Britains Top 20 Awkward Interview Experiences

Britains Top 20 Awkward Interview Experiences When entering a job interview, the last thing you want to do is to show yourself up in front of your potential new employer, however these things happen and sometimes it is just out of your control. According to a study completed by the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), six in ten Brits have been left red-faced in a job interview and  one in twelve have become so ashamed in an interview that they’ve even walked  out before the end. Yikes! Many  embarrassing or uncomfortable interview experiences come as a result of not doing enough preparation, a lack of confidence or receiving a somewhat unexpected or bizarre question and  30% of the respondents in AATs study said that they had given a cringe-worthy answer to difficult questions. It appeared that some  employers seem to flout rules forbidding asking candidates too personal information, with some  people reporting that they had been questioned about their relationship status or whether  plans for the future involved having children. A few  of the biggest interview nightmares were said to be stuttering, having a rude interviewer and even bursting into tears or being sick, which I agree would not be ideal.  Accidentally swearing or trying to disguise a hangover  also crept into the top 20 most-common awkward experiences, however probably slightly more avoidable. AAT compiled a list of what theyre respondents said their most awkward or embarrassing interview experiences were. Top 20 awkward interview experiences: I didnt know what to say. I felt intimidated. I said something stupid. The interviewer seemed bored. I kept stuttering. The other person was really rude I went really red. I didnt answer many of their questions. I was late. I knew nothing about the company. I started to sweat really badly. I had no knowledge on the job role. I got lost. The other person interviewing asked if I was thinking of having a child anytime soon. I kept mumbling. The person interviewing asked me if I was single or married. I was made to do an interview, Apprentice-style, with the other short-listed candidates. I had forgotten which role I was applying for. I had a hangover. I accidentally swore. Have you got an embarrassing or awkward interview tales to tell? Please do share! RELATED: 10 Worst Excuses for Not Attending an Interview Image: Shutterstock

5+ Top Buyer Interview Questions Answers - Algrim.co

5+ Top Buyer Interview Questions Answers - Algrim.co We’ve compiled the absolute best buyer interview questions and answers to help you prepare for your upcoming job interview. A buyer is someone who helps facilitate the product buying on behalf of a retail or DTC (direct to consumer) brand. For example, Ulta, a US-based beauty brand which carries a variety of beauty products within their store. The buyer is the one who helps to facilitate which products need to be purchased, from where, and how much. There’s absolutely a great deal of pressure on junior and senior buyers because they need to be aware of the consumer market and where future demand will be. They are not purchasing products for that quarter or that season's trends, they are purchasing them far in advance. This means that buyers have an increased risk of purchasing the wrong products that don’t sell and that would be a negative mark on the buyers' experience and execution skills. Buyer interview questions & answers 1. Why is a buyer important to have in a DTC company? A buyer is important in a DTC company because they can help to predict future trends, do market research, assist with the negotiation of suppliers prices, manufacturing, the positioning of the marketing and much more. This is an essential part of the DTC industry. 2. What are some ways you can predict trends? Trends can be predicted by watching fashion shows. But not all trends come to fruition this way now. Often times things like Instagram and social media in general, are helping to dictate which trends may make a surge in the future months. Trends don’t change dramatically fast so we do have enough time to spot recurrences and start anticipating them. 3. What do you do when the products you purchased don’t sell? This is a hard situation to deal with. As a buyer, you have to understand if it was the product quality, the product, the positioning, the marketing or simply the fact that none of the consumers trusted our brand enough to purchase alongside a trend. Having a retrospective quarter where we can analyze what may have happened and put up solutions to defend against them is an essential part of the job. 4. How can you help your marketing department? Buyers and marketing departments should work heavily together. If they aren’t able to market the products effectively or with the right narrative, these products will have an even lesser chance of getting picked up by our customers. Marketing departments need to know about upcoming products, anticipate the narrative for which they should be marketed and be informing us the buyers as soon as something is going well or not so well. 5. What are some experiences you’ve had where you succeeded? The best scenarios are when we completely sell out of a product. Sure, there are some issues that you have to sort out with the supplier when that happens, like ordering more product on the fly. But we are always ready for place orders with suppliers quickly when that occurs. Those are, of course, the best scenarios. Related Hiring Resources Buyer Job Description Sample Assistant Buyer Cover Letter Sample Buyer Resume Example

