ENTERPRISE PERSONNEL
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Help Yourself
We hope that this feature is useful to you. We
appreciate any contributions from our readers with helpful information for the
interview process.
If relocating to a specific location is your
most important reason for changing jobs, use the following links to estimate
how much you should earn there to equal your current buying power:
Homefair's Salary Calculator, based
on quarterly Cost of Living surveys made by Chamber of Commerce members, is the
basis of most
Go to Yahoo
Neighborhood Information for a detailed look at neighborhoods in various
Below is some additional information
that will aid you in your job search.
Your Career
Your Resume
Your Search
Your
Recruiter
Your Telephone
Your Travel
Your Interview Preparation
Your Interview FAQs
Your Interview Types
Your Follow-Through
Your Career:
Take home copies of performance reviews, "attaboys,"
awards, and records of achievements. Keep this Career File up to date, know your company's
market share and mission statement, learn what your options will be if your
company is in trouble.
Be Ready when
Remember Your Manners. Express gratitude to co-workers
whose efforts have contributed to your success. Keep in touch with former
teachers, bosses, and co-workers.
Keep Your Cool. No matter what the provocation, maintain a calm
exterior. Your words and the way in which you use them can follow you around
for the rest of your career.
Express Yourself Clearly. If your speech is not readily understood
by co-workers, your career can suffer. If English is not your first language,
try listening to public radio and television, and practice speaking English at
home.
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Your Resume:
Be Legible. Please use a type size
and style that can be easily read on the computer monitor, with nothing on the
page smaller than 10 point type.
Be Concise. A few carefully chosen words can convey more useful
information than several paragraphs of flowery prose.
Be Specific. Include dates and locations for employment and
education. Discuss the industry and products that you are familiar
with. Mention your GPA if it's a high one.
Be Grammatical. Proofread carefully. Is your message
clear and well-presented, error-free? Numerical and punctuation errors
are easily overlooked. Spelling errors can slip through the spell
check program, turning Manager into manger. Read your resume
backwards, and then read it out loud. Ask a friend or colleague to review
it, especially if you are not writing in your first language. A native speaker
of the language you are using can help with structure and phrasing, giving your
resume the polish it deserves. Be very careful. Your cover letter
and resume represent you. You want to appear as good on paper as you do in
person.
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Your Search:
Sell Yourself. Always present
yourself in a positive fashion, in print, on the telephone, and in person. This does not mean giving false information
(also known as lying) to make yourself look better. It means having a positive
attitude about yourself and conveying that attitude to
other people.
Ask A Lawyer. If you have signed any kind of employment contract
or confidentiality agreement with your current employer, be sure that you
understand what you have agreed not to do before you start looking for another
job.
Check Your Smile. Visit your dentist if necessary
before visiting a potential employer. If you smoke, consider
quitting. Most employers now prefer hiring non-smokers.
Check Your References. Before giving anyone's name as a reference,
be sure to get permission. Then learn what he or she is likely to say
about you. Ask if contact should be made at home or at work and get
contact information. Ask if any travel plans will affect his/her
availability. Ask for a letter of reference. Remember to
update the list occasionally, as people move, retire, or die, which is why
letters of reference are good to have.
Organize Your Papers. Assemble your college transcripts, work
references, company newsletters or other non-confidential information about
your responsibilities and accomplishments; samples of your writing ability such
as proposals or reports; and a well-written resume. Make copies to give away
and keep important original documents clean in transparent covers. Carry a
leather folder or briefcase to interviews; produce documents upon request.
Ask Your Friends. Ask friends for referrals to recruiters and
other sources of assistance. Now is when the efforts you have made to
maintain good relationships with people and to keep in touch with them will
help in your job search.
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Your Recruiter:
Send A Resume. When a recruiter contacts you, send a resume and other
requested information, even if the current opportunity is not right for
you, so that you will be called in the future for a more suitable
position.
Respect Confidentiality. If a recruiter calls you, you may not be
told where he or she got your name or the full details of available positions.
You will receive information as you need it, and will be expected to keep it to
yourself.
Help A Friend. If a recruiter calls about a position unsuitable
for you, please pass along names of potential candidates. Your participation
will be confidential and you will be remembered when "your" job comes
along.
Help Your Recruiter to Help You.
