You need to understand the job you've applied for and be able to convey how your skills best fill the companies needs. Be prepared to give real life experiences when asked questions.
As a hiring manager I can't tell you how many times I've heard "I'm good with people" and "I'm a real go-getter" or "I'm a team player".
That's great. So is everyone else I've talked to. What I want you to tell me is exactly how you're a team leader. Did you do a project that required you to work with a bunch of folks? How do you take initiative? Give me an example.
Be prepared to ask questions of your interviewer. A good interview is a give and take of questions and answers between both parties. Interviewees that ask good probing questions about my management style or career growth opportunities within the company show a real interest in both the hear and now and their future prospects.
Don't talk money, benefits, 401k, or vacation. Period.
Just don't.
Unless the interviewer asks you specifically about those things avoid those topics like the plague. Those folks that come in and start talking $$$ immediately take themself out of the running with me. You're there to talk about the opportunity, your skills, and how you fit. Chances are if I've called you to interview then your skills AND your salary requirements are in line with what the job offers.
Save the money talk until very late in the process.
Do research the company. It may sound obvious, but I can tell you that there are very few people that come in that really understand not only the company, but the markets we serve, our competitors, and the economic challenges we possess. Present a complete picture when you discuss the company not just the obvious stuff you can find on the web.
Be prepared to have a discussion on your career plans. Finding someone that has a clear vision of what they want to do in their career is a very important part of the process. It shows that you're thinking long term about yourself and the company.
Practice your answers in front of the bath room mirror. Having someone sit in front of me, not making eye contact and "Ummming" and "Ahhhhing" their way through the interview is a sure fire way of not getting a 2nd interview. Also, don't use slang or street talk. Provide a firm handshake, make eye contact, sit up straight and look very presentable.
Again, I can't tell you how many people have knocked themselves out of contention by coming in and saying "Whasss up." to me at the start. Show your polish and your best side.
And finally: Answer the questions that are asked. Provide clear, non-rambling, and direct answers. If I ask you about your computer skills don't proceed to tell me about a friend who really likes computers and is really good with Excel. That's great, but that's not what I asked you.
This is your one and only chance to make a fantastic impression. You are selling yourself to this company and as such you should be prepared to show exactly how and why you are the best candidate for the job.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Is it ok to leave some jobs out of a resume?
Some employers will run a background check of public records to verify your employment so you need to be careful on how you present your work history.
Large gaps in time -or- times that don't align with what's on record (e.g. you said you worked at a place for 2 years and they show you on roll for 6 months) will raise red flags.
The internet age has allowed prospective employers a very detailed look into your past. For a small fee they can look up public records files, if you filed taxes, schools you went to, marriage, moves, the works.
My advice would be to put all your job history on your resume so there are no gaps and/or inconsistencies. For those jobs that you want to de-emphasize only put a sentence about what you did. As you noted, most of those jobs aren't going to relate to your current career aspirations and won't be the center of discussion anyway.
Your interview is the first and only chance you get to make a strong first impression. You sound like an honest hard working person you don't want to jeopardize that. If they ask you if you liked working at Taco Bell, be honest but not petty.
I'd rather you tell me: "I worked hard while I was there and enjoyed the opportunity but in the end it just wasn't for me. I don't really enjoy cooking and the schedule demands didn't fit my school studies so I looked for other opportunities to help put myself through school." That's a much easier conversation to have than me asking you why there was a gap and/or that your background check showed you had omitted past employers. To me that says you're hiding something.
Are the work at home businesses real?
The old saying "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" is never more accurate than when you're talking about work-at-home businesses.
Most of these "opportunities" come in the form of you buying some type of "starter kit", booklet, or other type of list that promises to share with you all the secrets of eternal wealth.
What you typically get is some half-baked information that tells usually 1 of 3 things:
The problem with #2 is that 99% of the companies they claim are looking for this type of work are either a) fictitious or b) have no such opportunities available.
And finally the problem with #3 is that did you really need someone to tell you to sell your baseball card collection for extra money?
No matter which scenario they employee they all have one thing in common they want to separate you from your $19.99 as quickly as possible.
Don't fall for their pitch. Better to look for meaningful employment locally either working for someone or finding a small business you can run.
