SingingTipsA2Z: July 2016

7 Key Etiquette Tips for Your Job Search

In this post, let me share all freeinterviewquestions.net 's readers about The 13 most common job interview mistakes (source: careerealism.com). If you want to share more career development tips, please leave your comments at the end of this post.

1. Be courteous to everyone, everywhere all the time.

Of course it should go without saying that you need to be polite to everyone when you are being interviewed. But you never know what cameras record in the reception area, or if your muttering in the restroom is unknowingly addressed to the hiring manager you are about to formally meet for the first time.

Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale and U.S. News blogger, counseled in a recent tweet: “Be courteous in the gym – it’s possible your next prospect [i.e. hiring manager] is working out next to you.” (@smoothsale)

2. Don’t waste people’s time.

Hiring managers, human resources professionals and recruiters are all busy. Don’t be the person who keeps applying to the same job multiple times in the same week in order to keep popping up on the radar.

When you are in an interview, keep your answers short, focused and to the point. Sometimes searches take longer than anyone anticipated. You can be sure that if you are the No. 1 candidate, you’ll be getting called along the way. Don’t allow yourself to be seen as a pest by overly frequent or demanding communications. Recognize that sometimes no news is simply that: no news.

3. Listen carefully to what people ask.

For example, “Tell me about yourself” isn’t a historical question about how you got to where you are. Instead, it asks about what kind of person and professional you are.

Of course, you should be well prepared to talk about any aspect of your professional life in an interview. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should give an all-encompassing narrative when it hasn’t been requested. Make sure you are answering the questions people actually ask, rather than the questions you want or expect them to ask.

4. Listen carefully to what people say.

For example, it is typical for a hiring manager to describe the job or how the company goes about things at the beginning of an interview. It is the kiss of death when, later in the same conversation, you ask for information you’ve already been given. Of course, you can ask for a clarification or an expansion of an earlier subject, but don’t do so in a way that suggests you never even heard the information that a person has just conveyed to you!

5. Turn off your phone.

When you are in a business meeting, nothing conveys a sense of “you’re not worth paying attention to” or “you aren’t my highest priority at this moment” than fidgeting with or answering your cell phone. Make a point of leaving your phone home, in the car or at least entirely turned off. Your interviewer deserves and expects your undivided attention.

6. Dress appropriately and take care of your personal appearance.

Most professionals are expected to wear business attire (so for men, no khakis, jeans or open collar). Yet there are many settings where business casual is accepted and even expected. If you have any doubt at all, don’t hesitate to inquire of the person who invites you in for the interview. If you are expected to show up dressed one way, and you fail to conform, it will likely be seen as a sign of disrespect.

7. Extend your appreciation, and promptly follow up all interviews.

A thank you note is expected generally by email the same day as the interview, and certainly not longer than the next day. If you promise other information, such as references for samples of your work product, be prompt in supplying them. It is simply rude not to follow up and recognize the courtesies that have been extended to you.

The 13 most common job interview mistakes

1. Showing off

Despite what you might see on The Apprentice, employers are rarely impressed by outrageous claims or displays of ego.

Make sure all your bragging is justified, says Philip Oldham. "The sort of personality that has done everything everyone else has, and has a story about it, is generally out for glory and doesn't put any effort into the job to achieve it."

According to Quora poster Yishan Wong, whose answer recieved almost 2,000 upvotes, "Showing off is a gamble: if you pull it off, good for you. If not, expect no sympathy."

2. Failing to do your homework

In today's information age, there is absolutely no excuse for knowing nothing about the company you are applying to work for. "This includes at a minimum doing your research on what it is and does, but also having given thought to where it's going and how you would contribute," says Jack Lion Heart.

Wong adds: "For popular consumer internet companies, not having created an account or tried out the product even minimally before coming to interview shows you don't do your homework."

"I've conducted so many interviews where I've asked, 'So what do you think of X?' and the candidate has said, 'I've been meaning to try it'," says serial interviewer Jonathan Lane. "Doesn't help to read the textbook after you've written the exam, folks."

