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When you hand in your resignation, your employer might ask what they can do to change your mind. They might make you a counter offer, even if you’ve accepted employment elsewhere. Focus on the reason you decided to leave your current job before making a decision. It is important when considering a counter offer that you always keep in mind what your reasons were for pursing a job with another company in the first place. Putting salary aside for a moment the new position could offer: Better benefits Flexible working hours Opportunity to travel on an International basis Greater opportunities for career development More interesting work Opportunity to acquire new skills thru training or hands on experience Whatever your reasons are for wanting to leave your current employer it is crucial that you remember what those reasons are and think rationally about what is best for you as an individual, and ask yourself this, “why did it take your resignation for your current employer to appreciate your value to the company?”. The counter offer might match or even exceed the pay at the new job. If that’s the main reason you’re quitting, consider accepting the counter offer to stay. If the reason you are leaving involves more than salary, you’ll probably still want to resign. The bottom line be prepared for the possibility of a counter offer, even if it..

How to Beat the Personality Test! Personality tests are used by HR departments during the interview process to avoid risk. So, they will choose the candidate that the test results show to be the best choice. Corporate use of the pre-employment screening test has increased 300% in the last five years alone because of complex computer modeling that employs powerful mathematical algorithms, making the results far more accurate than ever before. Another reason employers love these tests is simply because there is nothing else out there to evaluate you with. Your previous employer will refrain from saying anything negative about you because they may risk litigation. So today, your previous employer(s) will only confirm your dates of employment. First, you must understand that personality tests are unreliable and can be manipulated. They only measure different attitudes about things from different people. Your attitude about something in general cannot be used to predict how you’ll react to business situations. They cannot predict behavior because behavior is context sensitive. People act differently in different situations. They associate success with different personality types. In fact, personality requirements are different for different jobs. With that said companies do use them and so you need to learn how your answers will be interpreted by employers so you can influence them positively here is an Example: Q. I have never told a lie. 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree..

Phone Interviews Do’s and Don’ts Phone interviews as a first step in the hiring process have become the norm. It used to be that they were used mostly when a candidate was out of the area and had either a plane ride or long drive to do an in-person interview. Now, they are used as the initial screening process for all candidates. So here are some common sense rules to follow: Preparation. Since this is the beginning of the interview process, do all the things that you would normally do before going on an interview. Investigate the company’s website. If you know whom you will be speaking with, look them up on LinkedIn to see what their professional background is, and check their personal side on Facebook. You might find things that you have a shared interest in. Telephone. Try and use a landline when possible. Especially if you are in a place where bad reception is a problem. Distractions. Remove distraction’s; dogs barking, babies crying, children looking for attention; turn off the radio or television so you can concentrate on the conversation. Break the Ice. With some small talk such as, “how is the weather there”, is a good way to break the ice. It’s something everyone can relate to, or, if you find out some things that you share a common interest in, comment on that. Questions. When..

PRE-EMPLOYMENT TEST GUIDELINES: Consider the Role: Employers are trying to determine if you’ll be a good fit in the organization, and as such, they’ll be looking at your responses to questions that signal common behavioral characteristics. For example, if you’re applying for a sales job, make note of questions that ask you to assess your confidence, your persuasive nature and your communication skills. Indicating that you’re shy or reserved and that you don’t like public speaking will create a red flag for this role; responding to questions by indicating you’re are outgoing, engaging and that you are a good conversationalist who enjoys people will signify that you’re a good fit for the position. Avoid Contradictions: Watch out for questions that could lead you to inadvertently contradict yourself, which could indicate you’re untrustworthy. For example, if you indicate in one response that you have exceptional time-management skills, but in another response you admit to being habitually tardy, you’ll send the wrong message. If you indicate you have a strong sense of loyalty in one response, but then admit to job-hopping in another response, again, you negate what you are saying. Be consistent with your response to themed questions. Watch for Red Flag Questions: Regardless of the role you’re seeking, some types of responses will cast you in an unfavorable light. Be aware of questions that speak to potential biases, prejudices or..

So first, how long should a resume be? On this you will hear a lot of opinions, one page, two pages “no one wants to read a long resume” the answer is a resume should be as long as it takes to properly outline your background and experience without being repetitive. If you have been doing the same thing for 20 years it will probably fit on one or two pages, if you have had a number of different jobs’ even if they were with the same company, you may need more room especially if you are in a technical role.  Hiring managers really don’t care how long a resume is the most important thing to them is “is this persons experience relevant to the position I’m trying to fill” because if it is not then it does not matter whether it’s one page or ten pages long they don’t want to see it. How to show your work experience when you have been with the same company for a long time and have had a number of different positions or when you have been with the same company for a long time but it has been bought or sold and the name has changed. Start with the name of the company, if it had been acquired and the name changed add (formerly blank co.) and then the total years..