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What are the most common interview questions?

tessaarmstrong.co.uk job search, Uncategorized

Handshake

I thought it would be useful for me to set out some typical interview questions to assist with your interview preparation. These are only a selection of the questions you may get during an interview but should provide you with a starting point.

  1. What are your weaknesses/strengths?
  2. What was your greatest achievement in your job?
  3. Explain a situation when you have had to deal with a difficult person.
  4. How do you motivate people?
  5. Why is there a gap in your CV?
  6. How do you go about problem-solving?
  7. If you were going to start your career again, what changes would you make?
  8. Tell me about yourself.
  9. Why do you want the job?
  10. What are your ambitions?
  11. Describe a difficult decision you had to make. Would you make the same decision again faced with the same situation?
  12. How do you go about motivating yourself?
  13. What qualities can you bring to the job?
  14. What achievements in your life are you most proud of?
  15. How do you feel about supervising people older than you?
  16. How would you deal with a situation when you are not in agreement with the rest of the team?
  17. How do you respond to change?
  18. What experiences most influenced your development as an individual?
  19. What do you know about this organisation and why do you want to work here?
  20. How do you react to pressure?

 

Competency Questions

The other types of questions you may get at interview are competency questions. As stated in my previous blog, in response to competency questions consider examples that relate to the job you are applying for. For example, if you need to influence people, think of an example when you have won someone over in a way relevant to the role. The following structure should help you to prepare answers for these types of questions:

  1. Objective
  2. Need/problem
  3. How you met the need/resolved the problem
  4. What was the outcome/benefit?
  5. What you learnt from it and what you would do differently next time.

Remember, preparation is the key to success!

Things to avoid during an interview

tessaarmstrong.co.uk job search, Uncategorized

TAA_Labyrinth_Small_306

You will find below a list of some of the things to avoid during an interview which I hope will be of use to you.

  1. Do not be late. Ensure you allow yourself plenty of time to travel to your interview. First impressions are crucial.
  2. Do not criticise your current employer/boss. Be professional. Your interviewer might wonder what you would say about their company if you were to get the job as well as view you as a negative person.
  3. Do not lie. For example, do not cover up gaps on your CV. You will be caught out at some stage, particularly when references are requested. Instead, prepare constructive responses to questions regarding gaps and be honest. You do not want to raise suspicion.
  4. When you are asked if you have any questions at the end of the interview, do not simply say ‘no’. Ensure you have prepared a good question to ask (even if you already know the answer!).
  5. Do not talk too much. You are at risk of waffling and saying the wrong thing. Keep to the point.
  6. When asked why you want the job, sell yourself. For example, do not say ‘because it is closer to home’. Sound like you really want the job.
  7. When asked for weaknesses, do not say that you don’t have any. Prepare an answer to this question and turn your weakness into a positive.
  8. Do not interrupt. Listen carefully to the questions and take a breath before giving your answer. There is no need to rush.
  9. Do not ask for days off. You can have this conversation when they make you an offer.
  10. Do not talk about salary unless the interviewers raise this topic during the interview.

Carrying out thorough preparation will prevent you from making mistakes such as these during an interview and increase your chances of success.

 

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

Stand out from the crowd – How to write a great LinkedIn profile

tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, job search, Uncategorized , , ,

bluesky1

LinkedIn is a powerful tool allowing you to have a professional presence in the world. It provides the opportunity for you to tell other professionals what you can do and what you can offer.

Do you have a LinkedIn profile and does it represent you in the best way?

Having a LinkedIn profile is fast becoming an essential professional requirement. You now have to assume prospective employers will look at your online presence before approaching or hiring you and if your LinkedIn profile is out of date or poorly written, it could potentially close doors. Who would want to employ someone who does not spell correctly in their shop window?

It is therefore really important that you spend time completing your profile. To assist, I have provided some hints and tips to help you write a great LinkedIn profile.

