ANSWER: 'WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS?'

'WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS?'

What are you supposed to do -- tell them why they SHOULDN'T hire
you?

The "weakness" question is popular with interviewers not because
they want to torture you, but because they're interested in hearing
how you tackle challenges.

The most important thing to remember is that after you name your
weakness, you MUST discuss what you have done to overcome it.

Pick a weakness that is real but understandable or relatively
harmless. Whatever weakness you pick, be sure that it is work-
related ("I have a tendency to overfeed my dog" is NOT an
appropriate weakness) and that you present the strategies for
how you overcame your weakness.

Here are a few examples:

* "I used to have a tendency to procrastinate. So now I am always
sure to set a strict schedule for all of my projects well in
advance and I set personal deadlines. This organization has
really helped."

* "Once in a while, I focus too much on the details of a project. So
now, when I'm working on a project, I always make sure at the end
of the day to sit back and take a few minutes to think about the
general scope of my work. It forces me to keep priorities
straight and helps me keep the right mindset."

* "I used to have some problems with organization. So now I carry
a schedule book around throughout the day and I also use this
Palm Pilot to keep me on track. It's worked out great!"

You don't want to pick a weakness that will torpedo your chances --
even your weakness should speak strongly toward your skills. The
examples above all address honest weaknesses; here are a few other
"safe" weaknesses that are easy to discuss:

* I tend to be a perfectionist.
* I sometimes work too hard, leading to unnecessary stress.

Job Tips 4 - MAP YOUR CAREER

One of your most memorable attempts to map out your career was when You were a goofy kid.

The end result was far from realistic. If all had gone as planned
(it didn't), just about now You should be settling into your success as
a solo recording artist.

Childhood fantasies aside, career planning is a valuable exercise. A
career map allows your career to influence the jobs you take rather
than vice versa.

Anyone can draw up a career map, but the most successful attempts
tend to follow a period of introspection and self analysis.

You don't need a box of tissue and an analyst's couch for this, but
you might want to take some career assessment tests online. Use them
to find out what you're good at in addition to what you enjoy. This
will keep you from slipping into childhood daydreams.

Job Tips 3 - PUT SUCCESS BEFORE THE REST

Prioritizing the order of your bullets is critical.

Why? It's called "the primacy effect" -- whatever people see first,
they remember best. So for your resume to be truly memorable, your
strongest qualifications and achievements should go in the top
bullets.

Don't bury your best as this job seeker did

The first thing You must do is move the award to the top of the list
-- it's this candidate's most impressive (and unique) achievement.

Then, You must work on the other bullets, focusing more on specific
achievements than day-to-day responsibilities. "Assisted customers"
is not terribly informative; information about how you "boosted sales
10 percent," or some other tangible example of your success, would be
better.

The final result: A stronger resume.

Job Tips 2 - SPRING CLEAN YOUR RESUME

Organization is one of the most important elements in a resume.

Aside from basic design principles, there's a very practical
reason: Anyone tasked with sorting through hundreds of documents
will naturally avoid those that look like jumbled messes in favor
of those that are well organized.

While many of the resumes I received were not well organized,
there were some exceptions. The resume below, for example, has
excellent organization:

OBJECTIVE
A challenging and diversified administrative position where you can
utilize your extensive background, superior computer skills and
exceptional organizational ability.

You did some brief edits to enhance the organization. The organization is consistent
throughout the resume. The bullet points are brief and no section
has more than four bullets. The bullets themselves are no longer
than one line. This is a beautiful, one-page resume.

Keep in mind, that You're only holding this resume up as an example
for its organization. The content could use some tweaking.

Job Tips 1 - GOOD QUESTION IN INTERVIEW

Good Question

When you interview for a job, you are also interviewing the company to see if you want to work there. Most interviewers understand this and will ask if you have any questions. Be prepared to ask four or five relevant questions, such as:

1. What are the primary duties of this position?
2. What do you consider the most important skills or traits for someone in this position?
3. How would you describe a typical day in this position?
4. What is the standard schedule for this position?
5. Why are you looking to fill this position?
6. How would you describe your management style?
7. What are the short and long-term goals for this position?
8. Do you expect significant organizational changes in the near future?
9. What are the prospects for advancement in this position?
10. What are the next steps in the hiring process?

Answer all of questions above related to the job you will be seeked.

ANSWERING TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS THAT MAKE YOU GO 'HMMM'

There are some questions that tend to pop up during almost every job interview.

The bad news: These questions can be quite difficult to answer.
The good news: Because they are so common, you can prepare for them
well in advance and give a perfect answer without breaking a sweat.

Example: some of the most common

interview questions and how you can best answer them.

"Tell Me a Little About Yourself"
"Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?"
"What's Your Biggest Weakness?"
"Do You Have Any Questions for Me?"