Interviews

Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?

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Hello there!

In the days since the Batch 1 of the Elite Employee Quest, we have discovered that in order to give people a brighter future today, we need to prepare them for tomorrow – with the skills, knowledge and resources that they need to become independent and self-reliant adults. This is particularly true in the search for meaningful employment.

The recruitment processes are ongoing; jobs are shuttling back and forth on the job board and people are applying and being selected. Few are being rejected; but the “no” isn’t to hinder you,it’s a space for better development.

We promised the best, so we will help you become the best you can possibly be.

The Key to Answering “Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?”

You’re breezing through an interview  on the job board — answering all the questions about your work history and interest in the company with great examples; selecting all the responsibilities that have been thrown at you —when you come to a slightly more personal question.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

What’s the best way to answer that to continue showing the hiring manager why you’re perfect for the job? It’s not as challenging as you might think to come up with a well rounded, very impressive answer.

We came across a video that will teach you exactly what a hiring manager is hoping to learn about you from this question and how to tailor your answer to suit.

Welcome Batch 2 Applicants

CONGRATULATIONS! You have been specially selected to take part in the
Elite Employee Quest 2015 (Batch 2). Close to 1,000,000 people are
participating in this program, so your best is expected.

For each stage you complete, you will be given an instant certificate of completion (for FREE) and your score will be visible immediately.

At PushCV’s core, we believe that if the best people are employed in an organization, that organization will expand and create more jobs for others; and this is how we distinguish our brand from any other.

So, please take advantage of this opportunity and make the most out of it.

We’d be back with more tips. Till then, please don’t stop developing.

Sincerely,

PushCV.

5 Questions You Shouldn’t Ask a Job Candidate and 5 That You Should

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Over the past couple of months, we have focused on what prospective job candidates should say or how they should act.

Today we are taking a break from that and talking to interviewers: Here are five common interview questions you should ditch and replace with conversation starters.

 

Avoid: Why are you interested in working for our company?

Ask: I would love to hear about what you would like to do here.

Candidates are expecting the first question and have probably prepared a list of reasons that neatly align with the company goals you have on your website. Conversely, an open-ended prompt gets candidates talking about what they want to do for your company. This gives insight into their passion and the value they will add. Your first interview ‘question’ doesn’t have to be a question at all.

 

Avoid: Tell me about your past positions. What did you do?

Ask: We have a project right now that we need to speed up by a month. How would you tackle this?

Starting a professional relationship by asking about past jobs is like starting a romantic relationship by asking about exes. (Definitely kills the mood, no?) Leave the past on the resume. Focus on the person in front of you. This is your time to “work” together on a theoretical project, spitball ideas, and see if you blend.

 

Avoid: What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?

Ask: Tell me about a time you approached a challenge at work and how you solved it successfully.

The predictable “strengths and weaknesses” question has a few ready-made answers, including multi-tasking, perfectionism, and working too hard, as a few favorites. If you want to get to the heart of candidates’ problem-solving skills, temperament, and work ethic, you should dig into their real-life experiences which, by the way, reveal their strengths and weaknesses.

 

Avoid: What motivates you to succeed?

Ask: If you get this job, what would you need from the company, your manager, and your immediate team to be successful?

The second question reveals more information about not only what motivates candidates, but also the specific tools they need for success—be it flex time, an executive assistant, or a standing desk. Nail down details about what fuels the candidate’s productivity, quality of work, and happiness to identify what you will need to provide to drive a productive partnership.

 

Avoid: What are your hobbies?

Ask: What are you enjoying in your life right now?

Asking about hobbies often leads to candidates rattling off a curated list of impressive, but mostly false, extracurriculars. Instead, ask what they did for fun recently. This framework creates a safe zone that lets candidates feel more open about sharing their true passions—whether that be Xbox tournaments or babysitting.

 

You are going to have some conversations that inspire you, some that you’d rather forget, and some that make you tear up a business card. As long as they are conversations and not interviews, you will gain more clarity on what you and the candidate are offering each other and whether you should work together. So, talk.

11 Job Search Myths, Debunked

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There are a lot of resources available to help with your search, but candidates still have dozens of common misconceptions about the process that can impact employment chances. We’ve highlighted eleven job search myths applicants commonly mistake as truths about the job search process – and provide tips on what you should be doing instead.

Job Search Myth #1: Your resume should be a set length based on your years of experience

Truth: It’s about quality, not quantity.

