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When it comes to sharing salary expectations, you don't want to quote a high figure and push yourself out of the budgeted salary range. You also don't want to quote a low figure and cheat yourself out of what you are worth. (unless you desperately need a job and willing to compromise). The best approach is to do some research to get a number—learn as much as possible about the position and comparable salaries from local industry sources and job sites. See if you can get any insider information, too. Try looking for salary information on the company’s website or understanding from the recruiter about market salaries and if there is any scope of negotiations. You will likely come up with a range, and you should put the highest number in that range, based on your experience, education, and skills. And yes, that’s a little aggressive, but continue to read on. Ensure you use the words “(flexible)” or “(negotiable)” next to your number. This way you’re certain you can find a way to satisfy both yourself and your prospective employer. You are now setting the stage for negotiations. Professor Adam Galinsky of the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University has explained the anchoring phenomenon this way: Items being negotiated have both positive and negative qualities—qualities that suggest a higher price and qualities that suggest a lower price. High prices selectively direct our attention toward an item's positive attributes while low prices direct our attention to its flaws. By stating a salary requirement that is lower than your prospective employer might be willing to pay, you not only cheat yourself out of more money, but you might come across to the employer as very economical and with possible shortcomings. By stating a salary higher than they might be willing to pay, you risk little harm, so long as you indicate that your salary requirements are flexible. And at the same time, you are communicating that you already know your skills are valuable. You have also given yourself enough room to negotiate if you are offered the job. Research has proven that people are happier with the outcome of a negotiation if their bargaining partner starts at point A, but reluctantly concedes her first couple of requirements before saying “yes.” So, by stating an initial salary that leaves room for negotiation (keep room for at least three negotiations, or back-and-forth conversations), you’re more likely to get what you actually want. By far the best advice on making an aggressive opening offer is that contained in Galinsky’s short article, " Should You Make the First Offer? " The three major takeaways are these: Don't be afraid : Galinksy’s research shows that people typically tend to be fearful of the opposite partner walking away in response to an initial quoting/offer, and that most negotiators make first offers that aren’t aggressive enough. Focus on your target salary: Determine your best-case-scenario outcome, and focus on that. Negotiators who focus on their target price make more aggressive first offers and ultimately reach more profitable agreements than those who focus on the minimum amount they’d be satisfied with. Be flexible : Always be willing to concede your first offer. In doing so, you'll still likely get a profitable deal, and the other side will be pleased with the outcome. Remember, there’s little to risk if you put the highest number you can justify , but there’s a lot to lose if you don’t.

This typical behavioral interview question about a past experience, gives the interviewer a practical outlook at how you approached a challenging situation. With an increased number of conflicts arising at the workplace, the interviewer wants to know how you would handle one, if such a situation ever arose. It shows the interviewer your maturity level and your emotional intelligence. Like all indicators, past performance (or situations handled) is a good example for future handlings. What kind of conflict should you talk about? We all have had some level of disagreements with our managers / bosses. These disagreements could rage from job responsibilities, to leave vacations, to how situations were handled. Below are some guidelines to follow: Professional issues . An example would be when you and your boss saw a project differently or disagreed on how to handle a client’s account. Avoid personal issues, such as holiday party incidents, or stolen parking spaces. Non-work-related issues might come across as immature and unprofessional in an interview. Positively resolved conflict. Arriving at an amicable resolution, displays your negotiation and resolution skills. It shows your ability to resolve incidents quickly, mutually benefitting both sides. This proves that you are amenable to compromise. Simple story : A long complicated incident throws the interviewer off, and takes focus out of your resolution skills. Pick something that’s easy to understand so your interviewer can grasp what happened quickly and your conflict resolution skills can be front and center. It is quite possible, that you may never have had a conflict with your boss. In such a case, provide your interviewer with a hypothetical situation and describe how you would respond to the conflict just as you would for a real past experience. Tell an honest interesting story. The format ensures you include all important pieces of the story—the Situation, Task, Action, and Result (STAR)—in a clear and compelling way. Here’s how you might use the STAR method for this question: Lay out the Situation (S) The biggest thing is to discuss is why the disagreement came up. Whether it’s related to lack of communication or a difference of opinion, paint the scene well, so the interviewer can picture what happened and understand the rest of your answer. It is important to present both sides of the argument in a positive way. You come across as level-headed and professional. For example, you might say, “I understood why she said that,” or, “I could see his reasoning too.” This balance shows that you can see other people’s perspectives and that you’re not narrow-minded when it comes to working with others. Establish your Task (T) Explain your responsibility in the situation. For this question, that’s not necessarily your job duty, but what your goals were in the situation. Conflict is a normal part of life, and recognizing how to navigate it, is essential. For example, did you need to negotiate for a payment duration or did you need more resources? Discuss what Action you took (A) You should discuss the exact steps you followed to address the conflict. Did you set up a one-on-one meeting with your boss? If so, how did you approach the conversation? Not only are you showing how you’re willing to take ownership over a situation, but you’re also demonstrating your problem solving skills. This gives your interviewer an insight at how you will approach conflict—so they can decide whether or not you’ll be a good fit for their team. Share the Results (R) The outcome of the conflict is