Five character questions, and the answers that will get you hired

Five character questions, and the answers that will get you hired by Michael Cheary Sometimes the road to interview success simply comes down to character.Knowing the right way to answer to the common questions is all well and good. But if the interviewer doesn’t think you’ll be a good fit for the organisation, your application is unlikely to progress any further.Your character is the single most reliable predictor of what you’ll achieve in your career, making it top priority for many employers when it comes to their line of questioning. Don’t believe us?Here are five of our favourite character questions and our advice on how to answer them:Who do you admire and why?Translation: what qualities do you value in other people?The trick with this question is to make sure you don’t overthink it. To put it simply, the ‘who’ actually isn’t all that important. It’s all about the ‘why’.Always opt to pick someone who can be seen as relevant to the role you’re applying for. If you’re applying for a management position, for ex ample, choosing a good leader would work well. For more entry-level roles, answers might feature someone who has worked their way up in an industry.Try and pitch yourself somewhere between the cliché (we’re thinking Nelson Mandela, Sir Alan Sugar, etc.), and the try-hard or completely obscure. It’s fine to pick someone a little under-the-radar, but if even the most well-read Oxford scholar would struggle to pin-point your favourite second century Persian leader, you might just be trying a little too hard.Whoever you pick, always ensure you can relate their experiences back to reflect your own personal values. Right answer: ‘If I had to choose one person, I’d probably go with JK Rowling. She was a single mother with very little money, who had an incredible idea and decided to go with it. After writing the book, it was rejected countless times by publishing houses, but she didn’t give up. Now she’s one of the most successful British writers of all-time. That persistence a nd self-belief is something I really admire.’Wrong answer: ‘If I say you, will I get the job?’Tell me something about you that isn’t on your CVLet’s face facts: interviews are tiring.In fact, sometimes interviewers are so desperate for a little recuperation time that they like to let you take the lead. That’s where this question comes in.So, do you go personal, or keep it strictly business? Although the professional approach may seem a little safe, things like further information about your first job, or specific examples of overcoming workplace problems, are potentially quite fertile areas of discussion.On a personal level, the most revealing answers will provide a much more rounded view of the person behind the application. So whether it’s an unrelated piece of voluntary work, or an interesting hobby or unusual pastime, a little more character is always a good weapon to have when it comes to setting yourself apart from the crowd.Just try to avoid offering out a piece of twee trivia as a legitimate answer. A lot of people are big fans of Game of Thrones. It doesn’t mean they’re more employable. Right answer: ‘Well this is actually a little embarrassing, but I actually couldn’t ride a bicycle until a few years ago. That was when I went travelling, and we only had bikes to get around the small island my friends and I found ourselves on. So I had to learn pretty fast, which was scary, but also weirdly exhilarating. I’ll never be a contender for the Tour de France, but at least I can go for a bike ride if it ever comes up.Wrong answer: ‘I’m a black-belt in Origami. ’ (insert other, slightly obvious joke here).What do you most dislike about yourself?Already feel suitably prepared for the old ‘what are your weaknesses’ line? Think of this question as its evil twin…In fact, whilst it covers similar ground, the broader and slightly more confrontational approach is often used to probe for a more personal answer, and gain a clear ind ication of your character. Will you crack under the pressure of this more negative approach, or, instead, will you come out swinging?As with any other queries regarding weakness, always avoid answering the question as it was asked. Instead, mentally reframe your answer to present a more positive overall outcome. Choosing a legitimate area that you’re working hard to improve should be enough to reinforce the idea that you can do the job at hand, whilst also humanising yourself in the process.However, always try and keep your answers succinct. There is such a thing as oversharing… Right answer: ‘Whilst there isn’t anything I’d say that I actively dislike about myself, there are certainly traits I value over others. If I’m being really honest, I’m not great at confrontations. Luckily it isn’t something I’ve often had to deal with, but on the odd occasion I’ve had to deliver bad news, such as poor appraisals, I haven’t enjoyed it all that much.’Wrong answer: ‘I have quite a short attention span I’m sorry, can you repeat the question?’Is it acceptable to lie in business?The world is unfair. Proof? Almost everybody lies, yet nobody wants to hire a liar. Go figure.As a result, the only real option here is to go for the obvious answer. Anything other than playing it 100% straight and extoling the virtues of telling the truth at all times has the ability to throw serious doubt on your core values something that’s unlikely to prove endearing.Some candidates may try talking their way out of this one, and suggest that there’s a fine line between a lie and withholding the truth, but in a job interview this kind of wheedling and bargaining is probably not a good look.In an interview situation, the intricacies and nuances of bending the truth are always best left alone. Lying is lying, no ifs or buts. Right answer: ‘I’d never recommend lying. It just never works out in the long run. If you make a mistake, it’s always better to own up for it and apologise. Most people will forgive you for making a mistake, and you’ll learn from it, but some people will never forgive a lie.’Wrong answer: ‘Lying isn’t a problem. Just as long as you don’t get caught.’Is it OK to spend time at work on non-work stuff, like Facebook or YouTube?Ah, the age-old question of bunking off in the office.Some interviewers seem to have an almost in-built paranoia when it comes to workplace distractions.   And by in-built paranoia, we mostly mean a morbid and sometimes irrational fear of millennials looking at YouTube all day, whilst they’re supposed to be on-the-clock.With some studies suggesting that we spend up to two hours of our working day wasting time, it isn’t a concern that’s wholly unwarranted. However, no matter how much the video of that panda sneezing brightens up your day, it’s unlikely that your interviewer really wants to hear about it.So whatever your own personal views on the issue are, play it safe, and go into complete denial mode. Because let’s face it, no-one wants to employ a slacker. Right answer: ‘Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with checking up on these sites in non-working time like your lunch break, as long as it’s not against company policy of course. But when you’re supposed to be working, I don’t think it’s appropriate. You’re paid to do a job and that’s what you should be doing’.Wrong answer: ‘Why, did you get my Snapchat?’Need more interview questions?Not sure any of these questions will come up? Don’t panic. We’ve got plenty more…Buy James Reeds new book: Why You? 101 Interview Questions Youll Never Fear Again and start loving Mondays now.Still searching for your perfect position?  View all of our current vacancies nowFind a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions appli cable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Features Questions to ask at a job interview

