Career Planning: Why is It Important for Successful Future?

Your college life is finished and now it is high time to think about future career and job. First of all, it is necessary to start with the career planning that is making some plans for future related to your future job. Career planning is necessary if you want to attain success and avoid some difficulties that you may face in the very beginning of your career path. Determine your career goal that will help you to make career planning faster and easier.

1.This goal will help you to forward your career in necessary direction. Moreover, this is some kind of motivation for you that will help to attain your preferable target. Despite the field of work you choose, career goal will become very useful in this case as it will help you to disclose all your talents and helps to apply them correctly. Career goal may be regarded as something that you wait from your future career; it is the first step that you have to take while preparing your career plan.

2.Secondly, career goal is a motivator. In order to make your career planning more successful it would be better for you to find an ideal that is the person whose success and achievements you consider the most preferable for you. This person will be your example and ideal result to strive for. Moreover, setting a career goal can help you to develop some personal skills such as self-discipline, self-assurance and respect to one’s labor.

Still, it is necessary to keep in mind that career planning is not only bright success but also some kind of disappointment and frustration. While making your career plan be ready for both, benefits and losses that are inevitable part of any process, at least at the very beginning. Try to be patient to other people and your own failures and, finally, you will be awarded with success.

By: Randy Wheeler

What is Work Appropriate Clothing? Shedding Light on the "Business Casual" Work Environment

Sounds like common sense to some, but many of us twenty somethings don't know what type of clothing is work appropriate. One thing that our parents didn't focus on was teaching the millennial generation how to dress for work. For instance, my first professional interview back in 2005 was for a part time office position. I went to Charlotte Russe and purchased a $25 capri pant grey suit set, a low-cut party top, chandelier earrings and a pair of strappy sandals. I set out to my interview with my face full of makeup looking very cute, but far from conservative. I walked in to meet my interviewer, watched her look me up and down and sat down for a 5 minute interview from which I received no call back. I didn't figure out that there was a problem until a year later when I sat down with the career services office at my college to learn interview tips. Now that I've learned the err in my ways I'd like to take the time to teach other women my age what they could be doing to miss out on job opportunities.
How to dress for an interview: Unless you have specific instructions on how to dress for this particular company you should always dress in a business suit just to be safe. Wear a pantsuit or skirt with jacket. If the mood is more dress-casual you can remove the jacket during the interview to match the interviewer's dress. Make sure that you wear a button down shirt or nice sweater underneath your jacket so that if you take it off your outfit is still appropriate. Always keep everything covered! No shoulders or cleavage revealed. Also, stick with the traditional skirt or pants. Until you know if capris are accepted by the office executives don't wear them. Capris are still on the iffy list for now. For your accessories try to stick with either no jewelry or minimal jewelry. This includes post earrings (no chandeliers or large hoops), necklaces with small pendants, and stick with a 2 ring maximum. Wear your hair in a soft, professional style without much hairspray. Stay away from styles that are high or overly attention grabbing. You want your talents and personality to get the attention, not your hair.
After you get the job: On your first week of the job you want to stick with a similar look to what you interviewed in until you get a good idea of what is acceptable or not. If they say business casual stick with slacks, with button downs or sweaters. Watch around the office at the general appearance of the crowd and you can eventually start mimicking their style of dress. It is generally appropriate to ask your supervisors about specific articles of clothing such as wearing capris or strappy sandals. Cleavage is never acceptable in an office. Stay away from low-cut blouses and anything that you would feel comfortable wearing to a party. Also make sure that any skirts you wear to work are almost touching the knee. Anything too high above the knee is inappropriate. 1 inch above the knee is best. Large earrings are only appropriate if you see your bosses wearing them. Otherwise, stick with small earrings that aren't too flashy.
Attitude: Your attitude is one of the biggest things that employers notice about you. If you are a hard worker with an excellent attitude and take every opportunity given to you, they will be less likely to critique what you are wearing and more likely to accept you for who you are. If you're not doing your job or showing a negative attitude you can be sure that they will notice every big pair of earrings, every peak of cleavage and any skirt above the knee and hold it against you. Make sure that you cover all of your bases and you will be sure to be a prized employee at your job.
By Krystal Covington

