Tell me your Weakness?

In reality, it does not matter. The truth is you need to know your weaknesses and strengths ahead of time and prepare for this question. So do you know your weaknesses? Second, do you know why you have those weaknesses?

Before I give you the answer, here’s a story about Ben Franklin. As a young man, Little Ben wanted to ensure he was successful in life. He wrote down a number of weaknesses he felt needing correction: smoking, cussing, drinking, being obstinate, womanizing, and others. He diligently worked on correcting one per month, and only one.

In January, he focused on not cussing. He knew the basic law of human nature that you can create or break most habits if you do it routinely over 30 straight days. So over a period of one year he corrected many of his bad habits. Those he didn’t feel strong enough about, I don’t think he corrected. Can you guess from the list above which he didn’t correct?

Now let’s talk about you. I am going to give you a rule you can use in the interview and I’ll tell you how but first…. Hopefully you’ve thought your weaknesses out. Now write them down. Do you have several written down? Go get a pencil and do this before going forwards in this article.

The Golden Rule of Weaknesses is this: “A strength overused tends to become a weakness”.

Look at your list. Let’s assume you are

a) strong-willed,
b) overly detailed and analytical,
c) condascending.

First of all, you would not say these in an interview but you knowing what I’m going to tell you will help you determine your answer. Why do you have the weaknesses above? Probably because your strengths are:

1. You are a detailed person who generally is very detailed so does not make many mistakes. You review and analyze the fine details to ensure things are done correctly.

2. You are very confident in your decisions as you are analytical so you are pretty strong-willed in the outcome (if you’ve had a chance to study it).

3. You come across condescending at times because you perceive others as making silly assumptions and making decisions without the facts. You politely inform them they are wrong or they should read the directions or map before taking action.

It works with anything:

• Your Weakness is Aggressive. Your Strength is your Take Charge and Winning Attitude.
• Your Weakness is you are Forgetful. Your Strength is you tend to move quickly and get a lot of things done.
• You are Disorganized. Your Strength is you multi-task and can do a lot in a short period of time.
• Your Weakness is you are talkative. Your strength is you are outgoing and lots of people like you.

Okay so now to the question, “So Tell Me About Your Weakness”

Answer: ” Science has proven that a persons strength overused tends to become a weakness at times. Let me describe my strengths to you…I’m a take-charge individual who tends to get a lot of things accomplished. I’m often given a lot of responsibility because I tend to get the job done. My biggest weakness because of my strengths are that sometimes I will take on a lot so trying to manage that into my time and ensuring I prioritize all my responsibilities correctly is how I need to fix that when it happens. So daily I…”

And that dear readers is how you get yourself out of that slippery slope. Always start by defining your strengths. Lead into how that tends to become a weakness, but because you recognize it you fix it by doing something. Feel free to practice this technique (and it’s true) and they’ll remember your strengths and you start a very interesting conversation with that one sentence.

Related posts:

1. Interview Tips – An Interview Crib Sheet
2. Common Interview Questions – The Dirty Dozen
3. Listening to and Answering Interview Questions

How to write a resume?

You have skills that employers want. But those skills won’t get you a job if no one knows you have them. Good resumes, applications, and cover letters broadcast your abilities.

They tell employers how your qualifications match a job’s responsibilities. If these paper preliminaries are constructed well, you have a better chance of landing interviews; and, eventually, a job.

Modern technology has added a new twist to preparing resumes and cover letters. The availability of personal computers and laser printers has raised employers’ expectations of the quality of resumes and cover letters applicants produce.

Electronic mail, Internet postings, and software that “reads” resumes help some employers sort and track hundreds of resumes. Technology has also given resume writers greater flexibility; page limits and formatting standards are no longer as rigid as they were several years ago.

When writing your resume, you still have to consider what is reasonable and appropriate for the job you want. Advertisements for a single job opening can generate dozens, even hundreds, of responses.

Our article on how to write a resume describes what information they should contain and how to highlight your skills for the job you want.

Resumes: Marketing your skills

A resume is a brief summary of your experience, education, and skills. It is a marketing piece, usually one or two pages long, designed to make an employer want to interview you.

Good resumes match the jobseeker’s abilities to the job’s requirements. The best resumes highlight an applicant’s strengths and accomplishments.

