5 Tips for a Successful Phone Interview

5 Tips for a Successful Phone Interview5 Tips for a Successful Phone Interview16Many of the cues and communication that occur during a face-to-face bewerbungsgesprch are lost during a phone interview, and you are required to rely on the phone interview to carry you through to the next level of hiring. Communicating in non-traditional ways will be an important part of your job if you are looking to telecommute or work for a company that requires communication outside of an office environment. Dont fretThere are some very simple ways to communicate clearly and professionally with a potential employer over the phone.5 Tips for a Successful Phone InterviewChoose a quiet space. It cannot be stressed enough that distractions can kill the most perfect interview. You do not want to have anything that makes noise or takes your attention away from the interview. Smartphones and devices can pick up and transmit sounds that you may not even think could be heard, distracting both you and the pers on interviewing you. Never plan to interview when kids are around or sleeping, as they are unpredictable and noisy. Telecommuting requires a quiet space to work, and you need to demonstrate to your potential employer that you have the right area to complete their tasks without distractions.SMILE. It sounds silly to smile when you are not actually happy or laughing about something, but the sound of a smile comes through in your voice. Smiling during a phone interview can not only make you sound excited and happy to be talking about your qualifications, it can also calm your nerves and make you feel better. It can make the difference in how you come across to a potential new boss or company.Stand up. Standing up makes your voice clearer and allows you to take deeper breaths. Standing up while talking during a phone interview can allow you to pace and calm your nerves. Standing up can also convey confidence in your voice and assertiveness about your qualifications and skills.Be prepare d. When you are getting ready for your phone interview, have pertinent information at your fingertips. Its a good rule of thumb to have a copy of your resume, information about the company, the job description, and correspondence from the company readily available. If you are asked questions about your cover letter and youve sent out tailored ones to multiple places, you should have the information you sent over ready to discuss. Its also helpful to have something to write with and paper to take notes.Ask questions. Interviews need to take a professional and conversational tone. Participating in the dialog is going to show your interest in the ort and give them information about you. You dont want to recite your cover letter or resume in an interview. This is the perfect time for the hiring employer to get to know what your interests are and why you choose to apply for their job.Phone interviews have become an increasingly common way to screen potential applicants for jobs. With mor e of the workforce out of the office, demonstrating your stellar command of communication over the phone is an important skill to have. Make sure to remember that your personality and candor can make the difference between you and another candidate with similar references. By employing these simple tips, you can impress your abilities and passion about your new career.Readers, what are your tips for a successful phone interview? Leave a comment and let us know

Risk Management Certifications

Risk Management CertificationsRisk Management CertificationsAs the field of risk management grows in importance, so does the weight that certain employers place on formal certifications in the field for potential new hires, as well as for people already in the field who seek to advance. On the other hand, note that many employers still do not require any formal outside certifications for risk management staff. Leading Risk Management Certifications The leading certifications for risk managers in the financial services industry are Financial Risk Manager (FRM)Professional Risk Manager (PRM) Both these exams test knowledge of Financial marketsMathematical models for measuring riskRisk management methodsBusiness ethics The organizations administering the above risk management certification exams are, respectively The Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP)The Professional Risk Managers zwischenstaatlich Association The latter was founded by officials formerly associated with GARP. Both exams require 500-600 hours of study. People experienced in the risk management field normally need a few months to study for either exam, but newcomers may require over a year. Roughly half of those taking these tests pass. In 2009, over 23,000 people took the FRM exam, a leap of 69% over 2008. At the start of 2010, the two-part FRM exam had a $1,250 fee and the four-part PRM test cost $500. Some employers that require risk management certification will pay for all or part of their employees exam and test prep fees. Other Risk Management Certifications Various other risk management certifications are targeted towards people in the field who will work in companies outside the financial services industry. Some of these include Certifications from the Society of ActuariesRisk and Insurance Management Society Fellow (RIMS Fellow)Chartered Enterprise Risk AnalystCertified Risk ManagerAssociate in Risk Management Source ?Risk Managers Get Certified, The Wall Street Journ al, 4/1/2010.