Global Graduates University of Manchester Careers Blog

Global Graduates University of Manchester Careers Blog How would you like to travel to destinations including New York, Singapore, San Francisco and Hong Kong? Global Graduates, a scheme run by the Careers Service lets you just that! Increasingly, as companies get larger and the world is made smaller by technology, employers want to see that their employees have global awareness and experience. That is exactly what the Global Graduates scheme will give you. Successful applicants will gain a better understanding of the global community and learn about the world of work in different countries and cultures. During their visits, successful candidates will visit a range of host organisations, meeting alumni and company representatives to learn more about their businesses, and the opportunities within them for Manchester students. They will also gain insight into the economic climate, the working culture in the host city, business practices and areas for future growth. Our Global Graduates will also be ambassadors The University of Manchester, flying the flag for the University overseas and sharing information about key developments for the institution. The ‘Global Graduates’ will also have the opportunity to both use and develop existing skills, to start building their professional networks and to increase their understanding of their own employability. Last year, host organisations included PricewaterhouseCoopers, the United Nations, IBM, the NBC TV network and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. I really enjoyed my time in Singapore, both within the interviews we conducted, and in Singapore in general. The programme was well managed and the help and support received was near faultless. Previous participant on Global Graduates Global Graduates is open to all first and mid-degree students (unfortunately final years and postgraduate students cannot apply) and a total of 28 students will be chosen to take part in the destination. Groups will be sent to Dubai, Hong Kong, London and Paris, New York, San Francisco or Singapore in June 2014. To get onto the scheme, you need to submit an application and competition will be fierce, so you need to make sure it does you justice. Luckily for you, we are organising a series of information sessions, which will give you tips on how to apply, as well as important information about the scheme. These sessions are all this month, and you can sign up to them on CareersLink. For more information, including the dates of travel, visit the website. Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted

Want More Business Answer Your Phone. - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Want More Business Answer Your Phone. - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career To reach a department that is closed and doesn’t take voicemail, press 1. To be re-routed to the wrong department, press 2. For static over bad music while Google Voice screens your call and then drops it, just wait 10 seconds. To get the message that you and your call don’t mean much, just leave a message at the beep. Is that how it feels to do business with you? That’s hard work. How hard? Like getting through the defensive line with its gargantuan force of weight crushing your attempt to move the ball forward. Like being the kicker who gets roughed up, after waiting through the time out and thinking about it. Not into football? Okay, how about being deep underwater in scuba gear and having your air hose crimped. Like the way your shoulder feels when the butt of a rifle strikes it as the firearm discharges. You get it. It is painful that people want to reach you to do business with you, and can’t do that easily. Even vendors and sales representatives â€" who might have the one thing you can purchase to change the economics of your business for the better, deserve better. Because my fields of expertise are communication and personal branding: I’m all about having people answer your phone. That’s right: people! A human voice. One that understands not only the language of your callers, but the culture as well. At least, the majority of them. For right around the same price as two lattes a week, you could be in business. I mean, really in business. That means customers and prospects calling you on the phone, and your making money because they reached a person and not a machine. Could you go without lattes for a month, if that were the difference between getting clients or not? When my reception staff can’t handle the calls coming into my office, we have an answering bureau that picks up the line â€" right here in Southern California. I’ve met most of the people at the bureau and they do their best, which is mostly to be human. They can text me, email me and even direct connect me (sometimes they do all three at my instruction). Of course, because they are human, they are not perfect. But I bet on them because real people are a better bet than the losing game of voicemail. (BTW, its only when you really know me that you get my voicemail, but thats a critical part of communications strategy for another day). Personal brands, consider how far you are willing to go to have people remember you. When it really matters, get a vanity number â€" and one that is toll-free. Ask yourself: does it really matter that people remember me? Yes, it does. Buy a phone number that makes a statement about your personal brand. It’s one of those branding touch points that’s also really inexpensive, but makes the statement that you are serious about being personal brand. Go ahead and try it. If you want to hear a sample of the sound of real voices â€" and maybe you want to discuss coaching â€" either becoming a coach or getting coached on personal branding: I’m happy to chat with you. A human being will take your message if you don’t reach me directly. Urgent? Let them know, they’ll get to me pronto. As I say to my clients, the media and my audiences: just call 1-888-GO-NANCE. What will you say about reaching you? Author: Nance Rosen is the author of Speak Up! Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen

Four Strategies for Your Job Search Networking - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Four Strategies for Your Job Search Networking - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Various studies have found that 45% to 70% of job seekers got their jobs through networking. More recently, a survey by Lou Adler discovered that 60% of the job seekers he surveyed found their jobs through networking. In a recent article titled Hire Economics: Why Applying to Jobs Is a Waste of Time, Mr. Adler estimated that being referred to a hiring manager by a trusted person is 50-100X more likely to result in being interviewed and hired compared to submitting a resume to a posted job. My 11 years of experience guiding job seekers through active job searches tends to confirm these statistics. If Ive gotten your attention, then I want to share one critical preparatory action and four networking strategies I have found to be helpful in landing better jobs faster. The critical action I recommend is that you first establish a goal. People want to know What do you want to do next?. You may decide to change your goal as you proceed through your job search and learn, but beginning your search with an answer is important. As an example, a goal for a mid-career corporate accounting manager who is aspiring to move up to a Controller role could be I have a background in corporate accounting and am seeking a new position as either an accounting manager in a larger company or a Controller in a mid-sized company. With your job search goal established, try adding these four strategies from my book Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!): Strategy One: Emphasize one-on-one networking rather than group networking. It is a basic tenet of marketing that one-on-one communications with your prospective buyers is tremendously more effective than mass marketing to unqualified audiences. One-on-one networking with employed decision makers is where you need to strive to spend most of your job search networking hours. Strategy Two:  Springboard off your best networking contacts rather than attempting to meet new strangers. When you are fully prepared to start your campaign, begin with your best networking contacts. You can grow your network utilizing your existing relationships and branch out from there. Bob Burg, a nationally known speaker and networking guru, suggests you can define your best contacts as those who know you, like you, and trust you. Strategy Three:  Conduct your networking as a two-way street, seeking to help others as much as they help you. You may have heard the expression that everyone listens to one station WII FM (whats in it for me). While it is true that your best networking contacts will be more receptive to hear what you need, one-sided interactions can reduce your successes greatly. As you expand your network outward from your best contacts, it becomes increasingly important that there be some balance in your networking communications and actions. Strategy Four:  Make sure your professional image/brand and your follow up  are first class. Some great people who say and do all the right things in their networking meetings fail to recognize their poor first impressions or fail to follow up properly. It will be to your advantage to insure (1) you are dressed appropriately and that your clothes fit you, (2) your hair is properly cut/styled as you would wear it on-the-job, (3) you are smiling in a friendly manner, and (4) you extend your hand to greet the other person in a confident manner. Regarding follow up, a job search networking faux pas to be avoided is putting your networking contacts on your follow up list for regular calls once a month, every two weeks, etc. I have found that incorporating these strategies into your job search networking can greatly improve your odds of success. And, here is a bonus suggestion: Increase you informational interviewing with specific people who you believe will be able to provide you information about new career options you are considering, employers of interest, etc. In an article for www.about.com, Alison Doyle provided good ideas about informational interviewing in Successful Job Search Networking. I recommend ALL job seekers conduct more informational interviews to increase their odds of job search success. Dont give up on networking in your job search. Networking works and you can reap the rewards by making positive changes in your networking activities. What have been your experiences with job search networking? Do you have additional suggestions for being more effective? Id love for you to share your experiences good, bad, or indifferent. Author: Richard Kirby  is an executive career consultant, speaker on career strategies, and author of Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!). Richard Kirby’s earlier experience includes managing engineering, human resources, marketing and sales teams for employers that ranged from a Fortune 100 to a VC-funded entrepreneurial startup. For the past 11 years at Executive Impact, Richard has helped hundreds of executives and professionals successfully navigate today’s transformed 21st century job market and achieve better employment for themselves. Richard’s expertise includes career assessments and goal setting, personal marketing/branding, resume enhancement, strategic networking and job interviewing, and “contrarian” job search methodologies. He is a Board Certified Coach (in career coaching) and a Certified Management Consultant (recognized by the ISO).

5 Personal Branding Myths Job Seekers Should Ignore

5 Personal Branding Myths Job Seekers Should Ignore Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comJob opportunities don’t come when you wait. You need to work hard for it. That’s why personal branding is vital. It’s what you’re known for. If you have a terrific branding, it can open a lot of opportunities, like better contacts and jobs.Having an excellent personal brand can help you in achieving your career goals and exceeding your career expectations. But there’s a downside to the personal brand movement. That is, a lot of myths have grown, and some job seekers are embracing them without knowing it.In this post, let’s unlearn those common personal branding myths that job seekers still believe.1. I don’t need a web presenceevalSocial media has changed the recruitment industry. More and more hiring managers are using social media sites to look for talents.?According to a survey, the majority of hiring managers are using LinkedIn to get in touch with their job candidates.So, if you avoid the digital space, you’d miss a lot of job opportuni ties. But just because you need to be active doesn’t mean you need to tweet everything that you wish to share.Instead, opt to share relevant content.The main goal of having a web presence is to allow those hiring managers to find you.2. My reputation is already my personal brandYour personal brand isn’t what you say about yourself. Rather, it’s about what other people are saying what your brand is.?Your reputation won’t be the same brand you have online and vice versa. For example, if you’re deemed as hard working individual, people online might not see it that way.eval?Thus, you need to re-brand yourself. In that way, hiring managers who are looking at your social media profiles would believe you.3. It’s late for me to re-brand myselfRe-branding isn’t easy. For some people, it can be scary.However, it isn’t impossible to re-brand yourself. It takes time and effort. But it’s possible.You may have heard of people shifting their careers. An executive at a law firm co uld quit his job to become a hypnotherapist.evalShifting career isn’t just a walk in the park. But it can be done. Hence, if you wish to do something new, you must do it now.4. My personal brand is about my careerIt’s true that personal brand is about you and your career. But it’s not limited to your professional advancement.People want to work with you if you have a positive personal brand. That is, how you communicate with people and how people enjoy working with you. People need a leader, whom they can enjoy going to work every day.5. My image is already my personal brandYour personal brand isn’t something that’s seen and said. Instead, it goes deeper into authentic expressions of your values, contribution, and purpose.And they must be backed up by action. Your personal brand is discovered and not conceived.Your brand is anything that people say about you when you’re not around. These days, access to information to anyone is just a few mouse clicks. Thus, managing you r personal brand must be your priority if you’re seeking a job.

