Called to Craftsmanship

Taken from:  http://store.churchgrowth.org/epages/ChurchGrowth.sf/505832c315ff35c82717ac1003570649/Catalog/1005

Called to Craftsmanship
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1, by Os Hillman
09-18-2012

"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts-to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship.'" Exodus 31:1-5

Bezalel was called by God to perform a most important work for Him. I am sure that Bezalel believed that he was naturally gifted with his hands to make fine crafts with gold, silver, and bronze. He probably did not associate it with God's work. But the Scripture tells us that God chose him and filled him with God's Spirit to enable him.

Does God call men and women into their vocations to fulfill His purposes - to fulfill that which needs to be accomplished throughout the world? Have you ever thought about how many occupations there are in the world? How did that balance of interest among each human throughout the world happen? Did it just happen? Was it by chance that we have only so many doctors, only so many accountants, only so many geologists?

Your interest in your vocation is not born of your own making. So many workplace believers and even pastors have made the mistake of encouraging us who have a deep desire to walk with Christ in the workplace to pursue vocational ministry. To remove us from the workplace where the greatest harvest is yet to occur would be to remove us from where God called us. Do not take this bait. Serve the Lord in the workplace where He has gifted you and called you.

I almost made this same mistake when God drew me to Himself when I was 28 years old. I concluded that I must be called to be a pastor. I took steps to fulfill this by leaving my job and entering a Bible school for training. Upon completion, I took a job as an assistant pastor in a church. But God's mercy allowed me to be removed from that position only three months into it. I was "forced back into business," where God wanted me in the first place. It was a great lesson. I was never cut out to be a pastor in a church, but a "pastor" in the workplace. 

Today God Is First (TGIF) devotional message, Copyright by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.

How not to use LinkedIn effectively

Lame on Linkedin: How NOT to Ask to Connect

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Hannah Morgan

If you received the following LinkedIn message (an invitation to connect)…
What would you do?
(Note: some of the details of the correspondence have been changed to preserve anonymity, but otherwise, this is what I was asked to forward):

Hi Sam… I am an outgoing, personable, professional with a BS/BA in Accounting from Stuffy Business School at Private University. Post graduation I worked two years as a Staff Accountant and two years as an Assistant Project Manager. I left the position as a Staff Accountant because it was not a good fit for me. I am interested in learning about professional business administration opportunities with The Best Company in Your Town, USA. I didn’t see any job openings at that location that met my status/experience/qualifications. Can I have your email/phone, so I can send you my resume and explain my qualifications further? As a side note, I just began my job search and have had interviews with two strong local companies and things are starting to move quickly, but would like to explore opportunities that meet my status/experience/qualifications with The Best Company. My # is 555-1212 and email is desperatecandidate@zmail.com.

There are several issues with this type of LinkedIn invitation:
Problem 1: Even when sending a message within Linkedin, formatting matters. This is just one big glob of text. It is overwhelming to read. Invitations are easier to read when broken into paragraphs.
Problem 2: It isn’t until the 4th sentence that Sam (the recipient) will realize what this person is asking. Will Sam read that far?
Problem 3: What kind of job is this job seeker looking for exactly? “Business Administration opportunities”? This is too vague. It requires too much thinking for a reader who is busy.
Problem 4: “Can I have your email/phone so I can send you my resume?” Are you kidding?! First of all, this candidate should put his resume in his LinkedIn profile as a Boxnet file. Second, he has assumed that someone would want his resume – so far, as the reader, I am not convinced I would want it. Third, if this person accepts the invite, then the job seeker should be able to see the email address.
Problem 5: What this job seeker has done is to put the burden of action on Sam. People are busy. They don’t owe strangers anything, it has to be earned. As the “requester”, take ownership, accountability and action!
Problem 6: This invitation to connect has become a classic example of “bait and switch” or, “connect with me so I can use you to find a job.” No one wants to feel used.
Networking requires patience and finesse. One of the most important rules of social networking is to build a relationship. Remember, a relationship is a two-way street. Think about what the other person needs or wants to get from the relationship. Here’s an example of how this message could be re-worded:

Hello Sam:
I have asked Hannah to forward this request to connect on LinkedIn because of my interest in what you are doing to promote the Best Company’s reputation in Your Town. I also see you are quite involved and active on LinkedIn.
As a Staff Accountant and Assistant Project Manager, I’ve been able to save my company money by implementing quality processes and improving cross-departmental communication. I strongly believe these accomplishments would be of value at The Best Company as well, however, I would like the opportunity to better understand the goals and challenges of The Best Company.
By connecting on LinkedIn, I hope to learn more about you and The Best Company and one day meet in person. Might you be attending the Digital Your Town event in May? Perhaps we can chat further then.

