Career Tips Guides

Making a career change into a new profession or changing employers to have a different job usually means one thing: An interview. Many people see the interview as being a terrifying part of landing a job, but it doesn’t have to be a scary event.

Here are six ways that you can impress the person behind the desk and sell yourself to land a better job that fits you well.

Practice. Then Practice More.

Learning something new or being good at a task we don’t do often takes practice. An interview is no different. Sitting down with a friend who is objective and role-playing an interview situation many times, can help you learn how to leave a good impression.

Practice reduces the “Ums” and “Uhs” you might say when you’re nervous. You can be familiar with the interview environment and feel at ease, not silly or scrutinized. You’ll practice avoiding rubbing your nose or looking down. When you get to your real interview, habit will kick in and you’ll know how to sit, what to say, and when to ask questions.

Develop Answers to Tough Questions

Inevitably, a potential employer will ask you the one question you wished they hadn’t. Don’t be left squirming on the chair trying to answer. During your practice sessions, develop good ways to answer all the tricky questions.

Above all, don’t lie. It’s best to find words and sentences that show you’re not perfect, but that you’ve learned from situations and have come out a better person because of them. If you have blank spots of unemployment on your resume, tell your employer some of the constructive things you did during that time, rather than gloss over you weren’t working.

Being prepared with good answers to tough questions means that when those questions are asked, you’ll deliver a response that sounds confident and right.

Use “I” Often

“I” sentences show confidence in yourself and leave others with a good impression. It’s okay to talk about yourself and what you’ve done - after all, an interview is all about you, isn’t it? Potential employers don’t want to know about the team that you worked with or the other company that you worked for. Potential employers want to know what YOU did, how YOU improved things, what YOU learned, and what YOU accomplished. Use “I” and “My” often and drop “We,” “They,” or “Our.”

Relax and Feel Comfortable

This isn’t a firing squad. Don’t sit stiff as a board. Enjoy yourself and be yourself during an interview. Trying to impress the other person is normal, but you also need to show the potential employer who you really are. Feel comfortable during the interview, and that will show your potential employer even more confidence in yourself - that you know you are good for their business and that you know you can do a good job.

Ask Questions

Prepare a couple of questions about the company that you’d like to work for. Not only are you being interviewed, but you also have the chance to interview your potential employer and find out a little bit more about their business or company. Asking a few questions (ones that you hopefully have done your homework on and already know the answers to) shows an interest in the job and company, leaving employers feeling that you’ve taken the job opportunity seriously.

How simple is that all then? Well, in truth, it might still make you a bit apprehensive, this interview thing. So remember that your interviewer is on your side - they need great candidates to succeed, so bear that in mind.

(c) 2007 “How To Land Your Dream Job”. You can have the job of your dreams. It takes application, attention and the information you need to get you there, young or old. There’s all you need at Martin Haworth’s website, http://www.HowToLandYourDreamJob.com

Many dream of earning a college degree that we can actually apply towards a successful career in the working world. Additionally, an equal number of us hope to enjoy our educational experience not only academically but also socially and personally as well. To achieve a balance of these two ideals can be a challenging pursuit, however many institutions are beginning to streamline their focus to just that. Combining fun and knowledge together. Among the many specialties available, one of the most popular is attending a golf career college.

Mainly focused in the sun-drenched states, golf enthusiasts can study and earn a 2-year associates degree in golf management. Going beyond the green and instead learning the ins and outs of the golf business, graduates have gone on to work as general managers, tournament directors, and successful teachers. Golf career college is able to turn your passion into profit, and many people who have taken courses at such a facility have grown and become more well rounded in all aspects of what was once just a weekend afternoon hobby.

Combining a curriculum of both general education and specialized focuses on marketing and operations within the sport, it is possible to quickly obtain an education in not only a genre of study that you are motivated toward, but to actually earn a living for oneself following graduation. Educators have found that a classroom environment can benefit the learning process as much as personal experience, which has led many aspiring golf industry workers to go through the exams, presentations, and lectures that come with a traditional college program.

As a perk to attending a golf career college, you do get to play golf as well. Tuition and training time often include hours devoted to perfecting your game, positioning you to be a great coach to others someday. In an industry where golfers can quickly become fickle with coaches, it is vital that your game is as good as you can get it. You may not have gotten to play as one of the best of the best, but you may be coaching a future superstar, meaning that it is of the utmost importance that you have quality of skill and reputation. A high caliber education can help you to achieve this.