Happy Christmas - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Happy Christmas - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog 2008 for me has been the best year ever. So much interesting stuff has been happening that to even start to summarise it here is almost meaningless. Suffice it to say, that 2008 seemed to zoom by because so many cool things were always going on but now that I look back on it, it seems like a loooong year indeed. Here are just a few highlights: My book came out in Danish and is a best seller. My book is coming out in Chinese. I gave more presentations and workshops than ever! I had gigs in Ireland, England, The Bahamas, The US, France and many other cool places. I now work with two wonderful and very cool associates: Jon and Lea. I spoke at the best business conference ever: WorldBlu Live in New York. I proposed to my girlfriend. She said yes. I have taken less time for blogging than Id like and will prioritize it more in 2009! Blogging is seriously one of the most inspiring, productive, fun and useful things I do particularly because so many nice people read along and take time to give feedback. Now Im off to some Christmas celebrations (yes, Christmas is on the 24th. in Denmark) and then on to a week of snowboarding in the French Alps. In the meantime, you might enjoy some of my previous favourite posts on the blog or maybe some of the quickly growing number of links in the happy at work link collection. But most importantly: I wish you and your loved ones a very happy Christmas and a spectacular new year. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Why Taking a Pay Cut to Find Your Dream Job Might Just Be a Good Idea

Why Taking a Pay Cut to Find Your Dream Job Might Just Be a Good Idea Do you know anyone working their dream job right now? How many people do you know that are working a job they hate just to pay the bills, all the while holding out hope that their dream job will plop right down in their laps? All they are waiting for is the right time, right? If you ventured a guess, the latter probably outnumbered the former by quite a large margin. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, considering that people have to pay bills to live, so they have a vested interest in earning a paycheck. But, some people find themselves completely restless with the path they’ve chosen and want to make a break for something new and exciting. That’s when many people break up with their reality and decide to chase a dream. You may not succeed but at least you can say you gave it a try, or you could end up living your dream. Finding the Dream Job Even if you have a solid job that is paying the bills and offering security, it may not be enough. If you want something else out of life then why not make the uncomfortable move and leave your situation? The drawback: going from plenty to living on the lower-rung of the pocketbook scale. If you decide to try your hand at your dream job there will be setbacks, you will have to make sacrifices that, perhaps, you are not comfortable with. That means less eating out and less entertainment plans, you will have to limit your purchases to the essentials, while still leaving some for yourself. Your friends and family should be your rock at this time. They should be there to provide help and encouragement, but if they’re not, it’s their loss and your life, so go live it. Before you leave your current job, make sure you have something to fall back on. Make sure you have your dream job in place, even if you are close to getting it there is no guarantee. You do not want to put yourself in a compromising situation that you will have to dig your way out of. A New Type of Rich If you make a drastic step and totally alter your life, will it be worth it or will your life be more fraught with peril than before? Who knows, and it depends on your situation. If you decide to quit your job to focus on African alligator wrestling, you will be in for a complete, 180 degree change in lifestyle. But, you also reward yourself both spiritually and emotionally by following what it is you want to do. The hardest part of making the change may be the fear of what people say about you. Even though your bank account may not be overflowing, your karma bank will be earning interest. And who cares what someone says about you, you’re following your dreams while they slave away in a cubicle working for a faceless, soul-sucking corporation who would just as easily fire them and everyone in the office if it improved their stockholder shares. So why do you care what people say, you have a dream and you’re following it. Live for yourself, even if it means a hit to the pocketbook.