3. Making up answers

Inflating your expertise is a quick way to alienate your interviewer. If you don't know the answer to a question, it's better to be up front about it.

"When asked a question they don't know the answer to, a lot of people try to guess, or try to bullsh*t the interviewer, or start going through facts they know that don't really answer the question," says Jadin Attar. "Don't do that. Just state clearly that you don't know.

"A good interviewer will take that as an opportunity. Maybe if given a related piece of information, you will be able to learn the answer on your own. In many cases, that will demonstrate something about your understanding of the topic beyond what you've read and what your experience has exposed you to. It can demonstrate the ease with which you can learn new information and how you connect concepts."

4. Forgetting your manners

"I once had a candidate who was respectful to all his male interviewers and totally rude to all his female interviewers," says Wong. Equally, directing all your answers to the most important person in the room instead of to the person who asked the question is disrespectful.

Swearing and crass comments are also no-nos. "Making jokes is high risk, low reward, even for the ones that land," claims Amanda Henry. "Especially avoid self-deprecating jokes, or jokes that are designed to 'bro out' with the panel. I'm interviewing potential employees, not potential friends. We can joke around later."

5. Asking no questions

"I have always found it fascinating that so many [interview candidates] never ask me anything," says Pieter D Roussouw. "A job interview not only enables the potential employer to assess your skills and suitability but it also enables the interviewee to assess if this company is in fact a good employer, compatible with your needs."

"At least ask something about what you'll actually be doing and who you'll be doing it with," says Henry. "Job postings very rarely give a sense of what an actual day in the job will feel like."

6. Apologising unnecessarily

This is the quickest way to undermine yourself in front of an employer, according to Steven Mason. He warns that "apologising for yourself, for others, for your answers, for your appearance, for anything" could make you look weak. "Apologise if you accidentally elbow someone in the mouth, not because you don't know the answer to a question or you don't agree with them or anything else outside of basic etiquette. Be who you are. Confidently."

7. A bad handshake

"I won't cancel you outright for a bad handshake, but it doesn't do you any favours," says Henry. "They're simple to learn, and prove that you're deliberate and thoughtful about how you present yourself."

That's not the only hand movement that could count against you. According to Jack Lion Hart, "bring hand wave-y" is also off-putting.

8. Failing to explain what you will bring to the party

According to Ed Weinstein, this problem is particularly true of recent graduates. "They use their cover letter to explain what our position can do for them instead of explaining what they can do for us."

9. Moaning about your current employer

"You're not running from somewhere but to somewhere," says Steve Everhard. "No employer wants to feel that you are joining them because it's better than where you are." Instead, show that you are excited by the opportunities the new firm represents.

10. Using 'yes' or 'no' answers

"What is most impressive is the candidate that expounds on the answer, showing how he understands the material," says Brian Feeny.

11. ...Unless the interviewer requires a 'yes' or 'no' answer

"The most common issue I've had when interviewing people is when they ramble on forever," says Tracey Croughwell Saenz. "It's like they're fishing for the right answer but they've got to tell me everything they did in their last job, whether or not it's relevant to the question.

"I really appreciate when a candidate listens to the question, and answers it thoughtfully and concisely. If you need clarification about the question, definitely ask. But don't try to squeeze in every great thing about yourself when you're asked a specific question."

12. Trite or practiced answers

Beware answers that seem too rehearsed - or that you've pulled straight out of an "idiot's guide to interviews"-style manual.

"If I ask a candidate, "What is your biggest weakness?" and they mention something that's actually a skill like "perfectionism" or "working too hard", it lacks insight and is a feeble attempt to impress," says Esha Krishnaswamy.

13. Dressing sloppily

"I interviewed a candidate for a programmer position years ago," says Frederic Gray. "He came into the interview sporting a scraggly beard, unkempt hair, and a dirty T-shirt. I asked him, 'Is this the outfit you expect to wear at work?' He responded that he expected to get paid for performance, not to be a fashion model (or words to that effect).

