Behavioral Interview Questions and Why They Are Asked - Your Career Intel

Behavioral Interview Questions and Why They Are Asked - Your Career IntelWhat are your weaknesses? Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a difficult situation. Have you ever had a job bewerbungsgesprch and been asked questions like these?Allow me to introduce you to behavioral interview questions. These seemingly innocuous questions were created, in essence, for an employer to get insight into your thought process.These questions assess your soft skills, as opposed to technical skills. They are structured open-endedly to probe a truthful, behavior-based response.Behavioral interview questions can cover a wide array of topics, such as adaptability, ambition, analytical thinking, building relationships, and whether youre big picture or detail-oriented.Your goal is to cruise through these questions without giving an employer any concerns or raising any red flags.So is there an art to behavioral interview questions and answers?Generally, the employers have determined ahead of tim e the behaviors or soft skills are needed to succeed in the role. Working with a recruiter is advantageous because they can share what those core competences are. If youre not working with a recruiter, there are still things you can do to prepare. First, if theres a job description, make sure to reread it and look for behavior-based qualifications listed, e.g. can-do attitude or self-motivated. Think of situations youve been in or qualities you possess around those topics that strengthen your candidacy.Secondly, every behavioral interview question is a leading question each one contains an obvious hint as to the answer theyre looking for. For example, tell me about a conflict with a coworker and how you resolved it is a common question. The hint here is how you resolved it. Dont abflug sharing a conflict that you werent able to resolve.Also, no matter how nice or friendly the question may be phrased, always be on guard.A common trip up question is What are your weaknesses? A good an swer would be I have a hard time saying no, then back up your response with why this is not in fact a weakness. You could say, for example, that despite having a hard time saying no, you take a lot of pride in your work and have learned that it is not possible to deliver your best if youre over-committed. Show how youre learning to deal with this weakness by offering a solution. (I usually say Im learning to delegate when Im over-committed.)Armed with these tips for behavioral based interview questions, Im sure you will cruise throughWhat are some questions like these that youve been asked? I would love to hear the good and badeanstalt answers youve given in response

Grace Hopper Helped Me Find My Dream Job at Cisco Why You Should Start Planning Ahead For GHC 2020

Grace Hopper Helped Me Find My Dream Job at Cisco Why You Should Start Planning Ahead For GHC 2020 The last time I attended the Grace Hopper conference (GHC), I welches a student. Now, Im a full-time Cisco employee and I welches so excited to be back this year representing a company I love (which was named the No. 1 Worlds Best Workplace the first day of the conference woo hoo).Photo courtesy of Cisco.Thanks to GHC, I was exposed to a number of diverse job opportunities, introduced to companies that were actively hiring women and was able to land a nuanced job role that matched perfectly with my interests. My transition into the workforce has been a smooth one, which is just one of the reasons why you should think about attending Grace Hopper in 2020. Below are three more1. Its the place to be for inspirationThis years Cisco Career booth had the theme Im Possible. Thats because Ciscos women in tech crush impossible all the time But its bedrngnis just Cisco the women you meet at th is conference are all inspiring just talk to a few and youll be blown away.Photo courtesy of Cisco.2. Its a unique way to find a new roleI was really impressed when I interviewed with Cisco. They wanted to ask me more behavioral than technical questions because they could see my skills, but they wanted to make sure that I would embrace Ciscos culture and mesh well with the team. Seeing all of the new students interviewing for roles as part of the Cisco team at Grace Hopper this year drove the point home to me time with recruiters and hiring managers at GHC is valuable.3. Its funBoth when I attended as a student and when I attended as a Cisconian, theres always something fun to do at GHC. From taking all the photos (I loved our Cisco photo wall this year it was a living wall with a neon sign that said Youre exactly where you need to be), to the polaroid wall showcasing wonderful women in tech at Cisco, to meeting new friends, to getting great opportunities (I was asked to be on a Li nkedIn Live with Cisco this year), theres always a new experience around the corner.Photo courtesy of Cisco.So many people were willing to help me grow when I was an intern at Cisco. My team encouraged me to reach out to different leaders and executives to learn more I was shocked when the head of my organization made time to meet with me So now, Ill help you out with some advice.Build your network have genuine conversations and ask for career advice. Dont be afraid to ask, because we all have to start somewhere. And GHC is a great place to do just thatThis article was written by Jean Tu, Software Engineer at Cisco.--Fairygodboss is proud to partner with Cisco.Find a job there today