Thanks for your willingness to connect.

How would you re-word this invite? What have you said in your invitations to connect through LinkedIn?

About the Author: Hannah Morgan brings over 10 years of experience helping displaced workers search for their next opportunity, and has developed and delivered workshops as well as managed the implementation of Career Navigator, a five-day intensive boot camp for professional level job seekers.
In addition to her blog, Career Sherpa, Hannah is honored to be designated as Job Search Navigator on Job-Hunt.org as well as a featured blogger on HerRochester. She also contributes to Career Collective, a community of expert career coaches and resume writing professionals who write monthly on job search topics, and guest blogs for Brand-Yourself.com on social media trends and tools. Follow Hannah on Twitter!

Top Resume Trends for 2012

 

Taken in it's entirety from:
http://resumewritinginfo.net/top-resume-trends-for-2012/?goback=.gde_122794_member_162218964

Effective resume writing is always a moving target. The preferences of recruiters and hiring agents are constantly changing, and staying abreast of these changes is the best way for a jobseeker to communicate professionalism and differentiate himself from the competition. Here are the top 2 trends that will become heavily in demand in 2012:

1) Personal Themes

The first step to creating a personal theme for your resume is identifying exactly what it is! Simply put, a personal theme is a 2-3 line encapsulation of what makes you special. Sure, employers are looking for candidates that possess the skills listed in a particular job posting. But that’s only half the story (and the reason why mirroring skills in a resume based on a job posting rarely results in interviews). They want to be impressed by skills that COMPLEMENT what they’re looking for and lend some insight into what you, and no one else can bring to the table. Don’t be afraid to communicate passion! Here’s an example of a great personal theme for a Product Manager candidate:
“Accomplished leader with a passion for developing and launching industry-first products, building long-term client relationships, and spearheading process improvement and QA initiatives. Highly skilled in crafting targeted branding and marketing strategies, managing large external sales forces, and consistently exceeding revenue targets. Expert communicator with a track record of success spanning both established and startup environments.”
Make this personal theme the opening for your resume and make sure that the abilities listed are touched on in various forms through the work history section.
2) Strategic Editing
Lack of proper editing can kill a resume regardless of a candidate’s experience. Conversely, strategic editing can minimize all sorts of possible red flags and shows that you respect a reader’s time, which is always valued. Apart from the good practice of keeping the document limited to 2-3 pages, here are some tips to reduce clutter and maximize impact:
-Group together short-term or contract positions into a “Short-Term Position Highlights” or similar section in your work history. This section would use 1 bullet per job mentioning a key accomplishment, as well as the exact job title, company name, and dates.

-If you’ve held positions of gradually increasing responsibility within the same company, you are not obligated to list each position in-depth. Instead, focus on the most recent job and, within the “Key Accomplishments” or similar section, include a line that references the older jobs. An example would be “Promoted from Sales Associate to Sales Manager during tenure.”
-Only list education and training credits that are RELEVANT to the type of job you’re seeking. You have the option to leave everything else out.
Best of luck in your job search!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6817048

Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid While Attending an Interview

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7018138

You may feel comfortable and confident about your chances throughout the job application process. A well developed resume will get you an interview,but a successful interview is the key to getting the job. Prior to the interview your research should include what you should do for your interview, but has it ever occurred to you to look for what you should NOT do during your interview? I bet it has not! The Top 10 mistakes you need to be aware of that you should Absolutely NOT do when going into an interview are as followed:

1. Incorrect attire

Dress more conservatively than you would usually dress on an average day. You do not want to show up to the interview in a pair of jeans,t-shirt, and tennis shoes. In order to make the best impression on your interviewers and leave a lasting impression on them you should follow these guidelines:

• Brushing teeth and arriving with fresh breath/ good hygiene.
• Neatly arranged hairstyle.
• Clean and conventional dress shoes.
• Small amount/not gaudy jewelry.
• Cleaned and neat fingernails.
• Appropriate amount of cologne or perfume.
• Do not have gum, candy, or other matter in your mouth.
• No obvious and inappropriate body piercings other than single ear piercings for women.
• No visible tattoos.