a crucial aspect of your answer. We look for a positive resolution, where both sides came together even though they didn’t see eye to eye at the beginning. In this case, positive doesn’t mean you “won,”. Positive means that both parties came out of the situation better than before. In fact, one possible outcome might be that you came around to see things from your boss’s point of view. Talk about how the conflict ended, what you learned, what your boss might have learned, and how the two of you approached issues going forward. Avoid these in your story To help you focus on the most important points, stay clear of: Unwanted information: The interviewer doesn’t need to know all the specifics of the project or how many people were in a meeting. Negative comments: Stay away from blaming or negative comments like, “My boss never liked me,” or, “He’s a stubborn person.” These types of remarks don’t make you look good. Blaming others: You’re not trying to convince the interviewer that you were right in the situation. You’re trying to show them how well you handled the conflict. Stay away from persuading the interviewer to agree with you. People’s opinions: Skip mentioning that your coworkers sided with you or that most people didn’t care for your boss. Direct your story toward the situation, actions you took, and results. Rehearsed narratives: Don't practice a script in detail. It will be noticed. You can definitely plan points and make the story sound natural and not rehearsed. Answer to follow the STAR method and focus on a positive resolution. A sample answer could be “As a marketing assistant, I’m in charge of putting together reports for potential company strategies. One time, my boss asked me to generate a new report on a Wednesday morning and wanted it done by Thursday at 5 PM. Due to the amount of work involved, and wanting the report to be accurate, I knew there’d be no way I could finish the report on time. Because I’m committed to high-quality work and I wasn’t sure my boss fully understood what goes into each report, I knew I needed to speak up. I decided to approach my boss about the impossible timeline. “At her next available opening, I sat down with my boss and explained my concerns, telling her it wouldn’t be possible, even if I stayed late that night. But my boss insisted that the deadline was non-negotiable. I knew that the management was meeting on Friday, so I understood the pressure my boss was under. So I decided to switch gears and ask my boss if there was anyone who could help me with the report. She found another assistant who could put in a few hours and we worked together to get the report done on time to the high standard I always deliver. “The management was really pleased to be able to review the report at the meeting. My boss was happy we got it done, and appreciated my extra efforts to make it happen. I felt good that I hadn’t let the quality of the report slip. And once I explained how much time and work goes into each report, my boss was careful to assign them further in advance after that.” Watch this sample video

We, as human resource professionals and talent acquisition specialist, would be reviewing hundreds of CVs a day and even advising job seekers on how to prepare their CVs. But one thing I have come to realize is that when preparing my own CV, it could be as hard as a barber trying to give himself a good haircut. Below are some tips, that I have come to realize (with proven results), to create an outstanding resume, as an human resource specialist. Tailor Make Your CV to be Keyword Rich Tailor making your CV to suit a job description by making it "keyword" rich is one way of making it easy for your CV to be found. Ensure you read the job description at least a couple of times before you begin. The job description will contain job responsibilities, education, skills, personality etc. Repeat these "keywords" in multiple areas like in the bullet points of the job description and again in key skills. Using an honest selection of keywords, (one keyword in each bullet point ), will make your CV keyword rich. The applicant tracking system (ATS) will quickly search resumes for keywords, which typically include acronyms, terminologies, or phrases from the job description. Look for these keywords in every job posting and incorporate them naturally (Do not force input the keyword. It must almost seem inconspicuous) into your resume. Some of the most common terms are listed first, followed by acronyms referring to laws or regulations, key software, and certifications toward the end of each list. If you are a HR Generalist, then you can use the below Keywords Recruiting, interviewing, hiring, job descriptions Orientation Personnel files Policies, procedures Performance reviews Confidentiality Equal employment Employee safety Organizational charts Exit interviews Software: Microsoft Excel, PeopleSoft, human resource information systems (HRIS) Certifications: PHR (Professional in Human Resources), SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources), SHRM-CP ( Society for Human Resources Management Certified Professional), SHRM–SCP (Society for Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional) If you are a Recruiter then you can use the below Keywords Candidates, pipeline, Sourcing (including tools such as LinkedIn, social media, Indeed.com) Interviewing, selection, screening Hiring managers Strategic workforce planning Job descriptions End-to-end hiring process, full-cycle recruiting Recruitment metrics Reference checks, Background checks Offer letters Wage/salary analysis Job fairs Closing candidates Onboarding Software: ATS, HRIS, Oracle If you are into Benefits and Compensation , then you can use the below Keywords Annual Leave, Maternity Leave, Paternity Leave, Sick Leave, Annual Leave Benefits: total reward, health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, workers compensation, disability, education reimbursement Eligibility Payroll Contract negotiations Vendor negotiations Wellness Benchmarking HR Audits, Reporting, Salary Surveys, Compensation Surveys Leave of absence (LOA) Government regulations: Gratuity, Leave Salary, End of Term Benefits (EOTB), Overtime, Maternity/Paternity Leave, Sick Leave, Annual Leave Software: timekeeping systems, Human Capital Management (HCM), HRIS, HRMS, If you are into Employee and Labor Relations then you can use the below Keywords Grievances, disputes, investigations Employee relations Disciplinary and termination meetings Employment Agreements Conflict resolution/management Contract negotiations Legal and regulatory compliance Salary and Benefits, Working hours If you are into Training and Development then you can use the below Keywords Development and implementation Subject matter expert (SME) Content, curriculum, e-learning Performance improvement/performance management/performance review Instructional design ADDIE model (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) Facilitation guides, course material, training aids, job aids Competencies Assessment Organizational development