Have an Interview? Avoid these Mistakes
According to a report in USA Today (
(1) Little or no knowledge of the company (47%)
(2) Unprepared to discuss skills and experience (17%)
(3) Unprepared to discuss career plans and goals (9%)
(4) Limited enthusiasm (9%)
(5) Lack of eye contact (3%)
Considering that today’s youth will spend at least 15 to 21 years in school you would think that someone would have reviewed the essentials on how to prepare for a job interview. Plus, access to the Internet leaves little room for excuses of ignorance or the lack of preparedness.
Most likely, someone at sometime did go over the essentials of job interviewing. The student was asleep, absent or “zoned out” during the presentation. The problem is self-discipline and the attitude of entitlement.
If you have an interview scheduled, learn more about the company. Go to their website; if it is a public company, look them up at Hoovers.com; call the local chamber of commerce; or ask a couple of employees about the company. Just don’t go in empty handed.
One of the “hidden” benefits of learning more about the company is your ability to negotiate a better contract, wages or benefits. Also, through research you may discover that the company may not be right for you.
One of the current favorite interview strategies is to have you role play several different scenarios, including describing future goals and objectives. Run various scenarios through your mind to determine the best responses you can generate. Take a look at recruiting sites such as Monster.com to see what is typically asked during interviews and practice.
Finally, be enthusiastic and make good eye contact. These intangibles may be all that separate you from the “crowd” and a high paying job. No one is entitled to a job; you earn it.
Teacher’s Dead Man’s Chest?
Today, the US Department of Education announced that a new program is in place to reward teachers with cash bonuses when their students score high on standardized tests. Scandals: on your mark, get ready, set, go!
Instead of this absurd incentive program that if successful, will only prepare students to take standardized tests and will have little bearing on future success, why not increase the base salaries of new teachers? Currently, new teachers are entering their respective districts with pay that is $10 to $12 thousand below median wages in the
Communities still pay teachers as though it is a woman’s job and a second income for families. The attitude that it is only a 9-month job somehow justifies that teachers deserve less. Is it any wonder that so many teachers quit after two years? Low pay and no respect certainly won’t make people feel very welcome.
So next year when the scandals start to be revealed, just remember how easy it could have been to avoid. Teach lifelong excellence and personal dedication over one-time test taking and pay teachers for the ultimate value they bring to our communities.
The Most Lucrative Big Business
If you have read these columns over the past several months, you would have learned about all the money colleges are earning through various means: credit card companies, alumni gift giving, tuition rate hikes, sports contracts and licensing, and investments and real estate deals. Next, add the contributions of the American taxpayer who will spend $30 billion this year on financial aid for college students.
Without financial aid, most high school students will stay at home. The average cost of four years of college is $49,000 at public schools and $116,000 at private schools. Since 1990, the average public costs for tuition, fees, room and board have more than doubled. For example in 1990, costs at private schools were $13,476; in 2006, $29,026. Public schools in 1990: $5074; in 2006: $12,127. (Data from
GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE
© 2006 3 Minute Learning LLC
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