HR Insider Tip: Include the information most relevant to the duties you performed in each role, and the duties that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for now. There’s no set rule on how long a resume should be but If your resume is inappropriately long, it’s unlikely the recruiter will see your most important qualifications on their quick scan of your resume.

Job Search Myth #2: Your application materials will be read in full

Truth: You have six seconds to impress the recruiter before they move on to the next candidate.

HR Insider Tip: The research all agrees – and I can concur – that a recruiter will give your resume just a quick scan before they make a decision. To catch their eye, make sure all of the important information you want the recruiter to see is presented on the first page of your resume, and is organized in an easy-to-read way.

Job Search Myth #3: A cover letter isn’t necessary unless requested

Truth: A cover letter is a huge asset in your job search, and should always be included.

HR Insider Tip: While it’s true that recruiters likely won’t read them, a cover letter should always be included in your application. It’s a supplement to your application, and will help sway the recruiter’s decision one way or another.

Job Search Myth #4: One resume can be used to apply to multiple jobs

Truth: A resume needs to be tailored to the role you’re applying for.

HR Insider Tip: Sure, you can theoretically use the same resume to apply for each role – and most people do. But if you want your application to stand out, you’ll need to do some research, and target your resume to the position and the company.

Job Search Myth #5: Contacting a recruiter to “follow up on an application” will show that you’re interested in the role.

Truth: If you’re a good candidate, the recruiter will contact you.

HR Insider Tip: Your application materials should be strong enough to speak for themselves and identify you as a strong candidate. Reaching out to “show your interest” in a role will not change a recruiter’s mind about whether you’re qualified.

Job Search Myth #6: There is a set list of questions you should ask in an interview.

Truth: Ask questions that address your concerns.

HR Insider Tip: You get one, maybe two hours of an interviewer’s time before you may need to make a decision about working for them – make the time count! Ask questions that pertain to the job you’re interviewing for and questions that will further your understanding of the position’s role within the organization.

Job Search Myth #7: All questions should be saved for the end of the interview.

Truth: Interviews should be a two-way conversation, and you should ask questions as they’re appropriate.

HR Insider Tip: Some interviewers may tell you that they’ll answer all of your questions at the end, but in general, the interview should flow as a natural conversation. If the interviewer asks a question about your experience, tell them what they need to know, and ask a related question back.

Job Search Myth #8: The best way to get a job is to apply online via a job board.

Truth: Networking and social media are your biggest assets in a job search.

HR Insider Tip: Companies used to pay thousands of dollars per year to post their jobs on the biggest job search boards. Today, that’s all changed. While you’ll still find postings on Monster and Careerbuilder, many employers are taking their candidate search to social media pages – especially Twitter.

Job Search Myth #9: Don’t discuss salary until you’ve been offered a job.

Truth: Do your research.

HR Insider Tip: For some people, there really is a set number they’d need to see in order to consider accepting a role – and if you wait until your third interview to find out that they can’t offer that salary, you’ve just wasted your and the company’s time. If that’s the case, make it known early on in the interview process – but include it as part of a range you’d like to be within. Otherwise, do your research, budget an appropriate raise for yourself, and have a number in mind as you interview with the organization. That way if you are asked what you’d need to make, you’ll have a smart, likely attainable number in mind.

Job Search Myth #10: Promote yourself in any way possible to get the recruiter’s attention.

Truth: Your qualifications are what will get you a job – not your gimmicks.

HR Insider Tip: Recruiters are bombarded daily with hundreds of candidates all applying for the same role. When it all boils down, it’s your qualifications that are the most important piece of your application. If the skills and experience aren’t there, it won’t matter that you’ve included in your cover letter that you’re the “perfect candidate for the job”.

Job Search Myth #11: If you follow the rules, you’ll find a job in no time.

Truth: There’s no secret recipe to land a job.

HR Insider Tip: Every job is different, every company is different, and most importantly, every recruiter is different. There are some rules of thumb that just about every recruiter looks for, but in reality, everyone is looking for something particular, and you either have it or you don’t.

 

5 Resume Mistakes That are Obvious to Your Potential Employers

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On a LinkedIn Influencer post, Google’s Head of HR shares the five biggest resume mistakes he sees candidates making, so we are sharing this with you plus PushCV’s tips for making sure your resume doesn’t include any of these blunders.

Mistake #1: Typos

We know—you’ve heard it. But even though this is obvious, it happens again and again. A 2013 CareerBuilder survey found that 58% of resumes have typos.

