The great guest posts continue to roll in here at Astron Solutions World of HR. Phone interviews can be some of the most stressful parts of an interview process since you can't actually see the person you are speaking to (and sometimes can't hear them well either). Alexis Bonari has a blog post today to help you ace that interview. Alexis is currently a resident blogger at College Scholarships, where recently she’s been researching arabic scholarships as well as tips on finding archery scholarships. Whenever this WAHM gets some free time she enjoys doing yoga, cooking with the freshest organic in-season fare, and practicing the art of coupon clipping. Here is Alexis' guest post:
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More and more employers and recruiters have started interviewing potential job candidates over the phone because it is relatively cheap, and can be done fairly quickly. If you are a recent grad student, then participating in a phone interview with a potential employer could be stressful and intimidating.
Because of this, it’s extremely important to take the proper steps beforehand to make sure you are fully prepared for a phone interview in order to succeed in your job search.
The first step in preparing for a phone interview is to make sure your cell phone is completely charged, and that you are in an area with excellent reception. (If you are using a land line then this shouldn’t be a concern for you).
It’s also important to make sure you are in a quiet room so there won’t be any background noise that will distract you as you are on the phone with your (hopefully) future employer.
You should also make sure your phone volume is set on high, and turn off any appliances, or even your TV or stereo, because they could act as potential distractions. (It may even be a good idea to place a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door as well, just in case).
The next step is preparing some notes of what you would like to say or bring up during the interview. Write down some questions or even points you want to make beforehand, and have a paper and pen handy so you can write down notes during the interview as well. Remember one of the benefits of a phone interview is that the person interviewing you can’t see what you’re doing, so take advantage of this and lay out pages and pages of notes and questions you want to cover during the interview.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Astronology - The Best Sales Compensation Programs Align Incentives with Business Strategy
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Some Great Articles For Your Wednesday
Last week we talked about Investopedia as a great resource for getting definitions for financial terms. Well Investopedia runs Financial Edge which has some great advice that can be applied to HR
The first today talks about 5 jobs with mandatory overtime. If your employees don't want to have to work nights or weekends, they may want to stay away from becoming an EMT, construction worker, IT professional, warehouse employee or investment banker. If they didn't know that they would have to working outside of the 9-5 schedule for these jobs, they probably weren't paying attention when they signed up for the job.
When an employee comes to you asking for a promotion, you can spout off these 5 reasons why they don't want that promotion. As Spiderman says: "with great power comes great responsibility." Always remind your employees that.
Lastly, we have an article about 6 industries hurt by the NFL lockout. Steroids manufacturers did not make that list, but television, video games, and sporting goods are among the industries that may have to worry about their workforce if the NFL workforce is kept locked out.
Have a great Wednesday!
The first today talks about 5 jobs with mandatory overtime. If your employees don't want to have to work nights or weekends, they may want to stay away from becoming an EMT, construction worker, IT professional, warehouse employee or investment banker. If they didn't know that they would have to working outside of the 9-5 schedule for these jobs, they probably weren't paying attention when they signed up for the job.
When an employee comes to you asking for a promotion, you can spout off these 5 reasons why they don't want that promotion. As Spiderman says: "with great power comes great responsibility." Always remind your employees that.
Lastly, we have an article about 6 industries hurt by the NFL lockout. Steroids manufacturers did not make that list, but television, video games, and sporting goods are among the industries that may have to worry about their workforce if the NFL workforce is kept locked out.
Have a great Wednesday!
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Unemployment, Jobless Claims, and other Financial Terms
Yesterday Astronology had a fabulous rundown of financial terms you might want to learn before talking to a CFO. I have a Masters in International Economics and Finance but even I need some help sometimes with understanding what certain financial terms mean. My favorite site to use as a refresher for financial terms is Investopedia which is basically a dictionary of financial terms.
One term that has been thrown around the news the past few years is "unemployment". But what type of person actually qualifies as "unemployed"? Is it the guy who is not searching for a job? Is it the woman who has been out of work two years? Who qualifies? Well, according to Investopedia: "Unemployment occurs when a person who is actively searching for employment is unable to find work. Unemployment is often used as a measure of the health of the economy. The most frequently cited measure of unemployment is the unemployment rate. This is the number of unemployed persons divided by the number of people in the labor force." If you want to find out more about unemployment and how it is calculated in the United States, follow that link above.