It is necessary to share enough personal information with your recruiter to
enable him or her find you a suitable combination of company, position, compensation,
and location. Do not be dishonest with your recruiter, as this can create
problems for both of you.
Call Your Recruiter Promptly. After your interview, please phone
your recruiter while everything is fresh in your mind.
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Your
Telephone:
Prepare for the Phone Screen. This is a real interview. Treat it like one and prepare for
it carefully. (See Your Interview FAQs)
It is appropriate to follow up a telephone interview with a brief (carefully
composed and thoroughly proofread) email letter to the person who spoke with
you.
Keep An Open Line. If your telephone is frequently in use, consider
adding a second line to expedite your job search.
Listen To Yourself. Call your home and listen to your answering
machine's message. This might be a potential employer's first opportunity to
learn how you present yourself.
Answer The Phone Properly. Even if you are not in the habit of
receiving business calls at home, present yourself in a professional manner
when you answer the telephone. Teach your children proper phone etiquette
also.
Answer
Think Before You Speak. Develop your thoughts before
speaking and explain things thoroughly.
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Your
Travel:
Carry It On. Take everything you need for a brief interview trip on the
airplane with you. Never entrust to baggage handlers anything that you
absolutely must have for your interview.
Be Prepared. No matter how infrequently you fly, if there is any
possibility that you may have to travel on short notice, keep a suitcase ready
with personal necessities, including a full set of grooming items.
Press for Success. Always have a travel iron or steamer in your
carry-on luggage in case your hotel doesn't have an iron available.
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Your Interview Preparation:
Rehearse with a Friend. Tell your "interviewer" to ask
tough questions and to be as thorough as possible.
Have a Dress Rehearsal. Wearing your interview outfit, look at
yourself in a full-length mirror. With your shoes shined, suit pressed,
accessories in good taste (including a watch appropriate for business attire),
hair neatly cut and styled; you look businesslike and professional.
Put concerns about your appearance aside and concentrate on other aspects of
your interview.
Watch Your Step. If there's any chance of a factory tour, take some
walking shoes. Without suitable footwear, you could be barred from some
manufacturing areas. Worse, you could stumble and fall.
Avoid Bad Scents. Perfume, heavily scented grooming aids, or an aura
of stale tobacco smoke clinging to hair or clothing annoy some people and
trigger allergic reactions in others.
Eat Breakfast. Don't set out on an empty stomach and allow a
mid-morning slump or a postponed lunch to cause you to interview less than your
best.
Be Yourself. Be your very best self, not someone else you think the
company might hire. The offer you get will be for you, not for someone you
pretend to be, and you will be more likely to do well in your new job.
Be Polite. Do not act condescending toward receptionists,
secretaries, food service people, or anyone else you meet during your interview
visit. This behavior could eliminate you as a candidate and you may never know
why.
Smile. Even if an interview doesn't go well, maintain a pleasant and
positive attitude. Someone that you meet on an otherwise disastrous interview
trip might be impressed enough to recommend you for a more suitable position.
Don't Flirt. Don't say anything suggestive or flirtatious to
anyone. Your clever innuendo may be taken as condescending, threatening, or
just plain ignorant. Be polite, friendly, and businesslike with everyone.
Be Discreet. No matter how justified your negative feelings toward a
former employer or associate might be, keep them to yourself. Say
something nice or nothing at all.
Be Honest. If you tell a lie, can you tailor everything else you say
to fit it? What happens when the truth finally comes out? Honesty is the
best policy. There will be other interviews, but you have only one reputation.
Expect a Checkup. Most employers require a pre-employment
exam. It is not intended to eliminate anyone - UNLESS a candidate fails
the drug test. All recreational drugs other than alcohol and nicotine are
routinely screened for, and a positive reaction will cause an offer to be
withdrawn.
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Your
Interview FAQs:
Questions appropriate for you to Ask:
Why is this position available?
What are the most important qualities that a candidate for this position should
have?
What do you expect the person who fills this position to achieve during his/her
first year?
What advancement opportunities are available to someone who performs well in
this job?
What types of training programs are available for your employees?
What career paths are available in your company for someone with my degree?
What is your company's primary market? (Automotive,
Telecom, Military, etc.)
