Group interview tasks and activities

Group interview tasks and activities by Michael Cheary Job interviews can be stressful at the best of times, without them turning into some kind of Hunger Games…OK, so they aren’t quite that extreme. But with an increasing number of employers using group interviews to find the best talent, it never hurts to get to grips with the tasks and activities you’re likely to face.We’ve already covered what not to do at a group interview, and some group interview questions, but here’s our guide to the most popular group interview tasks and activities.  Example 1: The Case StudyIn this group interview task you’ll be given a brief, based on a scenario you’re likely to face as an employee of the company you are interviewing for.The brief will outline certain problems, which you, along with your fellow group interviewees will be required to solve.Case study interview activities are designed to test your ability to work as part of a team, as well as your leadership and problem solving skills.Tips for conquering t he case study:Treat your competitors as colleaguesTake the lead but don’t talk over peopleShow good leadership by including any introverts in the group discussionResearch the company inside out before you attend the interviewRemember you’re being watched the interviewer isn’t just interested in the solutions but how you worked together to find them.  Example 2: The Role Play ExerciseOne of the most dreaded group interview activities has to be role play.This group interview activity places you in a situation you’re likely to face in your prospective role (such as chairing a meeting, managing a team or dealing with a customer) and tests your ability to perform well in it.Here the interviewer may be assessing a wide range of skills, depending on the job role. For example: leadership qualities, the ability to provide good customer service and problem solving under pressure.Tips for performing well in the role play: Read the brief carefullyAsk questions to get an idea of the big ger pictureActually listen to the answersStructure your approach to the exercise, but remain flexibleUse appropriate body language and eye contactBe yourself and be confident  Example 3: The Practical TaskGroup interviews commonly include a practical task, requiring the interviewees to work together to solve a problem. The practical task may or may not be relevant to the job.For example, candidates may be asked to build the highest structure with the least amount of bricks or something similar.Yes, you might actually get to play with Lego during your interview. But basically you’re being tested on your ability to communicate and work as part of a team.Tips for a successful practical task:Contribute your ideas â€" don’t get lost in the groupListen to others and value their ideas tooRemain professional in how you communicate with other candidatesFind an opportunity to take the lead but don’t steamrollKeep focussed â€" it may be a fun task but you’re there to impressStill not sure what could come up? Read our tips on how to answer group interview questions, or take a look at our list of things to avoid doing at a group interview.Group interview tips: dos and don’tsStill looking for your perfect position? View all available vacancies nowFind a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Telephone, video and group interviews

Reasons to hire an expert house cleaning chicago service

Reasons to hire an expert house cleaning chicago service There are many professional house cleaning services available in the market nowadays. These services are simply perfect for anyone who cannot find the time to keep his or her house clean owing to a busy personal and professional life of today’s modern world. But this serious lack of time can be quite easily overlooked nowadays owing to the presence of cleaning services providers in the market. Hiring these service providers is extremely easy nowadays for as many times as you may need. If you think that you will not get the time to clean your home even on the weekends, then you should definitely book a cleaning service well in advance to ensure that your house is clean and hygienic by the time the week starts. Any professional cleaning service will be glad to lend a helping hand once you call them up and book their services. But there is one problem when it comes to hiring the services of a house cleaning company. In today’s world, everything comes at a price, and some things come at a much higher price. For cleaning services, the price is usually on the higher side, because it is a tedious job and the companies charge quite a lot for providing the service. Now, to some people, the charges may seem to be affordable, and yet for some, the charges may be equal to an entire week’s groceries. So the service is limited to only those who can actually afford it, and truly call it affordable. But coming back to the actually provided services â€" an efficient house cleaning service provider is very important in every homeowner’s life, especially for those who crave cleanliness. A house cleaning chicago company has the necessary experience for providing house cleaning services to you with the help of a trained staff, modern and up to date equipment, and a fast transport for answering the call of the customer. If you think that the only thing that these experts will do is clean your carpet, then you are sadly mistaken. With an expert cleaning company, you will get services such as window cleaning, furniture polishing, ironing, dish washing, and many other things. It is an entire catalogue of services, from which you just have to choose according to your needs. Some of the finest experts do not take more than 2 or 3 days to clean your entire house â€" starting from the attic, right up to the basement. Others might take a bit more time, which might prove to be expensive. So go with the former type always. And dont overlook the outside.  Hire professional gutter cleaners to take care of those gutters filled with leaves and dirt. Theres also the exterior walls to consider.  Power wash your home to remove built up dust and dirt. It is vital that you ensure the hygienic and clean nature of your house. People who visit you will definitely pass judgment based on how dirty your house is, and you must avoid that â€" because frankly, that is quite embarrassing. A professional cleaning service will be able to save you from such embarrassment in the best possible way, without you having to move a muscle. So keep your eyes open and choose wisely. Image Source, Image Source

