The Tough Interview Questions
There are interview questions and then there are interview questions. There are the ones you have memorized answers to and rehearsed to your golf buddy, your bathroom mirror and the car rearview mirror then again to your pillow and spouse. Then there are the ones that take you aback and leave you panicking, reeling in shock and talking your way out of interview and job as surely as the interview clock is ticking impatiently above the interviewer’s head. Here are some of the tough ones and some tips on how to answer them.
1. Tell Me a Story
Trust us; the interviewer is not interested at this specific moment in pop culture, nursery rhymes, the classics, or your ability to author the latest blockbuster at the spur of the moment. He is interested in finding out how suitable you are for the job at hand and how much of a contribution you will make. Stay focused and keeps the conversation on a professional track. You may ask the interviewer to clarify what in particular he would like to hear about to show you don’t make rash judgments and act on scant information. If the employer is not too forthcoming, take control of the situation to your advantage and volunteer “Can I tell you about why I am here today and why I truly believe I am uniquely suited for this job” then proceed to reiterate with passion and sincerity why you firmly believe you are the best person for the job, what strengths and skills you have and contributions you can make and what examples from your past substantiate your claims.
2. Sell me this pencil.
It could be a pencil, a key, a cup or the interviewer’s self-portrait on the desk, regardless of the object the goal is to test your persuasive skills, your ability to think on your feet and your sales acumen. This usually comes up in sales jobs but could come up in any job that involves extensive communication with clients (external or internal).
Career Transitions: Career Boost or Bane?
A recent poll conducted by the Middle East’s #1 job site Bayt.com, covering over 1,420 professionals, that asked how often candidates have changed career paths in the past saw a surprising degree of career mobility. Only 40% of respondents have NEVER changed careers. Approximately 33% of respondents had changed careers twice or more and 27% have changed careers once.
With booming, rapidly restructuring regional economies and a plethora of new industry sectors competing for top talent in the Middle East, the region is likely to see far more professionals in career flux than we have seen in the past. Moreover, traditional norms pertaining to career flexibility and “loyalty” have given way to a more relaxed approach in assessing candidate suitability. Life employment and decades-long loyalty to a particular employer or function is no longer expected nor even viewed extremely favorably by many employers and career transitions are both common and in many cases encouraged and justified.
Career Transitions: How Do You Choose the Right Career for You?
Since our last 2 blog entries started exploring the topic of career transitions we have been inundated with various forms of the enquiry: how do you determine the right career path for you. Below the Career Experts from Bayt.com offer some pointers:
1. Read the current literature on this precise topic. Books such as What Colour is Your Parachute are a great way to start the self-exploration process.
2. Ask yourself what you would do in an ideal world if money were no imperative. What would you do if you had a year away from work or if you could emulate someone who in your opinion has a dream job? Would you write poetry, run a global corporation, compete in athletics, design world-class architectural projects, publish literature, start your own little business, work with children, with the elderly, teach, heal, perform?
Career Transitions: Tips on Changing Careers
Last week your career experts at Bayt.com looked at the topic of When Is It Time to Quit? This week we offer some tips on how to approach this important transition period in your life.
1. Identify what you really want to do
Ask yourself if you had all the money in the world what would you really want to do? In an ideal world what occupation would you chose? Is there an occupation or industry that has always fascinated or interested you? Have you always felt that you had a “true calling”? What are your skills, passions, interests and how could these best be applied in a new role? What role best utilizes your skills and talents every day? What are you looking for in a job on a day-to-day basis? What are you trying to steer away from in a new role? Be open-minded as you examine possible new roles, allow yourself to dream and don’t overlook any avenue of exploration as you hone in on your ideal career.
2. Examine your skills
Examine your past experiences and make an inventory of all your strengths and skills. Identify all those common denominator skills that would apply and be beneficial in your desired new role. You will be surprised at how many skills are interchangeable and consistent across careers and disciplines.
Career Transitions: When is it Time to Quit?
Immediately following summer vacations and hot on the heels of the New Year are two junctions where we have consistently over the years seen a sharp hike in online jobseeker activity and career transition enquiries as professionals take the time to reflect on their careers and ponder where it is they would rather be. Below your Bayt.com Career Consultant examines some answers to a question we are hearing quite frequently these days:- When is the right time to change careers?
Job Loss
Poor performance, unsuitability/un-enthusiasm for the role, corporate downsizing/reshuffling and/or any number of other parameters may have resulted in you being forced out of your job. Depending on the reason you lost your job and the state of the job market in your industry you may want to take this time to consider an alternate career.
Your health is suffering
Whether it’s your mental or physical health that is being significantly impaired by the stresses of the job, heed the early warning signs and don’t wait until the symptoms are long-term and severe. Common symptoms include being chronically fatigued, insomnia, poor concentration, inability to focus and chronic pains.
The demands of your job are unrealistic.
If you find yourself doing a job that is best suited for two people or more and you have been unable to marshal the resources or support to lighten the workload to a more realistic level, it may well be time to leave before you completely burn out.