Networking Tips - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Networking Tips - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Networking is meeting and sharing information with individuals and groups of people in your field of interest. For example, if you are looking for a job, these people include potential employers, recruiters, head hunters and HR agencies. Networking is very easy to do if you do it right. You can network pretty much anywhere and with whomever you are interested in networking with. There’s no restriction. You can even network when you’re riding on the subway. You can start talking with the person you are sitting next to and make a new connection. Networking is all about meeting with new people and expanding your network. However, it also depends on what you are trying to accomplish by meeting these new people. If you are searching for a new job, it is important to meet the right people to get the interviews you want. In order to meet the right people, you should start going to networking events, such as events related to the industry you are looking to work in or job fairs or information sessions held in your area. When you are actively networking trying to find the key people that will help you reach your goals, it is very easy to forget who you have met for what purpose. Therefore, I highly recommend keeping track of all the people you have met. In order to do this, try to get their business cards when you meet them. If they are on LinkedIn, add them to your contacts, and you can e-mail them or talk with them later when you need to. If they don’t use LinkedIn, then keep their business cards or e-mail addresses. It is a good gesture to follow up with people you have met at networking events. You can send a nice thank-you e-mail saying, “Thank you for our conversation today. It was very nice to meet with you. I hope we keep in touch.” That’s how easy it is. Afterward, you can save their e-mail addresses to your address book and you can add them on LinkedIn. You can put their business cards in a folder. There are all kinds of different ways to keep track of their information. When you are networking, it is also very important to grab the attention of the person you are talking with, as a way to show your skills and values. Therefore, you need to have a great personal elevator pitch. If you need more information on developing a perfect personal pitch, you can read my previous blog post about this topic. Don’t forget that you should always keep your personal pitch up-to-date and practice it from time to time.

Take Ten Years Off

Take Ten Years Off I’m a Baby Boomer (proud member since 1958.) I hear from other Boomers all the time about how their age is keeping them from competing in the job market today.   They claim that recruiters take one look at their face or (graying) hair and make a quick decision to move on to a younger candidate. Photo credit: http://www.thirdage.com While this may be true in some cases, I refuse to believe that the mere number of years you’ve been on earth can limit your ability to contribute. I do believe that age is a proxy for other qualities that attract or repel hiring managers, including energy level, vitality, flexibility, resilience, and your expectations about pay and prestige. But my fellow Boomers persist in worrying about age, so here are seven life hacks that will take years off your appearance and make a great first impression in an interview. Get regular exercise. Yes, it matters, and doesn’t have to cost a dime. You already know that 30 minutes of brisk exercise a day will help your health. It will also lift your mood and improve your energy level. People who are active look more vital and exude well-being. Losing weight and looking better in clothes is a bonus. Get a fresh, sophisticated haircut. Your hair (male or female) says a lot about your state of mind. If it’s well groomed and styled to flatter your features, you’d be surprised how little the gray matters. The right cut can also add youth by hiding furrowed foreheads behind a fringe of youthful bangs, lifting your jawline and offseting features that you’d like to minimize. Here’s a dramatic set of before and after (female) photos that show what a difference a great style can make. Overhaul your diet. Most U.S. adults don’t drink enough water; in fact, some experts estimate that 75 percent of us are chronically dehydrated. Even slight dehydration can sap your energy, make you feel lethargic, and make your skin look dull. Drinking your eight glasses a day may give you a significant energy boost. Likewise, dramatically cutting down on caffeine and alcohol (both of which cause dehydration) can also make a visible difference in your appearance. Stand up straight. Good posture can make you look taller, slimmer, and younger â€" what’s not to love? Good posture can also help you breathe more efficiently, which will make your voice stronger and clearer. A strong confident pose held for just two minutes before an important meeting can actually have a noticeable effect on your ability to get what you want.   Watch social scientist Amy Cuddy explain here. Whiten your teeth. Your smile is an indicator of your age.   As you age, your teeth get ground down and appear shorter and years of coffee or red wine will create dark stains.   Simply whitening your teeth can take years off your first impression.  In-office dental treatments are expensive, but over the counter whiteners are very good and cost between $35 and $50.   You can get teeth that are three shades whiter in about a week. Smile more. Now that your teeth are whiter, don’t be afraid to use them. A smile lifts your whole face and makes you instantly younger and more likeable (no one will ever make a movie called “Grumpy Young Men.”) A smile will also improve your own mood (even if you’re faking it), as proved by this research. Get more sleep. Seriously. Especially before a big meeting or interview, a good night’s sleep will take years off your face. “you look tired” is how people tell people of a certain age that they look terrible. And because you are almost always tired, you buy into it. Your body can only repair and rebuild itself when you’re asleep, and sleep is free. Create good sleeping habits that will hold over after you go back to work. You’ll feel more alert and make better decisions on the job. Sleep deprivation also makes it harder to resist food cravings. If you’re reading this after 10:00 PM, stop now, put down the cookie, and go to bed. I mean it.

