Are you ready for the #1 question you are likely to be asked?

OK here it is…

??? Tell Me About Yourself ???

The #1 question is not easy to answer UNLESS you are prepared so PRACTICE in front of the mirror over and over until your answer lasts about 20 – 30 seconds at the most, you sound natural and confident. PRACTICE.

??? Tell Me About Yourself ???

YOU

>>>> You need to give up some personal information. Something about YOU. If you don’t, the interviewer will think you can’t fit into the company, or that you are cold, secretive or not someone they want to have around. We suggest you share basic info. that is already on your resume such as (1) where you live now and (2) where you are from originally which is easy to figure out by looking at your high school location and finally (3) something personal related to family (spouse, children, parents, siblings. If you resist this question and say something dumb like “You’re not supposed to ask me that question”, the interview is most likely over. You do want to fit in right? But the strategy is to move on very quickly, without a beat. Don’t engage the Interviewer in follow-up personal answers. Move on to…

YOUR PASSION

>>>> Are you passionate about what you do AT WORK Yes? Great. No… hmmm maybe consider a new career. Get excited about your career, the things you have done that are connected to WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU. Let the Interviewer start to see that you’re passionate about what you do AT WORK and it is right on target to what they need. Don’t talk about hobbies, trips, your favourite music etc. ONLY AT WORK PASSION. That’s why you are there. Now just as quick move on to…

the OPPORTUNITY

>>>> “and, I am very excited about the opportunity to _ _ _ here”

This final part should be EXACTLY AS QUOTED ABOVE. It brings back the answer to why you are sitting there. The most likely follow up question in the interview will be about the opportunity, the job and hopefully your passion for it!

You have showed that YOU are going to fit in, and that you are a good trustworthy person by sharing a bit about yourself. You talked with PASSION about your work and then you expressed interest and excitement in the OPPORTUNITY. Don’t worry if you think it will sound prepared – it won’t. It will sound professional and poised; much better than stumbling for words, or going on and on about things the interviewer isn’t interested in.

Haven’t got the interview yet? resume style and content does make a difference!

One of the most frustrating parts of a job search is dealing with all the advice you get about resumes. The best approach is a resume that gets you the interview, and helps you get the job! If we have one piece of advice it would be… Don’t make the person reading your resume, work hard to figure you out.

If you have a (numeric) results-oriented, functional style resume you are showcasing… WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU and not just everything that you have done.

Don’t make the person reviewing your resume work hard to figure you out.

So now you have a great resume and you got the interview AND you are ready for the #1 Job Interview Question!

over 53% of people lie on their resumes!

The resume. Fact or Fiction?

Here are the top 3 ways to discover if the person you are considering to hire is a resume liar.

These 3 ways are part of the process we use in recruiting.

Let’s go through a few of the steps we use.

EQ Testing & Assessment

Stress management, assertiveness skills, empathy, and political/social acumen are critical success factors that have a direct impact on the bottom line. These can be assessed in an Emotional Intelligence (EQ in the workplace) test profile. We use an online profile that was selected for measuring many competencies including integrity & trust. This same profile showcases how good someone is at promoting themselves & performing in an interview.

We conduct these EQ profiles on Candidates just before the first face to face interview with the Client. Each profile suggests that for a certain position, the Candidate can be low risk, medium risk or high risk. Although its not the sole factor in making a hiring decision, we don’t present high risk Candidates to our Clients.

• testing confirms the Candidate’s motivation, attitude & compliance
• testing identifies individuals who put their own needs ahead of the company’s interests
• testing helps match the Candidate EQ to the competencies required for the specific job
• testing determines if the individual will be great in the interview (but perhaps not great in the job)

Reference Checks

Maybe you don’t have access or training for EQ testing and assessment.

If you are trying to collect resumes and do the hiring yourself, DON’T MISS THIS STEP and don’t accept excuses from the job applicant for not delivering contact info. for references. “out of town”, “can’t get the telephone number”, “no longer at the company” – are these excuses?

You can discover a resume liar by doing a thorough reference check. We conduct scheduled & structured 20-30 minute telephone interviews.

• we schedule formal structured reference interviews
• we only use work references where the job Candidate directly worked for & reported to the reference OR the reference reported directly to the Candidate
• no friends
• no family
• no co-workers
• we use the results of the EQ profile to focus on issues or concerns
• we verify the data provided; income, duration, responsibilities, results, capabilities, licenses, competencies

The Face to Face Interview

Some people are great in interviews. This doesn’t mean they will be good at their work.

They promote themselves well, and can show interest and excitement during an interview – but they could turn out to be duds at the job.

Integrity and trust are critical in every job. Do you want to hire a liar?

The face to face interview is an opportunity to get past first impressions, and dig into the facts about their past performance. Hopefully you are looking at a good functional-style resume which focuses on “What I Can Do For You” not absolutely everything I have done.

Its interview time. You have a resume in front of you, and sitting across from you is your job Candidate – What do you do to Spot a Resume Liar?

