6 top phone interview questions and how to answer them

6 top phone interview questions and how to answer them You’ve put your resume in for a job opening, and now you’ve got your first bite- a phone interview. The phone interview doesn’t happen in every application/interview process, but you might encounter it for two reasons: You’re currently far away from the hiring company.The company wants to do a preliminary interview to see if they want to bring you in for a more traditional sit-down interview.Either way, the phone interview is likely a precursor to some kind of physical meeting, before significant time and resources are invested. The main goal of a phone interview is usually to see if you meet certain requirements and would likely be a good fit for the job- or at least for the next round. If a company has a lot of great-on-paper applicants for a single position, phone interviews are a way to narrow the candidate pool to the most appropriate people.How is a phone interview different?There’s the obvious format difference, for starters. Instead of physi cally sitting face-to-face with someone, shaking hands, and being able to read body language cues, you’re sitting by yourself and have no in-person contact or visibility with the person interviewing you. That can be a benefit (it’s the one interview you can attend in your pajamas! Unless it’s a Skype interview), but also a drawback. You’re in a bit of a void, counting on your conversational skills above all else to get you through to the next round.Also, while an in-person interview is usually with the hiring manager for your position, that may not be true for a phone interview. You may be talking to a Human Resources representative or even a recruiter. It’s important to know up front the person with whom you’ll be speaking, so you can adapt your answers accordingly. If it’s a recruiter or HR person, you can be a little more general. If it’s the hiring manager, you should be more detailed about your qualifications in the specif ic field, with nitty gritty details.How to prepare for your phone interviewAlthough you don’t need to prep your interview outfit or work on your handshake, you can still work on your speaking and listening skills.Make sure your voice is calm, confident, and conversational. If it helps you to call someone else first (like a friend or a family member) right before the interview to get into conversational mode, do it. Anything that puts you at ease and gets you ready to talk about yourself confidently is good. If it helps to dress up in your normal interview clothes to get into that mode, go for it.Be sure that when you’re speaking, your voice is also warm and conversational. Part of the purpose of the phone interview is (let’s be blunt here) to verify that you’re, well, interviewable. You want to come across as friendly and competent; if your voice is stressed or your tone is cold, the interviewer may think there are some red flags lurking beneath your word s.As for your listening skills, you won’t have the advantage of doing the head nod + thoughtful â€Å"I’m listening† face, so it’s important to make sure the interviewer knows you’re listening. Make sure you’re allowing the person to finish speaking before you answer, and don’t feel like you need to fill in brief silences with nervous chatter.Before your phone interview, do your homework on the company, the job, and the interviewer him- or herself, if possible. Put those Google stalking skills to good use so that you understand who’s on the other end of the phone. The beauty of the phone interview is that you can have notes right in front of you, without the interviewer knowing you’ve got a crib sheet of details about the company, or the talking points about your resume that you want to emphasize.And lastly, just before the interview, make sure you’re settled in a quiet spot where you can conduct your phone interv iew in peace, with no interruptions. This rules out busy public places, or home if things are chaotic with kids, pets, ambient noise, etc.The interview questionsNow that you’re prepped for the interview, what can you expect from the interview itself? We’ve put together some of the most common phone interview questions, and how to approach them.â€Å"Tell me about yourself.†This one is always tricky, no matter what the interview format is. And given that the phone interview is likely an introductory interview, you can probably expect this one to pop up. An open-ended question is difficult because it’s all on you. Don’t go too broad here- the interviewer isn’t interested in your third grade spelling bee victory or your favorite television show. Limit your answer to a few highlight points about your professional career, especially those relevant to the job for which you’re interviewing. An elevator pitch comes in very handy here, because it covers relevant high-level info that works nicely for a â€Å"tell me about yourself.†Example: â€Å"I recently graduated with my bachelor’s in accounting, and I’m ready to translate my internship with Prestigious Financial Firm and my strong accounting skills into the next steps of my career.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"What interested you about this job/company?†This is where your pre-interview research comes in handy here, because â€Å"your job listing on TheJobNetwork matched my keyword search† is not a great answer. Instead, talk about one of your goals that this job would help you achieve or mention something you really like about the company. And remember: whether this is your dream job or one of dozens for which you sent out your resume, make it clear that this job is an opportunity you didn’t want to miss. The more specific and authentic your answer sounds, the better.Example: â€Å"I’m ready for the next level in my career, so I was excited to find this opening in X Corp’s sales department. It’s an incredible opportunity, and I know my skills and experience would be a good fit.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Tell me about your current/most recent job.†Like the â€Å"tell me about yourself† question, don’t get sucked into the open-endedness of this question. The interviewer isn’t necessarily interested in every one of your daily tasks, thoughts, and opinions about the work. Instead, focus on the parts of your job that relate most directly to the job you want, and highlight the accomplishments.Example: â€Å"I work directly with clients to coordinate orders and shipments. For example, I recently onboarded a brand new client, and we were able to get them up and running with no interruption in sales.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Why are you leaving your job?†Part of the phone interview process is weeding out people who set off initial red flags, or aren’t a good fit for this particular job or c ompany. They want to know you’re not a flight risk or unable to work as a member of a team. So this question is pretty popular in interviews of all kinds- especially a preliminary phone interview. The answer shouldn’t focus too much on what dissatisfies you about your current job (like â€Å"my boss is a micromanager† or â€Å"my job is boring and I want to try something else†). Instead, emphasize your goals and this new job itself.And if you got fired or left under not-great circumstances, don’t panic. Also don’t lie, especially if the reason you were fired will come up in a background check or in a conversation with your references. Frame it as a learning experience. And definitely talk about your major takeaway from the experience, and how you’ve used that to overcome your challenges and become a better professional.Example: â€Å"I’ve learned a great deal in my current position, but I feel like there wasn’t enough r oom to grow and develop as much as I’d like. It helped me realign my goals and figure out that I want a job that is more focused on customer service.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Do you have any questions for me?†In a phone interview, this is your chance to do a little extra research, especially if you’re talking with someone other than the hiring manager (who would likely handle the next round interview). You’re not likely to get candid insights like, â€Å"I think this company does a lousy job at work-life balance,† but you can at least get some on-the-record opinions and information from someone closely related to the company. Think of it as a bit of professional snooping that can help you prepare for the next phase if you’re offered an in-person interview.Examples:â€Å"What qualities are you looking for in applicants for this position?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"What are the opportunities for advancement in this position?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"How does this company provide e mployee feedback?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Why is the person who last held this job leaving?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"What is the most challenging aspect of this particular job?†A phone interview may not be the main interview in your hiring process, but it’s such an important first step that it should be treated every bit as seriously as any other kind of interview. Making sure you’re prepared and understanding what your gameplan is will help you be more relaxed and ready to answer any question that comes your way.