There are four main steps to creating a resume:

Compiling information about yourself and the occupations that interest you, choosing a resume format, adding style, and proofreading the final document.

You may also want to prepare your resume for computer scanning, e-mailing, and Internet posting, especially if you are pursuing a computer-intensive field.

Gathering and organizing the facts

Start working on your resume by collecting and reviewing information about yourself: Previous positions, job duties, volunteer work, skills, accomplishments, education, and activities. These are the raw materials of your resume. This is also a good time to review your career goals and to think about which past jobs you have liked, and why.

After compiling this information, research the occupations that interest you. Determine what duties they entail, what credentials they require, and what skills they use. Your resume will use your autobiographical information to show that you meet an occupation’s requirements.

You will probably need to write a different resume for each occupation that interests you. Each resume will emphasize what is relevant to one occupation. Remember: Even if you do not have many specialized and technical skills, most occupations also require abilities like reliability, teamwork, and communication. These are particularly important for entry-level workers.

The next step is to organize the personal information you have assembled. Most resume writers use the following components.

Contact information

This includes your name; permanent and/or college campus addresses, if they are different; phone number; and e-mail address, if you have one.

Place your full legal name at the top of your resume and your contact information underneath it. This information should be easy to see; reviewers who can’t find your phone number can’t call you for an interview.

Also, make sure the outgoing message on your answering machine sounds professional. If you list an e-mail address, remember to check your inbox regularly.

Objective statement

Placed immediately below your contact information, the objective statement tells the reviewer what kind of position you want, for example, “Seeking a position as an administrative assistant.”

Some objectives include more detail, such as “Seeking an administrative position using my organizational, word processing, and customer service skills.” Objective statements are optional and are most often used by recent graduates and career changers.

Writing objectives can be tricky. A vague statement, such as “Seeking a position that uses my skills and experience,” is meaningless. And an overly specific objective can backfire, eliminating you from jobs you want that are slightly different from your objective. If you decide to include an objective statement, make sure it fits the job you are applying for. Tailoring is expected. A statement should show that you know the type of work the company does and the type of position it needs to fill.

Qualifications summary

The qualifications summary, which evolved from the objective, is an overview designed to quickly answer the employer’s question “Why should I hire you?”

It lists a few of your best qualifications and belongs below your contact information or objective statement.

A qualifications summary, like an objective, is optional. It can be particularly effective for applicants with extensive or varied experience because it prevents the important facts from being lost among the details.

Most resume writers choose either an objective or a summary, but some use both.

Education

List all of the relevant training, certifications, and education on your resume. Start with the most recent and work backward.

For each school you have attended, list the school’s name and location; diploma, certificate, or degree earned, along with year of completion; field of study; and honours received. If you have not yet completed one of your degrees, use the word expected before your graduation date. If you do not know when you will graduate, add in progress after the name of the unfinished degree.

The education section is especially important for recent graduates. Include your overall grade point average, average within major, or class standing, if it helps your case.

The general guideline is to include averages of 3.0 and above, but the minimum useful average is still widely debated. Graduates should also consider listing relevant courses under a separate heading. Listing four to eight courses related to a particular occupation shows a connection between education and work. College graduates need not list their high school credentials.

Experience

Resumes should include your job history: The name and location of the organizations you have worked for, years you worked there, title of your job, a few of the duties you performed, and results you achieved. Also, describe relevant volunteer activities, internships, and school projects, especially if you have little paid experience.

When describing your job duties, emphasize results instead of responsibilities and performance rather than qualities. It is not enough, for example, to claim you are organized; you must use your experience to prove it.

Job descriptions often specify the scope of a position’s duties—such as the number of phone lines answered, forms processed, or people supervised. If you worked on a project with other people, tell the reviewer your accomplishments came from a team effort. Also, mention any promotions or increases in responsibility you received.

Use specific accomplishments to give your experience impact. Note any improvements you made, any time or money you saved, and any problems you solved—for example, were you praised for handling difficult customers? Were you always on time or available for overtime? Did you save time by reorganizing a filing system? Did you start a new program?

Mention quantifiable results you accomplished, such as a 10-percent increase in sales, a 90-percent accuracy rate, a 25-percent increase in student participation, or an A grade.

