Thursday 29 June 2017

πŸ“ 444 Common Job Interviewer Questions To Prepare Your Job Interviews

Practice for your next job interview with questions recruiters actually ask.

444 Most Popular Job Interviewer Questions To Prepare Yourself With

Photo credit: Pedro Ribeiro SimΓ΅es

 

Some of these questions are what you’d expect.

Some of these questions frankly don’t make much sense.

And some of these questions are shocking and possibly offensive.

But as the questions most likely to be asked, you need to be ready.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Sample Job Interview Questions Recruiters Ask

Winning Answers to 500 Interview Questions
This article was the inspiration for the book Winning Answers to 500 Interview Questions by Lavie Margolin, where you can get all the popular interview questions and recommended answers in a handy reference format. Check it out.

On to the list…

Questions 1-80 are about personal background.

Questions 81-178 relate to work experience.

Questions 179-235 cover your education or academic background.

The rest are about your personality, motivations and thoughts on work.

Free bonus: The One Job Interview Resource You’ll Ever Need is a handy reference to help you prepare for any kind of job interview. Download it free now

  1. Tell me about yourself.
  2. What major challenges and problems did you face?
  3. How would someone who dislikes you describe you?
  4. What was your biggest failure?
  5. What is your definition of failure?
  6. What are your regrets?
  7. What is your greatest weakness?
  8. When was the last time you were angry? What happened?
  9. If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do differently?
  10. Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute between others.
  11. What are your goals?
  12. What is your dream job?
  13. What are three things your former manager would like you to improve on?
  14. Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of.
  15. Are you a leader or a follower?
  16. What are some of your leadership experiences?
  17. Why aren’t you earning more money at this stage of your career?
  18. Who has inspired you in your life and why?
  19. What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized?
  20. What is your personal mission statement? OR Give a one sentence statement of yourself.
  21. What is your greatest achievement outside of work?
  22. Tell me one thing about yourself you wouldn’t want me to know.
  23. What is your favorite memory from childhood?
  24. What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
  25. What are your hobbies?
  26. What sports do you play?
  27. What kind of games do you like to play?
  28. What do you do in leisure/spare time?
  29. What do you do to deal with stress?
  30. What do you do to help balance life and work?
  31. Would you rather be liked or feared?
  32. How competitive are you?
  33. Tell me about a time when you used your creativity to overcome a problem.
  34. Which of your skills, technical or otherwise, has most helped you on the job?
  35. What new skills have you learned or developed recently?
  36. What sort of things have you done to become better qualified for your career?
  37. What were your responsibilities? (e.g. in your last job)
  38. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?
  39. Do you have a favorite quote? What is it?
  40. Who is your role model and why?
  41. Who do you respect? Why?
  42. Tell me about someone you admire and why?
  43. What unique experiences separate you from other candidates?
  44. What kind of person would you refuse to work with?
  45. What are your long-range and short-range goals and objectives, when and why did you establish these goals and how are you preparing yourself to achieve them?background check cartoon
  46. Give me an example of an important goal that you set in the past and tell me about your success in reaching it.
  47. What do you really want to do in life?
  48. What are the most important rewards you expect in your career?
  49. What are your best skills?
  50. What is the most difficult adjustment you have ever had to make?
  51. What two or three things are most important to you in a position?
  52. What are you interested in outside of your career?
  53. What is the last movie you watched? Did you like it?
  54. Give an example of a time you misjudged someone.
  55. What have you learned from your mistakes?
  56. Give an example of a time when you made a mistake because you did not listen well to what someone had to say.
  57. Describe times when you were not satisfied or pleased with your performance. What did you do about it?
  58. Describe a time when you had to make a difficult choice between your personal and professional (or academic) life.
  59. What do you do if you can’t solve a problem on your own?
  60. How has your job affected your lifestyle?
  61. What was the most useful criticism you received? Who was it from?
  62. Site an example from your personal life when you were dishonest to someone?
  63. What you have learned ever since you were born?
  64. Write to us about an incident in your life that shows how you faced a difficulty/challenge and how you handled it.
  65. Describe how you have persevered with a difficult problem in order to achieve a successful outcome.
  66. What experience in your life has taught you the most?
  67. Who do you contact and communicate with on a regular basis and for what purpose?
  68. What types of people do you get along with and why.
  69. What was the most traumatic experience to happen in your personal life?
  70. When you go on holiday, when do you pack your case?
  71. What do you consider yourself good at doing?
  72. On what do you spend your disposable income?
  73. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned in life?
  74. What is your greatest fear?
  75. Tell me about a problem you solved in a unique way. What was the outcome?
  76. Tell me about a time when you made a decision without all the information you needed.
  77. How frequent do you add contacts to your address book? Do you think it is worth building network of contacts?
  78. Do you think it is worthwhile to establish new relationships? What are the consequences of building new relationships in your professional and personal life?
  79. How will you judge yourself successful? How will you achieve success?
  80. What have you learned from your experiences outside the workplace/classroom?
