Tough interview questions

Posted on December 17, 2011 by soaringcareer

50 Tough Interview Questions

Below is a list of fifty of common tough interview questions that candidates
run into, and here is a video with tips on how to successfully answer these types of questions: ( Video ) The most successful interviews are from candidates who are prepared to provide strong answers to questions without ‘canned’ responses.

Tell me about yourself.
Why did you leave your last job?
Why were you laid off?
Tell me about the worst boss you ever had.
How would others describe you?
What can you offer me that another person can’t?
If you could choose any company to work for, where would you go?
Would you be willing to take a salary cut?
What can you do for us that someone else can’t?
In you last position, what issues did you identify that had previously been overlooked?
If you could start your career over again, what would you look differently?
How would you define success?
Why do you want this position?
What do you know about us?
What other kinds of jobs are you interviewing for?
What did you like most about your last position? Least?
Do you consider yourself a leader?
What are you salary expectations?
How would you describe your own personality?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
What are your strong points?
What are your weaknesses?
What do you wish you accomplished at your previous job that you were unable to?
What is the one thing in your career you are most proud of?
Have you worked with someone you didn’t like? If so, how did you handle it?
How do you get along with older (younger) co-workers?
Why do you think you will be successful at this job?
What would you do differently if you could start your working life over?
How do you balance life and work?
What is your preferred way to communication – instant message, phone, or email?
What is your favorite book? How about your favorite movie?
What historical figure do you admire and why?
If you could choose anyone (alive or deceased) to have lunch with, who would it be?
If you could be any animal on a carousel what would you pick and why?
What did you do during this six month gap in employment?
What do you love?
What led you to this point in your life?
Do you consider yourself successful?
What inspires you in a job?
Start with your graduation from college and explain the rationale behind each of your career moves.
Also explain the thinking process that went into making each if those decisions.
How many hours a day/week do you need to work to get the job done?
If you stayed with your current company, what would be your next move?
Describe your dream job.
Describe a job that would be your worst nightmare.
If you were the CEO of this company what would be the top two things that you would do?
Are you a risk taker?
Why should we hire you?
Why shouldn’t I hire you?
What is your favorite game?

Behavioral-based interview questions

Posted on December 17, 2011 by soaringcareer

Behavioral Based Interview Questions

Below are some examples of behavioral-based interview questions, and here is a video with tips on how to successfully answer these types of questions: ( video )

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a co-worker who wasn’t doing his/her fair share of the work. What did you do and what was the outcome?
Give me an example of a time when you took the time to share a co-worker’s or supervisor’s achievements with others?
Tell me about a time that you didn’t work well with a supervisor. What was the outcome and how would you have changed the outcome?
Tell me about a time that you helped someone.
Tell me about a time that you misjudged a person.
Describe a decision you made that was a failure. What happened
and why?
Tell me about a time that you worked conveying technical
information to a nontechnical audience.
Tell me about a time that you worked with data, interpreting data,
and presenting data.
Tell me about a time that you participated in a team, what was
your role?
Tell me about a time when you were faced with conflicting
priorities. How did you determine the top priority?
Tell me about a time when you failed.

So you want to be an Occupational Therapist or Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant?

Posted on October 6, 2011 by soaringcareer

OT’s and COTA’s are healthcare providers licensed by each state in which they work. Occupational Therapy helps patients improve their ability to perform tasks in living and working environments. Occupational Therapists and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants work with patients in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practices, outpatient clinics, home health agencies, schools, sports and fitness facilities, work settings, and nursing homes.

While patient diagnosis and treatment plans are the responsibility of the OT, much of the treatment can be handled by the COTA. The average salary for OT’s is $72,515, while the average salary for COTA’s is $47,897. It’s important to keep in mind that Occupational Therapist must earn a Masters or Doctoral level degree in Occupational Therapy which is 6-7 years of higher education, while a COTA degree can be obtained in just 2 years.

If you are interested in becoming an OT or COTA, the first place to research is which schools are available in your area. As you begin your search for Occupational Therapist Jobs, or Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Jobs you should consider the setting as well as taking the time to research the company.