Activities and associations

Activities can be an excellent source of additional experience. Activities might include participation in organizations, associations, student government, clubs, or community activities, especially those related to the position you are applying for or that demonstrate hard work and leadership skills.

Special skills

If you have specific computer, foreign language, typing, or other technical skills, consider highlighting them by giving them their own category even if they don’t relate directly to the occupation you’re pursuing.

Awards and honours

Include formal recognition you have received. Do not omit professional or academic awards. These are often listed with an applicant’s experience or education, but some list them at the end of their resume.

References

Usually, resumes do not include names of references, but some reviewers suggest breaking this rule if the names are recognizable in the occupation or industry.

Most resume writers end with the statement “References available upon request.”

Others assume reference availability is understood and use that space for more important information. Regardless of whether you mention it on the resume, you will need to create a separate reference sheet to provide when requested and to carry with you to interviews.

A reference sheet lists the name, title, office address, and phone number of three to five people who know your abilities.

Before offering them as references, of course, make sure these people have agreed to recommend you. At the top of the sheet, type your name and contact information, repeating the format you used in your resume.

Other personal information

Your resume should include any other information that is important to your occupation, such as a completed portfolio or a willingness to travel.

Your resume is your own, and you should customize it to fit your needs. However, some information does not belong on a resume. Do not disclose your health, disability, marital status, age, or ethnicity.

This information is illegal for most employers to request.

Related posts:

1. Scannable resumes – how to write a scannable resume
2. Resume formats – Choosing the correct format for your resume
3. Digital Resume – Writing a Plain Text Resume

You will almost always need to complete resumes or application forms and cover letters. Later, you will probably need to go on interviews to meet with employers face to face.

Resumes and application forms.

Resumes and application forms give employers written evidence of your qualifications and skills. The goal of these documents is to prove, as clearly and directly as possible, how your qualifications match the job’s requirements.

Do this by highlighting the experience, accomplishments, education, and skills that most closely fit the job you want.

Gathering information.

Resumes and application forms both include the same information. As a first step, gather the following facts:

Contact information, including your name, mailing address, e-mail address (if you have one you check often), and telephone number.

Type of work or specific job you are seeking or a qualifications summary, which describes your best skills and experience in just a few lines.

Education, including school name and its city and State, months and years of attendance, highest grade completed or diploma or degree awarded, and major subject or subjects studied. Also consider listing courses and awards that might be relevant to the position. Include a grade point average if you think it would help in getting the job.

Experience, paid and volunteer.

For each job, include the job title, name and location of employer, and dates of employment. Briefly describe your job duties and major accomplishments. In a resume, use phrases instead of sentences to describe your work; write, for example, “Supervised 10 children” instead of writing “I supervised 10 children.”

Special skills.

You might list computer skills, proficiency in foreign languages, achievements, or and membership in organizations in a separate section.

References.

Be ready to provide references if requested. Good references could be former employers, coworkers, or teachers or anyone else who can describe your abilities and job-related traits. You will be asked to provide contact information for the people you choose.

Throughout the application or resume, focus on accomplishments that relate most closely to the job you want. You can even use the job announcement as a guide, using some of the same words and phrases to describe your work and education.

Look for concrete examples that show your skills. When describing your work experience, for instance, you might say that you increased sales by 10 percent, finished a task in half the usual time, or received three letters of appreciation from customers.

Choosing a format

After gathering the information you want to present, the next step is to put it in the proper format. In an application form, the format is set. Just fill in the blanks. But make sure you fill it out completely and follow all instructions.

Do not omit any requested information. Consider making a copy of the form before filling it out, in case you make a mistake and have to start over. If possible, have someone else look over the form before submitting it.

In a resume, there are many ways of organizing the information you want to include, but the most important information should usually come first. Check out out free Chronological and Functional Resume Templates to get you started!

Most applicants list their past jobs in reverse chronological order, describing their most recent employment first and working backward. But some applicants use a functional format, organizing their work experience under headings that describe their major skills. They then include a brief work history section that lists only job titles, employers, and dates of employment.

Still other applicants choose a format that combines these two approaches in some way. Choose the style that best showcases your skills and experience.