Cultural change Software: Microsoft PowerPoint, Learning Management Systems (LMS), knowledge management systems, Oracle, Articulate Suite (Storyline, Rise, Review), Camtasia, SharePoint, Adobe Creative Cloud Certifications: Associate Professional in Talent Development Credential (APTD), Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) Create an Achievement Based CV You can highlight your most relevant achievements for each job, by moving the bullet points that describe those achievements, right on top or even highlighting them in the summary or CV headline section. Include metrics or examples that illustrate how you contributed to your organization, prevented risk, improved efficiency, or took initiatives to solve a problem. Whenever possible, you should quantify your accomplishments, or measure them using numbers, percentages, or currency amounts. Start your bullet point with a strong action verb, then add a description of your work or process, and then end with the outcome or achievement, adding numbers whenever possible. Your achievements could be: What did you do that prevented a problem? Another is: What would go wrong if you did a bad job? How can you measure that what you did was better than what was done before or what was done on average? Read more about creating an achievement based cv The Resume Layout and Design Many resume layouts and design tips, apply just as much for HR resumes as for candidate resumes in any field. These tips can ensure your resume looks the part. HR Resume Format and Sections Use a reverse chronological resume, which lists your work experiences, academic degrees, and other qualifications in order from most recent to furthest back in time. CV Headline : your name and contact information, LinkedIn profile URL and a Headline Experience : including work, internship, can be broken up into different sections such as “Relevant Experience” and “Other Experience” Education : typically including college and advanced degrees, certifications and trainings Skills : including computer software, technical skills, and languages you speak Resume Design and Formatting A resume should be easy to read, which means the document itself needs to be well formatted and limited to a maximum of two (2) pages. Be sure to use consistent formatting and design. For instance, be sure that: Your bullet points are consistent in size, style, and indentation Your fonts and formatting are consistent—if job titles are going to be in bold and italics, make sure that all of your job titles are in bold and italics Your design is clean and readable—font size should be no smaller than 10 and keep at least a small amount of white space between sections and entries Your name and contact info are centered correctly on the page, if you choose to center them It’s also important that your resume is easily scannable by an ATS, which can have trouble with columns, overly fancy designs, text boxes, or graphics. So keep it simple and clean and only use formatting elements like bold, underline, italics, and color to emphasize different parts of the text. Read about formatting your CV Double-Check Your Resume Once you’ve designed an easy-to-read, keyword-rich, achievement-focused resume, it’s time to proofread the document from the top to the bottom. Don’t rely on a spellchecker alone. Show it to a few of your trusted network and ask for their unbiased feedback. Give your CV the finishing touches Resume Sample Below is an example of an HR generalist's resume. This resume is designed for a mid-career HR generalist or HR business partner and highlights key skills relevant to those kinds of roles.

Almost every company uses either an ATS (Application OR Applicant Tracking System), an Artificial Intelligent Program or a Boolean search to source and find suitable candidates for a job. 98% of these the Fortune 1000 companies use an ATS which acts as a filter and parses every resume submitted, qualifying only those candidates who meet certain requirements based on qualifications, skills, job titles, key words etc. These ATSs save tons of the hiring manager and recruiters time, bringing near accurate results (with minimum effort) to the table. The good thing is getting past the ATS is a lot easier than you think, provided you create an ATS friendly resume that is not only found, but also impresses the hiring manager. Below are key pointers to follow 1. Apply for Relevant Roles only Out of 100 applicants that are reviewed for a job, the ATS filters an average of 25% only, which means , these "artificially intelligent" programs, bin 75% of CVs for various reasons. Hence it is very important that you do not waste time applying to irrelevant roles because registering your CV and applying for the job could well take upto 30 wasted minutes. Make sure you are truly qualified and meet at least 60% of the job description. If you don't have the skills needed to perform a job, you’re better off not wasting your or the recruiter’s time . 2. Don’t Apply to Multiple Jobs in the Same Company An applicant tracking system also allows recruiters to see all the roles you’ve applied to at their company. If you apply to every single opening within the company, you inevitably convince the reader that you do not know what role suits you best or you’re not self-aware about your abilities. It only means you want to try your "luck". You shouldn’t be applying to an entry-level position and a director-level position, or a sales position and a video-editing position. 3. Include the Right Keywords Any applicant tracking system is programmed to “read” a resume: It’s scanning for key pieces of information to find out whether or not you’re a match for a job opening. So when you are preparing a resume that can make it past an ATS, you want to make sure that the key information in it, is easy to find. One of the ways the ATS narrows an applicant pool is by searching for specific keywords . The recruiter or hiring manager decide which keywords to search for—usually whatever skills, qualifications, experience, or qualities are most important for performing the job. The most important keyword could even be the job title itself! When in doubt, match your phrasing to what’s in the job description, as that’s likely to be what the ATS is looking for. 4. Put Your Keywords in Context Applicant tracking systems can only recognize if a key skill or experience is present. Interpreting the strength and value of that experience can only be done by humans. The HR, recruiters and hiring managers will test your abilities via case studies, cultural based questions, analytical questions, presentations etc. Avoid using the same buzzwords. It is always going to be your accomplishments that make you unique and your resume stand out. Prepare an accomplishment based CV with numbers, %, values or amounts (currency) in bullet points while describing your responsibilities (actually naming it Achievements, if you have a few of them). This will show them how you’ve used it and what the results were. 5. Don’t Try to Trick the ATS ATSs develop problems for the applicants when you "try to cheat the system” by copying and pasting the advertised job description in your CV or if you try and stuff keywords just for your resume to be found by the ATS. As shared in point 4, Don’t do any of this! Any tricks that have do will only prove you’re that you’ll cheat to get ahead! You will lose credibility and any future consideration for another role, will be lost. What you can do, however, is include a keyword-rich CV Headline (at the top of your document) that puts your expertise in context . Be careful you’re not just stuffing your resume full of keywords. The reader will immediately realize what you have done (or trying to do to get past their system). 