"I said that if we ever got a job for a programmer that never had to set foot in the office we would certainly call him back in, then dropped his resume in the trash and thanked him for coming in."

Top 10 Job Interview Tips for Job-Seekers

In this post, let me share all freeinterviewquestions.net 's readers about Top 10 Job Interview Tips for Job-Seekers (source: livecareer.com). If you want to share more career development tips, please leave your comments at the end of this post.

1. Conduct Research on the Employer, Hiring Manager, Job Opportunity.
Success in a job interview starts with a solid foundation of knowledge on the job-seeker’s part. You should understand the employer, the requirements of the job, and the background of the person (or people) interviewing you. The more research you conduct, the more you’ll understand the employer, and the better you’ll be able to answer interview questions (as well as ask insightful questions — see #8).

2. Review Common Interview Questions and Prepare Responses.

Another key to interview success is preparing responses to expected interview questions. First, inquire as to the type of interview to expect (which you can do by asking your contact person at the organization). Your goal is composing detailed yet concise responses, focusing on specific examples and accomplishments. A good tool for remembering your responses is to put them into story form that you can tell in the interview. No need to memorize responses (in fact, it’s best not to), but at least develop talking points.

3. Dress for Success.

Plan out a wardrobe that fits the organization and its culture, striving for the most professional appearance you can accomplish. Remember that it’s always better to be overdressed than under — and to wear clothing that fits and is clean and pressed. Keep accessories and jewelry to a minimum. Try not to smoke or eat right before the interview — and if possible, brush your teeth or use mouthwash.

4. Arrive on Time for the Interview — and Prepared for Success.

There is no excuse for ever arriving late for an interview — other than some sort of disaster. Strive to arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled interview to complete additional paperwork and allow yourself time to get settled. Arriving a bit early is also a chance to observe the dynamics of the workplace.

The day before the interview, pack up extra copies of your resume or CV and reference list. If you have a portfolio or samples of your work, bring those along too. Finally, remember to pack several pens and a pad of paper to jot notes. Finally, as you get to the offices, shut off your cell phone. (And if you were chewing gum, get rid of it.)

5. Make Good First Impressions — to Everyone You Encounter.

A cardinal rule of interviewing: Be polite and offer warm greetings to everyone you meet — from parking attendant or receptionist to the hiring manager. Employers often are curious how job applicants treat staff members — and your job offer could easily be derailed if you’re rude or arrogant to any of the staff. When it’s time for the interview, keep in mind that first impressions — the ones interviewers make in the first few seconds of greeting you — can make or break an interview. Make a strong first impression by dressing well (see #3), arriving early (see #4), and when greeting your interviewer, stand, smile, make eye contact, and offer a firm (neither limp and nor bone-crushing) handshake. Remember that having a positive attitude and expressing enthusiasm for the job and employer are vital in the initial stages of the interview; studies show that hiring managers make critical decisions about job applicants in the first 20 minutes of the interview.

6. Be Authentic, Upbeat, Focused, Confident, Candid, and Concise.

Once the interview starts, the key to success is the quality and delivery of your responses. Your goal should always be authenticity, responding truthfully to interview questions. At the same time, your goal is to get to the next step, so you’ll want to provide focused responses that showcase your skills, experience, and fit — with the job and the employer. Provide solid examples of solutions and accomplishments — but keep your responses short and to the point. By preparing responses to common interview questions (see #2), you’ll ideally avoid long, rambling responses that bore interviewers. Always attempt to keep your interview responses short and to the point. Finally, no matter how much an interviewer might bait you, never badmouth a previous employer, boss, or co-worker.

7. Remember Body Language, Avoiding Bad Habits. While the content of your interview responses is paramount, poor body language can be a distraction at best — or a reason not to hire you at worst. Effective forms of body language: smiling, eye contact, solid posture, active listening, nodding. Detrimental forms of body language: slouching, looking off in the distance, playing with pen, fidgeting in chair, brushing back hair, touching face, chewing gum, mumbling.