Most of these "opportunities" come in the form of you buying some type of "starter kit", booklet, or other type of list that promises to share with you all the secrets of eternal wealth.
What you typically get is some half-baked information that tells usually 1 of 3 things:
- Set up a business selling these exact same "secrets" yourself.
- Some type of list or booklet of companies that are dying for you to be their secret shopper, survey taker or web page surfer.
- A bunch of common sense things you already know like "find something you love to do and offer it for a service -or- go dig around your basement to find things to sell on eBay.
The problem with #2 is that 99% of the companies they claim are looking for this type of work are either a) fictitious or b) have no such opportunities available.
And finally the problem with #3 is that did you really need someone to tell you to sell your baseball card collection for extra money?
No matter which scenario they employee they all have one thing in common they want to separate you from your $19.99 as quickly as possible.
Don't fall for their pitch. Better to look for meaningful employment locally either working for someone or finding a small business you can run.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Where do I find products to sell?
A - There are a number of ways to find products to sell depending on what your interests are.
Wholesaler - these are companies (or their representatives) that offer product direct for sale to the merchant (you). The great thing about wholesalers are they often offer a very wide variety of products at very low prices. They will often times offer price breaks for the more you buy and they will ship the items directly to you.
The downside of wholesalers are they often times require you to buy in quantity which can make the initial investment quite pricey. If you're just starting out and are cash strapped a wholesaler may not be your best bet.
Sources: www.alibaba.com
Dropshipper - A dropshipper is different from a wholesaler in that you act as their middleman between the buyer. The dropshipper holds all the inventory and ships it upon the sales order. You make your money on a % of the sale price and let the dropshipper handle the logistics of the sale.
Dropshipping is a viable way of setting up an online presence at a minimal price point -BUT- they have limitations in that their selections are often limited, pricing is usually fixed and you are relying on them to provide a critical piece of customer service; basically shipping an unbroken, quality item on time to your customer.
Sources: www.doba.com
Direct Sale - There are many small manufacturers that will work directly with the retailers to stock their products. These tend to be smaller speciality items that can be bought in smaller lot quantities. Often times an email or call to the manufacturer is all that is needed to get a price list and products coming in.
As with wholesalers, direct sales need to be managed carefully to make sure you don't buy more inventory than is necessary. Make sure that your spending is slow and well planned as nothing eats through cash quicker than spending on inventory.
Wholesaler - these are companies (or their representatives) that offer product direct for sale to the merchant (you). The great thing about wholesalers are they often offer a very wide variety of products at very low prices. They will often times offer price breaks for the more you buy and they will ship the items directly to you.
The downside of wholesalers are they often times require you to buy in quantity which can make the initial investment quite pricey. If you're just starting out and are cash strapped a wholesaler may not be your best bet.
Sources: www.alibaba.com
Dropshipper - A dropshipper is different from a wholesaler in that you act as their middleman between the buyer. The dropshipper holds all the inventory and ships it upon the sales order. You make your money on a % of the sale price and let the dropshipper handle the logistics of the sale.
Dropshipping is a viable way of setting up an online presence at a minimal price point -BUT- they have limitations in that their selections are often limited, pricing is usually fixed and you are relying on them to provide a critical piece of customer service; basically shipping an unbroken, quality item on time to your customer.
Sources: www.doba.com
Direct Sale - There are many small manufacturers that will work directly with the retailers to stock their products. These tend to be smaller speciality items that can be bought in smaller lot quantities. Often times an email or call to the manufacturer is all that is needed to get a price list and products coming in.
As with wholesalers, direct sales need to be managed carefully to make sure you don't buy more inventory than is necessary. Make sure that your spending is slow and well planned as nothing eats through cash quicker than spending on inventory.
Friday, February 26, 2010
What's a business plan and why do I need one?
A - A good business plan, one that outlines how you're going to market your business, the areas you're going to focus on, the type of work you're going to perform and the prices you expect to charge are all key components of a good business plan.
My suggestion is to look for a local chapter of SCORE (Service Chapter of Retired Executives) to help you put this together (http://www.score.org/index.html). They will walk you through the process and give you sound advice on how to operate, insure, market, and administer to your clients.
Here are some other things you need to consider (which I think you already have in mind) but these are make or break items.