6. Choose the Right Document Type While the submission of a PDF format resume is most appropriate, the .docx format is most accurately parsed by ATSs. So if you want to get past the ATS, use a .docx file. However follow what the job posting says. If a posting says a PDF is a must, then only use PDF, else submit in .docx TIP: If you don’t have Microsoft Word or another program that can convert your resume to .docx or .pdf. You can use Google docs to create your CV and then download it in either format for free. 7. Make Your Resume Easy to Read (by ATS and Humans) ATS-friendly resume formatting is very similar to recruiter-friendly resume formatting. The ATS will read from left to right and top to bottom, so keep that in mind as you format. For example, your name and contact information should all be at the top, and your work history should start with your most recent or current position. Among the three common resume formats, recruiters prefer chronological and combination formats. Ultimately recruiters just want to find the information they’re looking for as quickly as possible. So making a resume ATS friendly will actually help your resume be more readable to recruiters as well. 8. Don’t Create Fancy Formatting Creative or fancy resumes are not only harder for an ATS to read, but also recruiters. Most ATSs will convert the document to a text-only file. So at best, any fancy formatting will be lost. At worst, the ATS won’t be able to pull out the important information and so a person may never lay eyes on your nice designs—or read about the experience and skills that actually qualify you for the job. When designing a resume to go through an ATS, avoid: Tables, Text boxes, Logos and Images Graphics, graphs, or other visuals Columns: Since ATS reads left to right and sometimes columns contain information to read from to to bottom. Headers and footers: Information in the header and footer sometimes gets dropped by the ATS completely. Make sure all text is within the document body. Uncommon section headings: Stick to conventional labels like “Education,” “Work Experience,” and “Technical Skills,” so the ATS knows how to sort your information. This is not the place to get creative with something like “Where I’ve Made an Impact.” Hyperlinks on important words: Some systems will display only the URL and drop the words you linked from, so don’t link from anything important (like your job title or an accomplishment). Instead, paste in the URL itself or link out from a word like “website” or “portfolio.” Less common fonts: Stick to a universal font like Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Garamond, Georgia, or Cambria. Avoid fonts you need to download, which the ATS may have trouble parsing. Here are some elements you can use without tripping up an ATS: Bold Italics Underline: But stick to using underlines in headings and for URLs. In general, people have been trained to see any underline within sentences as links. Colors: Just know that the ATS will return all text in the same color, so make sure your color choices aren’t vital to understanding the text of your resume. Bullets: Bullets are an important component of any resume, but stick to the standard circle- or square-shaped ones. Anything else could get messy.

How many times have you sent or opened an email to find a boring first line that has no punch, no honesty, but seemingly a line that is just put there for the sake of it. "I hope this email finds you well" is one such line that lacks creativity and does not make your email stand out, the way you would like it to. So, what can you do instead? Here are a few strategies for starting your emails, along with some examples, so you always have an alternative. 1. Introduce Yourself When you email someone, you do not or hardly know and start your email with "I hope you are well", the first thing that crosses the readers mind is "Why is he/she hoping that I am well? Am I supposed to be unwell? Stick to introducing yourself as it’s relevant to the recipient. For example: My name is Azbabanu, the new social media coordinator working under Alyssia. I am an account executive with Genesis and was wondering if I could assist you with recruiting employees. My name is Paolo, and I’m a software engineer at Beta Technologies, a close competitor of your company. We met at the UAE Video Editors Conference last month and I wanted to thank you for your inputs on the latest video editing software. 2. Give Specific Well Wishes. If you do care how your reader is doing, make your first liner more personal—or at least more specific. For example, maybe you know your client has a big presentation coming up. If he/she is someone you have been working well with, and you know they’re dealing with a family situation, you might ask about that in a bit more detail. Otherwise, you can reference a more common shared experience like the holidays, the summer, the weekend, the end of the quarter, or a global pandemic. For instance: How is your mother doing now (knowing that she was unwell) and I hope you have enough help to look after her. I hope you are as ready for the weekend as I am! Your long well-deserved break is fast approaching! I hope you are all excited. I am confident that your presentation to the new client is coming together nicely! 3. Pay a Compliment. Everyone likes to be recognized for something they have done well. So if you loved your coworker’s designs for the new marketing campaign or think the new hire has been doing a great job getting up to speed or saw that your client’s company recently launched an impressive new product, tell them! It starts your email off on a positive note and shows you’re engaged with them personally. For instance: Fantastic job on the presentation last week! That’s the first time I’ve fully understood someone talking about quantitative analysis. I’ve been impressed with your work so far! I would love to learn more about how you have been making those Excel macros whenever you get a chance. Congratulations on winning the award for best performer of 2021! I saw that your book is coming out soon. Congratulations! I can’t wait to read it. The whole objective of a professional email is creating non-generic text that is honest, meaningful and grabs attention. It must be to the point so whether you are applying for a job or congratulating someone or simply selling a product, craft out creative emails.