  81. Why was there a gap in your employment between [insert dates] and [insert date]?
  82. What applicable attributes/experience do you have?
  83. What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
  84. Have you ever had difficulty working with a manager?
  85. Who was your best boss and who was the worst?
  86. Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your boss.
  87. If your boss gives you a mountain of tasks at 3:00 and says she needs them by 5:00, but you know you can’t finish them in time, what do you do?
  88. Tell me about the worst boss you ever had.
  89. If you know your boss is 100% wrong about something, how would you handle it?
  90. Describe a situation where you did not agree with something your boss asked you to do and how you resolved the problem.
  91. Why did you quit your job?
  92. What experience do you have in this field?
  93. What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?
  94. Tell me about the most boring job you’ve ever had.
  95. Have you been absent from work more than a few days in any previous position?
  96. Do you have the stomach to fire people? Have you had experience firing (many) people?
  97. Why have you had so many jobs?
  98. What’s the most difficult part of being a (job title)?
  99. Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?
  100. Can you give me an example of your creativity/managerial/organizational skills?
  101. Describe a situation in which you lead a team.
  102. Have you ever worked in a job that you hated?
  103. What was your starting and ending rate of pay at your last position?
  104. What is your salary history?
  105. Did you receive any promotions or raises?
  106. Tell me about your most significant work experience.
  107. Which areas of your work are most often praised?
  108. Which areas of your work are most often criticized?
  109. Do you take work home with you?
  110. How many hours do you normally work?
  111. Tell me about the funniest role you have had on a job/project.
  112. Have you ever been given too heavy a workload? If yes, how did you handle that situation?
  113. In what part-time or summer jobs have you been most interested? Why?
  114. What do you consider the most important idea you contributed or your most noteworthy accomplishment in your last job?
  115. Give me an example from a previous job where you’ve shown initiative.
  116. What specific skills acquired or used in previous jobs related to this position?
  117. Whom may we contact for references?
  118. Can you provide references from your current or previous employer?
  119. What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort? Describe a situation in which you did so.
  120. Describe a contribution you have made to a (recent) project on which you worked on.
  121. What was the name of your most recent employer?
  122. Have you ever opted to resign from a position? Why?
  123. Have you ever worked in a position where you felt you were not given enough to do?
  124. How do you determine your priorities when you have multiple projects?
  125. Are you comfortable with strict deadlines?
  126. Do you check your messages while on vacation?
  127. What is the worst job you can imagine holding?
  128. Can you work without supervision?
  129. Give me an example of a time when you had to conform to a policy or rule that you did not agree with.
  130. Describe a situation where your results have been below your superiors’ expectations. What happened? What did you do?
  131. Describe a major change that occurred in a job that you held. How did you adapt to this change?
  132. What are the steps you follow to study a problem before making a decision?
  133. What was the most important task you ever had? What was your role?
  134. How do you get a peer or colleague to accept one of your ideas?
  135. Have you given any seminars/courses/presentations?
  136. How did you get your last job?
  137. Why are you dissatisfied with your present job?
  138. What would your current employer have to do to make you stay there?
  139. How did that job influence your career?
  140. Are you currently under any employment contract obligation form current or previous employers?
  141. Recall a time from your work experience when your manager or supervisor was unavailable and a problem arose. What was the nature of the problem? How did you handle that situation? How did that make you feel?
  142. Tell me about a time you had to handle multiple responsibilities. How did you organize the work you needed to do?
  143. What skills have you acquired from your work experience/internships and part-time jobs?
  144. When given an important assignment, how do you approach it?
  145. How does your present position differ from past ones?
  146. Have you ever been asked to leave a position?
  147. What percentage of your time is spent on each of your job responsibilities?
  148. What social obligations go along with a job in this field?
  149. In what way did this type of work interest you and how did you get started?
  150. Do you participate in many social activities with your co-workers?
  151. What kinds of jobs have you held in the past and what did you like most about them?
  152. Describe a task you have done recently for which you exerted a high level of effort.
  153. When were you happy at work?
  154. Given a choice in your work, what do you like to do first?
  155. Given a choice, what would you leave till last in your work?
  156. On holiday, what do you miss most about your work?
  157. Why were you transferred/promoted?
  158. Given the achievements in your CV why is your salary so low/high?
  159. How does this job fit into your career plan?
  160. In your last internship, what tasks did you spend most of your time on and why?
  161. Can you tell me about a time when you discovered a more efficient way to do a work task?
  162. Do you always double-check your work?
  163. Tell me about a time when you were given an assignment, but you were not clear of how to go about it. How did you tackle this situation?
  164. Can you tell me about a time when you backed off in a meeting because you felt someone else should speak or have an opportunity?
  165. How would you show co-workers the importance of cooperation?
  166. Give an example of a time when you assisted a co-worker to enhance their work skills?
  167. Tell me about a situation when you were given job instructions and you were unable to comprehend the instructions. How did you go about completing the task?