Some initial thoughts:

  • Make sure your CV and online profile match (consistency around dates is particularly important).
  • Think about your brand. Does your profile match the kind of jobs you are applying for?
  • Complete every section of your profile.

 

Your profile

Headline

The headline appears directly under your name and will be the first thing people read about you. It will also appear when people search for you and decide whether to click onto your profile. To make it more compelling, include a short description of your role as well as your job title.

For example, my headline reads:

‘Career Coach, Specialist in Career Change & Career Development – Achieving the best career path for you.’

You should also upload a professional photo of yourself.

Summary

Make life easy for a potential employer by using this section to tell them about what you can do, including your achievements. This is your chance to sell yourself in 2,000 characters. To give potential employers an even better chance of finding you include keywords which you know your industry uses. The more you use these keywords within your profile, the higher you will rank for that term in the search results

Perhaps include your contact information in this section (otherwise your contact details do not appear until the end of your profile).

Experience, Skills, Publications and Education

Include all relevant employment and education in these sections as well as your skills and publications.   If your CV is up to date, simply copy and paste the information.

Additional Sections

There are many additional sections to choose from, the most important being the ‘Volunteer Experience and Causes’ section. If you do any relevant voluntary work, add this section to your profile using the ‘Add Sections’ link. Relevant voluntary work will make your profile stand out even more.

Additional Information

This section gives you the opportunity to link to your website, blog, twitter account and any other sites providing professional information about you. Do not provide links to social networking sites used on a personal basis.

Recommendations

This is your chance to request recommendations from people who have worked with you. Make sure you personalise your requests rather than using the standard LinkedIn wording.

 My final tip is to make your profile public to ensure people can find you – market yourself and show potential recruiters what you can do! http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tessaarmstrong

 

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

Why you should have a LinkedIn account

tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, job search, Uncategorized , ,

bluesky1

LinkedIn is a powerful social networking tool which will expand your network and enable you to stay ahead in your career.

I am always surprised when someone tells me they don’t have a LinkedIn account because they can’t see the point. There are lots of reasons why you should be on LinkedIn and here are just five of them.

  1. Employers and recruitment agencies are now using LinkedIn as a headhunting tool. It is an easy way for them to find out about you and make contact with you.  Even if you are not actively seeking a job, you may be approached and may be offered an even better job with more money. If you are not on LinkedIn, you are closing the door to these opportunities.
  2. Many employers now automatically download a candidate’s LinkedIn profile when they apply for a job. Your LinkedIn profile gives you another opportunity to tell them what you can do and what you have achieved.
  3. Group discussions on LinkedIn can enhance your knowledge on topics you are interested in and create job opportunities.
  4. You can build a large network of contacts. Imagine you are made redundant next year. Who would you turn to for help? Is your current network big enough? LinkedIn is a hassle free way of networking and can connect you with past colleagues, friends and acquaintances.
  5. LinkedIn is an online CV which must be kept up to date in order for you to get the most out of the social networking tool. This means that when you are actively looking for a job you will always have an up to date CV to hand.

Without LinkedIn in your life, you are missing out on a whole world of opportunity to connect with people with similar interests. Start building your LinkedIn profile now and use my blog on writing a great LinkedIn profile to assist.

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

Overcoming Fear of Failure – Making a Career Change Possible

tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, fear of failure, Uncategorized , , ,

career-coaching

Have you ever thought about changing career but have been so afraid of failing that you decided not to?

In the UK, we are surrounded by opportunities and choices yet so many of us do not take advantage of what is available. We have the option to find a career best suited to our personalities yet choose to remain in a disheartening career because we believe a career change is simply not possible.

Fear of failure is one of the most common beliefs preventing career change.   You may be a perfectionist, a procrastinator or feel you are not good enough. These all come from a fear of failure and can cause you to miss out on career opportunities, leading to unnecessary stress, worry and unhappiness.