What Motivates You Most Likely, Your Boss Does NOT Know! - Career Pivot

What Motivates You Most Likely, Your Boss Does NOT Know! - Career Pivot What Motivates You? What motivates you to be the best that you can be at work? I can almost guarantee you that your boss does not know the answer to that. This post was prompted by an article I shared last week. I got a flood of comments from the following article: 95% of Managers Follow an Outdated Theory of Motivation by Walter Chen. Walter writes: Maslow’s hierarchy provides the basis for the kind of managerial thinking that focuses on cash bonuses as a reward for good performance. The rationale is that money is a more fundamental need in the hierarchy than passion or purpose, and therefore you can neglect the latter in favor of the former. Also: The most important motivator for employees at work is what Amabile and Kramer call “the power of small wins“: employees are highly productive and driven to do their best work when they feel as if they’re making progress every day toward a meaningful goal. I agree that most people are not motivated by financial rewards, but it is far more complicated than what he proposes. Let me throw in my two cents. What Motivates Us? I believe we want some combination of the following six rewards at work. Usually, we want two or maybe three of them: Listen to the most recent episode Mission Bonus Check Public Recognition Pat on the back from boss Pat on the back from team Pat on the back from client Let’s discuss this in a bit more detail. Mission I find that people who are mission-oriented rarely care much about anything else. The organizational mission motivates them. The two main groups that fall into this category are the military and those who are drawn to non-profits. I have to admit to being mission-oriented. Back in 1998, I went to work in IBM’s consulting group. My first and only gig was working on a point of sale solution for one of the major short-term loan (pawn) companies. After nine months, I had to leave the project because the company’s mission made me want to throw up. Loaning money at 20% per month interest to the poor violated my principles. The job was fine, but the corporate mission violated my principles. Similarly, I started Career Pivot because of the mission and not because of the money. Is it the mission that motivates you? Bonus Check What motivates many salespeople is the financial reward of the bonus check. However, you would be surprised at how many salespeople are not motivated by money. I have a client who works in a sales organization. He indirectly works directly for the CEO. The CEO thinks the only method for motivating his sales team is through greater financial rewards. They have consistently missed their sales targets. Hmm…do you think the CEO understands what motivates his sales team? Is it the bonus check that motivates you? Public Recognition There are some of you out there that are motivated by receiving public recognition. This could be getting an award at a corporate function or just getting recognized in a company newsletter. I like this to some extent…as long it is not overdone. Is it the public recognition that motivates you? Pat on the Back from the Boss Do you just want to get an “atta boy” from the boss? I have a client who really wants the confirmation from his boss that he is doing a good job. I told him to go ask his boss how he is doing. The conversation went something like this: Client: How am I doing? Boss: Great! Client: Can you tell me that more often? Boss: Yes…and thank you for telling me that. Think about that conversation. I come back to this later. Is it the pat on the back from the boss that motivates you? Pat on the Back from the Team Do you just want to have your team tell you how much they appreciate you? This is really common with employees who work in close-knit teams. For people who value the pat on the back from their team, it is often more important who they work with than what they actually do. Is it the pat on the back from the team that motivates you? Pat on the Back from the Client Do you get a high when your client says thank you? This is my big one. My first job out of college was working for IBM writing word processing software. I never met anyone who used my software. YUCK. When I went off to teach high school math after a near fatal bicycle accident, I had difficulty staying motivated. I taught Algebra I and II at an inner-city high school and I can tell you that, during your first year of teaching, your kids do not tell you how much they appreciate you. They give you crap, but when I started my second year of teaching, my first-year students came back and told me how much they appreciated what I did for them. I went a whole year without getting the kind of strokes that I needed to stay motivated. On the other hand, my day is made when someone tells me how much they enjoyed coming to one of my classes. At my last technology startup, I developed a very complicated 3-day workshop that was taught to an extremely technologically diverse audience. It also lacked enough equipment and other resources. After the first pilot class, I received an e-mail from one of my students. She told me that, when she saw the diversity in the audience, she thought the class would be horrible. She then went on to say it was the best class she ever took. That made my day, week, and month! Is it the pat on the back from the team that motivates you? Which Combination Motivates You? Most of us want two or maybe three of these methods to keep us motivated. Think about it. When have you felt most valued at work? Why? If you want help reflecting back on your career, you can download my Career Reflection Worksheet (no registration required). The reality is that we are all so different. What motivates each of us is unique! Your boss has no idea what motivates you because it is different from him or her. You need to tell your boss what motivates you. So what motivates you? How about commenting below what combination motivates you? Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

