The hospitality sector is one of the most important sectors in any part of the globe and it’s really quite diversified. It incorporates a lot of industries such as tourism, hotels, casinos, and many more, and it requires academic qualification and strict adherence to a professional code and ethics. With a lot of people applying for positions in the hospitality sector, it’s very important that you stand out. Here are a few tips which can help you become competitive in a world that requires nothing less than perfection.

You Curriculum vitae must project the right professional image that you should have. It should have the right balance between narrative and numbers and it should also be professionally written. A CV needs to be short and clear. Whoever is going to read your CV will definitely not appreciate a long one even if you have a lot to put. Normally a CV should only be two pages long and that’s not a lot of space especially if you’ve been through a lot. And if you caught the person’s interest by the second page, chances are he won’t read through the rest.

Send a very good cover letter to the company you want along with your CV. It should highlight the most important points of your CV that are relevant to the job you’re interested in or to the company. These points may be your experiences that are relevant to the job you want. When you’re writing a cover letter, make it brief and structured.

One of the best ways to sharpen the needed skills for your job interview is to practice answering the possible interview questions at home. Think of possible questions the interviewer might throw at you and come up with an answer that will not only answer the question but also highlight your skills. Also, try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions. Practice your responses but make sure that they will sound natural and not scripted. You want to be prepared, but not sound too prepared.

Research and prepare for your interview thoroughly. Make sure that you know the full background of the company you are applying for. Relate all your answers to how they may benefit the company needs in relation to its services, products, customers and competition.

Come to the office or place of interview 10 to 15 minutes early. You should never let the interviewer wait for you. That would be unprofessional and will give the interviewer an idea of what you will be if they hire you.

Show enthusiasm with a firm hand shake and eye contact. This will demonstrate confidence. Stay calm and relaxed throughout the interview.

When you’re discussing your career accomplishments, try to relate them to what the company is looking for. Be honest, answer questions truthfully and be fair to yourself. Highlight your good points; mention how you were able to handle difficult situations and how you can be an asset to the company.

Take the initiative to discuss with the interviewer points that have not been raised yet. Tell the interviewer things that you want them to know about you, things that you think can help you get the job. After the interview, don’t forget to thank the interviewer for their time and the opportunity to be interviewed. Ask them for steps like what to expect and when to hear from them.

Finally, make a follow up with a thank you note. Reiterate that you are interested in the position just so they won’t forget you.

Just because you’re being interviewed doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions. It’s always good to ask questions to show the interviewer that you are serious and you will not take anything less than what you’re interested in. Also give positive answers to the interviewer and never say anything negative about you or your previous company since it can reflect badly on you.

The hospitality sector has enjoyed rapid growth over the past few years due to the growing need for qualified people and the increased appreciation for the sector. It is now one of the greatest job providers and employers throughout the world.

Since the industry requires its professionals to come in direct contact with people, it requires both academic and general qualifications in order for someone to succeed in this field. There are a lot of institutions that offer education and training to qualify for most positions in this sector.

Jobs in the hospitality sector include management which takes full responsibility of all operations of a business; hotel clerk positions which ensures the comfort of guests in the hotel and assisting them in various ways; bellhops take care of guests as they arrive at the hotel and helping them with their luggage; convention and meeting planners organize resources and logistics of meetings and conventions held in a hotel; concierge provides information on local services and opportunities and fulfilling the guests’ requests. The hospitality sector provides a lot of opportunities for employment with a lot of good salaries and benefits.

Useful links for Australia

• Career Counsellors
• Job Search
• Labour Hire
• Training and Development

A career in the legal profession can be very challenging physically and intellectually, but it can be very fulfilling and financially rewarding. There are people who go through a lot just to land the job they want and it can be quite a challenge for you to stand out especially when the legal profession requires great intellect, personality, strong writing and communication skills, strict adherence to deadlines, organizational ability, and attention to detail. Here are a few things you need to know to help you stand out and increase your chances of landing the job.

The best way to start your legal career is to advance your education especially in some specialty areas where advanced degree or professional certification is needed. In order for you to demonstrate a level of commitment to the profession and enhance your professional credibility, you need these certifications.

You can use your experience or background in a specific field to help others through consulting or through specialization in your niche area. You can use your education or knowledge in a specific field can be of great help to another legal field. You can also list all of your strengths and weaknesses and objectively review your experiences and credentials to determine if a legal career is right for you.