8. Ask Insightful Questions.

Studies continually show that employers make a judgment about an applicant’s interest in the job by whether or not the interviewee asks questions. Thus, even if the hiring manager was thorough in his or her discussions about the job opening and what is expected, you must ask a few questions. The smart job-seeker prepares questions to ask days before the interview, adding any additional queries that might arise from the interview.

9. Sell Yourself Throughout and then Close the Deal.

An adage in interviewing says the most qualified applicant is not always the one who is hired — which means the hired candidate is often the job-seeker who does the best job in responding to interview questions and showcasing his or her fit with the job, department, and organization. Some liken the job interview to a sales call. You are the salesperson — and the product you are selling to the employer is your ability to fill the organization’s needs, solve its problems, propel its success.

Finally, as the interview winds down, ask about the next steps in the process and the timetable the employer expects to use to make a decision about the position. If you are applying for a sales job — or a position requiring equivalent aggressiveness — consider asking for the job at the end of the interview.

10. Thank Interviewer(s) in Person, by Email, and Postal Mail.

As you have already seen from previous tips, common courtesy and politeness go far in interviewing; thus, the importance of thanking each person who interviews you should come as no surprise. Start the process while at the interview, thanking each person who interviewed you. Writing thank-you emails and notes shortly after the interview will not get you the job offer, but doing so will certainly give you an edge over any of the other finalists who did not bother to send thank-you’s.

10 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Career

In this post, let me share all freeinterviewquestions.net 's readers about 10 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Career (source: careerealism.com). If you want to share more career development tips, please leave your comments at the end of this post.

1. Set small goals regularly

When it comes to annual reviews, there is so much focus on goals for the year. A year is a long time; too long in fact to set tangible, achievable goals. Therefore, it is far more wise to set smaller goals throughout the year. Think about your day-to-day work. What could you be doing to elevate that work? Are there skills you could learn to help you advance? Think about this for a bit and then make a list of goals that relate to these items.

And then, once you’ve set the goals, give yourself a deadline to have learned these things. When you’ve hit the deadline… give yourself a grade. Seriously. It works. Did you do it? Did you do it well? Then ask someone else how they would score or grade you on these new skills. Then rinse and repeat.

2. Stretch yourself

The smartest of us say that success is just outside our comfort zone. So, it goes without saying that you must stretch beyond your area of expertise. Do something that scares you. Don’t like public speaking, start signing up for presentations at work or networking events. Does it terrify you to put your industry thoughts out there? Ask someone for the opportunity to guest post. Whatever gives you the collywobbles; sign up for it, today.

3. Get feedback

While self-assessment is important, it is also important to get feedback. And it is important to get feedback all the time. I happen to ask at the end of each and every meeting I lead with the following questions: “What really worked for you?” and “What would make it even better if?” You can learn a lot from these two questions. So much about your work product and performance can be gleaned with these two questions. Give it a try and see what you learn.

4. Curate your work

Do you have any idea how many amazing things you’ve done this year? Probably not, because you aren’t curating that great work anywhere to revisit it. There are countless places for you to store this work in a cloud. Check out Dropbox, CredHive, or OneDrive and start curating your work. When you’ve got a great file of work you’ve produced and are proud of, it’s like writing your resume as you go. It is also easy to share with your manager at review time. You’re better prepared to wow them when you’ve got yourself visual proof of your awesome-ness.

5. Be curious about your industry

Spend time each and every week as a student of your industry or company. Study your industry and company as if there is a constantly approaching final exam. Ask questions of people in your space. Ask questions to your manager and colleagues. Ask your companies customers how they feel. Develop thoughtful insights about the industry and your company. And don’t be shy about sharing those insights.

6. Read

Spend time reading blogs big and small. Spend time reading books about your profession. Read business books that stretches your thinking. But at the end of the day… read. Reading new things can start conversations when you’re networking and can also build your own career with new ways to do things and different work and life hacks to make life flow a little more smoothly.