Specific items for women include:

• Tailored skirt or pant suit in matching neutral colors. Length of skirt should be no shorter than the Knee. Underneath suit jacket should be a tailored blouse showing no cleavage.
• Matching accessories.
• No clubbing wear.
• No outrageous makeup.
• No torn tights or nylons.

Specific items for men include:

• Matching pant suit in neutral colors. That said, no crazy or wildpatterns or colors.
• Wear a quality silk tie that compliments your suit.
• Shirt should be long sleeved ALWAYS, in white, light blue, or conservative striped pattern.
• Facial hair neatly trimmed.
• Recommended no jewelry what so ever.
• Shoes and belt must match. Find MUCH MORE right here!

2. Unprepared answers

The most common interview questions are very well known, so make sure you have the answers well prepared. Going into an interview unprepared can be a death wish! Make sure you have accurately prepared and unrehearsed can cause you to lose that great job opportunity. Here is an example of how to be prepared with an impressive answer:

“Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What are your goals?”

What not to do-

Never imply anything along the lines of ending your employment with the company you are interviewing with or moving on to bigger and better things in the near future.

How to answer-

If asked where you see yourself in a certain number of years, tell the interviewer that you have a long-term commitment to the job in which you are applying and that you will grow as the position does.

3. Unprepared questions

As important as it is to have answers to questions prepared, it is equally important to have questions prepared to ask your interviewer because it will make you look more professional and well prepared. Some interview questions you can have in mind to ask are:

• Is there anything about the company you like to see improved?
• When do you expect to make your hiring decision?
• When do you think I can expect to hear back from you? Having these questions in mind can give You the edge against all other interviewees the company will see.

4. Forgetting to do your research

One of the worst things you can do is go into an interview knowing absolutely nothing about the company you are applying with. Prior to the interview, it is vital to know and learn as much as you can possibly lean about the company. Some research you should do includes:

• Preliminary company information.
• If the company you are applying with has a parent corporation
• What the position you are applying for entails Get the inside information to impress your interviewer with all of the knowledge you will know during your interview!

5. Not watching what you say

Everyone makes mistakes, but it is extremely important to avoid every mistake you can! Some things you may say might offend someone and blow your chances at getting that job. Make sure to carefully watch what you say, and think about what you want to say before you say it. Somethings to avoid saying in your interview include:

• Asking about their pay or how much they make.
• Questioning their authority
• Attacking/speaking against personal beliefs

Avoiding these types of statements or questions can save yourself the pain of hearing that you did not get the interview, and keep you in the race for the job!

6. Ringing of cell phones

Probably the worst mistake you can make in an interview and the by far EASIEST one to avoid is having your cell phone ring during your interview! Having your cell phone go off during your interview is a slap in the face to your potential employer, showing them that you care more about your personal calls than their company. If your phone rings during the interview you can pretty much kiss your job good-bye, here are some solution ideas to avoid this incident:

• Turn off your cell phone.
• Silence your phones as soon as you pull into the parking lot of your interview.
• Set an alarm so you remember to turn off/silence your phone.

By just following these simple and common sense guidelines to avoid your phone going off can save you tons of embarrassment and better yet your job!

7. Checking the time

Yes, the exact time of the day may be important to you so you can make your next task of the day on time, but to your interviewer it looks like they are wasting your time. If you check the time frequently during your interview, you will be sending a very negative vibe toward your employer and they will not hire you and waste your time.

Avoid this misunderstanding by (1) planning enough time in your day to allow more than enough time for your interview, (2) if you plan anything else during that day be sure whoever is involved in your plans knows you have an important interview to attend, and (3) don’t wear a watch to avoid any temptation to look at the time!

Let your interviewers know exactly how important this job is to you by showing them complete and utter respect during your interview and provide them with your undivided attention toward! Learn how to provide even more respect toward your interviewer

8. Asking about salary too early

We all know that money is very important to keep our lives going especially with this economy, but one of the WORST things you can doing an interview is ask about the salary you will be making. If you ask about your salary you will be showing the interviewer that you only care about the money you will be making and not about the position or the company itself.

You will find out soon enough what your salary will be, all you need to do is show patience and wait for the call that will say that “You’re hired!” and the answer about salary will follow!