Credit crunch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Credit crunch - Essay Example The people have started to understand the real issues behind this credit crunch because it has impacted their lives in a very negative way. It has turned the rich into poor very quickly and the poor have no where to hide as well (Author Unknown 2008). In essence, the credit crunch has played absolute havoc with the people of this world and there seems to be no stopping on this premise at all. Much needs to be done and for that to happen, the world’s biggest financial and economic bodies need to sit down together and devise a way for further progress and resilience within these areas. The historic basis of this credit crunch started when some of the world’s leading banks and financial institutions came down crashing some 2 years back. It brought with it a plethora of issues and troubles for the people, be them within the small sized markets or within the big institutions that played with the economic issues of the people. The move destroyed the basis of any economic activity within the world and hence these activities came to a standstill all of a sudden. American and British companies started to see downsizing and job cuts, which meant that more people started to lose their jobs and they had to bear the direct consequences due to this credit crunch. What was worse was the fact that the established companies which were doing pretty well within the global contexts also came down crashing (Anderson 2007). The liquidity basis was therefore hit very badly and the people within the financial groups were blamed for such a situation that had arisen in the first p lace. The historic basis of credit crunch has resulted due to a number of reasons apart from these as well. The dependence of one money regime over the other has also been the root cause behind such debacle in the first place and therefore the blame must be shared amongst all concerned. What is worst is the fact that people have been at the mercy of such financial