Being Judged by Your Appearance in a Job Interview

Whether it may seem fair or not, interview candidates judged not just by how they answer questions, but also how they look. How someone dresses is shown to be a reflection of who they are and how they will work as an employee. It's important to recognize some simple ways of making sure you are dressed to impress on any interview. Here are some simple rules to keep in mind.
1. Use the iron! Ironing is not a task loved by everyone, but having a clean pressed suit, shirt, dress, skirt or blouse will show that you've taken time into making a clean appearance.
2. Clean clothes, please! Make sure that your shirt or blouse isn't the one that's been sitting in the corner of your laundry pile for weeks on end. Your clothes should be clean and stain-free
3. Break out the needle and thread! If you've found that your blouse is missing a button, or perhaps your pants or skirt has a loose hem, sew it back to its rightful position. Mend your clothes before walking through to an interview.
4. It's in the shoes! Make sure that your shoes are polished and scuffs or scratches are cleaned up as best as possible.
5. Your hair! Your hair should be well groomed, brushed or combed. Women should style their hair and men should too! Bring a comb or brush with you to do any last minute touch-ups before heading into the interview.
6. All about the face! While makeup doesn't exactly apply to men, they should make sure that their skin is ready to go. They should make sure that their 5 o'clock shadow isn't saying "hello" at 9am, and that they are clean shaven or at least have their mustache, beard, goatee, etc. trimmed and presentable. Women should wear conservative but well applied make-up with a good foundation and/or moisturizer.
With these simple tips, you are on your way to having a presentable and positive interview, no matter what job you may be applying for.
By Joy C. Harrison 

Interview Technique - 6 Tips on What Not to Do

We get asked a lot to help with interview technique: The things you should do and shouldn't do when preparing for an interview. Here are a few tips and tricks outlining what not to do for your interview:
Turn up late
Never turn up to an interview late. Imagine you are the interviewer for a moment. If you were kept waiting by someone you have never met before and by someone who is meant to be trying to 'win' the job - would you be impressed by their lateness? Turning up late will reflect badly on you as it suggests that you are disorganized and bad at time keeping - which can be important qualities for certain roles.
Waffle or talk too much
Talking non stop in an interview is a bad move. This is bad interview technique. No-one wants to be talked at! An interview is a two-way conversation and so make sure that it stays that way. Make sure that what you have to say is relevant and has a point to it otherwise it's just waffle i.e. a lot of noise but without much in it.
Criticise your current employer or boss
Criticising who you currently work for is not a good idea. Even if you do not like them, do not talk badly of them or put them down. Describing them in a negative light will only look badly on you. Your interviewer doesn't want to know that if things don't work out with them you are going to bad mouth them to everyone you meet! Your interviewer will know that you want to leave your current job because you're in an interview. Whether it's because you hate your old boss or company or not - is irrelevant and isn't something you should dwell on.
Answer your phone
Turn your phone off when going into an interview. Having it ringing in the middle of an interview is not only distracting but is only rude. What is even worse is answering a call in an interview. It is disrespectful to the interviewer and implies that you are not serious about getting that job nor do you respect the person who has taken the time to interview you.
Express bad humour
Humour is a funny thing! Some people will find things funny when others will not so tread carefully here. Anything that could be construed as cruel, racist, sexist or discriminatory is a no no. Having someone try to be funny when they're not, is not a pleasant sight or experience.
Sit in silence
Being overly quiet is not a good move in an interview. Again - bad interview technique. Responding with basic yes and no answers isn't what the interviewer is looking for. They want to see energy, enthusiasm and passion for the role. They want to get to know you and see that you are interested in it. Short responses or just sitting in silence won't get anything across or give the interviewer anything to work with.
By Nisa Chitakasem and Simon North 

Answering Tough Interview Questions - What Can You Tell Me About Yourself?

This is one of the most popular questions which is usually used by employers in order to open a job interview. You should know that you do not have to consider this question as an invitation to tell your life's history. What you need to understand is that this question actually means: " Please tell us a few things about your professional experience and point out some qualities that make you the right person for the job."
You should always know that the employers do not want to hear the story of your life and this is why you should not share too much information about yourself, your personal experiences or your family. There are people who come to interviews and tell the employer where they were born or where they went to school. What these people do not understand is that the interviewer only needs a summary which can last a minute or two, otherwise they can become boring! You can prepare this summary before going to an interview in order to point out the most relevant skills that you have. You should know that your future employer wants to know where have you worked before, which were your previous jobs and which were your main tasks. Employers usually ask this questions in order to see if your previous experience is useful for your new job.
Before going to the interview, you should read the job advertisement again and choose the key words that are mentioned and the skills that the employers are looking for: a certain experience or some human qualities that the perfect candidate should have. For example, if in the advertisement the employer says that he needs " a supervisor who has great communication and management skills", then you should prepare an answer in which you should mention the experience that you have as a supervisor, which were the skills that you needed in order to be able to do your job and the goals that you managed to achieve together with your team.
Try to speak about your strengths and your weaknesses in order to let the interviewer see that you know and accept yourself really well. This will be helpful because usually, people who know themselves are confident people and companies need them in order to achieve their goals. Try to speak about your past experiences in order to point out all the qualities and the skills and which are needed for the new job.
By Adrian F Alexa