The face to face interview is a chance to match up the requirements for peak performance with specific questions that will verify competency, experience… essentially check out all the “claims” of a good resume. Ask the questions & make notes (you will need them for the reference checks)

• read the resume in advance
• be prepared with questions about anything you want related to the job and job performance
• ask specific questions about “claims” on and off the resume, collect more information; income, commissions, bonuses, title, responsibilities, scope of work, duration, gaps in work (it is not unusual to find obvious “mistakes”)
• ask questions and drill on experience & competency

How do we make sure they will work well in the organization, matching the management and operational style of the Client company?

Candidates use (numeric) results-oriented functional style resumes that showcase “What They Can Do for You”. We remove soft language and showcase their transferable skills and experience.  This makes your evaluation of Candidates easier, as you don’t have to work hard to figure the Candidate out, and each resume looks similar in structure.

The interview process begins with the very first contact and includes motivation, compliance, attitude and a host of other factors that contribute to peak performance. In addition, the interview coaching we do, carries expectations and standards that we expect for interactions with our Clients; smart Candidates learn from this and apply it in their career management.

Our testing and assessment is based on the science of axiology, and was selected as the best system to determine integrity, trust and workplace peak performance. Each role has a benchmark score that helps us determine if the Candidate will be low risk, or not. The zeroriskHR assessment also identifies if a Candidate will likely be great in the job, but may not be the best at selling themselves in the initial interview. This is how the testing helps the Candidate even though they don’t see the results.

Find out how the zenPeak system can save you a lot of money on recruiting costs (as low as 10%) and help you build a better organization with peak performers.  Call the CEO Frank Abrams at 416 733-3001

I can’t imagine working for weeks on a recruiting assignment on speculation;  rushing to send in the resumes of Candidates I may not have even met or fully screened because the focus is on getting the placement, not recruiting a peak performer.

At zenPeak we recruit peak performers and the good news is our fees are lower than any Recruiter we have heard of!

Not only that – our system is front-loaded and high-compliance, so Clients don’t waste their time on reviewing all those unscreened resumes.

Here is one of our secrets… because we don’t work on assignments we don’t get paid for, and we are super efficient (while still high-compliance), our fees are as low as 10%

Call us if you are looking to hire really good people. If you are tired of being disappointed with the people you hire, or paying  ridiculous high fees to Recruiters, then…. consider a different approach where we do the work and you save time and money.

Frank Abrams 416 733-3001

… with training new marketing and search associates, working on some great new job opportunities, working on the oppcourse to Get Working NOW!, planning the new “Marketing Services by zenPeak Recruiters”, plus plus plus!

Personally its been a very good year. The business is growing the way I want it to. I faced up to some challenges and made decisions that I am comfortable with.  I have added more staff and am still looking for a Search Associate, a Marketing Associate both well-paid part-time, work from home positions.

I’ve been learning like crazy this year both personally & professionally – and when you are well into your 50s I think this is a good thing. Finally I know this isn’t a good thing to share to job seekers, but I made a personal decision to never work for anyone else again in my life, and to turn down all offers outside my own business interests. I have a lot to accomplish and its all about the journey!

Sadly, one of my oldest friends, Jack Goldhar passed away suddenly at the end of October. He was single and had devoted 30 years of his life to caring for his severely ill Mom Helen (died 2 years ago), and in the past 2 years his Dad Sam (died in 2010) . Within 6 months of his Dad’s passing, Jack dropped dead. I always say “We like people for their qualities, but we love them for their quirks”  We loved Jack and yes, he was plenty quirky. I still can’t believe he is gone.

I made some new friends at the dog park this year… Wayne, Linda, Charlie, MaryAnn. They often get some of my fresh homemade munchies; bagels, blueberry buns or muffins, and they are usually very happy. My trip to the dog park is my daily midday break for an hour. Many Clients and Candidates have gotten use to hearing a bark in the background if they call me. I do business 24/7 so I always take calls

and…I’m looking forward to 2011! How about you?

Please have a look at the position description here and let us know if you know someone who is a good fit!

http://zenpeak.com/sales-manager-opportunity-health-company/

Please share these links with someone qualified who is looking for a job opportunity in these areas:

zenPeak contact
Frank Abrams
(416) 733-3001
email: fabrams@zenpeak.com

Marketing Associate & Executive Assistant

Financial Advisor & Planner

Mortgage Agent

Sales Manager – Communications Solutions and Services

Public Relations Account Manager

Commercial Insurance Lines Sales

Sales Positions (multiple companies throughout Toronto GTA)

To start with lets mention the resume style and content that is most likely to get you the interview.

One of the most frustrating parts of a job search is dealing with all the advice you get about resumes. The best approach is a resume that gets you the interview, and helps you get the job! If we have one piece of advice it would be… Don’t make the person reading your resume, work hard to figure you out.

If you have a (numeric) results-oriented, functional style resume you are showcasing… WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU and not just everything that you have done.

Don’t make the person reviewing your resume work hard to figure you out.

So now you have a great resume and you got the interview! Are you ready for the #1 question you are likely to be asked?

OK here it is…

Tell Me About Yourself

The #1 question is not easy to answer UNLESS you are prepared so PRACTICE in front of the mirror over and over until your answer lasts about 20 – 30 seconds at the most,  you sound natural and confident. PRACTICE.