The Fix

Have someone else read your resume—often, other people can more easily spot errors because they haven’t been staring at the page for hours. Finally, once you’ve reviewed it, stop making those final tiny changes. People who tweak their resumes the most carefully can be especially vulnerable to this kind of error, because the mistakes often result from going back again and again to fine tune your resume just one last time. And in doing so, a subject and verb suddenly don’t match up, or a period is left in the wrong place, or a set of dates gets knocked out of orientation.

Mistake #2: Length

One good rule of thumb is one page of resume for every 10 years of work experience. A crisp, focused resume demonstrates an ability to synthesize, prioritize, and convey the most important information about you.

The Fix

If you’re having trouble squeezing all of your experience onto one or two pages, remember that a resume doesn’t have to be a chronicle of your entire career history—it should be a marketing document that uses your relevant skills and experiences to illustrate to the hiring manager why you’re the one for the job.

Mistake #3: “Creative” Formatting

When it comes to resumes, substance matters more than style. Recruiters will definitely prefer to see a simple, traditional, perfectly formatted resume than something creative that’s tough to read. Unless you’re applying for a job such as a designer or artist, your focus should be on making your resume clean and legible.

The Fix

When in doubt, go simple and spend most of your time sharpening your bullet points rather than making them look great. Then, make sure the formatting looks great no matter what program it’s opened in. Saving your resume as a PDF rather than a .doc file should help alleviate any formatting problems in different programs.

Mistake #4: Confidential Information

Don’t break the confidentiality policy of your previous firm—it definitely wouldn’t inspire trust in your potential employer.

The Fix

For anything you put on your resume, work this way: if you wouldn’t want to see it on the home page of the The Punch Newspaper with your name attached (or if your boss wouldn’t!), don’t put it on your resume.

Mistake #5: Lies

People lie about their degrees, GPAs and where they went to school, how long they were at companies, how big their teams were, and their sales results. we probably don’t have to tell you what hiring managers think about that.

The Fix

Just remember what your primary school teachers told you: Honesty is always the best policy. If you feel like there’s part of your background that’s not quite up to snuff, your best bet is creative—but truthful—positioning.

 

These mistakes seem pretty basic, but if Google sees them all the time? You can bet every other employer does, too. The good news is, they’re all totally avoidable. Make sure your (one- to two-page) resume is squeaky clean, and you’re already ahead of the game.

 

Dare to Be Different: Ten Traditional Job Search Rules You can Break

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“I job-hunted for six months as a full-time job. I customized my resumes and cover letters. I followed every instruction to the letter. I took over thirty online tests in that time, and I got no interviews.”

“My background is a perfect match for at least twenty of the hundred jobs I applied for, and a good match for another sixty of them. It’s obvious that the Black Hole recruiting system is broken.”

You can’t get good people in the door by searching keywords. We can’t convey the power of a person through a mechanical system.

Why would we ever believe that we could?

Here are ten traditional rules you can break in your job search starting immediately. You have nothing to lose by stepping out of the box and bringing more of your power to every stage of the job-search process.

What can you lose if the old, robotic way isn’t working for you anyway?

  1. Break the rule that tells you not to use “I” in your resume. Your resume is a marketing document. You are the product. Five or Six uses of the word “I” in your resume will make it a personal document between you and the reader — the person who could easily become your next boss.
  2. Next, break the rule that tells you to list your tasks and duties on your resume. Who cares? You’re different from anyone who has ever held any of your past jobs. Don’t tell us about the job description. We can guess from your title what each job required. Tell us what you left in your wake in each job, instead!
  3. Now, break the rule that tells you to reply to a job ad by pitching a resume into the Black Hole of an automated career portal. Your chance of hearing back are close to zero. Write directly to your own hiring manager — the person you’ll be working for if you get the job. Send that manager acover letter together with your Human-Voiced Resume,right through the mail.
  4. Break the rule that says “No direct contact with your hiring manager,” an instruction that shows up in job ads sometimes. You can send an application Letter to anyone you want. You just have tofind your hiring manager’s name on LinkedIn, and that’s not difficult.
  5. Defy the rule that tells you to report your salary history as you apply for a job. Is the employer going to tell you the history of salaries they’ve paid to other people in the same role? They won’t, so why should you lose negotiating leverage by passing on your private financial details? All they need is a target salary number, so give them that.
  6. Break the rule that tells you to go into an interview ready to answer questions like a good little sheep and then go silent, waiting for the next question. An interview is not a citizenship exam. You can get your manager off the script and into a real human conversation if you try — and if your efforts are unsuccessful, what does that tell you about the person you’d be working for?
  7. Ignore the rule that tells you to hand over your job references before you’ve established that a strong mutual interest exists. Firms that pressure you to fork over your references early may be planning to misuse your contacts for their own purposes, and as horrifying as that sounds, it happens.
  8. Blow past the rule that tells you to spend your energy in a job search pleasing people, from the initial resume screener to the recruiter who never calls back.
  9. Break the rule that tells you to wait around for weeks while a search committee takes its sweet time getting back to you. Three business days after an interview is more than enough time to decide whether you’re still in the mix or not.
  10. Last, break the job-search rule that tells you that employers are in the driver’s seat. That may be true in the general please-someone-hire-me sheepie job seeker talent marketplace but it’s never been the case in the talent bazaar where eyes-open managers hire people to solve real business problems that could otherwise tank their companies.

