Candidate Questions
Click any question below to reveal the answer.
Q:What is your opinion on Recruiting the Best people by asking religious based questions when you are looking for people to fit into your "company culture"? Is it legal to do so; ethical to do so? Do organizations really do this and is it a successful way of recruiting?
A:Interview questions should be based on "job related" criteria. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of l964 prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employment. Even if the candidate brings up the topic of religion, it is best not elaborate on the subject, nor would you want to take written notes regarding their religious preference.
Now, with that said, you can ask a religious question if a B.F.O.Q., (Bona Fide Occupational Qualification), exists. This might be the case with a teacher, minister, or other employees of a specific religious organizations.
I would suggest that you do some research regarding "character" based interview questions. Something like "How would you describe your character?" and "What type of company environment are you most comfortable working in?", might get you the information you need.
Q:I forward my resume too many companies and never get any response. What am I doing wrong?
A:Companies receive hundreds of resumes for each position that they post. Your resume needs to stand out in the employer’s eyes to get you that interview opportunity. Take a look at your resume, is it easy to read? Is it compelling? Do your talents match what they are looking for?
Listed below are some resume tips that may help you land that interview:
- A resume should be no more than 1 to 2 pages in length
- Center your name, address and telephone, number, bold and enlarge the font
- Make sure your “objective” is related to the opening you are applying for
- If you are a recent graduate, your education should be listed next or near the top section of your resume
- If your education has been years back, it should be listed after your employment history
- Your resume should be in chronological order with the most recent job first
- Always list your dates of employment, month and years (employers want to see stability), your previous employer’s name and address, and your title
- Outline your job responsibilities. A bullet format is easiest to read. Do not to use the first person (I was responsible for...)
- List your accomplishments and your affiliations
- Include a list of Employer and Personal References
- Always prepare a cover letter and enclose it with the resume
- Make sure you state your salary requirements if responding to an ad that requires your to do so
- Never put personal information on a resume, example date of birth, year of graduation, marital status, number of children, etc
Q:What is the best or preferred resumé format?
A:I wish I could give you a definitive answer. If one person says one way, the next will say another. That said, here are some guidelines that may help.
The 3 primary formats are:
- Chronological - listing each employer/position in order by date, most recent to oldest. You would list the last 4 jobs or those held within the last 10 years. Give the job title and an explanation of each position held.
- Functional - listing/explaining the functions of your primary responsibilities first. After that list the companies where you worked in order of most recent to oldest with no explanations, using same parameters as above.
- Combination of the above - Highlighting your primary skills and accomplishments after which list positions by employer with explanations.
I participate on many panels with various employers. Most do not care for the strictly functional as it does not give them information regarding length of experience with each description.
The Combination format works well as it provides you the opportunity to emphasize the advantages of contacting you to the reviewer's attention. Just make sure to list each again in your individual employer job explanations (do not repeat a full description).
This brings us to the controversy of using Objectives. If your objective is not specific to a position for which you are applying, leave it off. Use the space to better describe your jobs. The position can also be addressed in your 'brief ' cover letter.
A resume should be no longer than 2 pages. It is better to have it longer than 1 page, if necessary. This enables you to use a font large enough to be legible to whomever is reading your resume. It is NOT necessary to tell all--a resume is a teaser. It should make the recruiter want to know more about you.
Do Not:
- Include personal information - age, marital status, number of children, date of high school/college graduation. NEVER reveal your social security number
- List references as part of the resume - put References Upon Request at the end of your resume. Have a separate sheet ready to present in the interview, if asked.
- Describe hobbies and personal interests unless requested. However, volunteer activities may be useful.
Previous salaries should not be divulged unless required in the job solicitation.
Resume formats that most employers approve can be found in Microsoft Word. Go to File, New, General Templates - Other Documents ( you should see Resume Wizard with 4 templates-the Professional is most used by applicants.)
Q:How will the "baby boomers" and the aging workforce affect hiring for many companies?
A:Most major fortune 500 companies are preparing for this phenomenon between now and 2020. The concern is twofold.