7. Network brilliantly

Never, ever, ever send a standard LinkedIn invite. Ever. Cannot stress this enough. Personalize the message and tell the recipient what you need from them and how you can help them as well. If you do not know someone, ask someone in your network for an introduction. Networking brilliantly is about leaving a positive impression. And it isn’t just LinkedIn. Attend industry events, local events and meet as many people as you can. This will also help in being curious about your industry.

8. Get a mentor

Mentors are great resources for all of these elements. Need feedback? Ask your mentor. Need to bounce off industry or company insights? Looking for ways to stretch… Mentor!

9. Get a protégé

Conversely, a good protégé can also be a tremendous resource to learn from as well. A protégé can bust some of your paradigms. They can also expose you to new thinking and present you with new ways to solve problems and look at things.

10. ABL (Always be listening)

Even if you are really happy in your current role, it never hurts to listen to other opportunities and build relationships with new people in the industry. These relationships may build in the future because you never know how you will cross paths in the future. Always be open to new opportunities and people, plus it feels really good when you get noticed!

10 Tips for Successful Career Planning

In this post, let me share all freeinterviewquestions.net 's readers about 10 Tips for Successful Career Planning (source: livecareer.com). If you want to share more career development tips, please leave your comments at the end of this post.

1. Make Career Planning an Annual Event

Many of us have physicals, visit the eye doctor and dentist, and do a myriad of other things on an annual basis, so why not career planning? Find a day or weekend once a year — more often if you feel the need or if you’re planning a major career change — and schedule a retreat for yourself. Try to block out all distractions so that you have the time to truly focus on your career — what you really want out of your career, out of your life.

By making career planning an annual event, you will feel more secure in your career choice and direction — and you’ll be better prepared for the many uncertainties and difficulties that lie ahead in all of our jobs and career.

2. Map Your Path Since Last Career Planning

One of your first activities whenever you take on career planning is spending time mapping out your job and career path since the last time you did any sort of career planning. While you should not dwell on your past, taking the time to review and reflect on the path — whether straight and narrow or one filled with any curves and dead-ends — will help you plan for the future.

Once you’ve mapped your past, take the time to reflect on your course — and note why it looks the way it does. Are you happy with your path? Could you have done things better? What might you have done differently? What can you do differently in the future?

3. Reflect on Your Likes and Dislikes, Needs and Wants

Change is a factor of life; everybody changes, as do our likes and dislikes. Something we loved doing two years ago may now give us displeasure. So always take time to reflect on the things in your life — not just in your job — that you feel most strongly about.

Make a two-column list of your major likes and dislikes. Then use this list to examine your current job and career path. If your job and career still fall mostly in the like column, then you know you are still on the right path; however, if your job activities fall mostly in the dislike column, now is the time to begin examining new jobs and new careers.

Finally, take the time to really think about what it is you want or need from your work, from your career. Are you looking to make a difference in the world? To be famous? To become financially independent? To effect change? Take the time to understand the motives that drive your sense of success and happiness.

4. Examine Your Pastimes and Hobbies

Career planning provides a great time to also examine the activities you like doing when you’re not working. It may sound a bit odd, to examine non-work activities when doing career planning, but it’s not. Many times your hobbies and leisurely pursuits can give you great insight into future career paths.

Think you can’t make a hobby into a career? People do it all the time. The great painter Paul Gauguin was a successful business person who painted on the side. It actually wasn’t until he was encouraged by an artist he admired to continue painting that he finally took a serious look at his hobby and decided he should change careers. He was good at business, but his love was painting.

5. Make Note of Your Past Accomplishments

Most people don’t keep a very good record of work accomplishments and then struggle with creating a powerful resume when it’s time to search for a new job. Making note of your past accomplishments — keeping a record of them — is not only useful for building your resume, it’s also useful for career planning.

Sometimes reviewing your past accomplishments will reveal forgotten successes, one or more which may trigger researching and planning a career shift so that you can be in a job that allows you to accomplish the types of things that make you most happy and proud.