It can be a very good idea to research the field you want. Read information relating to the qualifications, duties, and educational requirements to the legal position you are interested in. Talk to the people you know about the legal profession and try to find out what is expected of you and what you can expect from the legal position you want. To gain professional contacts, you must network feverously.

You can find a mentor who can educate you regarding the benefits, opportunities, duties and responsibilities of the legal profession. This mentor can guide you through the legal profession, provide you with the necessary knowledge, and even point you towards new opportunities. You can even shadow someone by following their footsteps for a short period of time. Job shadowing allows you to learn more about the realities of the legal field.

There are a couple of reasons why you should consider a career in the legal profession.

• There are a lot of legal career options that serve a variety of core and non-core legal functions. The profession keeps expanding and evolving due to fast pace of the legal system. The legal profession has experienced tremendous growth over the years and there are a lot of job opportunities.
• The legal profession is one of the most lucrative professions today. Lawyers and non-lawyers alike reap significant financial rewards in the legal profession. Legal professionals also enjoy a lot of job opportunities in any economic climate.
• The legal profession allows you to help people and corporations resolve their legal problems.
• There are a lot of practice areas in the legal profession, such as criminal law, employment law, family law, and many others.
• The legal profession is intellectually challenging. Legal professionals must be able to keep up in the fast pace environment and the conceptually challenging issues, reason with logic and clarity, analyse case and statutory law, and many others.
• Being a legal professional has its perks and prestige is one of them. Legal professionals are viewed as successful and the job is regarded as noble and elite. People sometimes see the legal profession as exciting, glamorous, fast-paced and desired.
• Because the legal system continuously evolves, the legal profession changes continuously as well. It brings new challenges and rewards as well.

You Curriculum vitae must project the right professional image that you should have. It should have the right balance between narrative and numbers and it should also be professionally written. A CV needs to be short and clear. Whoever is going to read your CV will definitely not appreciate a long one even if you have a lot to put. Normally a CV should only be two pages long and that’s not a lot of space especially if you’ve been through a lot. And if you caught the person’s interest by the second page, chances are he won’t read through the rest.

Send a very good cover letter to the company you want along with your CV. It should highlight the most important points of your CV that are relevant to the job you’re interested in or to the company. These points may be your experiences that are relevant to the job you want. When you’re writing a cover letter, make it brief and structured.

One of the best ways to sharpen the needed skills for your job interview is to practice answering the possible interview questions at home. Think of possible questions the interviewer might throw at you and come up with an answer that will not only answer the question but also highlight your skills. Also, try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions. Practice your responses but make sure that they will sound natural and not scripted. You want to be prepared, but not sound too prepared.

Research and prepare for your interview thoroughly. Make sure that you know the full background of the company you are applying for. Relate all your answers to how they may benefit the company needs in relation to its services, products, customers and competition.

Come to the office or place of interview 10 to 15 minutes early. You should never let the interviewer wait for you. That would be unprofessional and will give the interviewer an idea of what you will be if they hire you.

Show enthusiasm with a firm hand shake and eye contact. This will demonstrate confidence. Stay calm and relaxed throughout the interview.

When you’re discussing your career accomplishments, try to relate them to what the company is looking for. Be honest, answer questions truthfully and be fair to yourself. Highlight your good points; mention how you were able to handle difficult situations and how you can be an asset to the company.

Take the initiative to discuss with the interviewer points that have not been raised yet. Tell the interviewer things that you want them to know about you, things that you think can help you get the job. After the interview, don’t forget to thank the interviewer for their time and the opportunity to be interviewed. Ask them for steps like what to expect and when to hear from them.

Finally, make a follow up with a thank you note. Reiterate that you are interested in the position just so they won’t forget you.

Just because you’re being interviewed doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions. It’s always good to ask questions to show the interviewer that you are serious and you will not take anything less than what you’re interested in. Also give positive answers to the interviewer and never say anything negative about you or your previous company since it can reflect badly on you.

Having a management job is not easy to have. It’s not even easy to start one. No one will never give you your first management job unless you have experience in managing a team. In order for you to get the management job you want, here are a few things you need to know to get started and how to keep it.

No one will take you seriously or will never consider you for a management position if you can’t do your job well. Being good at your job now will help you get a management job in the future. This is actually the first step toward landing a management job. And part of doing your job is to find out what managers do. Observe how they work in your organisation or team and see what and how they do it. Read books on management and leadership and apply them. This will catch your superior’s attention.