Water and Air Pollution in Shanghai China Article

Water and Air Pollution in Shanghai China - Article Example Air and water pollution in Shanghai is caused mainly by industrialization and the rapid increase in population. Air pollution levels are through the roof and the water in most parts is not safe for drinking. Water and air pollution in Shanghai, China, has been of great concern to the government, environmentalists and the general public, as the effects continue to affect the environment while many people have gotten incurable diseases and some have died as a result of the two and addressing the issue can be of great importance to the environment, the population and the country. Causes of Air and Water Pollution in Shanghai Coal Coal has been used in China for many centuries. Historians believe that coal in China was used as early as 1000 B.C. since then, it has been a major source of energy in China. Currently, China is the largest producer of coal producing an approximately three billion tons. China consumes more than one billion tons of coal for production of energy. In fact, about 70% of Chinese energy is from coal. Energy is produced by burning the coal. This process leads to a number of by products including smog, soot, carbonaceous gases, methane, sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides. These gases are the major causes of air pollution in Shanghai and around China. Coal mining and combustion around Shanghai produces about 37% of air pollution (United Nations Technical Cooperation, 12). Coal use has also been associated with water pollution through several ways. Coal plants use large amounts of water for cooling the plant. Water is also used in these plants to remove impurities that may affect the combustion of coal. The water used has to be released at some point. The water may come into contact with the products and byproducts of coal for example methane, arsenic and particulates. At the same time, the rains may wash out some heavy metal compounds from coal. Coal is usually stored just outside the coal mines and is not covered in most cases (U.S Environmental Protection Agency 5). Whether water is released to a safe disposal place or not it has to find its way to the main water bodies in some way. It can be through run off after rains or through seepage through the rocks in the adjacent areas. Also, sulfur dioxides produced during the production of energy from coal forms a layer of cloud above the earth and leads to acid rain after precipitation landing on vegetat ion and water bodies. Environmentalists also believe that the particulates formed and aerosols are dispersed by wind and end up in the water bodies contaminating the water (Smil 233). Industrialization Shanghai is one of the largest industrial cities and ports in the world. There are more than 10,000 large industries in the city of varying products and services. All these industries have waste which has to be dumped off at some point. As of 1999, industrial waste in Shanghai was estimated to be at 999 million tones per year. 93% of the waste were treated by the rest remained untreated posing a possible pollutant to the environment. Domestic waste on the other hand was estimated to be 380,550 tones within the same period. The monitoring institution stated that most of the waste contained oils and dangerous chemicals which found their way into the water sources (Huizhen 3). Industrial waste and domestic waste in Shanghai has been on the increase since 1997. Many industries have been e stablished and the existing ones have to cope with the increased demand for the various products. The industrial sector has been growing at an average of 11% per year from 1978 to 2008 in China. With Shanghai being one of the major industrial cities, the growth is expected to be around the same rate if not better. The rapid growth in the sector was attributed to by the cheap

Pachelbels Canon Essay Example for Free

Pachelbels Canon Essay In what people consider as classical music, there are different eras of music, two in particular that deserve a closer look are the Baroque Period and the Classical Period. The two different styles, or eras, are very close in what the untrained ear. Listening to the two different eras at first it was difficult hear a distinct difference between the two eras of music. In the Baroque Era music like Bach’s Water Music, Handel’s Messiah and Pachelbel’s Canon are soft rhythmic pieces generally with smaller ensembles of instruments, the focus on strings in the music and was generally written between 1600 and the 1750’s (Differences 2011). In the Classical Era such as Haydn’s String Quartet, Mozart’s Symphony no. 40 and Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5 the music is a little more chaotic and not as in tune with the other pieces. Classical pieces also tended to be larger orchestras that focused more on the winds and brass, even though strings were still part of the group. The music is generally considered to from 1750’s to the 1820’s (Differences 2011). Two pieces of music that are good to compare from the eras is Pachelbel’s Canon and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Pachelbel’s Canon is a very peaceful, rhythmic and melodic piece of music that is soothing to ear and is escape music, it has the power to take the listener and transport, or escape them from where they are at. Canon has been used in advertisements as well as a wedding song, which is what is most known for this day is as a processional piece of music. Beethoven’s Fifth is another popular and well known piece, Beethoven uses the whole orchestra and the piece rises and lowers throughout the piece in its different movements. Pachelbel’s Canon is more of a peaceful piece; this piece is more violent and chaotic. Beethoven has described the opening notes, some describe as s-s-s-L, as â€Å"Fate knocking on your door† (Beethovens 5th). The piece is instense and from the beginning there is a sense of intensity and drama that carries throughout the piece. The two subject pieces are hard to relate to today’s music other then Pachelbel’s Canon is more of a love song, or perhaps a comparison to Enya in that in melodic and peaceful. Beethoven’s Fifth is more of your Hard Rock, or a Rap song that is intense and as a story to tell in the piece.