  168. How often do you discuss and work with colleagues to think up new systems and styles of working?
  169. Can you tell me about a time when you did something extra, which was not part of the routine activities assigned to you, but you did it for the benefit of the customer?
  170. Describe a time when you took on additional work to help your team meet a crucial work goal?
  171. Tell me about a time that you undertook a course of study, on your own initiative, in order to improve your work performance?
  172. Tell me about initiatives you have taken to improve procedures at work? Were you successful? Would you do anything different now?
  173. When you need to create an order of job tasks that need to be completed, how do you decide which task has priority?
  174. When was the last time you used an inventive method to draw out company resources beyond a level that is usually met?
  175. Explain to me how your work experience is relevant to this position.
  176. What relevant experience do you have?
  177. Could you have done better in your last job?
  178. Why did you leave you last job?
    why did you leave your last job?
  179. Discuss your educational background.
  180. What’s the most important thing you learned in school?
  181. Why did you choose your major?
  182. Why did you choose your university and what factors influenced your choice?
  183. Why did you choose your degree subject?
  184. What computing skills do you have?
  185. What is a suggestion you’ve made at work that was implemented?
  186. Tell me about your experiences at school.
  187. What has been the most rewarding university experience?
  188. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your vocabulary and grammar skills?
  189. How has your education prepared you for your job?
  190. What college subjects did you like best? Why?
  191. What college subjects did you like least? Why?
  192. If you could do so, how would you plan your academic study differently? Why?
  193. What have you learned from participation in extracurricular activities?
  194. Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree?
  195. What changes would you make in your college or university? Why?
  196. Tell me about your education.
  197. What were your favorite classes/activities at school?
  198. In what ways have your college experiences prepared you for a career?
  199. Describe your most rewarding college experience.
  200. Did you enjoy school/college/university?
  201. How do you think you have changed personally since you started school/college/university?
  202. Why do you think graduates in [your degree subject] would be good [job role you have applied for]?
  203. Do you feel your GPA reflects your academic ability?
  204. Knowing what you know now about your college experience, would you make the same decisions?
  205. What contributions have you made to a group project?
  206. Do you have education or training relevant to this position?
  207. What parts of your education do you see as relevant to this position?
  208. Is grad school important?
  209. Are you currently taking or enrolled to take any job related educational courses?
  210. If you could change or improve anything about your college, what would it be?
  211. How will the academic program and coursework you’ve taken benefit your career?
  212. Are you the type of student for whom conducting independent research has been a positive experience?
  213. Describe the type of teacher who had the most beneficial influence on you.
  214. Describe the type of professor that has created the most beneficial learning experience for you.
  215. Do you think that your grades are indication of your academic achievement?
  216. How was your transition from high school to college? Did you face any particular problems?
  217. How have you differed from your professors in evaluating your performance? How did you handle the situation?
  218. Give two examples of things you’ve done in previous jobs or school that demonstrate your willingness to work hard.
  219. Describe the last time that you undertook a project that demanded a lot of initiative.
  220. How has college changed you as a person?
  221. Does your work relate to any experiences or studies you had in college?
  222. What courses have proved to be the most valuable to you in your work?
  223. What courses do you wish you had taken that would have better prepared you?
  224. If you were a college student again, what would you do differently to prepare for this job?
  225. How important are grades or GPA for obtaining a job in this field?
  226. What is the best educational preparation for this career?
  227. How do you think [name of your school]’s reputation is viewed when it comes to hiring?
  228. If you were entering this career today, would you change your preparation in any way to better facilitate entry?
  229. Do you apply the skills and knowledge learned at school in your work?
  230. What do you like best about your school?
  231. Please describe your own roles and functions in school, college, job, clubs, or other groups.
  232. Do you feel that grades are a good indicator of your ability?
  233. What would cause you to miss an assignment or be tardy?
  234. Tell me about your undergraduate university experience.
  235. If you were hiring a graduate for this position, what qualities would you look for?
  236. What do you know about our company?
  237. What interests you about this job opening?
  238. What salary range are you looking for? OR What do you feel this position should pay?
  239. What were your expectations for the job and to what extent were they met?
  240. What can you do for this company?
  241. Why should we hire you?
  242. What do you find are the most difficult decisions to make?
  243. What is more important to you: money or work?
  244. Where else have you applied? OR Who else have you applied to/got interviews with? OR Are you interviewing anywhere else?
  245. Are you willing to relocate or travel? Why should we hire you?
  246. How do you handle pressure?
  247. What questions do you have for me?
  248. Aren’t you overqualified for this position?
  249. Would you lie for the company?
  250. What can you tell us about our company?
  251. What do you know about our competitors?
  252. How did you hear about this position?
  253. Would you work holidays/weekends?
