Dream Job

In this assignment I choose journalism as my dream job. I think journalism is an interesting job that includes writing which I love. I think that journalism is appealing to some people because the idea of going out into the world everyday and finding stories is exciting. It is a lot of work though. Interns hardly get paid at all and you have to keep working hard to go up the pay scale. Head news anchors can earn up to 75,000 a year! You have to have good writing and communication skills. Knowing a 2nd or 3rd language can make finding a job in journalism easier. Since journalism covers such a wide verity of topics you can go into journalism with almost any academic major. Journalism is an exciting career choice and hopefully I can stick with it.

Part 2- Interview questions

 Tell me about yourself

• Pronounce name clearly.
• State age.
• State current education status or career status.
• Past experience.
• State long range goal.

 

 Why should I hire you?

• Talk about your strengths as they apply to the job.
• Team Player.
• You have motivation.
• Attitude the job is positive.
• And leadership skills
   

 What is the greatest strength?

• Flexibility
• teamwork
• adaptability
• surpassing expectations
• leadership

 

 What is a weakness?

• delegation
• sharing responsibility
• having too much fun
• trying to do too much
• not following my own initiatives

 Where do you expect to be in the next five years?

• hard to predict the future.
• Abilities will allow me to take on a more demanding role in your company.
• Being the best I can be.
• Completed my education.
• Being a success in your company.
   

 What motivates you to do a good job?

• Determination.
• Personal satisfaction.
• Dislike of poor performance.
• respect of employers
• respect of fellow employees.
   

 Do you work better alone or in a group?

• Group work combines individual ideas 
• Group work allows for individual input
• teamwork always promotes the best for a company
• there is no "i" in team
• common goals can be reached through total group commitment.  

Job Interview prep.

Preparation before your interview:


• Know the time, date and place of the interview.

• Dress appropriately for the job you are trying to get.

• Be well rested and not stress out for your interview.

• Know something about the job you are applying for.

• Anticipate the questions the interviewer might ask you and know the answers.

Body Language:

• Don't chew gum during the interview.

• Don’t fidget (swing legs, fiddle with pens etc…).

• Sit up straight and use your hands in your conversation.

• Make eye contact.

• Put on an honest warm smile.

Communication Skills:

• Introduce your self clearly.

• Listen to what the interviewer says.

• Don’t interrupt the interviewer.

• Speak clearly in a normal conversational tone.

• Respond in an appropriate manner.

Question for applicant to ask:

• How would you describe the ideal person for this job?

• What parts of this job would you most like to see improved from a performance standpoint?

• What are some changes and improvements that must be brought to this position?

• What problems would a successful candidate for this job will need to solve?

• Do you provide on the job training for possible advancement?

Canada Revenue Entry

I learned quite a bit in this lesson. I never knew much about taxes or tax returns. Now I know when I need to fill out my tax return and how, when I need to return it and why we are taxed. How taxing can help provide services for us and if somebody cheats the system it hurts everyone else. I learned many terms that I did not know before. Now when I get a job I now know what to expect when I get my first paycheck and how to handle taxes. I think the government makes filling out a tax return pretty straight forward, it does not look complicated at all. I thought this lesson was interesting and informative, but there was a lot of questions! I wish we could have typed them too because my writing is definitely not the neatest, so sorry!

interviewing blog entry

I thought this lesson was a little bit boring. Most of this was common sense and what we should know already. Also got the feel that this information was meant for older people getting interviews for management positions and that there was not enough information for high school job applicants. There was some useful tips in there about dressing for what job you were applying for. As we draw to the end of the year, I find myself trying to finish Planning projects as quickly as possible and trying to get them over with because other teachers keep piling on work. I am not learning as much as I used to in the beginning of this course, I do not know why, but because I am trying to put so much effort into my core classes, I always have little to none for planning. Mr Coutlee if you are doing Planing 10 next year this same format, I would keep the assignments, but I would try to finish it in the 1st semester.