Job seekers spend weeks trying to interpret the things interviewers, hiring managers and decisions makers say before, during, and after interviews. You are not the only person who is trying to read between the lines. Early on in my career I have done so too and almost all interviewees still try to analyze, mis-analyze or over-analyze statements coming from their interviewers. I will share this secret (or not so great secret) that you must know. What interviewers means when they say, “We’re interviewing additional candidates, but we’ll be in touch very soon.” The simple translation is "We will be in touch soon" In the minds of job seekers everywhere, you might assume the worst - that just because they say they will be in touch soon, they are interviewing others and are not going to hire me. Well I would say, do not jump to conclusions. Interviewers are not going to interview just one candidate or just you. They will want to meet as many suitable candidates as they can, make their notes, analyze the candidate or get to know him/her and then make an informed decision. A rushed up decision will cost the company a few thousand currency notes. They will take their time. Sure, there are times when an interviewer might say this to politely let you down, but it happens less. Interviewers will also say this knowing that you could be a strong contender in their minds. When I interview candidates, I use this line for every single candidate I meet and at he end of the interview. I write down my thoughts, collate all the information that I have, use my own judgement and then make a decision after a few days (if not a couple of weeks) I will suggest a simple solution: Be patient. Before you dive into a depressed or disappointed state, for a job that you think you may not get, because of a probably honest line, just remember that hiring managers will almost always say this. After conducting multiple interviews every day, it is just how they/we have been programmed to end an interview and it does not mean that a decision has been made on your candidature.

Cover letters provide valuable information to recruiters and hiring managers, not only through their content but also knowing that you invested time and effort into writing one. Job applications with tailored cover letters were 53% more likely to have created an impression and an interview callback than applications with no cover letters. Even generic cover letters were 17% more successful than no cover letters at all. Cover letters do still matter and they can help you get to the next round in the hiring process. One of the biggest takeaways was that tailored cover letters are far superior to generic cover letters when it comes to boosting a job applicant’s chances of being hired. Tailoring a cover letter doesn’t necessarily mean starting from scratch each time. You’re likely applying to a lot of similar jobs, so you might create a basic template for yourself, but add to it based on the job and company. Keep about 2/3 of your cover letter the same across most positions and customize the remaining 1/3. When Do You Absolutely Need a Cover Letter? There are some situations where you should definitely include a cover letter or you’ll greatly increase the risk of being rejected when you otherwise might’ve had a chance. Almost all job advertisement now require you to attach or write a cover letter or even ask you to list the top reasons why you should be considered for this position. You do not want the first message you send a prospective employer to be that you cannot or won’t follow directions. You might also have some other signal that a cover letter is crucial to a specific role. If you have any special situations surrounding your candidacy or there’s anything on your resume or application that needs additional context to be understood, writing a cover letter is really in your best interest. If there’s something on your resume that might be a red flag to people reading, your cover letter can help change that and keep your application out of the rejection pile. Your cover letter can contents that not only summarise your experience and key skills but also share insights about personality traits directly linked and important to the job for which you are applying. According to the experts, some special situations that can be explained by a cover letter include: Career transitions: If this is going to be your first job in a new of type role or a different industry, or if you’ve followed a non-linear career path, a cover letter can explain why you want this job and how your past experiences / transferable skills have prepared you for it. Employment gaps : Whether this will be your first job after your employment gap or you have one further back on your resume that you’re worried might raise eyebrows, including a cover letter gives you an opportunity to explain. Overseas applications : If you’re moving and hoping to secure a job before you get there, you can explain that in a cover letter so hiring managers understand why your application is coming from a different geographic location. Personal connections to a company or job referrals : If someone in your network referred you to a job or you have another connection to the company, this goes in your cover letter, not on your resume. Ultimately, it’s up to you whether or not to write a cover letter. In a survey, only 26% of respondents said they “punished” or “deducted points” from candidates who didn’t include a cover letter when the job posting didn’t require one, and in a 2018 survey, it was found that only 45% of respondents had submitted a cover letter for their current or most recent job. So you can definitely get a job without a cover letter. But ask yourself this: Why would you skip out on the chance to make your application even stronger?