5 Criminal Justice Careers for You - CareerAlley

5 Criminal Justice Careers for You - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. The statistics dispelling the truths behind college tuition costs are very telling; however, this should not dissuade students from pursing their bachelors in criminal justice. Research indicates that the return on investment (ROI) for those who have earned their criminal justice degree could far exceed those who have earned other types of degrees. More specifically, those holding a criminal justice degree could potentially earn a higher salary and experience a lower unemployment rate in comparison to those who are employed in social sciences, education, agriculture, and some business careers. The question is, though, what graduates can do with their degree in criminal justice once they embark upon the job market? What careers are available in criminal justice? Business Intelligence Analyst: these professionals produce market and financial intelligence reports by sending queries to data repositories and generating reports on a periodic basis. They must identify patterns in data from their available sources of information. The real time salary for this potion is $77,110 annually. Retail Loss Prevention Specialty Officer: this officer is responsible for ensuring the implementation of systems and procedures are met in order to prevent loss of merchandise. They will conduct investigations of employee activities and audits of companies. Many officers offer assistance in the development of procedures, policies, and systems through which assets are safeguarded. This type of position introduces students to investigation and surveillance that is associated to criminal justice. The real time salary for this position is $38,520 annually. Mental Health Therapist: this therapist offers counseling that places emphasis on preventative measures. They will work with groups and individuals placing focus on issues regarding addiction, stress management, substance abuse, and self-esteem. The real time salary for this position is $46,121 annually. Social Work: there are two primary types of social work within this field and they include working directly with individuals and those who work in clinics. Direct social workers work to help people solve or cope with their problems that occur within their everyday lives. Clinical social workers treat and diagnose mental, emotional, and behavioral issues. The real time salary for this position is $60,246 annually. Chemist: the duties of a chemist include conducting quantitative and qualitative experiments or analysis in laboratories to make sure process or quality control, or to develop new knowledge or products. Criminal justice students are becoming more interested in forensics, making chemistry a popular choice. The real time salary for this position is $66,551 annually. Note about Salaries Those who are making career choices with salaries being a motivating factor should take into consideration the fact that, while some may be high in comparison to others, this does not mean they will remain that way. When weighing out the pros and cons of careers in the criminal justice field, bear in mind that the salaries will constantly change and fluctuate. These changes are dependent upon geographic location, therefore it is up to the law enforcement agency to make the determination as to what an appropriate amount should be paid to their employees will be. About the Author: Tina Samuels writes on small business topics and for Radio Controlled Vehicles from About.com. This is a Guest post. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by

Sample Resume Summary - How to Write a Professional and Profitable Resume

Sample Resume Summary - How to Write a Professional and Profitable ResumeWriting a sample resume is not as hard as it seems. However, if you are looking for tips and advices on how to create a resume, here are some that can help you do so. These tips will also help you make it more professional and presentable.The first tip is to write your resume with simple sentences and paragraphs. Try to avoid long and clumsy descriptions and headings. A short and concise resume should be your main goal in writing your resume. Do not keep using the same resume summary on different resumes.When writing your resume, you should concentrate on what you want to say and on presenting yourself and your skills and expertise. Make sure that you know everything about your job. If possible, put down your accomplishments and skills and highlight your own interests. This will help you to impress your potential employer.The second tip is to avoid writing on your weak and strong points. Remember that your resum e should only talk about your strengths and expertise. Other than that, you should also make a summary on other things. It is important to know your purpose of getting a job. You have to include all the information about your company and the position that you are applying for.After you have prepared your resume, you should make it look more attractive and professional by completing the layout and format of your resume summary. You should use the right colors in order to emphasize your best traits. These are the key to your resume. It is very important to make sure that you will be able to fill in your summary on your resume.The next thing to remember when writing a sample resume is to keep your introduction brief and simple. You do not need to overwhelm your reader with a lengthy and boring introduction. Just a few sentences will do the trick. In fact, do not include your objective in your resume. Most of the time, you will only need to mention a couple of details about yourself.Las t but not least, when writing a sample resume, you should make sure that you know all the terms and their definitions. There are certain words that you should consider carefully. This is your key to describe your experience and skill. However, do not forget to use technical terms. This is the key to writing a perfect resume.If you want to create a more professional resume, these are the most important tips that you should remember when writing a sample resume. Most of these tips will help you gain confidence and give you an edge over others. With a better knowledge about these things, you will be able to stand out among the crowd and impress your future employer.