Top 20 Common Interview Questions and Answers

First and foremost congratulations if you have an interview! That in itself is commendable, so now you just want to make sure you come across in the best possible light. I have been asked numerous times what to do in preparation for interviews. Whilst there is no way of predicting exactly what you will be asked, here are 20 common questions that tend to come up. This is by no means an exhaustive list. The purpose is to illustrate the importance of preparation and refreshing your memory regarding specific projects and situations.
1- Tell me about yourself.
This is probably the most asked question in an interview. It breaks the ice and gets you to talk about something you should be fairly comfortable with. Have something prepared that doesn't sound rehearsed. It's not about you telling your life story and quite frankly the interviewer just isn't interested. Unless asked to do so, stick to your education, career and current situation. Work through it chronologically from the furthest back to the present.
2- Why are you looking for another job (or why did you leave your previous job)?
On the surface this appears to be a simple question, yet it is easy to slip. I would suggest not mentioning money at this stage as you may come across as totally mercenary. If you are currently in employment you can say it's about developing your career and yourself as an individual. If you are in the unfortunate position of having been downsized stay positive and keep it brief. If you were fired you should have a solid explanation. Whatever your circumstances do not go into the drama and detail and stay positive.
3- What do you know about this organisation?
Do your homework prior to the interview. Doing the background work will help you stand out. Find out who the main players are, have they been in the news recently? You're not expected to know every date and individual yet you need to have a solid understanding of the company as a whole.
4- Why do you want this job?
This questions typically follows on from the previous one. Here is where your research will come in handy. You may want to say that you want to work for a company that is x, y, z, (market leader, innovator, provides a vital service, whatever it may be). Put some thought into this beforehand, be specific and link the company's values and mission statement to your own goals and career plans.
5- Who are our main competitors?
This shows you really understand the industry and the main players. Think about a few and say how you think they compare; similarities, differences. This is a good opportunity to highlight what you think are the company's key strengths.
6- What would your previous co-workers say about you?
This is not the arena for full disclosure. You want to stay positive and add a few specific statements or paraphrase. Something like "Joe Blogs always mentioned how reliable and hard working I was" is enough.
7- How do you handle stressful situations and working under pressure?
There are several ways of addressing this one. You may be the sort of person that works well under pressure; you may even thrive under pressure. Whatever the case may be just make sure you don't say you panic. You want to give specific examples of stressful situations and how well you dealt with them. You may also want to list a few tools you use to help you, such as to do lists etc. It is alright to say that if you feel you are way over your head you will ask for assistance. It is equally acceptable to say that you work best under pressure if this is indeed the case and relevant to the particular role.
8- Are you applying for other jobs?
If you are serious about changing jobs then it is likely that you are applying to other positions. It is also a way of showing that you are in demand. Be honest but don't go into too much detail, you don't want to spend a great deal of time on this. If asked about names of who you have spoken to it is absolutely legitimate to say you prefer not to disclose that information at this stage.
9- What are you like working in a team?
Your answer is of course that you are an excellent team player; there really is no other valid answer here as you will not function in an organisation as a loner. You may want to mention what type of role you tend to adopt in a team, especially if you want to emphasis key skills such as leadership. Be prepared to give specific examples in a very matter of fact sort of way.
10- What sort of person do you not like to work with?
This is not an easy one as you have no idea whom you would be working with. Even if you can immediately think of a long list of people you don't like to work with, you could take some time to think and say that it's a difficult question as you have always gotten on fine with your colleagues.
11- What is your greatest strength?
This is your time to shine. Just remember the interviewer is looking for work related strengths. Mention a number of them such as being a good motivator, problem solver, performing well under pressure, loyal, positive attitude, eager to learn, taking the initiative, attention to detail. Whichever you go for, be prepared to give examples that illustrate this particular skill.
12- What is your biggest weakness?
A challenging one, as if you so you have no weaknesses you are obviously lying! Be realistic and mention a small work related flaw. Many people will suggest answering this using a positive trait disguised as a flaw such as "I'm a perfectionist" or "I expect others to be as committed as I am". I would advocate a certain degree of honesty and list a true weakness. Emphasize what you've done to overcome it and improve. This question is all about how you perceive and evaluate yourself.
13- What has been your biggest professional disappointment/achievement so far?
If asked about disappointments mention something that was beyond your control. Stay positive by showing how you accepted the situation and have no lingering negative feelings. If asked about your greatest achievement chose an example that was important to you as well as the company. Specify what you did, how you did it and what the results were. Ideally pick an example that can relate to the positions you are applying for.
14- What kind of decisions do you find most difficult to take?
There is no right or wrong here. The logic behind this type of question is that your past behaviour is likely to predict what you will do in the future. What the interviewer is looking for is to understand what you find difficult.
15- Tell me about a suggestion that you have made that has been successfully implemented.
Here the emphasis is on the implemented. You may have had many brilliant ideas, but what the interview is looking for is something that has actually materialised. Be prepared to briefly describe how it went from an idea to implementation stage.
16- Have you ever had to bend the rules in order to achieve a goal?
Beware of this type of question! Under no circumstances is it necessary to break company policy to achieve something. Resist the temptation to answer and give examples, as what the interviewer is looking for is to determine how ethical you are and if you will remain true to company policy.
17- Are you willing to travel or relocate if necessary?
This is something you need to have very clear in your mind prior to the meeting, if you think there is any chance this may come up. There is no point in saying yes just to get the job if the real answer is actually no. Just be honest as this can save you problems arising in the future.
18- Why should we hire you?
This is an important question that you will need to answer carefully. It is your chance to stand out and draw attention to your skills, especially those that haven't already been addressed. Saying "because I need a job" or "I'm really good" just won't cut it. Don't speculate about other candidates and their possible strengths or flaws. Make sure you focus on you. Explain why you make a good employee, why you are a good fit for the job and the company and what you can offer. Keep it succinct and highlight your achievements.
19- Regarding salary, what are your expectations?
Always a tricky one and a dangerous game to play in an interview. It is a common mistake to discuss salary before you have sold yourself and like in any negotiation knowledge is power. Do your homework and make sure you have an idea of what this job is offering. You can try asking them what the salary range. If you want to avoid the question altogether you could say that at the moment you are looking to advance in your career and money isn't your main motivator. If you do have a specific figure in mind and you are confident you can get it, then it may be worth going for it.
20- Do you have any questions for us?
This one tends to come up every time. Have some questions prepared. This will show you have done some research and are eager to know and learn as much as possible. You probably don't want to ask more than 3 or 4 questions. Try and use questions that focus on you becoming an asset to the company. A generic one might be "how soon can I start if I were to get the job". Another idea is to ask what you would be working on and how quickly they expect you to be able to be productive. Remember to ask about next steps and when you can expect to hear back.
Bare in mind that the interview starts from the minute you walk into the building until you leave and are out of sight. Don't think that just because you have left the meeting room, you are "off the hook". You need to maintain an image of confidence, enthusiasm, competence, reliability and professionalism throughout.
By Ana Antunes Da Silva

