The importance of researching company websites

Are you applying for jobs?  If so, it is highly likely that you are using job websites such as Total, Monster, Indeed and many more and also you may be using ads in newspapers. While these are likely to be your initial roots to considering applying for a job, you should also check out the company website for the job you are applying for.

Unless very small, and even many of those that are, most businesses these days have a website, especially as getting an online presence is much cheaper than it used to be.

Business websites have almost become a necessity.  Even locally owned and operated businesses have started using online websites to their advantage.  Although we often think of business websites from a customer standpoint, they can also be of use to you as a job seeker.

You can use online job posting websites and newspaper employment sections to help you find jobs in or around your area.  However, you may find the information that they contain to be limited.  This is most common with newspaper employment advertisements, as they are often limited on space.  Of course, you can still go ahead and submit your resume or a job application for a position that you do not know much about, but you may end up wasting your time.  If you are serious about finding a job, this wasted time is something that you may not have. This is especially so if you have serious financial concerns and or you are registered for benefits at the job Centre and must give evidence that you are applying for jobs, or lose your benefits, or indeed you have already been sanctioned.

If you can get the name of the company that is posting a job listing ether online or in print, you can use that company name for an internet search. This should lead you to websites where that company is mentioned and this website, should you be able to come across it, can be a wealth of information. When examining the online website of a company that you would like to apply to, you may well first want to search the situations vacant section.  This section, if there is one, may provide you with more information on the position that you are applying for.

In addition to this, you will also want to examine the website in general.  If you are looking for a career in retail, examine the company’s website to see where they may have retail locations, which type of products they sell, as well as which type of customers they target. This may help make deciding if you should apply for the job advertised online or in your local newspaper easier.  For instance, you may find that the company you found a job opening for specializes in selling adult entertainment items.  If that the case and if you feel uncomfortable working in that environment, you can simply move on, without having to take any other action.

In addition to helping you decide whether the company in question is a company that you would like to work for, you can also use a company website to your advantage later.  If you are ever contacted for a job interview, the information that you retained from the company website may be able to better assist you.  It can give you an idea of your intended job duties or the type of employees the company is looking to hire.

As outlined above, there are many benefits to taking the time to examine a company website before officially submitting your resume or job application.  This process is one that should not take too much time; therefore, it is an action that you can only benefit from.

Also , think about your connections to the company to which you are applying . Do you know someone who works there or has done so and can tell you more about the company culture ? Check out your Linkedin and other social media contacts and see if they may be connected to the company .

You have an interview?

                                                 

So, your hard work and all those hours of job hunting have paid off and you have an interview? You can start to prepare for interviews even before you are invited to one, make sure that you keep the habit of being well groomed. When not having to go out of the house, it is tempting and easy to fall into the habit of staying in your pyjamas all day, putting on weight and just not looking good, and at interviews, appearances matter so much!!! Be sure to have suitable clothes for interviews, Shops like Peacocks in the UK sell very cheap trousers, jackets, blouses etc. that would be suitable for an interview and work , but even though they are cheap , money can often be very limited indeed when you are unemployed and this is where googling free interview clothes can show some helpful schemes. In the UK these include... Dress for success  and Smart Works

To be fully prepared for an interview , find out as much as you an about the company and what it does, where it is going , most of what you need to know will be found on the company website . Be sure that you are fully aware of the requirements of the job and that you know how to answer questions that will show you understand the role, and get a good night’s sleep!!

Pack your bag the night before and be sure that your mobile phone is charged up and that you know exactly how to make the journey and your travel route and times of buses etc. Also remember to take a notepad and pen, clean tissues, a copy of your CV/resume and your make- up…Though don’t overdo the make-up and avoid whacky hair styles.

Interview nerves are natural, but just be yourself and remember that the interviewers cannot eat you , if you do not get the job, remember to have confidence in the fact that you got an interview  and keep trying 

..Good luck!!! 

photo credit: One Way Stock via photopin cc

The importance of Thank you

One of the most significant memories I have of Christmas when I was a child , is about learning at an early age, from my Father, the importance of saying 'Thank you. '

Of course as it does for children the world over, Christmas morning started early , as soon as I was aware of a heavy weight on the end of my bed, and would rub the sleep from my eyes to see more parcels on the floor by my bed, and one year....a dolls cot complete with canopy and a quilt.

My mother, as soon as she could on Christmas morning became a martyr to the cooking of Christmas dinner, but my father would sit on my bed, bringing with him a notepad and pen. On the notepad he would help me to make a list of all my presents and who had sent them ...ready to write my thank you letters.

The first early attempts were rather short and simple...something along the lines of

Dear Auntie Betty and Uncle Ernie,

Thank you very much for my Christmas present. I liked it very much and I hope you had a good Christmas and I will see you soon

Lots of love from

Valerie

xx

Eventually they grew a little...

Sadly , I know of children who for many years, and some of them are now grown up, had so many presents that they had little recollection of who they were from, and Christmas was such a whirl that they certainly never got around to writing thank you letters. For many families this absence of the art of letter writing may well have grown with the advent of mobile phones and texting, and of course the internet and email. However, there is nothing quite like a hand written note, especially now that for so many of us just about the only things that arrive in envelopes are bills and final demands.

It had been my original intention to put this on my own personal blog as an article about the importance of writing thank you letters, with the memories of my father . My personal blog has been sadly neglected due to the need to concentrate on making money. However, as I researched the post I realised that it is also very appropriate for a business blog as Thank You letters have become very important in the world of recruitment. It is recommended that one writes a Thank You letter after an interview. You may not get the job, but gestures like the Thank You letter are remembered and make a good impression, possibly for future vacancies ..or it may even get you the job.