It’s very important for any manager to be able to deal and manage people. People skills must be developed for any manager to succeed. You need to learn how people think, react, and function when faced with different outside forces. You also need to develop respect for people and learn to work with people who are different from you. See how you can be a positive force and influence to them.

As a manager or a manager-to-be, you need to demonstrate initiative. See how you can help your boss by volunteering in team planning and collecting necessary information. Offer your skills and services to your team without negatively impacting the performance of your main job. You can even volunteer at one of the local non-profit organisations you support. The skills and experiences you get from these volunteer works can help you land your first management job. This will also help you build your contacts and further your career through recommendations.

If you want to be considered for a management position, you must let your superior know about it. Ask for it; don’t wait for someone to offer it to you. You can tell your boss that you want the position and to keep you in mind the next time they need someone to head up a small team. When they see that you can handle small teams, you will start to get bigger tasks, eventually leading to a supervisor or management position.

If you’re applying for a managerial position in a new company, you need are still a few more things you need to know to help you stand out and land the job.

You Curriculum vitae must project the right professional image that you should have. It should have the right balance between narrative and numbers and it should also be professionally written. A CV needs to be short and clear. Whoever is going to read your CV will definitely not appreciate a long one even if you have a lot to put. Normally a CV should only be two pages long and that’s not a lot of space especially if you’ve been through a lot. And if you caught the person’s interest by the second page, chances are he won’t read through the rest.

Send a very good cover letter to the company you want along with your CV. It should highlight the most important points of your CV that are relevant to the job you’re interested in or to the company. These points may be your experiences that are relevant to the job you want. When you’re writing a cover letter, make it brief and structured.

One of the best ways to sharpen the needed skills for your job interview is to practice answering the possible interview questions at home. Think of possible questions the interviewer might throw at you and come up with an answer that will not only answer the question but also highlight your skills. Also, try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions. Practice your responses but make sure that they will sound natural and not scripted. You want to be prepared, but not sound too prepared.

Research and prepare for your interview thoroughly. Make sure that you know the full background of the company you are applying for. Relate all your answers to how they may benefit the company needs in relation to its services, products, customers and competition.

Come to the office or place of interview 10 to 15 minutes early. You should never let the interviewer wait for you. That would be unprofessional and will give the interviewer an idea of what you will be if they hire you.

Show enthusiasm with a firm hand shake and eye contact. This will demonstrate confidence. Stay calm and relaxed throughout the interview.

When you’re discussing your career accomplishments, try to relate them to what the company is looking for. Be honest, answer questions truthfully and be fair to yourself. Highlight your good points; mention how you were able to handle difficult situations and how you can be an asset to the company.

Take the initiative to discuss with the interviewer points that have not been raised yet. Tell the interviewer things that you want them to know about you, things that you think can help you get the job. After the interview, don’t forget to thank the interviewer for their time and the opportunity to be interviewed. Ask them for steps like what to expect and when to hear from them.

Finally, make a follow up with a thank you note. Reiterate that you are interested in the position just so they won’t forget you.

Just because you’re being interviewed doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions. It’s always good to ask questions to show the interviewer that you are serious and you will not take anything less than what you’re interested in. Also give positive answers to the interviewer and never say anything negative about you or your previous company since it can reflect badly on you.

Many people see information technology as one of the best and hottest career fields today. There are many companies that constantly hire qualified people trained and educated in information technology to immediately fill positions. But with the competition fierce, it will be a challenge to stand out and land the job. Here are a few things you need to remember to get that IT job faster and easier.

A CV needs to be short and clear. Whoever is going to read your CV will definitely not appreciate a long one even if you have a lot to put. Normally a CV should only be two pages long and that’s not a lot of space especially if you’ve been through a lot. And if you caught the person’s interest by the second page, chances are he won’t read through the rest. Always remember that the most important information and recent experiences need to be at the top of your CV.

Make sure that your CV is not cluttered. Arrange points into sections and use bullet points to keep everything short and in order. Don’t scrimp on space because ‘white space’ between each section makes it easier on the eyes.

Put the most recent duties and responsibilities at the top of your list. It’s only logical to start with the most recent. Why should anyone do otherwise? The recruiter will most definitely want to know the kind of job you currently have and what you are capable as an employee now. Don’t leave gaps between jobs. Put everything in order, but be concise.