9. Telling about other job offers

Getting offered a job or even multiple jobs is very exciting, but what do you do if you have another interview coming up? Well, you do NOT tell that company about your previous offers! You do not want that company to feel like you are disposable. For example, if you express that other companies have offered you a position versus a person who is desperately looking for a job and that company is their only hope, they will choose the other person who really needs the job.

Be smart, do not give the company an easy reason to dismiss you early and possibly lose your chances at a better job, higher pay, and a more successful life where you can advance in the position! Keep those other job opportunities you have received to yourself! To discover the secrets to learning how to watch what you say during an interview!

10. Tardiness

The most embarrassing thing you can possibly do for an interview is be late! Being late on your first day is bad enough, but just imagine being late for your interview, and say good bye to that job opportunity. Yes, it is very easy to get stuck in traffic, by a train, or even an unfortunate accident, but the company will see this as an excuse for your tardiness not a reason! Easy tips to eliminate all chances of being late by:

• Leaving 15 minutes before you would normally plan to leave (Showing up early looks AWESOME).
• Plan alternate routes to take in case the unexpected occurs.
• Set an alarm to make sure you wake up on time and leave when planned.

Another helpful hint is IF you should happen to be running late (which there should be no reason for you to be) make sure you give the company a call, explain the situation briefly, express your empathy and gratitude, and assure them you will be there in a timely fashion!

By knowing these Top 10 mistakes of interviewing and following the guidelines to avoiding them you can assure yourself that you will have a very successful interview, and give yourself the BEST chances possible of getting the job you always have dreamed of having!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7018138

Are you free from reputation and self-effort?

If you are like me, often times I loose sight of the biblical truth of the freedom I have in Christ to "be myself" rather than try to impress others. In the workplace in particular and the jobs I do, I have to remind myself regularly that my identity should not be wrapped up in my reputation, self effort and proven myself to others but my identity needs to be wrapped up in who I am in Christ.  

The faith to live each day accepts anew the gift of righteousness of already being pleasing to God, and, on that basis, you serve Him out of a heart of gratitude for what you already have rather than to prove to God and others how good you are. You never could and never will earn God's favor, and your performance is not going to affect God's view and favor for you as when God sees you and me he sees us in Christ.

This asssurance creates in us a desire to be more like Christ which living this way point others to the Savior which is all of mankind's greatest need.  We need to be forgiven and cleansed in an ongoing way of our many sins before a holy God who merciful restores us to fellowship with him thru Christ's death and resurrection on our behalf.

As a result of this commitment to become more like Christ, there is freedom to remove our masks.

Read on to be reminded of truth of who we are in Christ and how this allows up to be free to remove our masks.

Freedom To Remove The Mask

A devotion for September 8th

From your friends at

www.RayStedman.org

Read the Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:12-18

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

The apostle reminds the Corinthians immediately that the Lord is in their hearts, in their human spirits. Their hope of freedom comes from that great fact, for the one who is within them is God Himself. Paul identifies Him: the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Freedom is being out in the open, having boldness, having nothing to hide. Those who are free are those who do not have any reputation to defend, no image to hide behind, nothing to preserve about themselves. They can be themselves. Everywhere today people are longing for this type of freedom. People want to be themselves. I've got to be me, we hear, and there is nothing wrong with that. God wants you to be you, too. The only thing wrong is the way we do it. We are being taught in the world that the way to be me is to think about my advantage, my efforts, and to defend and demand them.

The Word of God teaches us it is quite another process. Being yourself and having freedom does not mean denying the potential for all the evil that is possible in your heart and in your life, because you have another basis on which you receive God's acceptance and approval. His acceptance and approval are gifts to you. The faith He gives continually accepts anew the gift of righteousness of already being pleasing to God, and, on that basis, you serve Him out of a heart of gratitude for what you already have. You do not have to earn His favor, and your performance is not going to affect it. When you start looking at the one who is doing this in your life, the Lord Jesus, and beholding Him with all your veils taken away so you are not afraid to look at your own evil capacity, then a wonderful thing happens. Without even knowing that you are doing it, just by rejoicing in what you have and serving the Lord who gave it to you, you suddenly discover--and other people will discover--that you are becoming a loving person. And love is the fulfilling of the Law; the very demand that God made in the Law that you tried so hard to fulfill by your self-effort will be fulfilled without your even realizing it when you begin to love out of the grace and forgiveness of God.