What To Look For When Deciding Which Startups To Apply To

What To Look For When Deciding Which Startups To Apply To Deciding which startups are worth applying to (and sticking around for) can be a difficult hurdle for any job seeker. Join this live, virtual Q&A TODAY with Jenn Hall, Director of Talent Acquisition at Metromile, to have all of your application questions answered - and hear how she made her decision to join the Metromile teamhttp//bit.ly/2ZHqpH9 One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinfo rce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the wertzuwachs of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, whi ch found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial p ositions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.

Seven Ways to Build Your Resume This Summer

Seven Ways to Build Your Resume This SummerSeven Ways to Build Your Resume This SummerSummer is almost over, and youre starting to plan your return to school, but you still havent found a job. Before the days get colder and the leaves begin to fall, here are a few ways to add value to your resume without a job.BabysittingWant to make some money while still building that resume? Try becoming a babysitter, nanny or mothers helper for the remainder of your summer vacation. While these may bedrngnis seem like traditional jobs, you can gain a number of valuable career skills by taking over the care of someone elses little ones. Caregivers are constantly called upon to demonstrate responsibility and reliability, two skills that are imperative in the workforce. Through the management of young children youll likely learn the art of patience as wellTutoringThere is almost no better way to prove subject mastery and leadership than through tutoring. Perhaps youre a great writer or very skilled at geometry. If you can, try to pick a discipline that you think lends itself to your chosen vocation. By teaching others what youve already grasped, your resume will prove to future employers that youre a self-starting leader who can support the development and growth of others, which are great management skills.VolunteeringYour resume doesnt need to only feature jobs that you were paid for. In fact, taking the summer to give back to your community or to a specific cause that resonates with you is not only admirable but also shows great leadership. When looking at volunteer opportunities, try searching for programmatic roles that allow you to take ownership of a specific project. This will not only highlight your global awareness but also build and develop your project management skills for future opportunities.BloggingFeeling creative? Try to pick a theme in line with your interests and start a blog. This medium will highlight your unique thoughts, experiences and creativity. It i s also an excellent way to help your name and personal brand become more approachable and discoverable online. Your resume will now show your unique perspective on a subject that interests you. This is particularly helpful for those exploring a career where creativity or writing are needed (marketing, business, design and many more).LearningThis is purposefully vague. Have you put off learning how to code, taking that class in Italian or attending a leadership conference? Now is the time to make a list of all of the skills and subjects you want to learn and to try to tackle a few. Whether you choose to learn how to code in C++ or work on your public speaking skills, taking the initiative to learn is always a desired trait in an employee. Your insatiable quest for knowledge will show prospective employers that youre not one to sit back and be complacent.TravelingPlease, take a vacation. Go somewhere new. If you can afford to leave the country and take that trip to Southeast Asia, do it. If not, take a road trip to your states capital or even the mountains for a camping trip. Traveling can be an underestimated experience. Traveling shows a natural curiosity and can even demonstrate adaptability. These are two skills that can help employees shine in any job. If you can travel to a new place and adapt, employers are going to feel comfortable relying on you in any situation.If you havent found that perfect summer job, dont worry. There are still plenty of opportunities for you to grow and develop. Best of luck and dont forget to enjoy the months off.