Tips for Working Remotely While Traveling

Tips for Working Remotely While TravelingTips for Working Remotely While TravelingWorking from outside of the office, whether its from home or while youre on the go, can be a key opportunity to figure out your work habits and boost your output. It can also be a challenge to nail down an effective way of managing work while youre traveling. Whetheryouve just asked to work remotely, youre on a test run to prove your productivity, or youre traveling and job searching at the same time, these tips will help you get the most of your remote work. 11 Tips for Working Online While Youre On the Go Have a plan for your Internet connection.In the United States, those of us who work from our computers or job search verbunden are used to clocking in at a caf and settling in for the day. But when youre traveling grenzberschreitendly, you cant always rely on the corner Starbucks. If youve griped about the WiFi speed at the Starbucks in the States, the connection can be even more harrowing when y oure abroad. Moreover, not every city has a caf culture that accommodates the one-purchase-per-hour-of-work paradigm that exists in most American coffee shops. Beforeyoutravel,do your researchon finding WiFi in your destination, and have a backup plan, whether its purchasing an Internet SIM card, connecting to a wireless hotspot, or securing a spot in a co-working space. Carry around a notebook and pen.There will come a day when you cant connect to WiFi, when you forgot to grab a converter for your laptop charger, or when youre in a location not quite secure enough to pull out a$1,000computer. But, the solution is easy slip a notebookin your bag and keep a pen hooked over its cover. Youll always have a place to jot down your ideas, and you might just find yourself grateful when inspiration strikes at a random time. Figure out when, and how, you work best.This sounds like a given, but if you can settle into aroutine that maximizes your productivity, do your best to stick with it. For example, I am most productive when I work in short, two-hour bursts with a half-hour break in-between. I know I get the most done when I close out any extraneous windows that means no Facebook chat running in the background andIplug in with my headphones. I also know my productivity is at its top levels when I have an unbroken stream of music playing, one that doesnt require me to change songs or repeatedly hit shuffle. Youd be surprised how many minutes you waste searching for songs on YouTube, scrolling through Spotify looking for new music, or responding to Facebook chats. Make a productivity playlist.That said, if you know you work well to music, set up a playlist before you dive into your to-do list. Keep in mind that your WiFi might not have enough juice to load music videos on YouTube or stream Spotify, which also places restrictions on users listening abroad without a premium account. When Im connected to a decent WiFi connection, I like to use 8Tracks, where you can fin d pre-made playlists specifically put together for getting work done. Invest in a pair of quality headphones.Trust me, youll need them. Although the standard Apple earbuds, or their generic equivalents, are convenient to pack, they arent the best for blocking out noise. Even with the volume on full blast, Ive found my Apple earbuds dont do a great job of blocking out background noise, especially when its a boisterous conversation in Russian or the drone of motorbikes whizzing by. Bose is the best-known brand for noise-canceling headphones, but my Symphonized NRG in-ear noise-isolating earbuds do a pretty good job for a fraction of the price. Buy international outlet adapters before you go.Sure, you can pick them up at the airport, but youll pay less if you order ansprechbar from a site like Amazon, which has a huge selection of converters. If you use Mac products, the Apple World Traveler Kit is a good investment. For only about $30, it comes with plugs for North America, Japan, Chi na, United Kingdom, Europe, Korea, Australia, and Hong Kong. And, because you simply switch out the plug on your existing laptop or iPhone charger, rather than attaching it to a converter, it offers a more secure source of power and a lower risk of damaging your device. Arrange your communication channels before you go.If youre working with other people, or expect to be job searching and arranging interviews while youre traveling, you should take a few minutes to set up your messaging systems before you go. This is especially true if youre going to use an Internet messaging platform like WhatsApp or Viber, as these types of apps usually require that you confirm via MMS, which wont work once you hit airplane mode and turn off your cellular service. If youre going to be communicating via video, set up and test Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Skype before you leave. If you opt for an international phone plan, carefully review the available options so youre not spending a fortune on staying connected. With the abundance of Internet messaging services, from cross-platform apps like WhatsApp and Viber, to iMessage, Google Hangouts Chat, Slack, and Skype, most people can get by without paying for an international phone plan. You can pick up aninexpensiveflip phone and SIM card for use within another country, or purchase Skype creditsthroughyourSkypeaccountto call mobile phones and landlines worldwide. Hereismoreinformationonarranging an international phone interview. Plan ahead for video job interviews or meetings.You dont want to be scrambling at the last minute ifyouhaveaSkypecallwith an important boss orneedtodo a video jobinterview for a new position. For example, its a good idea to put onanappropriateshirtorblousefor a video interview. Just because youre traveling, doesnt mean you dont need to dress the part. Make sure you read up on how to have asuccessful video interview, and take afew minutes to practiceso youre not scrambling to get ready whenthecallcomes. Be fle xible, but also upfront. When youre communicating with professionals in other countries, you need to be aware of time zones and take into account whether youre really going to be able to get online at 430 a.m. local time to accommodate someone located halfway around the world. You should also be upfront about your accessibility. If you know youre going to have difficulty connecting to the Internet from a certain location, or if youre going to be in transit for a few days, let others know in advance. Be mindful of the time and date differences.Keep track of time zones, so you dont end up calling a potential employer or another important contact at 3 a.m.without realizing it. fruchtwein smartphones allow you to set a clock for another time zone, or you can download an app to keep track. Once you get a feel for the time difference, you can strategize to make it work to your advantage. If youre staying somewhere with alargetime difference, you should factor in the discrepancy in dates, too. For example, if you are in a very different time zone, you could wake up early Saturday morning with an extensive to-do listbecauseit isonlyFriday afternoon in theUnitedStates and your boss and co-workers arewrapping up theirworkweek. Conversely,Mondays can be a good timeformeto get a head start, because it wasonlySunday in theU.S. Plan Ahead Before You Travel Before you leave, research how and where youll be connecting to the internet.Set up your communication channels before you go.Bring the travel adaptors youll need for your devices with you.Be cognizant of the time zone when youre scheduling meetings or call.