Interviews

1. 3 qualities interviewers look for: are you able to do the job? Willing to put effort into the job to make it a success and are you manageable?
2. In the first 15 seconds of an interview, the employer will judge you on your appearance and your handshake.
3. You should dress for a job appropriately, like if you were going to apply for a management position at a software company you would wear a suit, but a suit would be overkill if you were applying for a position at McDonald's.
4. When going for an interview you should "dress and groom like the employer is likely to be dressed and groomed, only neater." Management: Suits! Mid-level Professionals: Coordinated shirt and slacks or skirts(for women). Commercial personnel: More casual, pressed slacks or khakis, nice shirt or blouse. Avoid wearing athletic shoes!
5. The 3 step process for introducing yourself is: 1. Have clean and manicured nails and hands! 2. Make sure your hand is warm and not sweaty. 3. And lastly, shake hands with a firm(not bone-crushing) grip and a warm smile.
6. The Non-verbal communication skills are to promote your self-confidence. You shouldn't fidget, cross your arms or swing your feet around. Flat on the floor for men crossed for women. Do not slouch and use your hands with your conversation. Do not bit your lip, fake cough or touch your mouth a lot. And put on a honest warm smile. Make eye contact and nod slightly during the interview.
7. Try to get your interview not on a Monday or later on in the day. At these times the interviewer will not take as much interest as they might have at a different time. Also try not to be the first person to be interviewed. Going later means the interviewer will remember you.
8. You should research these topics before you go to the interview:

• Company products and services
• Markets and key customers
• general business philosophy
• sales trends, cost trends, profit trends
• Plans for growth
• key problems
• principles
• values
• beliefs
• predominate management style
• mission

I thinks these are all valuable and useful points to know before going for an interview

9. Questions you should ask:

• How would you describe the ideal person for this job?
• What parts of this job would you most like to see improved from a performance standpoint?
• What are some changes and improvements that must be brought to this position?
• What problems would a successful candidate for this job will need to solve?

These questions can demonstrate to the interviewer that you have researched and you are very interested in the job. I think some of these questions are a bit over the heads of high school students to ask this as they apply for a job at a fast food joint.

10. The 3 step process to answering questions:

1. Understand what is being asked. Figure out what the employer is looking for.
2. Answer briefly and without causing damages. Don't back yourself into a corner with your answer. And don't ramble on.
3. Answer the real question by presenting your related skills. Talk about how you would be good for the company.

11. Keep the interviewer interested by changing the topic on to a more interesting subject or ask them a question to keep the interview flowing.

12. Problem areas:

1. Gaps in your work history
2. Having been fired
3. Too old
4. Too young
5. Overqualified

The only one that would really qualify to me would be "too young" I have not even done a job interview yet, I am planning to get a job in a couple weeks after all this school stuff is over! I think you just need to be respectful and show you are qualified for the job.

13. Reflecting questions:

• In what skills,experiences or background did the interviewer seem most interested in?
• What questions were the hardest to answer? Why?
• Did you enough about the job and company?
• What did the interviewer say about salary? How did you respond?
• How did you feel about the interview overall?
• what would you differently?
• What should you study?

I think after a interview, whether it was successful or not, you should see what you did right and what you did wrong and prepare yourself better next time.

14. A thank you note shows you appreciate that the interviewer took time to listen to you. And it gives you an extra point, people will remember that "nice person who sent us the card" let's hire them! You should type a well written note.

I think a thank you note is a wonderful chance to suck up to your potential employers. I have written thank you notes before and I would probably do it again.

networking

1. The equations are- more leads= more chances to get interviews and more opportunities to receive job offers= greater odds of becoming employed.



2. People who have gotten jobs in the past 15 years:

• 35% learned about the job from someone


• 30% contacted their present employer directly


• 14% answered a want ad


• 6% were referred by a private employment agency


• 5% were referred by a state employment agency


• 2% took civil service tests


• 8% other methods

When applying for a job I would take my Resume directly to the employer. These stats make sense because most people hear about jobs from friends who make be trying to get the same job. I think most teenagers go into the business that they want to work at and give the employer their resume personally.

