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15 Toughest Interview Questions (and Answers!)
1. Why do you want to work in this industry? Bad answer: “I love to shop. Even as a kid, I spent hours flipping through catalogues.” Don’t just say you like it. Anyone can do that. Focus instead on your history with that particular industry, and if you can, tell a success story. Good answer: “I've always loved shopping, but my ... -
10 Ways to Make Yourself Unfireable
Don't just sit there, basking in your continued employment... Phew. You survived the culling. Or maybe your company has managed to avoid a mass layoff. Either way, you're one of the lucky ones. Unlike so many of your friends and family, you won’t have to deal with the unemployment office or cancel your cable -- yet. But instead of sitting ... -
Top 25 Cities for Your Career
Now more than ever, it’s important to get the best bang for your buck. And there’s no question about it — when it comes to value, not every U.S. city is created equally. Why chase a great salary if your rent swallows most of it, unemployment is skyrocketing and you spend two hours a day just to get to and from ... -
15 Companies Hiring Despite the Recession
Are you looking for a job, but think you can't find one because there just aren't any opportunities out there? Think again. There are a few companies that are still growing and thriving despite, or maybe because of, the economic downturn. Excelle did the research for you and compiled a list of 15 workplaces that aren't laying people off, and that ... -
The World's 20 Worst Places to Work
Hardship Posts These days few workers feel confident enough to make demands of their employers. With the global economy enduring the worst downturn in decades, lots of workers in the U.S. and other countries are happy to have a job, any job. There are places, though, where it's so tough to live that employees can still get companies to pay them ... -
5 Job Hunting Mistakes that Scream "I'm Unprofessional"
In most job-filling situations, the employer has the luxury of choosing from several well-qualified applicants, all of whom could probably do the job. That's when the little things, like the common but often unrecognized mistakes described here, almost always come into play. Make sure you avoid them, so they don't cost you a shot at the job. h4. *1. Using a ... -
9 Ways to Mess Up Your Interview
Sometimes our faces and body language give away more than we're trying to reveal, especially in a tense or nerve-wracking situation like a first job interview. In some cases, we might not even realize that our brow is furrowed or that we're repeatedly tapping our toes much to the annoyance of a future employer. CareerBuilder recently surveyed hundreds of different employers, ... -
15 Most Ridiculous Ways to Lose Your Job
Sometimes, a person will lose their job through no fault of their own. The whims of a psychotic boss, an economy in shambles, or a simple misunderstanding can have an otherwise satisfactory employee packing up his or her cubicle. Other times, a person will lose their job because they have done something so incredibly foolish, you wonder how they ever ... -
Ace the 10 Most Common Interview Questions
Too many job seekers stumble through interviews as if the questions are coming out of left field. But many interview questions are to be expected. Study this list and plan your answers ahead of time so you’ll be ready to deliver them with confidence. [widget:536] 1. What Are Your Weaknesses? This is the most dreaded question of all. Handle it by ... -
The 10 Best Jobs for the Worst Times
by Hannah Waters, Geezeo.com Job security is definitely up in the air right now for everyone. If you are out of a job, however, try considering some of these jobs that seem to thrive even during tough times. Although everyone and every industry is hit hard with job losses and cutbacks, these types of jobs seem to hover just a little ... -
How NOT to Write a Cover Letter
1. Not Using Standard Business-Letter Format The student's cover letter looked more like a cut-and-paste email than a business letter. It had no recipient information, no return address and no date. The letter screamed unprofessional. What's YOUR Cover Letter IQ? Be sure your cover letter uses a standard business letter format. It should include the date, the recipient's mailing address and ... -
Top 10 Common Resume Blunders
Make sure your resume is in top-notch shape by avoiding the top 10 resume blunders: 1. Too Focused on Job Duties Your resume should not be a boring list of job duties and responsibilities. Go beyond showing what was required and demonstrate how you made a difference at each company, providing specific examples. When developing your achievements, ask yourself: • How ... -
Who’s Hiring: 8 National Employers Looking for YOU
There’s a common misconception that if you're fired or laid off these days, you won’t find a new opportunity or that you'll have to take a severe cut — in both your paycheck and pride. But can you really blame us? It’s not often you hear about companies hiring in this recession. With the nation’s unemployment rate on the rise and ... -
Recession-Proof Jobs: Is Yours One of Them?
View the job countdown slideshow by scrolling through the pages below These are tough times for job seekers. The U.S. unemployment rate held steady in June at 5.5%, the highest rate since October 2004. The outlook is especially bleak in residential construction and automobiles, and for workers without a college degree. But there are employment bright spots, particularly in technology, according ... -
5 Signs Your Résumé Is Passé
The workplace is not what it was five years ago. Neither is the job hunt. The most successful candidates are those who are ready and willing to adapt to a changing landscape. But it doesn’t matter how ready you are for the modern workplace if your résumé’s straight out of 1994. And sometimes, it's the most minute details that make all ... -
13 Types of Bosses and How to Make Them Love You
Along with paychecks, deadlines, and overtime, bosses are one of the things you just can’t avoid in the workplace. But how to identify these strange characters and deal with them? Don’t go it alone — it’s a jungle out there. We show you how! [page] The Robot Distinguishing characteristics: An empty desk, no family pictures. What they do: All business, all ... -
15 Companies Hiring Now
Times are tough. And these days, it seems like everyone is looking for a job. But don't be discouraged by all the depressing news. Work smarter not harder. How? You just need to know where to look. Luckily, Excelle's done the research for you. We've identified fifteen companies that are hiring near you -- even now! Read the descriptions then ... -
6 Sloppy Speech Habits to Avoid
1. Non-words Filler words such as "um," "ah," "you know," "OK" or "like" tell the interviewer you're not prepared and make you sound like a Valley Girl (or Boy). A better strategy is to think before you speak, taking pauses and breaths when you lose your train of thought. Everybody utters an occasional "um," but don't let it start every sentence. ... -
Will You Be Hired or Fired By 2010?
Which Sectors Will Be Hardest Hit? About 10,000 people a day are losing their jobs in the current U.S. economic crisis, the worst rate since perhaps the Great Depression. Yet for many industries, the real pain lies ahead. Here's a look at 30 sectors—some that will be among the hardest hit and others where the outlook is for modest growth, ... -
The 25 Species of Coworkers
They might be lurking in the cubicle next to you or lounging in a cushy corner office. They could be e-nagging you daily or haunting your dreams at night. That’s right, the people you work with have the power to influence, annoy, inspire, and scare the living daylights out of you (work nightmares, anyone?). Since you’re stuck with them 40 hours ...