4 Work-Life Balance Tips To Keep Your Stress In Check

4 Work-Life Balance Tips To Keep Your Stress In Check 4 Work-Life Balance Tips To Keep Your Stress In Check Weve all been there thats why its so important to unwind at the end of the day. Heres some tips to help you make the most of your down time and keep balance in your life.Dont take your work home with you Constantly checking your email and cell phone for updates while youre at home? Your intentions might be noble, but your work ethic is unsustainable and youll eventually find yourself burned out. Even the most inherently demanding careers need to have some breathing room. Set some personal time aside and do something you love. Immerse yourself in anything fun and youll find yourself in a state of zen-like calm when its time to get back to business. The Blackberry is the primary culprit be koranvers to shelve it as you walk in the door. Take it out only at proscribed times. (By the way, make it a family affair no one should be texting at the dinner table.)Make a date Friends a nd family are important too, you know. Even if youre tired at the end of the day, force yourself to go out and socialize. Stimulate your mind with casual conversation and a couple of drinks over dinner youll find yourself refreshed from the easy going atmosphere and ready to take on the next work day. Since were all so used to scheduling our days, its easy to forget to do things spontaneously. So dont force yourself to be spontaneous to have a good time use your calendar just like you do for business. Get your friends time on your calendar and plan out casual and social time just like you would for work.Exercise often Living in front of the computer screen? No wonder you feel stressed. Find at least 30 minutes a day to get up and move around. Regular exercise will boost your mood and help you get in shape. Your body will naturally release stress relieving endorphins while you work out, helping you feel better, and helping you look better. And that will get anyone motivated If you c ant make it to the gym, just use the time you have. Walk up the stairs, take a walk for lunch, and find the active activities that you enjoy most.Take a vacation Plan ahead and make it happen. You could use a break. There is no better way to reset your stress than a long deserved vacation. Turn off your phone and live a little isnt that why youre working anyway? Only in America do people not take vacation, and dont set that expectation with your manager. Be sure to schedule vacations long in advance, and use every day that you get. If you plan ahead with your team and set the expectation that its a real vacation instead of a working vacation, there shouldnt be any problems. If taking a real vacation, even when planned and scheduled, isnt ok with your current employer, it might be time to get a new one.Navigating the delicate work-life balance can be a challenging ordeal. Often times the finer things in life are overshadowed by the pressing realities of a career. But if we step back from the work and reflect on our personal life, we just might find the energy to manage both, and reinvigorate our passion to keep at it. Remember that every way in which you improve yourself also improves your career. A sense of balance and enjoyment about life is not only necessary to your health, its the only way to perform well long term in your career.

10 Reasons Your Resume Isnt Getting You Interviews

10 Reasons Your Resume Isnt Getting You Interviews10 Reasons Your Resume Isnt Getting You InterviewsIf youre sending out lots of resumes without getting many calls for interviews, its time to conclude that your resume isnt doing its job. If youre like most people, youre making at least a few of these mistakes- which will put your resume promptly in the no pile.1. Its generic. If your resume reads just like dozens of other candidates, no employer is going to call you. Your resume needs to convey that youre an exceptional candidate, not just an average one whos no different from other applicants. Which leads us to2. It just lists duties and responsibilities, not accomplishments. In a job market thats flooded with candidates, a resume that reads like a series of job descriptions wont excite a hiring manager. What will excite a hiring manager is a resume that shows a track record of achievement, so you need to list specific accomplishments, not just duties.3. Its full of dense paragraphs rather than bulleted lists. Employers will only skim your resume anfangsbuchstabely, not read it word-for-word, and large blocks of text are hard to skim. An employer will take in more information about you if you use simple bulleted points.4. It leads with your education, even though youve been out of school for more than a few years. Generally, your education should go beneath your work experience, because employers are most interested in what work experience youve had. Leading with your education just buries what will make you most attractive to an employer.5. It doesnt include the dates of employment for each job youve held. Employers want to know how long you were at each job and when. Resumes without clear dates are an immediate red flag that make hiring managers suspect youre hiding something.6. It wastes space on things that are irrelevant, like descriptions of your employers business. Some candidates devote two to three lines per job to describing the employer itself- its size and the nature of its business. Hiring managers might want that information when you move to the interview stage, but your resume isnt the place for it. Your resume should focus on you and you alone.7. Its not specific. Employers want concrete specifics. Its not enough to say that you revitalized a department or publicized a program. What exactly did you do and what did it result in?8. It includes everything youve ever done, rather than just the highlights. The longer your resume is, the less likely an employer is to see the parts you want them to see. The initial scan of your resume is about 20 seconds- do you want that divided among three pages, or do you want it focused on the most important things you want to convey? Short and concise means that employers are more likely to read the parts you most care about.9. It includes irrelevant details, such as your age or your childrens names. Yes, people really do this. Employers dont care about these details, and including them wil l come across as naive and unprofessional.10. It describes you in subjective terms. Your resume is for experience and accomplishments only. Its not the place for subjective traits, like great leadership skills, strong writer, or creative innovator. Hiring managers generally ignore anything subjective that an applicant writes about herself, because so many peoples self-assessments are wildly inaccurate theyre looking for provable facts. If you have those traits, list the accomplishments that demonstrate them instead.Alison Green writes the popular Ask a Manager blog, where she dispenses advice on career, job search, and management issues. Shes also the co-author of Managing to Change the World The Nonprofit Managers Guide to Getting Results, and former chief of staff of a successful nonprofit organization, where she oversaw day-to-day staff management, hiring, firing, and employee development.