Keep Practicing

You've probably heard the saying 'tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand'. This is true for all knowledge and training; doing the course is all well and good but you need to be involved in doing whatever it is to really understand and become skilled in something.
You've started your self-improvement and are doing a professional qualification. Now you need to 'do' the thing that you are learning for real, to get the necessary experience. If you are in a role and this is the training that will enable you to step up into that promotion it may be that your company will let you take on some or all of the responsibility for your new skill within their organisation. Whether you are going to get paid more or not, take the chance to grow yourself. Making yourself more valuable will pay you cash dividends in the end, if not immediately. If you are moving direction completely market yourself as a voluntary worker. If your new skill is to develop a website in WordPress, find someone that needs one and do it for them; no charge. The benefit to you is the experience you will gain; the benefit to them is the finished product. When you hand over the reins of the new site to it's rightful owner ask for a testimonial; see if you can get one both on email and posted on LinkedIn. The next one, charge a nominal amount and repeat the request for a testimonial at the end. When you have completed five, start charging a regular rate and possibly at that point you will be able to think about making your hobby into a business!? Never stop asking for testimonials.
Now add some persistence to the mix. Napoleon Hill lists it as one of the essential steps towards riches in his book 'Think and Grow Rich'. Having interviewed more than 500 successful people over a twenty year period, this was one of the defining characteristics of successful people, including; Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, Rockefeller and Thomas Edison. You may be familiar with the expression of it taking someone ten years to become an overnight success. He quotes a number of actors and singers during the early 1900's who gave their talents freely until someone snapped them up and offered them significantly large sums to perform in paid roles.
Couple persistence with experience in moving towards your dream and you will be successful too. Persevere to use your new skills. Keep offering them until someone accepts your offer and then build from there. Few people have achieved success without experiencing numerous setbacks. Harry Potter was rejected by twelve publishers before being published! Apple, Harrison Ford and Simon Cowell all have their own stories of making it, no matter how it seemed it was going to be otherwise at one point in time.
Remember; 'We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit ~ Aristotl
By Julie Holmwood