Developing
a Career Plan
Following are some simple rules for career development:
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Develop your career plan by thinking about what you want
to do and find out different kind of training, education,
and skills you will need to achieve your career goal.
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Assess your skills and interests. Think hard about what
you enjoy, what you are good at, what kind of personality
you are, and the values you hold.
- Find
out what kind of jobs may interest you, such as educational
requirements, salary, working conditions, future outlook,
and anything else may can help you narrow your focus.
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Compare your skills and interests with the occupations
you've selected. The career that matches your skills,
interests, and personality the closest may be career for
you.
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Choose your career goal- Once you've decided what occupation
matches up best with you, men you can begin developing
a plan to reach your career goal.
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Find out about financial aid to help support you in obtaining
your career goal. If you haven't already done so, begin
saving for courses which may help you achieve your career
goals.
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Learn about job hunting tips as you prepare to graduate
or move into job market Prepare your resume, and practice
job interviewing techniques.
Reason
for having a career goal?
A career goal helps you focus on what you want to do for
a living. A career goal can be a specific job you want
to do - such as doctor or teacher - or a career goal can
be a particular field you want to work in, such as medicine
or education.Rather man limiting your future, a career
goal may help you discover career possibilities that you
wouldn't have thought of otherwise. There are several
job possibilities with any chosen career. For instance,
if you choose a medical career, you may want to be a scientist,
a nurse or a doctor.
A career goal will also guide you into doing what you
want with your life — rather than just drifting into a
job. Generally, a career goal is based on your skills
and interests, career possibilities, and job trends. Once
you have chosen a career, think strategically about the
steps to accomplish your goal. Understanding and accomplishing
your career goal will be a lot easier if you also create
a career plan. A career plan determines your skills and
interests, what career best suits your talents, and what
skills and training you need for your chosen career.
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Top
10 Questions asked in Interviews
An interview is a platform for an employer to check out a prospective
employee and to gauge whether he or she will be able to fit
into the company's work-place. A few questions that you can
expect in your interview are:
Why do you want to work for us?
Explain why you see the company as an attractive employer. Avoid
mentioning financial remuneration-instead talk about things
like me company culture, (raining program, company structure
or me company's ethic. Obviously these need to be relevant and
well-researched before hand).
What do you know about our company?
For this, you obviously need to do your home-work in advance.
Research as much information as possible -'including" products,
history, size, financial status, reputation, image, management,
people, and philosophy. Remember- You need to be excited about
the company and project a positive image to the interviewer.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
This is a tricky one. The trick actually lies in projecting
your strengths and weaknesses in such a manner that it brings
out me best in you. Talk specifically about the positive things
you've achieved to illustrate your strengths rather than generalizing
and make them relevant to the role you are going for. Try to
show your weaknesses in a positive light and give examples of
where you have addressed and overcome your weaknesses
Why did you apply for this job?
While answering this one, focus on me actual content of me job,
referring to me possibility of learning, new
challenges, or me prospect of putting your previous experience
to work in a new role. Appear confident and provide
relevant examples to support your answer.
Why
are you leaving your current employer?
Never say anything negative about any employer, stress what
you are looking for, not what you are running away from. Give
group answers if possible. Emphasize on "our" rather
than "mine".
Why should we hire you?
Many companies ask (his question to gauge a candidate's strengths.
Prepare a list of your strengths beforehand and think about
how they relate to the job. Avoid being arrogant but at the
same time emphasises on your strengths with reference to the
job you are being interviewed for.
What motivates or drives you?
For some people this could be learning or work/life balance,
for others it could be money or professional acceleration. The
answer really tells the interviewer about what makes someone
tick. Not everyone wants to be a board director, and an interviewer
isn't necessarily going to see it as a weakness if you don't-
It's important to be honest. Your hobbies and interests can
tell an employer a lot about you, including whether you are
sociable or solitary, and whether you can take on leadership'
roles. So you should think about which interests will paint
the tight picture of you given the position you are discussing.