  254. How would you deal with an angry or irate customer?
  255. How would you fire someone?
  256. Why do you want this job?
  257. What is the most difficult thing about working with you?
  258. Are you willing to make sacrifices for this company?
  259. Do you know anyone who works with our company?
  260. What will you do if you don’t get this position?
  261. How do you take direction?
  262. Do you prefer working with others or alone?
  263. Can you summarize the contribution you would make to our organization?
  264. In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
  265. Why do you want to work for us and not for our competitor?
  266. If offered this position, how long would you plan on staying with our company?
  267. What would you do differently if you were in charge of this company?
  268. Walk me through the important points on your resume.
  269. What criteria do you use for evaluating success?
  270. Do you consider yourself a leader? What qualities make a good leader?
  271. How do you stay current or up-to-date in this industry?
  272. What qualities do you look for in an employer?
  273. What is your definition of intelligence?
  274. What can you tell me about this company that nobody else can?
  275. What challenges are you looking for in a position?
  276. Why do you think you would do well at this job?
  277. What do you expect to be earning in five years?
  278. Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and those reporting to him/her.
  279. What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
  280. Are you willing to spend at least six months as a trainee?
  281. In a job, what interests you the most/least?
  282. How would you describe an average day on this job?
  283. How well defined is the job? Is there a written job description?
  284. What is important to you in a job?
  285. What qualities do you find important in a co-worker?
  286. How will this job fit in your career plans?
  287. Give me an example of a time when you had to think out of the box.
  288. What factors most influence your willingness to take a risk?
  289. In your opinion, what are the advantages and disadvantages of working as a part of a team? Why?
  290. On a scale from 1-5 (one being the lowest) how do you rate your communication skills?
  291. If you found out that one of your co-workers was doing something dishonest, what would you do?
  292. What are your plans for self-improvement and personal development?
  293. Which of your personal characteristics do you feel enhances your effectiveness in communicating with others?
  294. If you had an opportunity to develop a basic set of values and beliefs which would serve as a company’s foundation for success, what would those be?
  295. In your opinion, what is the difference between a vision and a mission?
  296. What are one or two areas in which you think you could improve your performance?
  297. How many applications have you made?
  298. (If you have applied to lots of places) Why haven’t you had many interviews?
  299. Describe a situation in which you dealt with confrontation, for example a difficult customer.
  300. What gets you out of bed in the morning?
  301. How much money do you need to make?
  302. What expectations do you have for your future employer?
  303. What challenges are you looking for in a position?
  304. What is your approach to handling conflict? Solving problems?
  305. Why are you looking for a new job?
  306. Do you feel you have strong opinions about others?
  307. How would you describe yourself to a stranger at a party?
  308. Are you hoping for advancement within the company?
  309. Do you meet the application requirements?
  310. What do you do to attempt to motivate your co-workers?
  311. What do you do to help those unfamiliar with technology understand it better?
  312. How do you define teamwork?
  313. Have you ever postponed a decision? Why?
  314. If you were CEO of this company, what would you change?
  315. What are your pet peeves?
  316. How would you define good customer service?
  317. What quality of yours or personal trait matters the most in your career?
  318. Do you need additional training?
  319. What are your expectations regarding promotions and salary increases?
  320. How can you stay energized at work?
  321. Tell me what are the first 5 things you would do if you got this position?
  322. What training do you think you will require doing this job?
  323. How do you feel about being on call?
  324. How do you feel about company politics?
  325. How much notice do you require?
  326. How important is money to you?
  327. Are there any particular companies that interest you?
  328. Define cooperation.
  329. Define quality.
  330. Define service.
  331. Define commitment.
  332. Define discipline.
  333. Define dedication.
  334. Define integrity.
  335. How do you define empowerment?
  336. How do you define arrogance? Are you arrogant?
  337. How do you delegate authority?
  338. What do you expect to learn from this job, that you’re not currently getting?
  339. Would you say that you can easily deal with high-pressure situations?
  340. Do you have a geographic preference?
  341. By providing examples, convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations and environments.
  342. What suggestions do you have for our organization?
  343. Describe a time when you put your needs aside to help a co-worker or classmate understand a task. How did you assist him or her? What was the result?
  344. What do you do when you are faced with an obstacle to an important project? Give an example.
  345. Describe a team experience you found disappointing. What could you have done to prevent it?
  346. What criteria are you using to choose companies to interview with?
  347. Which is more important: creativity or efficiency? Why?
  348. What, in your opinion, are the key ingredients in guiding and maintaining successful business relationships?
  349. What do you prefer: recruitment or selection?
  350. What kind of person are you?
  351. What does trust mean to you?
  352. Which one is better: mentoring or coaching?
  353. What concerns do you have about this job?
  354. What do you see as your primary qualifications for this job?
  355. How much job security do you have in this position?
  356. What is the next step in your career?
  357. If your job was suddenly eliminated, what kinds of work do you feel prepared to do?