3 Last Minute Interview Tips To Get Prepared - Algrim.co

3 Last Minute Interview Tips To Get Prepared - Algrim.co

Google Profiles Whats the Buzz all About

Google Profiles What’s the Buzz all About UPDATE: Google Profiles are now part of  Google+. With the big announcement of Google Buzz, your Google profile has suddenly become very important. I know what you’re thinking: “What, another profile?” Yes my friends, another profile indeed. And a profile you cannot afford to ignore as it’s from Google itself. Having a properly filled out  Google Profile will SEO-boost your name and help you get found via organic searches. Personal branding is all about staking your claim online and this one is critical. Use Google Profiles as your portal The folks at Google are a pretty clever bunch. They know that we are on tonnes of different platforms already and they have kept it simple. You can fill in as little or as much as you like. You can add your other social networking profiles as clickable links on our Google profile. This means that instead of starting from scratch, you are able to send visitors to different corners of the web where you are mentioned. One could say that your Google profile serves as a personal website, only much simpler and actually much better optimized for search engines. For jobseekers Use your Google Profile to link to your online resume/CV, to your blog, to any relevant personal branding tools that will put you in good stead in the eyes of an employer. Make sure you put all your industry buzzwords in the description so that you will come up on recruiter searches. If you have an effective Linkedin profile, you can copy the summary and specialties section. For recruiters Link your profile to your company, any relevant sites that you recommend to candidates as well as your Linkedin page and blog if you have one. Again, fill up on buzzwords so potential clients and candidates can find you through searching. What’s this Google Buzz I’ve been hearing about Buzz is Google’s answer to Twitter and Facebook status updates. It’s easily switched on from your Gmail account, and it’s going to be huge as 175 million people use Gmail already. Compare that to Linkedin who “only” have 60 million users. Google profiles and Google Buzz are integrated nicely on your profile so that your visitors can see what you have been buzzing. Compare the Buzz page to your Facebook wall. Although Buzz is only in its cradle, its fair to say that it will become a serious contender to the big troika that consists of Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.

The advice Id give to my fresher self - Debut

The advice I’d give to my fresher self - Debut This post was written by an external contributor. Beth Thomas looks back on her time as a fresher and tells us the things she wished she had known Starting university is an incredibly exciting experience, but not one without its worries. The three years I spent at university were some of the best â€" I made lifelong friends, got to study my favourite subject, and was given opportunities I wouldn’t have been able to get elsewhere. But, if I could give any advice to my Fresher self, it would be the following… Join societies Societies are a huge part of university life, so getting involved in one or two can really contribute to your experience. I didn’t bother joining societies in my first year, claiming that I didn’t have any established hobbies â€" I couldn’t play an instrument, hadn’t acted since my school nativity, and couldn’t play any sports. But the best thing about university societies is that you don’t need any experience. With hundreds of clubs and societies at every uni, there truly is something for everyone. Not only do they help you make friends, but also teach you valuable skills for when you apply for grad jobs in the future. You don’t have to read everything You might have already been given a reading list as long as your arm for your course â€" but don’t be alarmed. You don’t actually have to read everything on the list. After reading every book for every module (and then some) in my first year, I soon realised I could better use my time by researching the books and topics I actually enjoyed and intended writing about, instead of wasting time on books I knew I’d never pick up again. At the start of a talk in my second year of university, a tutor even told us to stop reading books if we didn’t enjoy them. Of course, it’s important to work hard at university. But you also have to remember to work wisely as well. It doesn’t matter if you’re not best friends with your flatmates Before I went to university, every advice article said the same thing: ‘You probably won’t like your flatmates’. ‘Nonsense’, I thought, envisioning my future flatmates as being something like the cast of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Flash forward three years later, and I’m good friends with only one of sixteen flatmates. This isn’t a bad thing â€" I got on well with the people I lived with in my first year, and the stories of nightmare flatmates were few and far between. I just made friends elsewhere, establishing close friendships with people on my course and in societies. So don’t be disheartened if your flatmates aren’t your kindred spirits. Chances are, you’ll make friends for life in other places. Start looking for internships and work experience now The only work experience I’d had before university was working for a fortnight in a bookshop, but that all changed in three years. By getting some work experience under your belt in your university years, you’ll really improve your chances of getting a job soon after you graduate. From executive positions in societies to volunteer teaching programmes, universities have a lot to offer in terms of ‘real world’ experience. So, get out there and start building up that CV. Check your university’s policy on recording lectures Before you go forking out £50 for a Dictaphone, check to see whether you’re allowed to record lectures yourself. One unfortunate boy in my lecture was called out in front of 200 people for recording the lecture, not knowing that this was against the university policy. Luckily, most lectures are recorded, and put online â€" always a life saver when it comes to revision. But, if this isn’t the case, double check before you start recording that lecture on Chekhov. Be yourself This is possibly the most important piece of advice. University is a fresh start, and one you can use to do all the things you’ve always wanted to do. Want to dye your hair pink? Sure. Join the orchestra? Go for it. Become an editor at the student newspaper? By all means. The best way to be yourself is to do the things that interest you, and with all the opportunities out there, there’s no better place to be you than at university. Connect with Debut on  Facebook,  Twitter,  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