Becoming a CPA Essay -- Essays Papers

Becoming a CPA Becoming A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) What is a CPA? These three letters mean that you have received a broad-based education. They mean you have passed all parts of a very difficult exam. They mean you have the knowledge, skills and abilities to be a trusted business advisor to your clients or employer. They mean you feel comfortable with the latest technology. They mean you are an ethical individual who can provide an independent analysis. CPA’s are many things. They are chief financial officers for Fortune 500 companies and advisors to small neighborhood businesses. They work for large and small public accounting firms. They are well-respected strategic business advisors and decision-makers. They act as consultants on many issues, including taxes and accounting. To become a CPA you need to meet the requirements of the state or jurisdiction in which you wish to practice. These requirements, which vary from state to state, are established by law and administered by the state boards of accountancy. To qualify for certification, you must: ï‚ · Complete a program of study in accounting at a college/university. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) recommends at least 150 semester hours to obtain the common body of knowledge for becoming a CPA. ï‚ · Pass the Uniform CPA Examination, which is developed and graded by the AICPA. ï‚ · Have professional work experience in public accounting. The Uniform CPA Exam is a prerequisite for the CPA certificate because it is the primary way Boards of Accountancy measure the competence of CPA candidates. Boards of Accountancy also rely on additional means to ensure that a candidate has the necessary technical abilities and character attributes to become a CPA. These may include interviews, letters of reference, investigation of educational background, and affidavits of employment. In addition, some boards of accountancy administer an ethics examination to assess a candidate’s knowledge of the rules of professional conduct. The Board of Examiners of the AICPA, is responsible for preparing the Uniform CPA Examinations and for operating the Advisory Grading Service, both adopted by the boards of accountancy in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Examination is give... ...s the economy grows the number of business establishments increases requiring more accountants and auditors to set up their financial, technological and internal control systems, provide tax preparation and planning assistance, as well as management consulting advice and other business advisory services. The volume and complexity of financial and non-financial information will continue to expand, requiring the knowledge of accountants and auditors to interpret and analyze the data and participate in the decision making process. Becoming proficient in the latest accounting and budgeting software packages and keeping abreast of new technologies is critical to the accounting professional’s success. Bibliography: American Institute for Certified Public Accountants (2000). Available: http://www.aicpa.org. Blensly, D.L., and Plank, T.M. (1989). Accounting Desk Book, (9th ed.) Meigs, W.B. and R.F. (1989), Accounting: The Basis for Business Decisions, (8th ed.) Rink & Robinson’s CPA’s (1998). Certified Public Accountants & Consultants. Available: http://www.mrinkcpa.com. Robert Half and Accountemps Salary Guide (1999). Available: http://www.accountemps.com.

