Interview Questions to Avoid

Oftentimes job-seekers forget that interviewing is a two-way street. It's an opportunity for the interviewer to learn more about you and allow you to convince him/her why you would be an excellent selection for the job which you are applying for. It is also an opportunity for the candidate to interview the company as well. This is your career we're talking about and you want to be certain that this company is going to be the right fit for you and your needs.

Recruiters/Hiring Managers EXPECT candidates to ask well-thought out questions in the interview. In fact, as you've read in a previous blog, if you don't ask questions in the interview it will almost certainly work against you in our decision making process and almost certainly have us identify a different candidate to offer the job to. There are however, some questions you should steer away from asking the interviewer.

Here are a list of questions to NEVER ASK in an interview: (http://tinyurl.com/7cqkqd). These questions will also ensure that you will not be invited back for a second interview.

Tammy Turner
President/CEO
Kapstone Recruiting & Training Services
http://www.kapstonejobs.com
http://blogtalkradio.com/kapstone-recruiting

Recruiter Asks: What Are Your Weaknesses?

You've all heard the dreaded interview question: "Tell me what your weaknesses are." And time after time, candidates fail this test (yes, I said test) by answering with:

1. I don't have any weaknesses (everyone has weaknesses...recruiter knows you're lying)
2. I'm a workaholic (displays inability to effectively manage time)
3. I'm a perfectionist (shows inability to delegate or make a decision)

As a recruiter, when I ask you to identify your weakness(es), IT IS A TRICK QUESTION! What I'm trying to get to is 1) Are you going to be honest, 2)Are you prepared, 3)If you identified a weakness, what are you doing to turn it into a strength, and 4)If you are going to reveal any information that may be a potential red flag.

See this article from the Wall Street Journal (http://tinyurl.com/cb7ff9).

What are some of the answers that you have given when a recruiter has asked you this question?

Tammy Turner
President/CEO
Kapstone Recruiting & Training Services
http://www.kapstonejobs.com
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kapstone-recruiting

References - Got any?

Ever been ambushed by your reference? Have you ever worried about what your previous boss (who you listed as a reference) would say about your past performance? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you need to view this link on "How to Bulletproof Your References" (http://tinyurl.com/dau2ms).

You should take special care in grooming your references....first and foremost by asking is it okay for you to use them as a reference! You would be surprised at how many reference checks I've done when the person on the other end of the phone says "wow, he used me as a reference?" and it's all down hill from there. Please note also that if you inform me that it is your previous company's "policy" not to give out reference information that I can contact HR to verify your employment, that is a HUGE red flag for me. Lots of companies have this policy, but how that reads to a recruiter is that there is something that you don't want me to know.

References can be a deal-breaker! Please make sure yours are bulletproof!

Tammy Turner
President/CEO
Kapstone Recruiting & Training Services
http://www.kapstonejobs.com
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kapstone-recruiting

Love to Travel? Have your job pay for it!

Having traveled and lived overseas for many years I am a champion for overseas living. I love meeting new people, learning new cultures and eating great food. Now how can I find a career that will allow me to do all of these things and still pay me a comfortable salary? Take a look at this article: (http://tinyurl.com/crfh2w).

TEFL is a huge business overseas, well at least it was in Asia. Just think about it...2 years in Singapore, 2 years in Ghana, 2 years in Cambodia, 2 years in Indonesia. Sound exciting?? TEFL will allow you the freedom to do just that and make a comfortable salary as well.

For those of you that have an MBA, you may want to consider international opportunities with the UN (http://unicef.org) or the US Embassy or other international organizations such as CARE (http://care.org). It's a great opportunity for you to explore the world and have your company pay for it. Time to think outside the box!

Tammy Turner
President/CEO
Kapstone Recruiting & Training Services
http://www.kapstonejobs.com
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kapstone-recruiting

Mistakes On The Job

With 5 Million people having lost their jobs since December 2007, many people today are concerned that they will be the next person to receive a pink slip. That worry creates stress and oftentimes that stress can cause you to make mistakes that you wouldn't normally make because you're more focused on your Plan B than you are on the job-at-hand.

See the following link "Don't Let Mistakes Jeopardize Your Job" (http://tinyurl.com/d8ab5q) and reflect on the things that you can do to ensure you're not helping yourself to the unemployment line. Numbers 1, 4 and 5 really resonate with me, but not just to keep from losing your job, just as a good business practice overall.

Tammy Turner
President/CEO
Kapstone Recruiting & Training Services
http://www.kapstonejobs.com
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kapstone-recruiting

Finding A Stimulus Job

So here is that word "Stimulus" once again. With President Obama pouring billions of stimulus dollars into the US economy it is guaranteed to create jobs. How can you find out about these jobs, check out this link: (http://tinyurl.com/cquaxc).

The steps outlined in this article are not applicable only in your search for "stimulus jobs." These are general practices that can be applied by the everyday job seeker that is looking for creative ways to secure an interview, research their industry and gain market knowledge.

I love "Follow the Money" and "Retrofit Your Resume." Great tips that will get results.

Tammy Turner
President/CEO
Kapstone Recruiting & Training Services
www.kapstonejobs.com

Salary Secrets

Is it that time of year again? Time for your performance evaluation. Well, if you had an outstanding year and your performance was "exceeding expectations" then you should be expecting to see a double digit percentage increase, right? Well maybe not. Check out these "5 Salary Secrets Your Company Won't Tell You" - (http://tinyurl.com/4eg9n3).

In the current economy, even the high performers are wondering what their salary increases will equate to. Pay particularly close attention to numbers 2 & 3 from the article in the link above. I wouldn't necessarily recommend number 5, as it may backfire and you could find yourself on the unemployment line.

Tammy Turner
President/CEO
Kapstone Recruiting & Training Services
www.kapstonejob.com