If you are unsure of whether or not you would enjoy this type of work, you may want to call a physical therapy provider and request to ‘shadow’ one of their OT’s or COTA’s for a day. If you’d like to get a longer sample of the job you can work as a Rehab Aide before becoming licensed or even attending college.

So you want to be a Physical Therapist or Physical Therapist Assistant?

Posted on October 6, 2011 by soaringcareer

PT’s and PTA’s are healthcare providers licensed by the state in which they work. Physical Therapy reduces pain and improves mobility in patience through specific exercise and stretching. Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants work with patients in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practices, outpatient clinics, home health agencies, schools, sports and fitness facilities, work settings, and nursing homes.

While patient diagnosis and treatment plans are the responsibility of the Physical Therapist, much of the treatment can be handled by the PTA. The average salary for PT’s is $80,000, while the average salary for Assistants is $46,000. While looking at these salaries it’s important to keep in mind that education requirements for a Physical Therapist is a DPT which is 7 years of higher education, while a PTA degree can be
obtained in just 2 years.

If you are interested in becoming a PT or PTA, the first place to research is which schools are available in your area. As you begin your search for Physical Therapist Jobs, or Physical Therapist Assistant Jobs you should consider the setting as well as taking the time to research the company.

Some settings such as outpatient clinics have a reputation for moving patients in and out of treatment quickly which may not allow you the opportunity to see the results of your treatment, but offers a favorable schedule. School settings obviously would allow you to focus primarily on pediatric patients, while nursing homes give you the opportunity to focus on geriatric patients.

If you are unsure of whether or not you would enjoy this type of work, you may want to call a physical therapy provider and request to ‘shadow’ one of their therapists or assistants for a day. If you’d like to get a longer sample of the job you can work as a Rehab Aide before becoming licensed or even attending college.

The 11 keys to networking for a job

Posted on September 27, 2011 by soaringcareer

Professional networking is the process of building relationships with contacts that can, and often do help your career. Networking to find your next job can sound like a lot of work or even intimidating to some, but if you follow the steps listed here you will find that it can be simple and can end up being very rewarding to your career. ( Video )

1) Identify your network: Your network should include anyone who can assist you in getting your next job opportunity. A good networking contact might be someone who makes hiring decisions, but it also should include people who simply work in your field or at a company which you might have an interest in. Start by making a list of people you know; family, friends, former colleagues and classmates, parents from your children’s school, friends of your family members, spouses of your friends, mutual civic club members, etc.

2) What your network can do for you: Your network can be extremely valuable, your contacts might be able to tell you about a new job before it is even advertised, when you’re notified that a company is hiring your contacts might be able give you insight on who and how to approach someone in their current or previous company, or better yet they might recommend you for the position. The limits of what your network can do for your career really come down to who you’re able to include in your network.

3) What you should do for your network: Always remember that networking is a two way street. You should reciprocate and in many cases be proactive with providing the same type of insight and assistance to your contacts in your network. Have you heard of a job opening that is a better fit for one of your contacts than for yourself? Share that information even if that contact isn’t actively looking for a new job, at least they can review the information for themselves. The more you give to your network the more you usually get out of it.

4) Online career social networking: Websites such as Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, SoaringMe.com and others allow you to re-connect with contacts in your network, meet new contacts, and keep up to date with the latest information about your network and perhaps new job opportunities at their company. Linkedin is really focused on careers, the profile you create is very similar to your resume and you can search for, and connect with past classmates and co-workers asking them to write a recommendation right on your profile. If you are actively searching you should make your profile visible to everyone so recruiters can find you, and you can search for and join groups that are focused to your areas of career interest. Facebook is another way to find contacts from your past and you can join pages and groups connecting you with others with similar career interests. Twitter allows you to follow the tweets/updates of companies you have an interest in working for, recruiters in your line of work, and any industry associations that may apply. Many job sites allow you to search for current jobs as well as have new jobs that meet your interest emailed to you as soon as they become available, making you one of the first to know about the opening. You should try to find a job site that is focused on jobs in your career.

5) Have a plan: If you have a short list of companies you’re trying to get hired by, or a career change you’re focused on then how you go about networking should reflect this. First, include on your network list anyone who works for one of these companies/industries that you personally know or is known by one of your contacts. Research what type of events the contacts you want in your network get together at; association events, conventions, alumni networking events, chamber of commerce events, etc.