Whatever format you choose, keep your resume short. Many experts recommend that new workers use a one-page resume. Avoid long blocks of text and italicized material. Consider using bullets to highlight duties or key accomplishments.

Before submitting your resume, make sure that it is easy to read. Are the headings clear and consistently formatted with bold or some other style of type?

Is the type face large enough? Then, ask at least two people to proofread the resume for spelling and other errors and make sure you use your computer’s spell checker.

Keep in mind that many employers scan resumes into databases, which they then search for specific keywords or phrases.

The keywords are usually nouns referring to experience, education, personal characteristics, or industry buzz words. Identify keywords by reading the job description and qualifications in the job ad; use these same words in your resume.

For example, if the job description includes customer service tasks, use the words “customer service” on your resume. Scanners sometimes misread paper resumes, which could mean some of your keywords don’t get into the database. So, if you know that your resume will be scanned, and you have the option, e-mail an electronic version.

If you must submit a paper resume, make it scannable by using a simple font and avoiding underlines, italics, and graphics. It is also a good idea to send a traditionally formatted resume along with your scannable resume, with a note on each marking its purpose.

Cover letters

• When sending a resume, most people include a cover letter to introduce themselves to the prospective employer.
• Most cover letters are no more than three short paragraphs. Your cover letter should capture the employer’s attention, follow a business letter format, and usually should include the following information:
• Name and address of the specific person to whom the letter is addressed.
• Reason for your interest in the company or position.
• Your main qualifications for the position.
• Request for an interview.
• Your home and work telephone numbers.
• If you send a scannable resume, you should also include a scannable cover letter, which avoids graphics, fancy fonts, italics, and underlines.

Related posts:

1. Interview Basics – What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You
2. How to write a resume
3. Application Forms – Completing a Job Application Form

It’s very difficult to stay motivated when you’re looking for work, whether you’ve been made redundant or are looking while still employed. These 8 great tips will help you through your job search.

1 Maintain a Routine

It’s very important to maintain a routine while you’re job hunting. For example, in the mornings take the dog for a walk or do a work out and aim to be sitting at your desk at home by 10am scanning recruitment websites.

2 Put on a Happy Face

It’s hard to keep it all in perspective sometimes, but keeping a positive outlook is crucial. The last thing you want is to go into an interview feeling down and irritable.

3 Phone a friend

Speak to a friend on a regular basis, suggests Laura Berman Fortgang, author of Take Yourself to the Top. Tell him or her about your search and what kind of feedback you’ve gotten. Make sure you have a designated time, whether at the end of the day or once a week, to talk with your trusted advisor

4 Keep Notes

Staying organised about where and when you’ve sent your CV will make the follow-up easier. Keep notes of all phone calls and correspondence as well as your research.

5 Set aside time

Be realistic about how much time you need to spend on your job search so you won’t overestimate what you can get done or get discouraged when you never finish your to-do list. Schedule website job searches in your appointment book, says Fortgang. By telling yourself it’s important to spend two hours a night, five days a week, on the search, you’ll feel good about accomplishing that task.

6 Establish objectives

What motivates us is achievement, so keep your goals realistic and stick to them, suggests DeAnne Rosenberg, author of A Manager’s Guide to Hiring the Best Person for Every Job. For example, avoid planning 27 calls in one day – you’ll get depressed if you don’t achieve that goal. Instead, set realistic objectives, make lists and take a red pen and draw a line through every goal you reach during the day.

7 Strengthen your confidence

Don’t put your life on hold during this transition time. If a new suit, an indulgent dessert or a massage keeps you feeling good, don’t deny yourself. This doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money, says Rosenberg, but do what it takes to feel good about yourself. You’ll walk into interviews that much more confident and at ease.

8 Socialise

Get together with friends once a week or once a month to update each other on your job search and cheer each other on. This doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money. Anyway you should have money in the bank, so you don’t just take the first thing that comes to you. And remember, looking for a job may be a full-time job but remember that no one can job search 24-7.

Contributed by Debbie O’Hallaran
Career Columnist, www.irishjobs.ie

Related posts:

1. Top 50 Tips For a Successful Job Search
2. 9 Tips to Help You Find a Job
3. 11 Tips to an Organized Job Search