Be sure that your CV is error-free. It should be spot on and proofread by someone else. The purpose of proofreading is to make sure your CV is free from spelling and grammatical errors. Your recruiter will never believe that you’re a perfectionist or a good communicator if your CV has errors on it.

One of the best ways to sharpen the needed skills for your job interview is to practice answering the possible interview questions at home. Think of possible questions the interviewer might throw at you and come up with an answer that will not only answer the question but also highlight your skills. Also, try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions. Practice your responses but make sure that they will sound natural and not scripted. You want to be prepared, but not sound too prepared.

When going to a job interview, you must wear clothing that will indicate you are ready to go to work on that day. Your clothes must be neatly pressed, shoes must be clean and polished, trimmed fingernails and well-groomed hairstyle, these are only a few of what you must have to be dress appropriately for any job interview.

For men: your necktie should be silk with a conservative pattern, dark shoes and black socks, short and clean hair. No beards, earrings and heavy cologne.

For women: wear a suit with a jacket, no extremely high-heeled or open-toe shoes, wear clear or conservative nail polish, conservative makeup, no heavy perfume and not too much accessories.

Nothing says you’re serious about the job than being on time for the interview. Come to the office or place of interview 10 to 15 minutes early. You should never let the interviewer wait for you. That would be unprofessional and will give the interviewer an idea of what you will be if they hire you. You can even drive to the office ahead of time so you would know exactly how long it will take to get there.

Introduce yourself with a warm smile and a firm handshake. Always maintain eye contact throughout the conversation.  During the interview try to stay as calm and relaxed as possible. Listen very carefully to the questions being thrown at you before you give the interviewer your answer. It’s alright to ask the interviewer to repeat the question if you didn’t hear it clearly. You don’t want to give the interviewer the wrong answer just because you didn’t hear him or her clearly. The key here is confidence. If you know what you’re capable of, who you are, and what you can give to the company, then those questions won’t be so difficult for you. You have to know what you’re talking about as well. Take a moment to regroup every now and then.

When you’re discussing your career accomplishments, try to relate them to what the company is looking for. Be honest, answer questions truthfully and be fair to yourself. Highlight your good points; mention how you were able to handle difficult situations and how you can be an asset to the company. You can also share the lessons you have learned and the improvements that you have taken as an employee. Just don’t tell the interviewer that you’re willing to take any job. You need to know what you’re applying for.

Make a follow up with a thank you note. Reiterate that you are interested in the position just so they won’t forget you.

The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) is Australia’s representative body and advocacy group to promote and represent the information technology industry in the country. It currently represents over 400 member organisations and more than 40,000 employees.

There are a lot of reasons why many people are enticed to get sales jobs. Why wouldn’t they? Good salespeople can get better jobs than they had with the promise of higher compensation and career advancement based on achievement of performance goals. The problem is that the industry is highly competitive and a lot of employers are looking for people who are effective, productive and determined. Here are a few things you need to know to get ahead, stand out and land the sales job you want.

You need to specify the role you are seeking. You need to be sure of what you want. There is no room for the shotgun approach wherein you’d include responsibilities such as business development, sales management or channel management. You need to be very specific on what you’re interested in and what you can do for the company. Many executives want the right candidate for a specific job. If you have a broad experience in a number of different areas, use what you think can make you even more qualified for the job you are seeking.

It’s very important to be accurate on your resume. Never lie or misrepresent yourself on your resume because it can be an immediate cause for rejection. List all your achievements, responsibilities and the results of hard work. Only put facts and it’s a good idea to include numbers just to give the recruiter an idea of what you are capable of as a future employee. Obviously you want to present yourself very well to the recruiter, but embellishing the truth usually doesn’t work. It can only make you look desperate for the position and that usually says you don’t have the necessary skills needed by the company. Many executives want to see resume of a salesperson with performance statistics. This will prove the record of which you are proud of.

One of the best ways to sharpen the needed skills for your job interview is to practice answering the possible interview questions at home. Think of possible questions the interviewer might throw at you and come up with an answer that will not only answer the question but also highlight your skills. Also, try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions. Practice your responses but make sure that they will sound natural and not scripted. You want to be prepared, but not sound too prepared.

Research and prepare for your interview thoroughly. Make sure that you know the full background of the company you are applying for. Relate all your answers to how they may benefit the company needs in relation to its services, products, customers and competition.

