Online Employment Journal

Nowadays, a lot of companies opt for a more time- and cost-effective way to conduct interviews – online. This is not just beneficial for the company, but for candidates as well, especially if they live out of town or abroad. Although a personal interview is still essential, screening applicants through phone or online interviews can be an efficient way to narrow down the options. Below are some tips when having online interviews.

(1) Send your CV and all other necessary documents ahead of time, and keep a softcopy available in case the interviewer cannot find his copy. This has happened, lots of times.
(2) Make sure your interview time is exclusively dedicated for that purpose, and that you have good internet connection. Having distractions and interruptions can add more to the stress.
(3) Have a pen and paper available. The sound of typing on a keyboard can be another source of distraction, and may annoy the interviewer. Make sure you take note of important information and/or instructions given in the interview like domain names, appointment times, and addresses.
(4) Keep a neutral tone and accent. Also, try to give direct and clear answers. Internet lines can get fuzzy and distorted at time, so avoid having to repeat yourself several times. And although online or phone interviews rarely take more than half and hour, make sure have some water near you to keep your throat from drying out.

A confirmation before the interview is necessary in most cases, and very professional. However, in cases where the interviewer “lost track of the time”, a reschedule is OK to ask for, especially if you are really interested in the position.

Job interviewing is an art. The right kind of questions can lead to answers that will let the employers get to know their prospect employees way before they are hired. Different types and styles are used depending on the company portfolio and skill requirements of the position. However, whether you are applying for internship at the White House or an advertising position in the Australia Business Directory, there will always be general questions included in the interview. Below are some generic job interview questions we should all prepare for.

1) Self introduction. This is probably the most frequently asked question in interviews. An interviewee should always be prepared for this question and have a short answer prepared in his head. The answer should be work-related, and be presented from the earliest happenings up to the present.
2) Reason for leaving the last (or current) job. No matter what the real reason is for having left the company, an interviewee should always be positive in his answer to this question. Never put management to bad light by mentioning major problems, or bad mouthing any colleague.
3) Experiences in the field you are applying for. Mention important details about past work experiences relating to the position you are eyeing. If you don’t have any, mention experiences that are similar, or may have needed the same skill set they are looking for.

Being prepared for an interview can help you be more relaxed and comfortable on the interview itself, and interviewers can sense that. Employers are very particular to an applicant’s confidence in his field and experiences. It pays to know that the person they are hiring are depend and worth spending time to train.

Preparing a resume is a task that needs careful planning. You know you don’t want to ruin your job application by submitting a poorly-written resume to your prospective company. That’s the reason why you read articles and even books that discusses how to write an effective resume.

Every resume presents a statement. It could be an objective statement or a positioning statement. Did you know that many recruiters and hiring managers don’t necessarily favor resumes with objective statements? Instead, they prefer those with positioning statements as they clearly and concisely convey what you have to offer. This approach is said to improve sales pitch and gets you noticed easily.

Long stretch of shores, hills, and basins, and many other natural marvels, this is what Puerto Rico is all about. And amid all this fun and frolic, it would be really great if you can check your official mails!

Hosted Microsoft Exchange server gives access to mails on your phone! By configuring your phone with hosted Microsoft Exchange, access to your mails, task lists, notes, etc. becomes easy. You can also have the benefit of free Exchange hosting. But, before configuring with Exchange email hosting, check with the providers of Puerto Rico regarding their plans. Also, check with your own country’s local providers regarding arrangements that allow access to Exchange web hosting with the visiting country’s, i.e., Puerto Rico’s carriers. Continue reading ‘Don’t Miss your Business Emails in Puerto Rico’ »

If you think a job interview finishes after the final handshake, then you’re one among the many who tend to forget the value of post-interview strategies that help get the job. I bet you’ve heard this before, but let me reiterate this important message that most people oftentimes forget to do – sending thank you letter.

A thank you letter is a short correspondence sent to the hiring manager and/or the HR personnel who attended to you when you were just applying for the job. Isn’t it just appropriate that you return the favor? Of course, it is. Sending a thank you letter shows your sincerity and gives them a glimpse of how efficient you could be when and if they hire you.

If you have to have a disciplined working environment, then managing and maintaining a record of time spent on each tasks is important, isn’t it? Timesheets help record the start and end time of tasks, or just the duration. It may contain a detailed breakdown of tasks accomplished throughout the project or program. This information may be used for payroll, client billing, and increasingly for project costing, estimation, tracking and management. Nonetheless, this is where Microsoft Project Server and its Timesheet Management feature has a role. This feature in MS Project Server helps you to create and keep a tab on the timesheet of your project, thus making it easier for you to manage the timesheet of your work smoothly. It enables you to easily track the time you spend on a project’s tasks, and the progress of those tasks towards completion. You can also enter time spent on administrative tasks, like vacation, travel, training, and sick leave. Continue reading ‘Timesheet Management in Microsoft Project Server’ »

A decent-looking cover letter that is full of substance surely gives every job application a boost. Below is three-paragraph guide in making a cover letter:

1. Paragraph one. In this part, make a strong introduction by telling them why you are the perfect one for the job.
2. Paragraph two. This is where you should relate your skills to the job requirement. Be creative in presenting your credentials.
3. Paragraph three. Usually the last part before the closing note, use this in eliciting reaction from the reader, which in this case is the hiring manager. Let them know that you want a response, update or an interview appointment.

A cover letter, as a part of every job application, has to be presented in a clear and concise manner. Indeed, a job seeker’s objective is to get the attention of the recruiter or the hiring manager at first sight, which is through the cover letter itself.

Writing cover letters is difficult if you don’t have a pattern to follow, or at least an idea of how you would like to present yourself and your skills. Many recruiters and hiring managers place a high regard for job seekers with confident and sincere cover letters. Make sure you are getting the facts right by following an effective pattern or guide. (to be concluded)

Just when I was looking for news updates on the web, I stumbled upon a site that offers online resumes for free. I thought I’ll share it with my readers so this entry got posted.

The site is called VisualCV. It is an online resume that has everything you can find in a traditional resume. It also has added features like video, images and links to your accomplishments.

I must say that it has taken online resume writing to a new level. It is user-friendly and even provides tutorials in creating online resumes. True to its claims, it has transformed the way resume data are presented, accessed and shared. I was impressed by the overall presentation of the resumes in the site. Visit the site and you might be interested to create a resume there.

There are a lot of tools in the Internet that address the needs of workers. There are online career dictionaries to answer your questions about career concepts. There are salary calculators that give you an idea of your salary worth. There are career quizzes that guide you in finding your ideal career and help you identify and set career priorities.

Online job assessors are a set of career-related questions designed by experts to educate and guide workers and job seekers regarding their work life. Whether you want to evaluate your current job, accept or decline a job offer or simply know if you are on the right career path, online job assessors are for you.

Here’s an example of a free job assessor from Salary.com.