  358. What systems are in place to enable employees to give management feedback and suggestions?
  359. How would you describe the atmosphere at the company? Is it fairly formal or more casual and informal?
  360. How does a person progress in your field?
  361. Briefly describe the type of career opportunity you are seeking.
  362. When can you start to work if hired?
  363. What are some of your expectations of your future employer?
  364. Please list three areas you feel have opportunities for improvement
  365. What significant trends do you see in our industry?
  366. How would you tackle the first 90 days at this job?
  367. Do you set goals for yourself?
  368. What specifically do you do to set examples to your fellow employees?
  369. Are you looking for a permanent or temporary position at the company?
  370. Will you take a drug/psychological examination as a condition of employment?
  371. What would you do to deal with office gossip?
  372. What gives you the most satisfaction during free/vacation time?
  373. What may cause your priorities to change in a retail environment and how would you react?
  374. What would you do to drive additional sales?
  375. What do you hope to gain from working for our company?
  376. How do you incorporate fun into your day?
  377. How ambitious are you?
  378. In 200 words or less, please tell us why this role appeals to you?
  379. What do you do when making a mistake?
  380. Why are you interested in this vacancy?
  381. Please briefly describe what brings you to be seeking a new position at this time.
  382. If you come across an unethical behavior what would you do?
  383. If boss gives you an unreasonable request, how would you handle it?
  384. Please let us know the differences of your previous job description and our company job description.
  385. How do you measure quality?
  386. Please describe in 500 words or less your greatest talent as an employee that distinguishes you from most others.
  387. What days and hours are you available to work? Please be as specific as possible.
  388. List 4-5 qualities and examples in your previous experience where these qualities allowed you to overcome a problem or succeed at a task.
  389. How will you manage to come in on time to the office?
  390. Can you recall a time when you were less than pleased with your performance?
  391. What do you think is most important when dealing with customers?
  392. What is the thing you most hate in life?
  393. How do you spend your day?
  394. Give me an example of when you worked with little or no supervision.
  395. Please give examples of when you have had to communicate information both verbally and in writing in a clear and concise manner?
  396. How do deal with a colleague who is less punctual?
  397. What do you do when two employees are fighting?
  398. What sort of things do you like to delegate?
  399. How do you see this job developing?
  400. You seem not to have too much experience in [required skill]?
  401. What do you think is your market value?
  402. What decisions do you find easy to make?
  403. When do you plan to retire?
  404. What training have you had for this job?
  405. How do you get the best out of people?
  406. This job has a large component of travel/sales/negotiation/stress. How will you cope with that?
  407. What are the major influences that encourage you to take a job?
  408. Have you been coached in interviewing skills?
  409. What do you find most attractive about this position? What seems least attractive about it?
  410. How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm?
  411. Your resume suggests that you may be over-qualified or too experienced for this position. What’s your opinion?
  412. What do you think is the most difficult thing about being a manager or executive?
  413. How do you feel about leaving all your benefits to find a new job?
  414. How did you find out about this job?
  415. Do you prefer oral or written communications?
  416. Rate your vocabulary and grammar skills for me.
  417. Describe some of your latest written communications and how effective they have been.
  418. Describe for me two situations in which you were proactive
  419. What types of people need to be treated with good manners?
  420. How do you continue learning on a daily basis?
  421. Why is continuous improvement necessary?
  422. How do you rate yourself in computer skills? Please describe the programs and software that you can use well.
  423. Can you perform Internet research? Please describe to me your steps in doing so.
  424. How would you handle a client coming in to town from a foreign country, say Thailand?
  425. What is intelligence?
  426. Do you prefer structured or unstructured activities?
  427. How do you think I rate as an interviewer?
  428. How would you react if you knew that everyone in your department was going to let go except for one person?
  429. Tell me about a time when you had to give someone difficult feedback and how you managed it.
  430. Would you be willing to take a salary cut?
  431. Do you think this company is ambitious and if so, why?
  432. Tell me about a tricky situation for which you found a very simple solution?
  433. What steps will you take to clarify unclear information, or instructions with regard to your work?
  434. Is detail important to you? Do you think details should be left to your assistant?
  435. There are thousands of possible careers. Why do you want to follow this particular career?
  436. Five years ago, how would you have answered this question: “Where do you see yourself five years from now?” Do you think you have achieved what you wanted to?
  437. Describe a time when you took extra effort to make sure the person with whom you were communicating with had really understood your point. How did you do this?
  438. Can you tell me about a situation, which you tried to solve a problem with ideas and methods that had not been tried before?
  439. If you had to turn down a request from a valued client, what would you do?
  440. Do you like doing things in a new way? Do you think it is worth it?
  441. What are some things that you may change in the near future about your style of working? And why?
  442. Do you think that technology can help to achieve better efficiency at work? Give me an example.
  443. Can you tell me about a situation where you used your imaginative skills to solve a very difficult problem?
  444. What in your view makes a person likeable?