Preparing for interview questions can help you feel confident about your interview. While every interviewer is different and their questions may vary depending on the job and industry, there are a few common questions you can expect. In this article, we’ll focus on the first 5 interview questions you could be asked Tell me about yourself. This ice-breaker question seems simple so many jobseekers fail to prepare for it. But here is the deal: Don’t talk for 20 minutes sharing a long story. Instead, give a pitch—one that’s concise and compelling and that shows exactly why you’re the right fit for the job. Try using a "present, past, future" formula. Talk a little bit about your current role, (including perhaps one big accomplishment), then give some background as to how you got there and the experience you have that’s relevant. Finally, why you would be perfect for this role. A possible answer to “Tell me about yourself.” “ Well, I’m an MBA graduate employed as a Key Account Manager at Prisms, where I manage our top 3 customers. Prior to that, I worked at an agency managing five major national healthcare brands and enjoyed my work. I’d love the opportunity to dive much deeper with one specific healthcare company, which is why I’m so excited about this opportunity with Prime Health Center.” Walk me through your resume. This question is another common interview opener. Instead of framing your answer around what qualities and skills make you best for the position, your answer should focus on your qualifications by your past jobs and tell your career story. You can begin with your present job and then talk about what brought you here and where you’re going next. But regardless, when you speak about your “past” and “present,” highlight your most relevant experiences and accomplishments for this job and wrap up by talking about the future, i.e. connect your past and present together to show why this job should be the next one you add to your resume. A possible answer to “Walk me through your resume.” “Well, as you can see from my resume, in college, I double majored in chemistry and communications. I found early on that working in a lab all day wasn’t for me . “So when I graduated, I found a job in sales for a consumer healthcare products company, where I explained complex health concepts to people without a science background. Then, I moved into a sales training role at a massive company where I was responsible for teaching recent graduates the basics of selling. My trainees on average had more deals closed in their first quarter than any of the other trainers’ students. I got so much satisfaction from finding the right way to train each new hire and watching them progress and succeed. “I left my full-time job last year to complete my student teaching at P.S. Now, I’m excited to find my first full-time teaching job, and your district is my top choice. The low student-to-teacher ratio will let me take the time to teach each student in the best way for them—which is my favorite part of the job.” How did you hear about this position? Another seemingly common interview question, this is actually a perfect opportunity to stand out and show your passion for and connection to the company. For example, if you found out about the role through a friend or professional contact, name-drop that person, then share why you were so excited about the job. If you discovered the company through an event or article, share that. Even if you found the listing through a random job board, share what, specifically, caught your eye about the role. A possible answer to “How did you hear about this position?” “I heard about this opportunity through a friend of a friend, Akiko, and since I’m a big fan of your work and have been following you for a while I decided it would be a great role for me to apply for.” Why do you want to work at this company? Beware of generic answers! Don't miss an opportunity to stand out. Do your research and point to something that makes the company unique that really appeals to you; talk about how you’ve watched the company grow and change since you first heard of it; focus on the organization’s opportunities for future growth and how you can contribute to it; or share what’s gotten you excited from your interactions with employees so far. Whichever route you choose, make sure to be specific. A possible answer to “Why do you want to work at this company?” “I saw on The Gulf News that you were also hiring for new positions to support your new operations. I did some more reading about the new data center you’re building there and that excites me as I know this means there’ll be opportunities to train new teammates. I also learned through a Star Times Journal article that you’re expanding in Saudi Arabia as well. I speak Arabic fluently and would be eager to step up and help liaise whenever necessary.” Why do you want this job? Companies want to hire people who are passionate about the job, so you should have a great answer about why you want the position. Identify a couple of key factors that make the role a great fit for you, then share why you love the company. A possible answer to “Why do you want this job?” “I’ve always been a fan of X Co’s products and I’ve spent countless hours using your apps. I know that your focus on consumer insights is what drew me and other fans into your apps initially and keeps us coming back for more. I’ve followed X Co on social media for a while, and I’ve always loved how you have people in different departments interact with users. So I was psyched when I came across this posting for a social media manager with TikTok experience. At my last job, I was responsible for launching our TikTok account and growing it to 10,000 followers in six months. Between that experience, my love of app building, and my deep knowledge of your apps and fanbase, I know I could make this TikTok account something special and exciting.”

I honestly wish I knew what questions a hiring manager would ask me at my next job interview. Since I will never know, I will settle for the next big thing - a complete list of 2023's top 50 most common interview questions that we expect you will be asked. I don't want your to study your answers but make your reply honest and more importantly connected with practical examples. Your answers do not have to be all positive and making you sound so perfect, it gives the interviewer an impression that you are "too good to be true". You must share your experiences, failures and what you have learnt from them too to keep your replies true and realistic. Even the best entrepreneurs and employees have had learning experiences and still continue to learn, myself included. Consider this list of interview questions to begin with. Go through them and start preparing each answer, tailor making a reply with a live example. I will try and help you with some guidelines (whereever I can) to each of them, in the my future blogs. 50+ most common job interview questions Tell me about yourself. Walk me through your resume. How did you hear about this position? Why do you want to work at this company? Why do you want this job? Why should we hire you? What can you bring to the company? What are your greatest strengths? What do you consider to be your weaknesses? What is your greatest professional achievement? Tell me about a challenge or conflict you’ve faced at work, and how you dealt with it. Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership skills. What’s a time you disagreed with a decision that was made at work? Tell me about a time you made a mistake. Tell me about a time you failed. Why are you leaving your current job? Why were you fired? Why was there a gap in your employment? Can you explain why you changed career paths? What’s your current salary? What do you like least about your job? What are you looking for in a new position? What type of work environment do you prefer? What’s your work style? What’s your management style? How would your boss and coworkers describe you? How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations? What do you like to do outside of work? Are you planning on having children? How do you stay organized? How do you prioritize your work? What are you passionate about? What motivates you? What are your pet peeves? How do you like to be managed? Do you consider yourself successful? Where do you see yourself in five years? How do you plan to achieve your career goals? What are your career aspirations? What’s your dream job? What other companies are you interviewing with? What makes you unique? What should I know that’s not on your resume? What would your first few months look like in this role? What are your salary expectations? What do you think we could do better or differently? When can you start? Are you willing to relocate? How many tennis balls can you fit into a limousine? If you were an animal, which one would you want to be? Sell me this pen. Is there anything else you’d like us to know? Do you have any questions for us?