Here are some links to suggested formats for Interview Thank You letters.....

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/thankyouletters/a/samplethankyou.htm

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Interview-Thank-You-Note

http://www.career.vt.edu/interviewing/afterthanksfollowup.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2013/08/26/job-seekers-no-the-interview-thank-you-note-is-not-dead/

http://www.examiner.com/article/five-helpful-thank-you-note-samples-and-tips-after-a-job-interview

http://www.law.berkeley.edu/1154.htm

http://www.wallstreetpersonnel.com/careerresources/interviewthankyounotes.html

http://lifehacker.com/5982951/write-a-post+interview-thank-you-that-actually-improves-your-chances-at-getting-the-job

http://speakupforsuccess.com/6056/thank-you-note/

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5578-sample-thank-you-letters.html

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5578-sample-thank-you-letters.html

http://careerconfidential.com/thank-you-letter-format/

http://susanireland.com/writing-a-thank-you-letter-after-the-interview/

Susan Ireland's site also has links to many other helpful resources such as ....

http://susanireland.com/letter/cover-letter-examples/

http://susanireland.com/resume/examples/

http://susanireland.com/resume/examples/career/

And very useful indeed if you have like many, been out of the workforce for some time perhaps on disability benefits but have been forced by welfare reform to look for and apply for jobs.....

http://susanireland.com/resume/how-to-write/work-experience/unemployment/

Its all in the presentation !!!

Interview coming up ? … Already working and feel a lack of confidence in your presentation skills ?

"petrified" ... "very nervous" ... "anxiety attacks" ...
"throat dries up" ... "avoid it at all costs" ... "afraid" ...
"get panic attacks" ... " shake like a leaf" ... "voice goes" ...
"mind goes blank" ... " feel physically sick" ... "totally stressed" ...
"feel like an idiot" ..."face goes red" ... "heart is pounding" ...
"can hardly breathe"

Does this sound familiar ?? let Skillstudio at www.skillstudio.co.uk help you to overcome nerves give a presentation with confidence..!

Every role, no matter if it is on the factory floor or in the boardroom requires presentation skills. Such skills are not just about 'Doing a presentation' , the very mention of which has many of us quaking in our boots. How we look, body language,voice tone and projection, the way we present ourselves and information are all presentation skills and one of the scariest tests of all for those skills is at the job interview.

 

All interviews, whatever the format, face to face, or telephone are a test of our presentation skills, and it has been common for many years to be asked to do a presentation during an interview..It can all seem very daunting, especially to an older applicant who may have been out of the workforce for some time, or is changing to a different career in later life.

…                .....But Skillstudio can help you !!........

The Skillstudio training concept was established early in 2000 by Liz Banks and Martin MacLeod . It was very clear to both of them that even in this computer age, strong and effective personal communication skills were still vital for success in business and help us in all aspects of life.

 

Helping you to go from From "petrified" to "empowered" in just one day !!!

People who are often terrified in front of a crowd, end up feel ''empowered" by the Skillstudio workshops with additional self-assurance, a whole range of newly discovered skills and the prospect of being much more effective both in the workplace and personally with skills

that feel as if they are second nature.

 

What does Skillstudio offer ?

First Level Presentation Skills / Public Speaking Training for people who have little or no experience of presenting or speaking in public and who need to take the plunge.
Intermediate Level Presentation Skills / Public Speaking Training for people with some experience who now want to improve their confidence and delivery skills.
Advanced Level Presentation Skills / Public Speaking Training for those with more experience who want to fine tune their delivery style and speak with more power & conviction.
Effective Communications Skills Training for people who want to make more of an personal impact at work.
One to One Coaching in presentation skills; communication skills; interview technique, vocal skills, elocution and accent softening.



.... public and in house training and one to one coaching......

Skillstudio uses training methods that have been proven to work .The company vision is that everyone who attends a training has the opportunity to discover their potential through building self – confidence and learning empowering techniques.

…passionate about helping you exceed your expectations....

Would you like a taster ? Everyone loves a freebie and Skillstudio offer a FREE presentation skills ecourse on their website www.skillstudio.co.uk . Not quite the same as attending one of the courses but the ecourse can help you take better control of your nerves and make your presentations more successful.

Training throughout the UK and in Europe too

From the company's original base in London, the public workshops now run regularly in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow & Edinburgh and in-company workshops take place throughout the UK and Europe. In addition, Skillstudio offer one to one coaching in public speaking, voice coaching, presentation skills, communication skills and interview technique.



...And... after your training Skillstudio doesn't just leave you to get on with it ...The training comes with a FREE Follow up Service.



That's not all !!! Skillstudio has a special Facebook offer !!!..Skillstudio have set themselves a goal to reach over 5,000 Facebook followers and to achieve this they are saying a big 'Thank you' with a £2.000 training give away !!! I winner for every 1000 followers !!!

 

Read their testimonials on their website ...

“Excellent opportunity to develop and perfect presentation style and skills in a safe supportive environment. Excellent training course especially the use of videoing of the presentations and feedback.”Manj Kalar, DCLG,

“Absolutely fantastic day!So useful to me personally in gaining confidence to deliver a presentation. Sandra was so encouraging in a truthful and professional way.  Very worthwhile.  Everyone would benefit from this.”Kerry Jordon, HMRC,