3. Yes, the quote makes sense to me. The more leads there is for a job the more competition there is to actually get the job. When there is less leads there is less competition making it easier for the applicant to get the job.

4. Traditional search methods that do not work well:

• ads in newspapers- because the ad could be seen by quite possibly hundreds of people the competition for the job would be quite high and the chances for a single applicant becomes less and less.


• employers are looking for applicants that match their specialized field of the job- If you do not have a certain skill and they have many more Resumes to look through they will not spend the time and money to train you for the job.


• only 5-24 job seekers will get a job through employers- because of all the Resumes that are sent to the employer the job applicant has to all the skills and background that the employer wants exactly or else they would not get the job.


• Sending out Resumes- the chance off the applicant who sends their resume is 7%. I suppose the employer does not want to spend time to read all sent Resumes.

5. "A network is an informal group of people who have something in common." When you are looking for a job having a network can help your chances. They are like contacts, one person might know someone who could get you into a interview for a job you want.

6. Building a personal network is important, like I said in question 5, someone might know someone who can help you get the job you want.

7. People or groups that you can utilize in your personal network:

• family, friends, neighbours


• social acquaintances


• people you have worked with


• customers


• people who sold you or your company


• church


• parents of your children's friends


• trade groups


• alumni groups


• social club members


• health club members


• PTA members


• classmates


• teachers


• anybody you wrote a check to


• lawyer, real estate agent, accountant


• dry cleaner


• politician


• friends whom you served in the military


• volunteers


• parent's friends


• doctor


• dentist


• insurance agent, stock broker, travel agent

8. Networking is getting information that might help you get a job. To get introductions to companies that you may want a career in.

9. 6 rules for networking:

1. get started - set up a meeting: This is probably to make sure the person will want to talk to you and listen to what you have to say. This makes sense because you have to meet the person to have them give you information.


2. present yourself well: First impressions are important, if you show up and at like you are not listening to the person you are meeting they will not be happy to share their information with you. But if you acted politely and listens they will be happy to share.


3. learn something: When you set up this appointment you are expecting to get information even when what they are saying might not be helpful to you now it could come in handy later on.


4. get 2 referrals: Having people that know you and will back you up are important for building you network. Having people who know people who know you will help you expand your network.
   
5. follow up on the referrals: If someone refers you, you should follow up on it as soon as possible because that shows you have interest. If the person took the time to refer you, it means they think you would do well in that that sort of job and if you do not follow up it is being slightly rude.


6. send thank you notes: After someone has taken time to help you, it a nice gesture to send a card to thank them. It shows you appreciated their time.

10.

-Don't worry about having something clever to say. The person is not judging you over your small talk, they want to know if you are right for the job and that's all.

-Handling crowds. To make sure you do not barge into a private conversation between people use phrases like "May I join you or is this a private conversation."

-Help people remember your name. It's awkward for both you and the interviewer if they have to ask your name again. The interviewer can be listening to you perfectly, but your name may have slipped their mind. It is best if you repeat your name in the beginning of the interview and again later on.

-Spend at least 5 min. with everyone you meet. Five minutes is a nice amount of time that you can talk to someone without making them feel rushed or awkward because you are still talking to them.

-Spend 80% of the time listening. If you just yapper on and on and the interviewer cannot get a word in edgewise that is a bad sign. You should sit there and listen to them, this shows you are interested in what they are saying.

-Keep business card in a pocket. This is when they ask you for your card to contact you, but you have to spend 10 minutes rummaging through your purse or wallet looking for the card. If you can produce it promptly it shows you are efficient.

- Depart Gracefully. Make sure you know the status of the person you are talking to. If they are high up use a line like this, "I don't want to monopolize your time i know there are a lot of people here who want to speak to you." A good exit can be remembered and help you get a job.

I think some of these points can help people my age. Like depart gracefully, it is always good to be respectful to the interviewer, listening is a great way to show interest in the person. Another good point to follow is entering a group politely without seeming like you are barging in. Some of these points are a little bit beyond teenagers, I do not think many teens carry around business cards to promptly whip out to the interviewers.