READ NEXT: 175 Helpful Questions To Ask At A Job Interview

This video gives you people to face while practicing your responses:

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Wednesday 21 June 2017

πŸ˜’ Google for Jobs Actually Makes Your Job Search Even Harder

Google for Jobs is convenient for your job search… but also everyone else's.

Google for Jobs Actually Makes Your Job Search Even Harder

What is the new Google for Jobs?

Google explains it best:

Although only available in the US for now and it will only include job listings from a few major sites initially, that will improve over time.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

What's there to like?

One of the classic problems of using job boards on your job search is that many employers will re-post the same job openings on different boards.

As a kind of job board of job boards, Google for Jobs will be able to recognize those duplicates and only show you the best listing in the bunch: the one with the most complete information (whatever Google considers that to be).

Next, Google for Jobs should be able to save you time because you won't need to sign up for as many different job boards as you used to. You can just start your job search directly on Google and join a job board only when you actually need to apply to a job that Google found listed there.

Finally, one little thing that's kind of cool is that because Google usually knows where you live, especially if you have an Android smartphone (but not only), you can filter job search results based on estimated commute time (although it would be interesting to know on what those estimates are based and how often they're updated).

That all sounds good, right? If so…

What's not to like?

Google for Jobs would be an absolute home run if it was able to expose hidden jobs that aren't being filled because no one knows about them. THAT would be a real service to both employers and job seekers.

But that's not what Google for Jobs does – it only features jobs coming from job boards or company sites who have made a conscious, programming-required effort to get their job listings caught by Google.

Google for Jobs only includes published job listings, and no hidden ones.

The fact that results appear directly in search results, and in the top-most positions, will tempt many job seekers who would have otherwise gone further into those results.

Putting these two things together, you can see that the jobs Google will show you are going to be the ones that get the most competition.

And it'll be even worse when they allow sponsored postings in the future.

In other words, the Google for Jobs jobs will be the hardest jobs to get because they'll be seen by the most people.

Google for Jobs' jobs will be the hardest jobs to get because they'll be seen by the most peopleClick To Tweet

The silver lining is that if you're willing to look for hidden jobs and know how, you'll have less competition for them because Google for Jobs will now funnel even more people to apply via public job listings then would have in the past.

What others are saying

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Thursday 15 June 2017

🌈 9 Promising Ways To Deal With Job Search Depression and Anxiety

Depressed over your job search? There are many ways to get help.

9 Promising Ways To Deal With Job Search Depression and Anxiety

This article is a guest post by Isabella Mori of Change Therapy.

Among career practitioners, we often speak of the “roller coaster of job search.” It looks like this:

Job Search Depression - Job Search Rollercoaster

Need I say more?

Free bonus: Download The Job Search Depression Report which contains insights and resources on how to manage if you're too depressed to look for work.

We’ve all been there, haven't we?

If this is your story right now, why not just go back to watching Oprah in your pyjamas, accompanied with a big bowl of potato chips and maybe pick up the phone tomorrow to call up that lead that Joe gave you yesterday. Nah, tomorrow is not a good day. Maybe next week some time.

Sound familiar? If this happens to you, it’s possible you’re just procrastinating a bit, you’re resting for a few well-deserved days, or you’re just having an off-day.

Or – you’re depressed.

There’s those off days, and the job search blues – but if the pattern of lack of motivation, feeling utterly blah, unexplainable crying even, or other uncomfortable moods persist for more than two weeks, if the down parts of that rollercoaster last too long and happen too often, chances are you are in a depression.

The previous articles in this series have talked about causes and signs for depression. Let me talk a bit about what to do.

The good thing about depression – yes, there are a few good things about depression – is that often, there’s much that can be done, and I certainly can’t list all of them here.

Today, I’d like to lean on the words of a fellow blogger, Emma McCreary, who commented on an article of mine, Two Views Of Depression, a little while ago and see how we can use her ideas to help with job search depression.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

9 actions you can take today

  1. Identify cognitive distortions such as focusing on the negative (“Yes, I have a degree in accounting but last year I made I mistake on a spreadsheet!”) and deal with them.
  2. If you’ve been on anti-depressants before and they have helped, maybe it’s time to use them again – talk to your doctor!
  3. Don’t just “suffer it”; please realize that you have a right to feel serene and content, and nobody benefits from your feeling down.
  4. Share your experience with others, with your friends and family, with a local support group, or online.
  5. Visit a counselor; sometimes just one or two visits can make quite a difference.
  6. Practice meditation and relaxation.
  7. Educate yourself; read a book such as Listening to Depression.
  8. Recognize that depression is often a coping mechanism. Don’t reject your depression; accept your parts that look “broken.”
  9. Practice non-violent communication and learn to talk gently and compassionately to yourself.

About the author

Isabella Mori is Canada's blogging psychotherapist. She blogs about psychology, creativity, spirituality and social justice over at Change Therapy and can be reached at moritherapy [at] shaw [dot] ca.

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  • 13 Signs of Job Search Depression
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  • 9 Ways To Deal With Job Search Depression

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Thursday 8 June 2017

🎯 40 Tips for Older Job Seekers That Actually Get Results

If you're 40 or beyond, these tips are for you.

40 Tips for Older Job Seekers That Actually Get Results

I just turned 41 a few months ago. If I was job searching today, some places wouldn't think twice about rejecting me for being too old.

And you know what? I don't mind. Every company, every team, is entitled to hire whoever they think will be the best fit.

As a job seeker, it's up to you to research companies and teams upfront, before you apply, so you can estimate if you'll be a good fit.

