Up Your Impression, Up Your Chances

Whenever people look at you, they form an initial impression of you. While it may not be the real you, that’s how people tend to first judge you. Hence, if you are looking for a job by meeting with your prospective employer, impression becomes a critical element. It plays a vital role in determining if you land yourself a job or not. Nothing to be taken lightly, I must say.

When I conducted the training, “Up Your Image with Power Dressing” two days ago, I was determined to make it customizable and workable for the participants, who were the jobseekers. The suggestions for their attires were also meant to be low-cost yet high quality. I was glad they found the advice to be practical and applicable to aid their job seeking efforts.

In addition, the training also extended to involve ‘The Art of Impression Management’. After all, the attire, the mannerisms and the personal traits of yourself do create certain impression in people. These will immensely impact on your overall chances of getting a job or closing deals.

Here are the overall tips to add your impression appeal:

1. Determine beforehand what impression you intend to create. Understand your intention.

2. Study and know which impression works best for that job.

3. Understand how to be flexible to adjust your attire and behavior.

4. Seek real improvement in your personality, character quality and attire display.

5. Communicate your true values and benefits via your impression management skills.

It’s always an exciting process in crafting that suitable impression to up your chances.

Keep up improvement and you’ll definitely Excel Beyond Excellence!

Advertisement

5 Empowering Thoughts To Change Your Life And Get That Job

During these 2 days of emotional and impactful training, the participants shared with me today about their new empowering paradigms. In turn, I was touched by their sincerely, understanding and willingness to take charge of what they have.

This has been another run of “Sayang Kerja, Sayang Keluarga” (SK2) (Love Your Work, Love Your Family). The original title of this training is “Life Empowerment Skills” where participants renew their mindset, learn how to seek the jobs and be empowered for life.

I was extremely pleased that the partipants have learned the different ways to handle the various life issues and concerns as well as be more proactive in their job seeking skills and efforts. This will set a solid foundation for a leap frog improvement in their families and lives.

Here are some of the additional thoughts to help empower the individual towards a better life and job:

1. Your past issues and your present situation do not have to be the same for your future.

2. In order to change your life to what you want it to be, you’ve got to first believe you can change.

3. Extending further, you’ve got to want to take control of your life badly enough to finally assert the control for your thoughts, your emotions and your behavior.

4. When you love your potential job, you’re less likely to be that picky. (Of course, that doesn’t mean you don’t seek improvement at work.) You’ll give yourself a chance to love that job.

5. You have to be bold and remain calm when you handle tough interview questions. Tough questions have the tendency to destabilize the job seekers. Succumb to them and you’ll come off as unimpressive. Boldness and calmness will enable you to emerge triumph from that job interview.

These thoughts have to be reflected and digested before you can comprehend to apply. Work on them as much as possible to gain greater empowerment.

Wishing you well on life’s journey to Excel Beyond Excellence!

What Employers And Interviewers Really Want? 10 Insights About The Employers You Must Know That Will Help You Get That Job

Whenever I conduct personal coaching and training for the jobseekers, I also assist them in changing the paradigm of what interviews really. In addition, I move on to show them what employers really want and what the interviewers are looking out for during that interview session. Then we went on to craft key strategies and techniques that will help them get the jobs they want.

Here are some of the insights that will shed light on what employers and interviewers really want:

1. They want to you show how you can solve their problems. Be a problem solver and solution-provider.

2. They want you to show how you can help them achieve their goals. Show them what you can do!

3. They want you to be the one they can employ so that they don’t have to waste the remainder of the time interviewing others. Make them glad that they have gotten to know you. Let them know YOU are THE ONE. Look no further!

4. They want you to make their money worth. Show them what you are worth!

5. They want you to get to the point, instead of beating around the bush. Get to the point with what you say. Nuff’ said.

6. They want to like you. Be likeable.

7. They want you to impress them about what you know about them. So study the company well and let them know they are “under your micro-scope”

8. They want to be assured that you have the skills to perform the job. Work on the assurance and highlight your skills competency.

9. They want to know that you can understand them and be part of them. Rapport, rapport, rapport!

10. They want their time spend interviewing you to be worthwhile. Therefore, make their time worthwhile.

May you be fruitful in your job search and interviews. Always seek to Excel Beyond Excellence!

It’s Your Call! 5 Key Question Types That Will Make Or Break Your Interview

Today’s intensive training was on “Impactful Interviewing Skills”. In this workshop, the participants learn the techniques and skills to emerge more competent in handing interviews and improve their chances of getting the jobs.

At the same time, there were also explorations into certain specific situations where crucial handling of questions was needed. These include:

1. The “Why did you leave your last job” type

2. The “What you dislike most about your last company” type

3. The “Tell me about your weaknesses” type

4. The “Odd question” type

5. The “How much you want to be paid” Salary type

How You Can Prepare And Excel In Your Interview?

Yesterday I completed the 2^nd day of the “Sayang Kerja, Sayang Keluarga” (SK2) (Love Your Work, Love Your Family). I loved the way the participants showed their enthusiasm as they shared various learning points. They were motivated and took note of what would make a difference for their lives.

Here are some of the ways you can prepare effectively and excellently for your interview:

1. Build a substantial job bank first.

2. Research and study the company you are interviewing in and the job you are applying for.

3. Be confident before you step into the interviewing room.

4. Expect uncommon questions and queries that seemed irrelevant.

5. Smile.

6. Arrive earlier to get a feel of the place and be accustomed to its setting.

7. Develop a firm and warm handshake.

7 Ways To Gain Even More Advantages In Your Interviews

Over the last two days, Saturday and Sunday, I was busy conducting another run of the “Sayang Kerja, Sayang Keluarga” (SK2) (Love Your Work, Love Your Family) workshop. One of the major topics in the training was Interviewing Skills and how to excel in it. I’ve always enjoyed it whenever the participants acquire the various skills and tactics to become better in their interview.