In the previous blog we read about 5 common icebreaker interview questions and how to answer them. We can now read about the next 4 common questions asked at an interview. Why should we hire you? This interview question can seem a bit intimidating, but if you’re asked it, this is the opportunity you have to sell your expertise and your skills to the hiring manager. Your answer must cover 3 things: (1) You can do the work and deliver great results; (2) You absolutely fit in with the team ; and (3) You’ will have an advantage over other candidates for this job. Possible answer to “Why should we hire you?” “ I know it’s been a progressive time for Bio Fund—growing so much and acquiring several startups—but I also know from experience that it can be challenging for the sales team to understand how new products fit in with the existing ones. It’s always easier to sell the product you know. I have over a decade of experience as a sales trainer, but more importantly, most of those years were working with sales teams that were in the exact same boat Bio Fund is in now. Growth is wonderful, but only if the rest of the company can keep up. I’m confident I can make sure your sales team is confident and enthusiastic about selling new products by implementing an ongoing sales training curriculum that emphasizes where they sit in a product lineup.” What can you bring to the company? When interviewers ask this question, they are not only interested in your past experience, but want to see that you understand what problems and challenges they’re facing as a company and how you’ll fit into the current structure. Read the job description closely, do your research on the company, and make sure you pay attention in your early round interviews to understand any issues you’re being hired to solve. Then, the key is to connect your skills and experiences to what the company needs and share an example that shows how you’ve done similar work in the past. Possible answer to “What can you bring to the company?” “As Amanda mentioned in our interview earlier, SiSCo is looking to expand its market to small business owners with less than 25 employees, so I’d bring my expertise in this area and my experience in guiding a sales team that’s selling to these customers for the first time. In most of my past roles, this segment has been my focus and in my current role, I also played a big part in creating our sales strategies when the business began selling to these customers. I worked with my managers to develop the sales script. I also listened in on a number of sales calls with other account executives who were selling to these customers for the first time and gave them pointers and other feedback. In the first quarter, our 10-person sales team closed 50 new bookings in this segment, and I personally closed 10 of those deals. I helped guide my last company through the expansion into small businesses, and I’m eager to do that again at SiSCo. What are your greatest strengths? Here’s an opening to talk about something that makes you a great fit for this role. When you’re answering this question, think quality, not quantity. Pick one or two specific qualities that are relevant to this position and illustrate them with examples. Stories are always more memorable than generalizations. Possible answer to “What are your greatest strengths?” “ I’d say one of my greatest strengths is bringing organization to hectic environments and implementing processes to make everyone’s lives easier. In my current role as an executive assistant to a CEO, I created new processes for pretty much everything, from scheduling meetings to planning monthly agendas to preparing for event appearances. Everyone in the company knew how things worked and how long they would take, and the structures helped alleviate stress and set expectations on all sides. I’d be excited to bring that same approach to an operations manager role at a startup, where everything is new and constantly growing and could use just the right amount of structure to keep things running smoothly.” What do you consider to be your weaknesses? What your interviewer is really trying to do with this question is to understand your self-awareness and honesty. So, saying “Nothing! I’m perfect!”, is a complete NO, NO. Even indicating, I dont know of any weaknesses, only shows you are either trying to hide something or you lack self awareness. Strike a balance by thinking of something that you struggle with but that you’re working to improve. For example, maybe you’ve never been strong at conducting presentations in front of senior management, and how you have joined a public speaking course over the last 3 months. Possible answer to “What do you consider to be your weaknesses?” “It can be difficult for me to understand when the people I’m working with are dissatisfied with their workloads. To ensure that I’m not asking too much or too little from my team, we have weekly 20 minute catchup. I like to ask if they feel like they’re on top of their workload, how I could better support them, whether there’s anything they’d like to take on or get rid of, and if they’re engaged by what they’re doing. Even if the answer is ‘all good,’ these meetings really lay the groundwork for a good and trusting relationship.”