Managing Paediatric Illness and Injury Essay

1. Describe the common types of fractures and how to manage them. Broken bone. Based on the location and severity of the fracture, a broken bone usually must be set into position and supported until it is strong enough to bear weight. Your physician will recommend the most proven treatment approach, usually casting or surgery 2. Describe how to manage a dislocation Relieve pain around the dislocation by applying a cold pack to the area; this will also reduce swelling that can add to discomfort injury. Keep joint immobile and do not try to push the bone back in place. Offer ibuprofens if in severe pain, monitor the patient until the professionals arrive. 3. Describe how to recognise and manage the following head injuries: A concussion: you get dizziness, nausea, loss of memory, mild headache, seeing â€Å"stars†, double vision, numbness and lack of hand-eye coordination. B skull fracture: you will probably see an external wound or bruise on the head and there may be a depression visible on the scalp. Check behind the ears for swelling or bruising. There may be loss of clear fluid or watery blood through an eye or nostril, blood in the white of the eye, a black-eye, and the symmetry of the head or face may be disrupted. The responsiveness of the victim may deteriorate C cerebral compression: levels of response deteriorate; headaches tend to be intense; noisy, slowed, or irregular breathing; pupil sizes unequal; paralysis or weakness on one side of the body or face; drowsiness; temperature spike, fever, or flushed face; personality changes 4. Describe how to manage an infant and a child with foreign bodies in their eyes, ears and nose. If a child gets sand, dust, or paint in their eyes, then we can try removing it ourselves, firstly wear clean pair of disposable gloves, and gently pull the bottom eye lid down, and with a clean wet tissue try to clean the eye, and if that don’t work, then try to wash the eye out with water, position the child’s head over the sink or bowl with eye open and wash the eye out using plastic cup, try to pour the water for the side of the eye, if this still don’t work then go to the nearest walking centre. There are several things that can get stuck in  ears and nose, common ones like batteries, beads, nuts. If a child does get anything small stuck in their nose or ear, unless it can easily be pulled out with a firm grip then go for it, if not don’t try because you may end up pushing it further back and making it difficult, in these kind of situations you need to call a first aider, or take the child to the nearest walking centre to get it removed. 5. Describe how to recognise and manage common eye injuries Eye injuries can range from relatively trivial, such as irritating the eye with shampoo, to extremely serious, resulting in permanent loss of vision. Common causes of eye injuries include, something like a small particle of grit or a twig damages the transparent front part of the eye known as the cornea – this type of injury is known as a corneal abrasion. A foreign body such as a small piece of wood or metal gets stuck in the eye. A sudden blow to the eye, from a fist or a cricket ball for example, causes the middle section of the eye (the uvea) to become swollen – this type of injury is known as traumatic uveitis. Wash your eyes out for 20 minutes if you think they have been exposed to a chemical. Ideally, you should wash the eye with saline solution, but tap water will be fine if saline is unavailable. Use plenty of water. Water from a garden hose or water fountain is okay if you’re outside. Then go immediately to your nearest A&E department. It’s also important to go to A&E if you cut your eye and it starts bleeding or if you have something stuck in your eye. Never try to remove anything from your eye as you could damage it. 6. Describe how to recognise and manage chronic medical conditions including:a. Sickle cell anaemia. Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder in which red blood cells are abnormally shaped. This abnormality can result in painful episodes, serious infections, chronic anaemia, and damage to body organs. These complications can, however, vary from person to person depending on the type of sickle cell disease each has. Some people are relatively healthy and others are hospitalized frequently. But thanks to advancements in early diagnosis and treatment, most kids born with this disorder grow up to live relatively healthy and productive lives. b. Diabetes The main symptoms of diabetes are: feeling very thirsty urinating frequently, particularly at night feeling very tired weight loss and loss of muscle bulk Type 1 diabetes can develop quickly, over weeks or even days. Many people have type 2 diabetes for years without realising because early symptoms tend to be general. The amount of sugar in the blood is usually controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach). When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it is broken down to produce energy. However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there is either not enough insulin to move the glucose, or the insulin produced does not work properly. c. asthma Asthma is caused by inflammation of the airways. These are the small tubes, called bronchi, which carry air in and out of the lungs. If you have asthma, the bronchi will be inflamed and more sensitive than normal. When you come into contact with something that irritates your lungs, known as a trigger, your airways become narrow, the muscles around them tighten and there is an increase in the production of sticky mucus. This leads to symptoms including: Difficulty breathing Wheezing and coughing A tight chest. While there is no cure for asthma, there are a number of treatments that can help effectively control the condition. Treatment is based on two important goals: Relieving symptoms Preventing future symptoms and attacks from developing Treatment and prevention involves a combination of medicines, lifestyle advice, and identifying and then avoiding potential asthma triggers. Read more about living with asthma. 7. Describe how to recognise and manage serious sudden illnesses including a. Meningitis Viral meningitis usually gets better within a couple of weeks, with plenty of rest and painkillers for the headache. Bacterial meningitis is treated with antibiotics (medication that treats infections caused by bacteria). Treatment will require admission to hospital, with severe cases treated in an intensive care unit so the body’s vital functions can be supported. The best way to prevent meningitis is by ensuring vaccinations are up-to-date. Children in the UK should receive the available vaccines as part of the childhood vaccination programme. b. Febrile convulsions Febrile seizures are also sometimes called febrile convulsions. During most seizures the child’s body becomes stiff, they lose consciousness and their arms and legs twitch. Some children may wet themselves. This is what’s known as a tonic colonic seizure. If your child is having a febrile seizure, place them in the recovery position. Lay them on their side, on a soft surface, with their face turned to one side. This will stop them swallowing any vomit. It will keep their airway open and help to prevent injury. Stay with your child and try to make a note of how long it lasts. If it is your child’s first seizure, or it lasts longer than five minutes, take them to the nearest hospital as soon as possible or call 999 for an ambulance. While it is unlikely that there is anything seriously wrong, it is best to be sure. If your child has had febrile seizures before and the seizure lasts for less than five minutes. Try not to put anything, including medication, in your c hild’s mouth during a seizure as there is a slight chance that they might bite their tongue. Almost all children make a complete recovery, and there is not a single reported case of a child dying as the direct result of a febrile seizure. 8. Describe how to recognise and treat the effects of extreme cold and extreme heat for an infant and a child. When a child has an extreme cold the signs and symptoms are Shivering in the early stages Cold, pale and dry skin Low temperature 35 degrees or less Irrational behaviour, slow shallow breathing Cold to touch Unusually quite Refuses to feed Treatment for this will be to remove and replace wet clothing, wrap in a warm blanket cover their head place in a warm room. Give them a hot drink only if they can hold the cup. If it’s a baby then warm them up slowly and place them in a warm room, use your body heat to warm them, and seek for medical advice. When a infant or child has an extreme heat the signs and symptoms could be Gradual onset Sweating, cold, clammy skin Dizziness, confusion, headache Cramps in limbs and or abdomen Shallow rapid breathing, nausea Treatment for this is Reassure, remove casualty to cool place Lie down with legs raised If conscious encourage to sip plenty of fluids If recovery is rapid advise them to see the doctor If unconscious put them in recovery and call 999 for ambulance