Tell Me About Yourself

YOU >>>> You need to give up some personal information. Something about YOU. If you don’t, the interviewer will think you can’t fit into the company, or that you are cold, secretive or not someone they want to have around. We suggest you share innocuous info. that is already on your resume such as (1) where you live now and (2) where you are from originally which is easy to figure out by looking at your high school location and finally (3) something personal related to family (spouse, children, parents, siblings. If you resist this question and say something dumb like “You’re not supposed to ask me that question”, the interview is most likely over. But the trick is to move on very quickly, without a beat. Don’t allow the Interviewer time to ask a follow-up personal question. Move on to…

YOUR PASSION >>>> Are you passionate about what you do AT WORK Yes? Great.    No… Whatever, fake it if you have to. Get excited about your career, the things you have done that are connected to WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU. Let the Interviewer start to see that you’re passionate about what you do AT WORK and it is right on target to what they need. Don’t talk about hobbies, trips, your favourite music etc. ONLY AT WORK PASSION. That’s why you are there.

Now just as quick move on to the OPPORTUNITY >>>>

“and,  I am very excited about the opportunity to  _ _ _  here”

This final part should be EXACTLY AS QUOTED ABOVE. It brings back the answer to why you are sitting there. The most likely follow up question in the interview will be about the opportunity, the job and hopefully your passion for it!

You have showed that YOU are going to fit in, and that you are a good trustworthy person by sharing a bit about yourself. You talked with PASSION about your work and then you expressed interest and excitement in the OPPORTUNITY. Don’t worry if you think it will sound prepared – it won’t. It will sound professional and poised;  much better than stumbling for words, or going on and on about things the interviewer isn’t interested in.

Please comment if you found this post helpful or interesting!

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What are the differences between being self-employed and business ownership?

According to Robert Kiyosaki, being self-employed and earning income based on an hourly rate or owning your job, is different from being a business owner. A business owner can earn income regardless of being at the office and/or working day to day. A doctor or dentist or real estate agent for example, are self-employed but still depend on their own day to day involvement and input to earn the bulk of their income. Being self-employed removes you from the insecurity of having a job and the possibility of being fired.

If you are a high-producing commissioned salesperson, you may not be technically self-employed, but the risks of being fired and not being able to replace your job, are low; since you clearly contribute to revenues and profits vs. being an expense or drain on a business.

If you are not comfortable having your own business, and are more inclined to being self-employed or secure in a commissioned sales role, then give some thought to how to increase your chance for success. It’s not just what you sell, but where and for whom that counts!

• fear: not being a good salesperson
• misunderstanding: thinking every sales role is the same
• laziness: really don’t want to work hard
• ego/status perceptions: salespeople have a bad reputation

How about you… Have you ever thought about a SALES job?

Common Answers… “I’m not a salesperson” or… “I don’t like sales”

Are you currently looking for a job?  Frustrated?  Not getting good interviews? Did you know that hundreds and thousands of people compete against each other and apply every single day for every single salaried job,  they never get an interview and they are still unemployed. Did you know many people are under-employed, making less $ than they should based on their efforts, talent, education or experience?

zenPeak has a number of jobs currently available.

We can help you. Even if our Clients don’t offer you a position, you will learn and benefit from our recruitment process. Our process includes interviews, testing, assessments, interview coaching, resume repair and it costs you nothing.

Who is zenPeak?

Our company recruits peak performers for our Clients. We have a system that makes sure a person is right for the position, and that they will perform at a high level.

zenPeak has a number of jobs currently available.

Technology companies
Software companies
Mortgage companies
Financial Planning and Investment companies
Administrative Services companies

Are you ready to TAKE ACTION and get on track to making GOOD MONEY and having REAL SECURITY?  Did you know that the most secure job is always in sales? Top performing salespeople never have to worry about finding a job. We have a number of SALES positions in the GTA and Ontario available NOW for the right person.

Are you ready to work hard and change your life and get real job security!?

Our Clients don’t just hire anyone. Many of these opportunities include base salaries and a guaranteed flow of business. You need to go through our zenPeak recruitment system which is built to recruit peak performers for our Clients.

The good news is that our assessment looks past your resume, and looks at What You Can Do For The Company and for Yourself.

Why do some people not like the idea of sales?

1. They are lazy and they don’t want to work any harder than they have to once they get a job – please please look elsewhere
2. They want a steady salary – no problem! many of our opportunities include a base salary
3. They think they won’t find customers – no problem! many of our opportunities hand you fresh quality business leads from multi-million $ advertising programs
4. They think they are not good salespeople – there are different types of sales. Our system can determine which you will succeed at
5. They think it is not a good career – the truth is… the wealthiest and most successful people have always been salespeople selling products and services

Our company recruits peak performers for our Clients. We have a system that makes sure a person is right for the position, and you will perform at a high level.

Are you ready to TAKE ACTION and get on track to making GOOD MONEY and having REAL SECURITY?

call me now

Frank Abrams
CEO and Founder
zenPeak
416 733-3001
fabrams@zenpeak.com
www.zenpeak.com