PURSUING A CAREER THAT BEST SUITS YOU

A fear of failure can be overcome through changing your thought pattern. Be willing to change and this will be possible. Here are a few steps to help you:

  1. Be aware of your belief, ‘fear of failure’, and the reasons you have for supporting this belief (perhaps you made a mistake in the past or did badly in an exam at school).
  2. Ask yourself if it is useful for you to continue clinging on to these past experiences/beliefs or whether it is now time to update your beliefs.
  3. If it is time for an update, decide what would be more useful for you to believe instead by turning your fear of failure into a positive statement. For example, ‘I am scared of failing’ becomes ‘I am successful’.
  4. Keep repeating your new positive belief; each time your fear of failure belief resurfaces, stop it and replace it with your new belief.
  5. Now take action to support your new belief. Fake it ‘til you make it! Use this new positive belief to empower you to take action.

You may now be thinking this is easier said than done or you are unsure of what to do next. Making the decision to change and knowing where to begin can be difficult and takes courage and perseverance.

I have had many clients who were desperate to change careers but believed it was not possible. One client believed that a job was not to be enjoyed. He had been told this by others in the past. He subsequently developed a fear of failure and remained in a job he disliked. This client then made the decision not to waste any more time and worked towards changing his belief. This allowed him to explore career opportunities available to him.  He is now pursuing a career that he is passionate about.

IT IS YOUR CHOICE

You have the choice to either allow fear of failure to control your life or to overcome this belief and pursue a career that fulfils you and brings a smile to your face.

 

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

Does perfectionism hold you back?

tessaarmstrong.co.uk Performance at work, Uncategorized , , ,

maze

I have coached many people who define themselves as perfectionists. They approach me because they are struggling to move forward with their career for fear of making the wrong decision.

Perfectionists do not want to ‘fail’. They often want to ensure that any decision they make is absolutely perfect before proceeding with it. However, the only way they will know if their decision is right is by giving it a go and taking a risk. This turns into a catch-22 situation and the decision making process becomes extremely difficult and stressful.

It is really important to be aware of when perfectionism is helping you move forward and when it is hindering you. It can be a great characteristic for doing work brilliantly (although it can be unrealistically expected of individuals) but it can also hold you back from making decisions and attempting new things. For example, delaying a career change for fear of failing or choosing not to apply for a job because you believe other people will be better than you.

If you feel perfectionism is holding you back, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What is the worst that can happen?
  • How can you make it better?
  • What small step can you take now to bring you one step closer?

Also, have a think about the standards you are setting yourself. Are they too high?

Always set standards that are high, but achievable. Setting standards that are too high can be like setting yourself up to fail. How about lowering the bar, making your goals something you know you can and will do rather than something that is always beyond your reach.

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

Is it time to make your career dreams a reality?

tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, Performance at work, Uncategorized ,

career-coaching

Success doesn’t come to you… you go to it. (Marva Collins)

As Christmas approaches, our minds start to wander into next year. Whilst reflecting on 2014, we think about what we would now like to achieve in 2015.  Perhaps you didn’t achieve everything you set out to achieve in 2014 or you may still have some important decisions to make in specific areas of your life. Whatever your situation may be, is it now time to put an action plan in place to enable you to achieve what you want to achieve in 2015?

An action plan can really focus the mind and help you to put small steps in place to enable you to achieve your personal goals/objectives in life. These goals may be solely focused on your career or cover all aspects of your life.

Here are some action points to help you start planning:

  1. What are your objectives?
  2. How are you going to achieve your objectives? Think about this in detail.
  3. How would you rate your commitment in achieving these objectives on a scale of 1 – 10 (anything less than 8 may need your further attention!)?
  4. How realistic are your objectives on a scale of 1 – 10?
  5. By what date do you want to achieve your objectives?
  6. When will you review your progress?

By putting a plan in place, your dreams can start becoming a reality.