1) Pricing - most new business owners make the mistake of pricing themselves way too low as a way of enticing new customers to try them out. While aggressive pricing is OK don't give your services away. Landscaping businesses are expensive to operate (especially if you have employees) and while you think you may be making money because you have clients that pay you don't confuse cash flow with profitability. They are two different things.
Keep your prices competitive but not super cheap. Really low prices also can carry a stigma of being done by a "fly-by-night" operation. As a homeowner I'd rather spend a few extra dollars to go with a reputable operation that is reliable and using good equipment.
2) Marketing - I'm not a big fan of fliers. Sure they're cheap and relatively easy to put together but they have limited reach and limited appeal. Think of it this way, do you read all your junk mail? I'm guessing not. And the reason you don't is because these items are sent to you unsolicited.
Direct marketers will grudgingly tell you that if they get a 1-2% response rate they are happy. Or, put another way if you gave out 1,000 fliers and got 15-20 people to call you for a quote you'd be doing something. The only way this type of marketing works is by blanketing an entire area with your ad. That's when things get expensive.
I'd much rather see you focus on getting up a web site, advertising with your local yellow pages (both online and book form), doing some print ads in local newspapers (a classified ad under services offered will get responses), and look for creative opportunities to get your name out.
A nice looking pick-up truck with well cared for equipment that has your company name and number prominently displayed will get attention. The other thing to consider is offering new customers some incentives for getting your name out to their neighbors and family. Do something like - Refer a customer and get a free week of services, free weeding.... You get the idea.
3) Do a FANTASTIC job ALL THE TIME! Don't just do a slam-bam-thank-you-mam job because your best tool in marketing is word-of-mouth. People talk. Period. Not to mention that your work is on display for all to see. If you hack up my lawn I'm going to fire you and not recommend you. Do a great job and I won't want to shut-up about you.
4) Spend your money slowly and wisely. Don't hire too fast. Don't buy a bunch of equipment too fast but make sure what you have is in good working order.
My suggestion is to look for a local chapter of SCORE (Service Chapter of Retired Executives) to help you put this together (http://www.score.org/index.html). They will walk you through the process and give you sound advice on how to operate, insure, market, and administer to your clients.
Here are some other things you need to consider (which I think you already have in mind) but these are make or break items.
1) Pricing - most new business owners make the mistake of pricing themselves way too low as a way of enticing new customers to try them out. While aggressive pricing is OK don't give your services away. Landscaping businesses are expensive to operate (especially if you have employees) and while you think you may be making money because you have clients that pay you don't confuse cash flow with profitability. They are two different things.
Keep your prices competitive but not super cheap. Really low prices also can carry a stigma of being done by a "fly-by-night" operation. As a homeowner I'd rather spend a few extra dollars to go with a reputable operation that is reliable and using good equipment.
2) Marketing - I'm not a big fan of fliers. Sure they're cheap and relatively easy to put together but they have limited reach and limited appeal. Think of it this way, do you read all your junk mail? I'm guessing not. And the reason you don't is because these items are sent to you unsolicited.
Direct marketers will grudgingly tell you that if they get a 1-2% response rate they are happy. Or, put another way if you gave out 1,000 fliers and got 15-20 people to call you for a quote you'd be doing something. The only way this type of marketing works is by blanketing an entire area with your ad. That's when things get expensive.
I'd much rather see you focus on getting up a web site, advertising with your local yellow pages (both online and book form), doing some print ads in local newspapers (a classified ad under services offered will get responses), and look for creative opportunities to get your name out.
A nice looking pick-up truck with well cared for equipment that has your company name and number prominently displayed will get attention. The other thing to consider is offering new customers some incentives for getting your name out to their neighbors and family. Do something like - Refer a customer and get a free week of services, free weeding.... You get the idea.
3) Do a FANTASTIC job ALL THE TIME! Don't just do a slam-bam-thank-you-mam job because your best tool in marketing is word-of-mouth. People talk. Period. Not to mention that your work is on display for all to see. If you hack up my lawn I'm going to fire you and not recommend you. Do a great job and I won't want to shut-up about you.
4) Spend your money slowly and wisely. Don't hire too fast. Don't buy a bunch of equipment too fast but make sure what you have is in good working order.
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