What is an applicant tracking system? An applicant tracking system (A TS) is a CV scanning software used by employers and recruiters to read, scan and rank job applications to make the shortlisting process easier. Today, almost every multinational, large local company and recruitment agency uses an ATS system to ease their recruitment process. How do applicant tracking systems work? An ATS system parses a resume's content into subheadings and then scans it for specific keywords to determine if the job application is suitable. If found suitable its AI platform will flag the reviewer to have a look at the resume and if found not suitable, filters out applicants for the role. In other words, the ATS system's robotic intervention picks what it is programmed to and if used correctly saves 70-80% of the hiring managers' time. Below are the top 5 points that you need to be aware of when creating an ATS-friendly CV. 1. Select the right file type for your resume Unfortunately, PDF files are not ATS-friendly. Although most resumes are submitted in pdf format to preserve design, structure, layout, and editability, the ability of an ATS system to correctly parse the data from your resume into its system is not very accurate. Word documents in .doc or .docx. are the best use. If you are specifically asked to submit in PDF then by all means do so, else I would recommend using a Word document especially when your CV is being submitted through a portal. If on the other hand, you are emailing it directly to the hiring manager's email for him/her to view or handing it across the desk, then PDF format is best. 2. Optimize your resume with keywords Keyword optimization is very important when designing an ATS-friendly CV. Keywords could range from common "job titles" like Sale Engineer (instead of Team Leader) to education qualifications like Mechanical Engineer (instead of Mechanics) to words that appear in the job description text - like "negotiations", "installation", "targets", "cash flow" etc. A hot tip - Use Online-Utility.org's Text Analyzer . Copy and paste the job description text into the given area. The analyzer will give you details of how many and which words are used in the job description and how many times each word appears. Make a note of this. Try and incorporate a similar number of words (without misrepresenting yourself) into your resume. Once done an ATS system will scan your CV and compare the words and the number of times the words appear and rank your CV accordingly. Guess what, you could have a very high ranking based on "keyword optimization". Create easy subheadings "Key Skills", "Work Experience", Education" etc. These make it easy or the ATS to understand the section or subsection it is collecting information from. 3. Avoid images, charts, and other graphics ATS systems fail to read infographics, images, icons, colors etc. While graphical representation definitely creates a good impression among humans, robots are not impressed. Again if you are handing a CV across the desk, a graphical representation will create an impact. ATS systems read your CV left to right, top to bottom, and recognize black and white colors only. 4. Stick to simple bullet points Easy read solid/open circles or squares are the easiest bullet points for an ATS system to read. Avoid any other symbol or character when creating a bulleted list 5. Use a clean resume design with a clear hierarchy ATS systems recognize easy to ready resume structures and CV formats. Using single or multiple columns or a combination of rows and columns in your CV gets too complicated for the system . A simple format from top to bottom and left to right is best to use.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is like a smart robot that can do many tasks people used to do. This might mean some people lose their jobs and find it hard to get new ones. But it's not all bad. AI can also make new jobs. Whether AI is good or bad for jobs depends on a lot of things, like what kind of job it is and what skills you need. Some jobs can be totally done by AI, like jobs where you do the same thing over and over or jobs where you look at numbers all day. But AI can also make new jobs, like jobs where you work with computers or robots. AI is not the only thing that affects jobs. Other stuff, like things happening all over the world and what people like to buy, also matters. And not all jobs are affected the same way by AI. Some places and industries might see more changes than others. In short, we're still figuring out what AI means for jobs. Some people might lose their jobs, but other people might find new ones. We need to get ready for these changes so everyone can benefit from what AI can do. Jobs that AI Can't Do AI is getting smarter, but there are still some things it can't do as well as people. Here are some jobs that are hard for AI: Creative Jobs: AI can think of new ideas, but it's not so good at being truly creative. Jobs like making art or music need a human touch that AI can't copy. Emotional Jobs :  AI can tell when someone is happy or sad, but it can't really understand feelings or be kind. Jobs like being a counselor or teacher need a human heart that AI doesn't have. Jobs needing Hands :  Robots are good at moving, but they're not great with tiny or gentle moves. Jobs like surgery or styling hair need hands that are careful and gentle, something robots find hard. Jobs needing Tough Choices:  AI can look at lots of facts and make guesses, but it's not good at making hard choices or knowing what's right. Jobs like being a doctor or a boss need human brains that can understand tough stuff. Jobs with People :  AI can talk like a person, but it can't really get jokes or understand cultures like we do. Jobs like helping customers or making friends need people skills that AI doesn't have. To sum up, there are still many jobs where people are better than AI, especially jobs needing creativity, feelings, gentle hands, tough choices, and being good with people. Jobs with the Most AI As AI gets better, there are more jobs that use it in some way. Here are some jobs that are in demand and use AI: Data Scientist :  These folks use AI to look at lots of data and find cool things that help businesses. Machine Learning Engineer :  They make AI smarter so it can learn on its own and do more stuff. AI Product Manager :  They make sure AI products, like talking robots or smart gadgets, work well and do what they're supposed to. Robotics Engineer :  They build robots that can do different jobs, from making cars to helping sick people. AI Ethicist :  They make sure AI is fair and doesn't hurt anyone or do things it shouldn't. Natural Language Processing (NLP) Specialist :  They help computers understand human language so they can talk to us better. Computer Vision Engineer :  They help computers see and understand pictures and videos, which is helpful for things like self-driving cars. In short, there are lots of jobs that use AI, and these jobs are likely to keep growing as AI gets better. Is AI Good or Bad? AI can be both good and bad, depending on how we use it. Here are some good and bad things about AI: Positives: Speed :  AI can do things quickly, so we can get more done in less time. Smartness :  AI can look at lots of information and find stuff we might not see, helping us make better choices. New Cool Stuff :  AI helps us make new things, like self-driving cars or medicine that's just right for you. AI related Education and Jobs :  AI makes new jobs for people who know how to work with it. Safety AI can find bad stuff, like crooks or big storms, before they hurt us. Negatives: Job Losses :  AI can do some jobs better than people, so some folks might lose their jobs. Can Be Unfair: Sometimes AI is unfair, like when it only picks boys for a job or doesn't like people from certain places. People Data Security: AI might collect lots of our information and not keep it safe. Weapons: AI can make weapons that don't need people to control them, which might be dangerous. Outsmart People :  Some folks worry that AI might get too smart and not need people anymore. In short, AI can be really good, but we need to be careful how we use it so it helps everyone and doesn't hurt.