What would your ideal job be?
Again, remember where you are' Describe the job in terms of
the criteria they have used to describe their job. An ideal
job might include things like challenging work, a fair rate
of pay for the job, nice colleagues, good career prospects,
good team atmosphere, opportunity to learn new skills, apply
old skills, etc.
Interview -the crucial first 5 minutes
First impressions count And that's a fact. More so, if you are
facing a job interview- Studies reveal that the first 5 minutes
are crucial for any interview. And it is in these 5 minutes
make the decision of hiring or not hiring you is made by the
interviewer.
You can't change the way you look. However, you can ensure that
you project a dean and well groomed appearance. Dress comfortably,Shoes
should be polished, pants/skirts and shirts pressed.
Make eye contact when you speak. Stand straight, move confidently
and sit slightly forward in your chair. Body language is important
and people notice it more than you think Shake hands firmly-
A firm handshake projects confidence and leaves a lasting impression.
DOs and Donts for Resume Writing :
Because of the masses of job searchers, most managers and human
resource employees receive an enormous number of resumes. Faced
with a pile of paper to wade through every morning, employers
look for any deficiency possible to reduce the applicant pool
to a manageable number- Thus, your resume must present your
information quickly, clearly, and in a way that makes your experience
relevant to the position in question. That means condensing
your information down to its most powerful form. Long, dense
paragraphs make information hard to find and require too much
effort from the overworked reader. If that reader can't figure
out how your experience applies to me available position, your
resume is not doing its job.
Do write industry keywords in your CV.
With the majority of large- and medium-size companies using
technology to store resumes, the only hope a job seeker has
of being found in an applicant search is the inclusion of relevant
industry keywords. These do not have to be a separate section;
rather, they can be sprinkled throughout the resume. A good
way to determine keywords is to read job descriptions for positions
that interest you. If you see industry buzzwords, incorporate
them into your resume.
Keep references ready but supply them only if asked
for .
Referees (people in responsible positions who refer you for
the job) are key to getting a good job. Do keep at least two
good referees lined up but do not list them unless you are asked
for them.
Spelling mistakes-Read your resume at least
three times for spelling mistakes or printing errors. Nothing
turns off an employer more than a carelessly drawn-up CV
Follow-up on your resume
Make a phone call to the company to follow-up, if you have sent
your resume by post. Or else give your email id.
Foolish mistakes that Job seekers Do.
1. Arriving Late Walking in for me interview even ten minutes
after me interview is scheduled for, sends a negative first
impression to potential employers. Get detailed directions to
me interview site and calculate how long it will take you to
get mere, so mat you can arrive 10 minutes early.
2. Inappropriate Appearance Improper clothe? and grooming can
jeopardize an interview. Casual clothes are definitely out Your
objective should be to dress smartly and not overly. Remember,
nails should be cut, hair well groomed and shoes polished. These
may seem like little things but they count for a tot in any
interview.
3. Poor Communication Skills A candidate who has bad grammar,
talks too much, or does not listen is a red flag. Being too
open during the interview is a killer too. You should be candid,
but don't pile the interviewer with all of your personal problems.
Think before you speak!?
4. Poor Performance or Preparation Yes, there are job seekers
who don't prepare or even know what job they arc interviewing
for. Lack of eye contact, extreme gestures or movements, and
other physical ticks can really turn off employers.
5 . Negative Attitude Display Hiring managers are turned off
by imenthusiastic, bored or arrogant behavior. Using profanity,
acting cocky, 01 putting down a previous boss will quickly turn
off an interviewer.
6. Lying in the Resume or During Interview Do you have to be
told that dishonesty is a no-no? For example, do not falsely
claim to have earned degrees or certificates and do not cover
up a possible criminal record. Also, just in case you weren't
sure, stealing from a prospective employer is also frowned upon
in an interview.
7. Failing to Confirm Interest After the employer has finished
explaining the details of the organization and the job description,
it is your responsibility to reaffirm your interest and ask
what the next step is.
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