First, most companies cannot afford to have this “intellectual” capital just walk out the door. Many industries have critical infrastructure needs such as the nuclear power industry. These power and utility firms can ill-afford to loose this knowledge for something as fundamental as power, or as critical as the technical aspects of nuclear power. Many employees who are nearing retirement will more than likely be brought back on as a consultant or contractor as younger or less experienced employees are trained.
Second, this also means that for companies facing this aging workforce problem it becomes paramount that they not only recruit top talent, but that this talent can move up quickly within the ranks to assume greater responsibilities faster. As the economy picks up in the near term and candidates become harder to find, this will place added burden on these companies. Staffing companies such as Headway Corporate Resources will provide a critical link in this effort as these companies use a contingent workforce to augment their own internal staffs.
Q:I worked with a company for 3 years. I left that company, because I felt like I was not being challenged. I have been working at a different company for almost two months, and I am still not being challenged. When I interviewed for the position, I was told that if I was hired I would be helping out with special events such as: coordinating an awards dinner, and doing some recruiting, in addition to some other responsibilities. However, when I started working there, I am doing something totally different. I do not feel that my skills are being fully utilized. My question is: should I put this current job on my resume (I have only been there approximately two months)?
A:Absolutely put this job on your resume. You do not want to withhold information that a potential employer could find out anyway, and in turn you could be jeopardizing a wonderful new opportunity. If you are asked why you are looking to leave your current company so soon after starting, be honest. Explain that when you accepted the position you had different expectations of what you would be doing, and now you would like to move on to a position that is more challenging, and list the specific types of projects that you would regularly like to be engaged in.
Q:I'm always told to send a thank you note after interviewing with a company, but I'm not sure about what to say or how soon to send it or if I should also follow up with a phone call. Do you have an example of what a good post-interview thank you note would look like?
A:Though it's becoming a bit of a lost art, sending a thank you note after an job interview is always a wise step. It shows you are courteous and gracious, and it's also a basic part of professional etiquette. The day after an interview, send a simple neatly handwritten "thank you" note on a blank card. (There's no need to spend ten dollars on an opulent card; the gesture of the note is more meaningful than the price of the paper its printed on.) If you want to follow up your interview with a phone call, wait a week before dialing.
In your note be brief and confident, writing something like this:
Dear Mr./Ms. _____,
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me. Based upon our interview, I feel confident that I would fulfill all the necessary requirements of the position and become an integral part of your company.
Once again, thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
{your name}
And before you seal that note in the envelope, check your spelling! Simple spelling mistakes are enough to derail the entire interview, no matter how well you did.
Q:I am a Canadian citizen, I will be looking to work in the California area. What will the process be for getting a work visa once I have met with a recruiter, and found a job? How long will the process take?
A:The NAFTA treaty made special allowances for Canadian citizens to obtain a TN-1 visa for temporary and contract assignments in the U.S. Certain positions are covered, while others are not. Since I cannot tell what type of work you are looking for, I am not certain that it applies to your situation.
To get a more complete overview of the process, please visit this website. Your Headway Counselor will be able to help you find the specific visa you need for your type of work.
Q:I have a wide variety of experience including teaching, science research, finance, and technology. My education is a MS in physical chemistry from University of Pennsylvania. My passion is anything that is analytical or technology related. My biggest problem has been looking at jobs that I know that I can do, but that require a certain amount of experience that I do not have. How can I format my resume to present my skills even if self-taught and even though my actual job experience may not be directly related to the job I am applying for
A:I certainly understand the difficulty you are running across in your situation.
One way to format your resume is chronological, but put emphasis on any I.T. functionality you were responsible for, or just took it upon yourself to be responsible for. Put that information at the top of each individual job that you list on your resume. HR or hiring managers scan over the resume and look at the summary section, technical skills summary and the tops of each individual job.
In your summary, focus on your I.T. interest and any achievements in I.T.. as well as characteristic strengths. Follow your SUMMARY with a TECHNICAL SUMMARY, all languages, tools, hardware, software that you are proficient with, followed by the body of the resume.
If you have any certifications/degrees that include I.T., put them under your technical summary.
The key is to keep NETWORKING.....try to get into a company that you have friends of family at that can "sell' you internally. PERSEVERANCE and CREATIVITY help as well.
To get a more complete overview of the process, please visit this website. Your Headway Counselor will be able to help you find the specific visa you need for your type of work.
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