Effects Of Alcohol Abuse On Children - 1321 Words

â€Å"Alcohol abuse and alcoholism can affect all aspects of a person’s life.† Even though it is legal for anybody at least age twenty-one and over, alcohol is commonly abused among adults. When people think about alcohol abuse, they usually only focus on the one person who is drinking in excess, but what if that person has a family or is a parent? How does alcoholism affect their children or loved ones? The majority of people would suggest that binge drinking only mainly affects the one person doing it, they do not realize that it affects their children and families as a whole. In general, children and families are affected in a negative way when combated with the issue of a parent or very close relative being an alcoholic. First, I will†¦show more content†¦It is staggering that child abuse happens more frequently when alcohol abuse is present. That can create an even more toxic environment for the child, which could lead to many problems for him or her in th e immediate future. The Society for the Study of Addiction also states that â€Å"children who experience child abuse and neglect repetitively have been shown to experience poorer behavioral, educational and mental health outcomes†. That very hazardous environment is what children of alcoholic parents are exposed to on a daily basis, breaking them down physically, socially, and emotionally. Alcohol abuse with adults can have an even deeper effect on one s family and children that might not be apparent at first. Debra Wood states that alcoholism with one adult can increase the chance of the rest of his or her’s family some day becoming an alcoholic. Wood also states that genetics, social pressure, and problem behaviors learned from family or friends can lead to somebody going down the path of alcohol abuse. Even though this seems like a fairly lopsided debate, there are multiple factors that lead one to believe that getting over alcoholism can be a pretty easy fix. Ther efore meaning it would not be as much of a problem for the adults children and, or family. The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory Application states that† heavy drinking in older adults may signify ongoing alcohol problems†. Knowing that the alcohol problems can lead to other more