Get the right references because it can help you greatly in landing the job you want. Some employers even go the extra mile by contacting people in the industry and perform a blind reference check on you. This is why it’s very important to build your reputation and relationship with other people who can help you in your career.

Everybody has weaknesses and you need to spend some time determining what your weaknesses are. You also need to do something to improve on those areas. If you tell your employer that you don’t have any, that’s already a weakness in itself and can tell your employer that you’re still not sure about what you are capable of.

According to seltekconsultants.co.uk, here are some of the positions commonly offered in sales.

• Sales Representative. Calls on a number of customers each day, inquiring about needs, promoting products, advising customers, taking orders. Emphasis is placed on building relationships with customers and is often seen as a starting point in a sales career.
• Sales Executive. Emphasis on finding new business, doing demonstrations and often involves two or more visits to complete. Often involves discussions with financial personnel/sources of funding.
• Key Accounts Sales. Highly involved sales to a very small number of customers, usually large companies, and always very important to your company. Involves spending a lot of time with them, discussing needs at all levels, negotiating long-term, high-value agreements. Requires extensive sales experience, good diplomacy and negotiating skills.
• Export Sales. Spends up to 50% time abroad. Selling direct to users if selling capital equipment, or through distributors/agents if selling small equipment or consumables. Involves recruiting, training, supporting and managing distributors/agents abroad.
• Applications Specialist. Field based supports sales people before and after the sale – accompanying them on visits to the customers. Very knowledgeable about the products or equipment, well qualified technically, and able to work with other people easily. Giving demonstrations, installs/commissions equipment, trains customers, offers ‘hotline’ support. Often seen as a good stepping-stone into sales.
• Customer Support. Office based, with occasional field visits to customers, supporting sales people. Mainly reactive work, answering customers’ queries about products. Need to be well qualified, knowledgeable about the products, a good communicator, and very diplomatic. On the telephone all day, if not, then using a computer. Often seen as a good start to a sales career for a scientist.
• Telesales. Office based, calling customers on the telephone, offering products or services. Mainly proactive i.e. you make the calls, but may involve taking incoming calls and answering sales enquiries. Can be more or less technical, but will require energetic, enthusiastic approach, as well as resilience and stamina.
• Product Manager. Office based, providing support to direct sales force and/or distributors, in respect of a single product or limited range of products. Writes advertising, brochures, training manuals for products. Trains direct sales force/distributor sales forces on how to sell the products. Provides ‘hotline support’ to all users of the products. Liaises with customers and product developers to direct future development of the product in line with customer requirements.
• Marketing Executive/Manager. Less technical involvement, more involvement with strategic planning, assessing market requirements, decision making/influencing regarding product development, pricing, promotion and positioning within the market. Likely to be formally qualified in marketing. May or may not have a sales background. More analytical, imaginative sort of job.

Finance and insurance are both extremely competitive professions, even more so at the entry level. Many people seek positions in financial and insurance companies because of the financial rewards and all the other benefits provided by the industry. There are a couple of things you can follow to increase your chances of landing a finance or insurance job.

Companies do not expect entry level employees to know a lot about the business. Many of these companies have programs to educate new hires. An internship can help you get the experience you need to get the job. Internship work usually involves responsibilities that anyone can do. Doing several internships provide a great display of work ethic, which is highly regarded in the finance and insurance industries.

You need to diversify your experiences. Try to get internships around the industry to help you gain a better perspective on many areas. While you’re learning, build your network as well. References can be very valuable no matter what.

You should pick a business-oriented major like finance or economics. It’s better for companies to hire employees that have a degree in a field related to finance. You can pick up financial knowledge by reading books, tutorials and other sources of information.

You Curriculum vitae must project the right professional image that you should have. It should have the right balance between narrative and numbers and it should also be professionally written. A CV needs to be short and clear. Whoever is going to read your CV will definitely not appreciate a long one even if you have a lot to put. Normally a CV should only be two pages long and that’s not a lot of space especially if you’ve been through a lot. And if you caught the person’s interest by the second page, chances are he won’t read through the rest.

Send a very good cover letter to the company you want along with your CV. It should highlight the most important points of your CV that are relevant to the job you’re interested in or to the company. These points may be your experiences that are relevant to the job you want. When you’re writing a cover letter, make it brief and structured.