6) Reaching out to your network: Whether in person, over the phone, or online, you need to reach out to your network and let them know what you’re trying to accomplish. You will be more successful when asking for their insight and advice then by asking them to help you find a job. Let them know that you’re looking for work, and what specifically you’re interested in, but make sure you focus on asking if they have any helpful information or advice they can share or know somebody relevant in the field. Be clear if you’re asking them to be a reference, provide you with a referral or an introduction to a good recruiter. Make a point to offer your help them as well.

7) Focus on the relationships and take time to maintain your network: The most effective networkers don’t just focus on their own needs. They take the time to catch up with their old contacts, they listen and ask questions, they offer their assistance, and they make sure they are available to help even after they’ve gotten the help they were looking for themselves. You will be much more successful at your networking if you genuinely focus on doing right by your contacts.

8) Review the quality of your network: The results you get from networking will depend greatly on the quality of your network itself. You should review who you are networking with at regular intervals such as every 30, 60, or 90 days. When evaluating your network you should consider the how willing your contacts are to assist you, how well connected they are, and the size of your network.

9) Make the most of both close and less established contacts: Naturally you will have contacts in your network that you are closer with than others, but that actually makes for a stronger overall network. If you are only having regular contact with those in your network that you’re already close with, you aren’t growing and stretching the value your network can provide. Build relationships with new contacts as well as your existing contacts. You never know who might end up being in a position to help your career, so focus on doing right by all of your contacts.

10) Grow your network: Strengthen your network by regularly meeting new contacts, and by making it easier for new contacts to find you. Attend events and ask for introductions from your existing network to their contacts that would be good for you to know. Take time to fill out a profile on Linkedin, specialty job sites, and other online networks where recruiters in your industry are looking for quality candidates.

11) Career networking events: Attending events put on by associations, companies, civic clubs or any career or industry focused groups can be one of the most effective ways to network. These could be in the form of a convention, a local mixer, continuing education events, or an event specifically for networking. Be sure to dress for success but also appropriate for the event, bring your business cards but usually not your resume, take the time to identify who at the event would make a good addition to your network, and focus on building
relationships.

Job Search Advice

Posted on September 27, 2011 by soaringcareer

Here is an overview of advice in finding your next career opportunity: ( Video )

1. SEARCH JOBS: Look for positions on this job board, create a profile, submit your resume and apply to those of interest. Next, create job alerts that match your interest, so that you will know when new jobs are posted that match your interests. Sign-up and follow SoaringCareer.com on Twitter so you can be the first to know about the new positions. Use other job boards or employers sites, as well.

2. NETWORK, old-school: Keep in touch with as many people as you can – class-mates, past employers as well as friends and friends of friends. They can be a good source of information and can give you insider knowledge about jobs! Join your university alumni society, and other interest social groups. They are a great way to network. Sometimes finding a job is as simple as who you know.

3. NETWORK, new-school: Think about your online profile and what image or impression it gives of you to potential employers. Companies are increasingly using social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin to attract candidates, so use this to your advantage (not disadvantage). If you link to them, they can see your profile. Make the most of it.

4. SPEND YOUR FREE TIME WISELY:

a) Do some research about the job you are interested in: Decide what industry your ideal job is in then research everything about it including the type of work available, the companies in that sector, starting salaries and career progression. The more informed and interested you are, the better you will do in interviews and the more confident you will appear.

b) Learn to sell yourself and what you offer a prospective employer: Spend time preparing for interviews and learning about yourself. What are your strengths and weakness? What makes you a fit for the position you are interest in? Learn how to promote yourself. If you can’t say great things about yourself, who will? Don’t boast, just be confident of what experience you have and how it fits with the employers needs.

c) Review your cover letter and resume: Make sure they are presenting you at your best. Have someone else double-check or proof your work. Rework or modify your resume for each job apply for and spell check it before you send it.

5. STAY POSITIVE. Finding a job can be frustrating and time consuming but don’t get discouraged. Be patient, it will happen. You are on your way to finding your dream position.