|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Attention Job Seekers: Tasks and Responsibilities are Boooring
Ho hum. The interviewer sits there drumming her fingers on the desk trying to look interested while you drone on about your duties and responsibilities at your last position. As you finish up your snore-inducing list of daily tasks, your interviewer jots down next to your name - "Good candidate . . .but nothing special."
What happened? You didn't get the job. Even though you felt you were well prepared for this job interview. When the employer asked that common interview question: "What accomplishments are you most proud of?" For lack of a better answer you went into your litany of mundane tasks you know like the back of your hand. However, that's not what the interviewer is looking for.
What are your accomplishments? This is the question you must answer when preparing your job interview answers. Interviewers want to hear real accomplishments that you've achieved at school or on the job. This is the new trend in resumes and interviewing. You've got to make an impression on the interviewer and make yourself look like you can initiate projects and get them done successfully.
Have you been keeping track of your achievements? If not, start right now. If you've already left the job, then sit down in a quiet place and remember as much as you can. Dig up old emails, memos, awards, etc. to help jog your memory. Next, you'll want to make a list of all of your accomplishments. Achievements are what sets you apart from other job candidates - not tasks and responsibilities.
Q: How many managers, administrative assistants, accountants, etc. know how to do an Excel spreadsheet?
A: Too many to count.
** How to Make Yourself A Star **
Here's one of the best interview preparation advice tips you're going to get: Always keep a list of your accomplishments so you can access them quickly to use in your resume, cover letter and in the actual interview. What's that? You don't have a list of your star-making achievements? Well, now's the time to make one.
Below are several questions designed to bring out the inner achiever in you. They'll give you a jump-start on your quest to give yourself the credit you deserve, and, create a list of accomplishments that you'll be able to share with your interviewer the next time you're asked that frequent interview question: "What accomplishments are you most proud of?"
**Job Interview Achievement Skills Questions
>>>> In each job, what special things did you do to set yourself apart? How did you do the job better than anyone else did or than anyone else could have done?
>>>> What did you do to make each job your own?
>>>> How did you take the initiative? How did you go above and beyond what was asked of you in your job description?
>>>> What special things did you do to impress your boss so that you might be promoted?
>>>> And were you promoted? Rapid and/or frequent promotions can be especially noteworthy.
>>>> How did you leave your employers better off than before you worked for them?
>>>> Did you win any awards, such as Employee of the Month honors?
>>>> What are you most proud of in each job?
>>>> Is there material you can use from your annual performance reviews? Did you consistently receive high ratings? Any glowing quotes you can use from former employers?
>>>> Have you received any complimentary memos or letters from employers or customers?
>>>> What tangible evidence do you have of accomplishments - publications you've produced, products you've developed, software applications you've written?
>>>> Think of the "PEP Formula": Profitability, Efficiency, and Productivity. How did you contribute to profitability, such as through sales increase percentages? How did you contribute to efficiency, such as through cost reduction percentages? How did you contribute to productivity, such as through successfully motivating your team?
>>>> How did you make your company more competitive?
>>>> How did you build relationships or image with internal or external constituencies? How did you attract new customers or retain existing ones?
>>>> How did you expand the business?
>>>> How did you contribute to the firm's Return on Investment (ROI)?
>>>> How did you help the organization fulfill its mission statement?
About The Author
Copyright 2004
Donna Monday
Get Hired Now! Use These Online Interview Tips
http://www.get-a-job-interview-quick-tips.com
I generally shy away from using the word "networking" when... Read More
Use a resume as a foot in the doorWhen you... Read More
Practicing Altruism The 'Golden Rule' occurred in the Greek and... Read More
In the limited time an interviewer has with you, their... Read More
Over the years, I have identified two kinds of midlife... Read More
There is no easy way to define exactly what editors,... Read More
When you go in for a job interview, you're not... Read More
What are the worst mistakes job hunters make? It turns... Read More
Are you going nowhere in your career? If you've decided... Read More
Most people at some point in their lives have to... Read More
Change Your Career,Change your Life!Lots of times I see and... Read More
Building and expanding a business is a difficult task, when... Read More
Before we start discussing how to search for a six... Read More
When it comes to modern career development, one thing we... Read More
Making a career change is nothing new in today's job... Read More
The Painful ApproachFor many years, "performance management" was of an... Read More
If you are not busy living, then you must be... Read More
TIP: Update your resume often. Be sure to add details... Read More
Looking for work can be difficult, frustrating, anxiety-provoking, and demeaning.There... Read More
We all have career goals, big or small. Here are... Read More
Is your resume dead? Don't be so quick to say,... Read More
When preparing for your interview, you need to be ready... Read More
Research suggests that as many as 8 out of 10... Read More
Want to get hired faster than up to 97% of... Read More
In the process of musing about our perennially awake world... Read More
When you're looking to get hired or get promoted, what... Read More
Sophisticated job seekers know and understand that sometime during the... Read More
Working in ChinaWorking in China is very common now. Either... Read More
When answering the "How do you handle stressful situations?" question... Read More
Since college I've been told that a resume ought to... Read More
1. Select the right type of recruitment partnerDetermine whether you... Read More
Do these sound familiar?"I worked for?" "My responsibilities were?"... Read More
Salary negotiation requires preparation and good timing. It's important to... Read More
When we lose our jobs, no matter the reason, we... Read More
What is the first step to take in a job... Read More
Learning how to type a resume may feel like a... Read More
When flipping the channels of your TV, you are bound... Read More
Chuck was the best of the twenty-four candidates. Still, he... Read More
Most people would agree that the concept of a job... Read More
You are looking for a job and you are out... Read More
Why Lawyers Should Eat Bananas by Simon Tupman is a... Read More
Are you in the job market? Sick of every blog-byte... Read More
She stretches in the break room for 30 minutes before... Read More
Sooner or later, the interview invitation is going to say... Read More
Job security is an out dated concept. The idea is... Read More
Getting a job is not just about your performance in... Read More
Ever hear the story of the two masons working side... Read More
One day I walked into my boss's office and said,... Read More
Good question, considering that nowadays you can find many useful... Read More
Moving into a new job always involves some degree of... Read More
Careers, Jobs & Employment |