6. Look Beyond Your Current Job for Transferable Skills

Some workers get so wrapped up in their job titles that they don’t see any other career possibilities for themselves. Every job requires a certain set of skills, and it’s much better to categorize yourself in terms of these skill sets than be so myopic as to focus just on job titles.

For example, one job-seeker who was trying to accomplish career planning found herself stuck because she identified herself as a reporter. But once she looked beyond her job title, she could see that she had this strong collection of transferable skills — such as writing, editing, researching, investigating, interviewing, juggling multiple tasks, meeting goals and deadlines, and managing time and information — skills that could easily be applied to a wide variety of jobs in many different careers.

7. Review Career and Job Trends

Everyone makes his or her own job and career opportunities, so that even if your career is shrinking, if you have excellent skills and know how to market yourself, you should be able to find a new job. However, having information about career trends is vital to long-term career planning success.

A career path that is expanding today could easily shrink tomorrow — or next year. It’s important to see where job growth is expected, especially in the career fields that most interest you. Besides knowledge of these trends, the other advantage of conducting this research is the power it gives you to adjust and strengthen your position, your unique selling proposition. One of the keys to job and career success is having a unique set of accomplishments, skills, and education that make you better than all others in your career.

8. Set Career and Job Goals

Develop a roadmap for your job and career success. Can you be successful in your career without setting goals? Of course. Can you be even more successful through goal-setting? Most research says yes.

A major component of career planning is setting short-term (in the coming year) and long-term (beyond a year) career and job goals. Once you initiate this process, another component of career planning becomes reviewing and adjusting those goals as your career plans progress or change – and developing new goals once you accomplish your previous goals.

9. Explore New Education/Training Opportunities

It’s somewhat of a cliche, but information really does lead to power and success. Never pass up chances to learn and grow more as a person and as a worker; part of career planning is going beyond passive acceptance of training opportunities to finding new ones that will help enhance or further your career.

Take the time to contemplate what types of educational experiences will help you achieve your career goals. Look within your company, your professional association, your local universities and community colleges, as well as online distance learning programs, to find potential career-enhancing opportunities — and then find a way achieve them.

10. Research Further Career/Job Advancement Opportunities

One of the really fun outcomes of career planning is picturing yourself in the future. Where will you be in a year? In five years? A key component to developing multiple scenarios of that future is researching career paths.

Of course, if you’re in what you consider a dead-end job, this activity becomes even more essential to you, but all job-seekers should take the time to research various career paths — and then develop scenarios for seeing one or more of these visions become reality. Look within your current employer and current career field, but again, as with all aspects of career planning, do not be afraid to look beyond to other possible careers.

Top 5 Achievable Career Goals

In this post, let me share all freeinterviewquestions.net 's readers about Top 5 Achievable Career Goals (source: udemy.com). If you want to share more career goals, please leave your comments at the end of this post.

Successful people have goals, but even if you have a career or are already in a professional position, you may struggle on occasion with progressing along a path upwards in your career. It can be easy to feel suffocated, confined, or lacking direction when it comes to navigating through a career. To keep from veering off track, it is helpful to set up career goals. Career goals will represent objectives, benchmarks, and milestones in your career. Let’s take a look at some beneficial career goal examples to set you up for success with your chosen field.

How to Set A Career Goal

Before you set a career goal, there are few things that you should know about goals, as they are set on various levels.

First, decide what you want to do, accomplish, or be in life.
Secondly, split your larger goal into smaller and more achievable goals or targets that you have to achieve. This will make accomplishing your goal easier to manage and will help streamline the process into reaching your ultimate goal.
Finally, you will want to formulate and develop a proper plan for your goal. It can be best to establish a step by step plan that will enable you to start working towards achieving it.

5 Career Goal Examples

Increase Performance Metrics: Certain industries and companies use performance metrics when they evaluate an employee’s performance, productivity, and effectiveness levels. Metric numbers generally measure things such as customer satisfaction, organization performance, employee competence, and cost management. Metrics are usually measured on a weekly basis, but they can be measured daily as well. A good career goal could be to increase your performance metrics, which will help show the value that you bring as an employee to the organization or company that you are working for.