Do not fear going forward slowly; fear only standing still.

http://www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

Is it time to stop blaming other people?

tessaarmstrong.co.uk Performance at work, Uncategorized

career-coaching

It always seems to be someone else’s fault

I am sure you all know someone who always blames someone else when things go wrong. If they had a bad appraisal, it was the fault of their boss. If they had an argument at home, it was the fault of their partner. If they were late for an appointment, someone else had delayed them. It is never their fault.

Sometimes other people or organisations are to blame when things go wrong but here I am talking about day to day problems. Those problems that can be dealt with quickly by blaming someone else and avoiding having to do anything about it.

I attract dramas everywhere I go!

People who deal with problems this way are often surrounded by dramas. Everywhere they go, something happens for them to moan about. They do not take responsibility for their own actions and therefore nothing changes and they simply move on to the next crisis creating a life of drama for themselves.

Gradually, their life becomes increasingly stressful and their view of other people becomes extremely negative. Negativity and stress prevent us from moving forward and creating the life that we desire.

I want to create a stress free life!

What can you do to limit the dramas you experience in your life?

Next time you experience a problem, take a deep breath and stop yourself from immediately looking for someone else to blame. Instead, have a think about how your actions may have affected the outcome. Were you entirely blameless?!

Now think about what you can do to prevent or overcome these problems from happening again in the future. Take control of the situation.

Perhaps the actions of others were partly to blame but can you control this? No, probably not. If you rely solely on other people to rectify mistakes, change may never happen and you may be making life harder than it needs to be.

It is all about taking control, and giving yourself the power to make your life better. (You can also then take the credit for when things go right!)

When you take responsibility for your actions and control of the outcome, you will limit the dramas you experience and improve your life for the better. 

http://www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk

Six ways to find career happiness

tessaarmstrong.co.uk Career Change, Uncategorized ,

maze

Do you long to be able to say ‘I LOVE MY JOB’?

Do you want to be able to respond with passion and excitement to the frequently asked question ‘What do you do?’.

Do you want to enjoy Monday mornings and feel relaxed on Sunday evenings?

Are you so fed up at work that even answering these questions has made you feel depressed? You actually dread Monday mornings and feel full of anxiety on Sunday evenings.

Feeling miserable at work is really tough. It impacts your career, as you become increasingly disengaged with work, and your home life becomes a struggle too. We don’t want to feel like this but often we do not know how to make it better. How do we find a career that makes us happy?

Let me tell how….

You will find six action points below which will help you to find a career that makes you happy. Please take time to go through each step. Remember, it is a process that cannot be completed overnight. It will take time but will be worth it. 

  1. You – take time to think about you. What do you enjoy doing and what interests you? Think of times when you felt really motivated and fulfilled – what were you doing? Be as specific as you can. You want a career that takes advantage of these skills, strengths and interests.
  2. Your personality – Work out what kind of working environment would best suit you? Do you like going to the office each day or do you prefer being out and about? What makes you feel happy and comfortable?
  3. Your money – We are often preoccupied with how much we are earning and make this our primary focus in a career search. We all need money but how much do you really need to be happy?   Do not let salary solely dictate your career path. Decide on a realistic salary band. Remember some of the top 20 most satisfying careers are the lowest paid.
  4. Your vision – Having progressed through points 1- 3, now think about your first day in your ideal job. What are you doing? Who do you meet? Where are you? Who do you talk to? How are you feeling? What skills are you using? Focusing on the detail will make action five easier to achieve.
  5. Your investigations – spend time researching opportunities that you believe closely match your vision. Talk to people. Do some work experience. Keep asking questions and discovering what makes you happy.
  6. Your plan – Start making decisions and create an action plan to find the job you love.

These actions may require taking a step into the unknown. However, they will give you the best chance of finding the job that you love whilst providing your work-life balance with a happy boost.

Remember it is YOUR career – it is about YOU and what makes YOU happy.

www.tessaarmstrong.co.uk