Why LinkedIn Is Good for Networking and Job Hunting

Why LinkedIn Is Good for Networking and Job HuntingWhy LinkedIn Is Good for Networking and Job HuntingLinkedIn is the largest professional networking site available today used by those on the low end of the business totem pole all the up to CEOs of international conglomerates. LinkedIn provides a way to connect with other professionals and will help you stay in contact with millions of users. LinkedIn is strictly used for exchanging knowledge, ideas, and employment opportunities and has increasingly become a leading tool for helping individuals expand their networks as well as a way to find jobs in their field. What Should Be on My LinkedIn Profile? LinkedIn is a professional way to promote your personal brand online. LinkedIn is usually one of the first websites to show up in search engine results and is, therefore, a great tool to establish your online presence and connect with professionals. Think of LinkedIn as a more dynamic and visual version of your resume. You can include traditional professional information, such as your education, expected graduation date, work experience, college awards, clubs, and hobbies. But rather than just listing this information, LinkedIn allows you to expand on each point. You can share projects you are particularly proud of, such as a PowerPoint restoration presentation that you did for your architectural design class or a brochure you designed for the non-profit where you volunteer. You can also include a headshot though it should not be a selfie or other kind of casual image. You want to present yourself as polished, professional and you should dress the way you would for a job interview. One of the best features of LinkedIn is the ability to include references and recommendations. If you have past professors or managers who appreciated your work, you can request that they submit a recommendation, which will show up on your profile for prospective employers to see. If you do this, be sure to have each reference say so mething different about your skills and work ethic. LinkedIn Groups LinkedIn also has thousands of groups related to virtually every industry and niche you could think of. You can find like-minded professionals in your area who participate in unterstellung groups. They often discuss the latest trends in the business, post advice, and share job postings. Joining and getting involved with these groups is a great way to expand your professional network. Job Hunting with LinkedIn LinkedIn has a powerful job listing section as well. Unlike other sites, listing a job on LinkedIn requires a fee, but that does eliminate the scam jobs so its worth it. LinkedIn also makes it easy to research the company youre interested in, other staff members, and the job description youre applying for is usually described in-depth. You can even connect online with the hiring manager to discuss the role via LinkedIns InMail service (although the site only allows for five free InMail messages- after t hat, you need to purchase a premium version which costs $30 a month. While LinkedIn can beessentialforstudents looking for an internship, or a first job, remember that LinkedIn is for professionals and you must maintain a professional presence in all of your interactions, posts, and photos- this is not Twitter where people often vent their frustrations or discuss their political views. When used thoughtfully, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for your job search. The Pulse Articles Section LinkedIn also has something called The Pulse, a section where people can post articles. Many of these are from industry leaders, but budding professionals can also post content. Articles often include tips on how to manage productivity and news about industry trends and changing business models. Engaging with authors and posting your own content is a useful way to build your network and get your name recognized in the industry.