As an older job seeker – 35+, 45+ or even 65+ – it's up to you to research companies and teams upfront, before you apply, to see if they have a history of hiring older workers so you can better estimate if you'll be a good fit.

Here are 40 tips to help you along the way.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Free bonus: The Midlife Job Search Report is a handy guide I compiled for older job seekers. Download it now.

1. Choose a direction

Start by deciding what you want to do next. Emily Allen, manager of the Workforce Initiative Program at AARP: for older workers, it's often “the first time in life that they can consider what they want to do rather than what they need to do.” (via CareerJournal.com)

2. Get a forward-facing resume

Midlife job seekers need a resume that looks forward, not backward. To quote from the article- “a rΓ©sumΓ© shouldn't read like the testimonial at your retirement dinner.” Rather- “Change the perspective from “look at everything I have done,” to “look at everything I can do for you.”” (via Forbes.com)

3. Be proud of yourself

Don't be defensive and don't omit dates. You've worked hard to get where you are, so be proud of what you've accomplished along the way and be even more enthusiastic about what you have yet to accomplish.

From BBC News:

4. Ageism happens; live with it

Age stereotypes exist no matter how old you are: “the worst thing a job seeker could do is try and emphasize the positive qualities which employers associate” with your age.

5. Emphasize your “younger” qualities

Play up any qualities you have that are usually associated with younger people.

6. See through the jargon

Resist being put off by younger-sounding ads that use terms like ‘fast-paced' and ‘multi-tasking'. Growing a family requires tremendous multi-tasking skills, so know that you can compete with anyone.

7. Learn new skills and technologies

Everyone knows how difficult it is to keep up with an evolving field, all the more impressive when you've been doing it for a long time.

8. Be open to new careers

Think about the skills you have that are transferable to another industry or profession; it's never too late to find a dream job.

9. Join a support group

Online or off, join a group of people like yourself for support, advice and networking purposes. Join a forum or community on Facebook, LinkedIn, or perhaps a local job seekers club.

10. Employ yourself

With a lot of experience, it may be straightforward enough for you to enter consulting, doing the work you know but charging higher prices than former colleagues.

11. Exercise

Stay healthy by exercising and eating a balanced diet. This is always important, more so when you're in a difficult transition period between jobs. There are over 10 good reasons to do this.

12. Make time for friends and family.

Job hunting is similar to actors auditioning for a role; there can be many rejections before a break comes and you will need every bit of encouragement that they can give you.

13. Consider volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to “keep a work-based routine and keeps you involved in the community” which also translates into many networking opportunities. Here are 10 Best Practices to Volunteer Your Way To a Paid Job.

From Job-Hunt.Org:

14. Refresh your expertise

Update your knowledge before sending out resumes. Even if you've been keeping up with new skills and technologies, you may have missed the latest industry jargon and trends.

15. Focus your resume

Limit your resume to two pages, and focus on the past positions that are most relevant and impressive with regards to the job you are applying for.

16. Relate to younger interviewers

If you're interviewed by a younger manager, make a point of describing situations where you worked well with younger people, especially if they were younger leaders.

From Quintessential Careers:

17. Aim for SMEs

18. Target companies properly

Aim for companies that embrace older workers. SimplyHired 50+ is a job search engine specializing in this domain (US-only, unfortunately). RetirementJobs.com is another.

19. Suggest wisely

If your kids are old enough that you spend less time with them than you used to, offer to put in hours that are difficult for younger people who do still have family obligations to manage.

20. Temp to improve

Registering with a temp agency is a good way to update your skills or learn new ones, especially if you are someone who prefers ‘learning by doing'.

More from Quintessential Careers, on resumes:

21. Don't go overboard on experience

List about 15 years' worth of jobs on a resume, and only mention others if you have a compelling reason.

22. Choose the most appropriate resume format

Consider a chrono-functional resume style to emphasize relevant skills.

23. Protect yourself

Soften the job titles on your CV as necessary to avoid appearing overqualified.

24. Show recent achievements

Be sure to specify any recent professional training courses you attended in order to demonstrate your willingness and ability to stay up-to-date.

25. Be creative regarding your skills

Looking for your first salary after a long time as a homemaker or volunteer? Learn to portray your skills as transferable to your next job.

Quintessential Careers on interviews:

26. Be cool in interviews (and out)

“Realize that you will probably be interviewed by someone younger than you, and don't be unnerved by that situation.”

27. Prepare for interviews

“Be prepared for interview questions that are inappropriate, borderline illegal or downright unlawful.”

RetirementJobs.com on resumes:

28. Avoid appearing outdated

“Check for arcane acronyms.”

29. Be clear about what you bring to the table

“If you have good computer skills, be sure they are highlighted to help overcome the perception that older people are less computer savvy.”

30. Focus your resume, the right way

“If you are looking for career continuation… use a more traditional resume. If you are planning to change significantly… summarize your long work career in a single paragraph. Then focus… on skills you have developed and accomplishments… that are applicable to your new career focus.”