5 Skills That Impress Prospective Employers

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Whether you’re about to graduate and starting to think about your career path or considering a career change, you might be asking yourself, “What do I want to be?”

But remember; no matter what you’re interested in, there are a few key skills that will serve you well across industries and roles. Plus, if you build and master multiple skill sets, you’ll be a desirable candidate for many types of jobs, even if your career interests change over time.

“Being considered smart” is low on the list of useful skills, but fortunately, the top skills they’re looking for are all things you can learn, no matter who you are or what you want to do.

Prepare yourself for career success by becoming fluent in these five business skills.

Quantitative Analysis

Data is the backbone of many organizations, and your ability to organize, analyse, interpret, and present that data is important whether you’re creating an app or looking for ways to attract new customers. Employers value an ability to review organized data and create an action plan based on it.

Excel

What’s the most important tool in your quantitative analysis arsenal? Excel. While you can learn how to use it on the job, many jobs don’t want (or don’t have time) to teach employees how to do it. So, if you come in knowing how to proficiently use Excel professionally, you are a shoo in.

Creative Thinking

This is a hard skill to teach or learn, but the ability to think creatively can make a huge difference in the way a hiring manager views you. With the business world changing faster than ever, employers want people who can think outside the box, share new ideas, and improve upon current systems—from day 1.

Communication Skills

Employers are looking for strong communication skills from the get-go. They want to see that you’re able to clearly share your point of view in a concise and professional way. The good news? You can easily show this off during the hiring process when emailing potential employers or speaking in an interview.

Humility

This answer may seem surprising, but employers were quick to point out that it’s an in-demand skill. Sure, companies want you to come in confident and excited, but they also value flexibility and a willingness to learn, especially in new hires. While you shouldn’t feel that you have to hold back when it comes to sharing your thoughts and ideas, you should get comfortable being wrong and learning from it. Ask questions, spend time getting to know about the position and company, and don’t come into a job assuming you know more than your boss.

Get the Skills

MOOCs (or Massive Open Online Courses) are a great resource for learning data analysis (or anything, really). Coming soon to the PushCV Learning Centre.

Why Should We Hire You?

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When employers ask you, “Why should we hire you?” they’re really asking, “What makes you the best fit for this position?” Your answer to this question should be a concise “sales pitch” that explains what you have to offer the employer. The best way to respond is to give concrete examples of why your skills and accomplishments make you the best candidate for the job. Take a few moments to compare the job description with your abilities, as well as mentioning what you have accomplished in your other positions. Be positive and reiterate your interest in the company and the position. Here’s how to prepare your response.

  • Think of the Job listing
  • Keep it concise
  • Focus on your uniqueness
  • Make it a sales pitch

In that light,  the PushCV internship program is still on, find the details below:

INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME 2014

We are offering opportunities for graduates to work for one month with existing PushCV staff on challenging projects for our clients. We are looking for people with drive and enthusiasm who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get involved in the day-to-day work of a dynamic, growing company. Intern positions are available for ONE MONTH at the graduate level. The internship programme however is not course specific – it is open to students from all programmes.

TRAINING PROGRAMS

We are offering a comprehensive PAID internship program for participants across Nigeria. Trainees learn and work, gaining different benefits:

  • Work Experience
  • Relaxed environment
  • Possibility of permanent employment
  • Free Lunch

Upon completion of the course, participants are able to apply the experiences gained to real world issues.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible participants are required to have a Bachelor’s degree and NO WORK EXPERIENCE.  

Apply today to be a part of the experience of a lifetime!