.evalOne thing to remember is that different freelancers are going to have different areas of expertise. If you meet some that write about the same things you do, they might be able to give you some fantastic leads or potential clients.On the other hand, meeting people who write about different things could open up many possibilities. This could be anything from introducing you to even more leads to getting you connected with new platforms where you might be able to find work. Regardless, you should make friends and not try always to be the best.7) Advertise Your ServicesIf you don’t advertise, people are going to have a much harder time trying to find you and hire you. You want to promote as much as you can, without coming off as pushy or desperate. For start ers, always make sure you have up to date business cards on you so you can hand them out if the situation arises.You could also print flyers and put them around places like coffee shops and just let people know about you and your services and give them a way to contact you. If they’re interested, they’ll take down your information and get in touch with you! Remember, always keep everything up to date and current.8) Help Charities with Free WorkOne thing to remember is that you don’t always have to be paid to offer your services. One of the biggest things you can do is provide your services to various charities. Not only will they appreciate it, but potential clients will see that you’re sympathetic and willing to help people out, even if you aren’t getting a check.They might see how well you did on the article and end up wanting to work with you. The charity itself might also have some connections available for you. Now keep in mind, just because you’re doing the work fo r free doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it your all, especially since the charity is trusting you and expecting good work9) Stay in Touch with Past ClientsYou also want to make sure you stay in touch with past clients. Not only is there the possibility that they might have more work for you, but staying in touch will also show that you considered them more than just someone giving you a check. While clients understand that they are hiring you to do a job for them, they don’t usually want to feel like that’s all they are.It’s nice to feel like more than just a paycheck. If at all possible, you always want to make sure you part ways on good terms and keep the lines of communications open. Don’t be afraid to reach out every so often either because if they have to do it, there’s a chance they’ll stop and possibly feel like it’s just a one-way relationship.10) Follow ALL LeadsFinally, you want to make sure you follow ALL leads. It doesn’t matter if it’s a big one or a small one. You never know, that small lead could result in you having constant work, while the big lead could end up being a dead end. It might take a little bit longer, but you should follow every lead to see where they go and see what happens. There are many freelancers out there that don’t follow every lead, and they end up missing out on things that could have helped their career in huge ways!evalNetworking can be a lot of work, but it’s going to pay off in the end. You need to be able to have leads and show potential clients what you’re about. If you don’t have a network, you might get lucky for a little while, but you’ll eventually run out of work. Keep building up your people network to have a better chance of having work when it’s available!

Exercise See the stuff you like - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Exercise See the stuff you like - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Walking down the street, its easy to fall into the habit of noticing all the things you dont like. The next time youre out shopping, driving your car or just walking around somewhere, try this simple exercise to break the habit Try noticing a lot of things you DO like. No matter where you are (almost) theres bound to be stuff around you that you like; a nice car driving past you, a song you like playing on the radio, a pretty detail on a building, a funny looking cloud anything. Try for 5 minutes to notice only the things you like. Appreciate them. If you see something you dont approve of, move your attention on to a new thing that you like. I did this for just 5 minutes today walking down to the local post office, and I found that it did two things for me. First, it lifted my mood. Not that I was unhappy or anything, but it did brighten the day. Second, it became easier to appreciate the things I liked. Up until the Id been subconsciously focusing on a lot of stuff that bugged med ugly buildings (I have a thing for architecture), annoying people, whatever. The longer I focused on the positive, the easier it became to notice and enjoy the positive in my surroundings. Try it for yourself, and let me know whether it works for you. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Writing an About Me Resume - Three Essential Steps

Writing an About Me Resume - Three Essential StepsWriting an about me resume is important to business people, so you must have a good idea about how it should be done and how it should be formatted. You will find that there are many steps involved in writing an about me resume.The first step is to provide useful information. This is going to be your main selling point, so make sure you give a lot of facts that have some relationship to what you want to say. It is important that you do not write in the voice of an employer, but rather the voice of a potential employee.When writing, you need to use your imagination a lot. Try to think about how you would feel if your resume was evaluated by someone that had never heard of you. Now imagine that you are a visitor that is coming to a real estate company or some other business. You have all the answers you need from these people and you are ready to move forward.For the most part, what is important in writing is a good amount of time. You can keep this as long as you like, just remember that the more informative your resume is, the better your chances of getting a job or promotion.One of the most important things you should keep in mind when writing an about me resume is that you should give an accurate portrayal of yourself. Do not hide anything in the details section. Include the salary, education, experience, professional affiliations, hobbies, and any other important information you feel would help them determine whether you are the right person for the job.A lot of people do not realize that the resume should be formatted in a body part. This is important because it helps to show off your personality and appearance. Since this is a cover letter, you should include a summary of the purpose you are looking to get. If they did not receive a description of the job, then it may look as if you are very generic.Also keep in mind that your job title should come before your name in every part of the resume. People need t o read your profile and your cover letter and see the resumes side by side. So, if you do not follow this rule, you could easily look as if you are trying to hide something.Remember that this is a marketing letter. They want to get a quick read of your profile, and if you do not have a lot of information included in your profile, they may not think much of you. So, start off with a little and work up to the whole package as soon as possible.