It is a process of growth. It does not happen in one great transformation when you are suddenly sanctified, filled with the Spirit, or baptized. It happens as you keep your eyes on the glory of the Lord and not on the face of Moses, not on self-effort but on what He is already giving you. When you do, you suddenly discover the Spirit of God has been at work making gradual changes. You are becoming a loving person, easier to live with, more attractive, more compelling. Your life is deepening as it is losing its shallowness; you are more understanding of things. That is the work of the Spirit. Notice what he says: thiscomes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. It is not you who does it; it is He.

Lord, thank You for the promise that as I look at You, I become like You.

Life Application: Are we truly free to admit and look at our nature and capacity for evil? Do we wrongly rely on self-effort to overcome it? How does a growing freedom in Christ change us?

From your friends at

www.RayStedman.org

Information Interviewing - 200 Sample questions

Looking for questions to ask during and informational inteviewer, look no longer, go to:

http://www.quintcareers.com/informational_interview_questions.html

for the most exhaustive and helpful list of questions you could ask for.  

Informational Interviewing: 
200 Informational Interview Sample Questions

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Prepare for your next informational interview -- an amazingly useful tool for career exploration and networking -- by adopting some of these free sample questions to your situation.

what	where
job title, keywords or company	city, state or zip     jobs by indeed

Be prepared when you conduct your next informational interview with questions to ask your interviewee. Below are 200 possible questions. Of course, you can't ask anywhere near this many in an interview of 20-30 minutes, but this plentiful list will ensure that you choose questions to which you really want the answers.

General Questions About Your Interviewee's Career Field:

1. What are the various jobs available in this field?
2. What types of training do companies offer those who enter this field?
3. In what ways is your occupation changing?
4. How is the economy affecting this industry?
5. What is the employment outlook like in your career field? How much demand is there for people in this career?
6. How quickly is the field growing?
7. What are the growth areas of this field?
8. Can you estimate future job openings?
9. What parts of the country offer the best opportunities in this field?
10. What are the opportunities in this career like in [geographical area you are most interested in]?
11. What is the typical entry-level salary in this field?
12. What are the salary ranges for higher levels in this occupation?
13. Is there a salary ceiling?
14. Aside from such visible compensation as money, fringe benefits, travel, etc., what kinds of mental dividends (such as job satisfaction) does this career yield?
15. Is this industry heavily regulated?
16. What do you find unique about your career field?
17. From everything you've observed, what problems can you cite regarding working in this career?
18. What skills or personal characteristics do you feel contribute most to success in this industry?
19. What sacrifices have you had to make to succeed in this field, and do you feel the sacrifices were worth it?
20. When people leave this career, what are the usual reasons?
21. What are the typical entry-level job titles and functions?
22. What entry-level jobs offer the best opportunities for the greatest amount of learning?
23. What are the most significant characteristics of this industry?
24. What trends in the field would be most likely to affect someone just entering this career now?
25. What kinds of people experience the greatest success in this field?
26. What is the most important thing that someone planning to enter this career should know?

All About Your Interviewee's Job:

27. What is your exact title?
28. Do other people in your company with the same job title that you hold have the same responsibilities?
29. What was your title when you first started here?
30. What precisely do you do? What are the duties/functions/responsibilities of your job?
31. What is your job like?
32. To what extent is it you expected it would be?
33. How much job security do you have in this position?
34. What is a typical day like?
35. What kind of hours do you normally work?
36. Do you have to put in much overtime or work on weekends?
37. Are the time demands of your job specific to this company, or would anyone in this career be expected to put in the same hours?
38. Do you ever take work home with you?
39. What kinds of problems do you deal with?
40. What do you do if you can't solve a problem on your own?
41. Do you have to deal with a significant amount of conflict in his job?
42. What systems are in place for dealing with conflict?
43. What constraints, such as time and funding, make your job more difficult?
44. What kinds of decisions do you make?
45. Describe some of the toughest situations you've faced in this job.
46. To what extent do you interact with customers/clients?
47. What percentage of your time is spent doing each function?
48. How does your time use vary? Are there busy and slow times or is the work activity fairly constant?
49. Which other departments, functional units, or levels of the hierarchy do you regularly interact with?
50. How much flexibility do you have in determining how you perform your job?
51. Is your work primarily individual or predominately in groups or teams?
52. How are work teams or groups organized?
53. What are the most important personal satisfactions and dissatisfactions connected with your job? What part of this job do you personally find most satisfying? most challenging?
54. What are your interests and in what way does this job satisfy your interests?
55. What do you like and not like about working in this job?
56. Do you find your job exciting or boring? Why?
57. Are there aspects to your job that are repetitious?
58. Is multi-tasking a skill that is required for this job?
59. What projects have you worked on that have been particularly interesting?
60. What particular skills or talents are most essential to be effective in your job?
61. How did you learn these skills?
62. What are the educational, requirements for this job?
63. What other types of credentials or licenses are required?
64. Is graduate school recommended? An MBA? Some other graduate degree or certifications?
65. What obligations does your employer place on you outside of the ordinary work week?
66. What social obligations go along with a job in your occupation?
67. Are there organizations you are expected to join?
68. Are there other things you are expected to do outside work hours?
69. How has your job affected your lifestyle?
70. To what extent does this job present a challenge in terms of juggling work and family life?
71. What are the major frustrations of this job?
72. If you could change anything about your job, what would it be?
73. Is there a great deal of turnover in this job?
74. What interests you least about the job or creates the most stress?
75. What is the job title of your department head or supervisor for this job?
76. Where do you and your supervisor fit into the organizational structure?
77. How many people do you supervise?
78. How would you assess your prestige or level of status in this job? In the company?
79. If you ever left your job, what would most likely drive you away?

About Preparing for This Career:

80. Does your work relate to any experiences or studies you had in college?
81. How well did your college experience prepare you for this job?
82. What courses have proved to be the most valuable to you in your work?
83. What courses do you wish you had taken that would have prepared you?
84. If you were a college student again, what would you do differently to prepare you for this job?
85. How important are grades/GPA for obtaining a job in this field?
86. What do you feel is the best educational preparation for this career?
87. How do you think [name of your college]'s reputation is viewed when it comes to hiring?
88. How did you prepare for this work?
89. If you were entering this career today, would you change your preparation in any way to facilitate entry?

About Your Interviewee's Career Path:

90. In what way did this type of work interest you and how did you get started?
91. What was your major in college?
92. How did you get your job?
93. Did you enter this position through a formal training program?
94. What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position?
95. What kinds of things did you do before you entered this occupation?
96. Which aspects of your background have been most helpful?
97. What other jobs can you get with the same background?
98. What were the keys to your career advancement?
99. How did you get where you are and what are your long-range goals?
100. What is the job above your current job?
101. If your job progresses as you like, what would be the next step in your career?
102. Where do you see yourself in five years?
103. If your work were suddenly eliminated, what kinds of work do you feel prepared to do?
104. If you could do things all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? Why? What would you change?

About the Culture of Your Interviewee's Company or Organization:

105. Why did you decide to work for this company?
106. What do you like most about this company?
107. How does your company differ from its competitors?
108. Why do customers choose this company?
109. What is the company's relationship with its customers?
110. How optimistic are you about the company's future and your future with the company?
111. Has the company made any recent changes to improve its business practices and profitability?
112. What does the company do to contribute to its employees' professional development?
113. What systems are in place to enable employees to give management feedback and suggestions?
114. How does the company make use of technology for internal communication and outside marketing? (Use of e-mail, Internet, intranets, World Wide Web, videoconferencing, etc.)?
115. What other technologies are integral to the company's operation?
116. How would you describe the atmosphere at the company? Is it fairly formal or more laid-back and informal?
117. Do people in your department function fairly autonomously, or do they require a lot of supervision and direction?
118. What are the people like with whom you work?
119. How would you describe the morale level of people who work here?
120. Do you participate in many social activities with your coworkers?
121. Is there a basic philosophy of the company or organization and, if so, what is it? (Is it a people-, service- or product-oriented business?)
122. What is the company's mission statement?
123. What can you tell me about the corporate culture?
124. Is the company's management style top-down, or do front-line employees share in decision-making?
125. Is there flexibility in work hours, vacation schedule, place of residence, etc.?
126. What's the dress code here? Is it conservative or casual? Does the company have dress-down of casual days?
127. Can men wear beards or long hair here?
128. What work-related values are most highly esteemed in this company (security, high income, variety, independence)?
129. What kind of training program does the company offer? Is it highly structured or more informal?
130. Does the company encourage and/or pay for employees to pursue graduate degrees? Is there a tuition reimbursement program?
131. Does the company offer an employee discount on the products it sells?
132. What's the best thing about the company?
133. How does the company evaluate your job performance?
134. How does the company recognize outstanding accomplishments of its employees?
135. What does the company reward?
136. Are there people within or outside the organization that the company holds up as heroes?
137. Does the company observe any rituals, traditions, or ceremonies?
138. What is the typical job-interview process at the company? How many interviews do candidates generally go through before being offered a position?
139. What does the company do to foster innovation and creativity?