I'll add…

31. Get a second opinion

Of your resume, of your way of dressing, etc.

Look in the mirror, or perhaps have someone do it with you.

32. Don't give yourself excuses

Prevent yourself from feeling that you missed an opportunity solely because of your age. Most of the time it simply isn't the case, so avoid clouding your understanding of what the issue really was and focus on any potential improvements for the next interview.

33. Learn recent job search techniques

In addition to JobMob and QuintCareers (above), subscribe to a handful of other great job search blogs.

34. Do a startup

People tend to associate startups with young go-getters and will be more likely to remember a standout older person taking those same risks. Leverage that recognition along with your experience and contacts as you move forward. Plus – with a longer credit history, banks are more likely to help you with financing than a student who only recently opened a first account.

35. Do a startup where your exit strategy is a job offer…

… at another company. As you make progress with your new business, job opportunities will arise through your new network of contacts around the startup.

36. Create your own networking group

Do a startup of a third kind – take the initiative to form a local support group or job club if you can't find one in your area.

37. Network, network, network.

Many contacts accompany much experience over a long career, and you should use that broad reach to find the people that can help you most.

38. Boomerang

Consider boomeranging- returning to work for a former employer. You may still know people on the inside who can vouch for you.

39. Just be yourself

Don't try to act young in your eyes, you will just look old in their eyes. Always be yourself- it has gotten you this far already.

40. Hire a good job search coach

Especially one who understands older job seekers.

Free bonus

The Midlife Job Search Report is a handy guide I compiled to help older job seekers.

This free download contains:
  • 5 Common Mistakes Older Job Seekers Make
  • How To Defeat Any Form of Job Search Discrimination
  • How Older Job Seekers Beat These Common Stereotypes
  • 9 Scary Reasons Overqualified Job Seekers are Rejected
  • 40 Tips for Older Job Seekers That Actually Get Results
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Thursday 1 June 2017

πŸ™ˆ 5 Reasons Your Resume Will Never Get Read

What's going wrong with your resume?

5 Reasons Your Resume Will Never Get Read

This is a guest post by Dan Keller.

Are you struggling to get interviews and land that job? Your resume may be the culprit.

The competition for most jobs is fierce and recruiters are overwhelmed by the amount of resumes they receive for job openings. If your resume does not shine, chances are you will be passed over.

Here are five areas where your resume may be falling short.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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1) No impact

You have about 20 seconds to grab your readers attention and hook them into reading more.

It is not uncommon for recruiters to look through several hundred resumes for just one job posting. With the odds stacked up against you, it is vital that your resume create impact and make a great first impression.

An employer wants to quickly find out why they should invite you an for an interview. If you are not providing this information in a clear and compelling manner, they will simply move on the next resume.

2) Poor layout

The visual layout and appearance of your resume is just as important as the content. Be sure to use an appropriate format with well-defined sections that allow for the reader to quickly find the information they are seeking.

A typical resume format will include the following resume sections:

  • Summary of Experience or Profile
  • Significant Accomplishments
  • Work Experience
  • Education
  • Training or Certifications

3) Size matters

There is no set rule about the length of your resume but conventional wisdom suggests that if you are a recent grad or entry level job seeker, you should have a one page resume.

If you have been working for over 5 years, then a two page resume will probably make sense. You want to make sure to include as much relevant information to convey your experience in a way that demonstrates your fit for the position.

Keep in mind your resume is not your life story, if you find yourself going past page three you will want to look for ways to pare it down.

Remember, you have about 20 seconds to make your impression.

4) Lack of accomplishments

Your resume accomplishments section is your chance to shine and really connect with the employer. Companies are looking for the best of the best and this section will tell the employer why you should be the one they hire. Many job seekers have a difficult time pointing to significant achievements, so here are some questions to ask yourself.

  • What problems have you solved?
  • What policies or procedures have you devised?
  • Have you been selected to train other employees?
  • What have you changed or improved anything?
  • Have you exceeded your goals?
  • Have you won any awards?
  • Have you received recognition from management or peers?

5) Poor Grammar, typos and mistakes

typo error cartoon
Over half of all resumes are said to contain at least one error (!).

When recruiters are looking to screen out resumes, an error or typo can make all the difference. The impression that errors in resumes make is that you are a careless person and do not possess the attention to detail that is required in many positions.

Be sure to read your resume several times, run it through a spell checker and then have at least two other people read it over as well.

It is also wise to print out a copy of your resume as you may pick out mistakes that you may have missed while reading it on your computer screen.

Free bonus

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This free download contains:
  • 111 Smart Resume Section Headings and Titles
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About the Author

Dan Keller is an experienced recruiter, resume writer, author and blogger. For more resume tips be sure to visit his blog CareerCopilot.com and follow him on Twitter @careerblogger.

A variation of this article was originally part of the Over $6000 in Prizes: It’s The 6th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest, which was made possible thanks in large part to our sponsor:

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READ NEXT: 9 Tips for a Standout Print Resume

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