Wrapping Up Loose Ends from Previous Jobs

Wrapping Up Loose Ends from Previous Jobs Wrapping Up Loose Ends from Previous Jobs Loose ends exist.   Unfortunately, many jobs from which we depart don’t have a silky smooth “tally ho!” transition. Oftentimes, things are ugly, and the departure is even uglier. It might be because it was your fault. But a lot of times, it can be the employer’s fault , too. It goes both ways. So what happens when you have some potential job search liabilities on your résumé in terms of what you want to say about your career narrative for that company? The trick is to think strategically, and remember these tips: You never should “explain away” why you left a company in a résumé. Any reasons for leaving do NOT belong on your career document. However, that being said, if the company was sold, you were downsized, or there was a management transition, there are tricks to position your narrative about your tenure at the company that can tip off the reader to the real story without sounding negative or nasty. Example:   “Grew company bottom line up until company was sold and new management took over, recalibrated positions to include corporate personnel, and shifted direction.” BAM. Getting contact information for the person who was your boss… who no longer works there. I personally don’t believe it is the job seeker’s responsibility to follow the trail of bread crumbs to try and track down a former supervisor after that person has left the company. Unless, of course, you want that person to be a reference. But the onus should be on the prospective employer to get this information, and the HR department at former employers should have personnel records which can provide that information. Coping with the “non-job.” People leave companies for many reasons, but sometimes, the departure has less to do with accepting another position or being let go, and more to do with personal reasons. Examples of this might be having a baby or going back to school, caring for a sick relative, or taking another job only to find out that it wasn’t what you thought (or were promised) it would be. So you were busy during this time, but the loose ends here are that it looks like you were not working, which is usually the exact opposite. This leaves an embarrassingly big gap with loose ends dangling in your work experience. Solution: “Personal Sabbatical” or “Professional Sabbatical” â€" and then include any transferable skill sets or activities that you were engaged in during this time which might provide an indication of your time spent away from an employer. These are just some examples but thinking about where the loose ends might lie, and how you can tie them up is important to providing a strong and powerfully convincing career narrative.

How To Choose The Best Resume Writing Services

How To Choose The Best Resume Writing ServicesThere are so many different types of resume writing services that it can be difficult to choose the right one. However, there are some common factors that should be considered before you decide to hire a professional.Most resume services provide templates for the purpose of making it easier for you to make your own resume. In fact, most companies who do not have any online presence do not offer templates or samples of resumes. This means that they are only interested in giving you the best job, and nothing more.To avoid costly mistakes, be sure to read through your resume as thoroughly as possible and ensure that all necessary documents are enclosed. There are many types of errors that can be made when filling out the resume and when not included mistakes such as spelling errors and grammatical errors. You may also find yourself listing employment documents that you are no longer employed by.Resumes are an important part of the applicatio n process. They are used as bargaining chips between the employer and the employee. The employer can list what positions are currently available, what skills the applicant has, and what education requirements they need. By doing this, the employer can narrow down the resume if necessary.One problem that most employers run into when hiring new employees is hiring the wrong candidate. Most potential employees may not apply for the jobs because they think that they are going to get the job based on their education and experience. If they realize how wrong this is, then they may reconsider applying. Unfortunately, there are many different resume writing services that will only offer resume templates.Resume writing services are so eager to give you what you want that they may even promise you the moon without charging you a dime. The catch here is that they are very hard to distinguish from the other resumes that are being offered. While the template that they use may look good, it may n ot match the skills of the candidate and therefore may not be all that great.Remember that the resumes that you will see are not only being offered for free. Although they will look good, they may not be exactly what you really want. Some companies may even provide these services at a much lower price than you would pay for a resume on your own.These services are not guaranteed to work. Therefore, it is very important that you spend some time reading the resume and checking the information and editing it yourself. The better you understand the job, the better the chances of getting the position.