Health and Human Services Professional Development

To Ask or Not to Ask THEM by   Jill Bowers   on   July 6, 2013   When preparing for a job interview, you may generally think of how you will answer questions you will be asked by the interviewer(s). Yet, it is just as important to think of what questions you will ask THEM. Asking them questions about the agency/company or position to which you are applying for can help you to know if the job is a good fit with your strengths, interests, and career goals. Asking good questions can also show the interviewer the level of insight you have or that you have done your homework and came to the interviewer prepared. See the  Forbes article, “30 Questions You Should and Shouldn’t Ask in a Job Interview”  for more information and examples of good/bad questions. *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

Job Interviewers are Prepared…are YOU? by   Jill Bowers   on   July 28, 2013   What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Why do you want to work for our company? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Although some interviewers will ask some “wacky” questions,  it is still most likely that they will ask and spend more time on the more traditional interview questions such as these.  So be prepared to answer them! There are a lot of articles out there are on how to prepare for interviews, but  How to Ace the 50 Most Common Job Interview Questions – Forbes  is one of my favorites and includes 50 of these common interview questions and provides valuable tips on answering at least seven of them. In addition, the article lists ways that you can be prepared beyond the interview questions. A few examples: Have you done your homework? In other words, what do you know about the company?  They will likely ask you, “what...

Preparing for Interviews by   Jill Bowers   on   June 3, 2013 The article, “ 4 Ways to Prepare for an Interview ,” on experience.com provides strategies on preparing for job interviews. This article offers tips for dressing appropriately, being prepared for talking about what is on your resume, doing your homework on the employer or business to which you are applying, and planning for unexpected turns in the interview process. To read the article on experience.com:  http://www.experience.com/entry-level-jobs/careers/jobs/4-ways-to-prepare-for-an-interview/ *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

Is it REALLY not a good fit, or do you just suck at interviewing? by   Jill Bowers   on   April 20, 2014   In most places, you will have a few hours, sometimes minutes, to create impressions that make them believe “this is someone I want on my team,” or “we cannot let this one get away.” Based on my own interview faux pas and stories I’ve heard others tell, I give you five general tips for not sucking: If you suffer from  permanent mean face , figure out how to change it.  See  Chronicles of a Girl with Chronic Bitch Face  if you need a more refined definition of “permanent mean face.” In other words, think about how the look on your face might come across to others. Interviewers are often looking for someone with whom they want to work. Your focus and seriousness may appear to interviewers as cold or unfriendly. You may be fun, a great team player, and all of your peers and former coworkers may rave about you in this regard. Yet, you have ...

Smart Networking by   Kacey McCormack, Guest Author   on   June 21, 2014   Networking is essential for career success. Yet, there are right and wrong ways to do it. For example, it’s critical to find mentors who are willing to help you, but if you monopolize the time of someone you just met, act like a know it all, ask them questions that are too broad or that could have been found with a quick internet search, or do not show gratitude for their time or the information they have shared with you, they may not be excited about meeting with you again.   Some tips for good networking include: Preparing in advance for interviews, Scheduling a time to meet with a mentor or potential mentor rather than just dropping in and trying to network, Asking questions that show interest in the person with whom you are meeting, Writing thank you notes after meeting with someone, and Staying in touch after networking. Also, remember that networking is a two way ...

Don’t Let Credit Card Use Drown You in Debt! by   Ashley Bigard, Guest Author   on   November 17, 2014 It is not uncommon to graduate from college with a high amount of debt. While student loans can quickly add up, another contributing factor is the use of credit cards. Credit cards are more available than in the past, enticing a majority of today’s college students to use credit cards to pay for their living expenses. This is making it even easier for students to end up in debt upon graduation. Knowledge about positive financial behavior is related to responsible credit card use among college students. Luckily, there are many tools that can help students gain the knowledge they need to live within their means so that credit cards do not have to be an option. There are apps, websites and calculators that can assist with budgeting. In addition, many universities provide financial literacy education to students. The best thing a student can do is figur...