One of the best ways to sharpen the needed skills for your job interview is to practice answering the possible interview questions at home. Think of possible questions the interviewer might throw at you and come up with an answer that will not only answer the question but also highlight your skills. Also, try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions. Practice your responses but make sure that they will sound natural and not scripted. You want to be prepared, but not sound too prepared.

Research and prepare for your interview thoroughly. Make sure that you know the full background of the company you are applying for. Relate all your answers to how they may benefit the company needs in relation to its services, products, customers and competition.

Come to the office or place of interview 10 to 15 minutes early. You should never let the interviewer wait for you. That would be unprofessional and will give the interviewer an idea of what you will be if they hire you.

Show enthusiasm with a firm hand shake and eye contact. This will demonstrate confidence. Stay calm and relaxed throughout the interview.

When you’re discussing your career accomplishments, try to relate them to what the company is looking for. Be honest, answer questions truthfully and be fair to yourself. Highlight your good points; mention how you were able to handle difficult situations and how you can be an asset to the company.

Take the initiative to discuss with the interviewer points that have not been raised yet. Tell the interviewer things that you want them to know about you, things that you think can help you get the job. After the interview, don’t forget to thank the interviewer for their time and the opportunity to be interviewed. Ask them for steps like what to expect and when to hear from them.

Finally, make a follow up with a thank you note. Reiterate that you are interested in the position just so they won’t forget you.

Just because you’re being interviewed doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions. It’s always good to ask questions to show the interviewer that you are serious and you will not take anything less than what you’re interested in. Also give positive answers to the interviewer and never say anything negative about you or your previous company since it can reflect badly on you.

The Insurance Council of Australia represents the general insurance industry in Australia. The Accounting & Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, on the other hand, is the premier representative body that upholds that interests of accounting and finance professionals.

Employment in the manufacturing industry has been in the decline in the past few years around the country. The good news is that the number of manufacturing jobs and its quality has rebounded recently. Many opportunities have emerged and it has now become as attractive as ever.

Since the manufacturing industry is highly competitive, it is very important for anybody who wants to land a manufacturing job to be qualified. You need to take the best advantage of the job opportunities present today, milk it as much as you can, and make yourself better than the other applicants. Here are a few things you need to know in landing the best positions in the manufacturing industry.

A great start to a successful career in manufacturing is to establish, maintain and grow a wide network of professional and personal contacts. You can start as early as when you were still training. Speaking of training, you must treat your trainings as your way of getting the best jobs in the manufacturing industry. You will be asked for your supervisor’s or employer’s professional recommendations and it will be a plus if you were able to impress them with your performance. The better the recommendations you get, the greater your chances of landing a manufacturing job.

Having a manufacturing job is not always about money and other financial rewards. There are things you need to consider to achieve a balance between monetary compensation and personal professional fulfillment. You must understand that opportunities in the manufacturing industry are open-ended, which means that positions allow for the person’s flexibility in making career changes. Manufacturing jobs are very volatile. Dead-end jobs do not bode well for a person who wants to make it big in the industry. For example, if the position pays very well but it does not offer promotions after a long time, you may be trapped in a job where job fulfillment in nil.

You need to plan your career in order for it to blossom to great heights. Planning is a very important activity that must be performed in looking for and then landing the manufacturing job you want. Ask yourself if the job you’re applying for will serve the goal of your career plan.

You Curriculum vitae must project the right professional image that you should have. It should have the right balance between narrative and numbers and it should also be professionally written. A CV needs to be short and clear. Whoever is going to read your CV will definitely not appreciate a long one even if you have a lot to put. Normally a CV should only be two pages long and that’s not a lot of space especially if you’ve been through a lot. And if you caught the person’s interest by the second page, chances are he won’t read through the rest.

Send a very good cover letter to the company you want along with your CV. It should highlight the most important points of your CV that are relevant to the job you’re interested in or to the company. These points may be your experiences that are relevant to the job you want. When you’re writing a cover letter, make it brief and structured.

One of the best ways to sharpen the needed skills for your job interview is to practice answering the possible interview questions at home. Think of possible questions the interviewer might throw at you and come up with an answer that will not only answer the question but also highlight your skills. Also, try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions. Practice your responses but make sure that they will sound natural and not scripted. You want to be prepared, but not sound too prepared.