Earn a Promotion: It is always a good feeling to get promoted, and a promotion involves careful planning, commitment, and execution on your part as an employee. For instance, you may need to: do additional work, take on more projects, develop relationships with other department members, and update your resume. A promotion will generally be a long term goal that you can work towards overtime.

Earn a Management Position: After you have been working with a company or business for awhile, you might have an itch to advance in your position. If your career goal is to earn a management or an executive position, your goal could range from lasting 6 months, to 5 to 10 years depending on the field that you are in. This type of career goal can require a series of short term goals to help you reach the position you desire.

Get a Job: For many people, especially in this economy, an example of a career goal might be obtaining employment and finding a career. If you are looking to find employment, there are plenty of short term goals that you can develop that can be completed before you reach your final goal of obtaining a career. Remember to be patient in trying to find a job, as it can be a long but rewarding process.

Earn A Degree or Certificate: Earning a degree or a certificate is a great step into jumpstarting you career goals and putting you on a path towards success. Most careers require that the person has specific knowledge, education, or a specific degree when it comes to furthering or advancing in their career. Once you are able to obtain proper education, you can look to increasing your career goal options.

More Career Goal Examples

Switch jobs to one that you know you will enjoy more.
Identify personal boundaries at work and know what you should do to make your day more productive and manageable.
Communicate more effectively at work.
Feel happier and more positive during your workday.
Develop more friendships at work and try to be less competitive.
Double your sales or productivity, depending on your job.
Pick up and learn a new skill.
Set your eye on a specific award at work and go for it.
Be more organized with your daily goals.
De-clutter your work space and keep yourself organized throughout the week.
Partner up with another person to increase productivity.
Find a mentor or become a mentor.
Be known as an expert in a certain field or area.
Manage your clients better and more efficiently.
Create a website, promotional material, or social media page for your business.
Improve company profitability by a certain percentage.
Delegate work and tasks more effectively to increase your own productivity.
Send thank you notes to staff, clients, and managers.
Take a vacation and log off from work to fresh your mind.
Learn how to network better and attend networking events.
Learn how to reduce work hours without compromising productivity.
Go after the career of your dreams to find work in a field that does not feel like a job.
Stop micromanaging your staff.

Reduce personal or business expenses by a certain percentage.
Join Toastmasters to improve your presentation and speaking skills.
Delete old emails and old files from computer to make yourself more organized.
Learn how to say “NO” politely at work.
Learn how to under-promise and over-deliver with clients or managers to surprise them.
Develop relationships with coworkers and clients to make work seem more enjoyable.
Become more creative and break out of your rut.
Build a personal brand or an online website or blog.
Do things that will make you feel more energized at work.
Ask for a raise.
Update your resume and cover letter.
Send out a certain number of resumes each day to potential employers if you are looking for a job.
Ask your boss for more responsibility or more clients at work.
Ask to be trained more for skills in a new department.

Tips for Setting A Career Goal

Know your strengths and weaknesses. There are probably certain areas of life where you can better excel professional than others.
Know what you overall goal is for your career. Ask yourself questions such as, “Where do I want to be in “X” number of years?” This will help you know where your life is going and how it will intersect with your career. There may be other goals that you will be interested in pursuing with time, so develop a time frame for your goal.
Know the steps you will need to take to achieve your goal in “X” amount of time. Consider any road blocks you may face and think about how you will overcome them.
Be sure to measure the progress of your goal each week or month. This will help keep you motivated and provide you with a sense of accomplishment.

Top 8 Tips to Help Create a Positive Attitude

In this post, let me share all freeinterviewquestions.net 's readers all freeinterviewquestions.net 's readers about: Top 8 Tips to Help Create a Positive Attitude. If you have any questions, please leave your comments at the end of this post.

1. Remember that you are powerful.

Most of the time we have no idea what we are supposed to be doing, or who we are supposed to be imitating. I say “imitating” because this is what we do: We conform to the external environment.