Golf is one of the country’s biggest sports obsessions, with over 18,000 courses across the nation as well as thousands of golf related businesses and organizations. This translates into countless jobs in the industry, giving you a financial security that many desire. However, in order to be truly successful, you must understand all aspects of the industry. A golf career college can help you to achieve this goal.

These institutions work with students of all ages, from recent high school graduates who will be the future owners of country clubs, to golfers approaching their twilight years but are still looking to refine and improve their skills. Financial aid and student housing are available at some campuses, while others offer transfer agreements with 4-year universities and assistance with job placement.

Some may scoff at the suggestion of such a school, as if it were in someway invalid or frivolous. However, pursuing your dreams is neither invalid nor frivolous. If it is important to you, then chances are there is a reason to pursue it and explore its full potential and possibilities. A golf career college will help you to do this, perhaps setting you up for a dream job in the golfing industry that you never thought possible. There are many fine establishments to choose from, so start researching today. The opportunities that discover you may be a pleasant and profitable surprise.

Andy West is a freelance writer for SDGA. San Diego Golf Academy is a premier golf career college with five locations across the United States. For information please visit www.sdga.edu.

If you are in this position, you will understand. That moment when you trudge to your work, day in day out and then one day it hits you. It’s time to do this differently. But where to start?

Truth is, you can be one of the growing number of people who find a job they love by taking action. Just a few easy stages, taking you along on the path to a very different work experience. Here are six simple steps you can take to get you on your way.

Tip One

First up is making sure you really recognize the kind of work that turns you on. Some skeptics might say that there’s no ‘job’ anywhere to get them excited about. Yet, most often, most people do want to be fulfilled and experience an opportunity to grow themselves and make a positive impact on the world. Yet it’s always best done in a way that gives them a buzz as they do it. And everyone is different, so that if all the jigsaw pieces fell into place, we could all be doing just what we are best at!

Tip Two

Second step, once you’ve carefully recognised the kind of job you really do want, is to work out where those jobs hang out. Is it somewhere you know? Somewhere that requires you to change where you live; something you can’t quite find yet. It’s about what resonates with you when you check the job adverts in the local paper. Or maybe know someone who has just the thing you want even!

Tip Three

Make sure that whatever you set your mind on is doable; maybe not this year, maybe not next, but if you really do want something badly, you will develop for yourself a strategy that will help you gradually edge closer to exactly what you want. So, a key action here is to assess how close you are to what they will want from you and plan ahead to get the experiences and training you might feel you need - in advance, because when you find the opportunity, you want to be as ready as you can.

Tip Four

Prepare your resume well. there are all sorts of free information websites out there nowadays. You can pay to get the job done for you, but by taking a little time to research, you will most likely be able to glean enough detailed knowledge about resumes to make yours stand out above the rest. If in doubt along the way, make friends with someone in HR, so that they can cast an eye over what you prepare.

Tip Five

Believe in yourself. As Henry Ford once said, ‘If you believe you can, or you can’t, you are right’! Truth is, it’s a lottery as to who is successful in applying for jobs sometimes. But you can prepare well and build experiences that will stand you in good stead for the questions that come. Not only that, but the key thing is that the broad, carefully selected scenarios of worthwhile experiences, showing off exactly what you personally, did WILL give you huge confidence. Truly that, in fact, you CAN!

Tip Six

To quote another great man, this time a Brit, who masterminded success during the bleak days of a World War. Winston Churchill’s famous motto was, ‘Never give up. Never give up. Never give up’. Life doesn’t go in straight lines, there are ups and down, so be careful not to lose faith in your ultimate success. In fact, with each and every time you fail, just by the law of averages you are more likely to succeed next time! Use the failures to learn from; get objective feedback if you can and fine tune your ‘performance’ for next time. To find a job you love, you will need to persevere and continue searching and applying, until you find something you will totally LOVE!

Bottom line is that you have the choice to make and no-one can do it for you. Of course, as Charles Lindbergh once said, ‘What kind of man could live where there is no daring? I don’t believe in taking foolish chances, but nothing can be accomplished without taking any chance at all’.

Over to you.

(c) 2007 “How To Land Your Dream Job”. You can have the job of your dreams. It takes application, attention and the information you need to get you there, young or old. There’s all you need at Martin Haworth’s website, http://www.HowToLandYourDreamJob.com