(Always be prepared to ask pertinent questions during a plant tour or after an
explanation of a company’s products, policies, etc. Act interested.)
Questions that you should be prepared to Answer:
Why are you looking for a job?
Are you (and your family) willing to relocate?
Does your employer know that you are looking? OR Why are you unemployed?
Why are you interested in working for our company?
What do you have to offer our company?
What is your opinion of our ______?
(Always have something nice to say during and after a plant tour. At any time during the interview, expect to
be asked about your impression of the company, its products, its personnel
policies, etc.)
What do you like most/least about your current/recent job(s)?
What have you learned from your current/recent job? Or from
any other job?
What suggestions have you made or what actions have you taken to improve the way
things are done in your department?
What do you consider your most significant personal accomplishments?
What have been your most significant contributions to your employer(s)?
What would you like to be doing five years/ten years from now?
If you receive an offer, would you consider a counter-offer from your current
employer?
Examples that you should
be prepared to give:
Structure: Show how you have been able
to develop structure for yourself and others, for day-to-day activities and for
project activities, by using examples from your own experience to demonstrate
your ability to structure work assignments and complete them within time and
budget constraints.
Timelines and Deadlines: Tell how you establish a timeline, make
and carry out a plan, and establish deadlines for yourself and others.
Explain how you orchestrate activities with other people, and how you drive a
project to completion.
Performance and Accountability: Tell how you judge performances,
including your own performance and the performances of others. Tell how
you correct problems and bring performances up to desired levels.
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Your
Interview Types:
Your
Your Panel Interview
Usually takes place around a conference table, with an
HR representative as moderator. An efficient way of screening candidates, it
has advantages for you as well: You answer each question one time. You
observe the interaction among your interviewers, learning a bit about the
company culture. It is stimulating and challenging. You may also have a
facility tour, a luncheon interview, and a one-on-one conversation with an HR
representative.
Your Mealtime Interview
Treat your food server with respect. Avoid dangling pasta, greasy finger foods,
runny dressings, and anything that you have never eaten before. Don’t talk with
food in your mouth. Take small bites so that you can chew and swallow before answering
a question. No alcohol. No smoking. Go easy on sugar, caffeine, foods that
linger on the breath, and foods that cause gas. Carry
a small toothbrush and use it afterwards.
Your Off-Site Interview
This might be in an airport or some other stop in your interviewer’s
business travel, a sign that this company expects a lot from its employees and
is looking for people with a get-it-done attitude; or it could be part of a
routine screening process held in the office of a university placement
department, an outplacement organization, or a recruiting firm. If it goes well, expect to be invited to the facility for a more
thorough interview.
Your Secret Interview
This is often a search for a replacement for a current employee who is not yet
aware that he or she is being replaced, and usually takes place off-site. Don’t
expect to learn too much about the company or position on your first interview.
Do your homework ahead of time and treat this as an opportunity to get
acquainted and present your credentials.
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Your Follow-Through:
Remember To Write. Always follow up a personal interview with a letter to the
person(s) who invited, interviewed, and/or entertained you. Show
appreciation for the effort expended on your behalf. Send a carefully
written and carefully proofread letter by email and/or US Postal Service as
soon as you return home.
Ask For The Offer if you are really
interested in the opportunity. Your follow-up letter should demonstrate
how your qualifications fit the company's needs and show your enthusiasm for
the opportunity.
Be Sincere. Don't ask for an offer if you don't intend to accept it.
Understand the offer. An offer may be extended by a hiring
official, a member of the H.R. Department, or your recruiter. It may be in
person, or by phone, mail, email, or fax. Consider it carefully and ask about
anything you don't understand.
Protect Yourself. It is fine to accept an oral offer, but get it
in writing before giving notice to your current employer. Send your new
employer a written acceptance agreeing to the terms of the offer and confirming
your projected start date.
Prepare For Departure. Plan to work a reasonable notice, but be
prepared to be asked to leave immediately. You may be paid for the time
you offered to work, and your new employer may be glad to bring you aboard
early.
Depart In Style. Tender your resignation in person and in writing,
give notice and be prepared to work it. Be polite and tactful, and leave your
work in good order so that you will be remembered in a positive fashion.
Insure Your Future. Consider using the Federal COBRA law to extend
your health insurance coverage until you are covered through your new employer.
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