Here are more ways to help you gain more advantages in your interview sessons:

1. Prepare yourself by understanding the company and its business before attending the interview.

2. Psych yourself up before you go in for the interview. Your mental set-up is extremely crucial.

3. Your first impression counts a lot so make sure your dressing, your body language and your mannerisms are tops.

4. Some questions are teasers and testers, and some are trappers. Learn to identify them and be tactful in answering them.

5. Highlight how you can contribute positively to the company in your replies.

6. Provide confident eye contact throughout the interview session.

7. Show that you are well prepared and are in tandem with the company’s direction of progress.

What You Must Know To Embark On The Path Of Employment

Yesterday was a day filled with deep meaning, purpose and reflection for me. Being the trainer and developer of these particular courses, I was an invited guest of the official launching ceremony of “Sayang Kerja, Sayang Keluarga” (SK²) (The meaning of the words implies to Love Your Work, Love Your Family).

It’s great to meet my participants once again and to give a presentation, keeping them motivated as they continue on their path to seek employment. I still remember their names as we see each other in delight. The Befrienders, whom I have recently trained them in Counseling and Coaching Skills, also attended the event.

The auditorium was well set up when I arrived. The media had already arrived, assembling their equipments meticulously. This training program and launch is going to be featured on the Suria Channel, Channel News Asia and Channel U.

At the same time, the familiar faces instantly brought a smile to my face. I enjoyed catching up with some of the course participants, both from SK²  training and from the counseling and coaching courses. It was encouraging knowing that the jobseekers have been keeping their spirit up and going, proactively shifting their paradigm with regards to employment seeking.

The Guest of Honor for the event was Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary from the Ministry of Manpower and Special Guest was Dr Teo Ho Pin, Mayor of North West District. When they arrived, various testimonies and reports were presented.

The grand ceremony and launch took place with the symbolic piecing together of a giant heart. The Guest of Honor, the Special Guest and I had a chat afterwards regarding the trainings and what else we can do to support the participants. It’s always heartening to know we are seeing the results from the trainings and the entire program.

During my presentation segment, I emphasized on the key essentials of employment seeking. It will also be most beneficial for the jobseekers to know these key pointers:

1. Your positive attitude draws in the positive nods of employers.

2. Get your job directions right first. Knowing what you want yet not being to restrictive helps you open up the job options.

3. The interview is the key turning point to get the job. So make sure you are up to the mark when it comes to handling interviews.

4. There is no shame in being unemployed. This is just a transitional phase that everyone goes through now and then. As long as you are willing to do something about it, there’s hardly anything to grief or feel guilty about.

5. It’s possible to amass a large number of job opportunities in your job bank. Follow through constantly on what you have been taught and advised. It’s only a simple matter of knowing where to search and how to draw the jobs to you.

6. There are always help and support available, from the Befrienders to the agencies to the Career Consultants. Get to know them, talk to them. They are your pillars of support, advice and encouragement.

7. Take charge of your life first. It’s really up to you. No one will do all these work for you. You’ve got to want it to make it happen.

What pleased me tremendously was that ever since the series of workshops, some of the participants have been gainfully employed. A number of them are attending job placement courses, which will guarantee them jobs, while the rest maintains that positive active search for employment.

It’s a simple step in the right direction to making a positive change.

And may you Excel Beyond Excellence!

Proven Ways To Win Over People And Increase Your Competitive Edge In Your Interviews

What an exhilarating week! It was training after training. I was well stretched with lots of fulfilling events that was lined up. And 3 days ago, at the 3-day “Employability Skills” workshop, the training ended on a high. Very high.

I’m extremely happy and inspired that the participants are committed to making improvements and setting new pathways in their lives. Well done and my sincere wishes to all!

As you are aware, the interviewing segment is one of the key components to gaining successful employment. Capping it off, here are the proven ways to have the interviews go in your favor and win the interviewers over:

1. Have the heart of sincerity. Speak from your heart.

2. See yourself as a gift to the company. You want to truly share the positive things with them.

3. Show how you can add value to the company, its operations and bottom-line.

4. Maintain composure. Thing may or may not turn out the way you expect. Questions may be simple or tough to answers. There is nothing more damaging than to lose your cool or get panicky. No matter what, keep your composure.

5. Read and understand the interviewers. Quickly take your best possible analysis and feel. Decipher them with the underlying intentions.

6. Speak the Language of Rapport (LOR). There are ways to make them click with you. You want to speak their language. Build the rapport with them as soon as possible.

7. Take subtle control of the flow of the interview. Know which way the session is going and make the best of the conversation. Subtle, I say.

8. Always be Tactful and Diplomatic (TAD). Sometimes, disagreements may happen. Other times, it’s just a slip of the tongue. Reply back with thought and thoughtfulness.

9. Be ready for tests. All kinds of tests and pop quiz may occur. If they happen at all, you want to be ready for it. Even with questions you don’t know the answers to.

10. Be in the best state of your mind, and know it. Rest well ahead of the interview. Know that you are at your best when you are in the session. Be fresh, be alert and be the best.

11. Add in the PAAT approach with your interviewers: Praise, Acknowledge, Appreciate and Thank. This bridges the connection and helps relax the atmosphere.

12. Follow up. If you want that job, follow up. Not all companies have reply system in place. Following up allows you to be more prominent in the eyes of the company. Even if you don’t get the job, at least the experience lets you learn and move on.

It is a constant engaging of thoughts and communication if you want to gain that edge during interviews. Work on these above ways conscientiously and you will be experiencing excellence in your job interviews!

Best wishes to you, may you Excel Beyond Excellence!