About the Company's/Organization's Needs:

140. In what areas do you perceive there to be gaps in personnel in this company? If the company had unlimited resources for creating new positions, in what areas should those positions be created?
141. In what areas do you see the company expanding? Do you foresee the opening of new markets or greater globalization? Do you predict development of new products and/or services? Building of new facilities?
142. How can employees prepare for any planned changes at the company?
143. What obstacles do you see getting in the way of the company's profitability or growth?
144. If you needed someone to assist you in your job, what tasks would you assign to your assistant?

About Opportunities for Advancement Within this Company and/or Field:

145. How does a person progress in your field?
146. What is the highest-level job one can hold in this career?
147. What is a typical career path in this field or organization?
148. What are the advancement opportunities?
149. What is the average length of time for an employee to stay in the job you hold?
150. How rapidly do people move to the next level in this career?
151. What incentives or disincentives are there for staying in the same job?
152. Would someone in this field need to relocate to advance in his/her career?
153. If I performed well at this company, where could I expect to be in five years?

Seeking Advice if You are a Career Changer:

154. My current career is ________________________. How easy or difficult do you think it might be to make a transition from that career to your career?
155. The skills I use the most in my current career are ________________. To what extent and in what ways do you think those skills are transferable to your career?
156. What aspects of my background do you feel would be the most helpful in making the transition to your career field?
157. What aspects of my background do you feel would be the biggest obstacles to someone making the transition to your career field?
158. What skills needed in your career field do you think someone in my current career might be lacking and might need to develop?
159. What would be the best kind of training to get to make the transition from my current career to your career?
160. What's the best way for me to get more experience in your field without taking major steps backward from the level to which I've progressed in my current career?
161. How do you think someone in my current career would be viewed by those with hiring power in your career? Would you personally hire someone coming from my current career field?
162. The things I like the best about my current career are: _____________________. Will I find some of those same things if I switch to your career?
163. The things I dislike the most about my current career are: _____________________. Will I encounter any of those same challenges in your career?
164. Do you know of any other people in your career who have made the transition to your field from my current career or a career similar to my current career? How did the transition work out?
165. I've heard that people in your field have characteristics such as _______________________, which I have not had the opportunity to develop in my current career. How important is/are that/those characteristic(s).
166. What sacrifices do you think I might have to make to make the switch into your career field?
167. Knowing what you know about your career field, and knowing what I would have to do to get into this field, do you think you would make the change if you were me? If not, can you suggest any other fields that might be more appropriate for me?
168. Could you take a brief look at my resume and suggest ways I could tailor it to make myself more marketable in changing from my current career field to your career field?

Seeking General Advice and Networking Referrals from Your Interviewee:

169. Can you suggest some ways a person could obtain the experience necessary to enter this field?
170. What is the best way to obtain a position that will get me started in this occupation?
171. What do you wish you'd known before you entered this field?
172. What are the major qualifications for success in this occupation?
173. What are the skills that are most important for a position in this field?
174. What courses should I be taking?
175. How can I assess whether or not I have the skills needed for a position such as yours?
176. With the information you have about my education, skills, and experience, what other fields or jobs would you suggest I research further before I make a final decision?
177. Do you know of other people whom I might talk to who have similar jobs?
178. Do you have any advice for someone interested in this field/job?
179. Which professional journals and publications should I be reading to learn about this career?
180. Are there any other written materials (such as company brochures) that you suggest I read?
181. Which professional organizations associated with this career should I join?
182. What kinds of experience, paid or unpaid, would you encourage for anybody pursuing a career in this field?
183. Who else do you know who is doing similar kinds of work or uses similar skills?
184. What other kinds of organizations hire people to perform the functions you do here?
185. If I am unable to obtain a position in this field, what other fields would you recommend I consider?
186. What special advice do you have for a student seeking to qualify for this position?
187. Do you have any special world of warning or encouragement as a result of your experience?
188. These are my strongest assets (skills, areas of knowledge, personality traits and values):___________________________________. Where would they fit in this field? Where would they be helpful in this organization? Where might they fit in other fields? Where might they be helpful in other organizations?
189. What should I do to prepare myself for emerging trends and changes in this field?
190. How would you assess the experience I've had so far in terms of entering this field?
191. What qualifications would you be looking for if you were hiring for a position such as yours?
192. What qualifications would you be looking for if you were hiring for a position subordinate to yours in the office?
193. Do you have any written job descriptions of positions in this field/company?
194. What areas of the company would be most interested in hiring people with my background?
195. If I wanted to obtain a job here, who would the best person to contact?
196. If I wanted to obtain a job here, what would be the best way to learn of job vacancies?
197. If you were conducting a job search today, how would you go about it?
198. Would you be willing to answer more questions, by phone or in person, if I need additional advice in the future?
199. [If you feel comfortable and it seems appropriate:] Would you mind taking a look at my resume to see if you have any suggestions?
200. How would you react if you received a resume like mine for a position with this company?

To learn much more about informational interviewing, read our detailed guide, theInformational Interviewing Tutorial.

Be sure to take advantage of all the career networking tools, articles, and resources found in our The Art of Career Networking section of Quintessential Careers.

Maximize your career and job-search knowledge and skills! Take advantage of The Quintessential Careers Content Index, which enables site visitors to locate articles, tutorials, quizzes, and worksheets in 35 career, college, job-search topic areas.

Go to Job-Hunting Samples and Examples for Job-Seekers, where you'll find free samples of just about every job-search tool you'll need to be successful.

7 Steps to Being Successful in Construction Jobs

By Silas Reed 

http://dreamcareer.org/construction-careers/?goback=%2Egde_122794_member_158350051

Construction jobs are back with a bang ruling the job markets again. Recession and its after effects are over which has resulted in huge investments in infrastructure again. This in turn has made a huge market for construction worker careers. Though the job is quite a challenging one and has risk factors involved if you do well the hard work really pays off. Here are 7 simple steps to being successful in construction jobs:

1) Academic Qualifications: Some of the construction careers do not require specific qualifications but others do. If you want to be an architect, a civil or an electrical engineer you will first need to get the right academic degrees. So plan in advance and get all the education required to get into a particular wing of construction jobs.

2) Build Confidence and Trust: If you are at a managerial position in construction careers you will first need to generate a feeling of confidence and trust in your fellow workers. You should excel in leadership qualities and your subordinates should always respect you and follow your instructions to the letter. This however is only possible if the workers have confidence and trust in you. It takes years to generate this trust.

3) Roles: A good manager should clearly specify all the roles of every individual in the construction team. The workers should be aware of what is expected of them and what chores they are responsible for. Hold regular meetings to cross check the performance of workers and if they are performing what is expected of them. Use these meetings to solve any problems which arise in the construction process.

4) Plan: You will need to have an efficient plan for the day, week and henceforth. Planning skills are absolutely necessary in construction business. Plan all your activities in advance and concentrate all your resources in the skillful execution of the plan.

5) Adapt: You will not get the best or the friendliest of work ambiance on every project. Do not try to change situations. It never works. It is a much better idea to change yourself to adapt to the situation instead. The challenges are many and they will all test you in the construction management careers. You need to manage change and also make sure that it in no way affects the other workers on the site.

6) Open conversation: Commercial construction careers require you to have an open conversation link directly with all the workers. Make sure that you are good at communicating both orally and in other forms. If you maintain good conversational links with the other workers it is obvious that they will share their ideas and problems with you which will mean that there will be a flow of positive vibes at the site and work will move on smoothly.

7) Work with honesty and determined efforts: Remember be it construction worker careers or road construction careers there are no short cuts to success. Hark word will alone take you to the top. So stop looking for short cuts and keep striving to hard work for meeting goals.

To learn more about working in construction careers, please visithttp://www.constructioncrossing.com/lcjobtypelisting.php and sign up for a FREE trial to gain access to ALL of the many exclusive job listings we offer in the construction profession. Silas Reed, Writer for ConstructionCrossing, writes articles that inform and teach about different construction job profiles and tips.