We play roles and cover up our true selves by identifying with “things” that end up defining who we think we are. I’m a doctor, a salesperson, a secretary, a lawyer; I’m sad, happy, lonely, or miserable. I’m angry, jealous, afraid, and I can’t help it—it’s who I am.

The truth is, though, we are none of those things. They are symptoms of the sleepwalking disease. You are more important than any label. We are not our professions. We are not our feelings. We are not our circumstances. We are not even our mind.

What we are is far greater, far superior, far more important, and far more mysterious than our conceptual mind tries to define. This is why we are far more powerful than we think we are.

2. Choose to embrace life.

Let go and embrace the moment, whether it contains an obstacle or an opportunity. Stop fussing over trivial matters and start focusing on what’s really important to you.

Don’t go through life expecting things to change. Life becomes hard and unfair when we decide to complain about things rather than trying to change them ourselves. Wake up to the truth that life is not a practice-run.

Be bold and courageous, and make decisions that benefit your growth. Put yourself on your imaginary death-bed and realize that time stands still for no one. Start as soon as possible to make any necessary changes you may need to.

Take the first step before more time gradually passes by while you stand still stagnating. Your choice. Your life. Your responsibility. Your power.

3. Realize that you get to control your reactions.

We create our outside reality by the thoughts and beliefs we maintain about life in general. What we believe in our inner world, we see in our outer world—not the other way around.

We all have problems, and we’re often tested by circumstances outside of our control. Even though you may not be in control of what’s going on outside of you, you most definitely can control your reaction to those situations.

We have the power because our inner world (cause) affects the influence we allow the outer world (effect) to have on us. So next time you hear somebody mention that you have great personal power, know they are 100% correct. You have more control than you think.

4. Know that no one is better qualified.

We place far too much emphasis on other people’s opinions about us, often to the exclusion of our own. This takes away from our own personal power. No matter what anybody says about you, it doesn’t hold any significance to who you truly are unless you identify or agree with them.

Stop identifying with other people’s opinions and become aware of how you see yourself. Nobody knows you better than you do. Never accept another person’s reality as your own. Always believe that you can achieve anything you put your mind to. And, most importantly, never let another person’s opinion of you affect what you believe about yourself.

5. Believe that you are more than enough.

If you have to compare yourself to someone else, let it be a person who is less fortunate, and let it be a lesson to learn just how abundant your life truly is. It’s just a matter of perspective.

You may find that you are not entirely grateful for what you possess. You may believe that you need more than you have right now to be happy. If this is the case, then you are absolutely right—you will need more, and you will continue to need more.

This cycle will perpetuate as long as your mind believes it to be true. If you focus on what you have, and not on what you lack, you will always have enough, because you will always be enough.

6. Love yourself.

You have arrived. Everything you need is right here. Cut out the distractions, open your eyes, and see that you already have everything in your possession to be happy, loved, and fulfilled.

It’s not out there. It never was out there. It’s in the same place it was since the day you were born. It’s just been covered up by all the external things you have identified with over the years.

Be yourself. Love yourself completely and accept everything that you are. You are beautiful. Believe it, and most importantly, remind yourself often.

7. Stay cool.

If someone cuts us off in traffic or skips the queue at our local cinema, we may feel our blood pressure begin to rise and feel the need to react in a negative manner. We get uptight with other people’s actions, and in the end we punish ourselves for their bad behavior.

We end up losing control over our own actions because of the way other people act. But we are responsible for our own action, regardless of how rude other people may act. If it’s hard to stay cool, remember: you are the one who loses in the end, if you lose the lesson.

8. Journey well.

We know life is about the journey and not the arrival. We don’t need to arrive if we accept that we are already here.

Be content with where you are today and don’t make the mistake of putting off being happy because you are waiting for the right moment to shine. Sometimes it takes a conscious effort to enjoy the journey.

Not everyone woke up this morning and not everyone will go to bed tonight. Life has no guarantees. Every minute you are living is a blessing that has to be experienced in the moment. It’s not always easy, but it’s always an option—a choice. Your choice.