Research and prepare for your interview thoroughly. Make sure that you know the full background of the company you are applying for. Relate all your answers to how they may benefit the company needs in relation to its services, products, customers and competition.

Come to the office or place of interview 10 to 15 minutes early. You should never let the interviewer wait for you. That would be unprofessional and will give the interviewer an idea of what you will be if they hire you.

Show enthusiasm with a firm hand shake and eye contact. This will demonstrate confidence. Stay calm and relaxed throughout the interview.

When you’re discussing your career accomplishments, try to relate them to what the company is looking for. Be honest, answer questions truthfully and be fair to yourself. Highlight your good points; mention how you were able to handle difficult situations and how you can be an asset to the company.

Take the initiative to discuss with the interviewer points that have not been raised yet. Tell the interviewer things that you want them to know about you, things that you think can help you get the job. After the interview, don’t forget to thank the interviewer for their time and the opportunity to be interviewed. Ask them for steps like what to expect and when to hear from them.

Finally, make a follow up with a thank you note. Reiterate that you are interested in the position just so they won’t forget you.

Just because you’re being interviewed doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions. It’s always good to ask questions to show the interviewer that you are serious and you will not take anything less than what you’re interested in. Also give positive answers to the interviewer and never say anything negative about you or your previous company since it can reflect badly on you.

Useful Link:

www.atug.com.au

Connecting with people these days has become more important with the advent of the internet and the rise of social networking sites. Social networking is a great tool to be used especially in enhancing your prospects. With sites such as Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook, you get to invite people to be your contact and you get to see information about them. Their interests, the companies they’ve worked for, where they graduated; things that you can properly use to make a connection with them.

To get started, you can upload your Gmail and other email contact books and cross reference those contacts with the emails of people who have already joined social networking sites. That way you’d able to invite a lot of people to be your ‘friend’ in a short span of time. What you can do is to treat social networking sites as an organic linking campaign that attracts recognition and focus from people who you share similar interests and professions with. But the trick in using social networking sites is how you use it, not how big the size your list is.

To maintain a balanced social network to help you maintain contacts and to brand yourself, there are a couple of things that you need to remember a few things.

• You have to post your own photo and information on your profile. If you want to use social networking sites as a way to enhance your prospects, treat it more professional in its value. People, especially those who are socially savvy, can quickly identify false connections.
• Update your contact list on a weekly basis by adding a couple of people. The more people you connect with, the bigger and better you build your connections.
• Since you treat these social networking sites a venue for enhancing your prospects, don’t get too personal when posting information. Nobody, especially important people, wants to know what you ate last night or how drunk you were the night before. Be transparent, but not too transparent. Learn to filter your posts.
• Learn to use a Fan Page. This can be very helpful, more helpful in fact than email, when you want to connect with people who share the same interests with. It can be very successful if it attracts a lot of people.
• You can spend a good 20-30 minutes a day or a week adding existing and new potential friends that you are connecting with through groups and fan pages. After a while, as your connections grow, people will eventually send you invitations to be their friend every day and it snow balls. You only need to behave nicely on social networking sites.
• Use applications that can help you improve your profile. There is no need to add a lot of applications on your social networking page. It will only make your profile page littered and it can possibly prevent people from actually reading the important information you posted there.
• When you connect with people, learn to ask and answer questions. Social networking sites are venues where we can tap someone in our industry or some other industry. Asking someone for information or resources online is a valuable tool now especially when a lot of people are using these sites. No need for calls or emails.
• Never ever send someone spam. It’s unprofessional and it’s irritating.
• It is recommended that you send a personal message when you make a connection rather than using a default message which can be sent to everybody. Sending a personal message to people you are trying to reconnect with can tell them that you’re genuinely interested to reconnect. You may also even remind them how you know them just in case they have forgotten about you.
• If you have a blog, you can promote your profile there. You can even put the link to your profiles or sites onto your email so that people can immediately visit your page whenever you send them an email.
• Sometimes it’s necessary to remove someone from your contacts or friends list. This can be very handy especially when the person no longer seems useful to you or because that person is a liability. Don’t be afraid to ‘unfriend’ someone.

There has been a significant increase of people using sites such as Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook. Most of these people use these sites purely for social networking. A lot of them, still, utilize social networking sites for professional and business networking. The line between social and professional networking can get blurry. It can be very difficult to find out where to draw the line, especially when you’re looking for a job. You need to be careful and use your connections wisely to help build your career.