What about jobless claims? This morning the financial world was abuzz with news that initial jobless claims fell 10,000 last week. Investopedia explains: "The number of people who are filing or have filed to receive unemployment insurance benefits, as reported weekly by the U.S. Department of Labor. There are two categories of jobless claims - initial, which comprises people filing for the first time, and continuing, which consists of unemployed people who have been receiving unemployment benefits for a while. Jobless claims are an important leading indicator on the state of the employment situation and the health of the economy. Average weekly initial jobless claims are one of the 10 components of The Conference Board Leading Economic Index."
Again, taking these terms at their base level can be confusing or misleading but actually researching them can lead to a better understanding of the job market and about your current position. If you ever don't understand something, make sure to raise your hand and ask, because trust me, even people with Masters in the subject can sometimes use a refresher.
One term that has been thrown around the news the past few years is "unemployment". But what type of person actually qualifies as "unemployed"? Is it the guy who is not searching for a job? Is it the woman who has been out of work two years? Who qualifies? Well, according to Investopedia: "Unemployment occurs when a person who is actively searching for employment is unable to find work. Unemployment is often used as a measure of the health of the economy. The most frequently cited measure of unemployment is the unemployment rate. This is the number of unemployed persons divided by the number of people in the labor force." If you want to find out more about unemployment and how it is calculated in the United States, follow that link above.
What about jobless claims? This morning the financial world was abuzz with news that initial jobless claims fell 10,000 last week. Investopedia explains: "The number of people who are filing or have filed to receive unemployment insurance benefits, as reported weekly by the U.S. Department of Labor. There are two categories of jobless claims - initial, which comprises people filing for the first time, and continuing, which consists of unemployed people who have been receiving unemployment benefits for a while. Jobless claims are an important leading indicator on the state of the employment situation and the health of the economy. Average weekly initial jobless claims are one of the 10 components of The Conference Board Leading Economic Index."
Again, taking these terms at their base level can be confusing or misleading but actually researching them can lead to a better understanding of the job market and about your current position. If you ever don't understand something, make sure to raise your hand and ask, because trust me, even people with Masters in the subject can sometimes use a refresher.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Astronology - Finance Terms Made Simple
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Monday, April 04, 2011
The Good and the Bad for Hiring From Social Media
Every new technology does some great things and it also does some not-so-great things. Social media is no different. On one had it gives anyone with an internet connection the ability to become a "blogger" and call themselves an expert on a so-called topic. People rely on the internet now to get their information but doing this for something like hiring can be as perilous as using Wikipedia to try to write a Senior Thesis. There is some great information and resources out there, but there also are a lot of people with an agenda or without the experience who will try to influence you poorly in your decision-making process.
Fortunately there are some great resources as well. Social Media has taken real experts from behind the curtain and allowed the masses the opportunity to get the information from them. Instead of having to go to a lecture to hear an idea from an esteemed colleague, you can follow them on Twitter or visit their blog every day. Instead of going through a Rolodex trying to find the person you need, you can just go on LinkedIn and see who you know in that area. And instead of wondering if what you are doing is right or wrong, you can find definitive answers on the internet.
Entrepreneur Magazine lists five to follow on Twitter for Hiring. Make sure to add us to that list as well @AstronWorldofHR. Also make sure to follow Jennifer Loftus @AstronSolutions.
Fortunately there are some great resources as well. Social Media has taken real experts from behind the curtain and allowed the masses the opportunity to get the information from them. Instead of having to go to a lecture to hear an idea from an esteemed colleague, you can follow them on Twitter or visit their blog every day. Instead of going through a Rolodex trying to find the person you need, you can just go on LinkedIn and see who you know in that area. And instead of wondering if what you are doing is right or wrong, you can find definitive answers on the internet.
Entrepreneur Magazine lists five to follow on Twitter for Hiring. Make sure to add us to that list as well @AstronWorldofHR. Also make sure to follow Jennifer Loftus @AstronSolutions.